towing MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2018 Service Manual

R
Obs tacles on the lane or projecting out into
th e lane.
The sy stem does not pr ovide assis tance in the
fo llowing conditions:
R On tight bends, roundabouts and when turn‐
ing.
R When towing a trailer.
R When actively changing lane without swit ch‐
ing on the turn signal. &
WARNING Risk of accident if Active
St eering Assist unexpectedly stops func‐
tioning
If th e sy stem limitations of Active Steering
Assist are reached there is no guarantee that
th e sy stem will remain active or will keep the
ve hicle in lane. #
Alw ayske ep your hands on thesteering
wheel and obser vethe tra ffic carefull y. #
Alw aysst eer theve hicle paying atten‐
tion totraf fic conditions. &
WARNING Risk of accident if Active
St eering Assist unexpectedly inter venes
A malfunction in the de tection of lane mark‐
ings and objects can occu r.
This could cause unexpected steering inter‐
ve ntion. #
Steer according totraf fic conditions. Ac
tivating/deactivating Active Steering
Assist
Re quirements:
R ESP ®
is activated, but is not inter vening.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
Multimedia sy stem:
, © .
Settings .
Schnellzugriff
(Quick access) #
Select aAct. Steer. Asst . Fu
nction of Active Lane Change Assi st
% The following function is countr y-dependent
and only available in conjunction with the
Driving Assi stance Package.
Ac tive Lane Change Assi stsupports the driver
when changing lanes byapplying steering torque
if th e driver operates a turn signal.
Assis tance when changing lanes is pr ovided if all
th efo llowing conditions are me t:
R You are driving on a mo torw ay orroad with
multiple lanes in the direction of tr avel.
R The neighbouring lane is separated bya bro‐
ke n lane ma rking.
R Novehicle is de tected in the adjacent lane.
R The driven speed is between 80 km/h and
180 km/h.
R Active Lane Change Assi stis switched on in
th e multimedia sy stem.
R Active Steering Assist is switched on and
active. 208
Driving and parking

*
NO
TEDama gefrom auto matic braking If one of
thefo llowing functions is switched
on, theve hicle brakes automatically in cer‐
ta in situations:
R Active Brake Assi st
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R HOLD function
R Active Parking Assist
To avo id damage totheve hicle, deactivate
th ese sy stems in thefo llowing or similar sit‐
uations: #
During towing #
In a car wash Re
quirements:
R The vehicle is stationar y.
R The driver's door is closed or the seat belt on
th e driver's side is fastened.
R The engine is running or has been au tomati‐
cally switched off bythe ECO start/ stop
function. R
The electric parking brake is released.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is deacti‐
va ted.
R The transmission is in position h,kori.
Ac tivating the HOLD function #
Dep ress the brake pedal and af ter a short
time quickly depress fur ther until theë
display appears in the multifunction displa y. #
Release the brake pedal.
Deactivating the HOLD function #
Depress the accelerator pedal topull away.
or #
Depress the brake pedal until theë dis‐
play disappears from the multifunction dis‐
pla y.
The HOLD function is deactivated in thefo llow‐
ing situations:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
R The transmission is switched toposition j.R
The vehicle is secured with the electric park‐
ing brake.
In thefo llowing situations, theve hicle is held by
th e transmission position jorby the electric
parking brake:
R The seat belt is unfas tened and the driver's
door is opened.
R The drive sy stem is switched off.
R There is a malfunction in the sy stem or the
po we r supp lyis insuf ficient. St
art-off assi st Fu
nction of thest art-off assi st
The start-off assist enables optimal vehicle
acceleration from a standstill. Forth is, a suitably
high-grip road sur face is requ ired, the tyres and
ve hicle must also be in good condition.
Do not activate thest art-off assist on public
ro ads.
Be sure toobser vethe saf ety no tes and informa‐
tion on ESP ®
. Driving and parking
213

Assi
stinter venes. The li kelihood of inter vention
is therefore higher.
Setting Active Lane Keeping Assist
Multimedia sy stem:
, © .
Settings .
Assistance .
Act.
Lane Keep. Assist
Setting the sensitivity
% The availability of this function is dependent
on the count ry. #
Select Standard ,Sensitive orOff.
Ac tivating/deactivating the haptic warning #
Select Warning.
Ac tivate or deacti vate the function. Tr
ailer hitch Tr
ailer operation no tesObser
vethefo llowing no tes on theto ngue
we ight:
R do not use a tongue weight that exceeds or
fa lls below the permissible tongue weight R
use a tongue weight as close as possible to
th e maximum tongue weight
Do not exceed thefo llowing values:
R permissible towing capacity
R permissible rear axle load of theto wing vehi‐
cle
R permissible gross mass of theto wing vehicle
R permissible gross mass of the trailer
R maximum permissible speed of the trailer
Ensure thefo llowing before starting a journey:
R the tyre pressure on there ar axle of theto w‐
ing vehicle is set for a maximum load
R the lighting of the connected trailer is opera‐
tional
R vehicles without LED headlamps or MUL‐
TIBEAM LED headlamps: the headlamps
ha ve been set cor rectly
In theeve nt of increased rear axle load, the car/
trailer combination may not exceed a maximum
speed of 100 km/h forre asons concerning the
operating permit. This also applies in countri esin which
the permissible maximum speed for
car/trailer combinations is ab ove100 km/h. Fo
lding the ball neck out/in &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
ball neck not being engaged
If th e ball neck is not engaged, the trailer
may come loose. #
Alw ays engage the ball neck as descri‐
bed. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom ball neck
swinging outwards
The ball neck may swing outwards when
unlo cking or when it has not been properly
engaged.
There is a risk of injury within the ball neck's
ra nge of mo vement! #
Unlock the ball neck only when its
ra nge of mo vement is unobstructed. 242
Driving and pa rking

R
always distribute the load on the bicycle rack
as eve nly as possible across theve hicle's
longitudinal axis
Mercedes-Benz recommends removing all
de tach able parts from bicycles, e.g. bask ets,
ch ild seats or rech arge able bat teries, before
loading them onto the bicycle rack . This
impr ovesth e wind resis tance and centre of gr av‐
ity of the bicycle rack.
Alw ays secure the bicycles topreve ntthem from
moving around and check they are secured at
re gular inter vals.
Do not use tarp aulins or other co vers. The driv‐
ing characteristics and rear view may be
impaired. In addition, the wind resis tance and
load on the trailer hitch increase. Distribution of
the load on the bicycle rack
1 Vertical dis tance between centre of gr avity
and ball head
2 Horizon tal dis tance between centre of gr av‐
ity and ball head
3 The centre of gr avity is on theve hicle's
centre axis Obser
vethefo llowing information when
loading the bicycle rack: Nu
mber
of bicy‐
cles To
tal
we ight
of bicy‐
cle rack
and load Max. dis‐
tance
1 1Max. dis‐
tance
2 2
3U pto
75 kg 420 mm 300 mm Ve
hicle towing instructions
The vehicle is not suitable forth e use of tow- bar
sy stems, which are used forflat towing or ding hy
to wing, forex ample. Attach ing and using tow- bar
sy stems can lead todamage on theve hicle.
When towing a vehicle with tow- bar sy stems,
safe, dynamic driving behaviour of theto wing
ve hicle and theve hicle being towe d is not guar‐
anteed. The vehicle-trailer combination can
swer vefrom side toside. Comply with the per‐
mitted towing me thods (→ page449) and the
instructions forto wing with bo thaxles on the
ground (→ page 450). Driving and parking
247

each time with
the conta cts onyour own
ve hicle firs t. #
Afterre moving the jump lead/charging
cable, close co ver1 of positive clamp 2.
Fu rther information can be obtained at a quali‐
fi ed specialist workshop. Re
placing the 12V battery #
Obser vethe no tes on the12 V battery
(→ page 444).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you ha vethe
12 V battery replaced at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes if youwa ntto
re place the battery yourself:
R Alw aysre place a faulty bat tery with a battery
which meets the specific vehicle require‐
ments.
The vehicle is equipped with an AGMtech nol‐
ogy battery (Absorbent Glass Mat). Fullve hi‐ cle functionality is only guaranteed with an
AG M batter y.Fo r saf etyre asons, Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you on lyuse bat ter‐
ies which have been tested and appr ovedfor
yo ur vehicle byMercedes-Benz.
R Carryover de tach able parts, such as vent
hoses, elbow fittings or term inal co vers, from
th e battery being replaced.
R Make sure that theve nt hose is al ways con‐
nected tothe original opening on the side of
th e batter y.
Fit any existing or supplied cell caps.
Otherwise, gases or battery acid could
escape.
R Make sure that de tach able parts are recon‐
nected in the same way. To
w- starting or towing away Pe
rm itted towing me thods Mercedes-Benz
recommends transporting your
ve hicle in the case of a breakdown, rath er than
to wing it away. Fo
rto wing, use a tow rope or tow bar with bo th
axles on the ground. Do not use tow bar sys‐
te ms. &
WARNING Risk of accident when towing
with steering wheel lock
Yo u will no lon ger be able tosteer theve hicle
if th esteering wheel lock is engaged. #
Alw ays switch on the ignition when tow‐
ing theve hicle with a tow cable or a tow
bar. *
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle due to tow‐
ing away incor rectly #
Obser vethe instructions and no tes on
to wing away. Breakdown assis
tance 449

Pe
rm itted towing me thods Ve
hicle equipment/ towing
me thod Bo
th axles on thegr ound Fr
ont axle raised Re
ar axle raised
Ve hicles with manual transmission Yes, maximum 50 km at 50 km/h Yes, maximum 50 km at 50 km/h Yes, maximum 50 km at 50 km/h
Ve hicles with automatic transmis‐
sion Ye
s, maximum 50 km at 50 km/h Yes, maximum 50 km at 50 km/h Yes, maximum 50 km at 50 km/h
4MATIC vehicles Yes, maximum 50 km at 50 km/h No NoTo
wing with a raised axle: towing should be
per form ed byato wing compan y. To
wing theve hicle with bo thaxles on the
gr ound #
Obser vethe no tes on the permitted towing
me thods (→ page449). #
Makesure that the battery is connected and
ch arge d. Obser
vethefo llowing points when the battery is
dischar ged:
R the engine cann otbe star ted
R the electric parking brake cann otbe released
or applied
R vehicles with automatic transmission: the
automatic transmission cannot be shif tedto
position iorj. %
Vehicles with automatic transmission: if
th e automatic transmission cann otbe shif‐
te dto position i, orthe multifunction dis‐
play in the instrument clus ter does not show
anything, ha vetheve hicle transpor tedaw ay
( → page 452). A towing vehicle with lifting
equipment is requiredforve hicle transpor ta‐
tion. 450
Breakdown assi stance

*
NO
TEDama gedue to to wing away at
exc essively high speeds or over long dis‐
ta nces The driv
etra in could be damaged when tow‐
ing at excessively high speeds or over long
dis tances. #
Atowing speed of 50 km/h must not
be exc eeded. #
Atowing dis tance of 50 km must not be
exc eeded. &
WARNING Risk of accident when towing
a ve hicle which is too heavy
If th eve hicle being tow- star ted or towed
aw ay is heavier than the permissible gross
mass, thefo llowing situations can occur:
R theto wing eye may become de tach ed.
R the car/t railer combination may swer ve
or eve nove rturn. #
If ano ther vehicle is tow- star ted or
to we daw ay, its weight must not exceed th
e permissible gross mass of your own
ve hicle. If a
vehicle must be tow star ted or towe daw ay,
its permissible gross mass must not exceed the
permissible gross mass of theto wing vehicle. #
Information on the permissible gross mass of
th eve hicle can be found on theve hicle iden‐
tification plate (→ page 483). #
Vehicles with automatic transmission: do
not open the driver's door or front passenger
door, otherwise the automatic transmission
automatically shifts toposition j. #
Fittheto wing eye (→ page 453). #
Fasten theto w bar.
* NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect connec‐
tion #
Only connect theto w rope or tow bar to
th eto wing eyes. #
Deactivate the automatic locking mechanism
(→ page 73). #
Do not activate the HOLD function. #
Deactivate tow- aw ay protection (→ page 86). #
Deactivate Active Brake Assi st (→page 196). #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission toposition
i. #
Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to neutral i. #
Release the electric parking brake. #
Switch on the ignition, otherwise thesteering
wheel lock may engage. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tolimi‐
te d saf ety-re lated functions during the
to wing process
Saf ety-re lated functions are limited or no lon‐
ge rav ailable in thefo llowing situations:
R the ignition is switched off.
R the brake sy stem or po werst eering sys‐
te m is malfunctioning. Breakdown assi
stance 451

R
the energy supply or the on-board electri‐
cal sy stem is malfunctioning.
When your vehicle is then towe daw ay, signif‐
icantly more ef fort may be requiredtosteer
and brake than is no rmally requ ired. #
Use a tow bar. #
Make sure that thesteering wheel can
mo vefreely, before towing theve hicle
aw ay. *
NO
TEDama gedue toexcessive tracti ve
po wer If
yo u pull away sharpl y,the tractive po wer
may be too high and theve hicles could be
damaged. #
Pull away slowly and smoo thly. Loading the
vehicle for transport #
Obser vethe no tes on towing away
( → page 450). #
Connect theto w bar totheto wing eye in
order toload theve hicle.
% You can also attach theto w bar tothe trailer
hitch. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission toposition
i.
% Ve
hicles with automatic transmission:
th e automatic transmission may be loc ked in
position jintheeve nt of dama getothe
electrical sy stem. Toshift toi , pr ovide the
on-board electrical sy stem with po wer
( → page 448). #
Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to neutral. #
Load theve hicle onto the transpor ter. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission toposition
j. #
Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage firs t or reve rsege ar. #
Use the electric parking brake tosecure the
ve hicle against rolling away. #
Only secure theve hicle bythe wheels.
4MATIC vehicles/ vehicles with automatic
transmission #
Make sure that the front and rear axles come
to rest on the same transpor tation vehicle.
* NO
TEDama getothe driv etra in due to
incor rect positioning #
Do not position theve hicle abo vethe
connection point of the transport vehi‐
cle. 452
Breakdown assis tance

To
wing eyesto rage location To
wing eye1 is under the load compartment
fl oor. Installing
theto wing eye #
Press the mark on co ver1 inwa rds and
re mo ve. #
Screw intheto wing eyeclockwise as far as it
will go and tighten.
Ve hicles with a trailer hitch: vehicles with a
trailer hitch do not ha veare ar brac ketfo rthe to
wing eye. Fasten theto w bar tothe trailer
hitch.
% Make sure that co ver1 engages in the
bumper when youre mo vetheto wing eye.
* NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect use of
th eto wing eye When a
towing eye is used toreco ver a vehi‐
cle, theve hicle may be damaged in the proc‐
ess. #
Only use theto wing eyeto to waw ay or
to w start theve hicle. To
w starting theve hicle (eme rgency engine
st art) Ve
hicles with automatic transmission
* NO
TEDama getothe automatic trans‐
mission due to tow-starting The automatic transmission may be damaged
in the process of tow- starting vehicles with
automatic transmission. Breakdown assis
tance 453

#
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow- star ted. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be tow- star ted.
Ve hicles with manual transmission #
Obser vethe no tes on towing away
( → page 450). #
If necessar y,allow the engine and exhaust
sy stem tocool down. #
Switch the ignition on. #
Enga gesecond gear. #
Release the electric parking brake. #
Tow- start theve hicle while the clutch pedal
is fully depressed. #
Slowly release the clutch pedal. #
Immediately shift toneutral if the engine
st arts. #
Pull over and stop theve hicle, paying atten‐
tion toroad and traf fic conditions. #
Remo vetheto w bar. #
Remo vetheto wing eye. #
Have theve hicle checked at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop. Electrical fuses
Note
s on electrical fuses &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due to ov erloaded lines
If yo u manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
yo ure place it with a fuse with a higher
amperage, the electric line could be overloa‐
ded.
This could result in a fire. #
Alw aysre place faulty fuses with speci‐
fi ed new fuses conta iningthe cor rect
amperage. *
NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect fuses Electrical components or sy
stems may be
damaged byincor rect fuses, or their func‐
tionality may be significant lyimpaired. #
Only use fuses that ha vebeen appr oved
by Mercedes-Benz and which ha vethe
cor rect fuse rating. Blown fuses mu
stbe replaced with fuses of the
same rating, which you can recognise bythe col‐
our and fuse rating. The fuse ratings and fu rther
information tobe obser ved are lis ted in the fuse
assignment diagram.
Fu se assignment diag ram: onthe fuse box in
th e engine compartment (→ page 455).
* NO
TEDama geor malfunctions caused
by moisture Moisture may cause dama
getothe electrical
sy stem or cause it tomalfunction. #
When the fuse box is open, make sure
th at no moisture can enter the fuse
box. #
When closing the fuse box, make sure
th at the seal of the lid is positioned cor‐
re ctly on the fuse box. 454
Breakdown assis tance