2008 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK headlamp

Engine compartment
175H
Environmental note
When topping up the oil, take care not to
spill any. Oil must not be allowed to escape
into the soil or waterways. You would oth-
erwise be damaging the environment.
For further information on engine oil
(Y page 296). Coolant
G
Risk of injury
The cooling system is pressurised. There-
fore, only unscrew the cap once the engine
has cooled down. The coolant temperature
gauge must display less than 70 °C. You
could otherwise be scalded by escaping hot
coolant.
Coolant consists of water and antifreeze/cor-
rosion inhibitor. Only check the coolant level
when the vehicle is on a level surface and the
engine has cooled down. Checking the coolant level The coolant expansion tank is located in the
engine compartment on the right when
viewed in the direction of travel.
1
Cap
2 Coolant expansion tank
3 Marker bar
X Slowly turn cap 1half a turn anti-clock-
wise to allow excess pressure to escape.
X Turn cap 1further anti-clockwise and
remove it.
There is sufficient coolant in expansion
tank 2if the coolant is level with marker
bar 3in the filler neck when cold or
approximately 1.5 cm higher when hot. X
Top up the coolant if necessary.
X Replace cap 1and tighten all the way to
the stop.
For further information on coolant see
(Y page 297) . Windscreen washer system/head-
lamp cleaning system*
The washer fluid reservoir is located in the
engine compartment on the left-hand side of
the vehicle when viewed in the direction of
travel. The headlamp cleaning system is also
supplied from the washer fluid reservoir. 1
Cap
X Add windscreen washer concentrate to the
washer fluid all year round. Operation
* optional
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Driving ab
road 185Driving on wet roads
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully. Driving on flooded roads
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permitted still water depth is
25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
You must observe these notes. Otherwise,
damage may occur to the engine, electrics
and transmission. Driving abroad
Points to remember
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network
is also available in other countries. The
Service Hotline's current telephone numbers
for use when you are abroad are to be found
in the "Service24h" chapter of the Service
Booklet.
Only low-octane fuel is available in certain
countries.
You can find further information about fuel
grades on (Y page 168). Symmetrical dipped beam
If your journey takes you to countries where
vehicles are driven on sides of the road oppo-
site to the country in which the vehicle is reg-
istered, your headlamps must be switched to
symmetrical dipped beam or be partially
masked. Oncoming traffic will be dazzled
less.
X Vehicles with halogen headlamps: mask
the headlamps with special masking tape.
i You can obtain this masking tape from a
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. !
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use genuine Mercedes-Benz masking
tape. Your headlamps could otherwise be
damaged.
Remove the masking tape when you are
once again driving on the same side of the
road as in the country in which your vehicle
is registered.
X Vehicles with projection and bi-xenon
headlamps*: have the headlamps
switched over at a qualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. G
Risk of accident
Have your headlamps switched back to
asymmetrical dipped beam if you are driv-
ing in a country in which traffic drives on
the same side of the road as in the country
in which your vehicle was registered. Oth-
erwise, you may dazzle the oncoming traffic
and could cause an accident. Operation
* optional
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Care
194Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R
tyres
R door joint
R electrical components
R Battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim elements
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to failures or leaks.
Cleaning the wiper blades and the out-
side of the windscreen G
Risk of injury
Before cleaning the windscreen or wiper
blades, turn the key in the ignition to 0.
Otherwise, the windscreen wipers may
move and injure you. X
Turn the key to position 1(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock.
X Set the windscreen wipers to position
I(Y page 83) on the combination switch.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 62) or
remove it when the wiper arms are vertical.
! Only fold the windscreen wipers away
from the windscreen when vertical, other-
wise you will damage the bonnet.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the wind-
screen.
X Wipe the windscreen and wiper blades with
a damp, lint-free cloth (e.g. a microfibre
cloth) and cleaning agent.
X Fold the wiper arms back on to the wind-
screen before the ignition is switched on.
! Do not clean the wiper blades too often
as this will result in damage to the surface
coating, leading to wiper noise.
Cleaning the windows !
Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows.
Clean the insides of the windows with a
damp cloth or commercially-available glass cleaner. Avoid touching the inside of the
rear windscreen and the side windows with
hard objects, e.g. ice scrapers or rings. You
could otherwise cause damage to the win-
dows, rear window heating or aerial on the
rear window.
i Anti-glare film retrofitted to the insides of
the windows could interfere with radio or
mobile phone reception, especially if it is
conductive or metal-coated film. Informa-
tion about anti-glare film can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Cleaning the headlamps X
Clean the plastic lenses of the headlamps
with a damp sponge.
! Only use washer fluid which is suitable for
plastic lamp lenses. Unsuitable washer
fluid could damage the plastic lamp lenses
of the headlamps.
Therefore, do not use:
R dry cloths
R abrasive products
R solvents
R cleaning products containing solvents Operation
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Display
messages 216 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
. Cornering light
left
or
Cornering light
right The left-hand or right-hand cornering
light* is fa
ulty. X
Change the bulb (Y page 245).. Dipped-beam left
or
Dipped-beam right Vehicles with the light and visibility pack-
age*: the left-hand or right-hand dipped-
beam headlamp is faulty. X
Halogen headlamp: replace the bulbs
(Y page 245).
X Bi-xenon headlamp*: visit a qualified special-
ist workshop. . AUTO lights inop-
erative The light sensor is faulty. The constant
headlamp mode (daytime driving lights) is
switched on. X
Switch the lights to manual control in the on-
board computer (Y page 109).
X Switch the lights on and off using the light
switch. . Trailer turn sig-
nal left
or
Trailer turn sig-
nal right The left-hand or right-hand trailer turn sig-
nal lamp is faulty. X
Change the bulb. . Trailer tail lamp
left
or
Trailer tail lamp
right The left-hand or right-hand trailer tail light
is faulty. X
Change the bulb. Practical advice
* optional
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Display
messages 221Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
t Bluetooth ready The Bl
uetooth connection between your
mobile phone and the audio system* or
COMAND APS* is not activated. X
If desired, activate the Bluetooth connection
between the mobile phone and the audio sys-
tem* or COMAND APS* (see separate operat-
ing instructions). t No telephone Your mobile phone is not inserted in the
bracket*. X
Insert the mobile phone into the
bracket* (Y page 164). W Top up washer fluid
Vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps
*:The
washer fluid level in the washer fluid res-
ervoir has dropped below the minimum. X
Top up the windscreen washer fluid
(Y page 175). Practical advice
* optional
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Troubleshooting
237Headlamps
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The headlamps or the turn signals
in the exterior mirrors are misted
up on the inside. Air humidity is very high. X
Drive with the headlamps switched on.
The headlamps are demisted after a short distance. The headlamp housing is not
sealed and moisture has been
able to enter. X
Have the headlamps checked at a qualified specialist workshop. Windscreen wipers
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The windscreen wipers are jam-
med. Leaves or snow, for example, may
be obstructing the windscreen
wiper movement. The wiper
motor has been deactivated. X
For safety reasons, you should remove the key from the ignition
lock.
X Remove the cause of the obstruction.
X Switch the windscreen wipers back on. The windscreen wipers fail com-
pletely.
G
Risk of accident
The windscreen wiper drive is
malfunctioning. X
Select another wiper speed on the combination switch.
X Have the windscreen wipers checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Practical advice
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Changing the bulbs
246
Front bulbs Bulb Type
1
Additional turn
signal lamp
LEDs
29 2
Parking lamp/
side lamp W 5 W
3
Main-beam
headlamps
30
/
cornering
light* 31 H7 55 W
4
Dipped-beam
headlamps
H7 55 W
30
or
D1S 35 W* 32 5
Turn signal lamp PY 21 W
6
Front foglamps* H11 55 W
33 Rear bulbs
Bulb Type
7
Third brake
lamp
LED
29 8
Licence plate
lamp C 5 W
9
Rear foglamp P 21 W
Tail lamp P 4 W
a
Turn signal lamp PY 21 W
b
Reversing lamp P 21 W
c
Brake lamp P 21 W
Before changing bulbs
You can replace the following bulbs:
R
Dipped-beam headlamps (halogen head-
lamps)
R Main-beam headlamps (halogen head-
lamps) R
Side lamp/parking lamp (halogen head-
lamps)
R Cornering light* (vehicles with bi-xenon
headlamps*)
R Front turn signal lamp
R Brake lamp
R Reversing lamp
R Rear foglamp/tail lamp
R Turn signal lamp (rear)
R Licence plate lamp
Observe the following points:
R Use only the bulb types specified here.
R To prevent a short-circuit, switch off the
lights before changing a bulb.
R Only hold bulbs with a clean, lint-free cloth.
R Do not work with wet or greasy fingers.
R If the new bulb still does not light up, con-
sult a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
29 LEDs must not be replaced, as they are designed to have an unlimited service life.
30 Vehicles with halogen headlamps.
31 Vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps*
32 Vehicles with xenon headlamps*: always have these bulbs changed at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
33 These bulbs must be replaced at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Practical advice
* optional
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Changing the bulbs
247
i
Due to the location of the bulbs in the
front headlamps, it is best to have these
changed at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i Have the headlamp setting checked reg-
ularly at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Changing the front bulbs
Opening/closing the cover in the front
wheel arch X
To open: turn the front wheels inwards.
X Unscrew retaining screw 1.
X Fold the cover down. X
To close: fold the cover upwards.
X Screw in retaining screw 1.
Removing/fitting the washer fluid res-
ervoir You must remove the washer fluid reservoir
from the engine compartment before you can
replace the bulbs in the front left-hand head-
lamp. X
To remove: turn retaining screw 1anti-
clockwise.
X Remove washer fluid reservoir 2from
bracket 3.
X Put washer fluid reservoir 2to one side
and leave the lines and hoses connected.
Make sure that no washer fluid escapes. X
To fit: guide the lower retaining lug into the
rubber grommet on the longitudinal mem-
ber and fit washer fluid reservoir 2into
bracket 3.
X Turn retaining screw 1clockwise.
Replacing the bulbs in the dipped-beam
headlamp (halogen headlamps) X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the cover in the front wheel arch
(Y page 247).
X Open the bonnet.
X Left-hand headlamps: remove the washer
fluid reservoir (Y page 247).
X Press retaining lug :down and remove
housing cover 2.
X Pull connector =from bulb holder 4. Practical advice
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