2008 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK power steering

Driving safety sys
tems56 G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button ( Ypage 80). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between tyres and
the road surface.
ESP ®
detects when a wheel spins or the vehi-
cle starts to skid. ESP ®
stabilises the vehicle
by targeted braking of individual wheels and
by limiting engine power. It assists you when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
also stabilises the vehicle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override
the laws of physics.
! The ignition must be switched off (key in
position 0or 1in the ignition lock), if: R
the parking brake is being tested using a
dynamometer
R the vehicle is being towed with the front
axle raised
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
could
otherwise destroy the brake system on the
front axle.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly. Steering assistant STEER CONTROL
The steering assistant STEER CONTROL helps
you by transmitting a noticeable steering
force to the steering wheel in the direction
required for vehicle stabilisation. This steer-
ing assistance is provided in particular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake
R the vehicle starts to skid
You have control over the steering at all
times. G
Risk of accident
If there is an ESP ®
malfunction, you will not
receive any steering assistance from the Safety
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Anti-theft syste
ms 57steering assistant STEER CONTROL. The
steering continues to function with power
assistance. Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
X To activate: remove the key from the igni-
tion lock.
X To deactivate: turn the key to position 2
in the ignition lock. ATA* (anti-theft alarm system)
A visual and audible alarm is triggered when
the alarm system is primed and you open:
R a door
R a door using the emergency key element
R the tailgate
R the bonnet
The alarm is not switched off even if you close
a door again. 1
Indicator lamp
X To prime: lock the vehicle using the key.
Indicator lamp 1flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is primed after approximately 15 sec-
onds.
X To deactivate: unlock the vehicle using the
key.
Deactivating the alarm X
Insert the key into the ignition lock.
The alarm is deactivated.
or
X Press the korj button on the key.
The alarm is deactivated. Safety
* optional
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Driving and pa
rking 91
X
To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
On vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*, the selec-
tor lever lock is released.
X Press release button 2on parking brake
1 and move the parking brake down to the
stop.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Switching off the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering and
brakes. Steering and braking then takes
much more effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the
vehicle, cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
Do not switch off the engine while driving.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first or reverse gear.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated. Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC* X
Move the selector lever to P.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated. Automatic engine switch-off (ECO
start/stop function*)
The ECO start/stop function automatically
switches off the engine as soon as you stop
the vehicle, e.g. at traffic lights.
X Brake the vehicle until it comes to a stand-
still.
The shift instruction appears in the multi-
function display. Example illustration: gearshift instructionX
Shift to neutral Nand release the clutch
pedal.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
The engine is automatically switched off
and the ECO start/stop function is shown
in the multi-function display. Example illustration: ECO display Controls
* optional
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Driving
tips 183
X
Vehicles with manual transmission: engage
neutral.
X Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*: shift the
selector lever to N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering. Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Never switch the engine off while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steer-
ing and the service brake when the engine
is not running.
You will require considerably more effort to
steer and brake and, therefore, you could
lose control of the vehicle and cause an
accident. Braking
G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill stretches, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must shift to a lower gear in good time or,
on vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*, select shift
range
1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control* or Speedtronic *.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. If you need
additional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously.
Heavy and light loads If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases Operation
* optional
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Display
messages 215Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
The poly-V-belt ma
y have torn. X
Pull over and stop the vehicle safely and switch
off the engine, paying attention to road and
traffic conditions.
X Check the poly-V-belt.
X If the poly-V-belt is torn: do not continue
driving. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop.
X If the poly-V-belt is not damaged: do not
start the engine again until the display mes-
sage disappears. Otherwise, there is a risk of
engine damage. B Top up coolant See
Owner's Manual The coolant level is too low. X
Top up the coolant, observing the warning
notes before doing so (Y page 175).
X If the coolant needs topping up more often than
usual, have the engine coolant system checked
at a qualified specialist workshop. 3 Power steer. mal-
function Consult
workshop G
Risk of accident
There is no power assistance for the steer-
ing. You will need to use more force to
steer.
The steering assistant STEER CONTROL is
also deactivated. X
Check whether you are able to apply the extra
force required.
X If you are able to steer safely: carefully drive
on to a qualified specialist workshop.
X If you are unable to steer safely : do not drive
on. Contact the nearest qualified specialist
workshop. Practical advice
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Towing and tow-starting
268 Towing and tow-starting
Points to remember
G
Risk of accident
If you have the vehicle towed, you must use
a rigid towing bar if:
R the engine is not running.
R there is a brake system malfunction.
R there is a malfunction in the voltage sup-
ply or the vehicle's electrical system.
The electric power steering and the brake
force booster do not work when the engine
is not running. Greater braking force will
then be required and brake pedal travel will
be longer. If necessary, depress the brake
pedal with full force.
Do not tow the vehicle if the key cannot be
turned in the ignition lock. If this is the case,
the steering is locked and the vehicle can-
not be steered.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed. When towing, observe the legal requirements
in all countries concerned.
!
When towing, pull away slowly and with-
out jerking. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50 km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
With towing distances over 50 km, the
entire vehicle needs to be lifted up and
transported.
! Only secure the tow cable or towing bar
to the towing eyes. You may otherwise
damage the vehicle.
R Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC* must not be
tow-started.
R If the engine does not start, try jump-start-
ing it (Y page 266).
R If it is not possible to jump-start the vehicle,
have it towed to the nearest qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. R
The selector lever must be in position N
when towing a vehicle with AUTO-
TRONIC*.
R If you are towing the vehicle over a consid-
erable distance, this must only be done
with the front axle raised.
R The ignition must be switched off if you are
towing the vehicle with the front/rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system.
R Before towing the vehicle, make sure that
the battery is connected and charged. Oth-
erwise:
-you cannot switch on the ignition
- you cannot move the selector lever
to N(on vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*)
- you have no support when braking
i Switch off the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed (Y page 111).
You could otherwise be locked out when
pushing or towing the vehicle. Practical advice
* optional
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