2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK warning

Auxiliary heating
Important safety notes G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or sufficient
ventilation is not possible, toxic exhaust
fumes can enter the vehicle, especially car-
bon monoxide. This is the case, e.g. in
enclosed spaces, or if the vehicle is stuck in
snow. There is a risk of fatal injuries.
You should switch off the auxiliary heating in
enclosed spaces which do not have an extrac- tion system, e.g. a garage. If the vehicle is
stuck in snow and you must leave the auxiliary
heating running, keep the exhaust pipe and
the area around the vehicle clear of snow. To guarantee a sufficient supply of fresh air, open
a window on the side of the vehicle away from the wind. G
WARNING
When the auxiliary heating is switched on,
parts of the vehicle can become very hot.
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system for extended periods. There is a risk of fire.
When the auxiliary heating is switched on,
make sure that no flammable material can
come into contact with hot vehicle compo-
nents.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion draws on the vehicle battery. After you
have heated or ventilated the vehicle a
maximum of two times, drive for a longer
distance.
i Switch the auxiliary heating on regularly
once a month for about ten minutes.
The auxiliary heating heats the air in the vehi-
cle interior to the set temperature. This
occurs without using the heat of the running
engine. The auxiliary heating is operated
directly using the vehicle's fuel. For this rea-
son, the fuel tank must be at least ¼ full to
ensure that the auxiliary heating functions. The auxiliary heating/ventilation automati-
cally adjusts to changes in temperature and
weather conditions. For this reason, the aux-
iliary heating could switch from ventilation
mode to heating mode or from heating mode to ventilation mode.
The auxiliary heating switches off when the
engine is switched off. The auxiliary ventila-
tion switches off when you turn the key to key
position 2(Y page 143).
The auxiliary heating switches off automati-
cally after 30 minutes.
You cannot use the auxiliary ventilation to
cool the vehicle interior to a temperature
lower than the outside temperature.
Before switching on X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock (Y page 143).
X Set the desired temperature.
Auxiliary heating or ventilation can also be
switched on if the manually set climate con-
trol is activated. Optimum comfort can be
attained when the system is set to automatic
mode. Set the temperature to 22 †.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation can be acti-
vated or deactivated using the remote control or the button on the centre console.
The on-board computer can be used to spec-ify up to three departure times, one of which
may be preselected (Y page 224).134
Operating the climate control systemClimate cont
rol

The following messages may appear in the
display: Display Meaning
The auxiliary heating/
ventilation is switched
off.
The auxiliary ventilation
is switched on. The num-
ber in the display shows
the remaining time (in
minutes) for the auxiliary
ventilation. The auxiliary heating is
switched on. The number
in the display shows the
remaining time (in
minutes) for the auxiliary heating. A departure time has
been activated. The
departure time appears
in the display.
A departure time has
been activated. The aux-
iliary ventilation is cur-
rently activated. The
departure time appears
in the display.
A departure time has
been activated. The aux-
iliary heating is currently
activated. The departure
time appears in the dis-
play. Setting the departure time
X Press the ,or. button repeatedly
until the time to be changed appears in the display.
X Press the uand^ buttons simulta-
neously.
The Îsymbol in the remote control dis-
play flashes.
X Press the ,or. button to set the
desired departure time.
i The longer you press the
,or.
button, the faster the time changes.
X Press the uand^ buttons simulta-
neously.
The new departure time is stored.
Activating the set departure time X Press the ,or. button repeatedly
until the desired departure time appears in
the display.
X Press the ubutton.
The Ísymbol and the departure time
appear in the display.
Deactivating a set departure time
X Press the ,or. button.
The status of the auxiliary heating is shown in the display.
X Press the .button.
The first departure time stored appears in
the display.
X Press the ^button.
OFF
OFF is shown in the remote control display.
Replacing the remote control battery G
WARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive substan- ces. If batteries are swallowed, it can result in
severe health problems. There is a risk of fatal injury.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children. If
a battery is swallowed, seek medical attention immediately. 136
Operating the climate control systemClimate control

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The auxiliary heating cannot be switched on or has switched itself
off.
There is too little fuel in the fuel tank.
X Refuel at the nearest filling station.
X Make another attempt to switch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control. The auxiliary heating cannot be switched on or has switched itself
off.
The auxiliary heating is faulty.
X Have the auxiliary heating checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Adjusting the air vents
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Very hot or very cold air can flow from the air vents. This could result in burns or frostbite in the immediate vicinity of the air vents. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants always
maintain a sufficient distance to the air out-
lets. If necessary, redirect the airflow to
another area of the vehicle interior.
In order to ensure the direct flow of fresh air
through the air vents into the vehicle interior,
please observe the following notes:
R keep the air inlet between the windscreen
and the bonnet free of blockages, such as
ice, snow or leaves.
R never cover the vents or ventilation grilles
in the vehicle interior.
i Move the adjusters for the air vents ver-
tically or horizontally, to set the direction of the airflow.
i Optimal climate control function is ach-
ieved by opening the air vents fully and set-
ting the adjusters to the middle position. Setting the centre air vents
X
To open the centre air vent: turn the
adjuster in one of centre air vents :anti-
clockwise.
X To close the centre air vent: turn the
adjuster in one of centre air vents :clock-
wise until it engages. Adjusting the air vents
139Climate control Z

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variations are pos- sible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the functions descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 24). Running-in notes
Important safety notes
New brake pads/linings and discs that have
been replaced only achieve optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometres of
driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal. The first 1500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start, you will be rewarded with excellent performance for the remainder of
the engine's life.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the rev counter.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
After 1,500 km, you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds. Additional running-in notes for AMG vehicles:
R Do not drive at speeds above 140 km/ hfor
the first 1,500 km.
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
i You should also observe these notes on
running-in if the engine or parts of the drive train on your vehicle have been replaced. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardises the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
Always fit the floormats securely and as pre-
scribed in order to ensure that there is always sufficient room for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place several floor-mats on top of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably 142
DrivingDriving and parking

more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only set the automatic transmission to the
respective drive positions when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. Otherwise, you could damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles:
avoid full-load operation
and engine speeds greater than 5000 rpm
when the engine is cold. This helps to pro-
tect the engine and avoids uncomfortable
driving. Key positions
g
To remove the key
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windscreen wipers 2
Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
steering is locked when the key is taken out of
the ignition lock.
i If the key does not belong to the vehicle, it
can still be turned in the ignition lock. How- ever, the ignition will not be switched on.
The engine cannot be started. Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation. G
WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
i Vehicles with a petrol engine:
the
engine runs at a higher engine speed during the cold start procedure so that the cata-
lytic converter can reach operating tem-
perature more quickly. The sound of the
engine may change as a result. Driving
143Driving and parking Z

You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock- ing feature (Y page 223).
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Pulling away with a trailer To ensure that you do not roll backwards
when pulling away on an uphill slope, engage
the electric parking brake.
X Press and hold handle :.
The electric parking brake continues to
brake and prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster remains lit.
X Depress the accelerator pedal.
X As soon as the vehicle/trailer combination
is held by the driving force of the engine,
release lever :.
The electric parking brake is released.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i For further information on the electric
parking brake, see (Y page 163). Hill start assist G
WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal. This gives you enough time to move your footfrom the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
X Remove your foot from the brake pedal.
The vehicle is then held for about a second.
X Pull away.
Hill start assist will not function if: R you are pulling away on a level road or a
downhill gradient.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission is in position N.
R the electric parking brake is engaged.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
Further information on holding the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients (Y page 154). ECO start/stop function
Introduction The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stop-
ped under certain conditions.
When pulling away again, the engine starts
automatically. The ECO start/stop function
thereby helps you to reduce the fuel con-
sumption and emissions of your vehicle. Driving
145Driving and parking Z

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving. There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes :
ECO start/stop display
If the ¤ symbol is shown in green in the
multifunction display, the ECO start/stop
function switches the engine off automati-
cally if the vehicle stops moving.
The stop/start function is automatically acti-
vated each time you start the engine with the ignition key.
If the ECO start/stop function has been man- ually deactivated (Y page 147) or a malfunc-
tion has caused the system to be deactivated, the ¤ symbol is not displayed.
AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop function
is only available in drive program C.
Automatic engine switch-off General notes
The ECO start/stop function is operational
and the
¤symbol is displayed in green in
the multifunction display, if:
R the indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green
R the outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system R
the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system detects that the windscreen is
not misted up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on
R the bonnet is closed
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off are fulfilled, the ¤symbol is
shown in yellow.
i All of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is switched off automati-
cally.
i The engine can be switched off automat-
ically a maximum of four times (initial stop,
then three subsequent stops) in succes-
sion. The ¤symbol is shown in yellow in
the multifunction display after the engine
has been started automatically for the
fourth time. When the ¤symbol is
shown in green in the multifunction display,
automatic engine switch-off is again possi-
ble.
Vehicles with manual transmission
The ECO start/stop function switches off the engine automatically at low speeds. X
Brake the vehicle.
X Engage neutral N(Ypage 151) (follow
gearshift instruction :to engage neutral
N, if necessary).
X Release the clutch pedal.
The engine is switched off automatically. 146
DrivingDriving and pa
rking

Problems with the engine
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The engine does not
start. The HOLD function or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
X Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 179) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (Y page 173).
X Try to start the engine again. The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
X Turn the key back to position 0in the ignition lock before
attempting to start the engine again.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 143). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine, as this will drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. The
reserve fuel warning
lamp is lit and the fuel
gauge display shows 0. The fuel tank is empty.
X Refuel the vehicle. The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 308).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
X Allow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
X Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Driving
149Driving and parking Z