2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK warning

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). Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Operating the integrated information systems and communications equipment in the vehicle
while driving will distract you from traffic con-
ditions. You could then lose control of the
vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate these devices if road traffic con-
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the
surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe
location and make entries only while the vehi-
cle is stationary. G
WARNING
If the instrument cluster has failed or mal-
functioned, you may not recognise function
restrictions relevant to safety. The operating
safety of your vehicle may be impaired. There is a risk of an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have the vehicle checked
at a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
You must observe the legal requirements for
the country in which you are currently driving when operating the on-board computer.
The on-board computer only shows messages
or warnings from certain systems in the mul- tifunction display. You should therefore make
sure your vehicle is operating safely at all times. Otherwise, a vehicle that is not oper-
ating safely may cause an accident.
For an overview, see the instrument panel
illustration (Y
page 30). Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle inte-
rior can be adjusted using the brightness con- trol knob.
The brightness control knob is on the bottom
left of the instrument cluster (Y page 30).
X Turn the brightness control knob clockwise
or anti-clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependant upon
the brightness of the ambient light.
i The light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated. Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side.
The reading may rise up to 120 † below nor-
mal driving conditions if the coolant has been filled correctly.
At high outside temperatures and when driv-
ing uphill, the coolant temperature may rise
to the end of the scale. Rev counter
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine.
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range. 208
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

Audio player or audio media operation
Example: CD/DVD changer display
:
Current track
Audio data from various audio devices or
media can be played, depending on the equip- ment fitted in the vehicle.
X Switch on the audio system or COMAND
Online and select audio CD, audio DVD or
MP3 mode; see the separate operating
instructions.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Audio
Audio menu.
X To select the next/previous track:
briefly press the 9or: button.
X To select a track from the track list
(rapid scrolling): press and hold the 9
or : button until the desired track has
been reached.
If you press and hold the 9or:
button, the rapid scrolling speed is
increased. Not all audio devices or media
support this function.
If track information is stored on the audio
player or medium, the multifunction display
will show the number and title of the track.
The current track does not appear in audio
AUX mode ( Auxiliary audio mode: external
audio source connected).
TV operation i
If channel
:has been stored, the system
displays the associated preset as well.
X Switch on COMAND Online and select TV;
see the separate operating instructions.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Audio Audiomenu.
X To select a stored channel: briefly press
the 9 or: button.
X To select a channel from the channel
list: press and briefly hold the 9
or : button.
i To store a TV channel, see the separate
operating instructions.
Video DVD operation Example: CD/DVD changer display
:
Current scene
X Switch on COMAND Online and select
video DVD; see the separate operating
instructions.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Audio Audiomenu.
X To select the next or previous scene:
briefly press the 9or: button.
X To select a scene from the scene list
(rapid scrolling): press and hold the 9
or : button until desired scene has
been reached. Telephone menu
Introduction G
WARNING
Operating the integrated information systems and communications equipment in the vehicle Menus and sub
menus
215On-board computer and displays
Z

Speed Limit Assist
Displaying Speed Limit Assist
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist.
Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Speed Limit Assist
Speed Limit Assist.
X Press the abutton.
Under certain conditions, detected speed
limits are shown in the multifunction dis-
play (Y page 196).
Activating/deactivating the Speed Limit
Assist message function
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. Assist.menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Speed Limit Assist
Speed Limit Assist.
X Press the abutton.
The multifunction display shows Speed
Limit Assist.
X Press the :button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate or deactivate: pressa.
If the Speed Limit Assist message function is activated, a detected speed limit is auto-
matically displayed for five seconds. Other items in the multifunction display are not
shown during this time.
When Speed Limit Assist is operational and
the message function is activated, the
assistance graphic shows the Äsym-
bol.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion in the description of ESP (Y page 65).G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
on AMG vehi-
cles (Y page 66).
For further information about ESP ®
, see
(Y page 65).
X Start the engine.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist.
Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
ESP ESP.
X Press the abutton.
X To activate/deactivate: press thea
button again.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 260).
Observe the information on display messages
(Y page 230).
Activating/deactivating the distance
warning function X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist.
Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Distance warning Distance warning.
X Press the abutton.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press thea
button again.
When the distance warning function is
deactivated, the æsymbol appears in
the multifunction display in the assistance
graphics display. 218
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Further information on the distance warning
function (Y page 62).
Activating/deactivating ATTENTION
ASSIST X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist.
Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
ATTENTION ASSIST ATTENTION ASSIST.
X Press the abutton.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press thea
button again.
When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated,
the é symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display in the assistance graphics dis-
play.
For further information about ATTENTION
ASSIST, see (Y page 195).
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot
Assist X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. Assist.menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Blind Spot Assist
Blind Spot Assist.
X Press the abutton.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press thea
button again.
For further information about Blind Spot
Assist, see (Y page 197).
When the Blind Spot Assist Sensors
Blind Spot Assist Sensors
deactivated
deactivated message is shown, the radar
sensors are deactivated.
X Switch on the radar sensor system
(Y page 223). Activating/deactivating Lane Keeping
Assist X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. Assist.menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Lane Keeping Assist Lane Keeping Assist.
X Press the abutton.
The current selection is displayed.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to set Off
Off,
Standard
Standard orAdaptive
Adaptive .
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
When Lane Keeping Assist is activated, the
multifunction display shows the lane mark-
ings as bright lines in the assistance
graphic.
For further information about Lane Keeping
Assist, see (Y page 199). Service menu
In the
Serv. Serv. menu, you have the following
options:
R Calling up display messages in the mes-
sage memory (Y page 229)
R Restarting the tyre pressure loss warning
system (Y page 323)
R Calling up the service due date
(Y page 289) Menus and submenus
219On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press the 9or: button to select
Radar sensor (See Owner's Man.)
Radar sensor (See Owner's Man.).
You will see the selected setting: Activa‐
Activa‐
ted
ted orDeactivated
Deactivated.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
i In some countries you must deactivate
the radar sensor system. For further infor-
mation, see (Y page 350).
If the radar sensor system is switched off,
Blind Spot Assist is deactivated (Y page 197).
Heating Changing the departure time
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select
theHeating Heating submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select A
A, B
B
or Change C
Change C.
X Press ato confirm.
You can now change the departure time.
X Press the =or; button to select the
display to be changed: hours, minutes.
X Press the :or9 button to set the
selected display.
X Press the abutton to store the entry.
The yellow indicator lamp on the auxiliary
heating button lights up.
Selecting the departure time or deactivat-
ing a selected departure time
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Heating
Heating submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press ato confirm. X
Press :or9 to select one of the
three departure times or Timer off Timer off(no
timer active).
X Press ato confirm.
If a departure time is selected, the yellow
indicator lamp lights up on the auxiliary
heating button.
Changing the departure time
Only vehicles with auxiliary heating
(Y page 134) have this function.
In the Heating Heating submenu, you can select a
stored departure time or change a departure
time.
The auxiliary heating timer function calcu-
lates the switch-on time according to the out-
side temperature so that the vehicle is pre-
heated by the departure time. When the
departure time is reached, the auxiliary heat- ing continues to heat for a further five
minutes and then switches off. The auxiliary
heating adopts the THERMATIC or
THERMOTRONIC temperature setting.
You can switch off the auxiliary heating by
using the remote control or the auxiliary heat- ing button on the centre console. 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. 224
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Display messages
General notes
Display messages appear in the multifunction display.
Display messages with graphic symbols are simplified in the Owner's Manual and may differ
from the symbols in the multifunction display.
Please respond in accordance with the display messages and follow the additional notes in this Owner's Manual.
Certain display messages are accompanied by an audible warning tone or a continuous tone.
When the ignition is switched off, all display messages are deleted apart from some high-
priority display messages. Once the causes of the high-priority display messages have been
rectified, the corresponding display messages are also deleted.
When you stop and park the vehicle, please observe the notes on the HOLD function
(Y page 179) and parking (Y page 162).Hiding display messages
X Press the aor% button on the steering wheel to hide the display message.
The display message is cleared.
The multifunction display shows high-priority display messages in red. Some high-priority dis- play messages cannot be hidden.
The multifunction display shows these messages continuously until the causes for the mes-
sages have been remedied. Message memory
The on-board computer saves certain display messages in the message memory. You can call
up the display messages:
X Press =or; on the steering wheel to select the Service
Service menu.
If there are display messages, the multifunction display shows, for example, 2 messages 2 messages.
X Press the 9or: button to select the entry, e.g. 2 messages
2 messages.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the 9or: button to scroll through the display messages. Display
messages
229On-board computer and displays Z

Safety systems
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions !÷
currently unavail‐ currently unavail‐
able See Owner's able See Owner's
Manual Manual ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram), BAS (Brake Assist), PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function, hill
start assist and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are temporarily unavail-
able.
The adaptive brake lights and COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷,åand! warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
Possible causes:
R self-diagnosis is not yet complete.
R the on-board voltage may be insufficient
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affec-ted. The braking distance may increase in an emergency braking
situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Carefully drive on a suitable stretch of road, making slight steer-
ing movements, at a speed above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. !÷
inoperative See inoperative See
Owner's Manual Owner's Manual ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function, hill start assist
and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are unavailable due to a malfunction.
The adaptive brake lights and COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
may also have failed.
In addition, the J,÷,åand! warning lamps light up
in the instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING 230
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affec- ted. The braking distance may increase in an emergency braking
situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. ÷
currently unavail‐ currently unavail‐
able See Owner's able See Owner's
Manual Manual ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function, hill start assist and
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are temporarily unavailable.
The adaptive brake lights and COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷andå warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
The self-diagnosis function, for example, may not be complete.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above.
The braking distance may thus increase in an emergency braking
situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Carefully drive on a suitable stretch of road, making slight steer-
ing movements, at a speed above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Display
messages
231On-board computer and displays Z