2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK service

Displaying service messages
X
Switch the ignition on.
X Using =or;, select the Service
Service
menu.
X Press 9or: to select the ASSYST
ASSYST
PLUS
PLUS submenu and press ato confirm.
The service due date appears in the multi-
function display.
Information about Service Resetting the ASSYST PLUS service inter-
val display
! If the ASSYST PLUS service interval dis-
play has been inadvertently reset, this set-
ting can be corrected at a qualified special-
ist workshop.
Have service work carried out as described in the Service Booklet. This may otherwise
lead to increased wear and damage to the
major assemblies or the vehicle.
A qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre, will reset the ASSYST PLUS service interval display after
the service work has been carried out. You
can also obtain further information on main-
tenance work, for example.
Special service requirements
The prescribed service interval is based on
normal operation of the vehicle. Service work
will need to be performed more often if the
vehicle is operated under arduous conditions or increased loads, for example:
R regular city driving with frequent intermedi-
ate stops
R if the vehicle is primarily used to travel
short distances
R for frequent operation in mountainous ter-
rain or on poor road surfaces
R if the engine is often left idling for long peri-
ods
In these or similar operating conditions, have
the air filter, engine oil and oil filter, for exam- ple, changed more frequently. The tyres must be checked more frequently if the vehicle is
operated under increased loads. Further
information can be obtained at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network is also available in other countries. The Ser-
vice Hotline's current telephone numbers for
use when you are abroad are to be found in
the "Mercedes-Benz Service24h" section of
the Service Booklet. Care
General notes
H
Environmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man- ner.
! For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
films with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surfaces and protective film.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up. 290
CareMaintenance and care

X
Remove rust, e.g. with a wire brush.
X Remove dirt with a clean, lint-free cloth or a
brush.
X After cleaning, lightly oil or grease ball cou-
pling :.
X Check that the vehicle's trailer tow hitch is
working properly.
i Maintenance of the ball coupling and
trailer tow hitch can also be performed at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Interior care
Cleaning the display !
For cleaning, do not use any of the fol-
lowing:
R alcohol-based thinner or petrol
R abrasive cleaning agents
R commercially-available household clean-
ing agents
These may damage the display surface. Do not put pressure on the display surface
when cleaning. This could lead to irrepara-
ble damage to the display.
X Before cleaning the display, make sure that
it is switched off and has cooled down.
X Clean the display surface using a commer-
cially available microfibre cloth and
TFT/LCD display cleaner.
X Dry the display surface using a dry micro-
fibre cloth. Cleaning the plastic trim G
WARNING
Care products and cleaning agents containing solvents can cause surfaces in the cockpit to
become porous. This could result in plastic
parts breaking away when the airbags are
deployed. There is a danger of injury.
Do not use care products and cleaning agents containing solvents to clean the cockpit.
! Do not affix the following to plastic surfa-
ces:
R stickers
R films
R scented oil bottles or similar items
You could otherwise damage the plastic.
! Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent
or sunscreen to come in contact with the
plastic trim. This maintains the high-quality look of the surfaces.
X Wipe the plastic trim with a damp, lint-free
cloth, e.g. a microfibre cloth.
X Heavy soiling: use car care and cleaning
products recommended and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
The surface may change colour tempora-
rily. Wait until the surface is dry again.
Cleaning the steering wheel and gear or selector lever X
Thoroughly wipe with a damp cloth or use
leather care agents that have been recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Cleaning wooden trim and trim ele-
ments !
Do not use solvent-based cleaning agents
such as tar remover, wheel cleaners, pol-
ishes or waxes. There is otherwise a risk of damaging the surface. Care
295Maintenance and care Z

If a pressure of 200 kPa (2.0 bar/29 psi) has
not been achieved after ten minutes, see
(Y page 303).
i If the tyre sealant leaks out, allow it to dry.
It can then be removed like a layer of film.
If you get tyre sealant on your clothing,
have it cleaned as soon as possible with
perchloroethylene.
Tyre pressure not reached If a pressure of 200 kPa (2.0 bar/29 psi) has
not been achieved after ten minutes:
X Switch off the tyre inflation compressor.
X Unscrew the filler hose from the valve of
the faulty tyre.
X Very slowly drive forwards or reverse
approximately 10 m.
X Pump up the tyre again.
After a maximum of ten minutes, the tyre
pressure must be at least 200 kPa (2.0 bar/
29 psi). G
WARNING
If the required tyre pressure is not reached
after the specified time, the tyre is too badly
damaged. The tyre sealant cannot repair the
tyre in this instance. Damaged tyres and a tyre pressure that is too low can significantly
impair the vehicle's braking and driving char-
acteristics. There is a risk of accident.
Do not continue driving. Contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
Tyre pressure reached G
WARNING
A tyre temporarily sealed with tyre sealant
impairs the driving characteristics and is not
suitable for higher speeds. There is a risk of
accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
accordingly and drive carefully. Do not exceed the specified maximum speed with a tyre that
has been repaired using tyre sealant. !
After use, excess tyre sealant may run out
of the filler hose. This could cause stains.
Therefore, place the filler hose in the plastic
bag that contained the TIREFIT kit. H
Environmental note
Have the used tyre sealant bottle disposed of
professionally, e.g. at a qualified specialist
workshop.
If a tyre pressure of 200 kPa (2.0 bar/29 psi)
has been achieved after ten minutes:
X Switch off the tyre inflation compressor.
X Unscrew the filler hose from the valve of
the faulty tyre.
X Stow the tyre sealant bottle, the tyre infla-
tion compressor and the warning triangle.
X Pull away immediately.
The maximum speed for a tyre sealed with
tyre sealant is 80 km/h. The upper part of the
TIREFIT sticker must be affixed to the instru-
ment cluster where it will be easily seen by
the driver.
X Stop after driving for approximately ten
minutes and check the tyre pressure with
the tyre inflation compressor.
The tyre pressure must now be at least
130 kPa (1.3 bar/19 psi). G
WARNING
If the required tyre pressure is not reached
after driving for a short period, the tyre is too badly damaged. The tyre sealant cannot
repair the tyre in this instance. Damaged tyres and a tyre pressure that is too low can signif-
icantly impair the vehicle's braking and driv-
ing characteristics. There is a risk of accident.
Do not continue driving. Contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
i In your vehicle, you will find a sticker with
the Mercedes-Benz Service24h telephone
number, e.g. on the B-pillar on the driver's
side. Flat tyre
303Breakdown assistance Z

The highly flammable gas mixture is formed
when charging the battery or jump-starting
the vehicle.
Always make sure that neither you nor the
battery is electrostatically charged. Electro-
static charge is caused, for example, by:
R wearing synthetic clothing
R the friction of clothing on the seat
R pulling or sliding the battery over carpets or
other synthetic materials
R rubbing the battery with a cloth G
WARNING
During the charging process, a battery produ- ces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or
sparks are created, the hydrogen gas can
ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
R Make sure that the positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into con- tact with vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a bat-
tery.
R It is important that you observe the descri-
bed order of the battery terminals when
connecting and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the
battery poles with identical polarity are
connected.
R It is particularly important to observe the
described order when connecting and dis-
connecting the jump leads.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with water and seek medical attention. H
Environmental note Batteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of them
with the household rubbish.
They must be collected sep-
arately and disposed of in anenvironmentally responsible
recycling system. Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
! Have the battery checked regularly at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service intervals in the Service
Booklet or contact a qualified specialist
workshop for more information.
! Always have work on the battery carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop.
Should it, in exceptional circumstances, be
absolutely necessary to disconnect the bat-
tery yourself, please observe the following:
R switch off the engine and remove the
key. Check that all the indicator lamps in the instrument cluster are off. Otherwise,
you may damage electronic components such as the alternator, for example.
R first, disconnect the negative terminal
clamp, followed by the positive terminal
clamp. Never swap the terminal clamps.
The vehicle electronics may otherwise be
damaged.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission is locked in position P
after disconnecting the battery. The vehi-
cle is secured against rolling away. You
can then no longer move the vehicle.
The battery and the cover of the positive
terminal clamp must be fitted securely dur- ing operation. Battery (vehicle)
305Breakdown assistance Z

Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries. WARNING
Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when handling the
battery. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid con-
tact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing,
in particular gloves, an apron and a
face mask.
Immediately rinse acid splashes
off with clean water. Consult a doc-
tor if necessary. Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Owner's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have been tested and approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehi-
cle occupants from suffering acid burns
should the battery be damaged in the event of
an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maxi-
mum possible service life, it must always be
sufficiently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the
vehicle. In such cases, have the battery dis-
connected at a qualified specialist workshop. You can also charge the battery with a
charger recommended by Mercedes-Benz. For more information, please contact a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have the battery charge checked more fre-
quently if you use the vehicle mainly for short
trips or if you leave it standing idle for a
lengthy period. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop if you wish to leave your vehicle
parked up for a long period of time.
i When you park the vehicle, remove the
key if you do not require any electrical con-
sumers. The vehicle will then use very little energy, thus conserving battery power.
i If the power supply has been interrupted,
e.g. if the battery was discharged, you will
have to:
R set the clock (audio system/COMAND
Online, see the separate operating
instructions).
R reset the function for folding the exterior
mirrors in/out automatically, by folding
the mirrors out once (Y page 99). Charging the battery
G
WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with water and seek medical attention. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start- 306
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance

ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases
can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting.
! Only use battery chargers with a maxi-
mum charging voltage of 14.8 V.
! Only charge the battery using the jump-
start connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment (Y page 308).
X Open the bonnet (Y page 285).
X Connect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and earth point in the same order
as when connecting the donor battery in
the jump-starting procedure (Y page 308).
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at low temperatures, it is very likely that the
discharged battery has frozen. In this case
you may neither jump-start the vehicle nor
charge the battery. The service life of a bat-
tery that has been thawed could be reduced. The starting characteristics may be impaired,
especially at low temperatures. Have the
thawed battery checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Only charge the installed battery with a bat-
tery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. A battery
charger unit specially adapted for Mercedes- Benz vehicles and tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz is available as an accessory.
It permits the charging of the battery in its
installed position. Contact a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre for information and availabil-
ity. Read the battery charger's operating
instructions before charging the battery. Battery (vehicle)
307Breakdown assistance Z

Jump-starting
For the jump-starting procedure, use only the jump-starting connection point, consisting of a positive terminal and an earth point, in the engine compartment. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over the battery. Keep children away from batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with water and seek
medical attention. G
WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, naked flames, creating sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting. Do not lean over a battery. G
WARNING
During the charging process, a battery produces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or sparks
are created, the hydrogen gas can ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
R Make sure that the positive terminal of a connected battery does not come into contact with
vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a battery.
R It is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminals when connecting
and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the battery poles with identical polarity are connected.
R It is particularly important to observe the described order when connecting and disconnecting
the jump leads.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery terminals while the engine is running. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting. G
WARNING
Non-combusted fuel can collect in the exhaust system and ignite. There is a risk of fire. Avoid
repeated and lengthy starting attempts.
! Vehicles with a petrol engine:
avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise,
the non-combusted fuel may damage the catalytic converter.
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at low temperatures, it is very likely that the
discharged battery has frozen. In this case you may neither jump-start the vehicle nor charge
the battery. The service life of a battery that has been thawed could be reduced. The starting 308
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance

wheels and tyres for damage. Hidden tyre
damage could also be causing the unusual
handling characteristics. If you find no
signs of damage, have the wheels and tyres checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
R When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tyres do not get deformed by the kerb
or other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive
over kerbs, speed humps or similar eleva-
tions, try to do so slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, the tyres, particularly the sidewalls, may be damaged. Regular checking of wheels and tyres
G
WARNING
Damaged tyres can cause tyre inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tyres regularly for signs of damage and replace any damaged tyres immediately.
Regularly check the wheels and tyres of your
vehicle for damage at least once a month, as well as after driving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheels can cause a loss of
tyre pressure. Pay particular attention to
damage such as:
R cuts in the tyres
R punctures
R tears in the tyres
R bulges on tyres
R deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tyre tread depth and the condition of the tread across the whole width
of the tyre (Y page 319). If necessary, turn
the front wheels to full lock in order to inspect
the inner side of the tyre surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not fit
anything onto the valve other than the stand-
ard valve cap or other valve caps approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle. Do not fit any other valve caps or systems, e.g. tyre pres-
sure monitoring systems. Regularly check the pressure of all the tyres,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tyre pressure as necessary (Y page 321).
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 332).
The service life of tyres depends on various
factors, including the following:
R driving style
R tyre pressure
R tyre mileage Tyre tread
G
WARNING
Insufficient tyre tread will reduce tyre trac-
tion. The tyre is no longer able to dissipate
water. This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk of aquaplaning increases, in particularwhere speed is not adapted to suit the driving
conditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tyre pressure is too high or too low, tyres may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tyre tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tyres.
Minimum tyre tread depth for:
R summer tyres: 3 mm
R M+S tyres: 4 mm
For safety reasons, replace the tyres before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tyre tread depth is reached. Selecting, fitting and replacing tyres
R Only fit tyres and wheels of the same type
and make.
Exception: it is permissible to fit a different type or make in the event of a flat tyre.
Observe the "MOExtended tyres (tyres with
run-flat characteristics)" section
(Y page 300).
R Only fit tyres of the correct size onto the
wheels. Operation
319Wheels and tyres Z