2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK traction control

ESP® (Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ......................................... 65, 66
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 65
Important safety guidelines ............ .61
Overview .......................................... 61
STEER CONTROL ............................. 69
Driving systems
Active Parking Assist ..................... 186
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 195
Blind Spot Assist ............................1 97
Cruise control ................................ 168
Display message ............................ 245
Distronic Plus ................................ 173
HOLD function ............................... 179
Lane Keeping Assist ..................... .199
Lane package ................................ 197
PARKTRONIC ................................. 182
RACE START (AMG vehicles) .......... 181
Reversing camera .......................... 191
Speed Limit Assist ......................... 196
SPEEDTRONIC ............................... 171
Driving tips
Aquaplaning ................................... 167
Automatic transmission ................. 154
Brakes .......................................... .166
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 178
Downhill gradient ........................... 166
Driving abroad ............................... 104
Driving in winter ............................ .167
Driving on flooded roads ................ 167
Driving on wet roads ..................... .167
General .......................................... 165
Icy road surfaces ........................... 168
Limited braking efficiency on sal-
ted roads ....................................... 167
New brake pads/linings ................ 167
Running-in tips ............................... 142
Snow chains .................................. 321
Symmetrical dipped bea m............. 104
Towing a trailer .............................. 201
Wet road surface ........................... 166
DVD audio (on-board computer) ...... 215 E
EASY-VARIO-PLUS system Luggage compartment enlarge-
ment .............................................. 271
EBD (electronic brake force distri-
bution)
Display message ............................ 232
Function/note s................................ 68
ECO display
Function/note s............................. 165
On-board computer ....................... 212
ECO start/stop function
Automatic engine start .................. 147
Automatic engine switch-off .......... 146
Deactivating/activating ................. 147
General information ....................... 146
Important safety notes .................. 146
Introduction ................................... 145
Electrical fuses
see Fuses
Electronic Stability Program
see ESP® (Electronic Stability Program)
Emergency key
Unlocking the driver's door .............. 81
Emergency key element
Function/note s................................ 75
Locking vehicle ................................ 81
Emergency release
Driver's door .................................... 81
Emergency spare wheel
General notes ................................ 332
Important safety notes .................. 332
Removing ....................................... 332
Technical data ............................... 333
Emergency unlocking
Tailgate ............................................ 83
Vehicle ............................................. 81
Engine
Display message ............................ 243
ECO start/stop function ................ 145
Engine number ............................... 338
Jump-starting ................................. 308
Running irregularly ......................... 149
Starting problems .......................... 149
Starting the engine with the key .... 144
Stopping ........................................ 162
Tow-starting (vehicle) ..................... 314 Index
9

or adaptive Brake Assist, the brake lamps
flash rapidly. In this way, traffic travelling
behind you is warned in an even more notice-
able manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/ht o 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 (Y page 108).
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually if
they spin. This enables you to pull away and
accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example
if the road surface is slippery on one side. In
addition, more drive torque is transferred to
the wheel or wheels with traction. ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP
®
.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When testing the electric parking brake
on a braking dynamometer, switch off the
ignition. Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may otherwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: switch off the igni-
tion when the electric parking brake is
being tested using a dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. Before operating
the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
! Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with the front axle raised, it is impor-
tant that you observe the notes on
ESP ®
(Y page 312).
Vehicles with 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with both axles on the ground, it is
important that you observe the notes on
ESP ®
(Y page 312).
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åESP®
OFF
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights up continuously when the engine is running. Driving safety systems
65Safety Z

Deactivating/activating ESP
®X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode message appears
in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷OFF OFFmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R traction control is still activated. R
engine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; nor is it
activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
.
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake
firmly with assistance from ESP ®
.
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake
firmly with assistance from ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. Driving safety syste
ms
67Safety Z

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
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer.
X To deactivate:(Y page 218).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate:( Ypage 218).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. ESP
®
trailer stabilisation General notes
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP
®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limit-
ing the engine output until the vehicle/trailer combination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/
trailer combination by depressing the brake
firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active above
speeds of about 65 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if
ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 61). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Havethe brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. 68
Driving safety systemsSafety

Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 320).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 320).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 321). Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads).
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must
select a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need to have selected manual drive program
M(Y page 156). By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h. 168
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is not sufficient
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If a fault occurs, then the transmission may
also be shifted into position Pautomatically.
Vehicles with manual transmission
The Brake immediately Brake immediately message can also
appear in the multifunction display.
X Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc- tion display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated.
A horn will sound at regular intervals if you
turn off the engine, take off your seat belt or
open the driver's door when the HOLD func-
tion is activated. The horn alerts you to the
fact that the HOLD function is still activated.
If you attempt to lock the vehicle, the tone
becomes louder. The vehicle cannot be
locked until you have deactivated the HOLD
function.
i Once you have switched off the engine,
you cannot restart it until you have deacti-
vated the HOLD function. RACE START
Important safety notes RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface.
Only activate RACE START on dedicated race
circuits. i
RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors, the bonnet and the tailgate are
closed
R the engine is running and the transmission,
traction control and engine are at operating
temperature
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 66)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position D.
R drive program Mis selected (Y page 155).
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Pull and hold both steering wheel gearshift
paddles.
X The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN
Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
X Release both steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE START not possible See Own‐
RACE START not possible See Own‐
er's er's Manual
Manual message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 156).
or
X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel
shift paddle (Y page 156).
The RACE START available Depress
RACE START available Depress
accelerator
accelerator message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. Driving systems
181Driving and parking Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ÷
The yellow ESP
®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. ESP
®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when
pulling away.
X Accelerate more gently while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 65).å
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while the engine is running. ESP
®
and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are deactivated. ESP ®
will not
stabilise the vehicle if it starts to skid or if a wheel starts to spin.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is deactivated, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 65).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. M
AMG vehicles only:
The yellow SPORT han-
dling mode warning
lamp is lit while the
engine is running.
SPORT handling mode is activated.
G WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is switched on, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Only switch on SPORT handling mode in certain situations
(Y page 66). Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
261On-board computer and displays Z

does not exceed the maximum permissible
speed for the M+S tyres(Y page 172).
When you have fitted the M+S tyres:
X Check the tyre pressures (Y page 321).
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning sys-
tem (Y page 323).
For more information on driving with the
emergency spare wheel, see (Y page 332).Snow chains
G
WARNING
If snow chains are fitted to the rear wheels,
they may scrape against the vehicle body or
chassis components. This could cause dam-
age to the vehicle or the tyres. There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never fit snow chains on the rear wheels
R always fit snow chains in pairs to the front
wheels.
! Vehicles with steel wheels:
if you fit
snow chains on steel wheels, you may dam-
age the hub caps. Remove the hub caps
from the relevant wheels before fitting the
snow chains.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that
have been specially approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or that are of a corre-
sponding standard of quality.
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel-
tyre combinations. Permissible wheel-tyre
combinations (Y page 329).
R only use snow chains when the road sur-
face is completely snow-covered. Remove
the snow chains as soon as possible when
you come to a road that is not snow-cov-
ered. R
local regulations may restrict the use of
snow chains. Observe the appropriate reg-
ulations if you wish to fit snow chains.
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
R when snow chains are fitted, never use
Active Parking Assist (Y page 186).
i You may wish to deactivate
ESP ®
(Y page 65) when pulling away with
snow chains fitted. This way you can allow
the wheels to spin in a controlled manner,
achieving an increased driving force (cut-
ting action).
Information about driving with an emergency spare wheel (Y page 332). Tyre pressure
Tyre pressure specifications
G
WARNING
Tyres with too low or too high tyre pressure
contain the following hazards:
R they can burst, in particular if the vehicle is
heavily laden or when driven at high
speeds.
R the tyres can wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which can severely impair tyre
traction.
R the driving, steering and braking character-
istics may be severely impaired.
There is a risk of accident.
Follow recommended tyre inflation pressures
and check the pressure of all the tyres includ- ing the spare wheel:
R at least every two weeks
R if the load changes
R before beginning a long journey
R for changed operating conditions, e.g. off-
road driving
If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. Tyre pressure
321Wheels and tyres Z