2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK you can replace the following

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). Occupant safety
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If service work is not carried out correctly, the operating safety of your vehicle may be affec-
ted. This could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle and cause an accident. More-
over, the safety systems may no longer be
able to protect you or others as they are
designed to do.
Always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Modifications to or work performed incor-
rectly on the following parts can result in the
restraint systems not functioning as intended:
R the restraint system, consisting of seat
belts and their anchorage points, belt ten-
sioners, belt force limiters and airbags
R the wiring
R networked electronic systems
Airbags and belt tensioners could fail to
deploy or be triggered in an accident despite
the deceleration force being sufficient to trig-
ger the systems, or could be triggered unin-
tentionally. For this reason, never make any
modifications to the restraint systems.
Therefore, you must not tamper with elec-
tronic components or their software. The seat belts, together with SRS (Supple-
mental Restraint System), are complemen-
tary, co-ordinated restraint systems
(Y
page 41). They reduce the risk of injury in
specific, pre-defined types of accident situa-
tions and thereby increase occupant safety.
However, seat belts and airbags generally do
not protect against objects penetrating the
vehicle from the outside.
To ensure that the restraint systems can
deliver their full potential protection, make
sure that:
R the seat and head restraint are adjusted
properly (Y page 92)
R the seat belt has been fastened properly
(Y page 46)
R the airbags can inflate unrestricted if
deployed (Y page 42)
R the steering wheel is adjusted properly
(Y page 98)
R the restraint systems have not been modi-
fied
An airbag increases the protection of vehicle
occupants wearing a seat belt. However, air-
bags are only an additional restraint system
which complements, but does not replace,
the seat belt. All vehicle occupants must wear their seat belt correctly at all times, even if thevehicle is equipped with airbags. The airbags
are not deployed in all types of accidents. For example, if the protective capacity of cor-
rectly fastened seat belts is not increased by
deploying the airbags, the airbags will not
deploy.
Airbag deployment only provides increased
protection if the seat belt is worn correctly.
The seat belt helps, firstly, to keep the vehicle
occupant in the best position in relation to the airbag. Secondly, in a head-on collision, for
example, the seat belt prevents the vehicle
occupant from being propelled towards the
point of impact. 40
Occupant safetySafety

R
do not lean forwards, e.g. over the cover of
the driver's/front-passenger front airbag,
particularly when the vehicle is in motion.
R do not put your feet on the dashboard.
R only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the airbag to be fully deployed.
You could be injured if the airbag is
deployed and you are holding the inside of
the steering wheel.
R do not lean on the doors from inside the
vehicle.
R make sure that there are no people, ani-
mals or objects between the vehicle occu-
pants and the area where the airbags are
deployed.
R do not place any objects between the seat
backrest and the door.
R do not hang any hard objects, e.g. coat
hangers, on the grab handles or coat hooks.
R do not attach accessories, e.g. cup holders,
to the doors.
It is not possible to rule out a risk of injury
being caused by an airbag, due to the high
speed at which the airbag must be deployed. G
WARNING
Airbag functionality can only be assured if the following parts are not covered and no badgesor stickers are attached to them:
R padded steering wheel boss
R kneebag cover below the steering column
R front-passenger airbag cover
R outer side of front seat bolsters
R side trim next to the rear seat backrest
R roof frame cover between the front A-pillar
and the C-pillar in the rear compartment G
WARNING
When an airbag deploys, a small amount of
powder is released. The powder may cause
short-term breathing difficulties to persons
suffering from asthma or other pulmonary
conditions. In order to prevent potential breathing diffi-
culties, you should leave the vehicle as soon
as it is safe to do so. You can also open the
window to allow fresh air to enter the vehicle
interior. The powder does not constitute a
health hazard and does not indicate that there
is a fire in the vehicle. G
WARNING
The airbag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. Do not touch them as you
could burn yourself.
Have the airbags replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Otherwise, occupants are
not protected by the airbags in the event of
another accident.
Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6SRS warning lamp
lights up.
The airbag installation locations are identified
by the AIRBAG symbol.
Front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. The system may then
detect that the seat is occupied and if there
is an accident, the restraint systems on the front-passenger side could be deployed.
Have restraint systems that have been trig-
gered replaced. Occupant safety
43Safety Z

X
To switch off the crash-responsive
emergency lighting: press the hazard
warning lamp button.
or X Lock and then unlock the vehicle using the
key. Replacing bulbs
Important safety notes
Xenon bulbs G
DANGER
Xenon bulbs are under high voltage. You can
get an electric shock if you remove the cover
of the xenon bulb and touch the electrical
contacts. There is a risk of fatal injury.
Never touch the parts or the electrical con-
tacts of the xenon bulb. Always have work on the xenon bulbs carried out at a qualified spe- cialist workshop.
If your vehicle is equipped with xenon bulbs,
you can recognise this by the following: the
cone of light from the xenon bulbs moves
from the top to the bottom and back again
when you start the engine. For this to be
observed, the lights must be switched on
before starting the engine.
Bulbs and lamps are an important aspect of
vehicle safety. You must therefore make sure
that these function correctly at all times.
Have the headlamp setting checked regularly.
Other bulbs G
WARNING
Bulbs, lamps and plug connectors can
become very hot during use. When replacing a bulb, you could burn yourself on these com-
ponents. There is a risk of injury.
Allow these components to cool down before replacing the bulb.
There are bulbs other than the xenon bulbs
that you cannot replace. Replace only the bulbs listed (Y
page 112). Have the bulbs that
you cannot replace yourself replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop.
If you require assistance replacing bulbs, con-
sult a qualified specialist workshop.
Do not touch the glass tube of new bulbs with
your bare hands. Even minor contamination
can burn into the glass surface and reduce
the service life of the bulbs. Always use a lint- free cloth or only touch the base of the bulb
when fitting.
Only use bulbs of the correct type.
If the new bulb still does not light up, consult
a qualified specialist workshop.
Bulbs and lamps are an important aspect of
vehicle safety. You must therefore make sure that these function correctly at all times.
Have the headlamp setting checked regularly. Overview of bulb replacement – bulbs
You can replace the following bulbs. The
details for the bulb type can be found in the
legend. Halogen headlamps
:
Turn signal lamp: PY 21 W
; Main-beam headlamp/side lamp/park-
ing lamp: H15 55 W/15 W
= Dipped-beam headlamp: H7 55 W 112
Replacing bulbsLights and
windscreen wipers

Switching the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation on/off using the centre console
button Switching on the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation The colours of the indicator lamps on the but-
ton have the following meanings:
Blue Auxiliary ventilation switched on
Red Auxiliary heating switched on
Yellow Departure time preselected (Ypage 224)
X Press button :.
The red or blue indicator lamp in button :
lights up.
Switching off the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation
X Press button :.
The red or blue indicator lamp in button :
goes out.
Switching the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation on/off using the remote control Your vehicle comes with one remote control.
You may use two additional remote controls
for your vehicle. For more information, pleasecontact a qualified specialist workshop.
The remote control has a maximum range of
approximately 300 metres. This range is
reduced by:
R sources of radio interference
R solid objects between the remote control
and the vehicle R
the remote control being in an unfavoura-
ble position in relation to the vehicle
R transmitting from an enclosed space
i The optimum range can be achieved if you
hold the remote control vertically, pointing upwards when you press one of the but-
tons.
i A battery symbol appears in the display
when the battery in the remote control is
low. Replace the remote control battery
(Y page 136).
Switching the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion on/off Remote control
:
Display
; . To check the status/set the depar-
ture time
= ^ To switch off the auxiliary heating/
ventilation
? u To switch on the auxiliary heating/
ventilation
A , To check the status/set the depar-
ture time
X To activate: press theubutton.
ON
ON is shown in the remote control display.
X To deactivate: press the^button.
OFF OFF is shown in the remote control display.
Checking the status of the auxiliary heat-
ing/ventilation
X Press the ,or. button. Operating the climate control system
135Climate control Z

You must not exceed a maximum speed of
80 km/h.
i When replacing one or all tyres, make
sure that you use only:
R the tyre size specified for the vehicle and
R tyre(s) marked "MOExtended"
If a tyre has gone flat and cannot be
replaced with an MOExtended tyre, a
standard tyre may be used as a temporary
measure. Make sure that you use the
proper size and type (summer or winter
tyre).
i Vehicles with MOExtended tyres are not
equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory. It
is therefore recommended that you addi-
tionally equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if you fit tyres that do not feature run-flat
characteristics, e.g. winter tyres. A TIREFIT
kit can be obtained from a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When driving in emergency mode, the driving characteristics deteriorate, e.g. when corner-
ing, accelerating quickly and when braking.
There is a risk of accident.
Do not exceed the stated maximum speed.
Avoid abrupt steering and driving manoeu-
vres, and driving over obstacles (kerbs, pot-
holes, off-road). This applies in particular to a laden vehicle.
Stop driving in emergency mode if:
R you hear banging noises.
R the vehicle starts to shake.
R you see smoke and smell rubber.
R ESP ®
is intervening constantly.
R there are tears in the sidewalls of the tyre.
After driving in emergency mode, have the
wheel rims checked at a qualified specialist
workshop with regard to their further use. The
faulty tyre must be replaced. TIREFIT kit
Important safety notes G
WARNING
In the following situations, the tyre sealant is
unable to provide sufficient breakdown assis- tance, as it is unable to seal the tyre properly:
R there are cuts or punctures in the tyre
larger than those mentioned above.
R the wheel rim is damaged.
R you have driven at very low tyre pressures
or on a flat tyre.
There is a risk of accident.
Do not drive any further. Contact a qualified
specialist workshop. G
WARNING
The tyre sealant is harmful and causes irrita-
tion. It must not come into contact with your
skin, eyes or clothing or be swallowed. Do not inhale TIREFIT fumes. Keep tyre sealant away
from children. There is a risk of injury.
If you come into contact with the tyre sealant,
observe the following:
R Rinse off the tyre sealant from your skin
immediately with water.
R If the tyre sealant comes into contact with
your eyes, immediately rinse them thor-
oughly with clean water.
R If tyre sealant is swallowed, immediately
rinse your mouth out thoroughly and drink
plenty of water. Do not induce vomiting,
and seek medical attention immediately.
R Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with tyre sealant.
R If an allergic reaction occurs, seek medical
attention immediately.
Using the TIREFIT kit TIREFIT is a tyre sealant.
You can use TIREFIT to seal punctures of up to
4 mm, particularly those in the tyre tread. You Flat tyre
301Breakdown assistance Z

Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Do not tow-start vehicles with automatic
transmission. You could otherwise damage the automatic transmission.
Before tow-starting, the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
R the battery is connected.
R the engine has cooled down.
R the exhaust system has cooled down.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 108).
X Fit the towing eye (Y page 311).
X Secure the rigid towing bar or the towing
rope.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Depress the clutch pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Engage neutral.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Tow-start the vehicle.
X Engage second gear.
X Release the clutch pedal slowly without
depressing the accelerator pedal.
The engine is started.
X Depress the clutch pedal and shift to neu-
tral.
X Stop at a suitable place.
X Secure the vehicle by applying the electric
parking brake.
X Remove the rigid towing bar or towing rope.
X Remove the towing eye (Y page 312).
X Switch off the hazard warning lamps.
When tow-starting, it is important that you
observe the safety instructions (Y page 310)
and the legal requirements for the relevant
countries. Electrical fuses
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you manipulate, bridge or replace a faulty
fuse with a fuse of a higher amperage, the
electric cables could be overloaded. This may result in a fire. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with specified new fuses of the correct amperage.
! Only use fuses that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which
have the correct fuse rating for the system concerned. Only use fuses marked with an
"S". Components or systems could other-
wise be damaged.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to disconnect faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the compo-
nents on the circuit and their functions will
fail.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognise by
the colour and fuse rating. The fuse ratings
are listed in the fuse allocation chart.
If the newly inserted fuse also blows, have the cause traced and rectified at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre. Before replacing a fuse
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 162).
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it (Y page 143). All indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster must be off.
The fuses are located in various fuse boxes:
R fuse box in the engine compartment on the
left-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed
in the direction of travel
R fuse box in the front-passenger footwell 314
Electrical fusesBreakdown 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