2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS warning

Useful information ............................
208
Important safety notes ....................208
Displays and operation .................... 208
Menus and submenus ...................... 211
Display messages ............................. 229
Warning
and indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster ............................257 207
On-board computer and displays

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, T or
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 operation
On-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 menu.
X To select the next/previous track:
briefly press the 9 or : 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 9 or : but-
ton, 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 menu.
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 menu.
X To select the next or previous scene:
briefly press the 9 or : 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 submenus
215
On-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. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Speed Limit Assist.
X Press the a button.
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. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Speed Limit Assist.
X Press the a button.
The multifunction display shows Speed
Limit Assist.
X Press the : button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate or deactivate: press a.
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 Ä sym-
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. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
ESP.
X Press the a button.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the å warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If the ÷
warning lamp and the å warn-
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. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Distance warning.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
When the distance warning function is
deactivated, the æ symbol appears in
the multifunction display in the assistance
graphics display. 218
Menus and submenus
On-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. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
ATTENTION ASSIST.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
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. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Blind Spot Assist.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
For further information about Blind Spot
Assist, see (Y page 197).
When the Blind Spot Assist Sensors
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. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Lane Keeping Assist.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the : or 9 button to set Off,
Standard or Adaptive.
X Press the a button 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. 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
219
On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press the 9 or : button to select
Radar sensor (See Owner's Man.).
You will see the selected setting: Activa‐
ted or Deactivated.
X Press the a button 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 menu.
X Press the : or 9 button to select
theHeating submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the : or 9
button to select A,
B or Change C.
X Press a to 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 : or 9 button to set the
selected display.
X Press the a button 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 menu.
X Press the :
or 9 button to select the
Heating submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press a to confirm. X
Press : or 9 to select one of the
three departure times or Timer off (no
timer active).
X Press a to 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 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 submenus
On-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 a or % 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 menu.
If there are display messages, the multifunction display shows, for example, 2 messages.
X Press the 9 or : button to select the entry, e.g. 2 messages.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the 9 or : button to scroll through the display messages. Display messages
229
On-board computer and displays Z

Safety systems
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions!÷
currently unavail‐
able See Owner's
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 ÷, å and ! 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
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, ÷, å and ! warning lamps light
up in the instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING230
Display messages
On-board computer and displays