2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS ABS

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.
X Correct the tyre pressure if it is still at least
130

kPa (1.3 bar/19 psi) (see the fuel filler
flap for values).
X To increase the tyre pressure:
switch on
the tyre inflation compressor. X
To reduce the tyre pressure: depress
pressure release button : next to pres-
sure gauge ;.X
To remove the tyre sealant bottle from the
tyre inflation compressor, press together
the locking tabs on the yellow cap.
X Pull the tyre sealant bottle out of the tyre
inflation compressor. The filler hose stays on the tyre sealant
bottle.
X Stow the tyre sealant bottle, the tyre infla-
tion compressor and the warning triangle.
X Drive to the nearest qualified specialist
workshop

and have the tyre changed there.
X Have the tyre sealant bottle and the filler
hose replaced as soon as possible at a
qualified specialist workshop.
X Have the tyre sealant bottle replaced every
four years at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Battery (vehicle)
Important safety notes
Work on the battery, e.g. removing or instal-
ling, requires specialist knowledge and the
use of special tools. Therefore, always have
work

on the battery carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Work carried out incorrectly on the battery
can, for example, lead to a short circuit and
damage

your vehicle's electronic system. This
can disrupt driving safety systems such as
ABS (anti-lock braking system) or ESP ®
(Elec-
tronic Stability Program).
R If ABS malfunctions, the wheels can lock
during braking. This limits the steerability
of the vehicle when braking and the braking
distance may increase. There is a risk of
accident.
R If ESP ®
malfunctions, the vehicle will not be
stabilised if it starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin. There is a risk of accident.
You should therefore have all work involving
the battery carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. G
WARNING
Electrostatic build-up can lead to the creation
of
sparks, which could ignite the highly explo-304
Battery (vehicle)
Breakdown assistance

sive gases of a battery. There is a risk of an
explosion.
Before
handling the battery, touch the vehicle
body to remove any existing electrostatic
build-up.
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 an
environmentally 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. Battery (vehicle)
305
Breakdown assistance Z

R
Run in new tyres at moderate speeds for
the first 100 km
. They only reach their full
performance after this distance.
R Do not drive with tyres which have too little
tread depth. This otherwise significantly
reduces the traction on wet roads (aqua-
planing).
R Replace the tyres after six years at the lat-
est, regardless of wear.
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 332). MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics)
With MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics), you can continue to drive
your vehicle even if there is a total loss of
pressure in one or more tyres.
MOExtended tyres may only be used in con-
junction with an active tyre pressure loss
warning system and only on wheels specifi-
cally tested by Mercedes-Benz.
Notes

on driving with MOExtended tyres with
a flat tyre ( Y page 300).
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. Winter operation
General notes
Have
your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section ( Y page 324). Driving with summer tyres
At temperatures below +7 †, summer tyres
lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking

power. Change the tyres on your vehi-
cle to M+S tyres. Using summer tyres at very
cold temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damaging the tyres permanently.
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility
for this type of damage. M+S tyres
G
WARNING
M+S
tyres with a tyre tread depth of less than
4 mm are not suitable for use in winter as they
do not provide sufficient traction. There is a
risk of accident.
M+S tyres with a tread depth of less than
4 mm must be replaced.
At temperatures below +7 †, use winter tyres
or all-season tyres. Both types of tyre are
identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tyres bearing the i snowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking pro-
vide the best possible grip in wintry road con-
ditions. Only these tyres will allow driving
safety systems such as ABS and ESP ®
to
function optimally in winter. These tyres have
been developed specifically for driving in
snow.
Use M+S tyres of the same make and tread
on all wheels to maintain safe handling char-
acteristics.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tyres you have
fitted.
If you fit M+S tyres that have a lower maxi-
mum permissible speed than that of the vehi-
cle, affix an appropriate warning sign in the
driver's field of vision. This can be obtained
at a qualified specialist workshop.
Under these circumstances, you should also
restrict the maximum speed of the vehicle
using permanent SPEEDTRONIC so that it 320
Winter operation
Wheels and tyres

X
Tighten the wheel bolts until they are fin-
ger-tight.
Lowering the vehicle G
WARNING
The wheels could work loose if the wheel nuts
and bolts are not tightened to the specified
tightening torque. There is a risk of accident.
Have the tightening torque immediately
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
after a wheel is changed. X
Place the ratchet ring spanner onto the
hexagon nut of the jack so that the letters
AB are visible.
X Turn the ratchet ring spanner until the vehi-
cle is once again standing firmly on the
ground.
X Place the jack to one side.
X Tighten the wheel bolts evenly in a cross-
wise pattern in the sequence indicated
(: to A). The tightening torque must be
130 Nm.
X Turn the jack back to its initial position.
X Stow the jack and the rest of the vehicle
tools in the vehicle again.
X Vehicles with AMG equipment: insert the
cover into the outer sill.
X Check the air pressure of the newly fitted
wheel and adjust accordingly.
Observe the recommended tyre pressure
(Y page 321). Wheel and tyre combinations
General notes
! For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you only use tyres and
wheels which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz specifically for your vehi-
cle.
These are specially adapted to the control
systems, such as ABS or ESP ®
and are
marked as follows:
R MO = Mercedes-Benz Original
R MOE

= Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(tyres featuring run-flat characteristics)
R MO1 = Mercedes-Benz Original (only cer-
tain AMG tyres)
Mercedes-Benz Original Extended tyres
may only be used on wheels that have been
specifically approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Only use tyres, wheels or accessories tes-
ted and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Cer-
tain characteristics, e.g. handling, vehicle
noise emissions or fuel consumption, may
otherwise be adversely affected. In addi-
tion, when driving with a load, tyre dimen-
sion variations could cause the tyres to
come into contact with the bodywork and
axle components. This could result in dam-
age to the tyres or the vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz accepts no liability for
damage resulting from the use of tyres,
wheels or accessories other than those tes-
ted and approved.
Further information about wheels, tyres
and approved combinations can be
obtained from any qualified specialist
workshop.
! Retreaded tyres are neither tested nor
recommended by Mercedes-Benz, since
previous damage cannot always be detec-
ted on retreaded tyres. As a result,
Mercedes-Benz cannot guarantee vehicle
safety if retreaded tyres are fitted. Do not
fit used tyres if you have no information
about their previous usage. Wheel and tyre combinations
329
Wheels and tyres Z

Model Replacement
amount A 180 BlueEFFICIENCY
A 200 BlueEFFICIENCY
5.8 l
A 250 BlueEFFICIENCY
5.6 l
A 180 CDI BlueEFFI-
CIENCY, manual trans-
mission
4.5 l
A 180 CDI BlueEFFI-
CIENCY, automatic
transmission
A 200 CDI BlueEFFI-
CIENCY
A 220 CDI BlueEFFI-
CIENCY
7.0 l
A 45 AMG 4MATIC
5.5 l
Additives
!
Do not use any additives with the engine
oil. This could damage the engine.
Engine oil viscosity Viscosity describes the flow characteristics
of
a fluid. If an engine oil has a high viscosity
rating, it flows slowly; the lower the viscosity,
the faster it flows.
Engine oil selection is based on the respective
outside temperatures and in accordance with
the SAE classification (viscosity). The table
shows you which SAE classifications are to be
used. The low-temperature properties of engine oils can be significantly impaired dur-
ing operation due to, for example, ageing or
soot and fuel accretion. It is therefore
strongly

recommended to observe regular oil
changes using an approved engine oil with the
appropriate SAE classification. Brake fluid
G
WARNING
The brake fluid continuously absorbs mois-
ture from the air. This results in the boiling
point

of the brake fluid lowering. If the boiling
point of the brake fluid is too low, vapour
pockets may form when the brakes are sub-
jected to a heavy load. This would impair brak-
ing efficiency. There is a risk of an accident.
Have the brake fluid renewed at the prescri-
bed intervals.
When handling brake fluid, observe the
important safety notes on service products
(Y page 338).
The brake fluid change intervals can be found
in the Service Booklet.
Only use brake fluid approved by Mercedes-
Benz according to MB Approval 331.0.
Information about approved brake fluid can
be obtained at any qualified specialist work-
shop or on the Internet at:
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
i Have the brake fluid regularly replaced at
a qualified specialist workshop. Coolant
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If antifreeze comes into contact with hot com-
ponents in the engine compartment, it may
ignite. There is a risk of fire and injury.
Let the engine cool down before you top up
the antifreeze. Make sure that antifreeze is
not spilled next to the filler neck. Thoroughly 344
Service products and capacities
Technical data