2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS brakes

Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even
if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary

obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this
braking

force is insufficient, DISTRONIC PLUS
warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk
of an accident. In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If

DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and
weather conditions or traffic conditions into
account. DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You
are responsible for the distance to the vehicle
in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
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.
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired by:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to
the speed stored. Driving systems
173
Driving and parking Z

This speed can:
R
be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the left
R be so high in the left lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the right
If
there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
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
this, you need to have selected manual drive
program M(Y page 166). 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.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle. It
maintains the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. Without your intervention, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a collision. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster. Brake immediately to
increase the distance to the vehicle driving in
front, or take evasive action, provided it is
safe to do so.
The radar sensor system is switched off auto-
matically in the vicinity of radio telescope
facilities ( Y page 350).
For DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be:
R activated (Y page 223)
R operational i
In some countries you must deactivate
the radar sensor system ( Y page 223).
For

further information about the radar sen-
sor system; see ( Y page 350).
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no longer a vehicle in front or
R the vehicle ahead has not been detected
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between
30 km/h and 200 km/h. If a vehicle is driving
in front of you, it operates in the speed range
between 0 km/h and 200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS on roads with
steep gradients.
Cruise control lever With the cruise control lever, you can operate
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever

indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: DISTRONIC PLUS
is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp174
Driving systems
Driving and parking

When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two
segments ; in the set speed range light
up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
segments ; between speed of the vehicle in
front : and stored speed = light up.Assistance graphic in vehicles with a colour multi-
function display
:
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
= Own vehicle
? DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated)
In the Assistance menu (Y page 217) of the
on-board
computer, you can select the assis-
tance graphic.
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 217).
i You
will see the stored speed for approx-
imately five seconds when you activate
DISTRONIC PLUS.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever
(Y page 174) towards you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored.

Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until

the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To store the current speed or a lower
speed
X Press the cruise control lever up : for a
higher

speed or down ; for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The

new speed is stored. DISTRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored. 176
Driving systems
Driving and parking

!
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 180).
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R
when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The

braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the

engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D, R or N on
vehicles with automatic transmission
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated Activating the HOLD function Example: vehicles with colour multifunction display
X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until : appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R
you

accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position D or R.
R the transmission is in position P on vehicles
with automatic transmission.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until : disap-
pears from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a short period the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake. 180
Driving systems
Driving and parking

i
If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal
within a few seconds, RACE START is
cancelled. The multifunction display shows
the RACE START cancelled message.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed is increased.
The RACE START Release brake to
start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If the brake pedal is not released after a
short while, RACE START is cancelled. The
multifunction display shows the RACE
START cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE

START active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately
50 km/h.
Drive program S is activated. SPORT handling
mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE START
not possible or RACE START cancelled
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i After using it several times in short suc-
cession, RACE START will be unavailable
until a certain distance has been driven. 4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when-
ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip.
If

you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC
can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time, and for staying in the lane.
If

a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R when pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
R accelerate less when driving.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a substi-
tute for your attention to the immediate sur-
roundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make

sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when
they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes 182
Driving systems
Driving and parking

When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
will see parking symbol
; as a status indi-
cator
in the instrument cluster. When a park-
ing space has been detected, an arrow
towards the right or the left also appears.
Active Parking Assist only displays parking
spaces on the front-passenger side as stand-
ard. Parking spaces on the driver's side are
displayed as soon as the turn signal on the
driver's side is activated. When parking on the
driver's side, this must remain switched on
until you acknowledge the use of Active Park-
ing Assist by pressing the a button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx-
imately 15 m away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
Active Parking Assist merely aids you by inter-
vening
actively in the steering. There is a risk
of accident if you do not apply the brakes
yourself.
Always apply the brakes yourself when park-
ing and manoeuvring.
Active Parking Assist does not support you
with parking spaces parallel to the direction
of travel if:
R the parking space is on a kerbstone
R the parking space is apparently blocked,
for example by foliage or grass paving
blocks
R the range of movement is too small
R the parking space is bordered by an obsta-
cle which is not clearly defined such as a
tree or a trailer
X Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the
instrument cluster.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift to
reverse gear. Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift
into position R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
%

message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the
% button on the multifunction steering
wheel or pull away.
or
X To park using Active Parking Assist:
press

the a button on the multifunction
steering wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake
at all times. Do not exceed a maximum
speed of approximately

10 km/h when
reversing. Otherwise, Active Parking Assist
will be cancelled.
i In tight parking spaces, you will achieve
the best parking results by backing up as
far as possible. When doing so, also
observe the PARKTRONIC messages.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Manoeuvring

may be required in tight park-
ing spaces.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the Park
Assist active Engage forward gear
Observe

surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park Assist active Select D Observe
surroundings message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: while
the vehicle is stationary, shift to first gear.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
select transmission position D while the
vehicle is stationary.
Active

Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction. 188
Driving systems
Driving and parking

:
Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you select km on the on-board computer in
the Display unit Speed-/odometer func-
tion (Y page 220), Lane Keeping Assist is
active starting at a speed of 60 km/h
. If the
miles display unit is selected, the assistance
range begins at 40 mph.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist cannot always clearly
identify lane markings.
In these cases, Lane Keeping Assist may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep in lane, especially if Lane
Keeping Assist alerts you. G
WARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There
is a risk of an accident.
Always steer, apply the brakes or accelerate
the vehicle yourself, especially if Lane Keep-
ing Assist alerts you.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane
Keeping

Assist can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. Lane
Keeping Assist is only an aid. You are respon-
sible for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time,
and for staying in the lane.
Lane

Keeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle in its lane.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun or reflection from other vehicles
(e.g. if the road surface is wet)
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up, dam-
aged or covered, for instance by a sticker
in the vicinity of the camera
R no, or several, unclear lane markings are
present for one lane, e.g. in a construction
area
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions
on the road
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
Activating Lane Keeping Assist
X Activate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board computer; to do so, select Stand‐
ard or Adaptive(Y page 219).
If you drive at speeds above

60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, the lane mark-
ings in the assistance graphics display
(Y page 217) are shown in green. 200
Driving systems
Driving and parking

prescribed maximum speed in the relevant
country.
For
certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the max-
imum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. Refer to the "Technical
data" section to find out whether this applies
to your vehicle. If you utilise any of the added
maximum rear axle load when towing a trailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not
exceed a maximum speed of 100 km/h for
reasons concerning the operating permit.
This also applies in countries in which the
permissible maximum speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations is above 100 km/h.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer and it will
consume more fuel.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. For vehicles
with automatic transmission, you need to
have selected manual drive program
M(Y page 156).
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly. If you
need additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
i Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal
on downhill gradients while the manual
drive program M is temporarily activated
(vehicles with automatic transmission): the
automatic transmission may switch back to
the last active automatic drive program E
or S. The automatic transmission may shift
to a higher gear. This can reduce the
engine's braking effect. Driving tips If the trailer swings from side to side:
X
Do not accelerate.
X Do not countersteer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently

at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine,
and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude. Folding out the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage
correctly when folding in, it will swing
out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that
the ball coupling engages when folding in.
Before you can tow a trailer with your vehicle,
you must fold out the ball coupling.
The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side trim panel in the boot. Towing a trailer
203
Driving and parking Z