2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS ESP

tilation of the vehicle interior, you can raise
the sliding sunroof.
If contact is made with a roof carrier
approved by Mercedes-Benz, the sliding
sunroof lowers slightly but remains raised
at the rear.
Rain-closing feature The rain-closing feature is only available for
vehicles with a rain sensor.
When the key is in position 0 in the ignition
lock
or is removed, the sliding sunroof closes
automatically:
R if it starts to rain
R at extreme outside temperatures
R after six hours
R if there is a malfunction in the power supply
The sliding sunroof remains raised at the rear
in order to allow ventilation of the vehicle
interior.
i If the sliding sunroof is obstructed when
being closed by the rain-closing feature, it
opens again slightly. The rain-closing fea-
ture is then deactivated.
The sliding sunroof does not close if:
R it is raised at the rear.
R it is blocked.
R no rain is falling on the area of the wind-
screen being monitored by the rain sensor,
e.g. because the vehicle is under a bridge. Operating the roller sunblinds for the
sliding sunroof
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When opening or closing the roller sunblind
parts of the body could be trapped between
the roller sunblind and the frame or sliding
sunroof. There is a risk of injury. When opening or closing make sure that no
parts

of the body are in the sweep of the roller
sunblind.
If someone is trapped:
R release the switch immediately or
R press the switch in any direction during the
automatic opening/closing process
The opening/closing process is stopped.
The roller sunblinds shield the vehicle interior
from sunlight. The two roller sunblinds can
only be opened and closed together when the
sliding sunroof is closed.
Roller sunblind reversing feature The roller sunblinds are equipped with an
automatic reversing feature. If a solid object
blocks or restricts the roller blind during the
closing process, the roller blind opens again
automatically. However, the automatic
reversing feature is only an aid and does not
relieve you of the responsibility to pay atten-
tion when closing the roller blinds.
G
WARNING
The reversing feature especially does not
react to soft, light and thin objects, such as
small fingers.This means that the reversing
feature cannot prevent someone being trap-
ped in these situations. There is a risk of
injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the sweep of the roller sunblind.
If someone is trapped:
R release the switch immediately or
R press

the switch in any direction during the
automatic opening/closing process
The closing process is stopped. 88
Panorama sliding sunroof
Opening and closing

Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If children adjust the seats, they could
become trapped, especially if they are unat-
tended. There is a risk of injury.
When
leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle while
driving if you:
R adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust

the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirrors and fasten your seat
belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other
vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is
a risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under
the lever assembly of the seat adjustment
system. G
WARNING
When adjusting a seat, you or another vehicle
occupant
could become trapped by the guide
rail of the seat, for instance. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that no one has any part of their
body within the sweep of the seat when
adjusting it. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection if the backrest is not in the
upright

position. When braking or in the event
of an accident, you could slide underneath the
seat belt and sustain abdomen or neck inju-
ries, for example. This poses an increased risk
of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in the upright position. G
WARNING
The head restraints cannot provide the inten-
ded protection unless they are fitted and
adjusted

correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or sudden braking, for example.
Always drive with the head restraints fitted.
Ensure that the centre of the head restraints
support the back of each vehicle occupant's
head at eye level before driving off.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R do not spill any liquids on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools.
The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating mate-
rials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat cov-
ers, child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving Seats
93
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Exterior mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors G
WARNING
The exterior mirrors reduce the size of the
image. Objects visible in the mirrors are
closer than they appear. You could misjudge
the distance from road users driving behind
you
when changing lanes, for instance. There
is a risk of an accident.
You should therefore always look over your
shoulder to determine the actual distance
from road users driving behind you. X
Make sure that the key is in position 1 or
2 in the ignition lock.
X Press button : for the left-hand exterior
mirror

or button ; for the right-hand exte-
rior mirror.
The indicator lamp in the corresponding
button lights up in red.
The indicator lamp goes out again after
some time. You can adjust the selected
mirror using adjustment button = as long
as the indicator lamp is lit.
X Press adjustment button = up, down, or
to the left or right until you have adjusted
the exterior mirror to the correct position.
You should have a good overview of traffic
conditions.
The convex exterior mirrors provide a larger
field of vision.
After the engine has been started, the exte-
rior mirrors are automatically heated if the
rear window heating is switched on and the outside temperature is low. Heating takes a
maximum of 10 minutes.
i
The exterior mirrors can also be heated
manually by switching on the rear window
heating.
Folding

the exterior mirrors in/out elec-
trically X
Make sure that the key is in position 1 or
2 in the ignition lock.
X Briefly press button :.
Both exterior mirrors fold in or out.
i Make sure that the exterior mirrors are
always folded out fully while driving. They
could otherwise vibrate.
i If you are driving faster than 47 km/h
(30

mph) you can no longer fold in the exte-
rior mirrors.
Setting the exterior mirrors If the battery has been disconnected or com-
pletely discharged, the exterior mirrors must
be reset. The exterior mirrors will otherwise
not fold in when you select the "Fold in mir-
rors when locking" function in the on-board
computer (Y page 225).
X
Make sure that the key is in position 1 in
the ignition lock.
X Briefly press button :. Mirrors
99
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Using the memory button
You
can set the front-passenger side exterior
mirror so that you can see the rear wheel on
that side as soon as you engage reverse gear.
You can store this position. This setting can
be stored using memory button M?.
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
that the key is in position 2 in the ignition
lock.
X Press button ; for the exterior mirror on
the front-passenger side.
X Use adjustment button = to adjust the
exterior mirror. You should see the rear
wheel and the kerb in the exterior mirror.
X Press memory button M ?
and one of the
arrows on adjustment button = within
three seconds.
The parking position is stored if the exterior
mirror does not move.
X If the mirror moves out of position, repeat
the steps.
Calling up a stored parking position set-
ting X
Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
X Adjust the exterior mirror on the front-
passenger

side with the corresponding but-
ton ( Y page 99).
X Engage reverse gear.
The exterior mirror on the front-passenger
side moves to the stored parking position.
The exterior mirror on the front-passenger
side moves back to its original position:
R as soon as you exceed a speed of
15 km/h
R about ten seconds after you have disen-
gaged reverse gear
R if you press button : for the exterior mir-
ror on the driver's side Memory functions
Storing settings
G
WARNING
If you use the memory function on the driver's
side while driving, the adjustments could
cause

you to lose control of the vehicle. There
is a risk of an accident.
Only use the memory function on the driver's
side while the vehicle is stationary. G
WARNING
If the memory function adjusts the seat, you
and other vehicle occupants – particularly
children – could become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While the memory function is making adjust-
ments,

make sure that no one has any part of
their body within the sweep of the seat. If
someone becomes trapped, immediately
release the memory function position button.
The adjustment is stopped. G
WARNING
If children activate the memory function, they
could become trapped, especially if they are
unattended. There is a risk of injury.
When

leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
With the memory function, you can store up
to three different settings, e.g. for three dif-
ferent people.
The following settings are stored as a single
memory preset:
R position of the seat, backrest and head
restraint
R driver's side: position of the exterior mir-
rors on the driver's and front-passenger
sides Memory functions
101
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Setting the exterior lighting
Setting options Exterior lighting can be set using the:
R
light switch
R headlamp range control (vehicles with hal-
ogen headlamps only)
(Y page 107)
R combination switch (Y page 107)
R on-board computer (Y page 221)
Light switch Operation
1W
Left-hand parking lamps
2X Right-hand parking lamps
3T Side lamps, licence plate and instru-
ment cluster lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
5L Dipped-beam/main-beam head-
lamps
BR Rear foglamp
CN Foglamp (vehicles with front fog-
lamps only)
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
X Turn the light switch to Ã.
The exterior lighting (except the side lamps/
parking lamps) switches off automatically if
you:
R remove the key from the ignition lock
R open

the driver's door with the key in posi-
tion 0. Automatic headlamp mode G
WARNING
When the light switch is set to Ã, the
dipped-beam
headlamps may not be switched
on automatically if there is fog, snow or other
causes of poor visibility due to the weather
conditions such as spray. There is a risk of an
accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
L.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid. The driver is responsible for the vehicle's
lighting at all times.
à is the preferred light switch setting. The
light setting is automatically selected accord-
ing to the brightness of the ambient light
(exception: poor visibility due to weather con-
ditions such as fog, snow or spray):
R Key in position 1 in the ignition lock: the
side lamps are switched on or off automat-
ically depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
R With the engine running: if you have
switched on the daytime driving lights func-
tion in the on-board computer, the daytime
driving lights or the side lamps and dipped-
beam headlamps are switched on or off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.
X To switch on automatic headlamp
mode: turn the light switch to Ã.
The daytime driving lights improve the detect-
ability of your vehicle during the day. Here,
the daytime driving lights function must be
switched on via the on-board computer
(Y page 221).
When the dipped-beam headlamps are
switched on, the L indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up and the daytime
driving lights switch off.
Dipped-beam headlamps
When

the ignition is switched on and the light
switch is in position L, the side lamps and
dipped-beam headlamps are switched on Exterior lighting
105
Lights and windscreen wipers Z

even if the light sensor does not sense dark
ambient light conditions. This is advanta-
geous when there is fog or rain.
X
To switch on the dipped-beam head-
lamps: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2 or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to L.
The green L indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Foglamps
In conditions where visibility is poor due to
fog, snow or rain, the foglamps improve visi-
bility

as well as making it easier for other road
users to see you. They can be operated
together with the side lamps or together with
the side lamps and dipped-beam headlamps.
X To switch on the foglamps: turn the key
in

the ignition lock to position 2 or start the
engine.
X Turn the light switch to L or Ã.
X Press the N button.
The

green N indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
X To switch off the front foglamps: press
the N button.
The

green N indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Only vehicles with front foglamps are equip-
ped with the "Foglamp" function; for how to
operate the foglamps on vehicles with the
Intelligent Light System

(Y page 109).
Rear foglamp
The rear foglamp improves the visibility of
your vehicle in heavy fog for the following
traffic. Please observe the country-specific
laws on the use of rear foglamps.
X To switch on the rear foglamp: turn the
key
in the ignition lock to position 2 or start
the engine.
X Turn the light switch to L or Ã.X
Press the R button.
The yellow R indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch off the rear foglamp:
press the
R button.
The yellow R indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
i Vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps or the
Intelligent

Light System: when the rear fog-
lamp is switched on, the lower 15 LEDs of
the brake lamp in the tail lamp switch off
due to a legal requirement: for right-hand
traffic only in the left-hand tail lamp and for
left-hand traffic only in the right-hand tail
lamp.
Side lamps
! If the battery has been excessively dis-
charged, the side lamps or parking lamps
are automatically switched off to enable
the next engine start. Always park your
vehicle safely and sufficiently lit according
to legal standards. Avoid the continuous
use of the T side lamps for several
hours. If possible, switch on the X right
or the W left parking lamp.
X To switch on: turn the light switch to
T.
Depending on the equipment level, the
green indicator lamp or the scale illumina-
tion in the instrument cluster light up.
Parking lamps
Switching on the parking lamps ensures the
corresponding side of the vehicle is illumina-
ted.
X To switch on the parking lamps: the key
is not in the ignition lock or it is in posi-
tion 0.
X Turn the light switch to W
(left-hand side
of the vehicle) or X (right-hand side of
the vehicle). 106
Exterior lighting
Lights and windscreen wipers

Adjusting the headlamp range (halogen
headlamps)
The headlamp range control allows you to
adjust the cone of light from the headlamps
to suit the vehicle load.
Headlamp range control
g
Driver's seat and front-passenger seat
occupied
1 Driver's seat, front-passenger seat and
rear seats occupied
2 Driver's seat, front-passenger seat and
rear seats occupied, luggage compart-
ment laden
3 Driver's and front-passenger seats occu-
pied and maximum permissible rear axle
load utilised, e.g. when towing a trailer
X Start the engine.
X Turn the headlamp range control to the
position which corresponds to the load in
your vehicle. Combination switch
Turn signals :
Main-beam headlamps
; Turn signal, right
= Headlamp flasher
? Turn signal, left
X To indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly to the pressure point in the
direction of arrow ; or ?.
The corresponding turn signal flashes three
times.
X To indicate: press
the combination switch
beyond the pressure point in the direction
of arrow ; or ?.
Main-beam headlamps X
To switch on the main-beam head-
lamps: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2 or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to L or Ã.
X Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of
arrow :.
In

the à position, the main-beam head-
lamps are only switched on when it is dark
and the engine is running. Exterior lighting
107
Lights and windscreen wipers Z

The interior lighting is activated for a short
time when the key is removed from the igni-
tion lock. You can activate this delayed
switch-off using the on-board computer
(Y page 223).
Manual interior lighting control
X
To switch the front interior lighting on:
set the switch to the c position.
X To switch off the interior lighting: set the
switch to the | position or (if the door
is closed) to the centre position.
X To switch the rear interior lighting on/
off: press the u button.
X To switch the reading lamps on/off:
press the p button. Crash-responsive emergency lighting
The
interior lighting is activated automatically
if the vehicle is involved in an accident.
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 113). 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. 112
Replacing bulbs
Lights and windscreen wipers