2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS brakes

Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents rec-
ommended
and approved by Mercedes-Benz.Care of the exterior
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after the vehicle
has been washed. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
After washing the vehicle, brake carefully
while

paying attention to the traffic conditions
in order to restore full braking efficiency.
! 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
! Make sure that the automatic transmis-
sion is in position N when washing your
vehicle in a tow-through car wash. The vehi-
cle could be damaged if the transmission is
in another position.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and sliding sunroof are
closed completely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed/
airflow control is turned to position 0).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at posi-
tion 0.
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
Wash off excess dirt before cleaning the vehi-
cle in an automatic car wash. After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windscreen and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping

noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at wash bays that are specially
designed for this purpose. Observe the legal
requirements for each individual country.
X
Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with a
gentle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently.
X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
High-pressure cleaning equipment G
WARNING
The water jet of circular-jet nozzles (dirt grind-
ers) can cause damage not visible from the
outside

to tyres or chassis components. Com-
ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edly fail. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have dam-
aged tyres or chassis components replaced
immediately.
! Always maintain a distance of at least
30 cm between the vehicle and the high- Care
291
Maintenance and care Z

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
If wheels and tyres of the wrong size are used,
the wheel brakes or suspension components
may be damaged. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always replace wheels and tyres with those
that fulfil the specifications of the original
part.
When replacing wheels, make sure to fit the
correct:
R designation
R type
When replacing tyres, make sure to fit the
correct:
R designation
R manufacturer
R type G
WARNING
A flat tyre severely impairs the driving, steer-
ing
and braking characteristics of the vehicle.
There is a risk of accident.
Tyres without run-flat characteristics:
R do not drive with a flat tyre.
R immediately replace the flat tyre with your
emergency spare wheel or spare wheel, or
consult a qualified specialist workshop. Tyres with run-flat characteristics:
R
pay attention to the information and warn-
ing notices on MOExtended tyres (tyres
with run-flat characteristics).
Accessories that are not approved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz or that are not
being

used correctly can impair the operating
safety.
Before purchasing and using non-approved
accessories, visit a qualified specialist work-
shop and enquire about:
R suitability
R legal stipulations
R factory recommendations
Information on dimensions and types of
wheels and tyres for your vehicle can be
found ( Y page 329).
Information on air pressure for the tyres on
your vehicle can be found:
R on the tyre pressure label on the fuel filler
flap
R under "Tyre pressure"
Modification work on the brake system and
wheels is not permitted. The use of wheel
spacers or brake dust shields is not permit-
ted. This invalidates the general operating
permit for the vehicle.
i Further information on wheels and tyres
can be obtained at any qualified specialist
workshop. Operation
Information on driving
R Check

the tyre pressures when the vehicle
is heavily laden and, if necessary, adjust.
R While driving, pay attention to vibrations,
noises and unusual handling characteris-
tics, e.g. pulling to one side. This may indi-
cate that the wheels or tyres are damaged.
If you suspect that a tyre is defective,
reduce your speed immediately. Stop the
vehicle as soon as possible to check the318
Operation
Wheels and tyres

After a teach-in period, the tyre pressure
loss warning system will monitor the set
tyre pressures of all four tyres.
or
If you wish to cancel the restart:
X Press the % button.
or
X If the Tyre press. now OK? message
appears, use the 9 or : button to
select Cancel.
X Press the a button.
The tyre pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored. Changing a wheel
Flat tyre
You can find information on what to do in the
event of flat tyre in the "Flat tyre" section
(Y page 300). You will also find information
on driving with MOExtended tyres in the event
of a flat tyre.
Vehicles with an emergency spare
wheel: in the event of a flat tyre, the emer-
gency spare wheel is fitted according to the
description under "Fitting a wheel"
(Y page 325). Interchanging the wheels
G
WARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheels may
severely impair the driving characteristics if
the

wheels or tyres have different dimensions.
The wheel brakes or suspension components
may also be damaged. There is a risk of acci-
dent.
Interchange front and rear wheels only if the
wheels and tyres are of the same dimensions.
Interchanging the front and rear wheels of
differing dimensions can render the general
operating permit invalid. Always pay attention to the instructions and
safety notes when changing a wheel
(Y page 324).
The

wear patterns on the front and rear tyres
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Interchange the wheels before a clear wear
pattern has formed on the tyres. Front tyres
typically wear more on the shoulders and the
rear tyres in the centre.
On vehicles that have the same size front and
rear wheels, you can interchange the wheels
every 5,000km to 10,000 km depending on
the degree of tyre wear. Maintain the direc-
tion of tyre rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel
is interchanged. Check the tyre pressure and,
if necessary, restart the tyre pressure loss
warning system. Direction of rotation
Tyres with a specified direction of rotation
have

additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk
of aquaplaning. You will only gain these ben-
efits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tyre indicates
its correct direction of rotation. Storing wheels
Store
wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the
tyres against oil, grease, petrol and diesel. Cleaning the wheels
G
WARNING
The water jet of circular-jet nozzles (dirt grind-
ers) can cause damage not visible from the
outside

to tyres or chassis components. Com-
ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edly fail. There is a risk of an accident. 324
Changing a wheel
Wheels and tyres

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