2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS warning lights

Dipped-beam headlamps (halogen
headlamps)
G
WARNING
These bulbs are pressurised.
They can explode when being changed if:
R they are still hot
R they hit an object when being removed
R they are dropped
There is a risk of injury.
You should wear eye protection and clean
gloves when you are changing a bulb. If nec-
essary,
have bulbs changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. X
Remove the cover in the front wheel arch
(Y page 113).
X Turn housing cover : anti-clockwise and
pull it out.
X Turn bulb holder ;
anti-clockwise and pull
it out.
X Take the bulb out of bulb holder ;.
X Insert the new bulb into bulb holder ;.
X Insert bulb holder ;
into the lamp and turn
it clockwise.
X Align housing cover : and turn it clock-
wise until it engages.
X Replace the cover in the front wheel arch
(Y page 113). Main-beam headlamps and side lamps/
parking lamps (vehicles with halogen
headlamps) G
WARNING
These bulbs are pressurised.
They can explode when being changed if:
R they are still hot
R they hit an object when being removed
R they are dropped
There is a risk of injury.
You should wear eye protection and clean
gloves when you are changing a bulb. If nec-
essary,

have bulbs changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the bonnet.
X Turn housing cover : anti-clockwise and
pull it out.
X Turn bulb ;
anti-clockwise and pull it out.
X Insert the new bulb and engage it to the
stop.
X Align housing cover : and turn it clock-
wise until it engages.114
Replacing bulbs
Lights and windscreen wipers

Turn signal lamp (halogen headlamps)
X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the bonnet.
X Turn bulb holder : anti-clockwise and pull
it out.
X Take the bulb out of bulb holder :.
X Insert the new bulb into bulb holder :.
X Insert bulb holder : and turn it clockwise
until it engages.
Cornering lamps (Intelligent Light Sys-
tem) G
WARNING
These bulbs are pressurised.
They can explode when being changed if:
R they are still hot
R they hit an object when being removed
R they are dropped
There is a risk of injury.
You should wear eye protection and clean
gloves when you are changing a bulb. If nec-
essary,

have bulbs changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the bonnet.
X Turn housing cover : anti-clockwise and
pull it out.
X Turn bulb holder ;
anti-clockwise and pull
it out.
X Take the bulb out of bulb holder ;.
X Insert the new bulb into bulb holder ;.
X Insert bulb holder ;
into the lamp and turn
it clockwise.
X Align housing cover : and turn it clock-
wise until it engages. Replacing the rear bulbs
Opening and closing the side trim pan-
els You must open the side trim panel in the lug-
gage compartment before you can replace
the bulbs in the tail lamps.
Left-hand side trim panel Replacing bulbs
115
Lights and windscreen wipers Z

Switching the rear window wiper on/
off
Combination switch
:
è Switch
2 ô To wipe with washer fluid
3 I To switch on intermittent wiping
4 0 To switch off intermittent wiping
5 ô To wipe with washer fluid
X Turn the key to position 1 or 2 in the ignition
lock.
X Turn switch : on the combination switch
to the corresponding position.
When

the rear window wiper is switched on,
the icon appears in the instrument cluster. Replacing the wiper blades
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the windscreen wipers begin to move while
you
are changing the wiper blades, you can be
trapped by the wiper arm. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windscreen wipers and
ignition before changing the wiper blades.
! To avoid damaging the windscreen wiper
blades, make sure that you touch only the
wiper arm of the windscreen wiper.
! Never open the bonnet/tailgate if a wiper
arm is folded away from the windscreen/
rear window. Never fold a windscreen wiper arm without
a wiper blade back onto the windscreen/
rear window.
Hold

the windscreen wiper arm firmly when
you change the wiper blade. If you release
the wiper arm without a wiper blade and it
falls onto the windscreen/rear window, the
windscreen/rear window may be damaged
by the force of the impact.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the wiper blades changed at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Replacing the windscreen wiper blades Removing the wiper blades
X
Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Fold the wiper arm away from the wind-
screen. X
Press both release clips ;.
X Fold wiper blade : in the direction of
arrow = away from wiper arm ?.
X Remove wiper blade : in the direction of
arrow A.118
Windscreen wipers
Lights and windscreen wipers

Problems with the rear window heating
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsThe rear window heat-
ing has switched off
prematurely or cannot
be activated. The battery has not been sufficiently charged.
X
Switch off any consumers that are not required, e.g. reading
lamps, interior lighting or the seat heating.
When
the battery is sufficiently charged, the rear window heat-
ing can be activated again. Activating/deactivating air-recircula-
tion mode
If you switch on air-recirculation mode, the
windows can mist up more quickly, in partic-
ular at low temperatures. Only use air-recir-
culation

mode briefly to prevent the windows
misting up.
You can deactivate the flow of fresh air if
unpleasant odours are entering the vehicle
from outside. The air already inside the vehi-
cle will then be recirculated.
The operation of air-recirculation mode is the
same for all control panels.
X Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock (Y page 143).
X To activate: press the e button.
The
indicator lamp in the e button lights
up.
i Air-recirculation mode is activated auto-
matically at high outside temperatures.
When air-recirculation mode is activated
automatically, the indicator lamp in the
e button is not lit.
Outside air is added after about
30 minutes.
X To deactivate: press the e button.
The
indicator lamp in the e button goes
out. i
Air-recirculation mode deactivates auto-
matically:
R after approximately five minutes at out-
side temperatures below approximately
5 †.
R after approximately five minutes if the
"Cooling

with air dehumidification" func-
tion is deactivated.
R after approximately 30 minutes at out-
side temperatures above approximately
5 † and when the "Cooling with air dehu-
midification function" is activated. Convenience opening/closing using
the air-recirculation button
G
WARNING
When the convenience closing feature is oper-
ating,
parts of the body could become trapped
in the closing area of the side window and the
sliding sunroof. There is a risk of injury.
Observe the complete closing procedure
when the convenience closing feature is oper-
ating. When closing make sure that no parts
of the body are in the closing area. G
WARNING
During convenience opening parts of the body
could be drawn in or become trapped
between

the side window and window frame.
There is a risk of injury.
When opening, make sure that nobody is
touching the side window. If someone
becomes trapped, press the W switch132
Operating the climate control system
Climate control

cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0 in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission All vehicles (except AMG vehicles)
X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.Selector lever in AMG vehicles
AMG vehicles:
X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Press P button :.
X Turn the key to position 0 in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position R or D, the automatic
transmission shifts to N automatically.
If you then open one of the front doors or
remove the key from the ignition, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to
N before switching off the engine, the auto-
matic transmission remains in N even if a
door is opened. Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they could set the vehicle in motion by,
for example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting an automatic transmission out of
parking position P
R shifting

a manual transmission into neutral
R starting the engine
They could also operate vehicle equipment.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. i
The electric parking brake carries out a
function check at regular intervals when
the engine is switched off. Noises that
occur are normal.
Engaging/releasing manually Engaging
X
Push handle :.
When
the electric parking brake is applied,
the ! red indicator lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the key is removed. Parking
163
Driving and parking Z

Releasing
X
Pull handle :.
The red ! indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i You can only release the electric parking
brake when the key is in position 1 or 2 in
the ignition lock.
Applying automatically The electric parking brake is applied auto-
matically:
R
if DISTRONIC PLUS brings the vehicle to a
standstill (vehicles with automatic trans-
mission) or
R if
the HOLD function is keeping the vehicle
stationary.
In addition, at least one of the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine is switched off
R the driver's door is open and the seat belt
is not fastened
R there is a system malfunction
R the power supply is insufficient
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red ! indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
i The electric parking brake is not automat-
ically applied if the engine is switched off
by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically i
The electric parking brake can only be
released automatically in vehicles with
automatic transmission.
The electric parking brake of your vehicle is
released

automatically when all of the follow-
ing conditions are fulfilled:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position D or R.
R the seat belt is fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal. If the transmission is in position
R,
the tailgate
must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
R the driver's door is closed.
R you have shifted out of transmission posi-
tion P or you have previously driven faster
than 3 km/h.
Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency using the electric parking brake.
X
While driving, push handle :
of the electric
parking brake ( Y page 163).
i The vehicle is braked for as long as han-
dle : of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brake handle : is depressed, the greater
the braking force.
During braking:
R a warning tone sounds
R the Release parking brake message
appears
R the red ! indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster flashes
When

the vehicle has been braked to a stand-
still, the electric parking brake is engaged. Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than

four weeks, the battery may be damaged
by exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehicle may suffer dam-
age as a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop. 164
Parking
Driving and parking

Storing the current speed and calling up
the 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 towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until
the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set 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.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up : or down ? to the pressure
point.
The

last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments:

press the cruise control lever
briefly up : or down ? beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments. i
Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to

the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator

lamp ; in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake.
R you are driving at less than

30 km/h.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R while driving a vehicle with manual trans-
mission, you shift into neutral or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six sec-
onds.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position N while driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise
control off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. 170
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Other vehicles changing lane
DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle
cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance

to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles

or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an

obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are

crossing your lane by mistake. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite
being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away. Driving systems
179
Driving and parking Z