2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS Owners Manual

Vehicles without adjustable head
restraints:
X
Top Tether belt with one belt strap: route
Top Tether belt = centrally over head
restraint .
or
X Top Tether belt with two belt straps:
route Top Tether belts = on the left and
right past the side of head restraint .
X Hook Top Tether hook ;
of Top Tether belt
= into Top Tether anchorage :.
Ensure that:
R Top Tether hook ; is hooked into Top
Tether anchorage : as shown.
R Top Tether belt = is not twisted.
R Top Tether belt = is routed between rear
seat backrest and luggage compartment
cover if luggage compartment cover is
fitted.
X Vehicles with adjustable head
restraints: move the head restraint back
down slightly again if necessary
(Y page 96). Make sure that you do not
interfere with the correct routing of Top
Tether belt =.
X Fit the ISOFIX child restraint system with
Top Tether. Comply with the manufactur-
er's

installation instructions when doing so.
Make sure that Top Tether belt = is tight. Children in the vehicle
55
Safety Z

Problems with automatic child seat recognition
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsThe 45 indica-
tor lamp on the centre
console is lit. A special Mercedes-Benz child restraint system with a trans-
ponder
for automatic child seat recognition has been fitted to the
front-passenger seat. The front-passenger front airbag has there-
fore been disabled as desired. G
WARNING
There is no child restraint system fitted to the front-passenger
seat. Automatic child seat recognition is malfunctioning.
It

is also possible that the 6 SRS warning lamp lights up and/
or the 45 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp does
not light up briefly when you switch the ignition on.
There is a risk of injury.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat,
e.g.:
R
Laptop
R Mobile phone
R Cards

with transponders, such as ski passes or access cards
If the 45 indicator lamp remains lit:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Suitable positioning of the child restraint systems
Key to the letters used in the table:
X Seat which is unsuitable for children in this weight category.
U Suitable for child restraint systems in the "Universal" category that are approved for use
in this weight category.
UF Suitable for forward-facing child restraint systems that belong to the "Universal" category and are approved for use in this weight category.
L Suitable for child restraint systems as recommended, see the following table of "Recom- mended child restraint systems" ( Y page 58).56
Children in the vehicle
Safety

Seat positions
Weight catego-
ries Front-passenger seat
Rear seat
1 Front-
passenger
front airbag is
not disabled Front-
passenger
front airbag is
disabled Left, right Centre
Category 0: up
to 10 kg
X
U
2, 3
, L2, 3 U, L U, L
Category 0+:
up to 13 kg
X
U
2, 3
, L2, 3 U, L U, L
Category I: 9
to
18 kg UF
3
, L 3 U
3
, L 3 U, L U, L
Category II: 15
to 25 kg
UF
3
, L 3 U
3
, L 3 U, L U, L
Category III:
22 to 36 kg
UF
3
, L 3 U
3
, L 3 U, L U, L
"Universal"
category child restraint systems can be recognised by their orange approval label.
Example: approval label on the child restraint system
1
If you use a category 0 or 0+ baby car seat on a rear seat, you must adjust the driver's or front-passenger
seat so that the seat does not come in contact with the baby car seat.
2 Vehicles with automatic child seat recognition in the front-passenger seat: a child restraint system of the
"Universal" category with a transponder for automatic child seat recognition must be fitted. The 45
indicator lamp must be on.
3 Move the front-passenger seat to the rearmost and highest position, the backrest to an almost vertical
position,

and the belt height adjustment to the lowest position. For seats with electrical adjustment, the seat
cushion angle must be set to the highest and most upright position. Children in the vehicle
57
Safety Z

Key to the letters used in the table:
X ISOFIX position that is not suitable for ISOFIX child restraint systems in this weight cat-
egory and/or size category.
IUF Suitable for forward-facing ISOFIX child restraint systems that belong to the "Universal" category which are approved for use in this weight category.
IL Suitable for ISOFIX child restraint systems as recommended; see the following table of "Recommended child restraint systems" (Y page 58).
Suitability of the rear seats for attaching ISOFIX child restraint systems Weight categories Size category Equipment Rear seat, left and
right
Carry-cot
F ISO/L1 X
G ISO/L2 X
0: up to 10 kg
up to approximately
6 months
E ISO/R1 IL
0+: up to 13 kg
up to approximately
15 months
E ISO/R1 IL
D ISO/R2 IL
C ISO/R3 IL
I: 9 to 18 kg
between approx-
imately 9 months and
4 years
D ISO/R2
IL
4, 5 C
ISO/R3 IL
B ISO/F2
IUF
4, 5 B1 ISO/F2X IUF
A ISO/F3 IUF
Recommended child restraint systems
When installing a child restraint system without a transponder for automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat:
X
Move the front-passenger seat to its rearmost position.
4 Vehicles with the Style or Urban package or with front seats with 4-point or 6-point anchorages: move the
front seat to the uppermost position.
5 Vehicles that have front seats with 2-point anchorages: move the front seat to the uppermost position.58
Children in the vehicle
Safety

Weight catego-
ries Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order num-
ber
(A 000 ...)
6 Automatic
child seat
recognition
Category 0: up
to 10 kg
up to approx-
imately
6 months
Britax
Römer BABY
SAFE
PLUS 03 301146
04 301146 970 10 00 Yes
Group 0+: up
to 13 kg
up to approx-
imately
15 months
Britax
Römer BABY
SAFE
PLUS 03 301146
04 301146 970 10 00 Yes
Category I: 9
to
18 kg
between
approximately
9 months and
4 years Britax
Römer DUO
PLUS 03 301133
04 301133 970 11 00 Yes
970 16 00 No
Group II/III: 15
to 36 kg
between
approximately
4and 12 years
Britax
Römer KIDFIX 04 301198 970 18 00 Yes
970 19 00 No
Suggested "Universal"/"Semi-Universal" category ISOFIX child restraint systems:
Weight
catego-
ries Size cate-
gory Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order
number
6 Auto-
matic
child

seat
recogni-
tion Carry-cot
F – – – – –
G – – – – –
Group 0:
up to
10 kg
E – – – – –
Group 0+:
up to
13 kg
E Britax
Römer BABY SAFE
ISOFIX
PLUS 04 301146 B6 6 86
8224 NoChildren in the vehicle
59
Safety Z

Weight
catego-
ries Size cate-
gory Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order
number
6 Auto-
matic
child
seat
recogni-
tion D – – – – –
C – – – – –
Group I:
9to 18 kg
D – – – – –
C – – – – –
B – – – – –
B1 Britax
Römer DUO PLUS 04 301133 A000 970
11 00 Yes
A000 970
16 00 No
A – – – – –
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors and the override switch for the rear
windows when children are travelling in the
vehicle. Otherwise, the children could open
doors or side windows while the vehicle is in
motion and injure themselves or others. G
WARNING
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. They could injure them-
selves

on parts of the vehicle. They could also
be seriously or even fatally injured by pro-
longed exposure to extreme heat or cold.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. Parts of the child restraint sys-
tem could heat up and the child could burn
herself/himself on them. If a child opens a door, the child or other per-
sons could be injured as a result. They could
get

out and injure themselves or be injured by
a passing vehicle.
Observe the general notes on the HOLD func-
tion, which can be found under the same key-
word.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors You can secure each door individually with
the

child-proof locks on the rear doors. A door
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
6 Colour code 9H95.60
Children in the vehicle
Safety

opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside.
X
To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To activate/deactivate: press button :.
If indicator lamp is lit, operation of the rear
side windows is disabled. Operation is only
possible using the switches in the driver's
door. If the indicator lamp is off, operation
is possible using the switches in the rear
compartment. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In
this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
(Y page 61)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) ( Y page 62)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (adaptive
Brake Assist and distance warning func-
tion) (Y page 62)
R Adaptive brake lamps ( Y page 65)R
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
(Y page 65)
R EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 69)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE

(Y page 69)
R STEER CONTROL ( Y page 69) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are

inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. Driving safety sys-
tems are merely aids designed to assist driv-
ing. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for
braking in good time. Always adapt your driv-
ing style to suit the prevailing road, weather
and traffic conditions and maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front. Drive care-
fully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tyres and
the road surface. Pay particular attention
to the information regarding tyres, recom-
mended minimum tyre tread depths etc. in
the "Wheels and tyres" section
(Y page 318).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe
the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems
(Y page 61). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac- Driving safety systems
61
Safety
Z

teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated.
There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp ( Y page 258) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 230).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
Braking X
If ABS intervenes:
continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving. BAS (Brake Assist)
i Observe

the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions.

If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST consists of
the adaptive Brake Assist and the distance
warning signal, which are described in the
following.
Distance warning function
Important safety notes
i
Observe

the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems
(Y page 61). G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always

pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. 62
Driving safety systems
Safety