2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS lights

SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you
do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good time. 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
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than continu-
ously.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. SPEED-
TRONIC 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 stay-
ing in the lane.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
General notes You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R
variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 172)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
With

the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC. The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever

indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC

PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;
is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ; in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
selected.
X Make sure that the accelerator pedal is not
depressed beyond the pressure point. Driving systems
171
Driving and parking Z

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 DISTRONIC
PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for

DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 175).
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary. X
To increase: turn control = in direc-
tion ;.
DISTRONIC

PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control = in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC

PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator

lamp ; in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS off message
in

the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
is not deactivated if you depress the accel-
erator pedal. Driving systems
177
Driving and parking Z

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

Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp : lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
Towing a trailer !
Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle

from the bumper, not the ball cou-
pling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer. Driving systems
185
Driving and parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsOnly the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning
displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds,
and the indicator lamp
in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning

displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y page 294).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X
See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Active Parking Assist
Important safety notes Active Parking Assist is only an aid. It is not a
substitute

for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. 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. G
WARNING
The vehicle will veer out when parking and can
take
you onto sections of the oncoming lane.
As a result, you may collide with other road
users. There is a risk of an accident.
When parking, pay attention to other road
users. Stop the vehicle if necessary or cancel
the Active Parking Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as kerbs slowly and not at a sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres.
Active

Parking Assist may also display spaces
not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R parking or stopping prohibitions
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble past the parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 184) warning messages during the
parking procedure. 186
Driving systems
Driving and parking

10 km/h when exiting a parking space.
Otherwise, Active Parking Assist will be
cancelled.
X Stop when PARKTRONIC sounds the con-
tinuous warning tone, if not before.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to first or reverse gear as required
while the vehicle is stationary.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift
to position D or R as required while the
vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction. The Park Assist
active Accelerate and brake
Observe surroundings message appears
in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by wait-
ing

for the steering procedure to complete
before pulling away.
If you reverse after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion.
X Drive forwards or reverse the vehicle, being
ready to brake at all times.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
X Drive forwards and reverse as prompted by
the

PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
Once you have exited the parking space com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and
the Park Assist switched off message
appears

in the multifunction display. You will
then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available. Cancelling Active Parking Assist You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time.
X
Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be cancelled at
once. The Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
centre console

(Y page 185).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately cancelled.
The Park Assist cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Parking Assist is cancelled automati-
cally if:
R you engage the electric parking brake.
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible.
R you are driving faster than 10 km/h.
R a

wheel spins and ESP ®
intervenes or fails.
The ÷ warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking space
symbol disappears and the multifunction dis-
play shows the Park Assist cancelled
message.
When Active Parking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer again yourself.
If a system malfunction occurs, the vehicle is
braked to a standstill. To drive on, depress the
accelerator again.
Towing a trailer For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the min-
imum required length for parking spaces is
slightly increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Active Parking Assist.
Once

the electrical connection is established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available. PARK-
TRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. 190
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Indicator and warning display
Blind
Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 30 km/h. Vehicles in the mon-
itoring range are then not indicated. :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If Blind Spot Assist is switched on, indicator
lamp : in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low up to a speed of

30 km/h. At speeds
above 30 km/h, the indicator lamp goes out
and Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp : on the corre-
sponding side lights up in red. This warning
always occurs when a vehicle enters the blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp : flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones. Activating Blind Spot Assist
X
Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 223) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page

219) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps : in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately
1.5 seconds

and then turn yellow.
Towing a trailer
If
you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. The indicator lamp lights up yel-
low in the exterior mirrors and the Blind
Spot Assist currently unavailable
See Owner's Manual message appears in
the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist if:
R the key is in position 2 in the ignition
lock.
R the engine is not running.
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established.
Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front

of your vehicle by means of a camera at
the top of the windscreen. Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
warns you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally. Driving systems
199
Driving and parking Z

Speed Limit Assist
Displaying Speed Limit Assist
X
Press the = or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Speed Limit Assist.
X Press the a button.
Under certain conditions, detected speed
limits are shown in the multifunction dis-
play

(Y page 196).
Activating/deactivating the Speed Limit
Assist message function
X Press the =
or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Speed Limit Assist.
X Press the a button.
The multifunction display shows Speed
Limit Assist.
X Press the : button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate or deactivate: press a.
If
the Speed Limit Assist message function
is activated, a detected speed limit is auto-
matically displayed for five seconds. Other
items in the multifunction display are not
shown during this time.
When Speed Limit Assist is operational and
the message function is activated, the
assistance graphic shows the Ä sym-
bol.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®i
Observe
the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion in the description of ESP ( Y page 65).G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only

deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
on AMG vehi-
cles ( Y page 66).
For further information about ESP ®
, see
(Y page 65).
X Start the engine.
X Press the =
or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
ESP.
X Press the a button.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the å warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If the ÷
warning lamp and the å warn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 260).
Observe the information on display messages
(Y page 230).
Activating/deactivating the distance
warning function X
Press the =
or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Distance warning.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
When the distance warning function is
deactivated, the æ symbol appears in
the multifunction display in the assistance
graphics display. 218
Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays