2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS child restraint

Notes/function
.............................. 198
Trailer towing ................................. 199
Bonnet
Active
bonnet (pedestrian protec-
tion) ............................................... 284
Closing ........................................... 286
Display message ............................ 254
Important safety notes .................. 284
Opening ......................................... 285
Boot
see Tailgate
Boot load (maximum) ........................ 346
Brake Assist System see BAS (Brake Assist System)
Brake fluid
Display message ............................ 236
Notes ............................................. 344
Brake lamps
Adaptive ........................................... 65
Changing bulbs .............................. 116
Display message ............................ 240
Brakes
ABS .................................................. 61
Adaptive Brake Assist ......................64
BAS .................................................. 62
Brake fluid (notes) .........................344
Display message ............................ 230
Driving tips .................................... 166
Important safety notes .................. 166
Parking brake ................................ 163
Warning lamp ................................. 258
Breakdown
see Flat tyre
see Towing away/tow-starting
Bulbs
see Replacing bulbs C
Calling up a fault see Display messages


Car
see Vehicle
Care
Automatic car wash ....................... 291
Carpets .......................................... 296
Display ........................................... 295
Exhaust pipe .................................. 294Exterior lighting
............................. 293
Gear or selector lever ....................295
High-pressure cleaner ....................

291
Interior ........................................... 295
Matt paintwork .............................. 292
Notes ............................................. 290
Paint .............................................. 292
Plastic trim .................................... 295
Reversing camera ..........................294
Roof lining ...................................... 296
Seat belt ........................................ 296
Seat cover ..................................... 296
Sensors ......................................... 294
Steering wheel ............................... 295
Trim pieces .................................... 295
Washing by hand ........................... 291
Wheels ........................................... 292
Windows ........................................ 293
Wiper blades .................................. 293
Wooden trim .................................. 295
Car wash (care) ................................. 291
Central locking Automatic locking (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 223
Locking/unlocking (key) ..................75
Centre console
Lower section .................................. 35
Upper section .................................. 34
Changing bulbs
Brake lamps ................................... 116
Cornering light function .................115
Dipped-beam headlamps ............... 114
Main-beam headlamps ................... 114
Rear foglamp ................................. 116
Reversing lamps ............................ 116
Tail lamps ...................................... 116
Turn signals (front) ......................... 115
Turn signals (rear) .......................... 116
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes .................... 60
Rear doors ....................................... 60
Children
In the vehicle ................................... 50
Restraint systems ............................ 50
Child seat
Automatic recognition ..................... 52
ISOFIX .............................................. 53
On the front-passenger seat ............516
Index

S
Safety Children in the vehicle .....................50
Child restraint systems ....................50
Safety system
see Driving safety system

Seat
Adjusting (Performance Seat) ..........97
Folding the backrest (rear com-
partment) forwards/back ..............272
Seat belt
Adjusting the driver's and front-
passenger seat belt .........................47
Adjusting the height ......................... 48
Belt force limiter .............................. 49
Belt tensioner .................................. 49
Cleaning ......................................... 296
Display message ............................ 237
Fastening ......................................... 47
Important safety guidelines .............46
Rear seat belt status indicator ......... 49
Releasing ......................................... 48
Switching belt adjustment on/off
(on-board computer) ...................... 225
Warning lamp ................................. 257
Warning lamp (function) ................... 48
Seats
Adjusting (electrically) .....................94
Adjusting (manually) ........................94
Adjusting the 4-way lumbar sup-
port .................................................. 96
Adjusting the head restraint ............ 94
Cleaning the cover ......................... 296
Correct driver's seat position ........... 92
Important safety notes .................... 93
Seat heating problem ...................... 97
Storing settings (memory function) 101
Switching seat heating on/off ......... 96
Sensors (cleaning instructions) .......294
Service see ASSYST PLUS
Service Centre
see Qualified specialist workshop
Service menu (on-board computer) . 219
Service products Brake fluid ..................................... 344
Coolant (engine) ............................ 344Engine oil .......................................
343
Fuel ................................................ 339
Important safety notes .................. 338
Washer fluid ................................... 345
Service report
see Qualified specialist workshop
Settings
Factory (on-board computer) ......... 225
On-board computer ....................... 220
Setting the air distribution ...............129
Setting the airflow ............................ 129
SETUP (on-board computer) ............. 226
Shifting to neutral (manual trans-
mission) ............................................. 151
Sidebag ................................................ 44
Side lamps Switching on/off ........................... 106
Side windows
Convenience closing ........................ 85
Convenience opening ...................... 85
Important safety notes .................... 83
Opening/closing .............................. 84
Problem (malfunction) .....................86
resetting .......................................... 85
Sliding sunroof
see Panorama sliding sunroof
Snow chains ...................................... 321
Socket Centre console .............................. 279
Luggage compartment ................... 279
Points to observe before use ......... 278
Rear compartment ......................... 279
Specialist workshop ............................ 24
Spectacles compartment .................269
Speed, controlling see Cruise control
Speed Limit Assist
Activating/deactivating the warn-
ing function .................................... 218
Displaying ...................................... 218
Display message ............................ 246
Display message in the multifunc-
tion display .................................... 197
Function/notes ............................. 196
Important safety notes .................. 19616
Index

nor do they provide an indication of airbag
deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly,
e.g.
the bonnet or the wing, without an airbag
being deployed. This is the case if only parts
which are relatively easily deformed are affec-
ted and the rate of deceleration is not high.
Conversely, airbags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor defor-
mation. This is the case if, for example, very
rigid vehicle parts such as longitudinal body
members are hit, and sufficient deceleration
occurs as a result.
i The front belt tensioners can only be trig-
gered if the seat belt tongues on the front
seats are correctly engaged in the seat belt
buckles.
i Not all airbags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The different airbag systems work
independently of each other.
How the airbag system works is deter-
mined by predicting the severity of the acci-
dent, especially vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, and the type of accident:
R head-on collision
R side impact
R overturn Airbags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts.
Observe

the following notes to reduce the risk
of serious or even fatal injury caused by airbag
deployment:
R all vehicle occupants – in particular, preg-
nant women – must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back against
the backrest, which should be positioned
as close to the vertical as possible. The head restraint must support the back of the
head at about eye level.
R always secure children less than
1.50

m tall or under 12 years of age in suit-
able child restraint systems.
R all vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the airbag
as possible. The driver's seat position must
allow the vehicle to be driven safely. The
driver's chest should be as far away from
the centre of the driver's airbag cover as
possible.
R move the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible. This is especially important if
you have secured a child in a child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
R vehicle occupants – in particular, children
– must not lean their head into the area of
the window in which the sidebag/window-
bag is deployed.
R rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger airbag has
been disabled. On the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger airbag is disabled
if a child restraint system with a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
is fitted to the front-passenger seat in a
vehicle equipped with automatic child seat
recognition. The 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp must be continuously
lit.
If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle
does not have automatic child seat recog-
nition, or your rearward-facing child
restraint system does not have a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recogni-
tion, children must be secured in a child
restraint system on a suitable seat in the
rear. If you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible.
R make sure there are no heavy or sharp-
edged objects in the pockets of clothing.42
Occupant safety
Safety

Driver's airbag
: deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air-
bag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
The front airbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R depending on whether the seat belt is being
used
R independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle
If the vehicle overturns, the front airbags are
generally not deployed.
Vehicles with automatic child seat recog-
nition in the front-passenger seat: front-
passenger airbag ; is only activated if the
system determines that the front-passenger
seat is occupied. The 4 PASSENGER AIR-
BAG OFF indicator lamp on the centre con-
sole does not light up (Y page 52). If a child restraint system is fitted to the front-
passenger

seat and the PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF 4 indicator lamp on the centre con-
sole is not on:
R a child restraint system without a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
has been fitted or
R a child restraint system with a transponder
has been fitted incorrectly
Driver's kneebag Driver's kneebag
:
deploys under the steer-
ing column. The driver's kneebag is triggered
together with the front airbag. The driver's
kneebag is designed to operate together with
the front airbag in frontal impacts if certain
thresholds are exceeded. The driver's knee-
bag operates best in conjunction with cor-
rectly positioned and fastened seat belts.
Driver's kneebag : increases the driver's
protection against:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries
Sidebags G
WARNING
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that, for safety reasons, you
only

use seat covers that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The seat covers must have a special tear seam
for sidebags. Otherwise, the sidebags cannot 44
Occupant safety
Safety

PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R when BAS activates, e.g. in emergency
braking situations
R when adaptive Brake Assist intervenes
powerfully on vehicles with DISTRONIC
PLUS
R in
critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R vehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an
unfavourable position.
R if the vehicle skids, the panorama sliding
sunroof and the side windows are closed so
that only a small gap remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. All settings made by
PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or seat back slightly, but
only when the vehicle is stationary.
The belt pretensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released.
More information about seat belt adjustment,
a convenience function integrated into PRE-
SAFE

(Y page 47). Seat belts
Important safety notes G
WARNING
A seat belt which is not worn correctly, or
which has not been engaged in the seat belt
buckle

correctly, cannot provide the intended
level of protection. Under certain circumstan- ces, this could cause severe or even fatal inju-
ries in the event of an accident.
Therefore, make sure that all occupants — in
particular,

pregnant women — wear their seat
belts correctly at all times.
R The seat belt must fit snugly on your body
and must not be twisted.Therefore, avoid
wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter coat.
The shoulder section of the belt must be
routed across the centre of your shoulder
— on no account across your neck or under
your arm — and pulled tight against your
upper body. The lap belt must always pass
across your lap as low down as possible, i.e.
over your hip joints — not across your abdo-
men. If necessary, push the seat belt
slightly downwards and adjust it by pulling
it in the direction the seat belt retracts.
R Do not route the seat belt strap over sharp
or fragile objects. Please make sure that
such objects are not on or in your clothing,
e.g. spectacles, pens or keys etc. The seat
belt strap could become damaged and tear
during an accident and you or other vehicle
occupants could be injured.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sitting on the lap of another occupant. The
child will not be secured in the event of an
accident, heavy braking or sudden change
of direction. This may result in the child or
other occupants being seriously or fatally
injured.
R Persons under 1.50 m tall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
persons less than 1.50 m tall in specially
designed, suitable restraint systems.
R Children under 1.50 m tall and younger
than twelve years of age cannot wear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
them in special suitable child restraint sys-
tems installed on a suitable seat. Additional
information can be found in the Operating
Instructions in the chapter "Safety", "Chil-
dren in the Vehicle". Observe the installa-46
Occupant safety
Safety

tion instructions of the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer.
R Do not secure an object with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of
the vehicle's occupants. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection unless the backrest is almost
vertical. Under certain circumstances, this
could
cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
Before starting a journey, make sure that the
seat is properly adjusted and that the back-
rest is almost vertical. G
WARNING
A dirty or damaged seat belt or one that has
been modified or subjected to a load in an
accident

no longer offers the intended level of
protection. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
For this reason, check regularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Always have damaged seat belts or seat belts
that have been subjected to a load in an acci-
dent replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat belts which have
been approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle.
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restraining the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This
reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior. Fastening seat belts
X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position ( Y page 92).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide :.
X Without twisting it, guide the shoulder sec-
tion of the seat belt across the middle of
your shoulder and the lap section across
your pelvis.
X Engage belt tongue ; in buckle =.
Seat
belt adjustment: if necessary, the driv-
er's and front-passenger seat belts auto-
matically adjust to the upper body
(Y page 47).
X If necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height

(Y page 48).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
Information on releasing the seat belt with
release button ?(Y page 48).
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants. Occupant safety
47
Safety Z

ates or accelerates rapidly in a lateral direc-
tion
R in
certain situations where the vehicle over-
turns and the system determines that it can
provide additional protection
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6 SRS warning lamp
lights up.
If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted
by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is
reduced.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags, which
take on a part of the deceleration force. This
results in the load being distributed over a
greater area. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes G
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve

years of age must always be secured
in special child restraint systems on a suit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R Do not drive with a child secured in a rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat. Exception: if the vehi-
cle is equipped with automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
and the child is secured in a child restraint
system with transponders for automatic
child seat recognition R
if you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible.
R children

must never travel sitting on the lap
of another occupant. Due to the forces
which occur in the event of a sudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an
accident, it would not be possible to
restrain the child. The child could be thrown
against parts of the vehicle interior and be
seriously or even fatally injured. G
WARNING
The child restraint system cannot perform its
protective function if it is not correctly fitted
to

a suitable vehicle seat. The child cannot be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. The
child could be seriously or even fatally injured.
For this reason, when fitting a child restraint
system, observe the manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions and the correct use of the
child restraint system.
Child restraint systems should be fitted to the
rear seats. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion. There-
fore, never place objects, e.g. a cushion,
under the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with the orig-
inal cover designed for them. Only replace
damaged covers with genuine Mercedes-Benz
covers.
We recommend the use of child restraint sys-
tems which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. 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. 50
Children in the vehicle
Safety

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. G
WARNING
Unsecured or incorrectly positioned loads
increase the risk of injury for children and all
other occupants in the event of:
R an accident
R sudden braking
R a sudden change of direction
Do

not transport heavy or hard objects in the
vehicle interior unless they are secured. You
will find further information under "Loading
guidelines" in the index.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size, age and weight of
the child. You should preferably fit the
restraint system to a suitable rear seat. Make
sure that the child is secured for the trip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
the listed child restraint systems
(Y page 58). You can obtain further infor-
mation about the correct child restraint sys-
tem from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
You can obtain information about this at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat G
WARNING
If the front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be seri-
ously and even fatally injured by the front-
passenger airbag deploying. This is espe-
cially a risk if the child is in the immediate
vicinity

of the front-passenger airbag when
it deploys.
R never secure a child on the front-passenger
seat in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem. Only secure a rearward-facing child
restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure a child
in a forward-facing child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
R in vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition in the front-passenger seat, if no
special child restraint system with trans-
ponders for automatic child seat recogni-
tion in the front-passenger seat has been
fitted
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat, if the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
4 is not lit.
To make you aware of this danger, a corre-
sponding warning sticker has been affixed on
the dashboard and on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenger side.
Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Children in the vehicle
51
Safety Z