2012 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS clock

You can only open the rear doors from inside
the vehicle if they are not secured by the
child-proof locks (Y page 60).
If
the vehicle has been locked using the lock-
ing button for the central locking, or has been
locked automatically, and a door is opened
from the inside:
R the vehicle will be fully unlocked if it had
previously been fully unlocked
R only the door which has been opened form
the inside is unlocked if only the driver's
door had been previously unlocked Automatic locking feature
X
To deactivate: press and hold button :
for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
X To activate: press and hold button ; for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
i If you press one of the two buttons and
do

not hear a tone, the relevant setting has
already been selected.
The vehicle is locked automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are
turning.
You could therefore be locked out if:
R the vehicle is being pushed.
R the vehicle is being towed.
R the vehicle is being tested on a dynamom-
eter.
You can also switch the automatic locking
function on and off using the on-board com-
puter ( Y page 223). Unlocking the driver's door (emer-
gency key element)
If

the vehicle can no longer be unlocked with
the key, use the emergency key element.
If you use the emergency key element to
unlock and open the driver's door, the anti-
theft alarm system will be triggered
(Y page 69).
X Take the emergency key element out of the
key ( Y page 75).
X Insert the emergency key element into the
lock

of the driver's door as far as it will go. X
Turn the emergency key element anti-
clockwise to position 1.
The door is unlocked.
i On right-hand-drive vehicles, turn the
emergency key element clockwise.
X Turn the emergency key element back and
remove it.
X Insert the emergency key element into the
key. Locking the vehicle (emergency key
element)
If

the vehicle can no longer be locked with the
key, use the emergency key element.
X Open the driver's door.
X Close the front-passenger door, the rear
doors and the tailgate.
X Press the locking button (Y page 80).
X Check whether the locking knobs on the
front-passenger door and the rear doors Doors
81
Opening and closing Z

are still visible. Press down the locking
knobs manually, if necessary
(Y page 80).
X Close the driver's door.
X Take the emergency key element out of the
key ( Y page 75).
X Insert the emergency key element into the
lock

of the driver's door as far as it will go. X
Turn the emergency key element clockwise
as far as it will go to position 1.
i On right-hand-drive vehicles, turn the
emergency key element anti-clockwise.
X Turn the emergency key element back and
remove it.
X Make sure that the doors and the tailgate
are locked.
X Insert the emergency key element into the
key.
i If
you lock the vehicle as described above,
the fuel filler flap is not locked. The anti-
theft alarm system is not primed. Luggage compartment
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases
such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate
is open when the engine is running, particu-
larly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust fumes
could enter the passenger compartment.
There is a risk of poisoning. Turn off the engine before opening the tail-
gate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
G
WARNING
If persons (particularly children) are exposed
to heat or cold for a prolonged period, there
is

a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Never
leave persons (particularly children) unatten-
ded in the vehicle.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i The opening dimensions of the tailgate
can be found in the "Vehicle data" section
(Y page 346).
You should preferably place luggage or loads
in the luggage compartment. Observe the
loading guidelines ( Y page 268).
Do not leave the key in the luggage compart-
ment. You could otherwise lock yourself out.
The tailgate can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R unlocked from the inside with the emer-
gency key element Opening/closing from the outside
Opening X
Press the % button on the key. X
Pull handle :.
X Raise the tailgate.82
Luggage compartment
Opening and closing

Closing
X
Pull the tailgate down using handle :.
X Let the tailgate to drop into the lock.
X If necessary, lock the vehicle with the
& button on the key. Tailgate emergency release
If the tailgate can no longer be opened from
outside the vehicle, use the emergency
release on the inside of the tailgate.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that
there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i The opening dimensions of the tailgate
can be found in the "Vehicle data" section
(Y page 346).
You can reach the emergency release via the
luggage compartment. Fold the rear backr-
ests forward ( Y page 272).
X Take the emergency key element out of the
key ( Y page 75). X
Insert emergency key element ; into the
opening in trim :.
X Turn emergency key element ;
90° clock-
wise.
X Push emergency key element ; in the
direction of the arrow and open the tail-
gate. Side windows
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
in the closing area could become trapped.
There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure. If
somebody becomes trapped, release the
switch or press the switch to open the side
window again. G
WARNING
If children operate the side windows they
could
become trapped, particularly if they are
left unsupervised. There is a risk of injury.
Activate the override feature for the rear side
windows. When leaving the vehicle, always
take the key with you and lock the vehicle.
Never leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle. Side windows
83
Opening and closing 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). Exterior lighting
General notes
For
reasons of safety, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you drive with the lights switched
on even during the daytime. In some coun-
tries, operation of the headlamps varies due
to legal requirements and self-imposed obli-
gations. Driving abroad
General notes If your journey takes you to countries where
vehicles

are driven on the opposite side of the
road to the country in which the vehicle is
registered, your headlamps must be switched
to symmetrical dipped beam as soon as pos-
sible after crossing the border. This prevents
oncoming traffic from being dazzled. Sym-
metrical lights do not illuminate as large an
area of the edge of the carriageway.
Vehicles with halogen headlamps X
Affix special masking sheets on the head-
lamps.
i You can obtain these special stickers
from a qualified specialist workshop.
! Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use genuine Mercedes-Benz masking tape. Your headlamps could otherwise be
damaged.
Remove the masking tape when you are
once again driving on the same side of the
road

as in the country in which your vehicle
is registered.
Vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps X
Turn protective cap : anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Push switchover lever ; down.
X Insert protective cap : and turn it clock-
wise.
Convert the headlamps back to asymmetrical
dipped
beam as soon as possible after return-
ing across the border.
Vehicles with Intelligent Light System X
Before crossing the border, set the head-
lamps to symmetrical dipped beam and
after returning back to asymmetrical
dipped beam via the "Dipped-beam head-
lamps

for driving on the right/left" function
in the on-board computer (Y page 221).
If the headlamps are converted to symmetri-
cal dipped beam, the "motorway mode" and
"extended

range foglamps" functions are not
available. 104
Exterior lighting
Lights and windscreen wipers

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

Right-hand side trim panel
X
To open: turn release knob : 90° in the
direction
of the arrow and remove side trim
panel ;.
X To close:
insert side trim panel ; and turn
release knob : 90° in the opposite direc-
tion to the arrow.
Tail lamps X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the luggage compartment.
X Open the side trim panel ( Y page 115).X
Release and remove connector ;.
X Unscrew wing nut :
and remove the lamp
cluster. Lamp cluster
X
Remove plastic nut ? using a suitable
item, e.g. a coin.
X Release attachments =.
X Remove the bulb holder from the lamp clus-
ter. Bulb holder
A
Tail lamp/brake lamp
B Reversing lamp
C Rear foglamp
D Tail lamp
E Turn signals
X Tail lamp/brake lamp/rear foglamp/
reversing lamp: remove the correspond-
ing bulb from the bulb holder.
X Insert the new bulb into the bulb holder.
X Turn signal lamp: lightly press the bulb
into the bulb holder, turn it anti-clockwise
and remove it from the bulb holder. 116
Replacing bulbs
Lights and windscreen wipers

X
Insert the new bulb into the bulb holder and
turn it clockwise.
X Secure the bulb holder to attachments =
on the lamp cluster and tighten plastic
nuts ?. X
Insert the lamp cluster into the vehicle and
make sure that it sits correctly in guides
F.
X Tighten wing nut ; and re-establish con-
tact with connector :.
X Close the side trim panel ( Y page 115).Windscreen wipers
Switching the windscreen wipers on/
off
! Do not operate the windscreen wipers
when the windscreen is dry, as this could
damage the wiper blades. Moreover, dust
that has collected on the windscreen can
scratch
the glass if wiping takes place when
the windscreen is dry.
If it is necessary to switch on the wind-
screen wipers in dry weather conditions,
always operate them using washer fluid.
! If the windscreen wipers leave smears on
the windscreen after the vehicle has been
washed in an automatic car wash, this may
be due to wax or other residue. Clean the
windscreen with washer fluid after an auto-
matic car wash. Combination switch
1
$ Windscreen wipers off
2 Ä Intermittent wipe, low (rain sensor
set to low sensitivity)
3 Å
Intermittent wipe, high (rain sensor
set to high sensitivity)
4 ° Continuous wipe, slow
5 ¯ Continuous wipe, fast
B í
Single wipe/ î to wipe the wind-
screen using washer fluid
X Turn the key to position 1
or 2 in the ignition
lock.
X Turn the combination switch to the corre-
sponding position.
! Vehicles with a rain sensor: if the wind-
screen becomes dirty in dry weather con-
ditions,

the windscreen wipers may be acti-
vated inadvertently. This could damage the
windscreen wiper blades or scratch the
windscreen.
For this reason, you should always switch
off the windscreen wipers in dry weather.
Vehicles with a rain sensor: in the Ä or
Å position, the appropriate wiping fre-
quency is automatically set according to the
intensity of the rain. In the Å position, the
rain sensor is more sensitive than in
the Ä position, causing the windscreen
wipers to wipe more frequently.
If the wiper blades are worn, the windscreen
will no longer be wiped properly. This could
prevent you from observing the traffic condi-
tions. Replace the wiper blades twice a year,
ideally in spring and autumn. Windscreen wipers
117Lights and windscreen wipers Z