2015 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK ESP

Warning and indicator lamps
Function Page
:
L
Dipped-beam head-
lamps 121
;
T
Side lamps 121
=
K
Main-beam head-
lamps 122
?
÷
ESP® 297
A
!
Electric parking brake
(red) 300
B
!
Electric parking brake
(yellow) 300
C
·
Distance warning 303
D
#!
Turn signals 122
E
6
Restraint system 41
F
ü
Seat belt 292
G
%
Diesel engine: pre-
glow 160
M
SPORT handling
mode (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) 298 Function Page
H
?
Coolant 301
I
R
Rear foglamp 121
J
N
This lamp has no func-
tion K
;
Engine diagnostics 301
L
h
Tyre pressure monitor 304
M
æ
Reserve fuel 301
N
å
ESP®
OFF 297
O
!
ABS 295
P
J
Brakes 294Instrument cluster
31At a glance

Centre console
Centre console, upper section
Function Page
:
Audio 20/COMAND Online;
see the separate operating
instructions ;
c
Seat heating 111
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
AMG RIDE CONTROL (left
side)
207
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
adjusts the exhaust flap of
the AMG performance
exhaust system (right side) 164
=
c
PARKTRONIC 209 Function Page
?
è
ECO start/stop func-
tion 162
A
£
Hazard warning
lamps 123
B
PASSENGER AIRBAG indi-
cator lamp
41
C
DYNAMIC SELECT button 166
å
Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: ESP ® 75
D
&
Auxiliary heating 14834
Centre consoleAt a glance

Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel. Front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
When deployed, the front airbags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the
occupants in the front seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
inform you about the status of the front-
passenger front airbag (Y page 41).
The front-passenger front airbag will only
deploy if:
R the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system has detected that the
front-passenger seat is occupied
(Y page 49). The PASSENGER AIR BAG
ON indicator lamp is lit (Y page 50)
R the restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Driver's kneebag Driver's kneebag
:deploys under the steer-
ing column. The driver's kneebag is triggered
together with the front airbags.
The driver's kneebag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for the occu-
pant in the driver's seat.
i The driver's kneebag is only available in
certain countries.
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers can obstruct or pre-
vent the deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. Consequently, the airbags can-
not protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. In addition, the function of the automatic front-passenger front airbag deac-
tivation system could be restricted. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal
injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the corresponding seats by Mercedes-Benz. Front sidebags
:and rear sidebags ;
deploy next to the outer bolster of the seat
backrest.
When deployed, the sidebag offers additional thorax protection. It also offers additional pel-
vis protection for occupants in the front
seats. However, it does not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms 48
Occupant safetySafety

restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
Operation of automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation :
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
; PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled or
enabled.
X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice,
or turn the key to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
must light up simultaneously for approx-
imately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag:
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front airbag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
airbag is deployed.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It
will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
If the status of the front-passenger front air-
bag changes while the vehicle is in motion, an
airbag display message appears in the instru-
ment cluster (Y page 270). When the front-
passenger seat is occupied, always pay atten- tion to the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamps. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger
front airbag both before and during the jour-
ney.
If a person sits in the passenger seat, they
must be:
R seated with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with their
back against the seat backrest
R with their feet resting on the floor, if possi-
ble
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system may be influ-
enced, e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushion
The front-passenger front airbag may be dis-
abled by mistake as a result of these or similar actions. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently. The front-passenger front airbag doesnot then deploy during an accident. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is disa-
bled. It will not be deployed in the event of an
accident and cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always make sure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and that the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa- 50
Occupant safetySafety

Move the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible. Always observe the informa-
tion in "Child restraint systems on the front- passenger seat" (Y page 61) and in "Suit-
able positioning of the child restraint sys-
tem" (Y page 62). Alternatively, you can
fit the child restraint system to a suitable
rear seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person with a smaller build (e.g. a teenager
or small adult), either the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON or PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi- cator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the
result of the classification.
- if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp lights up, move the front-passenger seat as far back as possible. Alterna-
tively, a person with a small build can sit
on a rear seat.
- if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person with a smaller build
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person with a build correspond-
ing to that of an adult, the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front airbag
is enabled.
If children are travelling in the vehicle, be sure to observe the notes on "Children in the vehi-
cle" (Y page 57).
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system is malfunctioning, the
red 6 restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster and the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp light up simulta-
neously. The front-passenger front airbag is
disabled in this case and does not deploy dur- ing an accident. Have the system checked as
soon as possible by qualified technicians.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. The
front-passenger seat should only be repaired at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or
the seat cushion is damaged, have the nec-
essary repair work carried out at a Mercedes- Benz Service Centre.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use a child restraint sys-
tem which has been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz in combination with the auto- matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system.
System self-test G
DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front airbag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may notbe used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system checked and repaired immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front airbag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front- passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury. 52
Occupant safetySafety

Problems with automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 52).Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up and
remains lit, even
though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a
person with a build cor-responding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is
false.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the per-
son on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 50).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the
front-passenger seat may not be used.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system checked as soon as possible at a Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
and/or does not stay
on.
The front-passenger
seat is:
R empty
R occupied with a rear-
ward-facing child
restraint system The automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system is
malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat and the child
restraint system.
X Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests
on the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat.
X Make sure that the seat cushion length is fully retracted.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight with the front-
passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check that the child restraint system is installed correctly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight to the
seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/
or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not
install a rearward-facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. It is recommended that you fit the child
restraint system to a suitable rear seat.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system checked as soon as possible at a Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre. 54
Occupant safetySafety

Deployment of belt tensioners and air-
bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
After the airbag deploys, the airbag parts are
hot. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the airbag parts. Have a
deployed airbag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners that have
been deployed are no longer operational and
are unable to perform their intended protec-
tive function. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic belt tensioners
which have been triggered immediately
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the vehicle towed to a qualified specialist
workshop after an accident. Take this into
account, particularly if a seat belt tensioner
was triggered or an airbag was deployed.
An electric motor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to
trigger the tightening of the seat belt in haz-
ardous situations. This procedure is reversi-
ble.
If the belt tensioners are triggered or an air-
bag is deployed, you will hear a bang, and a
small amount of powder may also be
released. The 6restraint system warning
lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your
hearing. In general, the powder released is
not hazardous to health but may cause short- term breathing difficulties to persons suffer-
ing from asthma or other pulmonary condi-
tions. Provided it is safe to do so, you should
leave the vehicle immediately or open the
window in order to prevent breathing difficul- ties. Operation During the first stage of a collision, the
restraint system control unit evaluates impor-
tant physical data relating to vehicle deceler-
ation or acceleration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the seat
belt tensioners in the event of a head-on or
rear collision.
A seat belt tensioner can only be triggered if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further informa-
tion under: "Restraint system warning
lamp" (Y page 41)
R the belt tongue has engaged in the belt
buckle of the respective front seat
The seat belt tensioners in the rear compart-
ment are triggered independently of the lock
status of the seat belts.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
high severity accident, in certain head-on col- lisions, additional components of the
restraint system are deployed independently
of each other:
R front airbags and driver's kneebag
R windowbag, if the system determines that
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
On vehicles with the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system:
depending on the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front air- bag is either disabled or enabled. The front-
passenger front airbag can only be deployed
in an accident if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON
indicator lamp is lit. Observe the information
on the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps
(Y page 41).
Your vehicle has two-stage front airbags. In
the first deployment stage, the front airbag is Occupant safety
55Safety Z

filled with propellant gas to reduce the risk of
injuries. The front airbag is fully deployed if
the second deployment stage is activated
within a few milliseconds.
The activation threshold for the seat belt ten-
sioners and airbags is determined based on
the evaluation of the vehicle's rate of decel-
eration or acceleration at various points in the vehicle. This process is pre-emptive in nature.The triggering/deployment process should
take place in good time at the start of the
collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen- tially determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of airbag
deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly
without an airbag being deployed. This is the
case if only parts which are relatively easily
deformed are affected and the rate of decel-
eration is not high. Conversely, an airbag may
be deployed even though the vehicle suffers
only minor deformation. This is the case if, for example, very rigid vehicle parts such as lon-
gitudinal body members are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
side impact, the applicable components of
the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other.
R Sidebags on the side on which an impact
occurs, independent from the seat belt ten-
sioner and seat belt usage
Vehicles with the automatic front-
passenger airbag deactivation system: the sidebag on the front-passenger side
deploys under the following conditions:
- an occupant is detected on the front-
passenger seat or
- the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Windowbag on the side on which an impact
occurs, independent of seat belt usage and
regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R Seat belt tensioners, if the system deter-
mines that deployment can offer additional
protection for the vehicle occupants in this situation
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 the severity of the accident detec- ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
R frontal collision
R side impact PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection)
Introduction In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the
vehicle occupants.
Important safety notes !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a risk that the seats and/or the objects could be
damaged when PRE-SAFE ®
is activated.
Although your vehicle is equipped with PRE-
SAFE ®
, the possibility of injury in the event of
an accident cannot be ruled out. Always
adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions and maintain a 56
Occupant safetySafety