2015 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK steering

Function Page
:
Overhead control panel 38
;
PARKTRONIC warning dis-
play 209
=
Combination switch 122
?
Instrument cluster 30
A
Horn
B
DIRECT SELECT lever 169
C
Steering wheel gearshift
paddles
177 Function Page
D
Light switch 120
E
Opens the bonnet 323
F
Diagnostics connection 24
G
Electric parking brake 185
H
Ignition lock 157
I
Adjusts the steering wheel 112
J
Cruise control lever 192
K
Climate control systems 136Cockpit
29At a glance

Multifunction steering wheel
Function Page
:
Multifunction display 241
;
Audio 20 or COMAND
Online display (see the sep-
arate operating instruc-
tions) Function Page
= ?
Vehicles with Audio 20:
switches on voice-operated
control for navigation (see
manufacturer's operating
instructions) Vehicles with COMAND
Online: switches on LIN-
GUATRONIC (see the sepa-
rate operating instructions)
8
Mute
WX
Adjusts the volume
~
Rejects or ends a call 246
Exits the telephone book/
redial memory 6
Makes or accepts a call
Switches to the redial mem-
ory 32
Multifunction steering wheelAt a glance

Function Page
?
=;
Selects a menu 239
9:
Selects a submenu or
scrolls through lists
239
a
Confirms the selection 239
Hides display messages 257
%
Back 239
Vehicles with Audio 20:
switches off voice-operated
control of the navigation
(see manufacturer's oper-
ating instructions) Vehicles with COMAND
Online: switches off LIN-
GUATRONIC (see the sepa-
rate operating instructions) Multifunction steering wheel
33At a glance

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). Panic alarm
X
To activate: press and hold the
! button :for approx. one second.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the alarm system is primed.
X To deactivate: press the!button :
again.
or
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
or, on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start func-
tion or KEYLESS ‑GO
X Press the Start/Stop button.
The key must be in the vehicle.
The panic alarm function is only available in
certain countries. Occupant safety
Introduction to the restraint system
The restraint system can reduce the risk of
vehicle occupants coming into contact with
parts of the vehicle's interior in the event of
an accident. The restraint system can also
reduce the forces to which vehicle occupants
are subjected during an accident.
The restraint system comprises:
R Seat belt system
R Airbags
R Child restraint system
R Child seat securing systems
The components of the restraint system work
in conjunction with each other. They can only
deploy their protective function if all vehicle
occupants always:
R fasten their seat belts correctly
(Y page 44)
R adjust their seat and head restraint prop-
erly (Y page 107).
As the driver, you also have to make sure that
the steering wheel is adjusted correctly.
Observe the information relating to the cor-
rect driver's seat position (Y page 106).
You also have to make sure that an airbag can inflate properly if deployed (Y page 46).
An airbag supplements a correctly fastened
seat belt. As an additional safety device, the
airbag increases the level of protection for
vehicle occupants in the event of an accident.
For example, if the protection of the seat belt is sufficient in an accident, the airbags are not
deployed. In the event of an accident, only the airbags that increase protection in the rele-
vant accident situation are deployed. How-
ever, seat belts and airbags generally do not
protect against objects penetrating the vehi-
cle from the outside.
Information on the restraint system operation
can be found under "Triggering of belt ten-
sioners and airbags" (Y page 55).40
Occupant safetySafety

light up continuously or flash. A warning tone
may also sound.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone stops as soon as the driver's
and the co-driver's seat belts have been fas-
tened.
i For more information on the
7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" (Y page 292).
Rear seat belt status indicator The seat belts on the left and centre rear
seats, when viewed in the direction of travel,
are not fastened. (Example)
The rear seat belt status indicator is only
available for certain countries.
For approximately 30 seconds, the rear seat
belt status indicator informs you which rear
seat belt is not fastened.
The rear seat belt status indicator appears if:
R you drive off and reach a speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion
R someone gets in or out of the vehicle and
you pull away again
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 257).Airbags
Introduction The installation location of an airbag is iden-
tified by the AIRBAG symbol. An airbag supplements a correctly worn seat
belt. It is not a replacement for the seat belt.
The airbag offers additional protection in
applicable accident situations.
Not all airbags are deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work independ-
ently of each other (Y page 55).
However, no system available today can com- pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to completely rule out a
risk of injury caused by an airbag due to the
speed at which the airbag must be deployed.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you deviate from the correct seat position,
the airbag cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function and can even cause addi-
tional injuries when deployed. There is an
increased risk of serious or even fatal injuries.
In order to avoid such risks, always ensure
that all vehicle occupants:
R fasten their seatbelts correctly, including
pregnant women
R are seated correctly and maintain the fur-
thest possible distance from the airbags
R observe the following notes
Always ensure that there are no objects loca-
ted between the airbag and the vehicle occu-
pant.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the
seat is in an almost upright position. The
centre of the head restraint must support
the head at about eye level.
R Move the driver's and front-passenger
seats as far back as possible. The driver's
seat position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the out-
side. This allows the airbag to be fully
deployed.
R Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against 46
Occupant safetySafety

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

Pets in the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you leave animals unsupervised or unse-
cured in the vehicle, they may push a button
or a switch, for example.
They could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R switch vehicle systems on or off, thus
endangering other road users
In the event of an accident, sudden braking or
abrupt changes of direction, unsecured ani-
mals could be flung around the vehicle, injur-
ing the vehicle occupants. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals correctly during a
journey, e.g. in an animal transport box. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 69)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 70)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(Y page 70)
R Adaptive brake lights (Y page 73)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 73)
R EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 77)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 77)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 77) 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 an accident nor
override the laws of physics. Driving safety
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for maintaining
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for stay-ing in lane. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions and maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there is
adequate contact between the tyres and the
road surface. Please pay special attention to
the notes on tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. (Y page 358).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety systems described in this section work as
effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General notes 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.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h,
regardless of road-surface conditions. ABS
works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition- Driving safety systems
69Safety
Z

Characteristics when ESP
®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R Engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut- ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R Traction control is still activated
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake
firmly with assistance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; it is also
not activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
You can select between the following sta-
tuses of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated
R SPORT handling mode is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated
ESP ®
is activated every time the engine is
switched on, regardless of whether ESP ®
was
deactivated before the engine was switched
off. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents. Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following. 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.
In the following situations, it may be better to activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on specially designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and understeer-
ing characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up. The Driving safety systems
75Safety Z