2015 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK airbag off

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

safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
R on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS: if adap-
tive Brake Assist intervenes powerfully
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R if the vehicle skids, the side windows and
the panorama sliding sunroof are closed.
R vehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an
unfavourable position.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pre-tensioning. All settings made by
PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
X Move the seat backrest or seat back
slightly when the vehicle is stationary.
Seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and the locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. Infor-
mation about the convenience function can
be found under "Belt adjustment"
(Y page 45). Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures may be implemented, depending
on the type and severity of the impact:
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R the engine is switched off and the fuel sup-
ply is cut off
R vehicles with the Mercedes-Benz emer-
gency call system: automatic emergency
call Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the
vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. The child restraint system must be
appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child.
R be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in this section in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
R always pay attention to the instructions
and safety notes on the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system (Y page 49). Children in the vehicle
57Safety Z

Vehicles with adjustable head restraints:
X If necessary, move the head restraint back
down again slightly (Y page 110). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the cor-
rect routing of Top Tether belt =.Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For
this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat.
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: if it is abso- lutely necessary to fit a child restraint system
to the front-passenger seat, always observe
the information on the "Automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system"
(Y page 49).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
R a child restraint system that is not detected
by the automatic front-passenger front air- bag deactivation system
R the unintentional disabling of the front-
passenger front airbag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board Please observe the warning notice on the
front-passenger sun visor, see the illustra-
tion.
G
WARNING
If you secure a child on the co-driver's seat in a rearward-facing child restraint system and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
lights up, the co-driver's airbag could be
deployed in the event of an accident. The child could be struck by the airbag. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
In this case, always ensure that the co-driver's
airbag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp must light up.
NEVER use a rearward facing child restraint
on a seat protected by an ACTIVE AIRBAG in
front of it; DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the
CHILD can occur.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is ena-
bled (Y page 41).
Vehicles without the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation
system If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle is
not equipped with the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system,
this is indicated by a special sticker. The
sticker is affixed to the side of the dashboard
on the front-passenger side. The sticker is
visible when you open the front-passenger
door. Children in the vehicle
61Safety Z

If you turn the key to position
2in the ignition
lock, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
light up briefly. However, they have no func-
tion and do not indicate that there is an auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system.
Always fit the rearward-facing restraint sys-
tem to a suitable rear seat in this case
(Y page 62).
Observe the following information under
"Rearward-facing child restraint system" and
"Forward-facing child restraint system" as
well as information on the suitable position-
ing of the child restraint system
(Y page 62).
Rearward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to fit a rearward-
facing child restraint system to the front-
passenger seat, always make sure that the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit continuously (Y page 41)is the
front-passenger front airbag disabled.
Always observe the information on suitable
positioning of the child restraint system
(Y page 62) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions.
Forward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to fit a forward-
facing child restraint system to the front-
passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. Fully
retract the seat cushion length. The entire
base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the child
restraint system must, as far as possible, lie
flat against the backrest of the front-
passenger seat. The child restraint system
must not touch the roof or be put under strain
by the head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat backrest and the head restraint position accordingly. Always make sure that the shoul-
der belt strap is correctly routed from the
vehicle belt outlet to the shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint system. The shoulder
belt strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the vehicle belt outlet. If neces-
sary, adjust the vehicle belt outlet and the
front-passenger seat accordingly.
Always observe the information on suitable
positioning of the child restraint system
(Y page 62) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions. Suitable positioning of the child
restraint system
Introduction Only child restraint systems which are
approved in accordance with the ECE stand-
ard ECE R44 are permitted for use in the vehi- cle.
For certain child restraint systems in weight
category III, this can mean that the area of use
is restricted. The maximum size setting of the child restraint system is not possible due to
possible contact with the roof.
"Universal" category child restraint systems
can be recognised by their orange approval
label and the text "Universal". Example: approval label on the child restraint sys-
tem
"Universal" category child restraint systems
can be used on the seats indicated with U, UF
or IUF according to the tables "Suitability of 62
Children in the vehicleSafety

Suitability of the seats for attaching a belt-secured child restraint system
If you use a baby car seat of category 0 or 0+ or a rearward-facing child restraint system of
category I on a rear seat, you must adjust the driver's or front-passenger seat so that the seat
does not touch the child restraint system.
If you use a category I, forward-facing child restraint system, you should remove the head
restraint of the respective seat (Y page 110), if possible. The backrest of the child restraint
system must, as far as possible, lie flat against the backrest of the seat.
Always observe the notes in the "Child restraint system" section (Y page 58) and the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation instructions.
When you remove the child restraint system you must replace the head restraints again
immediately (Y page 109). All vehicle occupants must adjust their head restraints correctly
before beginning the journey.
Legend for the table:
XS eat which is unsuitable for children in this weight category.
US uitable for child restraint systems in the "Universal" category that are approved for use
in this weight category.
UF Suitable for forward-facing child restraint systems that belong to the "Universal" category and are approved for use in this weight category.
LS uitable for child restraint systems as recommended; see the "Recommended child
restraint systems" table (Y page 66). Suitable for semi-universal child restraint systems
if the vehicle and the seat are listed in the child restraint system manufacturer's vehicle
model list. Weight category Front-passenger seat Rear seat
Front-
passenger
front airbag
enabled Front-
passenger
front airbag
deactiva-
ted 1 Left, right
Centre
2 0
up to 10 kg X U, L U, L U, L
0+
up to 13 kg X U, L U, L U, L
I
9 kg to 18 kg UF, L U, L U, L U, L
II
15 kg to 25 kg U, L U, L U, L X
III
22 kg to 36 kg U, L U, L U, L X
1
The vehicle is equipped with an automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system. The PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
2 Child restraint systems with a supporting bracket are not suitable for this seat. 64
Children in the vehicleSafety

The seat belt should:
R fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your
shoulder
R be routed across your hips in the pelvic
area
X Before starting off, adjust the rear-view mir-
ror and the exterior mirrors (Y page 113)
so that you have a good view of road and
traffic conditions.
X Vehicles with a memory function: save
the seat and exterior mirror settings
(Y page 116). Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If children adjust the seats, they could
become trapped, especially if they are unat-
tended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is
no key in the ignition lock. G
WARNING
When adjusting a seat, you or another vehicle occupant could become trapped by the guiderail of the seat, for instance. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that no one has any part of their
body within the sweep of the seat when
adjusting it.
Observe the safety notes on "Airbags"
(Y page 46) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Y page 57). G
WARNING
If the driver's seat is not correctly engaged, it could unexpectedly move while driving. This could cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always ensure that the driver's seat is
engaged before starting the vehicle. G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle while
driving if you:
R adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirrors and fasten your seat
belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or other vehicle occupants could be trapped andthereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R do not spill any liquids on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. Seats
107Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Vehicles with Adaptive Highbeam Assist:
when Adaptive Highbeam Assist is active, it
controls activation and deactivation of the
main-beam headlamps (Y page 123).
Headlamp flasher X
To switch on: turn the key in the ignition
lock to position 1or 2, or start the engine.
X Pull the combination switch in the direction
of arrow =. Hazard warning lamps
X
To switch on the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on a turn signal using the combination switch,
only the turn signal lamp on the corre-
sponding side of the vehicle will flash.
X To switch off the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
The hazard warning lamps switch on auto-
matically if:
R an airbag is deployed or
R the vehicle decelerates rapidly from a
speed of above 70 km/h and comes to a
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off auto-
matically if the vehicle reaches a speed of
above 10 km/h again after a full brake appli- cation.
The hazard warning lamps continue to oper-
ate even if the ignition is switched off. Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes You can use this function to set the head-
lamps to change between dipped beam and
main beam automatically. The system recog-
nises vehicles with their lights on, either
approaching from the opposite direction or
travelling in front of your vehicle, and conse-
quently switches the headlamps from main
beam to dipped beam.
The system automatically adapts the dipped- beam headlamp range depending on the dis-
tance to the other vehicle. Once the system
no longer detects any other vehicles, it
switches on the main-beam headlamps again.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windscreen near the overhead control
panel. Exterior lighting
123Lights and windscreen wipers Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions PRE-SAFE inopera‐
PRE-SAFE inopera‐
tive See Owner's tive See Owner's
Manual Manual
Important functions of PRE-SAFE
®
have failed. All other occupant
safety systems, e.g. airbags, remain available.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. Radar sensors
Radar sensors
dirty See Owner's dirty See Owner's
Manual Manual At least one of the following driving systems or driving safety sys-
tems is temporarily restricted or inoperative:
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
R DISTRONIC PLUS
Possible causes:
R the sensors in the radiator trim and/or in the bumpers are dirty
R the function of the driving system and/or driving safety system
is impaired due to heavy rain or snow
A warning tone also sounds.
Once the causes listed above no longer apply, the display message
goes out. All driving systems and driving safety systems are opera- tional again.
If the display message does not disappear:
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 184).
X Switch off the engine.
X Clean the sensors (Y page 332) in the following locations:
R in the radiator trim
R in the front bumper
R in the rear bumper, particularly in the middle of the rear
bumper
X Restart the engine.
The display message disappears. ü If this symbol appears in the multifunction display, a seat belt
tongue has been inserted into a rear seat belt buckle.
Further information on the status indicator for the rear seat belts
(Y page 46). 266
Display
messagesOn-board computer/Displays