2015 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK Owners Manual

road users. There is a risk of an accident and
injury.
Never exceed the maximum permissible load
when using a carrier.
Exceeding the maximum permissible nose-
weight of the trailer drawbar on the ball cou-
pling may cause damage to the following:
R your vehicle
R the trailer
R the ball coupling
R trailer tow hitch
The vehicle/trailer combination could
become unstable.
If the noseweight used is lower than the min- imum permissible noseweight, the vehicle/
trailer combination could also become unsta-
ble.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R make sure to check the noseweight before
each journey
R use a drawbar noseweight as close as pos-
sible to the maximum noseweight
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
noseweight
R do not use a noseweight lower than the
minimum noseweight
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
The applicable permissible values, which
must not be exceeded, can be found:
R in your vehicle documents
R on the identification plates of the trailer tow
hitch and the trailer
R on the vehicle identification plate
If the values differ, the lowest value applies. You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towing vehicle under "Tech- nical data" (Y page 406). G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that the ball coupling engages when folding in.
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R has a larger turning circle
This can impair the vehicle's handling char-
acteristics. Adapt your driving style accord-
ingly. Maintain a safe distance. Drive care-
fully.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your
speed to the current road and weather con-
ditions. Do not exceed the maximum permis-
sible speed for your vehicle/trailer combina-
tion. 230
Towing a trailerDriving and parking

Notes on towing a trailer
General notes Trailer towing is not permissible on the fol-
lowing models:
R
A 250 Sport
R A 250 Sport 4MATIC
R Mercedes‑AMG A 45 4MATIC
R A 180 d BlueEFFICIENCY Edition
R Vehicles with AMG Line
When towing a trailer, set the tyre pressure on the rear axle of the towing vehicle for the
maximum load. Further information on the
tyre pressure table in the fuel filler flap
(Y page 362).
Please note that when towing a trailer, the
following driving systems have limited avail-
ability or are not available at all.
R PARKTRONIC (Y page 209)
R Blind Spot Assist (Y page 226)
The height of the ball coupling changes with
the load of the vehicle. If necessary, use a
trailer with a height-adjustable drawbar.
You will find fitting dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (Y page 405).
Driving tips Observe the notes on ESP
®
trailer stabilisa-
tion (Y page 76).
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/ trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before beginning the journey, check
the trailer's documents to see what the max-imum permitted speed is. Observe the legally
prescribed maximum speed in the relevant
country.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the max-
imum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. See the "Technical
data" section to find out whether this applies
to your vehicle. If you utilise any of the added maximum rear axle load when towing a trailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not
exceed a maximum speed of 100 km/h for reasons concerning the operating permit.
This also applies in countries in which the
permissible maximum speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations is above 100 km/h.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer and it will
consume more fuel.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. For vehicles
with automatic transmission, you need to
have selected manual drive program M
(Y page 177).
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, SPEEDTRONIC or DISTRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly. If you
need additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive
program Mis temporarily activated (vehicles
with automatic transmission): the automatic
transmission may switch back to the last
active automatic drive program Eor S. The
automatic transmission may shift to a higher
gear. This can reduce the engine's braking
effect.
Driving tips If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not countersteer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in
front than when driving without a trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas, Towing a trailer
231Driving and parking Z

note that the power output of the engine,
and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude. Folding out the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly engaged,
the trailer can detach. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always engage the ball coupling as described. G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that the ball coupling engages when folding in.
Before you can tow a trailer with your vehicle, you must fold out the ball coupling.
The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side panelling in the luggage compart-
ment. X
To open the cover: turn handle:anti-
clockwise, the fold down and remove
cover ;. X
Pull out release wheel =.
X Turn release wheel =anti-clockwise as far
as it will go.
The ball coupling disengages and folds out
behind the rear bumper. Indicator lamp ?
flashes. X
Pull the ball coupling in the direction of the
arrow until it engages in a vertical position.
The indicator lamp on the release wheel
goes out. The power socket folds down
automatically.
The multifunction display shows the
Check
Check trailer trailer hitch
hitchlock
lockdisplay mes-
sage until the ball coupling is engaged.
X Remove the protective covering from the
ball coupling and store it in a safe place.
X Make sure that the ball of the ball coupling
is clean and that it is either greased or dry
(grease free), depending on the instruc-
tions for the trailer. 232
Towing a trailerDriving an
d parking

Coupling up a trailer
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Position the trailer horizontally behind the
vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electric connection between
the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working.
A connected trailer is only recognised when
the electrical connection is established
correctly and when the lighting system is
working properly. The function of other sys-
tems, such as ESP ®
or PARKTRONIC also
depends on this. Uncoupling a trailer
G
WARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with an engaged over- run brake, you could trap your hand between
the vehicle and the trailer drawbar. This poses a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake.
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound- ing of the overrun brake.
! Remove the installed adapter cable
before folding in the ball coupling. Other-
wise, damage may occur to the rear
bumper and the adapter cable.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Folding in the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that the ball coupling engages when folding in.
Fold the ball coupling back in if you are not
using the trailer tow hitch.
The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side panelling in the luggage compart-
ment.
X Place the protective covering on the ball
coupling. X
To open the cover: turn handle:anti-
clockwise, then fold down and remove
cover ;. Towing a trailer
233Driving and parking Z

X
Pull out release wheel =.
X Turn release wheel =anti-clockwise as far
as it will go.
The ball coupling disengages and folds out
behind the rear bumper. Indicator lamp ?
flashes. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow until it engages behind the
bumper.
The indicator lamp on the release knob and
the message in the multifunction display go
out. Trailer power supply
! You can connect accessories to the per-
manent power supply up to a maximum of
240 W.
You cannot charge a trailer battery using
the power supply.
When it leaves the factory, your vehicle's
trailer socket is equipped with a permanent
power supply and a power supply that is
switched on via the ignition lock.
The permanent power supply is supplied via
trailer socket pin 9.
The power supply that is switched on via the
ignition lock is supplied via trailer socket pin
10.
The trailer's permanent power supply is
switched off in the event of low vehicle supply
voltage and after six hours at the latest. You can find more information about fitting
the trailer electrics at a qualified specialist
workshop.
X To switch the connected power supply
on or off: turn the key to position 2or 0
respectively (Y page 157). Failure check for LEDs
If LED lamps are fitted in the trailer, a mal-
function message may appear in the multi-
function display even if there is no fault. The
reason for the error message may be that the
current has fallen below the minimum of
50 mA.
To ensure reliable operation of the failure
indicator, each LED chain in the trailer lighting
must be guaranteed a minimum current of
50 mA. Trailer with 7-pin connector
General notes Trailer with 7-pin connector:
you can con-
nect to the 13-pin socket on the ball coupling
using an adapter or, if necessary, an adapter
cable. Both can be obtained at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Fitting the adapter !
Make sure that there is sufficient cable
play so that the cable cannot become
detached when cornering.
! Remove the installed adapter cable
before folding in the ball coupling. Other-
wise, damage may occur to the rear
bumper and the adapter cable. 234
Towing a trailerDriving and parking

X
Open the socket cover.
X Insert the plug connector with lug :into
groove =on the socket.
X Turn bayonet connection ;clockwise to
the stop.
X Let the cover engage.
X If you are using an adapter cable, secure
the cable to the trailer with cable ties. Towing a trailer
235Driving and parking Z

236

Useful information
............................238
Important safety notes .....................238
Displays and operation .....................238
Menus and submenus ......................241
Display messages ............................. 257
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster ............................292 237On-board computer/Displays