2015 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK warning light

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

R
a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the important safety notes in the
"Running-in notes" section (Y page 156).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating The COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
automatically active after switching on the
ignition.
You can activate or deactivate COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS in the on-board
computer (Y page 249). When deactivated,
the distance warning function and the auton- omous braking function are also deactivated.
Vehicles with black and white multifunc-
tion display: when COLLISION PREVENTION
ASSIST PLUS is activated, the multifunction
display in the status overview shows the Ä
symbol.
Vehicles with colour multifunction dis-
play: when COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS is deactivated, the multifunction dis-
play in the assistance graphic shows the æ
symbol.
Distance warning function General notes
The distance warning function can help you to
minimise the risk of a collision with the vehi-
cle in front or reduce the effects of such a
collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically. Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 69). G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation; do not rely on the distance warning
function alone.
Function
The distance warning function issues a warn- ing at speeds:
R of approximately 30 km/h or more, if, over
several seconds, the distance maintained
to the vehicle travelling in front is insuffi-
cient. The ·distance warning lamp
then lights up in the instrument cluster.
R of approximately 7 km/h or more, if you
rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An inter-
mittent warning tone will then sound, and
the · distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster. Driving safety systems
71Safety Z

In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, thebrake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS. Adaptive brake lights
The adaptive brake lights warn following traf- fic in an emergency braking situation:
R by flashing brake lamps
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In
this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn- ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning button (Y page 123). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is a component of
ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69). Driving safety systems
73Safety Z

G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing
away your vehicle with the front axle raised,
please observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 352).
If the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP ®
is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp and the å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 297) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 258).
Only use wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP ®General notes
If the
÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine starts automatically. ESP
®
remains in its pre-
viously selected status. Example:if ESP®
was deactivated before the engine was
switched off, ESP ®
remains deactivated when
the engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select between the following sta-
tuses of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated 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.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
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 ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer (Y page 248).
ESP ®
deactivated:
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
ESP ®
activated:
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. 74
Driving safety systemsSafety

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

SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode
message appears
in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF OFFmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree
R Traction control is still activated
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 ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly
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 does not flash. In such
situations, 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
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP
®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limit-
ing the engine output until the vehicle/trailer combination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/
trailer combination by depressing the brake
firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active above
speeds of approximately 65 km/h. 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

opened from the inside. Switch off the alarm
(Y page 78). 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. Key functions
:
& Locks the vehicle
; % Unlocks the vehicle
X To unlock centrally: press the%but-
ton.
If you do not open the vehicle within
approximately 40 seconds of unlocking:
R the vehicle locks again
R protection against theft is reactivated
X To lock: press the &button.
The key centrally locks/unlocks: R the doors
R the tailgate
R the fuel filler flap
When unlocking, the turn signals flash once.
When locking, they flash three times.
When the locator lighting is activated in Audio
20/COMAND Online, it lights up when it is
dark after the vehicle is unlocked with the
remote control (see separate operating
instructions). You can also set an audible signal to confirm
that the vehicle has been locked. The audiblesignal can be activated or deactivated using
the on-board computer (Y page 252). KEYLESS-GO
General notes Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a key
in the vehicle.
Locking and unlocking You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you need to carry
the key with you. You can combine the KEY-
LESS-GO functions with the functions of a
conventional key. Unlock the vehicle by using
KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it using
the & button on the key.
The driver's door and the door at which the
handle is used must both be closed. The key
must be outside the vehicle. When locking or unlocking with KEYLESS-GO, the distance
between the key and the corresponding door
handle must not be greater than 1 m.
A check which periodically establishes a radio connection between the vehicle and the key
determines whether a valid key is in the vehi-
cle. This occurs, for example:
R when starting the engine
R whilst driving
R when the external door handles are
touched
R during convenience closing Key
83Opening and closing Z

Side windows
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
could become trapped between the side win- dow and the door frame as the side window
moves. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody touches the side win-
dow during the opening procedure. If some-
body becomes trapped, release the switch or pull the switch to close the side window again. G
WARNING
While closing the side windows, body parts in the closing area could become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the closing area. 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 window reversing feature
The side windows are equipped with an auto-
matic reversing feature. If a solid object
blocks or restricts a side window from trav-
elling upwards during the automatic closing
process, the side window opens again auto-
matically. During the manual closing process, the side window only opens again automati-
cally after the corresponding switch is
released. The automatic reversing feature is
only an aid and is no substitute for your atten-
tion when closing a side window. G
WARNING
The reversing function does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R while resetting
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
When closing, make sure that no parts of the
body are in the closing area. If someone
becomes trapped, press the switch to open
the side window again. Opening and closing the side win-
dows
The switches for all side windows are located
on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the corresponding side window.
The switches on the driver's door take prec-
edence. :
Front left
; Front right
= Rear right
? Rear left
X Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock (Y page 157).
X To open manually: press and hold the cor-
responding button.
X To open fully: press the button beyond the
point of resistance and release it.
Automatic operation is started. 94
Side windowsOpening and closing