2015 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK traction control

1, 2, 3 ...
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
4MATIC
Display message ............................ 288
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 208
12 V socket
see Sockets A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) Display message ............................ 258
Function/notes ................................ 69
Important safety notes .................... 69
Warning lamp .................................2 95
Accident
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 57
Activating/deactivating air-recir-
culation mode ................................... .146
Activating/deactivating cooling
with air dehumidification ................. 141
Active Parking Assist
Detecting parking spaces .............. 213
Display message ............................ 279
Exiting a parking space .................. 216
Function/notes ............................ .212
Important safety notes .................. 212
Parking .......................................... 214
Towing a trailer .............................. 212
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 77
Adaptive Brake Assist
Function/notes ................................ 72
Adaptive brake lights .......................... 73
Adaptive Damping System
Function/notes ............................ .207
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Display message ............................ 274
Function/notes ............................ .123
Switching on/off ........................... 124
Additional speedometer ................... 250
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 401
Adjusting the headlamp range ......... 122Air conditioning
General notes ................................ 136
Air filter (white display message) .... 277
Air pressure
see Tyre pressure
Air vents
Important safety notes .................. 153
Rear ............................................... 154
Setting the centre air vents ........... 154
Setting the side air vents .............. .154
Air-conditioning system
see Climate control
Airbag
Automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivatio n .......................... 49
Introduction ..................................... 46
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator
lamps ............................................... 41
Airbags
Display message ............................ 270
Front airbag (driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 47
Important safety guidelines ............. 46
Kneebag .......................................... .48
Sidebag ............................................ 48
Triggering ......................................... 55
Windowbag ...................................... 49
Alarm
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system) ......... 78
Switching off (ATA) .......................... 78
Switching the function on/off
(ATA) ................................................ 78
Alarm system
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
AMG
Performance Seat .......................... 111
RIDE CONTROL sports suspen-
sion ................................................ 207
AMG menu (on-board computer) ..... 254
AMG Performance exhaust sys-
tem ..................................................... 164
Anti-glare film .................................... 319
Anti-lock braking system
see ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Anti-Theft Alarm system
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Aquaplaning ....................................... 1904
Index

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

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

of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con- ditions are appropriate for maintaining a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time, and for staying in
lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored. Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
Selecting cruise control X
To select cruise control: check whether
LIM indicator lamp ;is on or off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected. 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Start-off assist (except Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you use start-off assist, individual wheels
may start to spin and the vehicle may skid. If
ESP ®
is deactivated, there is a greater danger
of skidding and having an accident. Make sure that no persons or obstacles are in the area
around the vehicle.
Start-off assist enables optimum acceleration
from a standstill. For this, a suitably high-grip road surface is required, along with the tyresand vehicle being in good condition.
Do not activate start-off assist on public
roads.
Observe the safety notes on driving safety
systems (Y page 69).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa-
tion on ESP ®
(Y page 73).
Activating start-off assist X
Deactivate ESP ®
(Y page 248).
X Turn the steering wheel to the straight-
ahead position.
X Depress the brake pedal firmly with your
left foot and keep the brake pedal
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to select
the Sdrive program (Y page 166).
X Quickly depress the accelerator pedal fully.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the acceleration
process has ended. ESP ®
will otherwise not
be able to stabilise the vehicle if the vehicle
starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin. Cancelling start-off assist
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
X Reactivate ESP. RACE START (AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes i
RACE START must not be used on normal
roads. RACE START must only be activated and used on dedicated road circuits, out-
side of public road use.
i RACE START is only available in
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles. G
WARNING
If you use RACE START, individual tyres may
get into a spin and the vehicle could skid.
Depending on the selected ESP ®
mode, there
is an increased risk of skidding and having an accident. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the vehicle.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. For this, a suitably high-
grip road surface is required, along with the
tyres and vehicle being in good condition.
i Observe the safety notes on driving safety
systems (Y page 69).
Be sure to read the safety notes and infor-
mation on ESP ®
(Y page 73).
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors, the bonnet and the boot lid are
closed
R the engine is running and the transmission,
traction control and engine are at operating temperature
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot) 206
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
X Press button :once.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted Sport mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT
AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a more comfortable
driving style, but also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. motorways.
X Press button :again to switch off indica-
tor lamp ;.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT
AMG Ride Control COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. 4MATIC
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the differential.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or be fully raised. Observe the instructions for
towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground. 4MATIC, together with ESP
®
, improves the
traction of your vehicle whenever a drive
wheel spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot
take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R when pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
R accelerate less when driving.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow chains if necessary. Suspension with Adaptive Damping
System
General notes A suspension with the Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem provides improved driving comfort and
continuously controls the calibration of the
dampers. The damping characteristics adapt
to the current operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface conditions
R the drive program selected
R the vehicle level setting
The drive program can be set using the
DYNAMIC SELECT button (Y page 166).
Selecting Comfort mode In the
Comfort drive program, the driving
characteristics of your vehicle are more com- fortable. Therefore, select this drive program
if you prefer a more comfortable driving style. 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Check tyre(s)
Check tyre(s) The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped significantly.
The wheel position appears in the multifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
Underinflated tyres pose the following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may
greatly impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may
be greatly impaired
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 184).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 340).
X Check the tyre pressure (Y page 364).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. Warning Warning
tyre
tyredefect
defect The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped suddenly. The
wheel position appears in the multifunction display.
G WARNING
If you drive with a flat tyre, there is a risk of the following hazards:
R a flat tyre affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle
R you could lose control of the vehicle
R continued driving with a flat tyre will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly a fire
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 184).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 340).284
Display
messagesOn-board computer/Displays