Driving161
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
•
when rocking the vehicle backwards and forwards to free it from mud, for
example.
You should press the button to switch the ESP back on when you no longer
need wheel spin.
The TCS and EDL are also switched off if the ESP is switched off. That is to say,
these systems are not available while ESP is not activated.
When does the button light up or flash?
•
It lights up when the ignition is switched on and should go out again after
about 2 seconds.
•
It will start flashing to indicate that ESP is counteracting an unstable
driving condition.
•
It will light up continuously if there is a malfunction in the ESP.
•
It will light up continuously if the ESP is switched off.
WARNING
•
The electronic stabilisation program (ESP) cannot defy the laws of
physics. This should be kept in mind, particularly on slippery and wet
roads and when towing a trailer.
•
Always adapt your driving style to suit the condition of the roads and
the traffic situation. Do not let the extra safety afforded by ESP tempt you
into taking any risks when driving, this can cause accidents.
•
Please refer to the corresponding warning notes on ESP in ⇒page 177,
“Intelligent technology”.
Ignition lockPosition of the ignition keyIgnition switched off, steering lock
In the position ⇒fig. 131 the ignition and the engine are OFF and the
steering may be locked.
For the Steering lock to operate without the ignition key, turn the steering
wheel until it locks with an audible sound. You should always lock the
steering wheel when you leave your vehicle. This will help prevent theft of the
vehicle ⇒ .
Switching on the ignition or glow plug system
Tu rn the ignition key to this position and let go of the key. If the key canno t b e
turned or is difficult to turn from position to position , move the
steering wheel (to take the load off the steering lock mechanism) until the key
turns freely.
Fig. 131 Ignition key
positions
A0
A1
A0
A12
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Driving163
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts; the starter
motor must not be allowed to run on with the engine.After starting a very hot e ngine, you may need to pres s the accelerator briefly.
When starting from cold, the engine ma y be a little noisy for the first few
seconds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.
If the engine does not start immediatel y, switch off the starter after about
10 seconds and try again after about half a minute. If the engine still does not
start, the fuel pump fuse should be checked ⇒page 240, “Fuses”.
WARNING
•
Never start or run the engine in unventilated or closed rooms. The
exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and colourless
poisonous gas. Risk of fatal accidents. Carbon monoxide can cause loss of
consciousness. It can also cause death.
•
Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running.
•
Never use “cold start sprays”, they could explode or cause the engine
to run at high revs. Risk of injury.Caution
•
When the engine is cold, you should avo id high engine speeds, driving at
full throttle and over-loading th e engine. Risk of engine damage.
•
The vehicle should not be pushed or towed for more than approximately
50 metres to start the engine. Fuel could enter the catalytic converter and
damage it.
•
Before attempting to push-start or tow a vehicle to start it, you should first
try to start it using the battery of another vehicle. Note and follow the instruc-
tions ⇒ page 256, “Jump-starting”.
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running th e engine with the vehicle stationary.
You should drive off as soon as you start the engine. This helps the engine
reach operating temperature faster and reduces emissions.Starting diesel engines
The engine can only be started using a genuine SEAT key with
the correct code.– Move the gear lever to the neutral position and depress the clutch pedal fully and hold it in this position, the starter will then
only have to turn the engine.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting position.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒page 161, fig. 131 . The
indication lamp
will light for engine pre-heating.
– When the warning lamp goes out, turn the key to position to start the engine. Do not press the accelerator.
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts, the starter motor must not be allowed to run on with the engine.
When starting from cold, the engine ma y be a little noisy for the first few
seconds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.
If there are problems starting the engine, see ⇒page 256.
A1A2
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Driving165
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Caution
If the engine has been driven hard for a long period, the engine could over-
heat when it is switched off. Risk of engine damage. For this reason, you
should idle the engine for approx. 2 minutes before you switch it off.Manual gearboxDriving a car with a manual gearbox
Selecting the reverse gear
– T h e v e h i c l e s h o u l d b e s t a t i o n a r y with the engine idling. Press the
clutch right down.
–Place the gear lever into neutra l gate and push the lever all the
way down.
– Slide the gearlever to the left, an d then into the reverse position
shown on the gear lever.The reverse gear can only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary. When
the engine is running, before engaging this gear wait about 6 seconds with
the clutch pressed in fully in order to protect the gearbox.
The reversing lights come on when the reverse gear is selected and the igni-
tion is on.
Fig. 132 Detail of the
centre console: Shift
diagram of a 5-speed
manual gearbox
Fig. 133 Detail of the
centre console: Shift
diagram of a 6-speed
manual gearbox
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Driving167
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Driving programs
The automatic gearbox / direct shift gearbox has two
programmes.Selecting the normal program
– Put the selector lever into position D to drive forwards
– Put the selector lever into position R to reverse. This position is
shared by all programs for reversing.
Selecting the sport program
– Move the lever to position S .If you have selected the normal driving programme D, you will drive in a more
economical driving mode. This program selects a higher gear earlier rather
than remain in a lower gear. If you select the sport programme,
S, the program is designed for a sports
mode, that is, a programme which changes up at higher engine speeds to use
the full power of the engine. This prog ram is not recommended for use on the
motorway or in the city.
Selector lever locking
The selector lever lock prevents gears from being engaged
inadvertently, which would cause the vehicle to move.Releasing the selector lever lock
–Start the vehicle.
– Press and release the brake pedal, at the same time press the button on the selector lever.
Fig. 135 Program selec-
tion
Fig. 136 Deactivating the
lock
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Driving169
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
– Do not try to slow the vehicle using another forward gear (engine
braking).
Descending gradients
– With the gear engaged, release the brake and accelerate.The steeper the gradient the lower the gear must be for effective engine
braking. For example, if 3rd gear is used on a very steep gradient, the engine
braking is insufficient and vehicle accelerates. So that the engine speed does
not become excessive, the gearbox changes to the next highest gear. Depress
the brake pedal and move the selector lever to the Tiptronic gate to return to
3rd gear.
WARNING
•
The driver should never leave the vehicle while the engine is running or
with any gear selected. If for any reason you must leave the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the handbrake and move the selector lever to posi-
tion P.
•
When the engine is running and the po sitions D, S or R are selected, it
is necessary to hold the vehicle with the foot brake because the vehicle will
creep at a low speed.
•
Never accelerate while changing the position of the selector lever (risk
of an accident).
•
The selector lever must never be mo ved into the positions R or P while
moving (risk of an accident).
•
Before descending a steep gradient, reduce speed and use the Tiptronic
program to select a lower gear.
•
If you must stop on a hill, always hold the vehicle using the footbrake
to avoid rolling back.
•
The footbrake must not be held fo r a long period of time, not even
lightly; continuous braking will cause overheating of the brakes and a reduction or even a loss of braking power and a significant increase in
braking distances.
•
Never allow the vehicle to coast down a gradient with the selector lever
in positions N or D, even when the engine is not running. For descents, the
use of the Tiptronic program is recommended to keep the speed reduced.Caution
•
Never use the automatic gearbox to hold the vehicle stationary on a hill,
even for short periods, as this may overheat the gearbox and cause damage.
Apply the handbrake or depress the foot brake to hold the vehicle in position.
•
If the vehicle is allowed to roll with the engine stopped but the selector in
position N then the gearbox may be damaged because it will not be
lubricated.WARNING (continued)
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Driving171
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Always apply the handbrake firmly
. This prevents you driving with the hand-
brake applied ⇒.
The handbrake warning lamp
lights up when the handbrake is applied
and the ignition switched on. The warning lamp goes out when the hand-
brake is released.
If you drive faster than 6 km/h with the handbrake on, the following
message* is displayed: HANDBRAKE ON. Also, an audible warning is given.
WARNING
•
Never use the handbrake to slow down th e vehicle when it is in motion.
The braking distance is considerably longer, as braking is only applied to
the rear wheels. Risk of accident!
•
If it is only partially released this will cause overheating of the rear
brakes, which can impair the function of the brake system and could lead
to an accident. This also causes premature wear on the rear brake
pads/linings.Caution
Always apply the handbrake before you leave the vehicle. The first gear
should also be selected.Parking
The handbrake should always be firmly applied when the
vehicle is parked.Always note the following points when parking the vehicle:
– Use the foot brake to stop the vehicle. –Apply the handbrake.
– The first gear should also be selected.
– Switch off the engine and remove the key from the ignition lock.
Turn the steering wheel slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Always take you car keys with you when you leave the vehicle ⇒ .
Additional notes on parking the vehicle on gradients:
Turn the steering wheel so that the vehicle would roll against the kerb if it did
start to roll.•
If the vehicle is facing downhill, turn the front wheels so that they point
towards the kerb .
•
If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn the front wheels so that they point away
from the kerb .
•
Secure the vehicle as normal by applying the handbrake firmly and
selecting fi rst gear.
WARNING
•
Take measures to reduce the risk of injury when you leave your vehicle
unattended.
•
Never park where the hot exhaust system could ignite inflammable
materials, such as dry grass, low bushes, spilt fuel etc.
•
Never allow vehicle occupants to remain in the vehicle when it is
locked. They would be unable to open the vehicle from the inside, and
could become trapped in the vehicle in an emergency. In the event of an
emergency, locked doors will delay assistance to occupants.
•
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. They could set the
vehicle in motion, for example, by releasing the handbrake or the gear
lever / selector lever.
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Driving173
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Caution
•
Please note that low obstacles detected by the system may no longer be
registered by the sensors as the car moves closer, so the system will not give
any further warning. Certain kinds of ob stacles (such as wire fences, chains,
thin posts or trailer draw bars, high kerbs or painted railings etc) may not
always be detected by the system, so there is a risk of damaging the vehicle
in such cases.
•
Obstacles with uniform edges and bumps may not be detected immedi-
ately by the system due to their geometry. Take special care around this type
of obstacle such as corners, rectangular objects, etc.., these can cause
damage to the vehicle.
•
Be especially carefully when manoeuvring into a corner between two
perpendicular walls. Survey the approach of the wall to the side of the vehicle
(using the mirrors).
•
The parking aid system does not replace use of the mirrors for manoeu-
vres.
•
Distant ultra-sonic sources (hammers, tyres, construction machinery,
other vehicles with PDC) may interfere with the operation of the system.
•
Periodic cleaning of the sensors, take care not to damage or scratch them.
When cleaning with high pressure washers or steam cleaners, the sensors
should be sprayed for only a very short period and from a distance of more
than 10 cm.
Cruise control system (CCS)*Description
The cruise control system is able to maintain the set speed in
the range from approx. 30 km/h to 180 km/h.Once the speed setting has been saved, you may take your foot off the accel-
erator.
WARNING
It could be dangerous to use the cruise control system if it is not possible
to drive at constant speed.•
For safety reasons the cruise control system should not be used in
dense traffic, in sections with bends or where roads conditions are poor
(e.g. aquaplaning, loose chippings, slippery surfaces, snow). Risk of acci-
dent.
•
Always switch off the CCS when you have finished using it. This will
prevent you using it by mistake.
•
It is dangerous to use a set speed which is too high for the current road,
traffic or weather conditions. Risk of accident.Note
The cruise control cannot maintain a constant speed when descending gradi-
ents. The vehicle will accelerate under its own weight. Use the foot brake to
slow the vehicle.
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Driving175
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Adjusting set speed*
The speed can be altered without touching the accelerator or
the brake.Setting a higher speed
– Press the upper part of the rocker switch RES ⇒ fig. 142 to
increase speed. The vehicle will continue to accelerate for as long
as you keep the rocker switch pressed. When you release the
switch, the new speed is stored.
Setting a lower speed
– Press the lower part of the rocker switch SET– to reduce
speed. The vehicle will automatically reduce its speed for as long
as you keep the switch pressed. When you release the switch, the
new speed is stored.
When you increase speed with the accelerator and then release the pedal, the
system will automatically restore the set speed. This will not be the case,
however, if the vehicle speed is more than 10 km/h higher than the stored
speed for longer than 5 minutes. The speed will have to be stored again.
Control of the set speed is switched off if you reduce speed by depressing the
brake pedal. You can reactivate the control by pressing once on the upper part
of the rocker switch. RES+ ⇒ fig. 142 .
WARNING
It is dangerous to use a set speed whic h is too high for the current road,
traffic or weather conditions. Risk of accident.Switching off system temporarily*The cruise control system will be switched off in the following situations:•
if the brake pedal is depressed,
Fig. 142 Turn signal and
main beam lever: switch
and rocker switch for CCS
AA
AA
AA
Fig. 143 Turn signal and
main beam lever: switch
and rocker switch for CCS
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