Driving163
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
•The temperature of the passenger compartment must be within the
convenience limits (button ⇒page 152, fig. 114 should be selected).•The windscreen de-mist function must be off.•If not , it requires an increase in airflow ⇒page 152, fig. 114 for more
than three presses.•Either of the temperature settings, HI or LO must not be set.•The driver's door must be closed.•The diesel particulate filter must not be in regeneration mode, for diesel
engines.•The battery charge must not be low for the next start.•The battery temperature must be between -1°C and 55°C.•The parking assistant, Park Assist* must not be activated.
Interrupting the Start-Stop function
In the following situations, the Start-Stop function will be interrupted and the
engine will automatically start:•The vehicle is moving.•The brake pedal is pressed several times in a row.•The battery has been discharged excessively.•The Start-Stop System has been manually deactivated.•The windscreen de-mist function is turned on.•The temperature of the passenger compartment exceeds the convenience
limits (button ⇒page 152, fig. 114 should be selected).•If in an increase in airflow ⇒page 152, fig. 114 is required for more
than three presses.•Either of the temperature settings, HI or LO, is selected.•The engine coolant temperature is insufficient.•The alternator is faulty, for example the V-belt has ruptured.•If any of the conditions described in the previous section are not fulfilled.
WARNING
Never allow the vehicle to move with the engine off for any reason. You
could lose control of your vehicle. This could cause an accident and serious
injury.•The brake servo does not work when the engine is not running. You
need more force to stop the vehicle.•Power assisted steering does not work when the engine is not running.
That is why it is much more difficult to turn the steering wheel.Note
•For vehicles with the Start-Stop function and a manual gearbox, when the
engine is started, the clutch must be pressed.•When the conditions for the Start-Stop function are not fulfilled, the dash
panel displays the Start-Stop indicator dimmed.•The vehicle can be restarted by rotating the steering wheel three times,
that is, more than 270°.
ACA11
A10
ACA11
A10
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Driving165
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Manual gearboxDriving a car with a manual gearbox
Engaging the reverse gear
– The vehicle should be stationary with the engine idling. Press the
clutch down thoroughly.
– Place the gear lever into neutral and push the lever downwards.
– Slide the gear lever to the left, and then into the reverse position shown on the gear stick.The reverse gear can only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary. When
the engine is running and before engaging this gear, wait about 6 seconds
with the clutch pressed down thoroughly in order to protect the gearbox.
The reverse lights light up when the reverse gear is selected and the ignition
is on.
WARNING
•When the engine is running, the vehicle will start to move as soon as a
gear is engaged and the clutch released.•Never select the reverse gear when the vehicle is in motion. Risk of acci-
dent.Note
•Do not rest your hand on the gear rest when driving. The pressure of your
hand could cause premature wear on the selector forks in the gearbox.•When changing gear, you should always depress the clutch down fully to
avoid unnecessary wear and damage.•Do not hold the car “on the clutch” up hills. This causes premature wear
and damage to the clutch.
Fig. 122 Detail of the
centre console: gear shift
pattern of a 5-speed
manual gearboxFig. 123 Detail of the
centre console: gear shift
pattern of a 6-speed
manual gearbox
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Driving167
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
the full power of the engine. This programme is not recommended for use on
the motorway or in the city.
Selecting the manual programme (tiptronic)
This programme allows driving similar to a manual gearbox.
This programme may be accessed using the selector lever or from the
steering wheel controls when this option is fitted
⇒page 169.
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.
The lock is only activated when the vehicle is stopped or at a speed of less
than 5 km/h. At higher speeds, the lock is automatically released in position
N.
For rapid changes of position (e.g. from R to D) the lever will not lock. If the
lever remains in the position N more than one second then it is locked. With
the automatic lock, the lever is prevented passing from P and N to any other
gear without first pressing the brake pedal.
The selector lever must be put in the position P in order to remove the key.Driving with an automatic gearbox* / DSG automatic gearbox*
The drive and reverse gears are automatically engaged.
Fig. 126 Deactivating the
lock
Fig. 127 Driving
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Driving169
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
•If you must stop on a hill, always hold the vehicle using the footbrake
to avoid rolling back.•The footbrake must not be held for 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 programme 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.
Changing gear with the Tiptronic gear system*
The Tiptronic system allows the driver to manually select
gears
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 128 Changing gear
with TiptronicFig. 129 Steering wheel
with levers for automatic
gearbox
Leon_EN.book Seite 169 Dienstag, 8. September 2009 5:25 17
Driving171
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
•You should use the kickdown feature only when traffic and weather
conditions allow it to be used safely.
HandbrakeUsing the handbrake
The handbrake should be applied firmly to prevent the
vehicle from accidentally rolling away.Always apply the handbrake when you leave your vehicle and when
you park. Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly ⇒
fig. 130.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the release knob in the direc- tion of the arrow ⇒fig. 130 and guide the handbrake lever down
fully ⇒ .
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 turns off when the handbrake is
released.
If you drive faster than 6 km/h with the handbrake on, the following
m e s s a g e * w i l l a p p e a r o n t h e i n s t r u m e n t p a n e l d i s p l a y : HANDBRAKE ON. Also,
an audible warning is given.
WARNING
•Never use the handbrake to stop the vehicle when it is in motion. The
braking distance is considerably longer, because braking is only applied to
the rear wheels. Risk of accident!•If it is only partially released, this will cause rear brakes overheating,
which can impair the function of the brake system and could lead to an acci-
dent. This also causes premature wear on the rear brake pads.Caution
Always apply the handbrake before you leave the vehicle. The first gear
should also be selected.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 130 Handbrake
between the front seats
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Driving173
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
WARNING
•If you do not start the vehicle immediately after taking your foot off the
brake pedal, the vehicle may start to roll back under certain conditions.
Depress the brake pedal or use the hand brake immediately.•If the engine stalls, depress the brake pedal or use the hand brake
immediately.•When following a line of traffic uphill, if you want to prevent the vehicle
from rolling back accidentally when starting off, hold the brake pedal down
for a few seconds before starting off.Note
The Official Service or a specialist workshop can tell you if your vehicle is
equipped with this system.Acoustic parking aid system*General notesVarious systems are available to help you when parking or manoeuvring in
tight spaces, depending on the equipment fitted on your vehicle.
The SEAT parking system* gives an acoustic warning if there are any obsta-
cles behind your car.
When you are parking, the SEAT Parking System plus* warns you acoustically
and optically
20) about obstacles “in front of” and “behind” the vehicle.
Note
To ensure the acoustic parking aid works properly, the sensors must be kept
clean and free of snow and ice.SEAT Parking System: Description
The parking system is an acoustic parking aid.Sensors are located in the rear bumper. When the sensors detect an obstacle,
you are alerted by acoustic signals (beeps). The measuring range of the
sensors starts at about:
The acoustic signals sound with increasing frequency as you approach the
obstacle. When the vehicle is less than approx. 0.30 m away from the
obstacle, the warning tone will sound continuously. Do not drive on!
The volume of the warning beeps will be gradually reduced after about 4
seconds if the vehicle remains at a constant distance from a detected
obstacle (it does not affect the permanent acoustic signal).
The parking aid is switched on automatically when reverse gear is engaged.
You will hear a brief acknowledgement tone.
WARNING
•The parking aid is not a replacement for driver awareness. The driver is
personally responsible for safe parking and other manoeuvres.•The sensors have blind spots in which obstacles are not registered.
Always look out for small children and animals because the system will not
20)Vehicles with a navigation system.
Rear
Side
0,60
Centre
1,60
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Driving175
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Disabling
– Drive forwards faster than 10 km/h, or
–Press the switch
or
– Switch the ignition off.
Segments in the optical display
Som e colour segments in front and behin d and an acoustic signal enable the
driver to assess the distance with respect to an obstacle. The amber colour
segments combined with a discontinuous beep indicate the presence of an
obstacle. As the vehicle gets closer to the obstacle, the colour of the segment
changes to red and the acoustic signal beeps continuously. When the penul-
timate segment is displayed, this means that the vehicle has reached the
collision zone. Stop moving immediately! ⇒.
WARNING
•The parking aid is not a replacement for driver awareness. The driver is
personally responsible for safe parking and other manoeuvres.•The sensors have blind spots in which obstacles are not registered.
Always look out for small children and animals because the system will not
always detect them. Always pay attention when reversing to avoid acci-
dents.•Always keep a close eye on the area around the vehicle and make full
use of the rear-view mirrors.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 obstacles (such as wire fences, chains,
thin painted posts or trailer draw bars, etc) may not always be detected by the
system, so take care not to damage the vehicle in such cases.
Note
•Please refer to the notes on towing ⇒page 175.•There is a slight delay in the picture display.To w i n g b r a c k e tIn towing mode, the rear parking sensors are not enabled when you select
reverse gear or press the switch
. This function may not be guaranteed on
towing brackets that are not factory fitted. This results in the following restric-
tions:
SEAT Parking System*
No warning is given.
SEAT Parking System Plus*
There is no rear distance warning. The system will still give a warning when
obstacles are detected while driving forwards. The optical display changes to
towing mode.
Fault messagesIf you hear a long beep for a few seconds and the LED on the switch
* starts
flashing when you switch on the parking aid, a system fault has occurred.
Please refer the problem to an Authorised SEAT dealer or specialised work-
shop.
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Driving177
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
When the speed regulator (CCS) is
turned off the indicator
i s tu r n e d o f f , t h e
speed regulator is completely deactivated if the 1st gear is engaged.*
Setting speed*– Press the lower part SET/SET of the rocker switch ⇒fig. 133
once briefly when you have reached the speed you wish to set.When you release the rocker switch, the current speed is set and held
constant.
Adjusting set speed*
The speed can be altered without touching the accelerator or
the brake.Setting a higher speed
– Press the upper part RES/+ of the rocker switch ⇒fig. 134 to
increase the speed. The vehicle will continue to accelerate 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 SET/– of the rocker switch to reduce the
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.
21)Depending on model version
Fig. 133 Indicator and
main beam headlight
lever: switch and rocker
switch for the cruise
control
AA
Fig. 134 Indicator and
main beam headlight
lever: switch and rocker
switch for the cruise
control
AA
AA
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