Driving159
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
If the engine does not start immediately, switch the starter off after
10 seconds and try again after half a minute. If the engine still does not start,
the fuel pump fuse should be checked
⇒page 249, “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 avoid high engine speeds, driving at
full throttle and over-loading the engine. Risk of engine damage.•The vehicle should not be pushed or towed more than 50 metres to start
the engine. Unburnt fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it.•Before attempting to push-start or tow a vehicle in order to start it, you
should first try to start it using the battery of another vehicle. Note and follow
the instructions ⇒page 263, “Jump-starting”.For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the 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
its correct code.– Move the gear lever to the neutral position and depress the
clutch pedal thoroughly and hold it in this position for the starter
to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting position.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒page 157, fig. 118 . The
indication lamp
will light for engine pre-heating.
– When the warning lamp turns off, 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 a very cold engine, it may 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 263.
Glow plug system for the diesel engine
To avoid unnecessary discharging of the battery, do not use any other major
electrical equipment while the glow plugs are pre-heating.
Start the engine as soon as the glow plug warning lamp ⇒page 78 goes out.
Starting the engine after the fuel tank has been completely run dry
If the fuel tank has been completely run dry, it may take longer than normal
(up to one minute) to start the engine after refuelling with diesel fuel. This is
because the system must eliminate air first.
A1A2
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Driving161
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Driving with LPG*
switch.
Warning light OFF – Running on petrol
Warning light ON – Running on LPG
Your SEAT vehicle has a bivalent engine able to run on either LPG or petrol.
The LPG tank ⇒page 210, “Refuelling with LPG” is in the spare wheel well
⇒ .
It is possible to change from LPG to petrol while the engine is running, even
if the vehicle is moving, by pressing the button ⇒fig. 119 . The
selected operating mode is shown by the lights OFF (running on petrol)
and ON (running on LPG).
Starting the engine
The engine is always started with petrol, even when LPG was being used
when it was switched off. Automatic switch from petrol to LPG
After checking, the system automatically switches from petrol to LPG
provided the following conditions are met:
•There is enough LPG in the tank.•The temperature of the vehicle coolant is above 30°C.•Engine speed while driving is above 1200 rpm.•The button is pressed and the warning light
ON is flashing or
the engine was using LPG when it was switched off.
When these conditions are met, the system switches to LPG mode and the ON
lamp is lit .
Automatic switch from LPG to petrol
The system automatically switches from LPG to petrol in the following cases:•When the engine is started.•If the LPG tank is empty.
Fig. 119 Centre console: gas system control warning
lights and switch.
A1
GAS
A2A3
GAS
A1
A2
A3
GAS
A1
A3
A3
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Driving
164Deactivating and activating the Start-Stop functionEvery time the ignition is switched on, the Start-Stop function is
automatically switched on.
Manually deactivating the Start-Stop function
–Press the ⇒fig. 120 located in the centre console. When the
Start-Stop function is deactivated, the pushbutton indicator
lights.
– If the Start-Stop function is operating then the engine starts immediately.
Manually activating the Start-Stop function
–Press the ⇒fig. 120 located in the centre console. The indi-
cator on the button will go out.
Driver messagesWhen the engine is turned off by the Start-Stop function, this is displayed on
the dash panel.
Note
There are different versions of the dash panel; the display of indications on
the screen may differ.
Fig. 120 The Start-Stop
function button.
AAAA
Fig. 121 Display on the
dash panel during Start-
Stop function operation.
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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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Driving
168
Driving
– Press and hold the foot brake.
– Press the button on the selector lever knob (on the left) ⇒page 167, fig. 127.
– Select a gear for driving ( R, D or S).
– Release the button and wait a few seconds for the gear to engage, a light jerk will be felt.
– Release the brake and accelerate.
Short stop
– Hold the vehicle stationary with the brake pressed down (for example at traffic lights). The selector lever does not need to be
put into the positions P or N for this.
– Do not press the accelerator.
Parking the vehicle
– Press the foot brake and hold to bring the vehicle to a stop.
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Press in the button on the selector lever knob, move the lever to the position P and release the button.
Driving slowly
– Move the selector lever to the position D and press to the right to
put the lever into Tiptronic mode.
– Press the gear lever towards (-) to select a lower gear. Hill stop
– Hold the vehicle, in all cases, using the foot brake to prevent
rolling back.
– 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 positions 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 moved into the positions R or P while
moving (risk of an accident).•Before descending a steep gradient, reduce speed and use the Tiptronic
programme to select a lower gear.
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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
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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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Driving
172Parking
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 the engine off 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 rolls against the kerb if it started
to roll.•If the vehicle is parked facing downhill, turn the front wheels so that they
point towards the kerb .•If the vehicle is parked 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
engaging first 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 alone in the vehicle. They could set the vehicle in
motion, for example, by releasing the handbrake or the gear lever /
selector lever.•Depending on weather conditions, it may become extremely hot or cold
inside the vehicle. This can be fatal.
Hill-start aid*
This function is only included in vehicles fitted with ESP.This device helps when starting uphill.
These are the basic operation conditions: doors closed, brake pedal pressed
down and vehicle in neutral. The system gets activated on engaging gear.
This system also works when reversing uphill.
After removing your foot from the brake pedal, the braking force is maintained
for a few seconds to prevent the vehicle from moving backward when put into
gear. This short space of time is enough to start the vehicle with ease.
This system also works when reversing uphill.
WARNING (continued)
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