2011 Seat Exeo ST traction control

172Driving
The Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) contains the electronic differential
lock (EDL) and the traction control system (TCS). The ESP function works to-
gether with the ABS. If a fault in the ABS occurs, both warning lamps light
up, but if the ESP fails, only the ESP warning lamp lights up.
The ESP is started automatically when the engine is started.
The ESP switch deactivates both TCS and ESP functions. The ESP, in spite of
being deactivated, will always self-connect when necessary if brakes are be-
ing used.
The TCS can be deactivated when in cases where wheel sliding is desirable.
For example:
● When driving with snow chains.
● When driving in deep snow or on loose surfaces.
● When the vehicle is stuck, to rock it backwards and forwards.
Next, the button should be pressed to reactivate the TCS.
When does the lamp light up or flash 
●
On switching the ignition on, it lights up for about two seconds to carry
out a function control.
● The warning lamp will start flashing when the vehicle is moving if the
ESP or the TCS is activated.
● It will light up continuously if there is a malfunction in the ESP.
WARNING
● The Electronic Stability Programme (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, as this can cause accidents.
● Please refer to the corresponding warning notes on ESP in
⇒ page 190, Intelligent technology.

Ignition lock Ignition key positions
The ignition key is used to start and stop the engine.
Fig. 147 Ignition key po-
sitions 

190Intelligent technology
Practical Tips
Intelligent technology
Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) General notes
The Electronic Stability Programme increases the vehicle's
stability on the road.
Fig. 160 Centre console
with ESP switch
The ESP is designed to increase the degree of control in situations where
the vehicle approaches the limits of adhesion, especially when accelerating
and cornering. It reduces the risk of skidding and improves stability in all
road conditions. The system is active across the entire speed range. The anti-lock brake system (ABS), the electronic differential lock (EDL) and
the traction control system (TCS) are all integrated into the Electronic Stabil-
ity Programme.
How it works
The ESP control unit processes data from the three integrated systems. It al-
so processes additional inputs provided by other high-precision sensors.
These register the vehicle's rotation about the vertical axis (yaw rate), later-
al acceleration, brake pressure and steering wheel angle.
The system uses the steering wheel angle and road speed to calculate the
changes of direction desired by the driver, and constantly compares them
with the actual behaviour of the vehicle. If the desired course is not being
maintained (for instance, if the vehicle is starting to skid), then the ESP
compensates automatically by braking the appropriate wheel.
The forces acting on the braked wheel bring the vehicle back to a stable
condition. If the vehicle
over swerves (tendency of the rear to leave the
road), the brakes will act on the front wheel facing the outside of the bend.
If the vehicle under swerves (tendency to leave the bend), the braking force
is applied to the rear wheel facing the inside of the bend.
The ESP works in conjunction with the ABS ⇒ page 191. If a malfunction
should occur in the ABS, the ESP will also stop working.
Deactivating
The ESP is activated automatically when the engine is started and performs
a self-test routine. 

193
Intelligent technology
Note
If the ABS warning lamp lights up, this can also mean there is a fault in the
EDL. Take the vehicle to a specialised workshop as soon as possible. 
Traction control system (TCS)
The traction control system prevents the drive wheels from
spinning when the vehicle is accelerating. General notes
The traction control system (TCS) is one of the functions incorporated in the
Electronic Stability Programme (ESP).
The traction control system (TCS) helps the vehicle to start moving, acceler-
ate or climb a gradient in slippery conditions where this may otherwise be
difficult or even impossible.
How it works
The TCS acts automatically, without the driver's intervention. With the aid of
the ABS sensors ⇒ page 191, the TCS monitors the speed of the drive
wheels. If the wheels start to spin, the engine speed is reduced automati-
cally to match the amount of grip available. The system is active across the
entire speed range.
The TCS works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction occurs in the
ABS, the TCS will also be inoperative.
Note
To ensure that the TCS works properly, all four wheels must be fitted with
identical tyres. The difference in size of the wheels may lead to an unde-
sired reduction in engine power. Also see ⇒  page 247.Brakes
General notes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not provide optimal performance during the first 200
km; first they must be “run in”. However, the reduced braking capacity may
be compensated by pressing on the brake pedal a little harder. Avoid over-
loading the brakes during run-in.
Wear
The rate of wear on the brake pads depends a great deal on how you drive
and the conditions in which the vehicle is operated. Negative factors are, for
instance, city traffic, frequent short trips or hard driving with abrupt starts
and stops.
Wet roads or road salt
In certain conditions, such as in heavy rain, or after washing the vehicle or
driving through water, the full braking effect can be delayed by moisture (or
in winter by ice) on the discs and brake pads. In this case the brakes should
be dried by pressing the brake pedal several times.
When the speed is over 80 km/h and the windscreen wipers are on, the
brake system moves the pads towards the brake discs for a few seconds.
This occurs - without the driver knowing - at regular intervals and allows a
faster response from the brakes when driving on wet roads.
The effectiveness of the brakes can also be temporarily reduced if the vehi-
cle is driven for some distance without using the brakes when there is a lot
of salt on the road in winter. In this case, the layer of salt on the brake discs
and pads has to wear off before braking.
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for corrosion to form on the discs and dirt to build
up on the brake pads if the vehicle is used infrequently or the brakes are
not used very often. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

SteeringLocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Manual steering wheel adjustment . . . . . 171
Steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Switches on the driver door Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Symbols Red symbols in central display . . . . . . . . . . 77
Yellow symbols on central display . . . . . . . 79
T Tailgate Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
TCS Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
The danger of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . 21
The environment Heated rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Warming up the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . 295
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201, 289
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Notes on towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201, 202
Removable towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Technical requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Towing bracket, fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Towing eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Towing eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Tow starting General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Traction control system Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Trailer weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Trip recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Turn signal lamps Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Trailer turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Tyre mobility system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tyre Mobility System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Tyre pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66, 90, 241 Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Tyre pressure monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Tyre pressure monitoring system . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Tyre repair kit Tyre Mobility System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Tyres and wheels Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Tyres service life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Tyres tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tyres with directional tread pattern . . . . . . . . 241
U Underbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
V
Vehicle data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Vehicle keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Vehicle modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Vehicle paintwork Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Products for vehicle maintenance . . . . . . . 211
Vehicle washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Ventilation slits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
W
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Alternator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Warning lamps Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Electronic differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Electronic Stability Programme . . . . . . . . . . 68
Engine management (EPC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Exhaust emission control system . . . . . . . . 66
314 Index