2011 Seat Ibiza ST steering

Table of Contents
Manual structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Safety First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Proper sitting position for occupants . . . . . . . . . 10
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Storing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Belt tensioners* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Deactivating airbags* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Securing child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 LPG system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Digital instrument panel display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Steering column controls* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Audio Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Audio + Telephone Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Unlocking and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Radio frequency remote control* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Anti-theft alarm system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Panorama tilting sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Rear view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Seats and storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . 113
The importance of correct seat adjustment . . . . . 113
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Storage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Ashtrays, cigarette lighter and power socket . . . 123
First-aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher . 126
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Roof rack* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Starting and stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Start-Stop function* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Automatic gearbox* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Acoustic parking aid system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Cruise speed* (Cruise control system) . . . . . . . . 163
Practical Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Anti-lock brake system and traction control ABS 168
Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)* . . . . . . . . 169
Driving and the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Running-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Economical and environmentally friendly driving 175
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . 180
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Care of the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Vehicle interior maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
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Table of Contents

7
Safe driving
Safety First
Safe driving
Brief introduction
Dear SEAT Driver
Safety first! This chapter contains important information, tips, suggestions and
warnings that you should read and consider for both your own
safety and for your passengers' safety.
WARNING
● This manual contains important information about the operation of
the vehicle, both for the driver and the passengers. The other sections of
the owner's manual also contain further information that you should be
aware of for your own safety and for the safety of your passengers.
● Ensure that the onboard documentation is kept in the vehicle at all
times. This is especially important when lending or selling the vehicle to
another person.
 Safety equipment
The safety equipment is a part of the occupant protection
system and can reduce the risk of injury in the event of acci-
dent.
Never put your safety or the safety of your passengers in danger. In the
event of an accident, the safety equipment may reduce the risk of injury.
The following list includes most of the safety equipment in your SEAT:
● Three-point seat belts
● Belt tension limiter for the front and rear side seats
● Belt tensioners for the front seats
● Front airbags
● Side airbags in the front seat backrests, with chest and head protection
● ISOFIX anchor points for ISOFIX rear child system
● Height-adjustable head restraints
● Rear-centre head restraints with in-use position and non-use position
● Adjustable steering column
The safety equipment mentioned above works together to provide you and
your passengers with the best possible protection in the event of an acci-
dent. However, these safety systems can only be effective if you and your
passengers are sitting in a correct position and use this equipment proper-
ly.
Therefore, information is provided about why this equipment is so impor-
tant, how it protects you, what you have to consider when using it and how 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

10Safe driving
Proper sitting position for occupants
Proper sitting position for driver
The proper sitting position for the driver is important for a
safe and relaxed driving.
Fig. 1 The proper dis-
tance between driver and
steering wheel
Fig. 2 Proper head re-
straint position for driver
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
an accident, we recommend the following adjustments for the driv-
er:
– Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a distance of at least
25 cm between the steering wheel and the centre of your chest
⇒ fig. 1.
– Move the driver seat forwards or backwards so that you are able
to press the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals to the floor
with your knees still slightly angled ⇒ 
.
– Ensure that you can reach the highest point of the steering
wheel.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same
level as the top of your head, or as close as possible to the
same level as the top of your head ⇒ fig. 2.
– Move the backrest to an upright position so that your backrests
completely against it. 

11
Safe driving
– Fasten your seat belt securely ⇒ page 19.
– Keep both feet in the footwell so that you have the vehicle un-
der control at all times.
Adjustment of the driver seat ⇒ page 113.
WARNING
● An incorrect sitting position of the driver can lead to severe injuries.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is at least 25 cm distance between
the centre of the chest and the centre of the steering wheel ⇒ fig. 1. If
distance is less than 25 cm, the airbag system may not protect you prop-
erly.
● If your physical constitution prevents you from maintaining the mini-
mum distance of 25 cm, contact a specialised workshop. The workshop
will help you decide if special specific modifications are necessary.
● When driving, always hold the steering wheel with both hands on the
outside of the ring at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. This reduces
the risk of injury when the driver airbag is triggered.
● Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, or in any
other manner (e.g. in the centre of the steering wheel). In such cases, if
the airbag is triggered, you may sustain injuries to the arms, hands and
head.
● To reduce the risk of injury to the driver during sudden braking ma-
noeuvres or an accident, never drive with the backrest tilted far back! The
airbag system and seat belts can only provide optimal protection when
the backrest is in an upright position and the driver is wearing his or her
seat belt properly. The further the backrests are tilted to the rear, the
greater the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning of the belt web or to
the incorrect sitting position!
● Adjust the head restraint properly to achieve optimal protection.
 Proper sitting position for front passenger
The front passenger must sit at least 25 cm away from the
dash panel so that the airbag can provide the greatest pos-
sible protection in the event that it is triggered.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
an accident, we recommend the following adjustments for the front
passenger:
– Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible ⇒ 
.
– Move the backrest to an upright position so that your backrests
completely against it.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same
level as the top of your head, or as close as possible to the
same level as the top of your head ⇒ page 13.
– Keep both feet in the footwell in front of the front passenger
seat.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ⇒ page 19.
It is possible to deactivate the passenger airbag in exceptional circumstan-
ces ⇒ page 41.
Adjusting the front passenger seat ⇒ page 116. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

22Seat belts
was travelling just before the impact. This example applies not only to
head-on collisions, but to all accidents and collisions. 
The danger of not using the seat belt
The general belief that the passengers can protect them-
selves with their hands in a minor collision is false.
Fig. 8 A driver not wear-
ing a seat belt is thrown
forward violently.
Fig. 9 The unbelted rear
passenger is thrown for-
ward violently, hitting the
driver wearing a seat
belt.
Even at low speeds the forces acting on the body in a collision are so great
that it is not possible to brace oneself with one's hands. In a frontal colli-
sion, unbelted passengers are thrown forward and will make violent contact
with the steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen or whatever else is in the
way ⇒ fig. 8.
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts. When triggered, airbags
provide only additional protection. All occupants (including the driver) must
wear seat belts properly during the trip. This will reduce the risk of severe
injuries in the event of an accident – regardless of whether an airbag is fit-
ted for the seat or not.
Note that airbags can be triggered only once. To achieve the best possible
protection, the seat belt must always be worn properly so that you will be
protected in accidents in which no airbag is deployed.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear seat belts properly, as
they could otherwise be thrown forward violently in an accident. Rear pas-
sengers who do not use seat belts endanger not only themselves but also
the front occupants ⇒ fig. 9. 

30Airbag system
Airbag system
Brief introduction Why wear a seat belt and assume the correct sitting
position?
For the inflating airbags to achieve the best protection, the
seat belt must always be worn properly and the correct sit-
ting position must be assumed.For your own safety and the safety of the passengers, please en-
sure the following before driving:
– Always wear the seat belt properly
– Adjust the driver seat and the steering wheel correctly.
– Adjust the front passenger seat correctly.
– Adjust the head restraint correctly ⇒ page 13.
– Use an appropriate child restraint system to protect children in
your vehicle.
The airbag is deployed at high speed in fractions of a second. If you have an
incorrect seating position at the time the airbag is deployed, it could cause
you critical injuries. Therefore, it is essential that all passengers in the vehi-
cle assume a correct sitting position while travelling.
A sharp braking before an accident may cause a passenger not wearing a
seat belt to be thrown forward into the area of the deploying airbag. In this
case, the inflating airbag may inflict critical or fatal injuries on the occupant.
This also applies to children. Always maintain the greatest possible distance between yourself and the
front airbag. This way, the front airbags can completely deploy when trig-
gered, providing their maximum protection.
The most important factors that will trigger an airbag are: the type of acci-
dent, the angle of collision and the speed of the vehicle.
Whether the airbags are triggered depends primarily on the vehicle deceler-
ation rate resulting from the collision and detected by the control unit. If the
vehicle deceleration occurring during the collision and measured by the
control unit remains below the specified reference values, the front, side
and/or curtain airbag will not be triggered. Take into account that the visible
damage in a vehicle involved in an accident, no matter how serious, is not a
determining factor for the airbags to have been triggered.
WARNING
● Wearing the seat belt incorrectly or assuming an incorrect sitting po-
sition can lead to critical or fatal injuries.
● All occupants, including children, who are not properly belted can
sustain critical or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered. Children up to
12 years old should always travel on the rear seat. Never transport chil-
dren in the vehicle if they are not restrained or the restraint system is not
appropriate for their age, size or weight.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side
while travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a sub-
stantially increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be fur-
ther increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag.
● To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating airbag, always wear the
seat belt properly.
● Always adjust the front seats properly.


32Airbag system
Monitoring of airbag and belt tensioner system
Both the airbag and belt tensioner systems operation is constantly moni-
tored electronically. The warning lamp  will light up for a few seconds ev-
ery time the ignition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
The system must be checked when the warning lamp  :
● does not light up when the ignition is switched on,
● after the ignition is switched on, it turns off after 4 seconds,
● turns off and then lights up again after the ignition is switched on,
● lights up or flashes while the vehicle is moving.
In the event of a malfunction, the warning lamp remains on continuously.
Have the airbag system inspected immediately by a qualified workshop.
If any of the airbags are de-activated by the Authorised Service Centre, the
indicator lights for several seconds more after the verification and will turn
off if there is no fault.
WARNING
● If there is a malfunction, the airbag and belt tensioner system cannot
properly perform its protective function.
● If a malfunction occurred, have the system checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, in the event of an accident, the airbag
system and belt tensioners may not be triggered, or may not be triggered
correctly.

Repairs, maintenance and disposal of airbags
The parts of the airbag system are installed in various places in your vehi-
cle. If work is carried out on the airbag system or parts have to be removed
and fitted on the system when performing other repair work, parts of the air- bag system may be damaged. In the event of an accident this could cause
the airbag to inflate incorrectly or not inflate at all.
The relevant safety requirements must be observed when the vehicle or
components of the airbag are
scrapped. Specialised workshops and vehicle
disposal centres are familiar with these requirements.
WARNING
● If repairs are not carried out by a professional, or if the airbags are
used incorrectly, the risk of severe or fatal injuries is increased. The air-
bags may fail to inflate, or could inflate in the wrong circumstances.
● Do not cover or stick anything on the steering wheel hub or the sur-
face of the airbag unit on the passenger side of the dash panel, and do
not obstruct or modify them in any way.
● It is important not to attach any objects such as cup holders or tele-
phone mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
● To clean the steering wheel or dash panel, you may use only a dry or a
water-moistened cloth. Never clean the dash panel and the airbag mod-
ule surface with cleaners containing solvents. Solvents cause the surface
to become porous. If the airbag triggered, plastic parts could become de-
tached and cause injuries.
● Never attempt to repair, adjust, remove or install parts of the airbag
system.
● Any work on the airbag system or removal and installation of the air-
bag components for other repairs (such as repairs to the steering wheel)
should be performed only by a specialised workshop. Specialised work-
shops have the necessary tools, repair information and qualified person-
nel.
● We strongly recommend you to go to a specialised workshop for all
work on the airbag system.
● Never attempt to alter the front bumper or the body.
● The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them
once they have deployed. 

34Airbag system
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.
Fig. 16 Driver airbag lo-
cated in steering wheel
Fig. 17 Front passenger
airbag located in dash
panel The front airbag for the driver is located in the steering wheel
⇒ fig. 16 and
the airbag for the front passenger is located in the dash panel ⇒ fig. 17. Air-
bags are identified by the word “AIRBAG”.
In conjunction with the seat belts, the front airbag system gives the front
occupants additional protection for the head and chest in the event of a se-
vere frontal collision ⇒ page 37, Safety notes on the front airbag system.
In addition to their normal function of restraining the occupants, the seat
belts also hold the driver and front passenger in a position where the air-
bags can provide maximum protection in a frontal collision.
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts, but it is an integral part
of the vehicle's overall passive safety system. Please bear in mind that the
airbag system can only work effectively when the occupants are wearing
their seat belts correctly and have adjusted the head restraints properly. For
this reason, it is most important to wear the seat belts at all times, not only
because this is required by law in most countries, but also as a contribution
to your own safety
The main parts of the front airbag system are:
● an electronic control and monitoring system (control unit)
● the two front airbags (airbag with gas generator) for the driver and front
passenger,
● a warning lamp  on the instrument panel ⇒ page 31
The airbag system operation is monitored electronically. The airbag warning
lamp will light up for a few seconds every time the ignition is switched on
(self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the warning lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is switched on ⇒ page 31
● after the ignition is switched on, it turns off after 4 seconds,
● turns off and then lights up again after the ignition is switched on,
● lights up or flashes while the vehicle is moving. 