2011 Seat Leon 5D warning light

139
Seats and storage compartments
WARNING
● The drawers will hold a maximum weight of 1.5 kg.
● Do not drive with the drawer cover open. There is an injury risk for
passengers if the cargo is released in case of sudden braking or an acci-
dent.

Other storage compartments
Other storage compartments can be found:
● in the centre console,
● in the side trims of the luggage compartment,
The hooks for hanging are found on the pillar between the front and rear
side windows.
WARNING
● Do not store loose objects on the dash panel. These objects could be
flung through the passenger compartment when the vehicle is moving
(e.g. while accelerating, braking or cornering) and distract the driver.
Risk of accident.
● Ensure that no objects can fall from the centre console or other stor-
age compartments into the driver footwell while the vehicle is moving. In
the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre, you will not be able to use the
brake, clutch or accelerator. Risk of accident.
● Clothing hung on the coat hooks must not restrict the driver's view.
Risk of accident. The coat hooks are intended only for use with light arti-
cles of clothing. Do not leave any hard, sharp or heavy objects in hanging
articles of clothing. During sudden braking manoeuvres or accidents, es-
pecially those involving airbag deployment, these objects could injure
the vehicle occupants.
 Front drink holders
Fig. 97 Front drink hold-
er
On the centre console, in front of the gear lever, there are two drink holders
⇒ fig. 97.
WARNING
● Never place hot drinks in the drink holder. During normal or sudden
driving manoeuvres, sudden braking or an accident, the hot drink could
be spilled. Danger of scalding.
● Never use rigid materials (for example, glass or ceramic), these could
cause injury in the case of an accident.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

140Seats and storage compartments
Ashtrays*, cigarette lighter* and electrical
sockets
Ashtray*
Fig. 98 Ashtray located
in the front drink holder
Opening and closing the ashtray
– To open the ashtray, lift the cover ⇒ fig. 98.
– To close, push the cover down.
Emptying the ashtray
– Extract the ashtray and empty it.
WARNING
Never put paper in the ashtray. Hot ash could ignite the paper in the ash-
tray and cause a fire.
 Cigarette lighter*
Fig. 99 The cigarette
lighter is located in the
electric socket on the
front of the centre con-
sole
– Press on the cigarette lighter ⇒ fig. 99 to activate it ⇒ 
.
– Wait for the lighter to pop out slightly.
– Pull out the cigarette lighter and light the cigarette on the glow-
ing coil.
WARNING
● Improper use of the cigarette lighter can lead to serious injuries or
start a fire.
● Using the lighter carefully. Carelessness or negligence when using
the cigarette lighter can cause burns, risk of injury.
● The lighter only works when the ignition is turned on or the engine is
running. To avoid the risk of fire, never leave children alone inside the ve-
hicle.


152Air conditioning
be turned off by pushing the button. The button lights up yellow and
the symbol appears in the display.AUTO
button – Automatic temperature, ventilation and air distribution
control ⇒ page 153
DUAL
button - Dual zone synchroniser
OFF button – Switches the 2C-Climatronic on and off ⇒ page 154
Blower control ⇒ page 154
AC
button – Switches heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system
on
WARNING
For road safety all windows must be clear of ice, snow, and condensation.
This is essential to ensure good visibility. Please familiarise yourself with
the correct operation of the heating and ventilation system, including the
anti-fog/defrost functions for the windscreens.
Note
Please observe the general notes ⇒ page 155. 
7
891011
Viewing Climatronic information
Information about the Climatronic system can be displayed
on the radio or radio and navigation screen mounted at fac-
tory.
Fig. 111 Navigation dis-
play with information
about the Climatronic
Fig. 112 Radio display
with information about
Climatronic


158Driving
WARNING (Continued)
● Adjust the driver seat or steering wheel so that there is a distance of
at least 25 cm between the steering wheel and your chest ⇒ fig. 115. If
you fail to observe the minimum distance, the airbag will not protect you.
Risk of fatal injury.
● If your physical constitution does not allow you to maintain the mini-
mum distance of 25 cm, contact an Authorised Service Centre. The Au-
thorised Service Centre will help you to decide if special specific modifi-
cations are necessary.
● If you adjust the steering wheel so that it points towards your face,
the driver airbag will not protect you properly in the event of an accident.
Make sure that the steering wheel points towards your chest.
● 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. 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, or on the inside of the rim). In
such cases, if the airbag is triggered, you may sustain injuries to the
arms, hands and head.
 Safety
Electronic Stability Control ESC (ESP)*
The ESC (ESP) helps to make driving safer in certain critical
handling situations.
Fig. 116 Detailed view of
the centre console: ESC
(ESP) button
The Electronic Stability Control ESC (ESP) contains the electronic differential
lock (EDL) and the traction control system ASR (TCS). The ESC (ESP) function
works together with the ABS. Both warning lamps will light up if the ESC
(ESP) or ABS systems are faulty.
The ESC (ESP) is activated automatically when the engine is started.
The ESC (ESP) is always active, and cannot be deactivated. With the ESC
(ESP) switch it is only possible to deactivate the ASR (TCS).
The ASR (TCS) can be deactivated in those cases where wheel sliding is de-
sirable.
For example: 

160Driving
Starting 2
The engine is started when the key is in this position. Electrical components
with a high power consumption are switched off temporarily.
Every time the vehicle is started again, the ignition key must be turned to
position 0
. The
repetitive start prevention lock of the ignition prevents
possible damage to the starter motor if the engine is already running.
WARNING
● The ignition key must NOT be removed from the lock until the vehicle
comes to a standstill. Otherwise, the steering could be immediately
blocked- Risk of accident!
● Always remove the key from the ignition when leaving the vehicle,
even for a short period. This is especially important if children or disa-
bled people are left alone in the vehicle. They could accidentally start the
engine or work electrical equipment such as the electric windows, conse-
quently resulting in an accident.
● Unsupervised use of the keys could start the engine or any electrical
system, such as the electric window. This could result in serious injury.
CAUTION
The starter motor will only work when the engine is stopped (ignition key
position 2
). 
Electronic immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents unauthorised persons from driv-
ing the vehicle.
Inside the key there is a chip that deactivates the electronic immobiliser au-
tomatically when the key is inserted into the ignition. The immobiliser will be activated again automatically as soon as you pull
the key out of the ignition lock.
The engine can only be started using a genuine SEAT key with its correct
code.
Note
A perfect operation of the vehicle is ensured if genuine SEAT keys are used. 
Starting and stopping the engine Starting petrol 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 start-
er to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting position ⇒ page 159.
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts; the start-
er motor must not run on with the engine.
After starting a very hot engine, you may need to slightly press down the ac-
celerator.
When starting a very cold engine, it may be a little noisy for the first few sec-
onds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern. 

161
Driving
If the engine does not start immediately, switch the starter off after 10 sec-
onds and try again after half a minute. If the engine still does not start, the
fuel pump fuse should be checked ⇒ page 250, Fuses.
WARNING
● Never start or run the engine in unventilated or closed rooms. The ex-
haust fumes contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and colourless poi-
sonous 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 fol-
low the instructions in ⇒ page 263, Jump-starting.
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the engine with the vehicle station-
ary. Start off immediately, driving gently. This helps the engine reach oper-
ating 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 start-
er to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting position.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒ fig. 117 1
. The indicator
lamp  will light for engine pre-heating.
– When the warning lamp turns off, turn the key to position 2
to
start the engine. Do not press the accelerator.
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts, the start-
er 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 sec-
onds 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 the ⇒ 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 83 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. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

165
Driving
● If in an increase in airflow 10
⇒ fig. 113 is required for more than three
presses.
● Temperature setting 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 fulfil-
led.
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 seri-
ous injury.
● The brake servo does not work with the engine off. You need more
force to stop the vehicle.
● Power steering does not work when the engine is not running. That is
why it is much more difficult to turn the steering wheel.
● Disconnect the Start-Stop system when driving through water (ford-
ing streams, etc.).
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 in-
strument panel displays the Start-Stop indicator dimmed.
● If the steering wheel is turned more than 270°, it will not be possible to
start the vehicle again. To start the vehicle, straighten the steering wheel so
that it is turned less than 270°. Activating and deactivating the Start-Stop function
Fig. 119 The Start-Stop
function button.
Every time the ignition is switched on, the Start-Stop function is au-
tomatically switched on.
Manually deactivating the Start-Stop function
– Press the A
⇒ fig. 119 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 im-
mediately.
Switching the Start-Stop function on manually
– Press the A
⇒ fig. 119 located in the centre console. The indi-
cator on the button will go out. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

167
Driving
Manual gearbox
Driving with a manual gearbox
Fig. 121 Detailed view of
the centre console: gear
shift pattern of a 5-speed
manual gearbox
Fig. 122 Detailed view of
the centre console: gear
shift pattern of a 6-speed
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 posi-
tion shown on the gear lever.
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 igni-
tion 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
accident.
Note
● Do not rest your hand on the gear lever while 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 fully to
avoid unnecessary wear and damage.
● Do not hold the car “on the clutch” on hills. This causes premature wear
and damage to the clutch.
● Do not leave your foot on the clutch pedal; although the pressure may
seem insignificant, it can cause the premature wear of the clutch plate. Use
the foot rest when you do not need to change gear. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications