2012 Seat Exeo ESP

100Unlocking and locking
Automatic locking function (Auto Lock)*
The Auto Lock* function automatically locks all doors and the rear lid when
the vehicle exceeds a speed of about 15 km/h.
The vehicle is unlocked again automatically when the ignition key is re-
moved. Alternatively, the driver can also unlock the vehicle using the central
locking switch  or by opening one of the doors.
WARNING
Do not leave anyone (especially children) in the vehicle if it is locked from
the outside and the anti-theft security system is enabled, as the doors
and windows cannot then be opened from the inside. Locked doors could
delay assistance in an emergency, potentially putting lives at risk.
Note
● Should the central locking system fail to work, you can still lock and un-
lock the driver door and the rear lid using the key. Locking the doors man-
ually if central locking fails to work ⇒ page 103.
● The anti-theft mechanism and the anti-theft alarm* cannot be enabled if
the central locking is not working.
● Never leave any valuable items in the vehicle unattended. Even a locked
vehicle is not a safe. Unlocking the vehicle with the key
Fig. 70 Turning the key
to enable the open and
close functions
– To unlock the vehicle, turn the key in the driver door to position
A
⇒ Fig. 70.
– Pull the handle to open the door.
● This will unlock all the doors, the rear lid and the tank flap simultane-
ously.
● The anti-theft security system will be disabled. 
Locking with the key
– To lock the vehicle, turn the key in the driver door to position B⇒ Fig. 70 ⇒ .

101
Unlocking and locking
● This will lock all the doors and the rear lid.
● The interior lights are switched off, provided the light switch is in the
courtesy light position.
● The windows and the sunroof* will close as the key is held in the locking
position.
● The anti-theft security system will be enabled immediately.
Locking the vehicle without activating the anti-theft security system
With the anti-theft security system enabled, it is more difficult to break into
the vehicle. If the anti-theft security system has been enabled, the inside
door handles and the central locking switch will not work ⇒ 
.
If you are leaving passengers in the vehicle while it is parked, it is possible
to lock the vehicle without activating the anti-theft security system.
To do so, turn the key in the driver door twice in quick succession to posi-
tion B
⇒ Fig. 70.
WARNING
Do not leave anyone (especially children) in the vehicle if it is locked from
the outside and the anti-theft security system is enabled, as the doors
and windows cannot then be opened from the inside. Locked doors could
delay assistance in an emergency, potentially putting lives at risk.
CAUTION
If the driver door is locked using the key while open, the vehicle will be au-
tomatically immobilised and the alarm triggered.
Note
● Please note that when the vehicle is locked without activating the anti-
theft mechanism, the anti-theft alarm* remains operative. You should there-
fore switch off the interior monitoring* before locking the vehicle, as other-
wise the alarm* could be triggered unintentionally.
● The driver door cannot be locked using the central locking system when
it is still open. The door must be locked separately after it has been closed.
This helps to prevent you from being locked out of the vehicle. 
Central locking switch
The central locking system can be enabled from inside the
vehicle using the central locking switch on the driver door.
Fig. 71 Detail of the
driver door: Central lock-
ing switch
Locking the vehicle
– Press button 

⇒ 
Fig. 71 ⇒ . 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

106Unlocking and locking
Note
● The remote control is automatically disabled when the ignition is switch-
ed on.
● The function of the remote control may be impaired by interference from
other nearby radio signals (e.g. from a mobile phone or TV transmitter) if
these are in the same frequency range. 
Locking and unlocking the vehicle
Fig. 77 Remote control
key: Control buttons
Unlocking the vehicle 
–
Press button A
⇒ 
Fig. 77 for about 1 second.
Locking the vehicle 
–
Press button B for about 1 second.
Opening the rear lid 
–
Press button C and hold for at least one second. The turn signals will flash twice as confirmation when you unlock the vehi-
cle. The vehicle will be locked again automatically if you do not open one of
the doors or the rear lid within 60 seconds after unlocking the vehicle with
button
A
. This function prevents the vehicle from remaining unlocked if the
unlocking button is pressed by mistake.
In vehicles with the security central locking* feature, you can unlock just
the driver door and the tank flap by pressing button A
once or the whole
vehicle by pressing the button twice.
The turn signals flash once when the vehicle is locked to confirm that the
doors and rear lid are properly locked.
Moreover, apart from unlocking the vehicle, the seat* and mirror* memory
programmed in the key is activated. The driver seat and exterior mirrors will
be automatically adjusted to the positions stored in the memory.
The interior lights will automatically light up when the vehicle is unlocked
and go out when the vehicle is locked, provided that the switch is in the
courtesy light position.
WARNING
Do not leave anyone (especially children) in the vehicle if it is locked from
the outside and the anti-theft security system is enabled, as the doors
and windows cannot then be opened from the inside. Locked doors could
delay assistance in an emergency, potentially putting lives at risk.
Note
● The remote control should only be used when the doors and the rear lid
are closed.
● The remote control should not be used when the vehicle is out of sight.
● The anti-theft alarm* can be accidentally triggered and the vehicle
locked if you press the locking button 
on the remote control inside the
vehicle before inserting the key in the ignition. If this should happen by
mistake, press the unlock button 
. 

109
Unlocking and locking
Deactivating the tow-away protection
– Open the door and pull out switch B
(with the symbol
) to
one side of the storage compartment, in the driver door
⇒ Fig. 78.
– Then lock the vehicle.
The LED on switch 
will light up when the
interior monitoring is disabled.
The LED on the top of the driver door trim will also light up for about 3 sec-
onds. When the vehicle is locked, the LED on the top of the driver door trim
will flash rapidly for about 3 seconds. About 30 seconds later it starts flash-
ing slowly. The interior monitoring is automatically enabled again the next
time the vehicle is locked.
The LED on switch 
will light up when the
tow-away protection function is
disabled. The LED on the top of the driver door trim will also light up for
about 3 seconds. When the vehicle is locked, the LED on the top of the driv-
er door trim will flash rapidly for about 3 seconds. The tow-away protection
is automatically enabled again the next time the vehicle is locked.
WARNING
Do not leave anyone (especially children) in the vehicle if it is locked from
the outside and the anti-theft security system is enabled, as the doors
and windows cannot then be opened from the inside. Locked doors could
delay assistance in an emergency, potentially putting lives at risk.
 Electric windows
Controls
Fig. 79 Detail of the
driver door: Controls
Switches for front electric windows Switch ⇒ Fig. 79 for the driver door window
Switch for the front passenger door window.
Switches for rear electric windows Switch for the rear left door window
Switch for the rear right door window
Safety switch 
A
B
CDE
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

113
Unlocking and locking
– With the control in position 0, press the control briefly to make
the roof tilt open all the way.
– To open the roof as far as an intermediate setting, press and
hold the control until the roof has moved to the desired posi-
tion.
When you release the switch it will automatically spring back from position 2
to position 1.
The sliding sun blind in the headliner automatically opens when the sunroof
is slid open. If required, it can be closed by hand when the sunroof is
closed.
It is advisable to close the sun blind when the vehicle is left standing in the
sun. It is important to remember to close the sunroof when parking the vehi-
cle or if it suddenly starts raining, especially when the sun blind is closed.
For further information on the automatic close function, see ⇒ page 113.
Closing
Closing
– Turn the control to position 0
⇒ Fig. 81 to close the sunroof
⇒ .
Closing the sunroof from the tilt position
– Pull the specially formed rear end of the control and hold it until
the sunroof has moved down to the desired position.
– Pull the switch briefly to lower the sunroof automatically to the
fully closed position. If required, the sunroof can be stopped in
any position by briefly pulling the control again ⇒ 
.
WARNING
Take care when closing the sunroof. There is a risk of suffering injury. For
this reason, always take out the ignition key when leaving the vehicle.

Automatic close function
The sunroof can also be closed from outside the vehicle.
– Turn the key in the lock on the driver door and hold it in the lock
position or press the lock button on the remote control until the
sunroof has closed all the way ⇒ 
.
WARNING
Take care when closing the sunroof. There is a risk of suffering injury.

Solar sunroof*
The solar cells in the sunroof power the air conditioner fan.
The solar sunroof is operated in the same way as the normal sliding/tilting
sunroof.
The interior trim is fixed to the solar sunroof and cannot be opened and
closed separately. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

116Lights and visibility
Automatic headlight switch* (sensor-controlled)
If you set the light switch to “AUTO”, the dipped headlights
will switch on and off automatically according to the ambi-
ent light level.
Fig. 83 Detailed view of
the dash panel: Light
switch
Turning on dipped beam headlights
– Turn the light switch ⇒ Fig. 83 to the AUTO position.
Turning off dipped beam headlights
– Turn the light switch to position O.
The symbol on the switch lights up when the switch is in the AUTO position.
The dipped beams, side lights, tail lights and number plate lights come on
together when the headlights are switched on automatically.
When you are using the automatic headlights switch, you can also operate
the main beam headlights, however, please note the following: If you ena-
ble the main beam headlights while using the automatic headlights func-
tion during the day (e.g. when driving through a tunnel), but do not disable them again, only the dipped beam headlights will come on the next time
the lights are automatically switched on. To be able to use the main beam
headlights again, you must first pull the main beam lever back to the "off"
position and then push it forward again to "on".
The side lights, headlights, fog lights and rear fog light can still be switched
on manually in the normal way by using lights switch
⇒ page 115.
The interior mirror is fitted with sensors that measure the ambient light. The
dipped beam headlights will be switched on automatically if the available
light drops below the factory preset value (for instance when driving
through a tunnel, etc.). The headlights switch off again automatically when
the light level increases ⇒ 
.
WARNING
● The automatic dipped beam headlights are only intended to assist
the driver. Automatic dipped beam headlights do not relieve the driver of
his or her responsibility to control them and turn off or turn on the lights
manually according to weather or lighting conditions. The light sensors
are, for example, unable to detect rain and fog - you should therefore al-
ways switch on the dipped beam headlights  manually in these condi-
tions and when driving after dark.
● Observe all relevant legal requirements when using the signalling
and lighting systems described here.
Note
● If automatic headlight switching is activated, when the ignition is turned
off the dipped beam headlights are turned off, and when the key is removed
from the ignition the side lights are turned off.
● If you have to attach any type of sticker on the windscreen, do not do so
in front of the sensors. Doing so could prevent the automatic dipped beam
headlight or anti-dazzle function from working correctly or even from work-
ing at all. 

118Lights and visibility
Activating the function
–Briefly press the knob ⇒ Fig. 84 to release it from its set posi-
tion.
– Turn the knob to position 1.
– Press the knob in again to prevent the setting from being
changed unintentionally.
Deactivating the function
– Briefly press the knob ⇒ Fig. 84 to release it from its set posi-
tion.
– Turn the knob to position 0.
– Press the knob in again to prevent the setting from being
changed unintentionally.
The coming home and leaving home functions are controlled by light sen-
sors in the interior mirror housing. The system will function when the follow-
ing requirements are met:
● The knob is set to position 1.
● The headlights and the ignition are switched off.
● Dark conditions; the sensors register little or no light.
Coming home
When the system is enabled and it is dark, the corresponding exterior lights
switch on as soon as the driver door is opened.
The exterior lights will stay on for up to a maximum of 2 minutes as long as
one of the doors or the rear lid is open.
The exterior lights stay on for about 30 seconds to light up the area around
the vehicle after all the doors and the rear lid have been closed. This time interval is factory-set, but you can have it changed by a special-
ised workshop to suit your own requirements (max. setting is 60 seconds).
Leaving home
The exterior lights are switched on when the vehicle is unlocked with the

button on the remote control key.
The exterior lights go out when the driver door is opened or after 60 sec-
onds when the vehicle locks itself again automatically
⇒ page 106.
WARNING
Before leaving the vehicle, remove the key from the ignition, as the lights
will not go out if the coming home function is activated. This will lead to
battery discharge and vehicle breakdown.
Note
● If you always wish to use the coming home and leaving home functions,
you can leave them permanently switched on. As the system is controlled
via a photosensor, it will only work in dark conditions.
● Permanent use of the coming home and leaving home functions, partic-
ularly on short journeys, will increase the load on the battery. To make sure
the battery is always sufficiently charged, occasionally drive longer distan-
ces.
● If the fog lights have been switched on by the coming home and leaving
home functions, they will always be switched off when you switch on the ig-
nition.
● Observe all relevant legal requirements when using the signalling and
lighting systems described here. 

119
Lights and visibility
Instrument lighting
The brightness of the instrument lighting, displays and cen-
tre console lighting can be varied as required.
Fig. 85 Instrument panel
lighting
– Press the +
button to increase the brightness.
– Press the -
button to reduce the brightness.
With the ignition switched on
The lighting of the digital displays will adjust automatically, depending on
the ambient light.
With the vehicle's lights switched on
When the vehicle's lights are switched on, the brightness of the instrument
lighting, displays and centre console lighting can be varied by pressing the +
and - buttons. Headlight range control

When the dipped beam headlights are switched on, the
range of the headlights can be adjusted to suit the load of
the vehicle.
Fig. 86 Headlight range
control
– Briefly press the knob  ⇒ Fig. 86 to release it from its set posi-
tion.
– Turn the knob to the required setting.
– Press the knob in again to prevent the setting from being
changed unintentionally.
Settings
The settings roughly correspond to the following load conditions: Two front occupants, luggage compartment empty
All seats occupied, luggage compartment empty 
O
1
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications