2012 Seat Exeo ST open bonnet

222Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Cleaning the engine compartment
Take special care when cleaning the engine compartment.
Anti-corrosion treatment
The engine compartment and the surface of the power unit are given anti-
corrosion treatment at the factory.
Good corrosion protection is particularly important in winter when the vehi-
cle is frequently driven on salted roads. To prevent the salt corroding the ve-
hicle, the entire engine compartment should be thoroughly cleaned before
and after winter.
Your Technical Service has got the necessary equipment to provide the cor-
rect cleaning and preserving products. For this reason, we recommend hav-
ing this work performed by them.
The anti-corrosion protection is usually removed if the engine compartment
is cleaned with grease removing solutions, or if you have the engine
cleaned. On commissioning this work, ensure that all surfaces, seams,
joints and components in the engine compartment are given anti-corrosion
treatment.
WARNING
● When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 234.
● Before opening the bonnet, switch the engine off, apply the hand-
brake firmly and always remove the key from the ignition.
● Allow the engine to cool before you clean the engine compartment.
● Do not clean the vehicle underbody, wheel arches or wheel trims
without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-
edged metal parts. Failure to comply could result in injury.
WARNING (Continued)
● Moisture, ice and salt on the brakes may affect braking efficiency.
Risk of accident. Directly after washing, avoid sudden and sharp braking.
● Never touch the radiator fan. It is temperature-controlled and could
start automatically, even when the key is removed from the ignition!
For the sake of the environment
Fuel, grease and oil deposits could be removed when the engine is washed.
The polluted water must be cleaned in an oil separator. For this reason, en-
gine washing should be carried out only by a specialised workshop or a pet-
rol station. 
Vehicle interior maintenance Introduction
The dye used in many modern garments, for example dark jeans, is not al-
ways sufficiently colour-fast. Seat upholstery (material and leather), espe-
cially when light-coloured, may visibly discolour if the dye comes out of
clothing (even when used correctly). This is not an upholstery defect but in-
dicates that the dye in the item of clothing is not sufficiently colour-fast.
The longer stains or dirt remain on the vehicle surfaces, especially the fab-
rics covering the padded upholstery, the more difficult it becomes to clean
and maintain them. If stains and dirt are left for a long time, it may be that
they are impossible to remove. 

234Checking and refilling levels
Opening the bonnet
Fig. 179 Release catch
under the bonnet
Before opening the bonnet make sure that the windscreen wiper
arms are not lifted away from the glass. Otherwise the paint may
be damaged.
– Lift the bonnet slightly ⇒ 
.
– Press the release catch under the bonnet upwards ⇒ Fig. 179.
This will release the arrester hook under the bonnet.
– Open the bonnet.
The bonnet is held in position by a gas-filled strut.
WARNING
Never open the bonnet if you see steam or drips of coolant being re-
leased from the engine compartment. Failure to comply could result in
burns. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen before opening the
bonnet.
 Work in the engine compartment
Extra caution is necessary when working on components in
the engine compartment.
Always be aware of the danger of injury and scalding as well as the risk of
accident or even fire when working in the engine compartment (e.g. when
checking and refilling fluids). Always observe the warnings listed below
and follow all general safety precautions. The engine compartment of the
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area ⇒ 
WARNING
● Switch the engine off.
● Remove the ignition key.
● Apply the handbrake firmly.
● If your vehicle is equipped with a manual gearbox, place the gear lev-
er in neutral. If you are driving an automatic vehicle, place the selector
lever in position P.
● Wait for the engine to cool down.
● Children should not be allowed to approach the engine compartment.
● Never spill liquids used for vehicle operation on the engine compart-
ment, as these may catch fire (e.g. coolant).
● Take care not to cause short circuits in the electrical system, especial-
ly when working on the battery.
● Never touch the radiator fan while the engine is hot, as the fan could
start up suddenly.
● Never open the expansion tank when the engine is hot. The cooling
system is under pressure.
● Protect face, hands and arms from any hot steam or hot coolant fluid
released by covering the cap with a large, thick rag when opening the ex-
pansion tank. 

235
Checking and refilling levels
WARNING (Continued)
● If any tests have to be performed with the engine running, there is an
added safety risk from the rotating parts (e.g. drive belts, alternator, ra-
diator fan, etc.) and from the high-voltage ignition system.
● Observe the following additional warnings if work on the fuel system
or the electrical system is necessary:
–Always disconnect the battery.
– Do not smoke.
– Never work near open flames.
– Always keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
CAUTION
When topping up fluids, make sure the correct fluid is put into the correct
filler opening. This can otherwise cause serious malfunctions or engine
damage.
For the sake of the environment
Inspect the ground underneath your vehicle regularly so that any leaks are
detected at an early stage. If you find spots of oil or other fluids, have your
vehicle inspected at the workshop.
● When the external temperature and level of humidity are high or when
the engine stops, it is possible for water to drop from the air conditioning
system evaporator potentially forming a small puddle on the ground. This is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
Note
On right-hand drive vehicles some of the reservoirs mentioned below are lo-
cated on the other side of the engine compartment. Closing the bonnet
–
To close the bonnet, push it down until it overcomes the spring
pressure.
– Let the bonnet engage in the locking part. Do not force it ⇒ 
.
WARNING
● For safety reasons the bonnet must always be completely closed
when the vehicle is moving. After closing it always check that it is proper-
ly secured. The bonnet must be flush with the adjacent body panels.
● Should you notice that the bonnet is not safely secured when the ve-
hicle is moving, stop the vehicle immediately and close the bonnet. Fail-
ure to do so could result in an accident.

Engine oil General notes
The engine is factory-filled with a special multi-grade oil that can be used all
year round.
As the use of high quality oil is essential for the correct operation of the en-
gine and its long useful life, when topping up or replacement is necessary
use only those oils that conform to the requirements of the VW standards.
The specifications (VW standards) set out in the following page should ap-
pear on the container of the service oil; when the container displays the
specific standards for petrol and diesel engines together, it means that the
oil can be used for both types of engines. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Releasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Brake light Failure control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Brake assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Worn brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Brake system Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Braking distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Bulb change general notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
C
Car care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
CCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
CD-ROM player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Manual locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Sunroof: opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . 116 Central locking system
Anti-theft security system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Locking and unlocking the vehicle from in-side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Opening and closing the windows . . . . . . 114
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Security central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Switch on the driver door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cetane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Changing the main headlight bulb Main headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Changing the main headlight bulbs Dipped beam headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Changing the tail lights Luggage compartment lights . . . . . . . . . . 292
Changing windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . 242
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Checklist Seat upholstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Childproof lock Rear doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Child safety seat ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Categorisation in groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Group 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Group 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Group 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Groups 0 and 0+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Child seats on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Cleaning alloy wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Cleaning chrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Cleaning engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Cleaning steel wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Cleaning windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Clock, setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Coat hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 In the door trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
In the front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Coolant Checking the level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Coolant fluid Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Cooling system Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Correct adjustment of front seat head re- straints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Correct adjustment of rear seat head restraints In-use and non-use positions . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Correct sitting position Front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Incorrect sitting position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
314 Index