2012 Seat Exeo ST steering

254Wheels and tyres
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various factors encoun-
tered in normal driving can cause them to become unbalanced, which re-
sults in steering vibration.
Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as they otherwise cause exces-
sive wear on steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must also be reba-
lanced when a new tyre is fitted.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive tyre wear, impairing the safety
of the vehicle. If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the wheel
alignment checked by a Technical Service.
WARNING
There is a serious danger of accidents if a tyre bursts during driving!
● The tyres must be replaced at the latest when the tread wear indica-
tors are worn ⇒ page 253. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
Worn tyres do not grip well at high speeds on wet roads. There is also a
greater risk of aquaplaning.
● At continuously high speeds, a tyre with insufficient pressure flexes
more. This causes it to overheat. This can cause tread separation and tyre
blow-out. Risk of accident. Always observe the recommended tyre pres-
sures.
● If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the running gear
checked by a Technical Service.
● Keep chemicals such as oil, fuel and brake fluid away from tyres.
● Damaged wheels and tyres must be replaced immediately!
For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel consumption. Run-flat tyres*
Run-flat tyres allow you to continue driving even with a
punctured tyre, in the majority of cases.
In vehicles that are factory-fitted with run-flat tyres 1)
the loss of tyre
pressure is indicated on the instrument panel.
Driving with run-flat tyres (emergency running)
– Leave the ESC/ASR on (Electronic Stability Control), or switch it
on ⇒  page 71.
– Continue driving carefully and slowly (80 km/h maximum).
– Avoid sudden manoeuvres and sharp turns.
– Avoid driving over obstacles (for example kerbs) or potholes.
– Pay attention if the ESC/ASR activates often, if smoke comes
from the tyres or there is a smell of rubber, if the vehicle vi-
brates or there are clattering noises. If any of these occur, stop
the vehicle.
The run-flat tyres have a tag on the side of the tyre, with the description:
“DSST”, “Eufonia”, “RFT”, “ROF”, “RSC”, “SSR” or “ZP”.
The sides of this type of tyre are reinforced. When the tyres lose air they are
supported on the sides (emergency driving).
The loss of pressure in the tyre is shown on the instrument panel. You can
then drive a maximum of 80 km and if the circumstances are favourable (for
example, low load), even more. 
1)
Depending upon version and country.

271
If and when
Fuse assignment
This list shows the fuses which can be replaced relatively
easily by the owner.
No.ConsumerAmps1Air conditioner102Footwell lamps53Heated washer jets54Radiator fan55Parking aid, automatic gearbox106Air conditioner (air purity sensor), pressure sensor5
7Electronic Stability Control (ESC), brake light switch,
clutch pedal switch, steering angle sensor10
8Telephone59Lambda probe heater1010Adaptive headlights right5
11Airbag and disconnection of the front passenger air-
bag5
12Diagnostic socket1013Steering column unit1014Brake lights1015Instrument panel1016Vacant 17Tyre pressure control, rain/light sensor1018Adaptive headlights left519Start-Stop control unit1020Engine management1521Start/Stop battery power management522Vacant 23Vacant
No.ConsumerAmps24Central electrics unit for convenience equipment2025Heater blower3026Rear window heater3027Power socket for trailer (control unit)3028Fuel pump, auxiliary pump for diesel2029Radio, amplifier (with Start-Stop)2030Sliding/tilting sunroof20
31Diagnosis connection, automatic anti-dazzle interior
mirror, reverse light, automatic gearbox15
32Towing socket1533Lighter2034Rear electric windows3035Luggage compartment power socket*2036Wiper system30
37Pump for windscreen washer and headlight washer
system30
38Luggage compartment illumination, alarm1539Radio, amplifier (without Start-Stop)2040Horn2541230 volt socket3042Electronic Stability Control (ESC)2543Front electric windows3044Seat heating35
Some of the electrical items listed in the table are only fitted on certain
models or are optional extras. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

297
If and when
Towing and tow-starting
Tow-starting
The use of jump leads is preferable to tow-starting.
We recommend that you do not tow-start your vehicle. Jump-start-
ing is preferable ⇒ page 293.
However, if your vehicle has to be tow-started:
– Engage the 2nd or the 3rd gear.
– Keep the clutch pressed down.
– Switch the ignition on.
– Once both vehicles are moving, release the clutch.
– As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch and move the
gear lever into neutral. This helps to prevent driving into the
towing vehicle.
WARNING
The risk of accidents is high when tow-starting. The vehicle being towed
can easily collide with the towing vehicle.
CAUTION
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it. General notes
Please observe the following points if you use a tow rope:
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
–
Drive slowly at first until the tow rope is taut. Then accelerate
gradually.
– Begin and change gears cautiously. If you are driving an auto-
matic vehicle, accelerate gently.
– Remember that the brake servo and power steering are not
working in the vehicle you are towing. Brake sooner than nor-
mal and pressing the pedal gently.
Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
– Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all times when towing.
Tow rope or tow bar
It is easier and safer to tow a vehicle with a tow bar. You should only use a
tow rope if you do not have a tow bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to reduce the loading on both vehicles.
It is advisable to use a tow rope made of synthetic fibre or similarly elastic
material.
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the towing eyes provided or a tow-
ing bracket.
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially when using a tow rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the technique required for towing. Inexper-
ienced drivers should not attempt to tow. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

298If and when
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle and take care to avoid jerking
the tow rope. When towing on an unpaved road, there is always a risk of
overloading and damaging the anchorage points.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must be switched on to prevent the
steering wheel from locking and also to allow the use of the turn signals,
horn, windscreen wipers and washers.
As the brake servo does not work if the engine is not running, you must ap-
ply considerably more pressure to the brake pedal than you normally would.
As the power assisted steering does not work if the engine is not running,
you will need more strength to steer than you normally would.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
● Put the selector lever into position “N”.
● Do not drive faster than 50 km/h.
● Do not tow further than 50 km.
● If a breakdown vehicle is used, the vehicle must be towed with the front
wheels raised.
Note
● Observe legal requirements when towing or tow-starting.
● Switch on the hazard warning lights of both vehicles. However, observe
any regulations to the contrary.
● For technical reasons, vehicles with an automatic gearbox must not be
tow-started.
● If damage to your vehicle means that there is no lubricant in the gear-
box, you must raise the drive wheels while the vehicle is being towed.
● If the vehicle has to be towed more than 50 km, the front wheels should
be raised during towing, and towing should be carried out by a qualified
person. ●
The steering wheel is locked when the vehicle has no electrical power.
The vehicle must then be towed with the front wheels raised. Towing should
be carried out by a qualified person.
● The towing eye should always be kept in the vehicle. Please refer to the
notes ⇒ page 297, Tow-starting. 
Front towing eyeFig. 246 Fitting the tow-
ing eye to front rear of
the vehicle
Fitting the towing eye
– Take the towing ring from the on-board tool set.
– Remove the front cover by pressing down on the right hand
side.
– Bolt the eye to its limit to the left, in the direction of the arrow
⇒ Fig. 246 

304Technical specifications
Technical specifications
Engine specifications Checking fluid levels
From time to time, the levels of the different fluids in the ve-
hicle must be checked. Never fill with incorrect fluids, other-
wise serious damage to the engine may be caused.
Fig. 248 Diagram for the location of the various elements Vehicle battery
Engine oil filler cap
Brake fluid reservoir
Engine oil dipstick
1
234
Coolant expansion tank
Windscreen washer fluid container
Hydraulic fluid reservoir for power steering
The checking and refilling of service fluids are carried out on the compo-
nents mentioned above. These operations are described in the ⇒ page 234.
Overview
You will find further explanations, instructions and restrictions on the tech-
nical specifications as of ⇒ page 300.
Note
The layout of parts may vary depending on the engine. 
567

Index
Numbers and Symbols
230 V socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Airbag Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Air conditioner 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Air distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Air outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Air purity sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Air recirculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Air recirculation (automatic) . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Automatic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Blower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Defrosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
ECON Mode (economy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Economical use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Key settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Solar-powered blower/sunroof . . . . . . . . . 170
Temperature selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Air duct Fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274, 281
Removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274, 280
Air purity sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Alternator Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Anti-lock brake system How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Interior monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Armrest Storage compartment in front armrest . . . 143
Armrests Adjusting the front armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Ashtray Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
ASR How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Athermic windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Auto-check system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Automatic gearbox
Dynamic gear control programme . . . . . . . 191
Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
multitronic® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Paddle levers (tiptronic mode) . . . . . . . . . 193
Safety interlock for ignition key . . . . . . . . . 173
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Steering wheel with paddle levers . . . . . . 193
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Automatic headlight control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Battery voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Disconnection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Long periods of non-use . . . . . . . . . . 245, 246
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245, 246
Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Winter operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245, 246
Bicycle rack Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
313
Index

Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
MirrorsActivating stored settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Automatic exterior mirror adjustment . . . . 139
Heated exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Storing settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Vanity mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Mobile phones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . 229
multitronic® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
N
Net partition Removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Number of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
O
Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Octane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Oil consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Onboard computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Outside temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Overview Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 P
Paddle levers tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Paintwork Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 multitronic® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Parking aid SEAT Parking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
SEAT Parking System plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Parking aid acoustic system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Passenger see Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Petrol additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Photosensor faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Physical principles of a frontal collision . . . . . . 20
Plastic parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Plastic parts cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Products for vehicle maintenance . . . . . . . . . . 216
Q
Quartz clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 R
Radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Rain sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rain sensor faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Reading lights Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Rear drink holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Rear lid Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Rear seat bench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Rear side window sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rear view mirrors Anti-dazzle interior mirror with automaticadjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Anti-dazzle setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Interior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Rear window heating Heating element wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Rear window sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rear window wiper Intermittent wipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Rear window automatic wash and wipe . . 131
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Registration light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Remote control key Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Locking and unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
318 Index

Emergency activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258, 303
Solar-powered blower/sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Solar sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Spare keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Spare wheel Steel rim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Speed warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84, 85
Speed warning function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Start-Stop Activating and deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Steam jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Steering Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Manual steering wheel adjustment . . . . . 172
Steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Switches on the driver door Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Symbols Red symbols in central display . . . . . . . . . . 80
Yellow symbols on central display . . . . . . . 82
T Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
The danger of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . 21 The environment
Heated rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Warming up the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . 303
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206, 297 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Notes on towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206, 207
Removable towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Technical requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Towing bracket, fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Towing eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Towing eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Tow starting General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Traction control system How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Traction control system (ASR) warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Trailer weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Trip recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Turn signal lamps Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Trailer turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Tyre mobility system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 Tyre Mobility System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tyre pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69, 93, 249
Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Tyre pressure monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Tyre pressure monitoring system . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Tyre repair kit Tyre Mobility System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tyres and wheels Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Tyres service life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Tyres tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Tyres with directional tread pattern . . . . . . . . 249
U Underbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Upholstery Treating your upholstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
V
Vehicle care synthetic leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Treating your upholstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Vehicle data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Vehicle keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Vehicle maintenance electrically adjustable seats . . . . . . . . . . . 224
heated seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
320 Index