2012 Seat Exeo ST ignition

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? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Knee airbag* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Side airbags* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Deactivating airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Securing child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Operating Instructions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Warning and indicator lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Driver information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Auto-check system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Speed warning*  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Onboard computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Menu display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Tyre pressure monitoring* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Multifunction steering wheel* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Unlocking and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Remote control keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Childproof lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Remote control key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Anti-theft alarm system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Sliding/tilting sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rear view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Seats and storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . 135
Manual adjustment of the front seats . . . . . . . . . 135
Electric adjustment of front seats* . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Lumbar support* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Driver seat memory* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Armrests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Roof rack / roof rails* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Drink holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Ashtray*, cigarette lighter* and electric sockets* . .154
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Starting and stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Start-Stop function* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Parking aid acoustic system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Cruise speed* (Cruise control system) . . . . . . . . 183
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Automatic gearbox* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Practical Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Servotronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Driving and the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Running-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Economical and environmentally friendly driving 203
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
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Table of Contents

19
Seat belts
Seat belts
Brief introduction Before driving: remember your seat belt!
Wearing a seat belt properly can save your life!
In this chapter you will learn the importance of wearing seat belts,
how they work and how to properly fasten, adjust and wear them.
– Read and consider all the information as well as the warnings in
this chapter.
WARNING
● If seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at all, the risk of severe inju-
ries increases.
● Properly worn seat belts can reduce severe injuries in case of sudden
braking manoeuvres or accidents. For safety reasons, you and your pas-
sengers must always wear the seat belts properly while the vehicle is
moving.
● Pregnant women or people with physical disabilities must also use
seat belts. Like all other passengers, these people can also sustain se-
vere injuries if they are not wearing their seat belts properly.

Number of seats
Your vehicle has five seats, two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat
is equipped with a three-point seat belt. In some versions, your vehicle is approved
only for four seats. Two front
seats and two rear seats.
WARNING
● More people than available seats must never be transported in your
vehicle.
● Every passenger in the vehicle must properly fasten and wear the
seat belt belonging to his or her seat. Children must be protected with an
appropriate child restraint system.

Seat belt warning lamp* 
The warning lamp acts as a reminder to the driver to fasten
the seat belt.
Before starting the vehicle:
– Fasten your seat belt securely.
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their seat belts properly be-
fore driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat according to the child's
height and weight.
After switching on the ignition, the warning lamp  will remain lit until the
driver and front passenger (if applicable) have fastened their seat belts.
When the vehicle has reached a certain speed, you will also hear a warning
signal and the warning light will flash. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

31
Airbag system
Warning lamp for airbag and seat belt tensioner 
This warning lamp monitors the airbag and seat belt ten-
sioner system.
The warning lamp monitors all airbags and seat belt tensioners in the vehi-
cle, including control units and wiring connections.
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 every time the ignition is
switched on until you attach your seatbelt.
The system must be checked when the warning lamp  :
● does not light up when the ignition is switched on,
● 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 system inspected immediately by a specialised workshop.
If any of the airbags are de-activated by the Technical Service, 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. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

33
Airbag system
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.
Fig. 17 Driver airbag in
the steering wheel and
knee airbag in the dash
panel
Fig. 18 Front passenger
airbag located in dash
panel The front airbag for the driver is located in the steering wheel
⇒ Fig. 17 and
the airbag for the front passenger is located in the dash panel ⇒ Fig. 18. Air-
bags are identified by the word “AIRBAG”. On the driver side, the knee air-
bag* is found in the footwell lining, under the instrument panel.
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 36, 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.
Therefore, 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 for your safety
⇒ page 19, Brief introduction.
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 knee airbag* for the driver,
● 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
● turns off and then lights up again after the ignition is switched on,
● lights up or flashes while the vehicle is moving. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

34Airbag system
The front airbag system will not be triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision,
● there is a side collision,
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over
WARNING
● The seat belts and airbags can only provide maximum protection if
the occupants are seated correctly ⇒ page 10, Proper sitting position for
occupants.
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system, have the system checked
immediately by a specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a frontal colli-
sion the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.
 Operation of front airbags
Inflated airbags reduce the risk of head or chest injury.
Fig. 19 Inflated front air-
bags
The airbag system is designed so that the airbags for the driver and front
passenger are triggered in a severe frontal collision.
In certain types of accident the front, curtain and side airbags may be trig-
gered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbags fill with a propellant gas and de-
ploy in front of the driver and front passenger ⇒ Fig. 19. The fully deployed
airbags cushion the forward movement of the front occupants and help to
reduce the risk of injury to the head and the upper part of the body.
The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag. After the collision, the
airbag deflates sufficiently to allow visibility.
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within thousandths of a second, to
provide additional protection in the event of an accident. A fine dust may 

37
Airbag system
that the airbag system can only help to protect you if you are wearing your
seat belt and wearing it properly.
Remember too that airbags will deploy only once and only in certain kinds
of accidents - your seat belts are always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
already deployed, for example when your vehicle strikes or is struck by an-
other after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is not a substitute for the seat
belt. The airbag system works most effectively when used with the seat
belts. Therefore, always wear your seat belts correctly.
It is important to remember that while the airbag system is designed to re-
duce the possibility of serious injuries, other injuries, for example, swelling,
bruising, and minor abrasions can also be associated with airbags.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
● The electronic control module
● One inflatable airbag (airbag and gas generator) for the driver
● An airbag indicator light on the instrument panel
The knee airbag system will not be triggered:
● if the ignition is switched off
● in frontal collisions when the deceleration measured by the control unit
is too low
● in side collisions
● in rear-end collisions
● in rollovers
● in the event of a system malfunction (hazard warning lights/turn signals
illuminated) ⇒ page 67.
WARNING
● Seat belts and the airbag system can only provide protection when
occupants are in the proper seating position.
● If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately by your Technical Service. The
airbag may not work properly when the vehicle acceleration in a side col-
lision is high enough to deploy the airbag. See also ⇒ page 67.

How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is reduced by fully deployed
knee airbags.
Fig. 22 Inflated airbags
protect in a frontal colli-
sion.
The knee airbag system has been designed so that the airbag for the driver
is deployed in certain but not all frontal collisions.
If the front airbag deploys, the knee airbag also deploys in severe frontal
collisions. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

39
Airbag system
Side airbags* Description of side airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.
Fig. 23 Side airbag in
driver seat
The front side airbags are located in the driver seat and front passenger
seat backrests ⇒ Fig. 23. The rear side airbags* are located in the rear
wheel housing lining. The locations are identified by the text “AIRBAG” in
the upper region of the backrests and in the rear wheel housing lining.
Together with the seat belts, the side airbag system gives the front seat oc-
cupants additional protection for the upper body in the event of a severe
side collision ⇒ page 41, Safety notes on the operation of the side airbag system.
In a side collision, the side airbags reduce the risk of injury to passengers
on the front seats to the areas of the body facing the impact. In addition to
their normal function of protecting the occupants in a collision, the seat
belts also hold the passengers in the front seats and the outer rear seats in
a position where the side airbags can provide maximum protection. 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. Therefore, 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
for your safety
⇒ page 19, Brief introduction.
The side airbag system will not be triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a frontal collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over
The main parts of the airbag system are:
● an electronic control and monitoring system (control unit)
● The front side airbags in the backrests of the front seats and the rear
side airbags in the lining of the rear wheel housing
● a warning lamp  on the instrument panel ⇒ page 31
The airbag system operation is monitored electronically. The airbag warning
lamp will light up for approx. 4 seconds every time the ignition is switched
on (self-diagnosis).
WARNING
● In a side collision, the side airbags will not work, if the sensors do
not correctly measure the pressure increase on the interior of the doors,
due to air escaping through the areas with holes or openings in the door
panel.
● Never drive the vehicle if the interior panels have been removed.
● Never drive if the interior door panels have been removed or if the
panels have not been correctly fitted. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

42Airbag system
Curtain airbags
Description of curtain airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.
Fig. 25 Location of head
airbags on the left side of
the vehicle
The curtain airbags are located on both sides in the interior above the doors
⇒  Fig. 25 and are identified with the text “AIRBAG”.
In conjunction with the seat belts, the curtain airbag system gives the occu-
pants additional protection for the head and upper body in the event of a
severe side collision ⇒ page 43, Safety notes on the operation of the cur-
tain airbag system.
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.
Therefore, 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 for your safety
⇒  page 19, Brief introduction. The main parts of the curtain airbag system are:
●
an electronic control and monitoring system (control unit)
● the curtain airbags (airbags with gas generator) for the driver, front pas-
senger and passengers on the rear seats,
● a warning lamp  on the instrument panel ⇒ page 31
The airbag system operation is monitored electronically.
The curtain airbag system will not be triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a frontal collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over
● there is a minor side collisionWARNING
If a fault has occurred in the airbag system, have the system checked im-
mediately by a specialised workshop. Otherwise there is a danger that
during a collision, the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.
