2012 Seat Exeo ST oil level

Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Removable towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . 216
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Care of the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Vehicle interior maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Accessories, replacement of parts and
modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Accessories and spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Mobile phones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Athermic windscreen* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades . . . . 241
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
If and when . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tools, tyre repair kit and spare wheel . . . . . . . . . 259
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Tyre repair* (Tyre-Mobility-System) . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Changing bulbs. Halogen headlights . . . . . . . . . 273
Changing bulbs. Bi-Xenon AFS headlights . . . . . 279
Changing tail light bulbs (on side panel) . . . . . . 283
Changing tail light bulbs (on rear lid) . . . . . . . . . 288
Side turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Luggage compartment lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Registration light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Sun visor light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Towing and tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Description of specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Information on fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Engine specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Dimensions and capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
4Table of Contents

66Cockpit
CHECK button
Fig. 43 Detailed view of
the instrument panel:
CHECK button
The CHECK
button has the following functions:
Activating the digital clock and the odometer
When the ignition is switched off, the odometer and the digital clock with
date display can be enabled for a few seconds by pressing the CHECK
but-
ton ⇒ Fig. 43.
Starting check procedure (auto-check control)
The auto-check control ⇒ page 78 checks important components and ve-
hicle systems. These background checks are run constantly, as long as the
ignition is switched on.
You can start the “check procedure” manually by pressing the CHECK
button
with the ignition switched on. This function check can be started with the
engine either stationary or running, but not at road speeds above 5 km/h.
Calling up driver messages
If a Priority 1 symbol flashes in the display ⇒ page 78, or if the bulb moni-
tor detects a failure of one of the lights ⇒ page 85, the relevant driver in- formation can be called up again by briefly pressing the
CHECK
button. For
example:
Switch off engine, check oil level
The message will disappear from the display after about 5 seconds.
Setting the speed warning
You can press the CHECK
button to set speed limit warning 1
⇒ page 86,
Setting speed limit warning 1 while the vehicle is moving . Speed limit warn-
ing 2* ⇒ page 87, Setting speed limit warning 2 can only be set when the
ignition is switched off . 

79
Cockpit
The red symbol indicates danger, whereas the yellow one represents a
warning. Additional messages for the driver may be shown with the red or
yellow symbols. 
Driver messages
Additional messages for the driver are displayed together
with the warning symbols on the instrument panel.
Fig. 53 Instrument pan-
el: CHECK button
Driver messages and red symbols
If a red warning symbol appears on the display, you can press the CHECK
button ⇒ Fig. 53 to call up an additional driver message.
For example: in the event of an oil pressure malfunction, the oil pressure
symbol
 will appear in the display. If you now press the CHECK
button,
the following message will appear in the display:
Switch off engine, check oil level The message will disappear from the display after about 5 seconds. If re-
quired, the message can be called up again by briefly pressing the
CHECK
button.
Driver messages and yellow symbols
If a yellow warning symbol appears in the display, it will automatically be
accompanied by the corresponding driver message.
For example, the symbol
 is displayed to indicate that the windscreen
washer fluid level is low. In addition, the following message will appear:
Top up washer fluid
The message will disappear after a few seconds. If required, the message
can be called up again by briefly pressing the CHECK
button.
Note
● The messages handbrake on and when stationary apply footbrake to se-
lect gear cannot be called up a second time. They will remain in the display
until the handbrake is released or until a gear is selected. 
Handbrake warning
– Release the handbrake.
If you drive by mistake with the handbrake still applied, you will hear a
warning buzzer and the display will show the message: Handbrake on
The handbrake warning switches on after driving for 3 seconds at speeds
above 5 km/h. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

80Cockpit
Red symbols
A red symbol warns of a danger.
Fig. 54 Display: Coolant
level warning
– Stop the vehicle.
– Switch the engine off.
– Check the fault. Obtain professional assistance if necessary.

BRAKESBrake fluid required or
brake system fault⇒ page 80

COOLANTCoolant level too low / coolant tem-
perature too high⇒ page 81

OIL PRES- SUREEngine oil pressure too low⇒ page 81
The red symbols are used to indicate a Priority 1 fault (serious malfunction).
A red symbol is accompanied by three warning chimes. The symbols will
keep flashing until the faults are corrected. If several Priority 1 faults are de-tected at the same time, the symbols are displayed one after the other for
about 2 seconds.

Fault in the brake system 
A fault in the brake system should be repaired as soon as
possible.
If the symbol  flashes in the display, there is a fault in the brake
system. One of the following messages will appear in the display
together with the symbol:
Stop vehicle, check brake fluid and hydraulic fluid levels
Warning! Fault in brake system (ABS) Take vehicle to workshop
– Stop the vehicle.
– Check the brake fluid level ⇒ page 244.
If the ABS fails, the ABS warning lamp  will light up together with the
brake system fault symbol  ⇒ 
. 

81
Cockpit
WARNING
● Before opening the bonnet and checking the brake fluid level, ob-
serve the warning information in ⇒ page 234, Work in the engine com-
partment.
● If the brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low, this could result in
an accident. Do not drive on! Obtain technical assistance.
● If the brake warning lamp lights up together with the ABS warning
lamp, this can mean that there is a fault in the ABS control function. As a
result, the rear wheels can lock relatively easily when braking. Under cer-
tain circumstances, the rear of the vehicle could suddenly sway from side
to side, with the subsequent danger of skidding. Drive carefully to the
nearest specialised workshop and have the fault repaired.

Fault in the cooling system 
Faults in the cooling system must be repaired immediately.
If the  symbol flashes in the display, this means that either the
coolant temperature is too high or the coolant level is too low. The
following message will appear in the display together with the
symbol:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
– Stop the vehicle.
– Switch the engine off.
– Check the coolant level ⇒ page 239.
– Add more coolant if necessary ⇒ page 240.
– Wait for the symbol to go out before driving on. –
Obtain professional assistance if necessary.
If the coolant level is correct, the overheating may be caused by a malfunc-
tion of the radiator fan.
If the alternator warning lamp lights up as well ⇒ page 72, it is possible that
the drive belt has broken.
CAUTION
Do not drive on if the symbol  has come on to indicate a fault in the cool-
ing system, otherwise there is a risk of engine damage. 
Engine oil pressure too low 
If the engine oil pressure is too low the fault must be re-
paired immediately.
If the  symbol flashes in the display, the oil pressure is too low.
The following message will appear in the display together with the
symbol:
Switch off engine, check oil level
– Stop the vehicle.
– Switch the engine off.
– Check the engine oil level ⇒ page 237.
– Obtain professional assistance if necessary.
Engine oil level too low
If the engine oil level is too low, add more oil ⇒ page 238.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

82Cockpit
Engine oil level correct
If the  symbol flashes and the engine oil level is correct, obtain profes-
sional assistance. Do not drive on! Do not continue to run the engine, even
at idle speed .
Note
The oil pressure warning lamp  is not an indicator for the oil level. The oil
level should therefore be checked regularly, preferably every time you fill
the tank. 
Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol indicates a warning.
Fig. 55 Display: Fuel lev-
el low
Brake light failure warning light⇒ page 83
Fuel level low⇒ page 83
Engine speed governing⇒ page 83
Check engine oil level⇒ page 83
Engine oil sensor faulty*⇒ page 83
Diesel particulate filter* obstructed⇒ page 83
Photosensor/rain sensor faulty⇒ page 84
Brake pad worn⇒ page 84
Speed warning 1⇒ page 84
Dynamic headlight range control* faulty⇒ page 84
Adaptive headlights* faulty⇒ page 84
Washer fluid level low*⇒ page 84
Speed warning 2*⇒ page 84
Battery voltage too high or too low*⇒ page 84
Bulb monitor*⇒ page 85
Tyre pressure monitoring system*
Loss of pressure⇒ page 92
Tyre pressure monitoring system*
System not available⇒ page 69
Start-Stop system fault*⇒ page 178 

83
Cockpit
Yellow symbols are used to indicate a Priority 2 fault (warning).
Yellow symbols are accompanied by one warning buzzer. The function indi-
cated should be checked as soon as possible. If several Priority 2 faults are
detected at the same time, the symbols are displayed one after the other for
about 2 seconds at a time. 
Brake light failure 
This warning light will appear on the upper part of the display if any of the
brake lights has failed. A text message in the central part of the display indi-
cates which brake light has failed (left or right). 
Fuel level low 
When this symbol  comes on for the first time, there are about 8 to 10 li-
tres of fuel left in the tank. You should fill up as soon as possible
⇒  page 230. 
Engine speed governing 
Max. engine speed XXXX rpm
There is a fault in the engine management. In addition, the warning lamp 
on the instrument panel will light up. The engine speed will be governed to
the speed displayed in the driver information system. Please ensure that
the engine speed does not exceed the speed shown (for example, when
changing down a gear).
Take the vehicle to a specialised workshop immediately to have the fault re-
paired. Checking the engine oil level

If the  symbol lights up, please check the engine oil level as soon as pos-
sible ⇒ page 237. Top up the oil at the next opportunity ⇒ page 238.
Engine oil sensor defective* 
If the  symbol lights up, take the vehicle to a specialised workshop and
have the oil level sensor checked. Until then it is advisable to check the oil
level every time you fill up with fuel ⇒ page 237. 
Diesel particulate filter obstructed 
If the symbol  lights up, you can contribute towards automatic filter
cleaning by driving in the right manner. To do this, drive about 15 minutes
in 4th or 5th gear (automatic gearbox: S gear range) at a speed of 60 km/h,
with the engine running at approximately 2000 rpm. The increase in temper-
ature will burn off any soot in the filter. When cleaning is successful, the
symbol switches off.
If the symbol  does not turn off, or the three lamps turn on (particulate
filter , emission control system fault  and heaters ), take the vehicle
to a specialised workshop to repair the fault.
For further information on the diesel particulate filter, see ⇒ page 203.
WARNING
It is essential that you adjust your speed to suit the weather, road, ter-
rain and traffic conditions. The recommended driving speed must never
lead to the driver disregarding the traffic regulations.

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199
Intelligent technology
Faults in the brake system
If the brake pedal travel should ever increase suddenly, this may mean that
one of the two brake circuits has failed. Drive immediately to the nearest
specialised workshop and have the fault repaired. Drive there slowly and re-
member that you will have to apply more pressure on the brake pedal and
allow for longer stopping distances.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is too
low. The brake fluid level is monitored electronically.
WARNING
When applying the brakes to clean off deposits on the pads and discs,
select a clear, dry road. Be sure not to inconvenience or endanger other
road users. Risk of accident.
CAUTION
● Never let the brakes “drag” by leaving your foot on the pedal when it is
not necessary to brake. This overheats the brakes, resulting in longer stop-
ping distances and greater wear.
● Before driving down a long, steep gradient, it is advisable to reduce
speed and change to a lower gear (or move the gear lever to a lower gear
position if your vehicle has automatic transmission). This makes use of en-
gine braking and prolongs the service life of the brakes. If you still have to
use the brakes, it is better to brake firmly at intervals than to apply the
brakes continuously.
Note
If you wish to equip the vehicle with accessories such as a front spoiler or
wheel covers, it is important that the flow of air to the front wheels is not
obstructed, otherwise the brakes can overheat. Brake servo
The brake servo assists the driver when braking
The brake servo increases the pressure you apply to the brake pedal. The
brake servo works only when the engine is running.
WARNING
Ensure the vehicle does not move while in neutral, when the engine is
stopped. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
Note
If the brake servo is not working, e.g. because the vehicle has to be towed
or because it is broken, you will have to press the brake pedal considerably
harder to make up for the lack of servo assistance. 
Power steering
Power steering makes it easier to turn the steering wheel
when the engine is running. Power steering assists the driver by reducing the force needed to turn the
steering wheel.
Power steering does not work if the engine is off. In this case the steering
wheel requires much more force to turn.
If the steering is held at its turning limit when the vehicle is stationary, this
will place an excessive load on the power steering system. Turning the
steering wheel to its limit places a load on the system, which causes noise.
It will also reduce the idling speed of the engine. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications