
147
Driving
Automatic gearbox*
Gearbox programmes
The automatic gearbox has got two gearbox programmes.
Fig. 103 Automatic gear-
box
Selecting the normal programme
– Put the selector lever into position D.
Selecting the sport programme
– Put the selector lever into position S.
If you select the normal programme, D, you will drive in the economy mode,
i.e. the programme is designed to reduce fuel consumption. The gearbox
changes up into a higher gear as soon as possible and down into a lower
gear as late as possible.
If you select the sport programme, S, you will drive in a sporty mode, i.e. a
programme in which shifts into high gears are postponed in order to use
the full power of the engine. Selector lever lock
The selector lever lock in position P or N prevents gears from
being engaged inadvertently, which would cause the vehicle
to move.
Fig. 104 Automatic gear-
box
Fig. 105 Automatic
gearbox: Instrument
panel display
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

151
Driving
Changing gear in tiptronic mode
– Press the selector lever from position D to the right into the tip-
tronic selector gate.
– Lightly press the selector lever forward + to change up into high
gears.
– Lightly press the selector lever backwards - to change down into
low gears.
Changing gear with the steering wheel paddle levers*
– Press the right paddle lever +
towards the steering wheel to
change up ⇒ Fig. 108.
– Press the left paddle lever –
towards the steering wheel to
change down ⇒ Fig. 108.
Using the paddle levers on the steering wheel, you can access manual driv-
ing mode regardless of the pre-selected driving mode.
General information about driving in tiptronic mode
When accelerating, the automatic gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox goes
into a higher gear a little before the engine reaches its maximum permitted
revolutions.
If a lower gear is selected, the automatic gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox
will only change down when the engine cannot go over its maximum permit-
ted revolutions.
If tiptronic is selected whilst the vehicle is in motion and the automatic
gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox is in third gear and selector lever position
D, tiptronic mode will then also be in third gear. Changing gears in the normal or sport programme using the steering wheel
paddle levers
If the paddle levers
⇒ Fig. 108 are used in the normal or sport programme,
the system switches temporarily to tiptronic mode. To exit “tiptronic” mode
again, press the right paddle lever +
towards the steering wheel for approx-
imately one second. You will also leave tiptronic mode if the paddle levers
are not moved for a certain time.
Note
● The gear paddle levers on the steering wheel can be operated with the
selector lever in any position and with the vehicle in motion.
Selector lever positions
The selector lever positions and gears are shown on the in-
strument panel display.
Fig. 109 Automatic
gearbox: Instrument
panel display
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

152Driving
Selector lever positions
The selected gear is displayed on the side of the selector lever and on the
instrument panel display. The currently selected gear for the automatic
gearbox will also be shown on the display.
Tiptronic gear indicator
If the automatic gearbox is shifted manually, the selected gears are shown
on the screen.
P - parking lock
When the selector lever is in this position, the driven wheels are locked me-
chanically.
Position P on the lever must only be selected if the vehicle is stationary.
To move selector lever from position P, the locking button on the selector
lever handle must be pressed and the brake pedal depressed at the same
time while the ignition is switched on.
To put the selector lever in position P, simply press the lock button down
and, if necessary, depress the brake pedal down.
R - Reverse gear
The reverse gear is engaged in this position.
Reverse gear must be engaged only when the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is idling.
To move the selector lever to position R, press the lock button down and, at
the same time, press the brake pedal down, with the ignition switched on.
With the selector lever in position R and the ignition switched on the follow-
ing occurs:
● Reverse lights light up.
● The air conditioner automatically changes the air recirculation mode. ●
The wiper starts if the windscreen washer is on.
● The parking distance warning system switches on.*
N - Neutral (idling)
If this position is selected, the gearbox is in neutral. Power is not transmit-
ted to the wheels and the engine does not have a braking function.
Never use the N position to drive down a hill. The engine does not function
as a brake and the brakes are subjected to excessive stain.
You could damage the automatic gearbox if you drive down hills with the
gearbox lever in position N and the engine switched off.
D - Drive (forward)
In this position the gearbox automatically changes to a lower or higher gear,
according to the engine's requirements, the driving style and speed. The
braking effect of the engine when driving downhill is very limited when the
selector is in this position. The instrument panel display shows the selected
gear as well as the selector lever in position D.
If position N has been selected and you wish to select D, you must press the
foot brake if the vehicle is stationary, or travelling at under 5 km/h (3 mph).
S - Standard driving position (Sport programme)
When the selector lever is in position S, it will automatically change up into
a higher gear later, and change down into a low gear, if compared with posi-
tion D. This way, it is possible to take full advantage of the engine reserve
power, depending on the engine demand, driving style and speed. The
braking effect of the engine when driving downhill is very limited. On the
instrument panel display the selected gear is shown as well as the selector
lever to position S.
To select gear range S, press the lock button on the selector lever.

196Checking and refilling levels
WARNING (Continued)
● Wait until no more steam, smoke or coolant is emitted from the bon-
net, then carefully open the bonnet.
● When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 193.
Closing the bonnet
– Slightly raise the bonnet
– Release the bonnet stay and replace it in its support.
– At a height of about 30 cm let it fall so it is locked.
If the bonnet does not close, do not press downwards. Open it once more
and let it fall as before.
WARNING
If the bonnet is not closed properly, it could open while you are driving
and completely obscure your view of the road. Risk of accident.
● After closing the bonnet, always check that it is properly secured. The
bonnet must be flush with the surrounding body panels.
● If you notice that the bonnet latch is not secured when the vehicle is
moving, stop the vehicle immediately and close the bonnet properly.
Risk of accident.
Engine oil
General notes
The engine comes with a special, multi-grade oil that can be used all year
round.
Because the use of high-quality oil is essential for the correct operation of
the engine and its long useful life, when topping up or changing oil, use on-
ly those oils that comply with 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.
We recommend that the oil change, indicated in the Maintenance Pro-
gramme, be performed by a Technical Service or a specialised workshop.
The correct oil specifications for your engine are listed in ⇒ page 197, Oil
properties.
Service intervals
Service intervals can be flexible (LongLife service) or fixed (dependent on
time/distance travelled).
If the PR code that appears on the back of the “Maintenance Programme”
booklet is QG1, this means that your vehicle has the LongLife service pro-
grammed. If it has the codes QG0 or QG2 the interval service is dependent
on time/distance travelled.
Flexible service intervals (LongLife service intervals*)
Special oils and processes have been developed which, depending on the
characteristics and individual driving profiles, enable the extension of the
oil change service (LongLife service intervals).

206Checking and refilling levels
Brake fluid
Checking the brake fluid level
The brake fluid is checked at the intervals given in the serv-
ice schedule.
Fig. 132 In the engine
compartment: Brake fluid
reservoir cover
– Read off the fluid level at the transparent brake fluid reservoir. It
should always be between the “MIN” and “MAX” marks.
The position of the brake fluid reservoir is shown in the corresponding en-
gine compartment illustration ⇒ page 251. The brake fluid reservoir has a
black and yellow cap.
The brake fluid level drops slightly when the vehicle is being used as the
brake pads are automatically adjusted as they wear.
However, if the level goes down noticeably in a short time, or drops below
the “MIN” mark, there may be a leak in the brake system. A display on the
instrument panel will warn you if the brake fluid level is too low ⇒ page 63.
WARNING
Before opening the bonnet to check the brake fluid level, read and ob-
serve the warnings ⇒ page 193.
Changing the brake fluid
The Maintenance Programme indicates the brake fluid
change intervals. We recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by a Technical Serv-
ice.
Before opening the bonnet, please read and follow the warnings ⇒
in
Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment on page 193 in
section “Safety notes for working in the engine compartment”.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. In the course of time, it will absorb water from
the ambient air. If the water content in the brake fluid is too high, the brake
system could corrode. This also considerably reduces the boiling point of
the brake fluid. Heavy use of the brakes may then cause a vapour lock
which could impair the braking effect.
Be sure to always use the correct brake fluid. Only use brake fluid that ex-
pressly meets VW 501 14 standards.
You can buy VW 501 14 standard brake fluid in a SEAT dealership or SEAT
Official Service. If none is available, use only high quality brake fluid that
meets DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4 standards, or USA Standards FMVSS 116 DOT
4.
Using any other kind of brake fluid or one that is not of a high quality may
affect operation of the brake system and reduce its effectiveness. Never use
a brake fluid if the container does not state that it complies with VW 501 14,
DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4 standards, or USA standards FMVSS 116 DOT 4.

208Checking and refilling levels
WARNING (Continued)
● Fires, sparks, open flames and smoking are prohibited. When han-
dling cables and electrical equipment, avoid causing sparks and electro-
static charge. Never short the battery terminals. High-energy sparks can
cause injury.
● A highly explosive mixture of gases is released when the battery is
under charge. The batteries should be charged in a well-ventilated room
only.
● Keep children away from acid and batteries.
● Before working on the electrical system, you must switch off the en-
gine, the ignition and all consumers. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected. When a light bulb is changed, you need only
switch off the light.
● Deactivate the anti-theft alarm by unlocking the vehicle before you
disconnect the battery! The alarm will otherwise be triggered.
● When disconnecting the battery from the vehicle on-board network,
disconnect first the negative cable and then the positive cable.
● Switch off all electrical consumers before reconnecting the battery.
Reconnect first the positive cable and then the negative cable. Never re-
verse the polarity of the connections. This could cause an electrical fire.
● Never charge a frozen battery, or one which has thawed. This could
result in explosions and chemical burns. Always replace a battery which
has frozen. A flat battery can freeze at temperatures around 0°C.
● Ensure that the vent hose is always connected to the battery.
● Never use a defective battery. This could cause an explosion. Replace
a damaged battery immediately.
● For vehicles with the battery in the luggage compartment: Check that
the battery gas ventilation hose is securely attached.CAUTION
● Never disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched on or if the en-
gine is running. This could damage the electrical system or electronic com-
ponents.
● Do not expose the battery to direct sunlight over a long period of time,
as the intense ultraviolet radiation can damage the battery housing.
● If the vehicle is left standing in cold conditions for a long period, protect
the battery from freezing. If it freezes it will be damaged.
Checking the electrolyte level
The electrolyte level should be checked regularly in high-
mileage vehicles, in hot countries and in older batteries. – Open the engine bonnet and the battery cover ⇒
in Safety in-
structions on working in the engine compartment on page 194
⇒
in Warnings on handling the battery on page 207. For vehi-
cles with the battery under the spare wheel, open the rear lid
and lift the floor covering. The battery is located next to the
spare wheel.
– Check the colour display in the "magic eye" on the top of the
battery.
– If there are air bubbles in the window, tap the window gently
until they disperse.
The position of the battery is shown in the corresponding engine compart-
ment diagram ⇒ page 251. The location of the battery in the luggage com-
partment can be seen in ⇒ Fig. 175.
The “magic eye” indicator, located on the top of the battery changes colour,
depending on the charge state and electrolyte level of the battery.

Engine oil pressurecontrol lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Environmental friendliness . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Environmentally friendly driving . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Environmental tip Avoiding pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71, 164 see also Electronic Stability Control . . . . . 138
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
External aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
F
Fabric trim cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Fog lights bulb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Fog lights with cornering function . . . . . . . . . 100
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Front ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Front drink holder* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Front interior light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Front passenger airbag deactivation . . . . . . . . 40
Front reading light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Front seat adjustment Lumbar support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Fuel
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169, 248
Fuel level Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Fuel tank see Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Fuel Tank Opening the fuel tank flap . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Fuel: save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
G
Gear shift pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
General overview of the engine compartment 251
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Glove compartment light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Glow plug system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
H
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
HBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Headlight flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Headlights
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Headlight washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Head restraints Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113, 114
Adjustment of the head restraint angle . . 114
Removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Heated exterior mirrors* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Heated front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Heated rear window Heating element wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Heating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
High pressure cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Hill-start assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
How to jump start description . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Hydraulic Brake Assist Automatic hazard warning lights activa-tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
I
Identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Identification plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Ignition key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Information in the multifunction display Memory displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Instrument and switch lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Instrument lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
272 Index

Instrument panelService interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Interior rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Interval wipe, windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
J
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Jump leads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
K
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
L Leather cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Leaving Home function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Load compartment in the luggage compart- ment
see Loading the luggage compartment . . . 16
Loading the luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . 16
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
LPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56, 142, 189
LPG system Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Filler neck adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Level indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
see also Loading the luggage compartment . .16
Luggage compartment light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Luggage compartment light* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
M
Main beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97, 103
Main beam headlights control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Maintenance Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Manual heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Manual heating system Defrosting the windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Demisting the windscreen and side win-dows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
MFI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Mirrors Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Interior rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
vanity mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Mobile phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Multifunction display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
N
Number of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 O
Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Octane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Oil change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
One-touch opening and closing Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Opening and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Operation when a fault occurs panoramic/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Outside temperature indicator . . . . . . . . . . 58, 60
Overview Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 66
Dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 66
P
Paintwork Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Panoramic sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Parking lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Passenger see Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
273
Index