2012 Seat Ibiza SC maintenance

Foreword
This Instruction Manual and its corresponding supplements should be read carefully to familiarise yourself
with your vehicle.
Besides the regular care and maintenance of the vehicle, its correct handling will help preserve its value.
For safety reasons, always note the information concerning accessories, modifications and part replace-
ments.
If selling the vehicle, give all of the on-board documentation to the new owner, as it should be kept with the
vehicle.

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Belt tensioners* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Deactivating airbags* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Securing child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 LPG system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Digital instrument panel display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Steering column controls* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Audio Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Audio + Telephone Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Radio frequency remote control* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Anti-theft alarm system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Panoramic tilting sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Rear view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Seats and storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . 112
The importance of correct seat adjustment . . . . . 112
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Storage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Ashtrays, cigarette lighter and power socket . . . 122
First-aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher* 124
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Starting and stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Start-Stop function* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Automatic gearbox* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Acoustic parking aid system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Cruise speed* (Cruise control system) . . . . . . . . 158
Practical Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Anti-lock brake system and traction control ABS 163
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)* . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Driving and the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Running-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Economical and environmentally friendly driving 169
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . 174
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Care of the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Vehicle interior maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
3
Table of Contents

6Content
Content
This manual is structured to provide the information you need in an organ-
ised way. The content of this Manual is divided into sections which belong
to chapters (e.g. “Air conditioning”). The entire manual is divided into five
large parts which are:
1. Safety First Information about the vehicle equipment relating to passive safety such as
seat belts, airbags, seats, etc.
2. Operating instructions
Information about the distribution of controls in the driver position of your
vehicle, about the seat adjustment possibilities, about how to create a suit-
able climate in the vehicle interior, etc.
3. Practical Tips Advice relating to the driving, caring and maintenance of your vehicle and
certain problems you can solve yourself.
4. Technical specifications
Figures, values and the dimensions of your vehicle.
5. Alphabetic index
At the end of this manual there is a detailed alphabetical index, this will
help you to quickly find the information you require. 

31
Airbag system
Monitoring of airbag and belt tensioner system
Both the airbag and belt tensioner systems operation is constantly moni-
tored electronically. The control lamp  will light up for a few seconds every
time the ignition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
The system must be checked when the control lamp  :
● does not light up when the ignition is switched on
● turns off after 4 seconds after 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 airbag system inspected immediately by a specialised workshop.
If any of the airbags are disabled by a Technical Service, the warning lamp
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.
● Any work on the airbag system or removal and installation of the air-
bag components for other repairs (such as repairs to the steering wheel)
should be performed only by a specialised workshop. Specialised work-
shops have the necessary tools, repair information and qualified person-
nel.
● We strongly recommend you to go to a specialised workshop for all
work on the airbag system.
● Never attempt to alter the front bumper or the body.
● The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them
once they have deployed. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

62Cockpit
The service interval display only indicates the dates of services that include
engine oil change. The dates of all other services, such as Inspection Serv-
ice or brake fluid change, appear in the sticker on the door pillar or in the
Maintenance Programme.
Vehicles with service intervals dependent on time/distance travelled al-
ready have certain service intervals set.
The intervals are calculated separately in vehicles with LongLife service.
Technical progress has made it possible to considerably reduce servicing re-
quirements. With the LongLife System, SEAT ensures that your vehicle only
has an interval service when it is necessary. To calculate this (max. two
years), the conditions under which the vehicle is used and the individual
driving style are also taken into account. The service pre-warning will ap-
pear at 20 days or less prior to the corresponding service. The distance trav-
elled is rounded off to the nearest 100 km (miles) and the time to full days.
The current service message can only be consulted 500 km (miles) or more
after the last service. Until that time, only dashes are displayed.
Service warning
A service warning will appear when the ignition is switched on if a service is
due soon.
The instrument panel display will show the “spanner symbol”  and the
“km (miles)” indication, along with a clock symbol with the days remaining
until the date of the next service. The figure indicated is the maximum num-
ber of kilometres (miles) remaining before the date of the next service. The
indication changes after a few seconds. A “clock symbol” appears and the
number of days until the service appointment should be carried out.
Service
If a service is due, an audible warning will sound and the flashing “span-
ner”  symbol will be shown along with the fixed text SERVICE.
If no service is carried out following the indication on the instrument panel,
the excess distance travelled and the excess time following the SERVICE
warning will be displayed. Reading the service message
The current service message
can be consulted with the ignition on, the en-
gine switched off and the vehicle at a standstill:
● Press the 
button on the instrument panel as often as necessary until
the spanner symbol  is displayed.
An overdue service is indicated by a minus sign in front of the mileage or
day information.
Resetting service interval display
If the service was not performed by a SEAT dealership, the display must be
reset as follows:
● Switch the ignition off.
● Press and hold the 0.0 / SET
button.
● Switch ignition back on.
● Release the 0.0 / SET
button and press the  button within 20 seconds.
Do not reset the display between service intervals, as the display will other-
wise be incorrect.
If the display is reset manually, the next service interval will be indicated af-
ter 15 000 km (10 000 miles) or one year and will not be calculated individ-
ually.
Note
In LongLife Service vehicles, if the battery is disconnected for a long period,
the days remaining until the next service cannot be calculated. Therefore,
the service message indications may be incorrect. In this case, bear in mind
the maximum service intervals permitted in the ⇒ Booklet Maintenance Pro-
gramme. 

135
Air conditioning
Air recirculation mode
Air recirculation mode prevents fumes or unpleasant smells
from coming from the outside. – Press the button 
to switch air recirculation mode on or off.
This is ON if the symbol  ⇒ Fig. 95 is displayed on the screen.
Air recirculation mode prevents strong odours in the ambient air from enter-
ing the vehicle interior, for example when passing through a tunnel or in a
traffic jam.
When the outside temperature is low, air recirculation mode improves heat-
ing performance by heating air from the interior instead of cold air from the
outside.
When the outside temperature is high, air recirculation mode improves cool-
ing performance by cooling air from the interior instead of warm air from
outside.
For safety reasons, the air recirculation should not be switched on when the
air distribution control is set to the windscreen setting .
WARNING
In air recirculation mode, no cold air from the outside enters the vehicle
interior. If the air conditioner is switched off, the windows can quickly
mist over. Therefore, never leave the air recirculation mode switched on
for a long time (risk of accident).
Note
When engaging reverse gear, the air recirculation is connected automatical-
ly to prevent the entrance of exhaust gases in the vehicle on travelling back-
wards. In this case the symbol 
for air recirculation is not displayed. General notes
Pollution filter
The pollution filter (a combined particulate filter and active carbon filter)
serves as a barrier against impurities in the outside air, including dust and
pollen.
For the air conditioner to work with maximum efficiency, the pollution filter
must be replaced at the specified intervals in the Maintenance Programme.
If the filter loses efficiency prematurely due to use in areas reaching very
high pollution levels, the pollen filter must be changed more frequently
than stated in the Service Schedule.
CAUTION
● If you suspect that the air conditioner is damaged, switch it off with but-
ton AC
to prevent further damage and have it checked by a specialised
workshop.
● Repairs to the air conditioner require specialist knowledge and special
tools. Therefore, we recommend you to take the vehicle to a specialised
workshop.
Note
● If the humidity and temperature outside the vehicle are high, condensa-
tion can drip off the evaporator in the cooling system and so forming a pud-
dle underneath the vehicle. This is completely normal and there is no need
to suspect a leak.
● Keep the air intake slots in front of the windscreen free of snow, ice and
leaves to ensure heating and cooling are not impaired, and to prevent the
windows from misting over.
● The air from the vents flows through the vehicle interior and is extracted
by slots designed for this purpose. Therefore, do not cover these slots with
items of clothing or other objects. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

167
Driving and the environment
Driving and the environment
Running-in Running in a new engine
The engine needs to be run in over the first 1500 km (1000
miles).
Up to 1000 kilometres (600 miles)
– Do not drive at speeds of more than 2/3 the maximum speed.
– Do not accelerate hard.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.
From 1000 to 1500 kilometres (600 to 900 miles)
– Speeds can be gradually increased to the maximum road speed
or maximum permissible engine speed (rpm).
During its first few hours of running, the internal friction in the engine is
greater than later on, when all the moving parts have bedded in.
For the sake of the environment
If the engine is run in gently, its life will be increased and its oil consump-
tion reduced. Braking capacity and braking distance
The braking capacity and braking distance are influenced by
driving situations and road conditions.
The efficiency of the brakes depends directly on the
brake pad wear. The
rate of wear of the brake pads depends to a great extent on the conditions
under which the vehicle is operated and the way the vehicle is driven. If you
often drive in town, drive short distances or have a sporty driving style, we
recommend that you have the thickness of your brake pads checked by a
Technical Service more frequently than recommended in the Maintenance
Programme.
If you drive with wet brakes, for example, after crossing areas of water, in
heavy rainfall or even after washing the vehicle, the effect of the brakes is
lessened as the brake discs are wet or even frozen (in winter). In this case
the brakes should be dried by pressing the brake pedal several times.
WARNING
Longer braking distances and faults in the brake system increase the risk
of accidents.
● New brake pads must be run in and do not have the correct friction
during the first 200 km (120 miles). However, the reduced braking ca-
pacity may be compensated by pressing on the brake pedal a little hard-
er. This also applies when the brake pads have to be changed further on.
● If brakes are wet or frozen, or if you are driving on roads which have
been salted, braking power may be lower than normal. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

169
Driving and the environment
Diesel engine particulate filter*
The diesel engine particulate filter eliminates soot produced
by burning diesel.
Fig. 116 Vehicle data
sticker on back cover of
the Maintenance Pro-
gramme
Your vehicle is fitted with a DPF (Diesel particulate filter) if the vehicle data
sticker (back cover of the “Maintenance Programme”) lists the PR code 7GG
or 7MG ⇒ Fig. 116.
The diesel engine particulate filter eliminates most of the soot from the ex-
haust gas system. Under normal driving conditions, the filter cleans itself. If
the driving conditions do not allow the filter to clean itself (for example,
multiple short trips) the filter will be obstructed by dust and pollen and the
warning lamp  for the diesel engine particulate filter will light up. This
does not represent a fault, it is a warning that indicates that the filter has
not been able to regenerate automatically and that you must carry out a
cleaning cycle, as indicated in ⇒ page 68.
WARNING
● The diesel engine particulate filter may reach extremely high temper-
atures; the vehicle should be parked so that the exhaust pipe does not
come into contact with flammable materials underneath the vehicle. Oth-
erwise there is a risk of fire.
CAUTION
● Your vehicle is not designed to use biodiesel fuel. Never, under any cir-
cumstances refuel with biodiesel. The use of biodiesel fuel could damage
the engine and the fuel system. The addition of biodiesel to diesel by the
diesel producer in accordance with standard EN 590 is authorised and will
not cause damage to the engine or the fuel system.
● Using diesel fuel with a high sulphur content may significantly reduce
the useful life of the diesel particulate filter. Your Technical Service will be
able to tell you which countries have diesel with a high sulphur content. 
Economical and environmentally friendly
driving
Economical and environmentally friendly driving
Fuel consumption, environmental pollution and wear to the engine, brakes
and tyres depends in large part on your driving style. By adopting an eco-
nomical driving style and anticipating the traffic situation ahead, you can
easily reduce fuel consumption by 10-15%. Some tips on how to help you
reduce pollution while saving money are listed below.
Drive anticipating the traffic situation
A vehicle uses most fuel when accelerating. When you anticipate the situa-
tion, you have to brake less often and, thus, accelerate less. If it is possible, 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications