2012 Seat Ibiza ST cooling

207
Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
Only change the engine oil yourself if you have the specialist knowledge
required!
● Before opening the bonnet, read and observe the warnings
⇒ page 200, Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment.
● Wait for the engine to cool down. Hot oil may cause burn injuries.
● Wear eye protection to avoid injuries, such as acid burns, caused by
splashes of oil.
● When removing the oil drain plug with your fingers, keep your arm
horizontal to help prevent oil from running down your arm.
● Wash your skin thoroughly if it comes into contact with engine oil.
● Engine oil is poisonous! Used oil must be stored in a safe place out of
the reach of children.
CAUTION
No additives should be used with engine oil. This could result in engine
damage. Any damage caused by the use of such additives would not be
covered by the factory warranty.
For the sake of the environment
● Because of the disposal problems, the necessary special tools and spe-
cialist knowledge required, we recommend that you have the engine oil and
filter changed by a Technical Service.
● Never pour oil down drains or into the ground.
● Use a suitable container when draining the used oil. It must be large
enough to hold all the engine oil. Coolant
Engine coolant specifications
The engine cooling system is supplied from the factory with a specially trea-
ted mixture of water and, at least, 40 % of the additive G 13 (TL-VW 774 J).
The engine coolant additive is recognisable by its purple colour. This mix-
ture of water and additive gives the necessary frost protection down to
-25°C (-13°F) and protects the light alloy parts of the cooling system against
corrosion. It also prevents scaling and considerably raises the boiling point
of the coolant.
To protect the engine cooling system, the percentage of additive must al-
ways be at least 40 %, even in warm climates where anti-freeze protection is
not required.
If greater frost protection is required in very cold climates, the proportion of
additive can be increased. However, the percentage of additive should not
exceed 60 %, as this would reduce the frost protection and, in turn, de-
crease the cooling capacity.
When the coolant is topped up, use a mixture of distilled water and, at
least, 40 % of the G 13 or G 12 plus-plus (TL-VW 774 G) additive (both are
purple) to obtain an optimum anticorrosion protection ⇒ 
. The mixture of
G 13 with G 12 plus (TL-VW 774 F), G 12 (red) or G 11 (green-blue) engine
coolants will significantly reduce the anticorrosion protection and should,
therefore be avoided ⇒ 
. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

208Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
If there is not enough anti-freeze in the coolant system, the engine may
fail leading to serious damage.
● Please make sure that the percentage of additive is correct with re-
spect to the lowest expected ambient temperature in the zone in which
the vehicle is to be used.
● When the outside temperature is very low, the coolant could freeze
and the vehicle would be immobilised. In this case, the heating would
not work either and inadequately dressed passengers could die of cold.
CAUTION
The original additives should never be mixed with coolants which are not
approved by SEAT. Otherwise, you run the risk of causing severe damage to
the engine and the engine cooling system.
● If the fluid in the expansion tank is not purple but is, for example,
brown, this indicates that the G 13 additive has been mixed with an inade-
quate coolant. The coolant must be changed as soon as possible if this is
the case! This could result in serious faults and engine damage.
For the sake of the environment
Coolants and additives can contaminate the environment. If any fluids are
spilled, they should be collected and correctly disposed of, with respect to
the environment. Checking the coolant level and topping up

The correct coolant level is important for fault-free function-
ing of the engine cooling system.
Fig. 135 In the engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank cap
Before opening the bonnet, read and observe the warnings ⇒ 
in
Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment on
page 200.
Opening the coolant expansion tank
– Switch off the engine and allow it to cool.
– To prevent scalding, cover the cap on the coolant expansion
tank with a thick cloth and carefully unscrew the cap ⇒ 
.
Checking coolant level
– Look into the open coolant expansion tank and read off the
coolant level.
– If the level is below the “MIN” mark, top up with coolant. 

209
Checking and refilling levels
Topping up coolant
– Only use new coolant liquid.
– Do not fill above the “MAX” mark.
Closing the coolant expansion tank
– Screw the cap on again tightly.
The position of the coolant expansion reservoir is shown in the correspond-
ing engine compartment illustration ⇒ page 259.
Ensure the coolant conforms to the required specifications. Do not use a dif-
ferent type of additive if additive G 12++ is not available. In this case use
only water and bring the coolant concentration back up to the correct level
as soon as possible by putting in the specified additive.
Always top up with new coolant.
Do not fill above the “MAX” mark. Otherwise the excess coolant will be
forced out of the cooling system when the engine is hot.
The additive G 12++ can be mixed with the G 12+ in any proportion.
WARNING
Any work carried out in the engine compartment or on the engine must
be carried out cautiously.
● When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 200.
● When the engine is warm or hot, the cooling system is pressurised!
Do not unscrew the cap on the coolant expansion tank when the engine
is hot. This is a burn injury risk.
CAUTION
● If you notice a change in the colour of the liquid because it has been in
use for a long time, it is recommended to change it, as it will have lost some
of its properties and could cause damage to the vehicle.
● If a lot of coolant fluid has been lost, wait for the engine to cool down
before putting in cold coolant. This avoids damaging the engine. Large cool-
ant losses are an indication of leaks in the cooling system. See a special-
ised workshop immediately and have the cooling system checked. Other-
wise, there is a risk of engine damage. 
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades Topping up washer fluid 
The water for cleaning the windscreen should always be
mixed with washer fluid.
Fig. 136 In the engine
compartment: Cap of
windscreen washer fluid
reservoir. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

UUnderbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
V
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Vehicle data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Vehicle interior heating or cooling system . . . 138
Vehicle interior monitoring and tow-away pro- tection system*
Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Vehicle modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Vehicle paintwork Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Products for vehicle maintenance . . . . . . . 181
Vehicle tools Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Vehicle washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Ventilation slits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
W
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Warning messages Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Warning symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Warning triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Washing by hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Washing tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Washing with high pressure cleaners . . . . . . . 183
Water in the windscreen washer tank . . . . . . . 209
Wear indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Wearing suitable shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226, 258
Tightening torque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216, 258
Why assume the correct sitting position? . . . . . 30
Why should head restraints be correctly adjus- ted? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 21, 30
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Windscreen defrosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Windscreen washer fluid control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Windscreen wiper blades Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Changing blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Changing the rear wiper blade . . . . . . . . . 212
Winter driving Diesel engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Wooden trim cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . 200
278 Index