2012 Seat Ibiza ST maintenance

214Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
Brake fluid is poisonous. Old brake fluid impairs the braking effect.
● Before opening the bonnet to check the brake fluid level, read and ob-
serve the warnings ⇒ page 200.
● Brake fluid should be stored in the closed original container in a safe
place out of reach of children. There is a toxic risk.
● Complete the brake fluid change according to the Maintenance Pro-
gramme. Heavy use of the brakes may cause a vapour lock if the brake
fluid is left in the brake system for too long. This would seriously affect
the effectiveness of the brakes and the safety of the vehicle. This may
cause an accident.
CAUTION
Brake fluid damages the vehicle paintwork. Wipe off any brake fluid from
the paintwork immediately.
For the sake of the environment
The brake pads and brake fluid must be collected and disposed of accord-
ing the applicable regulations. The SEAT Technical Service network has the
necessary equipment and qualified personnel for collecting and disposing
of this waste material. Vehicle battery
Warnings on handling the battery
Wear eye protection
Battery acid is extremely corrosive. Wear protective gloves and
eye protection!
Fires, sparks, open flames and smoking are prohibited!
A highly explosive mixture of gases is released when the battery
is under charge.
Keep children away from acid and batteries!
WARNING
Always be aware of the danger of injury and chemical burns as well as
the risk of accident or fire when working on the battery and the electrical
system:
● Wear eye protection. Protect your eyes, skin and clothing from acid
and particles containing lead.
● Battery acid is extremely corrosive. Wear protective gloves and eye
protection. Do not tilt the batteries. This could spill acid through the
vents. Rinse battery acid from eyes immediately for several minutes with
clear water. Then seek medical care immediately. Neutralise any acid
splashes on the skin or clothing with a soapy solution, and rinse off with
plenty of water. If acid is swallowed by mistake, consult a doctor immedi-
ately. 

216Checking and refilling levels
● Black: correct charge status.
● Transparent/clear yellow: the battery must be replaced. Contact a speci-
alised workshop. 
Charging and changing the vehicle battery
The battery is maintenance-free and is checked during the
inspection service. All work on the vehicle battery requires
specialist knowledge.
If you often drive short distances or if the vehicle is not driven for long peri-
ods, the battery should be checked by a specialised workshop between the
scheduled services.
If the battery has discharged and you have problems starting the vehicle,
the battery might be damaged. If this happens, we recommend you have
the vehicle battery checked by a Technical Service where it will be re-charg-
ed or replaced.
Charging the battery
The vehicle battery should be charged by a specialised workshop only, as
batteries using special technology have been installed and they must be
charged in a controlled environment.
Replacing a vehicle battery
The battery has been developed to suit the conditions of its location and
has special safety features.
Genuine SEAT batteries fulfil the maintenance, performance and safety
specifications of your vehicle.
WARNING
● We recommend you use only maintenance-free or cycle free leak-proof
batteries which comply with standards T 825 06 and VW 7 50 73. This
standard applies as of August 2001.
● Before starting any work on the batteries, you must read and observe
the warnings ⇒ 
in Warnings on handling the battery on page 214.
For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain toxic substances such as sulphuric acid and lead. They
must be disposed of appropriately and must not be disposed of with ordi-
nary household waste. 
Wheels
General notes
Avoiding damage
– If you have to drive over a kerb or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and at a right angle.
– Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
– Inspect the tyres regularly for damage (cuts, cracks or blisters,
etc.). Remove any foreign objects embedded in the treads.
Storing tyres
– When you remove the tyres, mark them in order to maintain the
same direction of rotation when they are installed again. 

256Description of specifications
Vehicle identification data
The most important information is given on the identifica-
tion plate and the vehicle data sticker.
Fig. 182 Vehicle data
sticker (luggage compart-
ment)
Vehicles for certain export countries do not have an identification plate.
Identification plate
The identification plate is located on the right rib inside the engine com-
partment.
Vehicle identification number
The vehicle identification number (chassis number) can be read from out-
side the vehicle through a viewer in the windscreen. This is located on the
left-hand side of the vehicle in the lower area of the windscreen. It is also
located on the right hand side of the engine compartment. Vehicle data
The data sticker is placed on the inside of the spare wheel well, in the lug-
gage compartment and on the rear cover of the Maintenance Programme.
The following information is provided on the vehicle data sticker:
⇒ Fig. 182
Production control number
Vehicle identification number (chassis number)
Model code number
Model designation/engine power output
Engine and gearbox code letters
Paintwork number/interior trim code
Optional equipment codes
Consumption values
CO 2 emissions values
At the end of the data sticker, in points 8
and 9, you can see the con-
sumption and emission information.
Information on consumption and emissions
Urban consumption (l/100 km)
Urban CO 2 emissions (g/km)
Extra-urban consumption (l/100 km)
Extra-urban CO 2 emissions (g/km)
Combined consumption (l/100 km)
Combined CO 2 emissions (g/km)

1
23456789
A
B
C

257
Description of specifications
Information on fuel consumption
Fuel consumption
The consumption and emission details shown on the vehicle
data sticker differ from one vehicle to another. The vehicle fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions can be consulted on the
vehicle data sticker in the spare wheel well, inside the luggage compart-
ment and on the rear cover of the Maintenance Programme.
The fuel consumption and CO 2 emission values refer to the weight category
assigned to your vehicle according to the engine and gearbox combination,
as well as the specific equipment fitted, and is only used to compare be-
tween the different models.
The fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions do not depend only on the per-
formance of the vehicle, they can also differ from the established values de-
pending on other factors such as driving style, road conditions, traffic con-
ditions, environmental conditions, load and number of passengers.
Calculation of fuel consumption
The consumption values have been calculated based on measurements per-
formed or supervised by certified CE laboratories according to the latest ver-
sion of directives 715/2007/EC and 80/1268/CEE (for more information
consult the European Union Publications Office at EUR-Lex: © European Un-
ion, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm) and are valid for the kerb
weight indicated for the vehicle.
Note
In practice, and considering all the factors mentioned here, consumption
values can differ from those calculated in the current European regulations. Weights
Kerb weight refers to the basic model with a fuel tank filled to 90% capacity
and without optional extras. The figure quoted includes 75 kg to allow for
the weight of the driver.
For special versions and optional equipment fittings or for the addition of
accessories, the weight of the vehicle will increase
⇒ 
.
WARNING
● Please note that the centre of gravity may shift when transporting
heavy objects; this may affect vehicle handling and lead to an accident.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to suit road conditions and re-
quirements.
● Never exceed the gross axle weight rating or the gross vehicle weight
rating. If the allowed axle load or the allowed total weight is exceeded,
the driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to acci-
dents, injuries and damage to the vehicle.

Towing a trailer Trailer weights
Trailer weight
The trailer weights and drawbar loads approved are selected in intensive tri-
als according to precisely defined criteria. The approved trailer weights are
valid for vehicles in the EU for maximum speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) (in
certain circumstances up to 100 km/h (60 mph)). The figures may be differ-
ent in other countries. All data in the official vehicle documentation takes
precedence over these data at all times ⇒ 
.
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Instrument and switch lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Instrument lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Instrument panelService interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Interior rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Interval wipe, windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
J
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Jump leads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
K
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
L Leather cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Leaving Home function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Load compartment in the luggage compart- ment
see Loading the luggage compartment . . . 16
Loading the luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . 16
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
LPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 149, 196
LPG system Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Filler neck adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Level indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Fastening rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Luggage net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
see also Loading the luggage compartment . .16
Luggage compartment light* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
M
Main beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100, 106
Main beam headlights control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Maintenance Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Manual heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Manual heating system Defrosting the windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Demisting the windscreen and side win-dows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
MFI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Mirrors Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Interior rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
vanity mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Mobile phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Multifunction display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 N
Navigator bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Number of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
O Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Octane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Oil change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
One-touch opening and closing Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Opening and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Operation when a fault occurs panoramic/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Outside temperature indicator . . . . . . . . . . 60, 62
Overview Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65, 67
Dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65, 67
P Paintwork Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Panoramic sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Parking lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
275
Index

Passengersee Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Petrol additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Physical principles of a frontal collision . . . . . . 21
Plastic parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Plastic parts cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Pollen filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Pollution filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Power socket in centre console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
in the luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Products for vehicle maintenance . . . . . . . . . . 181
R Radio frequency remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Changing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Rain sensor* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Rear drink holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rear fog light control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Rear head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Emergency opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Rear seat folding down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Rear shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Rear shelf with storage compartment
Storage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Rear view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Rear window automatic wiper/washer . . . . . . 111
Rear window wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Recommended gear display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Remote control key Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Synchronising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Removing and fitting the wheel . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Repairs Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Replacement keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Replacement of parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Rev counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Reverse gear Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Roll-back function panoramic/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Roof aerial* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Roof rack* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Rubber seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Running in Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Running in tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 S
Safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safe Security system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Safety equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety instructions Coolant temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Safety notes Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Deactivating front passenger airbag . . . . . . 41
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Using seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115, 118
Seat belt cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Seat belt control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Seat belt position Pregnant women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Seat belt protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seat belt release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Incorrectly fastened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Not worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
276 Index

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