2012 Seat Ibiza ST charging

76Cockpit
If the control lamp lights up again after driving on for a short distance, stop
the vehicle and switch the engine off . Contact a Technical Service or a spe-
cialised workshop.
Coolant level too low
If the warning light comes on, stop the vehicle, switch off the engine and
wait for it to cool down First check the coolant level. If the level of the cool-
ant is below the “MIN” mark, top up with coolant liquid ⇒ 
.
WARNING
● If your vehicle is immobilised for technical reasons, move it to a safe
distance from traffic. Turn the engine off, turn the hazard lights on and
place the warning triangle.
● Never open the bonnet if you can see or hear steam or coolant escap-
ing from the engine compartment. Risk of scalding. Wait until you can no
longer see or hear escaping steam or coolant.
● The engine compartment is a dangerous area! Before carrying out any
work in the engine compartment, switch off the engine and allow it to
cool down. Always note the corresponding warnings ⇒ page 200.

Alternator 
This warning lamp signals a fault in the alternator.
The warning lamp  lights up when the ignition is switched on. It should
go out when the engine has started running.
If the warning lamp  lights up while driving, the alternator is no longer
charging the battery. You should immediately drive to the nearest special-
ised workshop. You should avoid using electrical equipment that is not absolutely necessa-
ry because this will drain the battery.
If the indicator flashes the voltage is insufficient for normal vehicle opera-
tion.

Turn signals  
The control lamp flashes when the turn signals are in opera-
tion.
Depending on which turn signal is operated, either the left  or right  turn
signal warning lamp flashes. Both control lamps will flash at the same time
when the hazard warning lights are switched on.
If any of both turn signals fails, the warning lamp will start flashing twice
faster than normal.
For further information on the turn signals, please see ⇒  page 106.
Electronic immobiliser “Safe”*
This warning lamp flashes if an unauthorised key is used.
Inside the key there is a chip that deactivates the electronic immobiliser au-
tomatically when the key is inserted into the ignition. The electronic immo-
biliser will be activated again automatically as soon as you pull the key out
of the ignition lock.
The instrument panel displays the following message 1)
: SAFE. The vehicle
cannot be started in this case 
1)
Depending on the version of the model.

108Lights and visibility
Note
If not all the vehicle doors are closed, the interior lights will be switched off
after approx. 10 minutes, providing the ignition key has been removed and
the courtesy light position selected. This prevents the battery from dis-
charging. 
Front reading light*
Fig. 62 Front reading
light
Switching on the reading light 
Press the corresponding button B
⇒ Fig. 62 to switch on the reading light.
Switching the reading lights off 
Press the corresponding button to switch the reading light off. Luggage compartment light*
The light is activated when the rear lid is open, even when the ignition and
lights are turned off. For this reason, ensure that the rear lid is always
closed.

Glove compartment light
When opening the glove compartment on the passenger side, the glove
compartment light will automatically turn on and will turn off upon closure. 
Visibility Sun visors
Fig. 63 Sun visor on the
driver side 

148Driving
Starting diesel engines
The engine can only be started using a genuine SEAT key
with its correct code.
– Move the gearbox lever to the neutral position and depress the
clutch pedal thoroughly and hold it in this position for the start-
er to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting position.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒ Fig. 107 2
. The warning
lamp  will light for engine pre-heating.
– When the lamp turns off, turn the ignition key to position 3
to
start the engine. Do not press the accelerator.
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts, the start-
er motor must not be allowed to run on with the engine.
When starting a very cold engine, it may be a little noisy for the first few sec-
onds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.
If there are problems starting the engine, see the ⇒ page 248.
Glow plug system for the diesel engine
To avoid unnecessary discharging of the battery, do not use any other major
electrical equipment while the glow plugs are pre-heating.
Start the engine as soon as the glow plug warning lamp goes out.
Starting the diesel engine after the fuel tank has been completely run dry
If the fuel tank has been completely run dry, it may take longer than normal
(up to one minute) to start a diesel engine after refuelling. This is because
the fuel system must eliminate air first.
WARNING
● Never start or run the engine in unventilated or closed rooms. The ex-
haust gases contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and colourless poi-
sonous gas. Risk of fatal accidents. Carbon monoxide can cause loss of
consciousness. It can also result in death.
● Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running.
● Never use “cold start sprays”, they could explode or cause the engine
to run at high revs. Risk of injury.
CAUTION
● When the engine is cold, you should avoid high engine speeds, driving
at full throttle and over-loading the engine. Risk of engine damage.
● The vehicle should not be pushed or towed more than 50 metres to start
the engine. Unburnt fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it.
● Before attempting to push-start or tow a vehicle in order to start it, you
should first try to start it using the battery of another vehicle. Note and fol-
low the instructions in ⇒ page 248, Jump-starting.
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the engine with the vehicle station-
ary. You should drive off as soon as you start the engine. This helps the en-
gine reach operating temperature faster and reduces emissions. 
Switching off the engine
– Stop the vehicle.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒ Fig. 107 1
.
After switching the engine off, the radiator fan may run on for up to 10 mi-
nutes. It is also possible that the fan turns itself on once more if the coolant 

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. 

Index
A
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Acoustic warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
AFS headlight bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Air conditioner Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Air outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Air recirculation Semi-automatic air conditioning . . . . . . . . 139
Air recirculation mode Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Alarm system Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Alternator Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Anti-theft wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Aspects to note before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ASR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
ASR (Traction control system) Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Audible warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror Deactivating the anti-dazzle function . . . . 112
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror* Activating the anti-dazzle function . . . . . . 112
Automatic car washing tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Automatic lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Automatic windscreen wiper/washer . . . . . . . 109
AUX/USB input connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Auxiliary audio input connection (AUX) . . . . . 127
B
Ball coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Battery
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Winter conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168, 173
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Braking distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Bulb change double headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Single headlight bulb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Bulb changes General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Bulb defect Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Buzzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107, 145
271
Index