2012 Seat Leon 5D clutch

153
Driving
● Press and hold the clutch pedal to the floor.
● Place the gearbox lever in the required position ⇒ 
.
● Release the clutch pedal to engage clutch.
In some countries the clutch pedal must be fully pressed down for the en-
gine to start.
Selecting reverse gear
● Engage reverse gear only when the vehicle is stopped.
● Press and hold the clutch pedal to the floor ⇒ 
.
● Move the gearbox lever into the neutral position and press it down.
● Move the gearbox lever completely to the left and then forwards to posi-
tion it in reverse gear ⇒ Fig. 89 R
.
● Release the clutch pedal to engage clutch.
Changing down gears
While driving, changing down a gear must always be done gradually, i.e. to
the gear directly below and when the engine speed is not too high ⇒ 
.
Changing down while bypassing one or various gears at high speeds or at
high engine speeds can damage the clutch and the gearbox, even if the
clutch pedal remains depressed ⇒ 
.
Kick-down
In vehicles with a speed limiter, the kick-down function enables the pro-
grammed speed to be exceeded deliberately, i.e. when overtaking.
When the accelerator is pressed to the floor, the speed limiter is temporarily
deactivated as the programmed speed is exceeded.
When the speed of the vehicle falls below the programmed value again, and
when the accelerator is not pressed to the floor, the speed limiter is reacti-
vated.
WARNING
When the engine is running, the vehicle will start to move as soon as a
gear is engaged and the clutch released. This is also the case with the
electro-mechanical parking brake switched on.
● Never engage reverse gear when the vehicle is moving.
WARNING
If the gear is changed down inappropriately by selecting a gear that is
too low, you may lose control of the vehicle, causing an accident and se-
rious injuries.
CAUTION
When travelling at high speeds or at high engine speeds, selecting a gear
that is too low can cause considerable damage to the clutch and the gear-
box. This can also occur if the clutch pedal is pressed and held and it does
not engage.
CAUTION
To prevent damage and avoid premature wear, please observe the follow-
ing:
● Do not rest your hand on the gear lever while driving. The pressure ap-
plied by your hand is transmitted to the gearbox selector forks.
● Always ensure that the vehicle is completely stopped before engaging
the reverse gear.
● Always press the clutch to the floor when changing gears.
● Never hold the vehicle “on the clutch” on hills with the engine on. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

154Driving
Automatic gearbox/DSG automatic gearbox*
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically controlled manual gearbox.
Torque between the engine and the gearbox is transmitted via two inde-
pendent clutches. They replace the torque converter found on conventional
automatic gearboxes and allow for smooth, uninterrupted acceleration of
the vehicle.
The tiptronic system allows the driver to change gears manually if desired
⇒ page 159, Changing gears in tiptronic mode*. 
Selector lever positions
The selector lever position engaged is highlighted on the display in the in-
strument cluster. With the selector lever in the manual gearbox positions G,
D, E and S, the engaged gear is also indicated on the display.
P – Parking lock
When the selector lever is in this position, the driven wheels are locked me-
chanically. The parking lock must be engaged only when the vehicle is sta-
tionary ⇒ 
.
The interlock button (the button on the selector lever handle) must be
pressed in and simultaneously the brake pedal must be depressed before
moving the selector lever either in or out of position P.
R – Reverse gear
Reverse gear must be engaged only when the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is idling ⇒ 
.
To move the selector lever to position R, the interlock button must be press-
ed in and at the same time the brake pedal must be depressed. The reverse lights come on when the selector lever is in the R position with the ignition
on.
N – Neutral (idling)
With the selector lever in this position, the gear is in neutral.
D/S – Permanent drive (forward) position
The selector lever in the D/S position enables the gears to be controlled in
normal mode (D) or Sport (S). To select Sport mode (S), move the selector
lever backwards. Moving the lever again will select normal mode (D). The
selected driving mode is shown on the instrument panel display.
In normal mode
(D), the gearbox automatically selects the best gear ratio.
This depends on the engine load, the road speed and the dynamic gear
control programme (DCP).
Sport mode (S) must be selected for a sporty driving style. This setting
makes use of the engine's maximum power output. When accelerating the
gear shifts will be noticeable.
The brake pedal must be pressed when moving the selector lever from D/S
to N if the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 5 km/h (3 mph) ⇒ 
.
Under certain circumstances (e.g. when driving in mountains) it can be ad-
vantageous to switch temporarily to tiptronic mode ⇒ page 159, in order to
manually select gear ratios to suit the driving conditions.
WARNING
● Take care not to accidentally press the accelerator pedal when the ve-
hicle is stopped. The vehicle could otherwise start moving immediately
(in some cases even if the parking brake is engaged) resulting in the risk
of an accident.
● Never move the selector lever to R or P when driving. Failure to do so
could result in an accident. 

162Driving
Note
● Inertia mode is only available in eco driving mode (SEAT Drive Mode*).
● The driver message Inertia is only displayed with the current consump-
tion. In inertia mode the gear will no longer be displayed (for example: E will
appear in place of E7).
● On downhill sections with gradients above 15 %, the inertia mode will
automatically be switched off temporarily. 
Backup programme
A backup programme is in place if a fault should occur in the
control system.
If all the positions of the selector lever are shown over a light background
on the instrument panel display, there is a system fault and the automatic
gearbox will operate in with the backup programme. When the backup pro-
gramme is activated, it is possible to drive the vehicle, however, at low
speeds and within a selected range of gears. In some cases driving in re-
verse gear may not be possible .
CAUTION
If the gearbox operates with the backup programme, take the vehicle to a
specialised workshop and have the fault repaired without delay. 
Clutch
 Clutch overheated! Stop the vehicle!
The clutch has overheated and could be damaged. In order to prevent the
temperature from increasing again and so that the clutch is cooled, stop the
vehicle and wait for the gearbox to cool down with the selector lever in posi- tion P and the engine running at idling speed. If the warning does not
switch off, do not continue driving. Seek specialist assistance. Failure to do
so could cause considerable damage to the gearbox. When the warning
switches off, the fault should be corrected by a specialised workshop with-
out delay.

Faults in the gearbox
 Gearbox: Fault! Stop the vehicle and place the lever in the position P.
There is a fault in the gearbox. Stop the vehicle in a safe place and do not
continue driving. Seek specialist assistance.  Overheated clutch! Stop the vehicle!
The clutch has overheated and could be damaged. Stop the vehicle and
wait for the gearbox to cool with the engine at idling speed and the selector
lever in position P. When the warning lamp and the driver message switch
off, have the fault corrected by a specialised workshop without delay. If the
warning lamp and the driver message do not switch off, do not continue
driving. Seek specialist assistance.  Gearbox: System fault! You may continue driving.
Have the fault corrected by a specialised workshop without delay.  Gearbox: System fault! You can continue driving with restrictions. Re-
verse gear disabled.
Take the vehicle to a specialised workshop and have the fault repaired with-
out delay.  Gearbox: System fault! You can continue driving in D until switching off
the engine
Stop the vehicle in a safe place well away from moving traffic. Seek special-
ist assistance. 

167
Driver assistance systems
FunctionPosition of the switch, operating the switch on the turn signal lever ⇒ Fig. 95, or
by using the third lever ⇒ Fig. 96Action
Increasing the stored
speed (during CCS setting)
Depending on equipment fitted:
– briefly press the button 3 on the turn signal lever in the
RES
zone– or briefly move the third lever to the RESUME position to increase speed by
1 km/h (1 mph)
– or move the third lever upwards with SPEED+ to increase the speed by 10 km/h
(10 mph) and store it
– or continuously press the button 3
on the turn signal lever in the
RES
zone– or move the third lever upwards with SPEED+ continuously
– or move the third lever to the RESUME position and hold it to continuously in-
crease the speed and store it.
The vehicle accelerates actively until it rea-
ches the new stored speed.
Increasing the stored
speedWhen the CCS is in the ON position, but DEACTIVATED, the speed setting can be
increased with SPEED+ by 10 km/h (10 mph).The vehicle accelerates actively until it rea-
ches the new stored speed.
Reducing the stored speed
(during CCS setting)
Depending on equipment fitted:
– briefly press the button 3 on the turn signal lever in the
SET zone to reduce
speed by 1km/h (1mph)
– or briefly move the third lever to the SET position to reduce the speed by 1 km/h
(1 mph)
– or move the third lever downwards with SPEED– to reduce the speed by 10 km/
h (10 mph) and store it
– or continuously press the button 3
on the turn signals lever in the
SET
zone– or press and hold the button SET on the third lever to reduce speed contin-
uously
– or move the third lever downwards ( SPEED–) continuously and store it.
Speed is reduced without braking, by inter-
rupting the accelerator until reaching the
new stored speed.
Setting a lower speedWhen the CCS is in the ON position, but DEACTIVATED, the speed setting can be
reduced with SPEED– by 10 km/h (10 mph).The system is switched off. The stored speed
is deleted.
Switching off the CCSMove the switch 1 to the OFF position.
OR: move the third lever to the OFF position.Speed is reduced without intervening in the
braking system, by interrupting the accelera-
tor until reaching the new stored speed.
The value indicated in the table in brackets (in mph, miles per hour) only
refers to instrument panels with indications in miles. Changing gear in CCS mode
The CCS decelerates as soon as the clutch pedal is pressed, intervening
again automatically after a gear is engaged.

Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

244Emergencies
Towing and tow-starting the vehicle
General information
Points to observe when tow-starting or towing away If you use a tow rope:
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
– The tow rope must be taut before you drive off.
– Release the clutch very carefully when starting the vehicle
(manual gearbox), or accelerate gently (automatic gearbox).
Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
– The ignition should be switched on so that the turn signals,
horn, windscreen wipers and washers can be used. Please en-
sure that the steering wheel is unlocked when you switch on the
ignition, and that it moves freely.
– Put the gearbox lever in neutral (manual gearbox) or move the
selector lever to position N (automatic gearbox).
– The brake servo only works when the engine is running. Consid-
erably more effort is required on the brake pedal when the en-
gine is switched off.
– Remember that the brake servo only works when the ignition is
switched on and the vehicle is moving 1)
. Otherwise, considera-
bly more strength than usual will be required when steering. –
Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all times.
Tow rope or tow bar
It is easier and safer to tow a vehicle with a tow bar. You should only use a
tow rope if you do not have a tow bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to avoid damage to both vehicles. It is
advisable to use a tow rope made of synthetic fibre or similarly elastic mate-
rial.
Only attach the tow rope or the tow bar to the towing rings ⇒ page 245.
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially when using a tow rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the technique required for towing. Inexper-
ienced drivers should not attempt to tow.
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle and take care to avoid jerking
the tow rope. When towing on an unpaved road, there is always a risk of
overloading and damaging the anchorage points.
WARNING
If the vehicle has no electrical power, the brake lights, turn signals and
all other lights will no longer function. Do not have the vehicle towed
away. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
CAUTION
If there is no oil in the gearbox or no lubricant in the automatic transmission
the car may only be towed with the driven wheels lifted clear of the road, or
transported on a special car transporter or trailer. 
1)
Important: the battery must be correctly charged.

247
Emergencies
Tow-starting
As a general rule, tow-starting is not recommended.
– Engage 2nd or 3rd gear before moving off.
– Press the clutch and hold the pedal down.
– Switch the ignition on.
– Once both vehicles are moving, release the clutch.
– As soon as the engine starts: press the clutch and put the gear
lever in neutral.
If the engine will not start, it is best to try starting it using the battery of an-
other vehicle ⇒ page 241 before attempting to tow start. You should only try
to tow-start the engine if jump starting is not successful. Tow-starting is an
attempt to start the engine via the movement of the wheels.
When tow-starting a vehicle with a petrol engine, do not tow it more than a
short distance, otherwise sunburnt fuel can enter the catalytic converter and
cause damage.
WARNING
The risk of accidents is high when tow-starting, as the towed vehicle can
easily be driven into the towing vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not tow vehicles for more than 50 m. Risk of damage to the catalytic con-
verter. Towing vehicles with a manual gearbox
Towing is relatively straightforward.
Please observe the relevant instructions ⇒ page 244.
The vehicle can be towed using a tow bar or tow rope in the normal way,
with all four wheels on the road; it can also be towed with either the front or
rear wheels lifted off the road. The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h (30
mph). 
Towing a vehicle equipped with automatic gearbox
Certain restrictions must be observed when towing your ve-
hicle. Please observe the relevant instructions ⇒ page 244.
The vehicle can be towed with a tow bar or tow rope in the normal way, with
all four wheels on the ground. When doing so, please note the following
points:
● Make sure the selector lever is in the N position.
● The vehicle must not be towed faster than 50 km/h (30 mph).
● The vehicle must not be towed further than 50 km (30 miles). Reason:
when the engine is not running, the gearbox oil pump does not work and
the gearbox is not adequately lubricated for higher speeds or longer distan-
ces.
If the vehicle has to be towed with a breakdown truck, it must only be sus-
pended at the front wheels. Reason: the drive shafts are located on the front
wheels. If the car is towed with the rear wheels lifted off the road (I.e. travel-
ling backwards), the drive shafts also turn backwards. The planetary gears
in the automatic gearbox then turn at such high speeds that the gearbox
will be severely damaged in a short time. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

251
Fuses and bulbs
No.Electrical consumerAmpsF29Vacant-F30Vacant-F31Left lights40F32Parking aid control unit7,5F33Airbag5
F34Reverse switch, clima sensor, electrochromic
mirror7,5
F35Diagnosis, headlight control unit, headlight ad-
juster10
F36Front camera10F37Vacant-F38Vacant-F39Right door30F4012V socket20F41Steering column20F42Central locking40F43Interior light30F44Vacant-F45Vacant-F47Rear window wiper15F49Starter motor; clutch sensor5F51Vacant-F53Heated rear window30
The electric windows and electric seats* are protected by circuit breakers.
These switch on again automatically after a few seconds when the overload
(caused for example by frozen windows) has been corrected.
Note
Please note that the above list, while correct at the time of printing, is sub-
ject to alterations. 
Fuses on left side of engine compartment
No.Electrical consumerAmpsF1Vacant-F2ESC control unit40F3Engine control unit (diesel/petrol)15/30F4Engine sensors5/10F5Engine sensors7,5/10F6Brake light sensor5F7Engine power supply5/10F8Lambda probe10F9Engine5/10/20F10Fuel pump control unit15/20F11PTC40F12PTC40F13Automatic gearbox control unit15/30F15Horn15F16Fuel pump control unit20F17Engine control unit7,5F18Terminal 30 (positive reference)5F19Front windscreen washer30F20Alarm horn10F22Engine control unit5F23Starter motor30 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
New brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Braking Brake assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Moving off on a hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
C
Carbon components: Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Care of vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Care (paint care) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
CD-ROM reader (navigation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Central locking Anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Central locking switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Remote control key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Selective unlocking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Manual locking in an emergency . . . . . . . . 97
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Cetane number (Diesel fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Changing Windscreen and rear window wiper blades . .221
Changing a bulb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Bulb sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Changing gear
Engaging gears (manual gearbox) . . . . . . 152
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Changing main headlight main beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
turn signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Changing main headlight bulbs daylight bulb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Dipped beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Changing the battery of the vehicle key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Child-proof lock Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Child seat Categorisation in groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Group 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Group 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Group 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Groups 0 and 0+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Top Tether system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54, 55
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Carbon components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Display/Easy Connect control panel . . . . . 202
Exhaust pipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Plastic parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200, 202
Radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Trim parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Trims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Windscreen and rear window wiper blades . .221
Cleaning/De-icing the windows . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Cleaning the rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Cleaning the upholstery Natural leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Closing Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Panoramic sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Clutch (warning lamp) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Coming Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Consumption (fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Control lamp Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Tyre monitor indicator warning lamp . . . . 175
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Windscreen wiper fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Control lamps Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Control of function Rain sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
278 Index