2013 Seat Exeo gearbox

186Driving
If you select a gear which is lower than the gear shown on the instrument
panel display ⇒ Fig. 151, the gearbox will only shift down when there is no
longer a risk of over-revving the engine.
When the vehicle slows down (for instance when braking), the gearbox au-
tomatically shifts down into the next gear when the minimum engine speed
is reached.
Changing down to a lower gear increases the engine braking effect on
downhill gradients.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right down past the point of resist-
ance at full throttle, the gearbox will select a lower gear ratio, depending on
road speed and engine speed. 
Back-up programme
A backup programme is in place if a fault should occur in the
control system.
The automatic gearbox switches to the back-up programme if a fault should
occur in the control system. This is indicated by a gear pinion symbol which
lights up on the instrument panel display.
It is still possible to move the selector lever to all positions. The manual
shift programme (tiptronic) is not available when the back-up programme is
active.
Vehicles with tiptronic gearbox: When the selector lever is in position D or S
or in the manual shift programme, the gearbox will remain in 3rd gear if 1st,
2nd or 3rd gears were engaged when the fault occurred. The gearbox will
remain in 5th gear if 4th, 5th or 6th gears were engaged. The gearbox will
then engage 3rd gear when you drive away from a standstill or after the en-
gine is restarted. It will still be possible to use reverse gear in the normal way. However, the
electronic lock for reverse gear will be switched off.
CAUTION
Should the gearbox ever switch into the back-up programme, you should
take the vehicle to a technical service or specialised workshop as soon as
possible. 
Steering wheel with paddle levers
The paddle levers on the steering wheel enable the driver to
manually select pre-programmed ratios or gears.
Fig. 152 Steering wheel:
tiptronic controls
– Briefly pull the left-hand paddle lever –
to change down to a
lower gear.
– Briefly pull the right-hand paddle lever +
to change up to a
higher gear. 

192Intelligent technology
Brakes
General notes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not provide optimal performance during the first 200 km
(250 miles); first they must be “run in”. However, the reduced braking ca-
pacity may be compensated by pressing on the brake pedal a little harder.
Avoid overloading the brakes during run-in.
Wear
The rate of wear on the brake pads depends a great deal on how you drive
and the conditions in which the vehicle is operated. Negative factors are, for
instance, city traffic, frequent short trips or hard driving with abrupt starts
and stops.
Wet roads or road salt
In certain conditions, such as in heavy rain, or after washing the vehicle or
driving through water, the full braking effect can be delayed by moisture (or
in winter by ice) on the discs and brake pads. In this case the brakes should
be dried by pressing the brake pedal several times.
The effectiveness of the brakes can also be temporarily reduced if the vehi-
cle is driven for some distance without using the brakes when there is a lot
of salt on the road in winter. In this case, the layer of salt on the brake discs
and pads has to wear off before braking.
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for corrosion to form on the discs and dirt to build
up on the brake pads if the vehicle is used infrequently or the brakes are
not used very often.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if rust has formed on the disks, it is
advisable to clean off the pads and disks by braking firmly a few times at a
moderately high speed ⇒ 
. Faults in the brake system
If the brake pedal travel should ever increase
suddenly, this may mean that
one of the two brake circuits has failed. Drive immediately to the nearest
specialised workshop and have the fault repaired. Drive there slowly and re-
member that you will have to apply more pressure on the brake pedal and
allow for longer stopping distances.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is too
low. The brake fluid level is monitored electronically.
WARNING
Apply the brakes heavily to clean the brake system only in a suitable traf-
fic situation. Be sure not to inconvenience or endanger other road users.
Risk of accident.
CAUTION
● Never let the brakes “drag” by leaving your foot on the pedal when it is
not necessary to brake. This overheats the brakes, resulting in longer stop-
ping distances and greater wear.
● Before driving down a long, steep gradient, it is advisable to reduce
speed and change to a lower gear (or move the gear lever to a lower gear
position if your vehicle has an automatic gearbox). This makes use of en-
gine braking and prolongs the useful life of the brakes. If you still have to
use the brakes, it is better to brake firmly at intervals than to apply the
brakes continuously.
Note
If you wish to equip the vehicle with accessories such as a front spoiler or
wheel covers, it is important that the flow of air to the front wheels is not
obstructed, otherwise the brakes can overheat. 

196Driving and the environment
Diesel engine particulate filter*
The diesel engine particulate filter eliminates soot produced
by burning diesel.
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 81.
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,
let the vehicle roll with a
gear engaged, for example, if you see a red light
ahead. The braking effect achieved in this way helps to reduce the wear of
brakes and tyres; emissions and fuel consumption are reduced to zero (dis-
connection due to inertia).
Change gear early to save energy
An effective way of saving fuel is to change up quickly through the gears.
Running the engine at high rpm in the lower gears uses an unnecessary
amount of fuel.
Manual gearbox: Change from first to second gear as quickly as possible.
We recommend that, whenever possible, you change to a higher gear upon
reaching 2000 rpm. Follow the “recommended gear” indication that ap-
pears on the instrument panel ⇒ page 74.
Avoid driving at high speed
We advise you not to drive at the top speed permitted by the vehicle. Fuel
consumption, exhaust emissions and noise levels all increase very rapidly
at higher speeds. Driving at moderate speeds will help to save fuel. 

227
Checking and refilling levels
Winter driving
Diesel can thicken in winter.
Winter-grade diesel
When using summer-grade diesel fuel, difficulties may be experienced at
sub-zero temperatures because the fuel thickens due to wax separation. For
this reason, winter-grade diesel fuel is available in some countries during
the cold months. It can be used at temperatures as low as -22 °C.
In countries with different climatic conditions the diesel fuel generally sold
has different temperature characteristics. Check with the Technical Services
or filling stations in the country concerned regarding the type of diesel fuels
available.
Filter pre-heater
Your vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter glow plug system, making it well
equipped for operation in winter. This ensures that the fuel system remains
operational to approx. -24 °C, provided you use winter-grade diesel that is
safe to -15 °C.
However, if the fuel has waxed to such an extent that the engine will not
start at temperatures of under -24 °C, simply place the vehicle in a warm
place for a while.
CAUTION
Do not mix fuel additives (thinners or similar products) with diesel fuel. Bonnet
Work in the engine compartment
Extra caution is necessary when working on components in
the engine compartment. Always be aware of the danger of injury and scalding as well as the risk of
accident or even fire when working in the engine compartment (e.g. when
checking and refilling fluids). Always observe the warnings listed below
and follow all general safety precautions. The engine compartment of the
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area ⇒ 
WARNING
● Switch the ignition off.
● Remove the ignition key.
● Apply the handbrake firmly.
● If your vehicle is equipped with a manual gearbox, place the gear lev-
er in neutral. If you are driving an automatic vehicle, place the selector
lever in position P.
● Wait for the engine to cool down.
● Children should not be allowed to approach the engine compartment.
● Never spill liquids used for vehicle operation on the engine compart-
ment, as these may catch fire (e.g. the antifreeze in coolant).
● Take care not to cause short circuits in the electrical system, especial-
ly when working on the battery.
● Never touch the radiator fan while the engine is hot, as the fan could
start up suddenly.
● Never open the expansion tank when the engine is hot. The cooling
system is under pressure. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

291
If and when
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.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must be switched on to prevent the
steering wheel from locking and also to allow the use of the turn signals,
horn, windscreen wipers and washers.
As the brake servo does not work if the engine is not running, you must ap-
ply considerably more pressure to the brake pedal than you normally would.
As the power assisted steering does not work if the engine is not running,
you will need more strength to steer than you normally would.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
● Put the selector lever into position “N”.
● Do not drive faster than 50 km/h (30 mph).
● Do not tow further than 50 km.
● If a breakdown vehicle is used, the vehicle must be towed with the front
wheels raised.
Note
● Observe legal requirements when towing or tow-starting.
● Switch on the hazard warning lights of both vehicles. However, observe
any regulations to the contrary.
● For technical reasons, vehicles with an automatic gearbox must not be
tow-started.
● If damage to your vehicle means that there is no lubricant in the gear-
box, you must raise the driven wheels while the vehicle is being towed.
● If the vehicle has to be towed more than 50 km (30 miles), the front
wheels should be raised during towing, and towing should be carried out by
a qualified person. ●
The steering wheel is locked when the vehicle has no electrical power.
The vehicle must then be towed with the front wheels raised. Towing should
be carried out by a qualified person.
● The towline anchorage should always be kept in the vehicle. Please refer
to the notes ⇒ page 290, Tow-starting. 
Front towing eyeFig. 232 Fitting the tow-
line anchorage to front of
the vehicle
Fitting the towline anchorage
– Take the towline anchorage from the on-board tool set.
– Remove the front cover by pressing down on the right hand
side.
– Bolt the anchorage to its limit to the left, in the direction of the
arrow ⇒ Fig. 232. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

294Description of specifications
Vehicle identification data
The most important information is given on the identifica-
tion plate and the vehicle data sticker.
Fig. 233 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 left rib inside the engine compart-
ment.
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. 233
Vehicle identification number (chassis number)
Vehicle type, model, displacement, engine type, finish, engine power
and gearbox type
Engine code, gearbox code, external paint code and internal equipment
code
Optional extras and PR numbers
Consumption values (l/100 km) and CO 2 emissions (g/km)
A
Urban consumption and CO 2 emissions
B Extra-urban consumption and CO 2 emissions
C Combined consumption and CO 2 emissions

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. 
1
2
3
45

Index
Numbers and Symbols
230 V socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Airbag Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Air conditioner 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Air distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Air outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Air purity sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Air recirculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Air recirculation (automatic) . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Automatic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Blower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Defrosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
ECON Mode (economy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Economical use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Key settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Solar-powered blower/sunroof . . . . . . . . . 163
Temperature selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Air duct Fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267, 274
Removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267, 273
Air purity sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Alternator Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Anti-lock brake system How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Interior monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Armrest Storage compartment in front armrest . . . 141
Armrests Adjusting the front armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Ashtray Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
ASR Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Athermic windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Auto-check system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Automatic gearbox
Dynamic gear control programme . . . . . . . 184
Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
multitronic® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Paddle levers (tiptronic mode) . . . . . . . . . 186
Safety interlock for ignition key . . . . . . . . . 166
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Steering wheel with paddle levers . . . . . . 186
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Automatic headlight control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Battery voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Disconnection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Long periods of non-use . . . . . . . . . . 238, 239
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238, 239
Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Winter operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238, 239
Bicycle rack Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
307
Index

Heated rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126Heating element wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Heated seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
High pressure cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
How to jump start description . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
I
Identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Identification plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Ignition key Safety interlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Indicator lamps Glow plug system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Main beam headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Indicator lamps - overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Instruments Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 119
Interior lights Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Interior mirror With manual anti-dazzle setting . . . . . . . . 130
Interior monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Intermittent wipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
ISOFIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 J
Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252, 257
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Jump leads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
K
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Air conditioner settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Remote control key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Settings for the driver seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
L
Lamps Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Cruise speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 119
Lights Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Automatic headlight control . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Coming home function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Cornering light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Dipped beam headlights faulty . . . . . . . . . . 83
Dynamic headlight range control . . . . . . . 120
Headlight flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Leaving home function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Parking light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Reverse lights faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Switching on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Xenon lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Load compartment in the luggage compart- ment
see Loading the luggage compartment . . . 16
Loading the luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . 16
Locking the doors manually if the central lock- ing fails to work
Locking the doors manually if the centrallocking fails to work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Long periods of non-use Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Extending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Ski bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
see also Loading the luggage compartment . .16
Luggage rack see Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
M
Main beam headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115, 122
Maintenance Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Mirrors Activating stored settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Automatic exterior mirror adjustment . . . . 137
Heated exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
311
Index