2013 Seat Exeo ST Owner's manual

167
Air conditioning
Defrosting 
The windscreen and side windows are defrosted or demisted
as quickly as possible.
– To enable this mode, press the 
⇒ 
Fig. 140 button.
– To switch off, press the 
button again, or select the AUTO but-
ton.
The temperature is regulated automatically. The air output is increased to
maximum and most of the air comes out of outlets 1 and 2 ⇒ page 170.
The air recirculation and ECON modes are switched off when the 
button
is pressed. 
Air recirculation: manual activation 
The air recirculation setting prevents fumes etc. from enter-
ing the interior.
Activating air recirculation mode
– Press button 
⇒ Fig. 140 ⇒ .
Deactivating air recirculation mode
– Press the 
button again or
– Press the AUTO
button or
– Press button 
.
In this setting, the air in the vehicle is constantly recirculated. We recom-
mend using the air recirculation mode in the following circumstances: ●
When driving through a tunnel or in traffic congestions, to prevent ex-
haust gas entering the interior of the vehicle.
WARNING
Do not drive for too long with the air recirculation mode enabled because,
if the compressor is disconnected, the windscreen may mist up because
no fresh air is entering the interior of the vehicle, with the subsequent
risk of accidents.

ECON Mode (economy) ECON
ECON mode helps save fuel.
– To activate, press the ECON
button ⇒ Fig. 140.
– To deactivate, press the ECON
button again or select the AUTObutton.
Air cooling is disconnected in ECON mode. The heating and the blower are
adjusted automatically. “ECON” stands for “Economy”. Disconnecting air
cooling (compressor) reduces fuel consumption.
Please note that the interior temperature must not be lower than the outside
temperature in ECON mode. The blower does not cool or dehumidify the air
in the interior. The windows could therefore mist up.
In diesel vehicles, the auxiliary heater is switched off in ECON mode to save
fuel. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

168Air conditioning
Note
If the diode on the ECON button continues to light up when the ECON mode
has been switched off (i.e. the air conditioner has been switched on) this is
due to a defect in one of the air conditioner components. If a malfunction
should occur, please contact a specialised workshop. 
Air recirculation: automatic activation* 
If the outside air is polluted by diesel and petrol emissions,
an air quality sensor in the vehicle will automatically switch
on the air recirculation.
Fig. 141 Button for auto-
matic air recirculation
Activating air recirculation mode
– Press the button 

⇒ 
Fig. 141.
Deactivating air recirculation mode
– Press the 
button again or –
Press the AUTO
button or
– Press button 
.
The automatic air recirculation mode should normally be left switched on at
all times.
The system is ready to operate approx. 30 seconds after the engine ignition
key has been turned. During this initial period, fresh air is fed into the vehi-
cle.
If the air purity sensor in the air conditioner detects a certain concentration
of fumes in the outside air, the control unit will either pass the incoming air
through the pollution filter or automatically switch on the air recirculation. If
there is a high concentration of pollution in the outside air, the air condi-
tioner automatically switches to air recirculation and the supply of air from
the outside is cut off. As soon as the level of pollution decreases, air is fed
into the vehicle from the outside again.
The automatic air recirculation operates for a maximum period of 12 mi-
nutes. If the windows mist up when the automatic air recirculation is on,
press the 
button immediately.
The automatic air recirculation switches itself off under certain circumstan-
ces (for instance if 
or  is selected). In “ECON” and at temperatures
lower than approx. 8 °C below zero, the automatic air recirculation mode is
limited to 12 seconds. 

169
Air conditioning
Switching the temperature display from °C to °F and vice
versa
The outside temperature indicator can be switched from °C
(degrees Celsius) to °F (degrees Fahrenheit) and vice versa. – Press and hold the 
button for air recirculation mode and
briefly press the plus button of the left-hand temperature selec-
tor ⇒  Fig. 140. 
Switching the air conditioner on/off
Switching the air conditioner off: models with an OFF button
– Press the OFF
button. The air conditioner is switched off and
the supply of air from outside the vehicle is cut off.
Switching the air conditioner off: models with a 
button
– Keep pressing the -
button for the blower until the display seg-
ment is empty. The air conditioner is switched off and the sup-
ply of air from outside the vehicle is cut off.
Switching the air conditioner on: models with an OFF
button
– Press the OFF
button again, or
– Press the AUTO
button or
– Press one of the air distribution buttons 
,  or .
Switching the air conditioner on: models with a 
button
– Press the +
button for the blower, or –
Press the AUTO
button or
– Press one of the air distribution buttons 
,  or .
The air conditioner also starts to operate if one of the blower or temperature
selector buttons is pressed. 
Blower speed -
+
The automatically selected blower speed can be reduced or
increased manually.
– Press the -
and + buttons in the centre of the control panel
⇒ Fig. 140 to set the blower to the desired speed (and regulate the volume of air delivery).
The air conditioner system automatically regulates the blower speed accord-
ing to the interior temperature. However, you can also adjust the air delivery
manually. The current blower setting is illustrated by a bar in the middle dis-
play (above the buttons). 
Automatic change of passenger temperature
In order to automatically set the passenger temperature like the driver tem-
perature, press the AUTO button on the driver side for 2 seconds approxi-
mately. In order to automatically set the driver temperature like the passen-
ger temperature, press the AUTO
button on the passenger side for 2 sec-
onds approximately. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

170Air conditioning
Air outlets
Fig. 142 Dash panel: Location of air outlets
The air outlets ⇒ Fig. 142 3
and 4 can be operated as follows:
Outlets 3
and 4
–
The outlets can be opened and closed by turning the left
thumbwheels.
– The direction of air delivery from the outlets can be varied as re-
quired using the adjuster in the centre of each outlet grille. The
direction of air flow can be adjusted horizontally and vertically
as desired.
The flow of air from the outlets is controlled either automatically or manual-
ly, depending on the operating mode selected. All the outlets can provide
air that is either heated, unheated or cooled.
The heater outlets for the rear footwells are located under the front seats.
They are controlled together with outlets 5
.
Note
The cool air provided by the air conditioner is mainly issued from outlets 3
and 4. To ensure adequate cooling, outlets 3 and 4 should therefore
never be closed completely. 
Air distribution
The automatically-programmed air distribution can be al-
tered manually.
The buttons 
,  and  can be operated either separately or in combi-
nation. To return to automatically controlled air distribution, switch off the
selected functions separately or press the AUTO
button
Each of the three buttons has a specific function. The numbers relate to the
air outlets ⇒ Fig. 142. 

171
Air conditioning
Air directed to windows 
This setting directs all the air to outlets 1 and 2. Unlike in setting , the
volume of air delivery remains the same.
Air to the driver/front passenger 
All the air comes from outlets 3 and 4 in the dash panel and from the rear of
the centre console.
Air to the footwells 
Most of the air emerges from outlets 5 and the outlets under the front seats.
Some of the air will also be issued from outlets 3 and 4.
Note
In all of the above air distribution settings, a small amount of air will still
come from the other outlets. 
Economical use of the air conditioner
Economical use of the air conditioner will help save fuel.
Engine power is reduced and fuel consumption increases when the
air conditioner is in cooling mode. To ensure that the system is on-
ly switched on when it is really necessary, please note the follow-
ing points:
– Select ECON mode if you wish to save fuel.
– Select ECON mode if you decide to open the windows or sun-
roof* while driving.
– If the vehicle has heated up after standing in the sun, open the
windows and doors for a short time to cool the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
By saving fuel you also reduce the amount of pollutants emitted from your
vehicle. 
Key settings
When the ignition is switched on, the air conditioner set-
tings assigned to the key are selected automatically.
The air conditioner settings selected are automatically stored and assigned
to the key in use. When the vehicle is started, the air conditioner automati-
cally selects the settings assigned to the key. Hence, every driver automati-
cally obtains his/her preferred settings without having to select them man-
ually.
Note
Should another driver use the key and enter other settings, the previous
settings will be deleted. 
Solar-powered blower/sunroof*
If the vehicle is parked in sufficiently strong sunlight, the
blower will operate in solar-powered mode when the igni-
tion is switched off.
After the ignition is switched off, the blower is supplied with electrical pow-
er from the sunroof. Please ensure that outlets 3 and 4 are open ⇒ Fig. 142
to ensure the best possible ventilation.
The blower only works when the sunroof is closed or tilted open at the rear. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

172Air conditioning
If the air recirculation mode is on when you switch off the engine, the air
conditioner will automatically switch to fresh air ventilation. 
Auxiliary heater*
Diesel vehicles are fitted with an auxiliary heater 1)
to raise the temperature
of the interior as quickly as possible. At outdoor temperatures below +5 °C
and with the engine running, the supplementary heating will switch on and
off automatically depending on the temperature of the coolant.
In order to save fuel, the auxiliary heater can be can be switched off by brief-
ly pressing the 
button on the air conditioner. Seat heating*
The surface and backrest of the front seats can be electrical-
ly heated.
Fig. 143 Detailed view of
the dash panel: Thumb-
wheel controls for seat
heating
Turn thumbwheel 1
or 2 ⇒ Fig. 143 to switch on and adjust the
heating on the left or right front seats.
The heating is switched off when the thumbwheel is set to 0. The tempera-
ture settings range from 1 to 6.
CAUTION
To avoid damaging the heating elements of the seat heating, please do not
kneel on the seat or apply sharp pressure to a single point. 
1)
For Nordic countries only.

173
Driving
Driving SteeringAdjusting the steering wheel position
The height and reach of the steering wheel can be freely ad-
justed to suit the driver
Fig. 144 Lever beneath
steering column
– Push the lever ⇒ Fig. 144 down ⇒ 
.
– Move the steering wheel to the desired position.
– Then push the lever back up against the steering column until it
engages in position.
WARNING
● Never adjust the position of the steering wheel when the vehicle is
moving, as this could cause an accident.
● For safety reasons, the lever must always be securely engaged when
the vehicle is moving, so that the position of the steering wheel cannot
shift unexpectedly. Otherwise this could cause an accident.

Safety Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
The ESC helps make driving safer in extreme driving condi-
tions.
Fig. 145 Detailed view of
the centre console: ESC
button 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

174Driving
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) contains the electronic differential lock
(EDL) and the traction control system (ASR). The ESC works together with
the ABS. If a fault in the ABS occurs, both warning lamps light up, but if the
ESC fails, only the ESC warning lamp lights up.
The ESC system is started automatically when the engine is started.
The ESC system is always active and cannot be switched off. The ESC switch
only switches the ASR off.
The ASR can be deactivated when wheel spin is desirable.
For example:
● When driving with snow chains.
● When driving in deep snow or on loose surfaces.
● When the vehicle is stuck, to rock it backwards and forwards.
Press the button to switch the ASR back on when you no longer need wheel
spin.
Situations in which the warning lamp lights 
●
On switching the ignition on, it lights up for about two seconds to carry
out a function control.
● The warning lamp will start flashing when the vehicle is moving if the
ESC or the ASR is activated.
● It will light up continuously if there is a fault in the ESC.
WARNING
● Do not forget that the Electronic stability control ESC cannot defy the
laws of physics. This should be kept in mind, particularly on slippery and
wet roads and when towing a trailer.
● Always adapt your driving style to suit the condition of the roads and
the traffic situation. The greater safety provided by the ESC should not
encourage you to run any risks.
● Please refer to the corresponding warning notes on ESC in
⇒ page 196, Intelligent technology.

Ignition lock Ignition key positions
The ignition key is used to start and stop the engine.
Fig. 146 Ignition key po-
sitions 