2013 Seat Exeo ST gearbox

194Driving
If you select a gear which is lower than the gear shown on the instrument
panel display ⇒ Fig. 162, 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. 163 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. 

200Intelligent technology
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. Brake servo
The brake servo assists the driver when braking
The brake servo increases the pressure you apply to the brake pedal. The
brake servo works only when the engine is running.
WARNING
Ensure the vehicle does not move while in neutral, when the engine is
stopped. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
Note
If the brake servo is not working, e.g. because the vehicle has to be towed
or because it is broken, you will have to press the brake pedal considerably
harder to make up for the lack of servo assistance. 
Power steering
Power steering makes it easier to turn the steering wheel
when the engine is running. Power steering assists the driver by reducing the force needed to turn the
steering wheel.
Power steering does not work if the engine is off. In this case the steering
wheel requires much more force to turn.
If the steering is held at its turning limit when the vehicle is stationary, this
will place an excessive load on the power steering system. Turning the
steering wheel to its limit places a load on the system, which causes noise.
It will also reduce the idling speed of the engine. 

204Driving 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 83.
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 76.
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. 

235
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

300If 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 299, Tow-starting. 
Front towing eyeFig. 247 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. 247. 

303
Description of specifications
Vehicle identification data
The most important information is given on the identifica-
tion plate and the vehicle data sticker.
Fig. 248 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. 248
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
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Index
Numbers and Symbols
230 V socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Airbag Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Air conditioner 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Air distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Air outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Air purity sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Air recirculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Air recirculation (automatic) . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Automatic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Blower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Defrosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
ECON Mode (economy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Economical use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Key settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Solar-powered blower/sunroof . . . . . . . . . 171
Temperature selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Air duct Fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276, 283
Removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276, 282
Air purity sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Alternator Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Anti-lock brake system How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Interior monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Armrest Storage compartment in front armrest . . . 144
Armrests Adjusting the front armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Ashtray Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
ASR Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Athermic windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Auto-check system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Automatic gearbox
Dynamic gear control programme . . . . . . . 192
Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
multitronic® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Paddle levers (tiptronic mode) . . . . . . . . . 194
Safety interlock for ignition key . . . . . . . . . 174
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Steering wheel with paddle levers . . . . . . 194
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Automatic headlight control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Battery voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Disconnection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Long periods of non-use . . . . . . . . . . 247, 248
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247, 248
Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Winter operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247, 248
Bicycle rack Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
315
Index

Luggage compartment coverRemoving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
M
Main beam headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117, 124
Maintenance Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Mirrors Activating stored settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Automatic exterior mirror adjustment . . . . 140
Heated exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Storing settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Vanity mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Mobile phones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . 231
multitronic® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
N
Net partition Removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Number of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
O
Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Octane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Oil consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Onboard computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Outside temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Overview
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
P
Paddle levers tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Paintwork Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 multitronic® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Parking aid SEAT Parking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
SEAT Parking System plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Parking aid acoustic system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Passenger see Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Petrol additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Photosensor faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Physical principles of a frontal collision . . . . . . 20
Plastic parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Plastic parts cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Products for vehicle maintenance . . . . . . . . . . 218 Q
Quartz clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
R Radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Rain sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rain sensor faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Reading lights Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Rear drink holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Rear lid Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Rear seat bench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Rear side window sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rear view mirrors Anti-dazzle interior mirror with automaticadjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Anti-dazzle setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Interior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Rear window sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rear window wiper Intermittent wipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Rear window automatic wash and wipe . . 131
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Registration light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
320 Index