2013 Seat Ibiza ST towing

Table of Contents
About this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Safety First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Proper sitting position for occupants . . . . . . . . . 10
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Storing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Seat belt tensioners* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Deactivating airbags* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Securing child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Operating instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 LPG system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Digital instrument panel display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Steering column controls* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Radio frequency remote control* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Anti-theft alarm system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Panoramic tilting sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Rear view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Seats and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
The importance of correct seat adjustment . . . . . 117
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Storage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Ashtrays, cigarette lighter and power socket . . . 128
First-aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher* 131
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Starting and stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Start-Stop function* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Automatic gearbox* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Parking aid* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Cruise speed* (Cruise control system) . . . . . . . . 171
Practical Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Anti-lock brake system and traction control ABS 175
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)* . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Driving and the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Running-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Economical and environmentally friendly driving 182
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . 187
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Care of the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Vehicle interior maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
3
Table of Contents

Accessories, replacement of parts and
modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Accessories and spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Roof aerial* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Mobile telephones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . 197
Fitting a towing bracket* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
LPG system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . 206
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades . . . . 215
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
If and when . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Vehicle tools, spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Tyre repair kit* (Tyre Mobility-System) . . . . . . . . . 235
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Bulb change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Single headlight bulb change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Double headlight bulb change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Changing the bulbs of AFS headlights . . . . . . . . 247
Changing the fog light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Changing rear bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Changing the rear lights (on the wing) . . . . . . . . 251
Changing the rear lights (on the rear lid) . . . . . . 253
Changing the side and interior light bulbs . . . . . 254
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Towing and tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Technical Specifications
. . . . . . . . . . . 262
Description of specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Information on fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Petrol engine 1.2 44 kW (60 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Petrol engine 1.2 51 kW (70 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Petrol engine/LPG 1.6 60 kW (81 PS) . . . . . . . . . 270
Petrol engine 1.2 TSI 63 kW (85 PS) . . . . . . . . . . 271
Petrol engine 1.4 63 kW (85 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Petrol engine 1.2 TSI 77 kW (105 PS) . . . . . . . . . 273
Petrol engine 1.2 TSI 77 kW (105 PS) Start-Stop 274
Petrol engine 1.6 77 kW (105 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Petrol engine 1.4 TSI 110 kW (150 PS) . . . . . . . . 276
Petrol engine 1.4 132 kW (180 PS) - Cupra . . . . . 277
Diesel engine 1.2 TDI CR 55 kW (75 PS) . . . . . . . 278
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 66 kW (90 PS) DPF . . . . 279
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 77 kW (105 PS) with/
without DPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI CR 105 kW (143 PS) DPF . 281
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
4Table of Contents

75
Cockpit
Main beam headlights 
This control lamp lights up when the main beams are on.
The warning lamp  is switched on once main beams are on or once the
headlight flasher is operating.
For further information see ⇒ page 107. 
Electro-hydraulic steering* 
The level of steering assistance depends on the vehicle speed and on the
steering wheel turning speed.
The control lamp should light up for a few seconds when the ignition is
switched on. It should go out once the engine is started.
There is a fault in the electro-hydraulic steering system if the lamp does not
go out or lights up whilst the vehicle is in motion. Take the vehicle to the
Technical Service as soon as possible.
Note
When towing the vehicle with the engine stopped or due to a fault in the
power steering, this will not operate. The vehicle can still be steered, but it
will require greater force to turn the steering wheel. Emission control system* 
This warning lamp monitors the exhaust system.
Control lamp  flashes:
When there is misfiring that can damage the catalytic converter. Reduce
speed and drive carefully to the nearest specialised workshop to have the
engine checked.
Control lamp  is lit:
If a fault has developed during driving which has reduced the quality of the
exhaust gas (e.g. lambda probe fault). Reduce speed and drive carefully to
the nearest specialised workshop to have the engine checked. 
Coolant level*/temperature 
The warning lamp lights up if the coolant temperature is too
high or if the coolant level is too low.
There is a fault if:
● The warning symbol does not go out again after a few seconds.
● The warning lamp lights up or flashes while the vehicle is moving, and
three acoustic warning signals ⇒ 
are emitted.
This means that either the coolant level is too low or the coolant tempera-
ture is too high.
Coolant temperature too high
If the warning light comes on, stop the vehicle, switch off the engine and
wait for it to cool down. Check the coolant level.
If the coolant level is correct, the overheating may be caused by a malfunc-
tion of the radiator fan. Check the radiator fan fuse and have it replaced if
necessary ⇒ page 237. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

90Opening and closing
Anti-theft alarm system*
Description of anti-theft alarm system*
The anti-theft alarm triggers if unauthorised movements are
detected around the vehicle.
The anti-theft alarm makes it more difficult to break into the vehicle or steal
it. The system will initiate acoustic and optical warning signals when your
vehicle is tried to be forced.
The anti-theft alarm system is automatically switched on when locking the
vehicle. For this, either rotate the key in the locking position or press button 
2 on the radio frequency remote control*. The system is immediately ac-
tivated and the turn signal light located on the driver door will flash along
with the turn signals, indicating that the alarm and the locking security sys-
tem (double lock) have been turned on.
If any of the doors or the bonnet are open, they will not be included in the
protection zones of the vehicle when the alarm is connected. If the door or
the bonnet are subsequently closed, they will be automatically included in
the protection areas of the vehicle and the turn signals will flash according-
ly when the doors close.
● The turn signal light will flash twice on opening and deactivating the
alarm.
● The turn signal light will flash once on closing and activating the alarm.
When does the system trigger an alarm?
The system triggers an alarm if the following unauthorised actions are car-
ried out when the vehicle is locked: ●
Opening of vehicle with mechanical key without switching ignition on
within the next 15 seconds
● Opening a door
● Opening the bonnet
● Opening the rear lid
● Ignition switched on with a non-validated key.
● Movements in the driving compartment (vehicles with a volume sensor)
● Towing of the vehicle 1)
● Tilt angle (tow-away protection) 1)
● Undue manipulation of the alarm
● Battery handling
The acoustic signals sound and the turn signals flash for approx. 30 sec-
onds. This may be repeated up to 10 times depending on the country.
Opening all the doors in manual mode
In vehicles without alarm, when opening the driver door manually all the
doors are opened.
How to switch the alarm off
To deactivate the anti-theft alarm, turn the key in the opening direction,
open the door and switch the ignition on, or press the unlock button 
on
the remote control.
In vehicles equipped with an anti-theft alarm system, you have 15 seconds
to insert the key in the ignition lock and activate the ignition if the vehicle is
opened using the driver door key.
Otherwise, the alarm will trigger for 30 sec. and the ignition will be blocked. 
1)
With vehicles fitted with a tow-away protection

107
Lights and visibility
3. Switch the ignition off.
4. Apply the handbrake.
5. On a manual gearbox engage 1st gear. On an automatic gear- box, move the selector lever to P.
6. Use the warning triangle to draw the attention of other road users to your vehicle.
7. Always take the vehicle key with you when you leave the vehi- cle.
Switch on the hazard warning lights to warn other road users, for example:
● reaching the tail end of a traffic jam,
● there is an emergency
● your vehicle breaks down due to a technical fault,
● you are towing another vehicle or your vehicle is being towed.
All turn signals flash simultaneously when the hazard warning lights are
switched on. The two turn signal turn signal lamps   and the turn signal
lamp in the switch  will flash at the same time. The hazard warning lights
also work when the ignition is switched off.
WARNING
● The risk of an accident increases if your vehicle breaks down. Always
use the hazard warning lights and a warning triangle to draw the atten-
tion of other road users to your stationary vehicle.
● Never park where the catalytic converter could come into contact with
inflammable materials under the vehicle, for example dry grass or spilt
petrol. This could start a fire!
Note
● The battery will run down if the hazard warning lights are left on for a
long time, even if the ignition is switched off.
● The use of the hazard warning lights described here is subject to the rel-
evant statutory requirements. 
Turn signal and main beam headlight lever
The turn signal and main beam lever also operates the park-
ing lights and the headlight flasher.
Fig. 62 Turn signal and
main beam headlight lev-
er
The turn signal and main beam headlight lever has the following
functions:
Switching on the turn signals
– Move the lever all the way up ⇒ 
Fig. 62 1
to indicate right, and
all the way down 2 to indicate left. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

148Driving
Safety
Electronic stability control (ESC)*
The ESC helps make driving safer in extreme driving condi-
tions.
Fig. 109 Detailed view of the dash panel: ESC switch.The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) contains the electronic differential lock
(EDL) and the traction control system (ASR). The ESC works together with
the ABS. Both control lamps will light up if the ESC or ABS systems are faul-
ty.
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.
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 174, Intelligent technology.

Ignition lock Position of the ignition key
Fig. 110 Ignition key po-
sitions 

164Driving
Information regarding the “cleanliness” of the particulate filter
The exhaust system manager detects that the diesel particulate filter is
nearly saturated and contributes to self-cleaning by recommending the opti-
mal gear. For this purpose, it might be necessary to drive momentarily with
a high rpm ⇒  page 70.
WARNING
The gear change indicator is only an auxiliary function and in no case
should be a substitute for careful driving.
● The responsibility of choosing the correct gear depending on the sit-
uation (e.g. overtaking, driving up or down a slope or towing a trailer)
lies with the driver.
For the sake of the environment
Selecting the correct gear can help to save fuel.
Note
The recommended gear display is switched off when the clutch pedal is
pressed. 
Kick-down feature
This feature allows maximum acceleration. If you press the accelerator down thoroughly, the gearbox automatically
changes down, depending on speed and engine speed, into a lower gear to
take full advantage of give the vehicle maximum acceleration.
The gearbox does not change gear until the engine reaches the maximum
determined engine speed for the gear.
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle if you accelerate on slippery road
surfaces. Risk of serious injury.
● Be particularly careful when using the kick-down features on slippery
road surfaces. With a fast acceleration, the vehicle could lose traction
and skid.
● You should use the kick-down feature only when traffic and weather
conditions allow it to be used safely.

Handbrake Using the handbrake
The handbrake should be applied firmly to prevent the vehi-
cle from accidentally rolling away.
Fig. 122 Handbrake be-
tween the front seats 

167
Driving
The front parking aid is an audible aid that warns against obstacles both
behind and in front of the vehicle ⇒ page 169.
Apart from the acoustic signals, when the vehicle is equipped with a porta-
ble navigator (PND), this visually displays information regarding front and/
or rear areas. 
Rear parking aid
The parking aid system will use an audible warning to indi-
cate of the approach of any object towards the rear of the ve-
hicle. Description
The acoustic parking aid system will measure the distance between the rear
of the vehicle and any possible obstacle using four ultrasonic sensors loca-
ted on the rear bumper. The measuring range of the sensors starts approxi-
mately and depending on the nature of the obstacle at a distance of:
● side of the rear bumper: 0.6 m
● middle of the rear bumper: 1.6 m
Activation
The system is activated by engagement of the reverse gear. A brief audible
warning confirms the activation and correct function of the system.
Reverse gear
The distance warning will begin as soon as an obstacle is detected by the
system. The frequency of the bleeps emitted by the system will increase rap-
idly as the vehicle approaches the obstacle. After a distance lower than ap-
proximately 30 cm, a continuous signal sounds (stop signal). The driver
should not reverse any further. Models with a factory-fitted towing bracket: When the vehicle is less than
0.35 m away from the obstacle the warning tone will sound continuously.
The driver should then not reverse any further.
The warning tone volume decreases by 30% 3 seconds after it is triggered
if
the detected obstacle stays at a constant distance from the vehicle .
Provided that it is not in continuous mode, the tone on the parking aid sys-
tem stops when it detects a wall parallel to the vehicle.
Trailer towing
For vehicles factory-fitted with a towing bar, the parking aid system will not
be activated by the engagement of the reverse gear when pulling a trailer,
as the trailer's electric connector will be plugged into the vehicle.
Possible faults
If a continuous beep sounds for some seconds when the reverse gear is en-
gaged, this indicates that there is a fault in the parking aid system. If the
fault continues until the ignition is turned off, the audible warning of the
fault will not be emitted every time the system is reactivated (by engaging
the reverse gear). Thus, the system ready indication will not sound either.
Have the fault repaired by a Technical Service as soon as possible.
If there is no ready signal or no acoustic warning signal, then the parking
aid loudspeaker is faulty and may not warn of obstacles. To ensure that the
system works properly, the sensors must be kept clean and free of ice and
snow.
WARNING
● The sensors have blind spots in which obstacles may not be detected.
● Always look out for small children and animals because the system
will not always detect them. Always pay attention when reversing to
avoid accidents.
● The parking aid is not a replacement for driver awareness. The driver
must take full responsibility for parking and other manoeuvres. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications