2013 Seat Leon 5D towing

286Emergencies
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,
windscreen wipers and washers can be used. Please ensure
that the steering wheel is unlocked when you switch on the ig-
nition, 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 power steering only works when the ignition
is switched on and the vehicle is moving 1)
. Otherwise, consider-
ably 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 287.
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.

288Emergencies
Rear towline anchorage
The rear towline anchorage should only be mounted if you
wish to tow another vehicle.
Fig. 175 Right side of
the rear bumper: cover
cap
Fig. 176 Right side of
the rear bumper: towline
anchorage screwed in Vehicles with towline anchorage
On the right of the rear bumper there is a cover which covers a
threaded hole.
–
Take the towline anchorage out of the vehicle tool set
⇒ page 274.
– To remove the bumper cover, press the upper side of the cover
inwards -arrow- and remove the cover by levering on the left
side ⇒ Fig. 175.
– Screw the towline anchorage into the screw connection as far as
it will go ⇒ Fig. 176 and tighten with the wheel brace.
After use, unscrew the towline anchorage and put it back in the vehicle tool
kit. Replace the cover on the bumper. The towline anchorage should always
be kept in the vehicle.
WARNING
● If the towline anchorage is not screwed in as far as the stop, there is a
risk of the screw connection shearing off during towing (accident risk).
● If your car has a towing bracket, only use special towing ropes. Risk
of accident!
CAUTION
In vehicles fitted with a towing bracket, only use special tow bars to prevent
damage to the ball joint. These tow bars have been specially approved for
use with towing brackets. 

289
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 283 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 unburned 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 286.
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 286.
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

307
Technical specifications
Towing a trailer Trailer weights
Trailer weight
The trailer weights and drawbar loads approved are selected in intensive tri-
als according to precisely defined criteria. The approved trailer weights are
valid for vehicles in the EU for maximum speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) (in
certain circumstances up to 100 km/h, 60 mph). The figures may be differ-
ent in other countries. All data in the official vehicle documentation takes
precedence over these data at all times ⇒ 
.
Drawbar loads
The maximum permitted drawbar load on the ball joint of the towing bracket
must not exceed 80 kg.
In the interest of road safety, we recommend that you always tow approach-
ing the maximum drawbar load. The response of the trailer on the road will
be poor if the drawbar load is too small.
If the maximum permissible drawbar load cannot be met (e.g. with small,
empty and light-weight single axle trailers or tandem axle trailers with a
wheelbase of less than 1 metre), a minimum of 4% of the actual trailer
weight is legally required for the drawbar load.
WARNING
● For safety reasons, do not exceed the 80 km/h (50 mph) limit. This is
also valid in countries where higher speeds are permitted.
● Never exceed the maximum trailer weights or the drawbar load. If the
permissible axle load or the permissible total weight is exceeded, the
driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents,
injuries and damage to the vehicle.
 Wheels
Tyre pressure, snow chains, wheel bolts
Tyre pressures
The sticker with the tyre pressure values can be found on the inside of the
fuel tank flap. The tyre pressure values given there are for cold tyres. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tyres must not be reduced. ⇒ 
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front wheels, and only for the follow-
ing tyres:
195/65 R15Chains with links of maximum 15 mm205/55 R16Chains with links of maximum 15 mm225/45 R17Chains with links of maximum 9 mm225/40 R18Chains with links of maximum 9 mm
Wheel bolts
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel
bolts should be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench ⇒ 
.
The tightening torque for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
WARNING
● Check the tyre pressure at least once per month. Checking the tyre
pressure is very important. If the tyre pressure is too high or too low,
there is an increased danger of accidents, particularly at high speeds.
● If the tightening torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loos-
en while the vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening tor-
que is too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Parking system plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Rear parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Sensors/Camera: cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Parking aid system see Parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Parking light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Parking (automatic gearbox) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Particulate filter (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Passenger see Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 11, 12, 13
Passenger's seat backrest folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
lifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Physical principles of a frontal collision . . . . . . 22
Plastic parts: Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240, 242
Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Preheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Pressure (tyres) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Progressive steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
R Racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Radar sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191, 204
Radio display: cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Radio transmitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 Rain sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Control of function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Rear lid automatic locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Manual release in an emergency . . . . . . . 101
see also luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . 100
Rear lights Changing a bulb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Rear seat folding down and lifting backrest . . . . . . . 138
Rear seat backrest folding down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
lifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rear vision mirrors Adjusting the exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . 125
see also Rear vision mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Rear wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Reflective vests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Refuelling natural gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Remote control See "Keys" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Remote control key Unlocking/Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Remove the wheel cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Replacement parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Reservoir capacity Windscreen washer water reservoir . . . . . 125 Reset button (trip recorder) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Reset the trip recorder to zero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Retaining hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
retractable rear shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Retrofitting a towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Rev counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61, 66
Reverse gear (automatic gearbox) . . . . . . . . . 173
Rims
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
RME (fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Roll-back function Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Roof carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Roof carrier system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Roof load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Running in New brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
New engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
New tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
S Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safelock see Anti-theft security system . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Safety equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
332 Index

SymbolsSee "Lamps" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
System Automatic dipped beam control . . . . . . . . 112
System Easy Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Systems ACC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
monitoring system Front Assist . . . . . . . . . 202
Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Tyre monitoring indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
T Tailboard for transporting long objects . . . . . 144
Technical data Reservoir capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
roof load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Temperature display Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64, 73
The danger of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . 23
Things to note natural gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
natural gas fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . 307
tiptronic (automatic gearbox) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Tiptronic (automatic gearbox) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Top Tether system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55, 56
Tow-away protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Tow-starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tow-starting the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Towing
Retrofitting a towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234, 307
Towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Towline anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Traction control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Trailer Parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Trailer weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Transporting children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Transporting objects Fastening rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Net bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
retaining hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Roof carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
roof carrier system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Roof carrier system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
tailboard for transporting long objects . . . 144
Trim parts: cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Trims: Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Trip recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61, 67
Turning off the lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Turning on the headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Turn signal convenience function . . . . . . . . . . 110
Turn signal lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Tyre
Tyre pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Useful life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Tyre Mobility System (Tyre repair kit) . . . . . . . 275
Tyre monitoring indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Tyre monitoring system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Tyre monitoring systems Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Tyre monitoring indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Tyre repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Tyres Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Indications of wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274, 275
With compulsory direction of rotation . . . 281
U Unlocking/Locking With remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
With the central locking switch . . . . . . . . . . 94
Upholstery: Cleaning Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
V
Vehicle Identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Raising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
334 Index