2013 Seat Mii Owner's manual

119
Starting, changing gears, parking
While driving
Starting, changing gears, parking
Stopping and starting the engine Introduction
Immobiliser display
When an invalid key is used or in the event of a system fault,  is dis-
played on the instrument panel. The engine cannot be started.
Pushing or towing
For technical reasons, the vehicle must not be push- or tow-started. Jump
starting is preferable.
Additional information and warnings:
● Vehicle key set ⇒ page 28
● Changing gear ⇒  page 124
● Braking, stopping and parking ⇒  page 134
● Steering ⇒  page 147
● Refuelling ⇒  page 171
● Fuel ⇒ page 177
● Emergency locking and unlocking ⇒ page 244
● Jump starting ⇒  page 275
● Tow starting and towing away ⇒ page 278
WARNING
Switching off the engine while driving makes stopping the vehicle diffi-
cult. As a consequence you may lose control of the vehicle and there is a
risk of serious accident.
● The assisted braking and steering systems, the airbag system, seat
belts and certain safety equipment are only active while the engine is
running.
● The engine should only be switched off when the vehicle is at a
standstill.
WARNING
While the engine is running or starting it could help reduce the risk of se-
rious injury.
● Never start or leave the engine running in poorly ventilated or closed
spaces. Exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, a toxic, colourless and
odourless gas. Carbon monoxide can cause people to lose conscious-
ness. It can also cause death.
● Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running. The vehi-
cle could move off suddenly or something unexpected could happen re-
sulting in damage and serious injury.
● Never use start boosters. Cold start sprays could explode or increase
the engine speed unexpectedly. 
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120Starting, changing gears, parking
WARNING
The components of the exhaust system reach very high temperatures.
This could cause a fire and considerable damage.
● Always park your vehicle so that no part of the exhaust system can
come in contact with flammable materials (such as wood, leaves, spilled
fuel, dried grass, etc).
● Never apply additional underseal or anti-corrosion coatings to the ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converter or the heat shields on the exhaust sys-
tem.

Ignition lock
Fig. 86 Vehicle key positions
Car keys ⇒ Fig. 86 No key in the ignition lock: The steering lock may be activated.0Ignition switched off. Key can be removed from the vehicle.1Ignition is switched on. The steering lock can be unlocked.2Switch on the engine. Release the key when the engine has star-
ted. When it is released, the key returns to position 1.
Key not authorised for the vehicle
If a key which is not authorised for this vehicle is inserted in the ignition
lock, it can be removed as follows:
●
Automatic gearbox : the key cannot be removed from the ignition lock.
Press and release the selector lever locking button. Key can be removed
from the vehicle.
● Manual gearbox: Remove the key from the ignition. 

121
Starting, changing gears, parking
WARNING
Unsuitable or careless use of the vehicle key could result in serious in-
jury.
● Always take all the keys with you whenever you leave the vehicle. The
engine could accidentally be started and electrical equipment such as
the windows could accidentally be operated resulting in serious injury.
● Never leave children or disabled people alone in the car. They could
be trapped in the car in an emergency and will not be able to get them-
selves to safety. For example, depending on the time of the year, temper-
atures inside a locked and closed vehicle can be extremely high or ex-
tremely low resulting in serious injuries and illness or even death, partic-
ularly for young children.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if the vehicle is in motion. The
steering may lock and it will not be possible to turn the steering wheel.
Note
● If the key is left in the ignition lock with the engine off for long periods,
the vehicle battery will run flat.
● In vehicles with automatic gearbox the ignition key can only be with-
drawn with the selector lever in position P. In this case, press and release
the selector lever locking button. 
Starting the engine
Complete operations only in the sequence given.
1.Press the brake pedal and keep pressed until step 5 has been completed.
1 a.In vehicles with a manual gearbox: Press the clutch pedal all
the way and keep pressed until the engine starts.
Complete operations only in the sequence given.
2.Put the gearbox lever in neutral or the selector lever in posi- tion P or N.
3.Turn the key in the ignition lock to position ⇒ Fig. 86 2; do
not press the accelerator.
4.When the engine has started, release the key in the ignition lock.
5.If the engine does not start, stop the process and try again af-ter one minute.
6.Release the handbrake when you want to begin driving⇒ page 134.
WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running. The vehicle
could move off suddenly, especially if it is in gear, resulting in an acci-
dent and serious injury.
WARNING
Cold start sprays could explode or cause a sudden increase in the engine
speed.
● Never use start boosters.
CAUTION
● An attempt to start the engine while driving or starting the engine imme-
diately after turning it off can cause damage to the engine or starter motor.
● When the engine is cold, avoid high revs and heavy acceleration and do
not make the engine work hard.
● Do not push or tow start the engine. Unburnt fuel could damage the cat-
alytic converter. 
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122Starting, changing gears, parking
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm the engine at idle speed; start driving immediately if the visi-
bility is OK. This helps the engine reach operating temperature faster and
reduces emissions.
Note
Electrical components with a high power consumption are switched off tem-
porarily when the engine starts.
Note
When the engine is started cold, there may be strong vibrations for a few
moments for technical reasons. This is quite normal, and no cause for con-
cern.
Note
Natural gas engines always start up with petrol, as a certain operating tem-
perature is required for running with gas. Once the required operating tem-
perature is reached, the engine will change to operate with natural gas. 
Stopping the engine
Complete operations only in the sequence given.1.Stopping the vehicle completely ⇒ .
2.Press the brake pedal and keep pressed until step 4 has been
completed.
3.In automatic gearboxes, put the selector lever in position P4.Apply the handbrake firmly ⇒ page 134.5.Turn the key in the ignition lock to position ⇒ Fig. 86 0.6.With a manual gearbox, put the vehicle in first or reverse gear.
WARNING
Never switch off the engine while the vehicle is moving. You may lose
control of the vehicle and there is a risk of serious accident.
● The airbags and belt tensioners do not work when the ignition is
switched off.
● The brake servo does not work with the engine off. To stop, the brake
pedal must be pressed with more force.
● As the power steering does not work if the engine is not running, you
will need more strength to steer than normally.
● If the key is removed from the ignition, the steering may lock and it
will not be possible to steer the vehicle.
CAUTION
If the engine has been driven at high speed for a prolonged period of time,
it may overheat when turned off. To avoid engine damage, allow the engine
to run for approximately 2 minutes in neutral before switching it off.
Note
● In vehicles with automatic gearbox, the key can only be removed when
the selector lever is in position P.
● After stopping the engine, the engine compartment fan may continue
running for a few minutes, even when the ignition has been switched off or
the key removed. The radiator fan is automatically switched off. 
Electronic immobiliser
The gear lock prevents the engine from being started with an unauthorised
key and the vehicle being moved.
The vehicle key has a built-in chip. It automatically deactivates the electron-
ic immobiliser when the key is inserted into the ignition lock. 

123
Starting, changing gears, parking
The electronic immobilizer will be activated again automatically as soon as
you remove the key from the ignition lock.
For this reason, the vehicle can only be used with a genuine SEAT key with
the correct code. Coded keys can be obtained from SEAT dealerships
⇒ page 28.
If an unauthorised key is used, the signal  appears on the instrument
panel display. The vehicle cannot be started in this case
Note
The correct operation of the vehicle is only guaranteed when original SEAT
keys are used. 
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124Starting, changing gears, parking
Changing gear
Introduction
When reverse gear is engaged and the ignition is switched on the following
takes place:
● Reverse lights light up.
● The rear wiper blade performs one movement when the windscreen wip-
er is activated.
● If necessary, connect the parking distance warning system.
Additional information and warnings:
● Detail of the centre console ⇒ page 12
● Instruments ⇒ page 17
● Braking, stopping and parking ⇒  page 134
● Parking sensor system ⇒  page 149
● Electronic power control and exhaust gases purification system
⇒ page 237
● Emergency locking and unlocking ⇒ page 244
WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause loss of traction and skidding, especially on
slippery ground. This could cause loss of control of the vehicle resulting
in an accident and considerable damage.
● Use rapid acceleration only when visibility, weather, road conditions
and traffic permit.
WARNING
Do not allow the brakes to “rub” for a prolonged period of time, or brake
frequently or for long periods of time. Continuous braking heats up the
brakes. This could significantly reduce braking power, increase braking
distance or even result in the total failure of the brake system.
CAUTION
● Never make the brakes slip by pressing the pedal gently, if it is not really
necessary to brake. This will increase wear.
● Reduce speed or reduce the gear when faced with steep and long
slopes. This allows you to use the engine braking effect and to reduce the
strain on the brake system. Otherwise, the brakes may overheat and fail.
Only use the brakes to reduce speed or to stop. 

125
Starting, changing gears, parking
Warning and control lamps
If lit upPossible causeSolution

(red)Fault in the automatic gear-
box.
 Do not drive on!
Seek professional advice. Fail-
ure to do so could result in
considerable damage to the
transmission ⇒ page 132.

(yellow)
In the automatic gearbox
the gears can engage incor-
rectly.
Switch the ignition on and off.
When the control lamp does
not light up, find the nearest
specialised workshop and
have the automatic gearbox
checked.
The automatic gearbox
overheats temporarily.
Let the transmission cool with
the gearbox lever in the posi-
tion . When the control lamp
does not light up, find the
nearest specialised workshop
and have the automatic gear-
box checked.
If lit upPossible causeSolution

Place the automatic gear-
box lever in the position 
and do not press the brake
pedal.Press the brake pedal to select
a gear range.
Together with the yellow
control lamp for the temper-
ature of the transmission
: the automatic gearbox
overheats.
Press brake pedal and let the
transmission cool. Avoid
pressing the accelerator.
When the control lamp does
not light up, find the nearest
specialised workshop and
have the automatic gearbox
checked.
Together with the turn sig-
nal display in the instru-
ment panel display: the au-
tomatic gearbox lever is not
in the position , indication
to start the engine.
Move the gearbox lever to the
position  and start the en-
gine. 
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126Starting, changing gears, parking
If
flash- ingPossible causeSolution

An automatic gearbox in the
vehicle does not guarantee
that the vehicle will not roll
away.
Apply the handbrake.

In the instrument panel dis-
play, in addition to the control
lamp requesting the brake
pedal to be pressed : Indica-
tion to start the engine.
Move the gearbox lever to the po-
sition  and start the engine.
On the instrument panel dis-
play: Whilst driving in a for-
ward direction, try to move the
automatic gearbox lever to the
position .Stop the vehicle and move the
gearbox lever to the position  in
order to subsequently change to
the position .
On the instrument panel dis-
play: The automatic gearbox
lever was placed in the posi-
tion  or , but the brake pedal
was not pressed.Press the brake pedal, move the
gearbox lever to the position ,
and subsequently to the required
position  or .
When switching on the ignition some warning and control lamps light up for
a short time to check the operations. They will switch off after a few sec-
onds. 