Dash panel
off after approximately 2 seconds. This is the
time taken for the function check.
This programme includes the ABS, EDL and
ASR. It also includes emergency braking as-
sistance (BAS).
The warning lamp
has the following
f
unctions:
● It flashes whilst driving when the ASR/ESC
is activated.
● It will light up if there is a fault in the ESC.
● As the ESC operates in conjunction with the
ABS, the ESC light will also come on if a fault
should occur in the ABS.
If the ESC control lamp lights up and stays
on after the engine is started, this may mean
that the control system has temporarily
switched off the ESC. In this case the ESC can
be reactivated by switching the ignition off
and then on again. If the control lamp goes
out, this means the system is fully functional.
The lamp provides information about the
disconnection status of the system:
● It stays lit when the ASR is disconnected
when pressing the switch. Brake system* Situations in which the warning lamp lights
up
● the br ak
e fluid level is too low
››› page 173.
● there i
s a fault in the brake system.
This warning lamp can light up together with
the ABS system warning lamp. WARNING
● If the brake warning lamp does not go out
or if it lights up when driving, the brake fluid
level in the reservoir is too low so there is a
risk of an accident ››› page 173, Brake fluid.
Stop the vehicle and do not drive on. Obtain
technical assistance.
● If the brake warning lamp lights up to-
gether with the ABS lamp this could be
due to an ABS fault. This could cause the rear
wheels to lock quickly when you brake. This
could cause the rear to break away. Risk of
skidding. Stop the vehicle and seek technical
assistance. Cruise speed (cruise control)*
The warning lamp comes on when the
cruise control system is switched on. For fur-
ther information on the cruise control system
please see
›››
page 150 . T
y
re pressure
Fig. 71
Centre console: tyre monitoring sys-
tem button. The tyre monitoring lamp* compares wheel
revolutions and with it, using the ESC, the
wheel diameter of each wheel. If the diame-
ter of a wheel changes, the tyre control lamp
lights up. The wheel diameter changes
when:
● Tyre pressure is insufficient.
● The tyre structure is damaged.
● The vehicle is unbalanced because of a
load.
● The wheels of one axle are under more
pressure (for example, driving with a trailer or
on steep slopes).
● The vehicle is fitted with snow chains.
● The temporary spare wheel is fitted.
● The wheel on one axle is changed. »
61
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials
Operation
Tyre pressure adjustment
On adjusting tyre pressure or changing one
or more wheels, the ››› Fig. 71 button must be
k ept
pressed down, with the ignition on, until
an acoustic signal is heard.
If the wheels are under excessive load (for ex-
ample, driving with a trailer or heavy load),
the tyre pressure must be increased to the
recommended value for a full load (see the
sticker on the inside of the fuel flap). If the
tyre monitor system button is pressed down,
the new tyre pressures are confirmed.
The tyre pressure control lamp lights up
If the tyre pressure of a wheel is much lower
than the value set by the driver, then the tyre
pressure control lamp ››› will light up.
WARNING
● When the tyre pressure control lamp lights
up, reduce speed immediately and avoid any
sudden turning or braking manoeuvre. Stop
when possible, and check the tyre pressure
and status.
● The driver is responsible for maintaining
correct tyre pressures. For this reason, tyre
pressure must be regularly checked.
● Under certain circumstances (e.g. when
driving in a sporty manner, in winter condi-
tions or on a dirt track) the tyre control lamp
may light up belatedly or may function incor-
rectly. Note
If the battery is disconnected, the yellow
warning lamp lights up after turning the
ignition on.
This should turn off after a brief
journey. Speed selector lever lock*
The brake pedal must be depressed when
this warning lamp lights up. This is necessary
when the automatic gearbox* selector lever
is moved out of the positions
P
or N
.
Fuel level/reserve It lights up when only 7 litres of fuel remain
in the tank, and an
acoustic signal*
al
so
sou
nds. It reminds you to fuel up the fuel
tank as soon as possible ›››
page 163.
Door open display* This warning lamp lights up if one of the
doors is open.
The warning light
should go off when all
the doors are closed correctly. Rear lid open* The warning lamp
should switch off when
the r
ear lid is fully closed.
Main beam headlights The warning lamp lights up when the main
beams are on or when the headlight flasher
is operated.
For further information see
››› page 93.
Electro-hydraulic steering* The level of steering assistance depends on
the vehicle speed and on the steering wheel
turning speed.
The warning 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 steer-
ing system if the lamp does not go out or
lights up whilst the vehicle is in motion. Take
the vehicle to technical services as soon as
possible.
62
Dash panel
Note
When towing the vehicle with the engine
stopped or due to a fault in the power steer-
ing, this will not operate. The vehicle can still
be steered, but it will require greater force to
turn the steering wheel. Emission control system*
Control lamp
flashes:
When ther e i
s misfiring that can damage the
catalytic converter. Reduce speed and drive
carefully to the nearest specialised workshop
to have the engine checked.
The control lamp lights up:
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.
Level*/Temperature of the coolant 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 temperature is too high.
Coolant temperature too high
If the warning lamp comes on,
stop the vehi-
cle, turn off the engine and wait for it to cool
down. Check the coolant level.
If the c
oolant level is correct, the overheating
may be caused by a malfunction of the radia-
tor fan. Check the radiator fan fuse and have
it replaced if necessary ››› page 195.
If the control lamp lights up again after driv-
ing on for a short distance, stop the vehicle
and switch the engine off
. Contact a Techni-
cal Service or a specialised workshop.
Coolant level too low
If the warning lamp comes on , stop the vehi-
cle, turn off the engine and wait for it to cool
down
. First check the coolant level. If the lev-
el of the coolant is below the “MIN” mark,
top up with coolant liquid ››› .
WARNING
● If your vehicle is immobilised for technical
reasons, move it to a safe distance from traf-
fic. Turn the engine off, turn the hazard lights
on and place the warning triangle.
● Never open the bonnet if you can see or
hear steam or coolant escaping from the en-
gine compartment. Risk of scalding. Wait un- til you can no longer see or hear escaping
steam or coolant.
●
The engine compartment is a dangerous
area. Before carrying out any work in the en-
gine compartment, switch off the engine and
allow it to cool down. Always note the corre-
sponding warnings ››› page 166. Alternator
This warning lamp signals a fault in the alter-
nator.
The warning lamp lights up when the igni-
tion is switched on. It should go out when the
engine has started running.
If the warning lamp
lights up while driv-
ing, the alternator is no longer charging the
battery. You should immediately drive to the
nearest specialised workshop.
You should avoid using electrical equipment
that is not absolutely necessary because this
will drain the battery.
Turn signals Depending on which turn signal is operating,
either the left
or right turn signal lamp
flashes. Both control lamps will flash at the
same time when the hazard warning lights
are switched on. »
63
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials
Opening and closing
●
Closing the windows without observing and
ensuring it is clear could cause serious injury
to you and third parties. Make sure that no
one is in the path of a window.
● Never allow people to remain in the vehicle
when you close the vehicle from the outside.
The windows cannot be opened even in an
emergency.
● The roll-back function does not prevent fin-
gers or other parts of the body getting
pinched against the window frame. Risk of
accident. Convenience opening and closing*
Using the door lock*
– Hold the key in the door lock of the driver
door in either the locking or the unlocking
position until all windows are either
opened or closed.
– Release the key to interrupt this function.
Using the remote control
– Keep the locking/unlocking button pressed
for the electric window risers to
open/close; if you stop pressing the but-
ton, the window raising/lowering function
is stopped.
– If the automatic raising is stopped and im-
mediately after, the opening button is kept
pressed, the window risers will lower. –
Once the windows are completely closed,
the turn signals will flash.
Panoramic tilting sunroof* Opening or closing of the
panoramic/tilting sunroof Read the additional information carefully
››› page 10
The panoramic/tilting sunroof is opened and
closed by using the switch when the ignition
is switched on.
Always close the panoramic/tilting sunroof
fully if you park the vehicle or leave it unat-
tended ››› .
The tilting sunroof can be operated for up to
about ten minutes after the ignition has been
switched off, provided the driver door and
the front passenger door are not opened.
Sun visor
The sun visor is opened and closed manually
(independently of the panoramic/tilting sun-
roof). WARNING
● Incorrect use of the tilting sunroof can re-
sult in injury. ●
Never close the tilting sunroof without first
checking that there are no obstructions. Risk
of serious injury to you or others. Make sure
that no one is in the path of the tilting sun-
roof.
● Always take the vehicle key with you when
you leave the vehicle.
● Never leave children or disabled persons in
the vehicle, particularly if they have access to
the keys. Unsupervised use of a key could
mean that the engine is started or that elec-
trical equipment is used (e.g. electric tilting
sunroof) with a risk of accident. The doors
can be locked using the remote control key.
This could become an obstacle for assistance
in an emergency situation.
● The tilting sunroof continues to function
until one of the front doors is opened and the
key removed from the ignition.
● Ensure that no object and/or end is be-
tween the glass and the sunroof when the
one-touch opening/closing function is reset. Convenience closing*
Using the door lock
– Hold the key in the door lock of the driver
door in the locking position until the tilting
sunroof is closed.
– Release the key to interrupt this function.
»
89Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials
Operation
Technical Service should be consulted to
check the system.
● To ensure correct operation, the grilles on
both sides of the screen must not be obstruc-
ted ●
When the engine is under extreme strain,
switch off the compressor for a moment. Heating
Controls Fig. 125
Heating controls on the dash panel. –
Using the controls A and
C and with the
switch B
››› Fig. 125 you can adjust the
t emper
ature, the air distribution and the
blower speed.
– Press the D button to switch air recircula-
tion mode on or off. When the function is activated, a warning light on the button is
turned on.
Temperature
Switch A adjusts temperature. The desired
temperature inside the vehicle cannot be
lower than the ambient temperature. Maxi-
mum heat output, which is needed to defrost the windows quickly, is only available when
the engine has reached its operating temper-
ature.
114
Operation
Coolant system
When the air conditioning is switched on, the
temperature and the air humidity go down.
This way, if the outside humidity is extreme,
the air conditioning prevents the misting of
the windows and therefore, comfort is im-
proved.
If the air conditioning does not work, this
may be due to the following reasons:
● The engine is stationary.
● The fan blower is switched off.
● The outside temperature is lower than ap-
proximately +3 °C (+37 °F).
● The air conditioning system compressor
has been temporarily switched off because of
an increased engine coolant temperature.
● The air conditioner fuse is faulty.
● Another fault in the vehicle. Have the air
conditioning checked by a specialised work-
shop.
Air recirculation Air recirculation mode on
›››
Fig. 129 (a
lamp lights up on the button) prevents strong
odours or contaminated air from the outside air from entering in the vehicle, for example
when passing through a tunnel or in a traffic
jam.
When the outside temperature is low, air re-
circulation mode improves heating perform-
ance by heating air from the interior instead
of cold air from the outside.
When the outside temperature is high, air re-
circulation mode improves cooling perform-
ance by cooling air from the interior instead
of warm air from outside.
For safety reasons, the air recirculation
should not be switched on
when the air dis-
tribution control is set to the windscreen set-
ting . WARNING
In air recirculation mode, no cold air from the
outside enters the vehicle interior. If the air
conditioner is switched off, the windows can
quickly mist over. Therefore, never leave the
air recirculation mode switched on for a long
time (risk of accident). Note
● When engaging reverse gear, the air recir-
culation is connected automatically to pre-
vent the entrance of exhaust gases in the ve-
hicle on travelling backwards. The control
lamp on the button does not light up.
● If the temperature control is turned to the
coldest setting (blue point) and the A/C but- ton is on, the “Air recirculation” function is
automatically activated in order to cool the
vehicle faster using less energy, and its func-
tion control lamp will light up.
● If the function is not deactivated by press-
ing the button, it will deactivate after approx-
imately 20 minutes. Economic use of the air conditioning
When the air conditioning is switched on, the
compressor consumes engine power and has
influence on fuel consumption. Consider the
following points in order to have the system
operating in the minimum possible time.
● If the vehicle interior has overheated due to
an excessive solar radiation, it is best to
open the windows or doors to allow the hot
air to escape.
● While in motion, the air conditioning
should not be switched on if the windows or
the sunroof* are open.
120
Operation
●
Unsupervised use of the key could start the
engine or any electrical system, such as the
electric windows. This could result in serious
injury. CAUTION
The starter motor will only work when the en-
gine is stopped (ignition key position 3 ).
Electronic immobiliser
The electronic immobiliser prevents unau-
thorised persons from driving the vehicle.
Inside the key there is a chip that deactivates
the electronic immobiliser automatically
when the key is inserted into the ignition.
The electronic immobiliser will be activated
again automatically as soon as you pull the
key out of the ignition lock.
The engine can only be started using a genu-
ine SEAT key with its correct code.
Note
A perfect operation of the vehicle is ensured
if genuine SEAT keys are used. Starting petrol engines
The engine can only be started using a genu-
ine SEAT key with its correct code.
– Move the gearbox lever to the neutral posi-
tion and depress the clutch pedal thor-
oughly and hold it in this position for the
starter to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting posi-
tion ››› page 123.
– Let
go of the ignition key as soon as the en-
gine starts; the starter motor must not run
on with the engine.
After starting a very hot engine, you may
need to slightly press down the accelerator.
When starting a cold engine, it may be a little
noisy for the first few seconds until oil pres-
sure has built up in the hydraulic valve com-
pensators. This is quite normal, and no cause
for concern.
If the engine does not start immediately,
switch the starter off after 10 seconds and try
again after half a minute. If the engine still
does not start, the fuel pump fuse should be
checked ›››
page 195, Fuses. WARNING
● Never start or run the engine in unventila-
ted or closed rooms. The exhaust gases con-
tain carbon monoxide, an odourless and col-
ourless poisonous gas. Risk of fatal acci- dents. Carbon monoxide can cause loss of
consciousness and result in death.
●
Never leave the vehicle unattended if the
engine is running.
● Never use “cold start sprays”, they could
explode or cause the engine to run at high
revs. Risk of injury. CAUTION
● When the engine is cold, you should avoid
high engine speeds, driving at full throttle
and over-loading the engine. Risk of engine
damage.
● The vehicle should not be pushed or towed
more than 50 metres to start the engine. Un-
burnt fuel could enter the catalytic converter
and damage it.
● Before attempting to push-start or tow a ve-
hicle in order to start it, you should first try to
start it using the battery of another vehicle.
Please observe and follow the notes on the
››› page 188, Jump-starting
. For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the
engine with the vehicle stationary. Start off
immediately, driving gently. This helps the
engine reach operating temperature faster
and reduces emissions. 124
Operation
CAUTION
When the engine has been running under a
heavy load for a long period, heat can accu-
mulate in the engine compartment and cause
engine damage. For this reason, idle the en-
gine for approximately 2 minutes before
switching it off. Braking and parking
Braking capacity and braking distance The efficiency of the brakes depends directly
on the
brake pad
wear. This wear depends to
a gr
eat extent on the conditions under which
the vehicle is operated and the way the vehi-
cle is driven. If you often drive in town, drive
short distances or have a sporty driving style,
we recommend that you have the thickness
of your brake pads checked by technical serv-
ices more frequently than recommended in
the Maintenance Programme.
If you drive with wet brakes, for example, af-
ter crossing areas of water, on days of heavy
rainfall or even after washing the car, the ef-
fect of the brakes is reduced as the brake
discs are wet or even frozen (in winter): in
this case, the brakes should be “dried” by
pressing the brake pedal several times. WARNING
Longer braking distances and faults in the
brake system increase the risk of accidents.
● New brake pads must be run in and do not
have the correct friction during the first
200 km. This reduced braking capacity may
be compensated for by pressing on the brake
pedal a little harder, which also applies when
the brake pads have to be changed further
on.
● If brakes are wet or frozen, or if you are
driving on roads which have been salted,
braking power may be lower than normal.
● On steep slopes, if brakes are excessively
used, they will overheat. Before driving down
a long steep slope, it is advisable to reduce
speed and change down into a lower gear or
range (depending on the type of transmis-
sion). Thus, make use of engine braking and
relieve the brakes.
● Never let the brakes “drag” by applying
light pressure. Continuous braking will cause
the brakes to overheat and the braking dis-
tance will increase. Apply and then release
the brakes alternately.
● Never let the vehicle run with the engine
switched off. The braking distance is in-
creased considerably when the brake servo is
not active.
● If the brake fluid loses its viscosity and is
subjected to heavy use, vapour bubbles can
form in the brake system. This reduces the ef-
ficiency of the brakes. ●
Non-standard or damaged front spoilers
could restrict the airflow to the brakes and
cause them to overheat. Before purchasing
accessories please observe the relevant in-
structions ››› page 155, Technical modifica-
tions.
● If a br
ake system circuit fails, the braking
distance will be increased considerably. Con-
tact a specialised workshop immediately and
avoid unnecessary journeys. Handbrake
Fig. 132
Handbrake between the front seats. The handbrake should be applied firmly to
prevent the vehicle from accidentally rolling
away. Always apply the handbrake when you
leave your vehicle and when you park.
126