
Operation
XDS* When taking a curve, the driveshaft differen-
tial mechanism allows the outer wheel to turn
at a higher speed than the inner wheel. In
this way, the wheel that is turning faster (out-
er wheel) receives less drive torque than the
inner wheel. This may mean that in certain
situations the torque delivered to the inner
wheel is too high, causing the wheels to
spin. On the other hand, the outer wheel is
receiving a lower drive torque than it could
transmit. This causes an overall loss of lateral
grip on the front axle, resulting in understeer
or “lengthening” of the trajectory.
The XDS system can detect and correct this
effect via the sensors and signals of the ESC.
Via the ESC, the XDS will brake the inside
wheel and counter the excess driving torque
of that wheel. This means that the driver's
desired trajectory is much more precise,
The XDS system works in combination with
the ESC and is always active, even when ASR
traction control is disconnected.
Brake servo The brake servo increases the pressure you
apply to the brake pedal. It works
only when
the engine is running . If the brake servo is not functioning, e.g. due
to a malfunction, or if the vehicle is being
towed, you will have to press the brake pedal
considerably harder to make up for the lack
of servo assistance.
WARNING
The braking distance can also be affected by
external factors.
● Never let the vehicle coast with the engine
switched off. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in an accident. The braking dis-
tance is increased considerably when the
brake servo is not active.
● If the brake servo is not working, for exam-
ple when the vehicle is being towed, you will
have to press the brake pedal considerably
harder than normal. Start-Stop System*
Description and operation The Start-Stop function stops the engine
when the vehicle is stopped and starts it au-
tomatically when required.
– When the vehicle is stopped, put it in neu-
tral and release the clutch pedal. The en-
gine will stop.
– When the clutch pedal is pressed, the en-
gine starts again. –
The instrument panel display shows infor-
mation about the status of the Start-Stop
function ››› Fig. 142 .
St ar
t-Stop function conditions
● The driver seat belt must be buckled.
● The bonnet must be closed.
● The engine must be at operating tempera-
ture.
● The steering wheel must be straight.
● The vehicle must be on flat ground.
● The vehicle must not be in reverse.
● A trailer must not be connected.
● The temperature of the interior must be
within the comfort limits ( A/C button should
be selected).
● The windscreen de-mist function must be
off.
● If in an increase in airflow is not requested.
● The t emper
ature must not be set to HI or
LO.
● The driver door must be closed.
● The diesel particulate filter must not be in
regeneration mode, for diesel engines.
● The battery charge must not be low for the
next start.
● Battery temperature must be between -1 °C
(+30 °F) and +55 °C (+131 °F).
142

Driver assistance systems
Rear parking aid The parking aid system will use an audible
warning to indicate of the approach of any
object towards the rear of the vehicle.
Description
The acoustic parking aid system will measure
the distance between the rear of the vehicle
and any possible obstacle using four ultra-
sonic sensors located on the rear bumper.
The measuring range of the sensors starts
approximately 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 con-
firms 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 sys-
tem will increase rapidly as the vehicle ap-
proaches the obstacle. After a distance lower
than approximately 30 cm, a continuous sig-
nal 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
the warning tone will sound continuously.
The driver should then not reverse any fur-
ther.
The warning tone volume decreases by 30%
3 seconds after it the system is triggered
if
the detected obstacle stays at a constant dis-
tance from the vehicle .
Provided that it is not in continuous mode,
the tone on the parking aid system 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 con-
nector will be plugged into the vehicle.
Possible faults
If a continuous beep sounds for some sec-
onds when the reverse gear is engaged, this
indicates that there is a fault in the parking
aid system. If the fault continues until the ig-
nition is turned off, the audible warning of
the fault will not be emitted every time the
system is reactivated (by engaging the re-
verse gear). Thus, the system ready indica-
tion will not sound either. Have the fault re-
paired by technical services as soon as possi-
ble. If there is no ready signal or no acoustic
warning signal, then the parking aid loud-
speaker is faulty and may not warn of obsta-
cles. To ensure that the system works proper-
ly, the sensors must be kept clean and free of
ice and snow.
CAUTION
● Please note that low obstacles detected by
the system may no longer be registered by
the sensors as the car moves closer, so the
system will not give any further warning. Cer-
tain kinds of obstacles, such as wire fences,
chains, thin posts or trailer draw bars, high
kerbs or painted railings, etc., may not al-
ways be detected by the system, so there is a
risk of damaging the vehicle in such cases.
● In some case, obstacles with edges and
bumps may not be detected immediately by
the system due to their geometry. Take spe-
cial care with this type of obstacle (corners,
rectangular objects, etc.), as they can cause
damage to the vehicle.
● Be especially careful when manoeuvring in-
to a corner between two perpendicular walls.
Pay special attention to the side distance
from the wall using the mirrors.
● The parking aid system does not replace
use of the mirrors for manoeuvres.
● External ultra-sonic sources (pneumatic
drills, construction machinery, other vehicles
with PDC) may interfere with the operation of
the system. » 147Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Driver assistance systems
The driver should then not reverse any fur-
ther.
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 system 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 con-
nector will be plugged into the vehicle.
Possible faults
If a continuous, sharp beep sounds for a few
seconds, 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 or
pressing the button). Thus, the system
ready indication will not sound either. Have
the fault repaired by technical services as
soon as possible.
If there is no ready signal or no acoustic
warning signal, then the parking aid loud- speaker is faulty and may not warn of obsta-
cles. To ensure that the system works proper-
ly, the sensors must be kept clean and free of
ice and snow.
CAUTION
● Please note that low obstacles detected by
the system may no longer be registered by
the sensors as the car moves closer, so the
system will not give any further warning. Cer-
tain kinds of obstacles, such as wire fences,
chains, thin posts or trailer draw bars, high
kerbs or painted railings, etc., may not al-
ways be detected by the system, so there is a
risk of damaging the vehicle in such cases.
● In some cases, obstacles with uniform
edges and bumps may not be detected imme-
diately by the system due to their geometry.
Take special care with this type of obstacle
(corners, rectangular objects, etc.), as they
can cause damage to the vehicle.
● Be especially careful when manoeuvring in-
to a corner between two perpendicular walls.
Pay special attention to the side distance
from the wall using the mirrors.
● The parking aid system does not replace
use of the mirrors for manoeuvres.
● External ultra-sonic sources (e.g. pneumat-
ic drills, construction machinery or other ve-
hicles equipped with PND) may interfere with
the operation of the system.
● Periodic cleaning of the sensors, take care
not to damage or scratch them. When clean-
ing with high pressure washers or steam cleaners, the sensors should be sprayed for
only a very short period and from a distance
of more than 10 cm.
●
If the licence plate (especially the front
one) is bent in such a way that it noticeably
juts out from the bumper, false alarms may
sound for the area in front of the vehicle. Front parking aid with navigator view
Fig. 146
Parking aid view on the navigation
screen. When the parking aid system has been acti-
vated, the navigation view screen is also si-
multaneously activated (if one of the doors or
the rear lid is open, it must be closed before
the on-screen information can be viewed).
The distance of separation from the obstacle
can be estimated
››› Fig. 146 with the help of
the segments around the vehicle. At the
front, the white segments indicate obstacles
located between 30 cm and 120 cm from the »
149Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Operation
Towing bracket device
Trailer towing What do you need to bear in mind
when towing a trailer? Your vehicle may be used to tow a trailer
when fitted with the correct equipment.
If the car is supplied with a
factory-fitted tow-
in g br
acket it will already have the necessary
technical modifications and meet the statuto-
ry requirements for towing a trailer. If you
wish to retrofit a towing bracket, consult
›
›› page 153.
Connect
ors
Your vehicle is fitted with a 12-pin connector
for the electrical connection between the
trailer and the vehicle.
If the trailer has a 7-pin plug you will need to
use an a
dapter cable. It is available at any
Technical Service.
Trailer weight/drawbar load
Never exceed the authorised trailer weight. If
you do not load the trailer up to the maxi-
mum permitted trailer weight, you can then
climb correspondingly steeper slopes.
The maximum trailer weights listed are only applicable for
altitudes up to 1000 m above sea level. With increasing altitude the engine
power and therefore the vehicle climbing
ability are impaired because of the reduced
air density. The maximum trailer weight has
to be reduced accordingly. The weight of the
vehicle and trailer combination must be re-
duced by 10% for every further 1000 m (or
part thereof). The gross combination weight
is the actual weight of the laden vehicle plus
the actual weight of the laden trailer. When
possible, operate the trailer with the maxi-
mum permitted drawbar load on the ball joint
of the t
owing bracket, but do not exceed the
specified limit.
The figures for trailer weights
and drawbar
loads that are given on the data plate of the
towing bracket are for certification purposes
only. The correct figures for your specific
model, which may be lower than these fig-
ures for the towing bracket, are given in the
vehicle documentation or in ››› chapter Tech-
nical Data .
Distributing the load
Distribute loads in the trailer so that heavy
objects are as near to the axle as possible.
Loads carried in the trailer must be secured
to prevent them moving.
Tyre pressure
Set tyre pressure to the maximum permissi-
ble pressure shown on the sticker on the in-
side of the fuel tank flap. Set the tyre pres- sure of the trailer tyres in accordance with the
trailer manufacturer's recommendations.
Exterior mirrors
Check whether you can see enough of the
road behind the trailer with the standard rear
vision mirrors. If this is not the case, you
should have additional exterior mirrors fitted.
Both exterior mirrors should be mounted on
hinged extension brackets. Adjust the mirrors
to give sufficient vision to the rear.
WARNING
Never transport people in a trailer. This could
result in fatal accidents. Note
● Towing a trailer places additional demands
on the vehicle. We recommend additional
services between the normal inspection inter-
vals if the vehicle is used frequently for tow-
ing a trailer.
● Find out whether special regulations apply
to towing a trailer in your country. Ball coupling of towing bracket*
The ball coupling is provided with instruc-
tions on fitting and removing the ball cou-
pling of the towing bracket.
152

Towing bracket device
WARNING
The towing bracket ball coupling must be
stored securely in the luggage compartment
to prevent them being flung through the vehi-
cle and causing injury. Note
● By law, the ball coupling must be removed
if a trailer is not being towed if it obscures
the number plate. Driving tips
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care.
Weight distribution
The weight distribution of a loaded trailer
with an unladen vehicle is very unfavourable.
However, if this cannot be avoided, drive ex-
tra slowly to allow for the unbalanced weight
distribution.
Speed
The stability of the vehicle and trailer is re-
duced with increasing speed. For this reason,
it is advisable not to drive at the maximum
permissible speed in an unfavourable road,
weather or wind conditions. This applies es-
pecially when driving downhill. You should always reduce speed immediately
if the trailer shows the slightest sign of
snak-
ing . Never try to stop the “snaking” by in-
c r
easing speed.
Always brake in due course. If the trailer has
an
overrun brake, apply the brakes gently at
first and then, firmly. This will prevent the
jerking that can be caused by locking of trail-
er wheels. Select a low gear in due course
before going down a steep downhill. This en-
ables you to use the engine braking to slow
down the vehicle.
Reheating
At very high temperatures and during pro-
longed slopes, driving with a low gear and
high engine speed; always monitor whether
the excessive coolant temperature gauge is
activated ››› page 63
.
Electronic Stability Control*
The ESC* system helps to stabilise the trailer
in case of skidding or rocking. Fitting a towing bracket*
Fig. 150
IBIZA/IBIZA SC: attachment points
for towing bracket. If a towing bracket is to be fitted after the ve-
hicle is purchased, this must be completed
according to the instructions of the towing
bracket manufacturer.
»
153
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Operation
The attachment points A for the towing
bracket are underneath the vehicle.
The distance between the centre of the ball
coupling and the ground should never be
lower than the indicated value, even with a
fully loaded vehicle and including the maxi-
mum drawbar load.Elevation values for securing the towing bracket:
IBIZAIBIZA SCIBIZA ST
B65 mm (minimum)
C350 mm to 420 mm (fully laden vehicle)
D959 mm
E438 mm379 mm
F209 mm386 mm Fitting a towing bracket
●
Driving with a trailer involves an extra effort
for the vehicle. Therefore, before fitting a
towing bracket, please contact a Technical
Service to check whether your cooling system
needs modification.
● The legal requirements in your country
must be observed (e.g. the fitting of a sepa-
rate control lamp).
● Certain vehicle components, for example
the rear bumper, must be removed and rein-
stalled. The towing bracket securing bolts
must be tightened using a torque wrench, and a power socket must be connected to the
vehicle electrical system. This requires speci-
alised knowledge and tools.
●
Figures in the illustration show the eleva-
tion value and the attachment points which
must be considered if you are retrofitting a
towing bracket. WARNING
The towing brackets should be fitted at a spe-
cialised workshop.
● If the towing bracket is incorrectly instal-
led, there is a serious danger of accident.
● For your own safety, please observe the tow
bracket manufacturer's instructions. CAUTION
● If the power socket is incorrectly installed,
this could cause damage to the vehicle elec-
trical system. Note
● SEAT recommends that the towing hooks
be fitted at a specialised workshop. In certain
versions this may entail fitting a heat insulat-
ing plate, which is why it is recommended
that you go to a SEAT Dealer. In the event that
the plate is not installed correctly, SEAT is ex-
empt from any liability.
● Due to the specific design of the exhaust,
the fitting of a conventional towing hook is not recommended for some sportier versions.
Please consult your Technical Service.
154

Emergencies
Wheel change Preparation work –
If you have a flat tyre or puncture, park the
vehicle as far away from the flow of traffic
as possible. Choose a location that is as
level as possible.
– All vehicle occupants should leave the ve-
hicle. They should wait in a safe area (for
instance behind the roadside crash barri-
er).
– Switch the engine off. Switch the hazard
warning lights on and place the warning tri-
angles in position.
– Apply the handbrake
firmly.
– En g
age the first gear , or put
the selector
lever to position P for those vehicles with
an automatic gearbox.
– If you are towing a trailer, unhitch it from
your vehicle.
– Take the vehicle tools and the spare wheel
out of
the luggage compartment. WARNING
● Switch on the hazard warning lights and
place the warning triangles in position. This
is for your own safety and also warns other
road users. ●
If you change the wheel on a slope, block
the wheel on the opposite side of the car with
a stone or similar to prevent the vehicle from
moving. Changing a wheel
Change the wheel as described below:
– Remove the hub caps or the integral trim .
– Sl ac
ken the wheel bolts .
– Rai
se the vehicle with the jack at the corre-
s pondin
g area.
– Remove the wheel and put on the spare
one.
– Lower the vehicle.
– Tighten the wheel
bolts firmly with the box
sp
anner.
– Replace the hub cap.
Aft
er changing a wheel –
Put the tools back in their storage location.
– Place the wheel with the defective tyre in
the luggage compartment and secure it.
– Check the tyre pressure of the newly fitted
tyre as soon as possible. –
Have the tightening torque of the wheel
bolts checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench. The prescribed torque must
be 120 Nm. Note
● If you notice that the wheel bolts are corro-
ded and difficult to turn when changing a
wheel, they must be replaced before having
the wheel bolt tightening torque checked.
● For safety reasons, drive at moderate
speeds until the wheel bolt tightening torque
has been checked. Wheel covers*
Fig. 158
Remove the wheel cover. The wheel covers must be removed for access
to the wheel bolts.
»
183
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Technical specifications
Special versions, optional equipment fittings
or retro-fitting accessories will increase the
weight of the vehicle ››› .
WARNING
● Please note that the centre of gravity may
shift when transporting heavy objects; this
may affect vehicle handling and lead to an ac-
cident. Always adjust your speed and driving
style to suit road conditions and require-
ments.
● Never exceed the gross axle weight rating
or the gross vehicle weight rating. If the per-
missible axle load or the permissible total
weight is exceeded, the driving characteris-
tics of the vehicle may change, leading to ac-
cidents, injuries and damage to the vehicle. Towing a trailer
Trailer weights Trailer weight
The trailer weights and drawbar loads ap-
proved are selected in intensive trials accord-
ing to precisely defined criteria. The ap-
proved trailer weights are valid for vehicles in
the
EU
for maximum speeds of 80 km/h (50
mph) (in c ertain circumstances up to 100
km/h (62 mph)). The figures may be different
in other countries. All data in the official vehi- cle documentation takes precedence over
these data at all times
››› .
Drawbar loads
The maximum
permitted drawbar load on the
b
all joint of the towing bracket must not ex-
ceed
75 kg.
In the interest of road safety, we recommend
that you always tow approaching the maxi-
mum drawbar load. The response of the trail-
er 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, you should not drive at
speeds above 80 km/h (50 mph) when towing
a trailer. This also applies 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 excee-
ded, 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. Do not reduce the slightly raised
pr
e
ssures of warm tyres ››› .
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only for the following tyres:
175/70R14
185/60R15Chains with links not exceeding 15 mm
(including the chain closure)
215/45R16Chains with links not exceeding 9 mm
(including the chain closure)
215/40R17Chains with links not exceeding 7 mm
(including the chain closure) Wheel bolts
After the wheels have been changed, the
tightening torque
of the wheel bolts should
be c hec
ked as soon as possible with a torque
wrench ››› . The tightening torque for steel
and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
210