
Driving
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly
››› Fig. 132 .
R el
easing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the re-
lease knob in the direction of the arrow
››› Fig. 132 and guide the handbrake lever
down f
ully ››› .
Always pull the handbrake all the way up, so
there is less risk of driving off with it still en-
gaged ››› .
The handbrake warning lamp lights up
when the handbrake is applied and the igni-
tion switched on. The warning lamp turns off
when the handbrake is released. WARNING
● Never use the handbrake to stop the vehi-
cle when it is in motion. The braking distance
is considerably longer, because braking is
only applied to the rear wheels. Risk of acci-
dent!
● If the handbrake is only partially released,
this will cause the rear brakes to overheat,
which can impair the function of the brake
system and could lead to an accident. This al-
so causes premature wear on the rear brake
pads. CAUTION
Always apply the handbrake before you leave
the vehicle. Put it in 1st gear as well. Parking
The handbrake should always be firmly ap-
plied when the vehicle is parked.
Always note the following points when park-
ing the vehicle:
– Use the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
– Apply the handbrake.
– Put it in 1st gear.
– Switch the engine off and remove the key
from the ignition. Turn the steering wheel
slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Always take you keys with you when you
leave the vehicle ››› .
Additional notes on parking the vehicle on
gradients:
Turn the steering wheel so that the vehicle
rolls against the kerb if it started to roll.
● If the vehicle is parked facing downhill,
turn the front wheels so that they point to-
wards the kerb . ●
If the vehicle is parked facing uphill, turn
the fr ont
wheels so that they point away from
the kerb
.
● Secure the vehicle as usual by applying the
handbrake firmly and putting it in 1st gear. WARNING
● Take measures to reduce the risk of injury
when you leave your vehicle unattended.
● Never park where the hot exhaust system
could ignite inflammable materials, such as
dry grass, low bushes, spilt fuel etc.
● Never allow vehicle occupants to remain in
the vehicle when it is locked. They would be
unable to open the vehicle from the inside,
and could become trapped in the vehicle in
an emergency. In the event of an emergency,
locked doors will delay assistance to vehicle
occupants.
● Never leave children alone in the vehicle.
They could set the vehicle in motion, for ex-
ample, by releasing the handbrake or the
gearbox lever.
● Depending on weather conditions, it may
become extremely hot or cold inside the vehi-
cle. This can be fatal. Hill driving assistant*
This function is only included in vehicles with
ESC.
»
127
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Driving
WARNING
● As a driver, you should never leave your ve-
hicle if the engine is running and a gear range
is engaged. If you have to leave your vehicle
while the engine is running, you must apply
the parking brake and put the selector lever
in position P.
● If the engine is running and if D or R is en-
gaged, you will need to hold the car on the
foot brake. The car will creep forward as the
power transmission is not fully interrupted
even when the engine is idling.
● Never accelerate when moving the selector
lever or you may cause an accident.
● Never move the selector lever to R or P
when driving. Risk of accident!
● Before driving down a long, steep slope, it
is advisable to reduce speed and change into
a lower gear.
● If you stop the vehicle up hill, always hold
the foot brake strongly depressed down to
stop it from rolling back.
● Never allow the brake to rub and do not use
the brake pedal too often or for long periods.
Constant braking will cause the brakes to
overheat and will considerably reduce the
brake effect. This increases the braking dis-
tance and could cause the brake system to
fail.
● Never allow the car to roll down a gradient
with the gear in neutral N, or in selector lever
position D, even if the engine is not running. CAUTION
● If you stop the vehicle up hills, do not at-
tempt to stop it from rolling back by depress-
ing the accelerator when a gear has been se-
lected. Otherwise, the automatic gearbox
may overheat causing damage. Pull the hand-
brake up or fully depress the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling away.
● If you allow the vehicle to roll when the en-
gine is not running, or with the selector lever
in position N, a lack of lubrication in the auto-
matic gearbox will damage it. Changing gear in tiptronic mode*
Fig. 136
Changing gear with Tiptronic. Fig. 137
Steering wheel with paddle levers
for automatic gearbox. The Tiptronic system allows the driver to se-
lect gears manually.
General information about driving in tiptronic
mode
Changing gear with the selector lever
– Press the selector lever from position D to
the right int
o the tiptronic selector gate.
– Lightly press the selector lever forward
››› Fig. 136 + to change up to a higher
gear.
– Lightly press the selector lever backward
››› Fig. 136 - to change down to a lower
gear.
Changing gear with the steering wheel
paddle levers* – Press the right paddle lever + towards the
steering wheel to change up ››› Fig. 137 .
»
131
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Operation
– Press the left paddle lever - towards the
steering wheel to change down ››› Fig. 137.
Using the paddle levers on the steering
wheel, you can access manual driving mode
regardless of the pre-selected driving mode.
General information about driving in
tiptronic mode
When accelerating, the automatic gearbox /
DSG automatic gearbox goes into a higher
gear a little before the engine reaches its
maximum permitted revolutions.
If a lower gear is selected, the automatic
gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox will only
change down when the engine cannot go
over its maximum permitted revolutions.
If “tiptronic” is selected whilst the vehicle is
in motion and the automatic gearbox / DSG
automatic gearbox is in third gear and selec-
tor lever position D
, “tiptronic” mode will
then al
so be in third gear.
Changing gears in the normal or sport
programme using the steering wheel paddle
levers
If the paddle levers ››› Fig. 137 are used in
the normal
or sport programme, the system
switches temporarily to “tiptronic” mode. To
exit “Tiptronic” mode again, press the right
paddle lever + towards the steering wheel
for approximately one second. You will also leave “tiptronic” mode if the paddle levers
are not moved for a certain time. Note
● The gear paddle levers on the steering
wheel can be operated with the selector lever
in any position and with the vehicle in mo-
tion. Selector lever positions
Fig. 138
Automatic gearbox: instrument pan-
el display. Selector lever positions
The selected gear is displayed on the side of
the selector lever and on the instrument pan-
el display. The currently selected gear for the
automatic gearbox will also be shown on the
display.Tiptronic gear indicator
If the automatic gearbox is shifted manually,
the selected gears are shown on the screen.
P - parking lock
When the selector lever is in this position,
the driven wheels are locked mechanically.
Position P on the lever must only be selected
if the vehicle is stationary.
To move selector lever from position P, the
locking button on the selector lever handle
must be pressed and the brake pedal de-
pressed at the same time while the ignition is
switched on.
To put the selector lever in position
P, simply
pr e
ss the lock button down and, if necessary,
depress the brake pedal down.
R - Reverse gear
The reverse gear is engaged in this position.
Reverse gear must be engaged only when the
vehicle is stationary and the engine is idling.
To move the selector lever to position R,
press the lock button down and, at the same
time, press the brake pedal down, with the
ignition switched on.
With the selector lever in position R and the
ignition sw
itched on the following occurs:
● Reverse lights light up.
132

Driving
● The air conditioner automatically changes
the air recirculation mode.
● The wiper starts if the windscreen washer is
on.
● The parking distance warning system*
switches on.
N - Neutral (idling)
If this position is selected, the gearbox is in
neutral. Power is not transmitted to the
wheels and the engine does not have a brak-
ing function.
Never use the N
position to drive down a long
hi
ll. There is no engine braking and the
brakes are subjected to excessive stain.
You could damage the automatic gearbox if
you drive down hills with the gearbox lever in
position
N and the engine switched off.
D - Drive (forward)
In this position the gearbox automatically
changes to a lower or higher gear, according
to the engine's requirements, the driving
style and speed. The braking effect of the en-
gine when driving downhill is very limited
when the selector is in this position. The in-
strument panel display shows the selected
gear as well as the selector lever in position
D.
When trav
elling at speeds lower than 5 km/h
(3 mph) or when the vehicle is stationary, press the brake pedal to change the selector
lever from position N to position D.
S
- Standard driving position (Sport
programme)
When the selector lever is in position S
, it will
automatically change up into a higher gear
later, and change down into a low gear, if
compared with position D. This way, it is pos-
sible to take full advantage of the engine re-
serve power, depending on the engine de-
mand, driving style and speed. The braking
effect of the engine when driving downhill is
very limited. On the instrument panel display
the selected gear is shown as well as the se-
lector lever to position
S.
To select gear range S
, press the lock button
on the selector lever. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ››› in Driving a
car with an automatic gearbox on page 131.
● If the
vehicle moves with no control, an ac-
cident and serious injury may occur. WARNING
Never switch the engine off until the vehicle
is stationary. You could lose control of your
vehicle. This could cause an accident and se-
rious injury.
● The airbags and belt tensioners do not
work when the ignition is switched off. ●
The brake servo does not work with the en-
gine off. You need more force to stop the vehi-
cle.
● Power steering does not work when the en-
gine is not running. That is why it is much
more difficult to turn the steering wheel.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if
the vehicle is in motion. The steering lock
could suddenly engage, and you would not be
able to steer the vehicle. CAUTION
If you allow the vehicle to move when the en-
gine is switched off or with the selector lever
in position “N”, take your foot off the acceler-
ator and wait until the engine starts idling
before returning to position “D”. Kick-down feature
This feature allows maximum acceleration.
If you press the accelerator down thoroughly,
the gearbox automatically changes down, de-
pending 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 en-
gine speed for the gear.
»
133
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Driving
WARNING
● At first, new tyres do not give maximum
grip, and require running-in. This may cause
an accident. Drive particularly carefully in the
first 500 km.
● New brake pads must be “run in” and do
not have the correct friction properties during
the first 200 km. However, the reduced brak-
ing capacity may be compensated by press-
ing on the brake pedal a little harder. Environmental friendliness
Environmental protection is a top priority in
the design, choice of materials and manufac-
ture of your new SEAT.
Constructive measures to encourage
recycling
● Joints and connections designed for easy
dismantling
● Modular construction to facilitate disman-
tling
● Increased use of single-grade materials.
● Plastic parts and elastomers are marked in
accordance with ISO 1043, ISO 11469 and
ISO 1629.
Choice of materials
● Use of recycled materials. ●
Use of compatible plastics in the same part
if its components are not easily separated.
● Use of recycled materials and/or materials
originating from renewable sources.
● Reduction of volatile components, includ-
ing odour, in plastic materials.
● Use of CFC-free coolants.
Ban on heavy metals, with the exceptions
dictated by law (Annex II of ELV Directive
2000/53/EC): cadmium, lead, mercury, hexa-
v al
ent chromium.
Manufacturing methods
● Reduction of the quantity of thinner in the
protective wax for cavities.
● Use of plastic film as protection during ve-
hicle transport.
● Use of solvent-free adhesives.
● Use of CFC-free coolants in cooling sys-
tems.
● Recycling and energy recovery from resi-
dues (RDF).
● Improvement in the quality of waste water.
● Use of systems for the recovery of residual
heat (thermal recovery, enthalpy wheels,
etc.).
● The use of water-soluble paints. Catalytic converter To maintain the useful life of the catalytic
converter
– Use only unleaded petrol with petrol en-
gines, as lead damages the catalytic con-
verter.
– Do not let the fuel get too low in the tank.
– For engine oil changes, do not replenish
with too much engine oil ››› page 170, Top-
ping up engine oil .
– Nev er t
ow the vehicle to start it, use jump
leads if necessary ›››
page 188.
If you notice misfiring, uneven running or
loss of power when the vehicle is moving, re-
duce speed immediately and have the vehi-
cle inspected at the nearest specialised
workshop. In general, the exhaust warning
lamp will light up when any of the described
symptoms occur ›››
page 57. If this happens,
unburnt fuel can enter the exhaust system
and escape into the environment. The cata-
lytic converter can also be damaged by over-
heating. WARNING
The catalytic converter reaches very high
temperatures! Risk of fire!
● Never park where the catalytic converter
could come into contact with dry grass or
flammable materials under the vehicle. » 135
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Driver assistance systems
Driver assistance systems
Braking and stability systems Electronic Stability Control (ESC)* Fig. 140
Detailed view of the dash panel: ESC
switch. This Electronic Stability System reduces the
risk of skidding and improves the vehicle's
stability and ability to hold the road.
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
faulty.
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.
The ASR can be deactivated when wheel spin
is desirable
››› page 141 .
F or e
xample:
● When driving with snow chains.
● When driving in deep snow or on loose sur-
faces.
● When the vehicle is stuck, to rock it back-
wards and forwards.
Press the button to switch the ASR back on
when you no longer need wheel spin.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)*
The ESC reduces the risk of skidding by brak-
ing the wheels individually.
The system uses the steering wheel angle
and road speed to calculate the changes of
direction desired by the driver, and constant-
ly compares them with the actual behaviour
of the vehicle. When irregularities occur, for
example, if the vehicle begins to skid, the
ESC brakes the appropriate wheel automati-
cally.
The forces acting on the braked wheel bring
the vehicle back to a stable condition. If the
vehicle tends to oversteer (the rear end
slides out), the system will act on the front
wheel on the outside of the turn. 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 situa-
tion. The greater safety provided by the ESC
should not encourage you to run any risks. CAUTION
● To ensure that the ESC works correctly, all
four wheels must be fitted with the same
tyres. Any differences in the rolling radius of
the tyres can cause the system to reduce en-
gine power when this is not desired.
● Any modifications made to the vehicle (for
example, to the engine, brake system, run-
ning gear or to the combination of wheels
and tyres) may affect the operation of the
ABS, EDL, ESC and ASR. Electronic differential lock (EDL)*
EDL helps the vehicle to start moving, accel-
erate and climb a gradient in slippery condi-
tions where this may otherwise be difficult or
even impossible.
It uses the ABS sensors to monitor the speed
of the driven wheels. In case of an EDL fault,
»
139Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials

Operation
the warning light for ABS lights up
››› page 59 .
At s
peeds of up to approximately 80 km/h
(50 mph), it is able to balance out differences
in the speed of the driven wheels of approxi-
mately 100 rpm/min caused by a partially
slippery road surface. It does this by braking
the wheel which has lost traction and distrib-
uting more driving force to the other driven
wheel via the differential.
To prevent the disc brake of the braking
wheel from overheating, the EDL cuts out au-
tomatically if subjected to excessive loads.
The vehicle will continue to function normally
without EDL. For this reason, the driver is not
informed that the EDL has been switched off.
The EDL will switch on again automatically
when the brake has cooled down. WARNING
● When accelerating on a slippery surface,
for example on ice and snow, press the accel-
erator carefully. Despite EDL, the driven
wheels may start to spin. This could impair
the vehicle's stability.
● Always adapt your driving style to suit road
conditions and the traffic situation. Do not let
the extra safety afforded by EDL tempt you in-
to taking any risks when driving, this can
cause accidents. CAUTION
Modifications to the vehicle (e.g. to the en-
gine, the brake system, running gear or any
components affecting the wheels and tyres)
could affect the efficiency of the EDL
››› page 155. Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)*
The function (Hydraulic Brake Assist HBA) is
only included in vehicles with ESC.
In an emergency, most drivers brake in time,
but not with maximum force. This results in
unnecessarily long braking distances.
This is when the brake assist system comes
into action. When pressing the brake pedal
rapidly, the assistant interprets it as an emer-
gency. It very quickly builds up the full brake
pressure so that the ABS can be activated
more quickly and efficiently, thus reducing
braking distance.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake ped-
al, since the brake assist system switches off
automatically as soon as you release the
brake.
Automatic hazard warning lights activation
The brake lights flash automatically to indi-
cate that the vehicle is braking suddenly or in
an emergency situation. If the emergency
braking continues until the vehicle comes toa standstill, the hazard warning lights will
then come on and the brake lights will re-
main on permanently from that moment. The
warning lights will automatically switch off
when the vehicle begins to move again or
when the "warning" light button is pressed.
WARNING
● The risk of accident is higher if you drive
too fast, if you do not keep your distance from
the vehicle in front, and when the road sur-
face is slippery or wet. The increased acci-
dent risk cannot be reduced by the brake as-
sist system.
● The brake assist system cannot defy the
laws of physics. Slippery and wet roads are
dangerous even with the brake assist system!
Therefore, it is essential that you adjust your
speed to suit the road and traffic conditions.
Do not let the extra safety features tempt you
into taking any risks when driving. Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
The anti-lock brake (ABS) system prevents
the wheels from locking during braking and
is an important part of the vehicle's active
safety system.
How the ABS works
If one of the wheels turns too slowly in rela-
tion to the vehicle's speed, and is close to
locking, the system will reduce the braking
140

Driver assistance systems
pressure to this wheel. The driver is made
aware of this control process by a pulsating
of the brake pedal and audible noise. This is
a deliberate warning to the driver that one or
more of the wheels is tending to lock and the
ABS control function has intervened. In this
situation it is important to keep the brake
pedal fully depressed so the ABS can regu-
late the brake application. Do not “pump”.
If you brake hard on a slippery road surface,
the best possible control is retained as the
wheels do not lock.
However, ABS will not necessarily guarantee
shorter braking distances in all conditions.
Br ak
ing distance could even be further if you
brake on gravel or on fresh snow on a slip-
pery surface. WARNING
● The anti-lock brake system cannot defy the
laws of physics. Slippery and wet roads are
dangerous even with ABS! If you notice that
the ABS is working (to counteract locked
wheels under braking), you should reduce
speed immediately to suit the road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the extra safety fea-
tures tempt you into taking any risks when
driving.
● The effectiveness of ABS is also determined
by the tyres fitted ››› page 176.
● If the ru
nning gear or brake system is modi-
fied, the effectiveness of the ABS could be se-
verely limited. Traction control system (ASR)*
The traction control system prevents the driv-
en wheels from spinning when the vehicle is
accelerating. This system always includes
ABS.
Description and operation of the traction
control system during acceleration (ASR
On front-wheel drive vehicles, the ASR sys-
tem intervenes, reducing engine power and
preventing the driven wheels from slipping
during acceleration. The system works in the
entire speed range in conjunction with ABS.
If a failure occurs in the ABS, the ASR will al-
so stop working.
TCS helps the car to start moving, accelerate
and climb a gradient in slippery conditions
where this may otherwise be difficult or even
impossible.
The ASR automatically switches on when the
engine is started. If necessary, it may be
turned on or off by briefly pressing the ESC
button on the centre console.
When the ASR is off, the warning lamp lights
up . The ASR should normally be left on.
Only in exceptional circumstances, when
wheel spin is required, can they be turned off
using the ESC button, for example:
●
With compact temporary spare wheel.
● When using the snow chains. ●
When driving in deep snow or on soft ter-
rain.
● When the vehicle is bogged-down, to free it
“by rocking it.”
The ASR should be switched on again as
soon as possible. WARNING
● Remember that not even the ASR can 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 situa-
tion. The greater safety provided by the ASR
should not encourage you to run any risks. CAUTION
● To ensure that the ASR works correctly,
identical tyres should be fitted on all four
wheels. Any differences in the rolling radius
of the tyres can cause the system to reduce
engine power when this is not desired.
● Any modifications made to the vehicle (for
example, to the engine, brake system, run-
ning gear or to the combination of wheels
and tyres) may affect the operation of the
ABS and ASR. 141
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials