Driver assistance systems
As you approach the obstacle, the time inter-
val between the audible warnings will be re-
duced.
If you maintain separation from the obstacle,
the volume of the warning begins to reduce
after four seconds (does not affect the tone
of the constant warning).
Activating/Deactivating Fig. 169
Centre console: parking aid button. Fig. 170
Miniature indication of automatic ac-
tivation Switching on
– Engage reverse gear or
– Press the switch in the centre console
››› Fig. 169 . A short confirmation signal will
be he ar
d and the button symbol will light
up yellow.
With certain equipment (Adaptive Cruise Con-
trol - ACC), the system will be activated auto-
matically when the vehicle reverses for a cer-
tain distance (about 10 cm if an obstacle is
detected in the rear area and about 20 cm if
no obstacle is detected in the rear area).
Switching off
– Drive forwards at more than 10 km/h (6
mph), or
– Press the button, or
– switch the ignition off. Segments of the visual indication
The distance of separation from the obstacle
can be estimated using the segments around
the vehicle.
The graphic display of the segments varies
according to the vehicle's equipment:
The yellow trail indi-
cates the vehicle's expected journey
based on the steering wheel angle. A
white
segment is displayed when the
obstacle is not within the vehicle's tra-
jectory or the direction of travel would
avoid it entering the vehicle's trajectory.
If the obstacle is within the vehicle’s tra-
jectory, a yellow segment is displayed
(at
a distance of more than 30 cm) or a
red
segment (at a distance of less than
30 cm) at the same time as the corre-
sponding audible warning sounds.
The
yellow trail indicates the vehicle's ex-
pected journey based on the steering
wheel angle. A white segment is dis-
pl
ayed when the obstacle is not within
the vehicle's trajectory or the direction
of travel would avoid it entering the ve-
hicle's trajectory. If the obstacle is with-
in the vehicle’s trajectory, a red
segment
is displayed at the same time as the cor-
responding audible warning sounds. »
SEAT Navi System Plus:
SEAT Media System Plus/Navi System:
175
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials
Operation
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 gen
tly 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 in a low gear and high
engine speed, always monitor the coolant
temperature gauge ››› page 71.
Electronic stability control*
The ESC* system helps to stabilise the trailer
in case of skidding or rocking. Retrofitting a towing bracket*
Fig. 172
Attachment points for towing brack-
et. 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.The attachment points for the towing bracket
A are on the lower part of 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:
B65 mm (minimum)
C350 mm to 420 mm (fully laden vehicle)
D1040 mm
E317 mm
FLEON/LEON SCLEON ST
319 mm596 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, e.g. the rear
bumper, must be removed and reinstalled.
The towing bracket securing bolts must be
180
Advice
Automatic car washes
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing
the windows and roof. If the vehicle has spe-
cial accessories such as spoilers or a roof
rack or two-way radio aerial, etc., it is advisa-
ble to consult the car wash tunnel operator.
It is best to use a car wash without revolving
bristles if possible.
Washing the vehicle with a high pressure
cleaner
When washing the vehicle with a high-pres-
sure cleaner, always follow the operating in-
structions for the equipment. This applies
particularly to the operating pressure and the
spraying distance . Do not hold the nozzle too
c lo
se to soft materials such as rubber hoses
or seals. The same applies to the parking aid
sensors*, which are located in the rear bump-
er.
Do not use a nozzle that sprays the water out
in a
direct stream or one that has a rotating
jet for forcing off dirt.
Washing the car by hand
When washing the car by hand, use plenty of
water to soften the dirt first, and rinse off as
well as possible.
Then clean the vehicle with a soft sponge,
glove
or brush using only slight pressure.
You should start on the roof and work down. Special car
soap
should only be used for very
persistent dirt.
Rinse the sponge or glove thoroughly and of-
ten.
Wheels, sills and similar should be cleaned
last. Use a second sponge for this. WARNING
● The vehicle should only be washed with the
ignition switched off. Failure to follow this in-
struction could result in an accident.
● Do not clean the underside of chassis, the
inside of wheel arches or wheel trims without
protecting your hands and arms. You may cut
yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. Other-
wise, there is a risk of sustaining cuts.
● When washing the car during the winter
season: water and ice in the brake system
can reduce braking effectiveness: risk of acci-
dent! CAUTION
● Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight –
otherwise the paint can be damaged.
● Do not use sponges, abrasive household
sponges or similar to clean insect remains.
This could damage the surface.
● Clean off stubborn dirt (insects, etc.) from
the headlights at regular intervals, for in-
stance when filling the fuel tank. The head-
lights should only be washed with water, do not wipe them with a dry cloth or sponge. It
is best to use soapy water.
● Never wash tyres with a jet that sprays the
water out in a direct stream. This could dam-
age the tyres even if the spray is kept at a
distance and only used for a very short time.
● Before washing the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, please make sure to retract the ex-
terior mirrors to prevent them from being
damaged. Electrically retractable exterior
mirrors must not be folded in or out by hand,
always use the electrical power control. CAUTION
● Before washing the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, please proceed as follows to lock
the wiper arms so that they are not moved to-
wards the top of the windscreen:
–the bonnet must be closed.
– switch the ignition on and off.
– press the windscreen wiper lever forward
briefly (windscreen washer function).
This will lock the wiper arms. For the sake of the environment
The car should only be washed in special
wash bays. These areas are prepared to pre-
vent oily water from getting into the public
drains. In some places, washing vehicles out-
side the areas intended for this purpose is
prohibited. 184
Advice
Carbon components The carbon parts on your vehicle have a pain-
ted surface. They do not need any special
care and are cleaned just like any other pain-
ted part
››› page 183.
P aint
damage Minor damage to the paint, such as scratches
or stone chips, should be touched up without
delay
before the metal starts to corrode. Suit-
ab l
e touch-up brushes or sprays for your car
can be obtained from a SEAT Official Service.
The number of the original paint finish on the
vehicle is given on the data sticker
››› page 241
.
If corrosion is already visible it must be thor-
oughly removed by a specialised workshop.
Windows Clear vision is an essential safety factor.
The windscreen must not be cleaned with in-
sect remover or wax, otherwise the wind-
screen wipers will not function properly (jud-
dering).
Traces of rubber, oil, grease or silicone can
be removed with a
window cleaning solution
or a silicone remover. Wax residue can only be remo
ved with a special cleaner. Your SEAT
Official Service will be able to provide you
with more detailed information.
The windows should also be cleaned on the
inside at regular intervals.
Use a separate cloth or chamois to dry the
windows. Cloths used for waxing and polish-
ing contain residues that will cause smears
on the glass. WARNING
Do not use water-repellent coatings on the
windscreen. In bad visibility conditions (e.g.
in the rain, dark or with a low sun), these
coatings may cause dazzle: risk of accident!
Such coatings can also cause the windscreen
wiper blades to make noise. CAUTION
● Remove snow and ice from windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plastic scraper only. To
avoid scratches caused by dirt on the glass,
the scraper should only be pushed in one di-
rection and not moved to and fro.
● The heating element for the rear window is
located on the inner side of the window. To
avoid damaging them, do not apply stickers
to these heating elements.
● Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors. This
could cause the glass to crack! Wheels
The wheels require regular attention to pre-
serve their appearance. It is important to re-
move road salt and brake dust by washing
the wheels at regular intervals, otherwise the
finish will be impaired.
After washing, the wheels should only be
cleaned with an "acid-free" cleaning agent
for alloy wheels. This is available from SEAT
Official Services and specialist retailers. Nev-
er leave the cleaning agent on the rims for
any longer than specified in the instructions
before rinsing it off. If the wheel cleaner fluid
contains acid it can attack the surfaces of the
wheel bolts.
Car polish or other abrasive agents should
not be used for maintaining the rims. If the
protective coating is damaged, e.g. by flying
stones, the damaged area should be re-
paired immediately.
WARNING
Please note when cleaning the wheels that
water, ice and road salt can impair the effec-
tiveness of the brakes; this can cause an acci-
dent. Exhaust tail pipe
It is important to remove road salt and brake
dust by washing the wheels at regular
186
Advice
The retract function may not operate properly
in very dirty belts. Make sure that the inertia
reel seat belts are completely dry before al-
lowing them to retract. CAUTION
● Do not remove the seat belts from the vehi-
cle to clean them.
● Do not use chemical cleaning agents on the
seat belts, as this can damage the webbing.
Ensure that the seat belts do not come into
contact with corrosive fluids.
● If you find any damage to the belt webbing,
belt fittings, the belt retractor or the buckle,
the belt in question must be replaced by a
specialised workshop. Intelligent technology
Electro-mechanical steering Electro-mechanical power steering assists
the driver when steering.
Electro-mechanical power steering adapts
electronically to the speed of the car, torque
and t
urnin
g angle.
If the power steering should fail at any time
or the engine is switched off (for instance
when being towed), the car can still be
steered. However, more effort than normal
will be required to turn the steering wheel.
Driver warning lamps and messages (in red) Faulty steering! To park the vehicle
If the warning lamp remains on and the driver
indication appears, the power steering could
be faulty.
Do not continue driving. Seek specialist as-
s
istance.
(in yellow) Steering: System fault! You
may continue driving.
If the warning lamp comes on, the steering
could react with more difficultly or more sen-
sitivity than normal. In addition, when driving
in a straight line the steering wheel may be
off-centre. Drive slowly to a specialised workshop and
have the fault repaired.
(in yellow) Steering lock: fault! Go to an
Official Service
The electronic steering lock is malfunction-
ing.
Go to a specialised workshop as soon as
possible and have the fault repaired. WARNING
Take it immediately to a specialised work-
shop and have the fault repaired: risk of acci-
dent! Note
If the lamp (in red) or else (in y
ellow)
lights up briefly, you may continue driving. Progressive steering
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the
progressive steering can adapt steering hard-
ness to the current driving situation. The
power steering only works when the engine
is running.
In
city traffic
y
ou do not need to turn so much
on p
arking, manoeuvring or in very tight
turns.
On the
road or on the motorway, progressive
steering transmits, for example, in bends, a
190
Intelligent technology
sportier, more direct and noticeably more dy-
namic driving sensation.
Four-wheel drive 3
Valid for vehicles: with four-wheel drive
On all-wheel drive models, the engine power
is distributed to all four wheels
General notes
On four-wheel drive vehicles, the engine
power is distributed to all four wheels. The
distribution of power is controlled automati-
cally according to your driving style and the
road conditions. Also see ›››
page 143, Brak-
ing and stability systems .
The all-wheel drive is specially designed to
complement the superior engine power. This
combination gives the vehicle exceptional
handling and performance capabilities, both
on normal roads and in more difficult condi-
tions, such as snow and ice. Even so (or per-
haps especially for this reason), it is impor-
tant to observe certain safety points ››› .
Winter tyres
Thanks to all-wheel drive, your vehicle will
have plenty of traction in winter conditions,
even with the standard tyres. Nevertheless,
we still recommend that winter tyres or all-
season tyres be fitted on all four wheels to
giv e ev
en better braking response. Snow chains
On roads where snow chains are mandatory,
this also applies to cars with four-wheel drive
››› page 216.
Chan
ging tyres
On vehicles with four-wheel drive, all four
tyres must have the same rolling circumfer-
ence. Also avoid using tyres with varying
tread depths ››› page 210.
Off
-roader?
Your SEAT is not an off-road vehicle: it does
not have enough ground clearance to be
used as such. It is therefore best to avoid
rough tracks and uneven terrain as much as
possible. WARNING
● Even with all-wheel drive, you should al-
ways adjust your speed to suit the condi-
tions. Do not let the extra safety features
tempt you into taking any risks when driving.
Risk of accident!
● The braking capability of your vehicle is
limited by the tyres' grip. It is therefore no
different from a car without four-wheel drive.
So do not be tempted to drive too fast on firm
or slippery roads just because the vehicle
still has good acceleration in these condi-
tions. Risk of accident!
● On wet roads bear in mind that the front
wheels may start to “aquaplane” and lose contact with the road if the car is driven too
fast. If this should happen, there will be no
sudden increase in engine speed to warn the
driver, as occurs with a front-wheel drive car.
For this reason you should always choose a
driving speed suitable for the road condi-
tions. Risk of accident!
Power Management
This system helps to ensure reliable
starting The power management controls the distribu-
tion of electrical energy and thus helps to en-
sure that there is always enough power avail-
able to start the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional electrical sys-
tem is left parked for a long time, the battery
will gradually lose its charge because certain
electrical devices, such as the electronic
gearbox lock continues to draw current even
when the ignition is off. In some cases there
may not be enough power available to start
the engine.
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent
power management system to control the
distribution of electrical energy. This signifi-
cantly improves reliability when starting the
engine, and also prolongs the useful life of
the battery.
»
191
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials
Advice
Wheels
Wheels and tyres General notes –
When driving with new tyres, be especially
car
eful during the first 500 km (300 miles).
– If you have to drive over a kerb or similar
obstacle, drive very slowly and as near as
possible at a right angle to the obstacle.
– Check from time to time if the tyres are
damaged (punctures, cuts, cracks or
dents). Remove any foreign objects embed-
ded in the treads.
– Damaged wheels and tyres must be re-
placed immediately.
– Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
– Replace any missing valve caps as soon as
possible.
– Mark the wheels before taking them off so
that they rotate in the same direction when
put back.
– When removed, the wheels or tyres should
be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark
place.
New tyres
New tyres do not give maximum grip straight
a w
ay and should therefore be “run in” by driving carefully and at moderate speeds for
about the first 500 km (300 miles). This will
also increase the useful life of the tyres.
The tread depth of new tyres may
v
ary, ac-
cording to the type and make of tyre and the
tread pattern.
Concealed damage
Damage to tyres and rims is often not readily
visible. If you notice unusual vibration
or the
car pulling to one side, this may indicate that
one of the tyres is damaged. Reduce speed
immediately if there is any reason to suspect
that damage may have occurred. Inspect the
tyres for damage. If no external damage is
visible, drive slowly and carefully to the near-
est specialised workshop and have the car
inspected.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the di-
rection of rotation on single drive tyres. Al-
ways note the direction of rotation indicated
when mounting the wheel. This guarantees
optimum grip and helps to avoid aquaplan-
ing, excessive noise and wear.
Retrofitting Accessories
If you wish to change or fit wheels, rims or
wheel trims, we recommend that you consult
with a SEAT Official Service centre for advice
regarding current techniques. Useful life of tyres Correct inflation pressures and sensible driv-
ing habits will increase the useful life of your
tyres.
– Check tyre pressure at least once a month,
and also prior to any long trip.
– The tyre pressure should only be checked
when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the
pressure of warm tyres.
– Adjust tyre pressure to the load being car-
ried by the vehicle.
– In vehicles with a tyre pressure indicator,
save the pressure of modified tyres
››› page 212 , ››
›
page 208.
– Avoid fast cornering and hard acceleration.
– Inspect the tyres for irregular wear from
time to time.
The useful life of your tyres depends on the
following factors:
Tyre pressure
Tyre pressure values are indicated on the
sticker on the inside of the fuel tank flap.
Insufficient or excessive pressure greatly re-
duces the useful life of the tyres and adverse-
ly affects vehicle performance and ride. Cor-
rect inflation pressures are very important,
especially at high speeds.
208
Wheels
Depending on the vehicle, tyre pressure can
be adjusted (“comfort” tyre pressure) to in-
crease driving comfort. When driving with
comfort tyre pressure fuel consumption may
increase slightly.
The tyre pressure must be adjusted according
to the load the vehicle is carrying. If the vehi-
cle is going to carry the maximum load, the
tyre pressure should be increased to maxi-
mum value indicated on the sticker on the in-
side of the fuel tank flap.
Do not forget the spare wheel when checking
the tyre pressures: Keep this spare wheel in-
flated to the highest pressure required for the
road wheels.
In the case of a minimised temporary spare
wheel (125/70 R16 or 125/70 R18) inflate to
a pressure of 4.2 bar as indicated on the tyre
pressure label on the fuel tank flap.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking (squealing tyres) all increase tyre
wear.
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
However, certain circumstances may lead to
imbalance (run-out), which is detected as vi-
brations in the steering wheel. Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as
they otherwise cause excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must
also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted
or if a tyre is repaired.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive
tyre wear, impairing the safety of the vehicle.
If you notice excessive tyre wear, you should
check wheel alignment at a SEAT Official
Service.
WARNING
● Always adapt the tyre pressure accordingly
when the vehicle load changes.
● A tyre with low air pressure has to flex a lot
more when the vehicle is heavily loaded or at
high speeds, therefore causing overheating
to occur. Under these conditions, the tyre
bead may be released or the tyre may burst.
Risk of accident! For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel con-
sumption. Wear indicators
Fig. 177
Tyre tread: tread wear indicators Tread wear indicators indicate if a tyre is
worn.
The original tyres on your vehicle have
1.6 mm high “tread wear indicators” running
across the tread. Depending on the manufac-
turer, there will be 6 to 8 of them spaced at
equal distances around the tyre. Markings on
the tyre sidewall (for instance the letters
“TWI” or a triangle) indicate the positions of
the tread wear indicators.
The minimum tread depth required by law is
1.6 mm (measured in the tread grooves next
to the tread wear indicators). (Different fig-
ures may apply in other countries.)
»
209Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials