Air conditioning
● The air conditioner compressor has been
temporarily switched off because the engine
coolant temperature is too high.
● Another fault in the vehicle. Have the air
conditioner checked by a specialised work-
shop. Special Characteristics
If the humidity and temperature outside the
vehicle are high,
condensation
can drip off
the ev
aporator in the cooling system and
form a pool underneath the vehicle. This is
normal and does not indicate a leak! Note
After starting the engine, any residual humid-
ity in the air conditioner could mist over the
windscreen. Switch on the defrost function as
soon as possible to clear the windscreen of
condensation. Air vents
Fig. 140
On the dash panel: air vents Air vents
To ensure proper heating, cooling and venti-
lation in the vehicle interior, air vents
››› Fig. 140 1 should remain open.
● Turn the corresponding thumbwheel (de-
tail) in the required direction to open and
close the air vents. When the thumbwheel is in the
position, the corresponding air vent
i
s closed.
● Change the air direction using the ventila-
tion grille lever.
There are other additional, non-adjustable air
vents in the dash panel 2 , in the footwell
and in the rear area of the interior. Note
Food, medicine and other heat or cold sensi-
tive objects should never be placed in front of
the air outlets as they may be damaged or
made unsuitable for use by the air coming
from the air vents. 127
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials
Operation
Air recirculation Basic pointsAir recirculation:
Manual recirculation
Air recirculation mode prevents the ambient
air from entering the interior.
When the outside temperature is very high,
selecting manual air recirculation mode for a
short period refreshes the vehicle interior
more quickly.
For safety reasons, air recirculation mode is
switched off when the button
is press-
ed or the air distributor turned to .
Switching the manual air recirculation mode
on and off
To switch system on: press the button un-
til the warning lamp lights up.
To switch system off: press the button un-
til the warning lamp goes off.
Functioning mode of automatic air
recirculation (air conditioning menu)
With the automatic air recirculation mode ac-
tivated, the entry of fresh air into the cabin
interior is enabled. If the system detects a
high concentration of hazardous substances
in the ambient air, air recirculation mode is
switched on automatically. When the level of impurities drops to within a normal range, re-
circulation mode is switched off.
The system is unable to detect unpleasant
smells.
The air recirculation will
not connect auto-
m atic
ally in versions without humidity sensor
and in the following external conditions:
● The outside temperature is lower than +3°C
(+38°F).
● The cooling system is switched off and the
outside temperature is below +10°C (+50°F).
● The cooling system is switched off, the out-
side temperature is below +15°C (+59°F) and
the windscreen wipers are switched on.
Activation/deactivation of automatic air recir-
culation is done in the air conditioner menu,
under Configuration. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ››› in Intro-
duction on page 125.
● If the c
ooling system is switched off and air
recirculation mode switched on, the windows
can mist over very quickly, considerably limit-
ing visibility.
● Switch air recirculation mode off when it is
not required. CAUTION
Do not smoke when air recirculation is
switched on in vehicles with an air condition-
er. The smoke taken in could lie on the cool-
ing system vaporiser and on the activated
charcoal cartridge of the dust and pollen fil-
ter, leading to a permanently unpleasant
smell. Note
Climatronic: air recirculation mode is activa-
ted to prevent exhaust gas or unpleasant
odours from entering the vehicle interior
when it is in reverse and while the automatic
windscreen wiper is working. 128
Operation
– Take your left foot off the brake pedal. WARNING
● Always adapt your driving style to the traf-
fic conditions.
● Only use the launch control programme
when road and traffic conditions permit, and
make sure your manner of driving and accel-
erating the vehicle does not inconvenience or
endanger other road users.
● Make sure that the ESC remains switched
on. Please note that when the ASR and ESC
are deactivated, the wheels may start to spin,
causing the vehicle to lose grip. Risk of acci-
dent!
● After putting the vehicle into gear, the
“sport” mode of the ESC should be deactiva-
ted again by briefly pressing the OFF but-
ton. Note
● After using the Launch control programme,
the temperature in the gearbox may have in-
creased considerably. In this case, the pro-
gramme could be disabled for several mi-
nutes. The programme can be used again af-
ter the cooling phase.
● Accelerating with the Launch control pro-
gramme places a heavy load on all parts of
the vehicle. This can result in increased wear
and tear. Downhill speed control*
The downhill speed control function helps
the driver when driving down steep gradi-
ents.
Downhill speed control is activated when the
selector lever is in D/S and the driver applies
the foot brake. The automatic gearbox auto-
matically engages a lower gear that is suita-
ble for the slope. The downhill speed control
function attempts to maintain the speed at
which the vehicle was travelling when the
foot brake was applied (subject to the laws of
physics and technical drive limitations). It
may be necessary to adjust the speed again
using the foot brake in certain situations. Giv-
en that the downhill speed control can only
change down to 3rd gear, on very steep de-
scents the tiptronic mode may be required. In
this case, manually reduce the tiptronic to
2nd or 1st gear to use the engine brake and
reduce the charge on the brakes.
Downhill speed control is deactivated as
soon as the road levels out again or you
press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with cruise control system*
››› page 150 , downhill speed control is acti-
v at
ed when you set a cruising speed. WARNING
The downhill speed control cannot defy the
laws of physics. Therefore, speed cannot be maintained constant in all situations. Always
be prepared to use the brakes!
Inertia mode
The inertia mode enables the kinetic energy
of the vehicle to be harnessed enabling cer-
tain stretches to be driven without using the
accelerator. This enables fuel to be saved.
Use the inertia mode to “let the vehicle roll”
before, for example, arriving in a town.
Switching on inertia mode
Important: selector lever must be in position
D, gradients below 12 %.
–
Select, in SEAT Drive Profile*, Eco mode
››› page 169 .
– Tak
e your foot off the accelerator.
The driver message Inertia will be displayed.
At speeds higher than 20 km/h (12 mph), the
gearbox will automatically disengage and the
vehicle will roll freely, without the effect of
the engine brake. While the vehicle rolls, the
engine runs at idling speed.
Stopping inertia mode
– Press the brake or the accelerator pedal.
To make use of the braking force and switch
off the engine again, simply press the brake
pedal briefly.
138
Operation
Gearbox: press the brake and engage a
gear again.
If the fault was caused by a gearbox with a
high temperature, this driver message will be
displayed when the gearbox has cooled
again.
Run-in and economical driving Running in the engine A new vehicle should be run in over a dis-
tance of 1500 km (1000 miles). For the first
1,000 km the engine speed should not ex-
ceed 2/3 of the maximum permissible engine
speed. In doing so, do not accelerate at full
throttle and do not drive with a trailer! From
1000 to 1500 km (600 to 1000 miles) you
can gradually increase the engine rpm and
road speed.
During its first few hours of running, the in-
ternal friction in the engine is greater than
later on when all the moving parts have bed-
ded down.
How the vehicle is driven for the first 1,500
km influences the future engine perform-
ance. Subsequently, also drive at a moderate
rate, especially when the engine is still cold:
this will lead to less engine wear and tear
and will prolong its useful life. You should also avoid driving with the engine
speed too
low
. Change down to a lower gear
when the en
gine no longer runs “smoothly”.
If the engine revs too much, cut fuel injection
to protect the engine.
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.
140
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
Checking and refilling levels
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is the result of
heavy cooling of natural gas. Therefore its
volume is considerably reduced compared
with compressed natural gas (CNG). In vehi-
cles with a natural gas engine, liquefied nat-
ural gas cannot be directly refilled, as the gas
would expand excessively in the vehicle gas
tank.
Therefore, vehicles with a natural gas engine
must only be refuelled using compressed
natural gas ››› .
Natural gas quality and consumption
Natural gas is divided into the groups H and
L depending on its quality.
Gas type H has a superior heating power and
inferior nitrogen and carbon dioxide content
than type L. The higher the heating power of
the natural gas, the lower the consumption
will be.
However, the heating power and the propor-
tion of nitrogen and carbon dioxide can fluc-
tuate within the quality groups. Therefore, ve-
hicle consumption can also vary when using
a single type of gas only.
The engine management automatically
adapts to the natural gas used according to
its quality. Therefore, different quality gases
can be mixed in the tank, without the need
for comprehensive draining before applying a
different quality gas. Updated information relating to natural gas
quality is displayed on the instrument panel
››› page 72 .
Nat ur
al gas and safety
If you can smell gas or suspect that there is a
leak ››› :
● Stop the vehicle immediately.
● Switch the ignition off.
● Open the doors to appropriately ventilate
the vehicle.
● Extinguish cigarettes immediately.
● Move away from the vehicle or switch off
objects that may cause sparks or a fire.
● If you continue to smell gas, do not contin-
ue driving!
● Seek specialist assistance. Have the fault
repaired. WARNING
Failure to act when you can smell gas in the
vehicle or when refuelling can cause serious
injuries.
● Carry out the necessary operations.
● Leave the danger zone.
● If necessary, warn the emergency services. WARNING
The vehicle is not prepared to use liquefied
natural gas (LNG) and this fuel must not be
added under any circumstances. Liquefied
natural gas can cause the natural gas tank to
explode, resulting in serious injury. Note
Have the natural gas system checked regular-
ly by a specialised workshop, according to
the Maintenance Programme. 197
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials
Checking and refilling levels
●
Take care not to cause short circuits in the
electrical system, especially when working
on the battery.
● If working inside the engine compartment,
remember that, even when the ignition is
switched off, the radiator fan may start up au-
tomatically, and therefore there is a risk of in-
jury.
● Never cover the engine with additional in-
sulating materials such as a blanket. Risk of
fire!
● Do not unscrew the cap on the coolant ex-
pansion tank when the engine is hot. The
cooling system is under pressure.
● Protect face, hands and arms by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag to protect
against escaping coolant and steam.
● If it is necessary to work in the engine com-
partment while the engine is running, the ro-
tating components (for example, poly-V belt,
alternator, radiator fan) and the high voltage
ignition system are an additional hazard.
● Observe the following additional warnings
if work on the fuel system or the electrical
system is necessary:
– Always disconnect the battery from the
on-board network.
– Do not smoke.
– Never work near naked flames.
– Always keep an approved fire extinguish-
er immediately available. CAUTION
When topping up fluids make sure the correct
fluid is put into the correct filler opening, oth-
erwise this can cause serious malfunctions or
engine damage. For the sake of the environment
Inspect the ground underneath your vehicle
regularly so that any leaks are detected at an
early stage. If you find spots of oil or other
fluids in the area where it was parked, have
your vehicle inspected at the workshop. Note
On right-hand drive vehicles* some of the
containers/reservoirs mentioned below are
located on the other side of the engine com-
partment. Opening the bonnet
Read the additional information carefully
››› page 10
The bonnet is released from inside the vehi-
cle.
Check that the windscreen wiper arms are
not unfolded. Otherwise the paint may be
damaged.
The bonnet can only be unlocked when the
driver door is open. WARNING
Never open the bonnet if you see steam or
drips of coolant being released from the en-
gine compartment. Failure to comply could
result in burns. Wait until no steam or coolant
can be seen before opening the bonnet. Closing the bonnet
–
Slightly lift the bonnet.
– Release the bonnet stay before pressing it
back into its support.
– Carefully close the bonnet.
– Press the bonnet down until it locks into
place.
– Make sure that the bonnet catches onto its
clasp. Do not press down too hard › › › .
WARNING
● For safety reasons the bonnet must always
be completely closed when the vehicle is
moving. Therefore, after closing the bonnet,
always check that the locking element is
properly engaged. This is the case if the bon-
net is flush with the adjacent body panels.
● Should you notice that the bonnet is not
safely secured when the vehicle is moving,
stop the vehicle immediately and close the
bonnet. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in an accident. 199
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials
Checking and refilling levels
Cooling system Engine coolant specifications The engine cooling system is supplied from
the factory with a specially treated mixture of
water and, at least, 40 % of the additive
G 13
(TLVW 774 J). The engine coolant additive is
recognisable by its purple colour. This mix-
ture of water and additive gives the necessa-
ry frost protection down to -25°C (-13°F) and
protects the light alloy parts of the cooling
system against corrosion. It also prevents
scaling and considerably raises the boiling
point of the coolant.
To protect the engine cooling system, the
percentage of additive must always
be at
l e
ast 40 %, even in warm climates where an-
ti-freeze protection is not required.
If greater frost protection is required in very
cold climates, the proportion of additive can
be increased. However, the percentage of ad-
ditive should not exceed 60%, as this would
reduce the frost protection and, in turn, de-
crease the cooling capacity.
When the coolant is topped up, use a mixture
of distilled water and, at least, 40 % of the G
13 or G 12 plu
s-plus (TL-VW 774 G) additive
(both are purple) to obtain an optimum anti-
corrosion protection ››› . The mixture of G
13 with G 12 plus (TL-VW 774 F), G 12 (red) or
G 11 (green-blue) engine coolants will signifi- cantly reduce the anticorrosion protection
and should, therefore be avoided
››› .
WARNING
If there is not enough anti-freeze in the cool-
ant system, the engine may fail leading to se-
rious damage.
● Please make sure that the percentage of
additive is correct with respect to the lowest
expected ambient temperature in the zone in
which the vehicle is to be used.
● When the outside temperature is very low,
the coolant could freeze and the vehicle
would be immobilised. In this case, the heat-
ing would not work either and inadequately
dressed passengers could die of cold. CAUTION
The original additives should never be mixed
with coolants which are not approved by
SEAT. Otherwise, you run the risk of causing
severe damage to the engine and the engine
cooling system. ● If the fluid in the expansion tank is not pur-
ple but is, for example, brown, this indicates
that the G 13 additive has been mixed with
an inadequate coolant. The coolant must be
changed as soon as possible if this is the
case! This could result in serious faults and
engine damage. For the sake of the environment
Coolants and additives can contaminate the
environment. If any fluids are spilled, they
should be collected and correctly disposed
of, with respect to the environment. Topping up coolant
Read the additional information carefully
››› page 32
Top up coolant when the level is below the
MIN (minimum) mark.
Checking coolant level – Park the vehicle in a horizontal position.
– Switch the ignition off.
– Read off the coolant level on coolant ex-
pansion tank. When the engine is cold, the
coolant level should be between the marks.
When the engine is hot, it may be slightly
above the upper mark.
Topping up coolant – Wait for the engine to cool down.
– Cover the coolant expansion tank cap with
a cloth and carefully unscrew it to the left
››› .
– Top up the coolant only if there is still cool-
ant in the expansion tank, otherwise you »
203
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
The essentials