
Lights and visibility
●
Remove snow and ice from the wipers be-
fore starting your journey.
● Careless handling could lead to the wiper
arms damaging the windscreen.
● For safety reasons, the wiper blades should
be changed once or twice a year. They can be
purchased at a SEAT Authorised Service.
● The ignition cannot be switched on while
the windscreen wiper arms are in a raised po-
sition. Otherwise, the windscreen wipers
would return to their original position and
could damage the paintwork on the bonnet. Note
Keep the wipers clean. The wipers can be
soiled with remains of wax solutions from car
washes ››› page 124.
● On vehicles equipped with windscreen
washer jets, these are heated once the en-
gine is running. Handling windscreen wipers and
washers
Fig. 56
Window wiper lever. Short wipe
– Give the windscreen a brief wipe by moving
the lever down to position 4
››› Fig. 56 .
W ipe int
ervals/automatic wipe with rain
sensor*
– Push the lever up to position 1
››› Fig. 56 .
– With sw
itch A , adjust the wipe interval or
rain sensor sensitivity.
Switch A has 4 positions.
The rain sensor* is part of the intermittent
wipe function.
The rain sensor* controls the frequency of
the windscreen wiper intervals, depending
on the amount of rain. Slow wipe
–
Push the lever up to position 2
››› Fig. 56 .
C ontinuou
s wipe
– Push the lever up to position 3
››› Fig. 56 .
Aut om
atic windscreen wash and wipe
– Pull the lever towards the steering wheel,
position 5
››› Fig. 56 , and the windscreen
w a
sher and wipers are switched on.
– Release the lever. The washer will stop and
the windscreen wipers will keep running for
1-3 wipes (depending on the windscreen
washer operating time).
Rear window wiper*
– Press the lever forward to position 6 ›››
Fig. 56 and the rear window wiper will
ru n ev
ery 6 seconds.
Automatic rear window wash and wipe* – Press the lever fully forward to position 7 ›››
Fig. 56 and the rear window wiper and
w a
sher switch on at the same time.
– Release the lever. The rear window washer
will stop and the rear window wipers will
keep running for 1-3 wipes (depending on
the jet operating time). When released, the
lever remains in position 6 .
»
69
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Seats and head restraints
●
Do not touch the exterior mirrors when the
heating system is running.
● If the electrical adjustment should ever fail
to operate, the rear vision mirrors can be ad-
justed by hand by pressing the edge of the
mirror glass.
● Visit the technical service in the event of a
fault in the electrical rear vision mirror ad-
justment system. Seats and head restraints
Adjusting seats and head
restraints
Introduction Set the driver seat in such a way that the
pedals can be fully depressed with your legs
slightly bent.
Set the driver seat backrest so that you can
reach the upper point of the steering wheel
with your arms slightly bent.
The correct seat position is very important
for:
●
reaching all of the controls safely and
quickly,
● a relaxed posture that will not produce fati-
gue,
● maximum protection from the seat belts
and airbag system WARNING
● Adjust the driver seat only when the vehi-
cle is stationary. Risk of accident!
● Be careful when adjusting the front seats!
Careless and uncontrolled adjustment can
cause injuries. ●
The backrests must not be reclined too far
back while driving. This could limit the effect
of the seat belts and the airbag system. Risk
of injury!
● Never transport more than the permitted
amount of people in your vehicle.
● Every occupant in the vehicle must properly
fasten and wear the seat belt belonging to
his or her seat. Children must be protected
with an appropriate child restraint system
››› page 24, Transporting children safety.
● The front seats, head restraints and seat
belts must always be adjusted to the size of
the vehicle occupant to provide you and your
passengers with the greatest possible protec-
tion.
● Your feet should remain in the footwell
while the vehicle is moving; never rest them
on the dash panel, on the window or on the
seat! This also applies to passengers. An in-
correct sitting position exposes you to an in-
creased risk of injury in case of a sudden
braking or an accident. If the airbag is trig-
gered, you could sustain severe injuries due
to an incorrect sitting position!
● It is important for the driver and front pas-
senger to keep a distance of at least 25 cm
from the steering wheel and dash panel. Fail-
ure to respect the minimum distance means
that the airbag will not protect you. Risk of
fatal injury if triggered!
● Objects must not be placed in the footwell,
as they could move to the area of the pedals
in the event of a braking manoeuvre or
change of direction. This would prevent the » 71Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
Driving Starting and stopping the
engine Introduction WARNING
● Never adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving!
● For safety reasons, the steering wheel ad-
justment lever must always be pushed se-
curely against the steering column to prevent
the steering wheel from accidentally chang-
ing position while driving. Risk of accident!
● If the steering wheel is adjusted closer to
your face, the protective effect of the driver
airbag will be decreased in the event of an ac-
cident. Check that the steering wheel is
pointing towards the upper part of your body.
● When driving, always hold the steering
wheel with both hands on the outside part at
the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Never
hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock po-
sition, or in any other manner (e.g. in the cen-
tre of the steering wheel). In such cases, if
the airbag is triggered, you may sustain inju-
ries to the arms, hands and head.
● When moving with the engine switched off,
the ignition key must always remain in posi-
tion 2
››› Fig. 89 ››› page 97 (ignition on).
The contr
ol lamps will light up in this posi- tion. Otherwise, the steering lock could en-
gage suddenly. Risk of accident!
●
Do not remove the key from the ignition un-
til the vehicle has come to a standstill and is
secure (e.g. the handbrake is engaged). Oth-
erwise, the steering lock could suddenly en-
gage. Risk of accident!
● Always take the ignition key with you when
you leave the vehicle. This is particularly im-
portant if you leave children in the vehicle.
Children could, for example, start the engine
with the subsequent risk of accident.
● Never leave the engine running in unventi-
lated or closed rooms. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and
colourless poisonous gas. Risk of fatal acci-
dents! Carbon monoxide can cause people to
lose consciousness and can cause death.
● Never leave the vehicle unattended if the
engine is running.
● Never switch the engine off until the vehi-
cle has come to a complete stop. Risk of acci-
dent! CAUTION
● Turning the steering wheel fully in either
direction when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is in gear puts the power steering
under great stress. This could lead to noise.
Never leave the steering wheel turned fully in
either direction for more than 15 seconds.
Risk of damage to the power steering system! ●
The starter motor may only be used (key
position 3
››› Fig. 89 ››› p
age 97 in the igni-
tion) if the engine is off. Using the starter mo-
tor when the engine is running could damage
it.
● Immediately release the ignition key when
the engine starts, otherwise damage could be
caused to the starter motor.
● When the engine is cold, you should avoid
high engine speeds, driving at full throttle
and over-loading the engine before it reaches
operating temperature. Risk of engine dam-
age!
● Do not tow-start the engine. Risk of engine
damage! In vehicles with a catalytic convert-
er, fuel that has not been burned could reach
the catalytic converter and catch fire in it.
This would lead to a fault in the catalytic con-
verter. You may use the battery from another
vehicle to help you start your engine
››› page 157, Jump-starting.
● After prolonged and demanding operation
of the engine, when the journey has ended,
do not stop the engine immediately. Let the
engine run at idle for about one more minute.
This will stop the engine from overheating. For the sake of the environment
Do not warm up the engine when the vehicle
is stationary. If possible, move off immediate-
ly after starting the engine. This will help the
engine reach operating temperature more
quickly, reducing the quantity of emissions. 96

Driving
Note
● The engine can only be started with the
original SEAT key.
● Loud running noises may be heard briefly
after cold-starting the engine. This is normal
and is no cause for concern.
● After the engine has been stopped and the
ignition switched off, the radiator fan may
continue running for around 10 minutes.
● If the engine still does not start after a sec-
ond attempt, the fuel pump fuse might have
blown. Check it and replace if necessary
››› page 163 or contact your Specialised
Ser v
ice.
● You should always engage the steering lock
when you exit the vehicle. This will hinder
any attempts at theft. Power steering
The power steering allows you to turn the
steering wheel more easily.
If the power steering fails or the engine is off
(towing), it is still possible to turn the vehi-
cle's steering wheel fully. However, you need
more strength to steer the vehicle. Start-up lock security system
(immobiliser) There is an electronic chip in the key. The
electronic immobiliser is deactivated when
the key is inserted into the ignition. The elec-
tronic immobiliser is automatically activated
when the key is removed from the ignition.
The engine will not start if an unauthorised
key is used.
The informative display indicates:
Immobiliser active!
Ignition lock Fig. 89
Ignition key positions. Petrol engines
1 – Ignition switched off, engine stopped,
steering can be locked
2 – Ignition switched on3 – Starting
Diesel engines 1 – Fuel supply stopped, ignition switched
off, engine stopped, steering can be locked
2 – Engine pre-heating, ignition switched
on
3 – Starting
To engage the Steering lock without the key
in the ignition, t urn the s
teering wheel slight-
ly until you hear it engage.
If the steering lock is engaged and it is diffi-
cult or impossible to turn the key to position 2 , release the lock by turning the steering
wheel slightly in both directions.
Starting the engine Vehicles with a
diesel engine are equipped
with a glow plug system. When you switch on
the ignition, the glow plug warning lamp
will light up. The engine can be started
straight away when the lamp switches off.
Do not connect electrical appliances during
preheating so as not the drain the vehicle
battery unnecessarily. »
97
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
Manual gearbox Changing gears Fig. 91
Gear shift diagram of a 5- or 6-speed
manual gearbox When changing gear, always depress the
clutch pedal fully and keep it pressed down
to avoid excessive clutch wear.
In order to drive at an optimum RPM, follow
the gear change indications
››› page 32.
Engage reverse gear only when the vehicle is
stopped. On engaging reverse gear while the
engine is running, first wait a moment with
the clutch pedal pressed down fully to limit
gear shift noise.
The reverse lights switch on when the reverse
gear is selected and the ignition is on. WARNING
Never engage reverse gear when moving for-
ward. Risk of accident! Note
Do not rest your hand on the gear lever while
driving. The pressure of your hand could lead
to premature wear of the gear system. Automatic gearbox
Basic information The gearbox changes up and down automati-
cally. The gearbox can be set to
Tiptronic
mode. The gears can be changed manually in
this mode ›››
page 102 .
The en gine c
an only be started
in positions P
or N. If, on engaging the steering lock,
switching the ignition on/off or starting the
engine, the selector lever is not in these posi-
tions, the informative display will show Move
the selector lever to position P/N! , or P/N
is
shown on the general dash panel display.
At temperatures below -10 °C (14 °F), the en-
gine can only be started in position P.
Mov
e the selector lever to position P when
parking the vehicle on a flat surface. On a
slope, the handbrake should be firmly ap-
plied before moving the selector lever to the park position. This reduces the load on the
lock mechanism while making it easier to
move the selector lever from position P.
If, while the vehicle is moving, the selector
lever is accidentally moved to position
N, re-
le
ase the accelerator and wait for the engine
to idle before moving it back into position. WARNING
● Never press the accelerator when selecting
the automatic gearbox operating mode when
the vehicle is stationary. Risk of accident!
● Never move the selector lever to positions
R or P when driving. Risk of accident!
● If the vehicle is to be stopped with a gear
selected and the engine idling (e.g. waiting
or moving slowly at traffic lights), press down
on the brake pedal because the transmission
is not entirely interrupted when the engine is
idling and the vehicle will tend to start mov-
ing.
● Apply the handbrake firmly and put the se-
lector lever in position P before opening the
bonnet and working on the vehicle with the
engine running. Risk of accident! Strictly fol-
low the safety instructions ››› page 132, En-
gine compartment.
● When s t
opping on a slope (hill), try not to
stop the vehicle from moving by pressing the
“accelerator” with a gear selected. This could
overheat the clutch. If the clutch risks being
burnt due to this force, it would switch off 100

Operation
CAUTION
● In the event of driving through water, parts
of the vehicle can be seriously damaged,
such as the engine, gearbox, catalytic con-
verter, suspension or the electrical system.
● Oncoming vehicles that drive through wa-
ter can cause waves that exceed your vehi-
cle's permitted level for driving through wa-
ter.
● There may be pot-holes mud or rocks under
the water that can hinder or prevent driving
through water.
● Do not drive through salt water. The salt
can cause rust. All components that are ex-
posed to salt water must be rinsed immedi-
ately with fresh water. Note
After driving through water we recommend
that you contact a specialised service for an
inspection. Preventing damage to the vehicle
In order to prevent damage to the vehicle,
take special care:
● on roads that are in poor condition,
● when mounting kerbs,
● when approaching very steep ramps, etc., ●
with the parts of the vehicle situated on the
lower part of the vehicle, i.e. the spoiler, the
exhaust pipe.
This applies especially to vehicles with a very
low suspension (sport) and when the vehicle
is fully loaded. Driver assistance systems
Braking and stability systems Stability system (ESC) Fig. 95
ESC system: TCS switch. The ESC system increases control of the vehi-
cle in emergency situations, e.g. during a
sudden change in direction. Depending on
the driving conditions, it reduces the risk of
skidding and increases driving stability.
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.
108

Driver assistance systems
– Release the clutch pedal.
Automatic engine start up (Start phase)
– Press the clutch.
Switching the Start-Stop system on and off
The Start-Stop system can be switched on
and off by pressing the
››› Fig. 98 button.
The w arnin
g lamp in the button will light up
when the system is switched off.
If the vehicle is in Stop phase when the but-
ton is pressed, the engine will start immedi-
ately.
The Start-Stop system works under complex
driving conditions that are difficult to detect
without specialist technology. The set of nec-
essary conditions for the correct operating of
the Start-Stop system are indicated below.
Conditions for automatic engine shut down
(Stop phase)
● Selector lever in neutral.
● Clutch pedal not pressed.
● Driver with seat belt fastened.
● Driver door closed.
● The bonnet closed.
● Vehicle stationary.
● The factory-fitted towing bracket is not elec-
trically connected to a trailer. ●
Engine at operating temperature.
● Vehicle's battery sufficiently charged.
● Vehicle not on a very steep slope
● Engine speed below 1,200 rpm.
● Vehicle battery temperature is neither too
high nor too low.
● Sufficient brake system pressure.
● Difference between outside temperature
and set interior temperature not too great
● Vehicle speed since the last time the en-
gine started was above 3 km/h (2 mph).
● Particulate filter not being cleaned
››› page 37.
● Front
wheels not overly turned (steering
wheel turned less than three quarters of a
turn)
Conditions for engine start up (Start phase)
● Clutch pedal pressed.
● Max./min. temperature set.
● Windscreen defrost function switched on.
● High blower speed.
● Start-Stop button pressed.
Conditions for automatic engine start up
without driver involvement
● Vehicle moving at a speed of over 3 km/h
(2 mph). ●
Difference between outside temperature
and interior temperature is too great
● Vehicle's battery insufficiently charged.
● Insufficient brake system pressure.
If the driver seat belt is unfastened for more
than 30 seconds in Stop phase, the engine
must be started using the ignition key.
Please observe the messages on the general
instrument panel display.
Warnings on the instrument panel display
(valid for vehicles not fitted with an
informative display)FAULT: Start-StopFault in the Start-Stop sys-
tem
START-STOP IMPOSSIBLEEngine cannot be auto-
matically shut down
START-STOP ACTIVEAutomatic engine shut
down (Stop phase)
SWITCH OFF IGNITIONSwitch the ignition off
START MANUALLYStart the engine manually WARNING
● If the engine is switched off, neither the
brake servo nor the power steering will work.
● Do not move the vehicle when the engine is
switched off. » 113
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Advice
●
Make sure you do not damage the paint-
work on the vehicle on removing snow and
ice from the windows and rear vision mirrors.
● Do not remove the snow or ice dirty with
thick particles, e.g. gravel, sand or road salt,
from windows and mirrors. Risk of damage to
the glass and mirror surfaces. Radio reception and aerial
In vehicles factory-fitted with an audio or
navigation system, the aerial may be instal-
led in different places:
● inside the rear window next to the heating
elements,
● on the roof of the vehicle.
Headlights Use soap and clean, hot water to clean the
front headlights.
CAUTION
● Never rub the headlights to dry them and
do not use sharp objects to clean the plastic
glass material. These could damage the pro-
tective paint and cause the headlights to
crack. ●
Do not use aggressive cleaning products or
chemical solvents to clean the glass. This
could damage the headlights. Care of rubber seals
The weatherstrips on doors and windows will
remain pliable and last longer if they are oc-
casionally treated with a suitable rubber care
product. This will prevent premature ageing
and leaks. If they are properly cared for, the
seals will be less likely to freeze up in the
winter.
Door lock cylinder Special products must be used to defrost
lock cylinders.
Note
● Make sure, when washing the vehicle, that
the least amount of water possible enters the
lock cylinders.
● We recommend the use of products from
the selection of SEAT Original Accessories to
care for the door lock cylinder. Wheels
Wheel trims
If you wash the vehicle regularly, you should
also thoroughly wash the wheel trim. Regu-
larly remove any brake dust and road salt
from the wheels, otherwise the wheel materi-
al could be damaged. Repair any damage to
the wheel paintwork immediately.
Alloy wheels
After thorough washing, treat the wheels
with a protective product for alloy wheels. Do
not use abrasive products to care for the
wheels.
WARNING
Moisture, ice and road salt may affect braking
efficiency. Risk of accident! CAUTION
Heavy dirt on the wheels could lead to their
misalignment. This could result in vibrations
being transmitted to the steering wheel that
under certain conditions may cause prema-
ture steering wear. This dirt must be re-
moved. Note
We recommend you leave paint damage re-
pairs to a SEAT Authorised Service. 126