
Driving
Starter button Fig. 126
In the centre console: start-up push
button for the Keyless Access lock and start-
up system. The layout in right-hand drive ve-
hicles is symmetrical. Fig. 127
Emergency ignition in vehicles with
KESSY. The start-up button may only be used if there
is a valid key in the vehicle. Opening the driver's door
when exiting the
vehicle activates the electronic lock on the
s t
eering column if the ignition is disabled
››› page 131.
Swit
ching the ignition on/off
● Briefly push the start-up button ››› Fig. 126
without touching the brake or clutch ped-
al ››› .
Emergency starting function
If no valid key is detected inside the vehicle,
an emergency start-up will be required. The
relevant message will appear in the dash
panel display. This may happen when, for ex-
ample, the vehicle key battery is very low or
flat:
● Immediately after pushing the start-up but-
ton, keep the vehicle key next to the steering
column ››› Fig. 127 .
● The ignition c onnects
and the engine starts
automatically.
Emergency disconnection
If the engine does not stop after briefly press-
ing the start-up button, an emergency dis-
connect will be required:
● Press the starter button twice within 1 sec-
ond or press it once for more than 2 seconds
››› .
● The engine turns off automatically. Engine restart feature
If no valid key is detected inside the vehicle
after the engine stops, you will only have 5
seconds to restart it. A warning will display
on the dash panel screen.
After this interval, it will not be possible to
start the engine without a valid key inside
the vehicle.
WARNING
Any accidental movement of the vehicle could
result in serious injury.
● When pressing the start-up button, do not
pr e
ss the brake or clutch pedal, this way the
engine will start immediately. WARNING
If vehicle keys are used negligently or with-
out due care, this may cause accidents and
serious injury.
● Never leave any key inside the vehicle
when exiting. Otherwise, a child or unauthor-
ised person could lock the vehicle, start the
engine or connect the ignition and, in this
way, operate electronic equipment (e.g. the
windows). Note
In diesel vehicles with the Keyless Access
system, there may be a delay in the engine
starting if it requires preheating. 135
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
Starting the engine Complete operations only in the sequence
given: Vehicles without
Keyless AccessVehicles with
Keyless Access
1.Press and hold the brake pedal until step 5 is per- formed.
1a.In vehicles with a manual gearbox: press and
hold the clutch down until the engine starts.
2.Put the gearbox lever in neutral or the selector lever in position P or N.
3.
Only in vehicles with
diesel engines: for pre-
heating, turn the key in the ignition lock to po-
sition ››› Fig. 125 1
. A
control lamp lights up
on the dash panel
.
4.
Turn the key in the igni- tion lock to position
››› Fig. 125 2
; do not
press the accelerator.
Press the starter button ››› Fig. 126; do not
press the accelerator. There needs to be a
valid key inside the ve- hicle for the engine to start.
5.Once the engine starts,release the key in the ignition lock.Once the engine starts,release the start-up button.
Vehicles without
Keyless AccessVehicles with
Keyless Access
6.
If the engine does not
start, stop and wait for around 1 minute to try again.If the engine does not
start, stop and wait for around 1 minute to try again. If necessary,
perform an emergency start ››› page 135.
7.Disconnect the electronic parking brake when you
are about to start driving ››› page 137. WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended if the en-
gine is running. The vehicle could move off
suddenly, especially if it is in gear, resulting
in an accident and serious injury. WARNING
Cold start sprays could explode or cause a
sudden increase in the engine speed.
● Never use start boosters. CAUTION
● An attempt to start the engine while driving
or starting the engine immediately after turn-
ing it off can cause damage to the engine or
starter motor.
● When the engine is cold, avoid high revs
and heavy acceleration and do not make the
engine work hard. ●
Do not push or tow start the engine. Un-
burnt fuel could damage the catalytic con-
verter. For the sake of the environment
Do not warm the engine at idle speed; start
driving immediately if the visibility is OK.
This helps the engine reach operating tem-
perature faster and reduces emissions. Note
● For example, if the key battery is very worn
or flat, the engine cannot be started with the
starter button. In this case, remove the igni-
tion button from the lock and insert the key.
● Electrical devices with a high power con-
sumption are switched off temporarily when
the engine starts.
● When the engine is started cold, there may
be strong vibrations for a few moments for
technical reasons. This is quite normal, and
no cause for concern.
● At temperatures below +5 °C (+41 °F),
smoke may be given off below the vehicle
when the additional heater is connected. Stopping the engine
Complete operations only in the sequence
given:
136

Driving Vehicles without
Keyless AccessVehicles with
Keyless Access
1.Bring the vehicle to a full stop ››› .
2.Press and hold the brake pedal until the step 4 is
performed.
3.If the vehicle has an automatic gearbox, place theselector lever in position P.
4.Connect the electronic parking brake ››› page 137.
5.Turn the vehicle key in
the ignition lock to po-
sition ››› Fig. 125 0
.
Briefly press the start-
up button
››› Fig. 126. If
the engine fails to
switch off, perform an
emergency disconnect
››› page 135.
6.If the vehicle is equipped with a manual gearbox,
put it into 1st or reverse. WARNING
Never switch off the engine while the vehicle
is moving. You may lose control of the vehicle
and there is a risk of serious accident.
● 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. To stop, the brake pedal must be
pressed with more force.
● As the power steering does not work if the
engine is not running, you will need more
strength to steer than normally. ●
If the key is removed from the ignition, the
steering may lock and it will not be possible
to steer the vehicle. CAUTION
If the engine has been driven at high speed
for a prolonged period of time, it may over-
heat when turned off. To avoid engine dam-
age, allow the engine to run for approximate-
ly two minutes in neutral before switching it
off. Note
● In vehicles with automatic gearbox, the key
can only be removed when the selector lever
is in position P.
● After stopping the engine, the engine com-
partment fan may continue running for a few
minutes, even when the ignition has been
switched off or the key removed. The radiator
fan is automatically switched off. Electronic immobiliser
The gear lock prevents the engine from being
started with an unauthorised key and the ve-
hicle being moved.
The vehicle key has a chip that automatically
disables the immobilizer when the key is
placed in the ignition lock.The electronic immobiliser will be activated
again automatically as soon as you pull the
key out of the ignition lock. For vehicles with
the Keyless Access system, the key has to be
outside the vehicle
››› page 59.
For this reason, the vehicle can only be used
with a genuine SEAT key with the correct
code. Coded keys can be purchased from
your technical service centre ››› page 54.
If an unauthorised key is used, the message SAFE or Immobiliser active is displayed on the
instrument panel. The vehicle cannot be star-
ted in this case Note
The correct operation of the vehicle is only
guaranteed when original SEAT keys are
used. Braking and parking
Introduction The
assisted braking systems
include the an-
ti-loc
k braking system (ABS), the brake assist
system (BAS), the electronic differential lock
(EDL), the traction control system (ASR) and
the electronic stability control (ESC). »
137
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Advice
● The vehicle must be unlocked before dis-
connecting the battery, otherwise the alarm
will be triggered.
● First disconnect the negative cable and
then the positive ››› .
Connecting the vehicle's battery
● Before reconnecting the battery, switch off
the engine and all electrical devices.
● First reconnect the positive cable and then
the negative ››› .
Different control lamps may light up after
connecting the battery and switching the ig-
nition on. They will be turned off after a short
trip at a speed of between 15-20 km/h
(10-12 mph). If the warning indicators remain
lit, please visit a specialised workshop to
have the vehicle checked.
If the battery has been disconnected for a
long time, it is possible that the next service
date is not displayed or calculated correctly
››› page 40 . Respect the maximum service in-
t er
vals permitted ››› Booklet Maintenance
Programme.
Vehic
les with Keyless Access (››› page 59): if,
after connecting the battery, the ignition can-
not be switched on, lock and unlock the vehi-
cle from outside. Then try to switch on the ig-
nition again. If the ignition does not work,
seek professional assistance. Automatic device disconnection
The intelligent vehicle electrical system auto-
matically implements a range of measures to
prevent the battery from discharging when
high demands are made on it:
● the idling speed is increased so that the al-
ternator provides more electricity.
● where necessary, the power of the most
powerful devices is reduced or even com-
pletely disconnected.
● On starting the engine, the power supply
from the 12-volt power sockets and the ciga-
rette lighter may be interrupted for a short
time.
The on-board management program cannot
always prevent the battery from running flat.
For example, if the ignition is left on for a
long period with the engine off or if the side
lights or parking lights are left on while the
vehicle is stationary.
Why does the battery run flat?
● When stationary for a long time without
starting the engine, particularly if the ignition
is switched on.
● Use of electrical devices with the engine
switched off.
● If the auxiliary heater is running
››› page 128
. WARNING
Incorrectly securing the battery or using the
wrong battery can cause short-circuits, fire
and serious injuries.
● Always use only maintenance free batteries
that do not run flat alone and whose proper-
ties, specifications and size correspond to
the standard battery. The specifications are
indicated on the battery case. WARNING
A highly explosive mixture of gases is re-
leased when the battery is under charge.
● The batteries should be charged in a well-
ventilated room only.
● Never charge a frozen or recently thawed
battery. A flat battery can also freeze at tem-
peratures close to 0 °C (+32 °F).
● Always replace a battery which has frozen.
● Battery cables not correctly connected may
cause a short circuit. Reconnect first the posi-
tive cable and then the negative cable. CAUTION
● Never disconnect the battery if the ignition
is switched on or if the engine is running.
This could damage the electrical system or
electronic components.
● Never plug accessories that supply current,
such as solar panels or a battery charger, to
the 12-volt power sockets or the cigarette 230

Emergencies
Starting
7. Start the engine of the vehicle with the boosting battery and let it run at idling
speed.
8. Start the engine of the vehicle with the flat battery and wait 2 or 3 minutes until the
engine is “running”.
Removing the jump leads
9. Before you remove the jump leads, switch off the dipped beam headlights (if they
are switched on).
10. Turn on the heater blower and heated rear
w indo
w in the vehicle with the flat battery.
This helps minimise voltage peaks which
are generated when the leads are discon-
nected.
11.When the engine is running, disconnect the leads in reverse order to the details
given above.
Connect the battery clamps so they have
good metal-to-metal contact with the battery
terminals.
If the engine fails to start, switch off the start-
er after about 10 seconds and try again after
about 1 minute. WARNING
● Please note the safety warnings referring to
working in the engine compartment
››› page 214.
● The b att
ery providing assistance must have
the same voltage as the flat battery (12V) and
approximately the same capacity (see imprint
on battery). Failure to comply could result in
an explosion.
● Never use jump leads when one of the bat-
teries is frozen. Danger of explosion! Even af-
ter the battery has thawed, battery acid could
leak and cause chemical burns. If a battery
freezes, it should be replaced.
● Keep sparks, flames and lighted cigarettes
away from batteries, danger of explosion.
Failure to comply could result in an explo-
sion.
● Observe the instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the jump leads.
● Do not connect the negative cable from the
other vehicle directly to the negative terminal
of the flat battery. The gas emitted from the
battery could be ignited by sparks. Danger of
explosion.
● Do not attach the negative cable from the
other vehicle to parts of the fuel system or to
the brake line.
● The non-insulated parts of the battery
clamps must not be allowed to touch. The
jump lead attached to the positive battery
terminal must not touch metal parts of the ve-
hicle, this can cause a short circuit. ●
Position the leads in such a way that they
cannot come into contact with any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
● Do not lean on the batteries. This could re-
sult in chemical burns. Note
The vehicles must not touch each other, oth-
erwise electricity could flow as soon as the
positive terminals are connected. Towing and tow starting
Introduction When towing, always respect legal require-
ments.
For technical reasons, it is not possible to
tow a vehicle if the battery is flat.
If the vehicle comes with the Keyless Access
system, towing is only allowed with the igni-
tion on!
The vehicle battery drains if the vehicle is
towed with the engine switched off and the
ignition connected. Depending on the battery
charge status, the drop in voltage may be so
large, even after just a few minutes, that no
electrical device in the vehicle may work e.g.
the hazard warning lights. In vehicles with
»
255
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Advice
the Keyless Access system, the steering
wheel could lock ››› .
WARNING
A vehicle with a flat battery should never be
towed.
● Never remove the key from the ignition
lock. Otherwise, the steering wheel lock
could suddenly lock. The vehicle would not
be controlled and a serious accident could
ensue. WARNING
When towing the vehicle, the handling and
braking efficiency change considerably.
Please observe the following instructions to
minimise the risk of serious accidents and in-
jury:
● As the driver of the vehicle being towed:
– The brake must be depressed must hard-
er as the brake servo does not operate.
Always remain aware to avoid collision
with the towing vehicle.
– More strength is required at the steering
wheel as the power steering does not op-
erate when the engine is switched off.
● As the driver of the towing vehicle:
– Accelerate gently and carefully.
– Avoid sudden braking and manoeuvres.
– Brake well in advance than usual and
brake gently. CAUTION
● Carefully fit and remove the towline anchor-
age and its cover to avoid damage to the ve-
hicle (e.g. paintwork).
● When towing, fuel could enter the catalytic
converter and cause damage! Instructions for tow starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
by towing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable
› › ›
page 253.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can
not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
● Vehicles with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition system, since the electronic
steering lock may not unlock.
● Vehicles with an electronic parking brake,
given that it is possible that the brake will
not be disengaged.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it is possible
that the engine control units do not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear.
● Keep the clutch pressed down. ●
Switch on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Release the clutch when both vehicles are
moving.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutch and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle. CAUTION
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the cata-
lytic converter and damage it. Towing instructions
Tow rope or tow bar
When towing, the tow bar is the safest and
vehicle friendly way. You should only use a
tow rope if you do not have a tow bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to avoid
damage to both vehicles. It is advisable to
use a tow rope made of synthetic fibre or sim-
ilarly elastic material.
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar to the
towline anchorage or specially designed fit-
ting.
Vehicles with a
factory fitted towing device ,
can only
be used for towing with a tow bar,
s
pecially designed to fit on a tow hitch ball
››› page 179.
256

Emergencies
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
Note the following for a towed vehicle:
● Make sure the gear selector lever is in the N
position.
● Do not drive faster than 50 km/h (30 mph).
● Do not tow further than 50 km (30 miles).
● If a breakdown truck is used, the vehicle
must be towed with the front wheels raised.
Note the following instructions for towing
four all-wheel drive vehicles.
Instructions for towing all-wheel drive
vehicles
All-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using a
toolbar or tow rope. If the vehicle is towed
with the front or rear axle raised, the engine
must be turned off to avoid transmission
damage.
For vehicles with a double clutched DSG ®
(di-
rect shift gearbox) the instructions for towing
vehicles with an automatic gearbox apply
››› page 257 .
Sit uation
s in which the vehicle should not be
towed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not
be towed but transported on a trailer or spe-
cial vehicle:
● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lu-
bricant due to a fault. ●
If the vehicle battery is flat and, as a result,
the electronic steering lock and electronic
parking brake cannot be disengaged if ap-
plied.
● If the vehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbox and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles). Note
● The vehicle can only be towed if the elec-
tronic parking brake and steering lock are de-
activated. If the vehicle has no power supply
or there is an electric system fault, the en-
gine must be started using jump leads to de-
activate the electronic parking brake and
electronic steering lock.
● Vehicles with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition system should only be towed
with the ignition connected since, otherwise,
the electronic steering lock will not unlock. Fitting the front towline anchorage
Fig. 194
On the right-hand side of the front
bumper: Screw in the towline anchorage. The location for the removable towline an-
chorage is on the right-hand side of the front
bumper
››› Fig. 194 .
The t o
wline anchorage should always be kept
in the vehicle.
Note the instructions for towing ››› page 256.
To fit the towline anchorage
● Take the towline anchorage from the vehi-
cle tool kit ››› page 244.
● Pre
ss on the upper cover and carefully re-
move it forwards. Allow the cover to hang.
● Screw in the towline anchorage into its po-
sition anticlockwise as far as it will go
›
›› Fig. 194 ››› . Use a suitable tool to firmly
tighten the towline anchorage in its location. »
257
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Index
C
Card compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Care See "Care of your vehicle" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Vehicle interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Care of your vehicle Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Caring for paintwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Carrier system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
CCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112, 117
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57, 59 Anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Keyless Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Locking/unlocking the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Central locking system After airbag deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Opening doors individually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Centre armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Changing Windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Raising the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Front bumper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Halogen headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Number plate light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Sea changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Changing gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Engaging gears (manual gearbox) . . . . . . . . . 143
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Manually unlocking the gear selector lever . . 262
Selecting gears (automatic gearbox) . . . . . . . 144
Warning and control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Changing gears Gear recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Changing the battery of the vehicle key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Changing the wheel After changing the wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Checking Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Checking the oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Child safety seat Securing with seat belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Fix with ISOFIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Integrated child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
ISOFIX child seat on rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Mounting child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mounting systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
On rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
On the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Securing using a Top Tether retaining strap . . . 32
Transporting children in the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 28
Weight categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Child seats Disabling the front passenger front airbag . . . . 25 Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118, 119
Cleaning
dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
See "Care of your vehicle" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Cleaning chrome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Cleaning the vehicle Folding exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Climatronic see "Air conditioner" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Closing Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Electric sliding door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
See "Locking" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Coat hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Code number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Collection of end-of-life vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Combined weight rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Coming Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Compartment Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Compartments Card compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Centre console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Drawers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Folding table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Front central armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
289