2015 Seat Leon SC stop start

Operation
Driving Ignition loc k
Sw it
ching the ignition on and starting
the engine with the key Fig. 185
Ignition key positions. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 24
Diesel engines can take a few seconds longer
than usual to start on cold days. Therefore
the clutch pedal (manual gearbox) or the
brake pedal (automatic gearbox) must re-
main pressed until the engine starts up. Dur-
ing preheating, the warning lamp  remains
lit.
The preheating time depends on the coolant
and exterior temperatures. With the engine at
operating temperature, or at outside temper-
atures above +8°C, the warning lamp  will light up for about one second. This means
that the en

gine starts immediately.
If the engine does not immediately start up,
interrupt the starting process and try again
after 30 seconds. To start the engine again,
return the key to position 1 .
St ar
t

-Stop System*
If the vehicle is stopped and the Start-Stop
system* switches off the engine, the ignition
remains switched on.
Automatic gearbox: before leaving the vehi-
cle, make sure that the ignition is switched
off and the selector lever is in position P.
Driver messages on the instrument panel
display
Press the clutch
This message appears on vehicles with a
manual gearbox if the driver tries to start the
engine without having the clutch pedal
pressed. The engine will only start if you
press the clutch pedal.
Press the brake This message appears on vehicles with an
automatic gearbox if the driver tries to start
the engine without having the brake pedal
pressed. Select N or P
This me

ssage appears if you try to start or
stop the engine when the selector lever of
the automatic gearbox is not in position P or
N. The engine can only start or stop in certain
positions.
Engage position P; the vehicle
can move; doors can only close in
position P.For safety reasons, this driver message ap-
pears and an audible warning sounds if the
selector lever of the automatic gearbox is not
in position P after you switch off the ignition.
Put the selector lever in position P, otherwise
the vehicle could roll away.
Gear change: selector lever in
the drive position! This driver message is displayed when the
selector lever is not in the position P when
the driver door is opened. Additionally, a
buzzer will sound. Put the selector lever in
position P, otherwise the vehicle could roll
away.
Ignition is switched on
This driver message is displayed and a buz-
zer is sounded when the driver door is
opened with the ignition switched on.
164

Driving
WARNING
● Never ru n the en
gine in confined spaces, as
the exhaust gases are poisonous. CAUTION
Avoid high engine speeds, full throttle and
extr eme lo

ad conditions until the engine has
reached its normal operating temperature,
otherwise this can damage the engine. For the sake of the environment
Do not warm up the engine by idling it. You
shoul d driv

e off as soon as you start the en-
gine. This will help avoid unnecessary ex-
haust emissions. Note
● If it i

s difficult to turn the ignition key to
the position 1 , turn the steering wheel to
both side s
to release the steering lock.
● When starting from cold, the engine may be
a little noisy
for the first few seconds until oil
pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve
lifters. This is quite normal, and no cause for
concern.
● If the vehicle battery is disconnected and
reconnect
ed, the key must remain in the posi-
tion 1 for around 5 seconds before starting
up.
● Vehic

les with automatic gearbox: after
switc
hing off the ignition, you can only re-
move the ignition key if the selector lever is in position “P” (parking lock). Next, the se-
lect
or l

ever is locked. Switching off the engine with the key
Switching off the engine
– Stop the vehicle.
– Turn the ignition key to position 1 ›››
Fig. 185.
Eng agin

g the steering wheel lock
In vehicles with automatic gearbox, the igni-
tion key can only be removed when the selec-
tor lever is in position P.
– Remove the key from the ignition in posi-
tion 1
› ›
› Fig. 185
››› .
– Turn the steering wheel until you hear it en-
gag
e.
P

ossible vehicle theft is prevented with the
steering lock engaged. WARNING
● Never sw it

ch the engine off until the vehi-
cle is stationary. The brake servo and power
steering functions will not be completely cov-
ered under warranty. More force may also be
needed to turn the steering wheel or to brake.
As you cannot steer and brake in the normal
manner, there is a greater risk of accidents
and serious injury. ●
Never r emo

ve the key from the ignition if
the vehicle is in motion. Otherwise, the steer-
ing could suddenly lock, making it impossible
to steer the vehicle: risk of accident!
● Always take the key with you when you
leav
e the vehicle. This is particularly impor-
tant if there are children in the vehicle, as
they might otherwise be able to start the en-
gine or use power-operated equipment (e.g.
the electric windows), which could cause in-
juries. CAUTION
If the engine has been running under high
loa d f

or a long time, there is a risk of heat
building up in the engine compartment after
it has been switched off; this could cause en-
gine damage. For this reason, you should idle
the engine for approximately 2 minutes be-
fore you switch it off. Note
● Aft er the en

gine is switched off the radiator
fan may run on for up to 10 minutes, even if
the ignition is switched off. It is also possible
that the fan turns itself on once more if the
coolant temperature increases due to the
heat accumulated in the engine compartment
or due to its prolonged exposure to solar ra-
diation.
● If the vehicle is stopped and the Start-Stop
syst
em* switches off the engine, the ignition » 165
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
remains switched on. Make sure that the igni-
tion is
sw
itched off before leaving the
vehicle, otherwise the battery could dis-
charge. Braking and parking
Us in

g the handbrake Fig. 186
Handbrake between the front seats. The handbrake should be applied firmly to
pr
ev
ent

the vehicle from accidentally rolling
away.
Always apply the handbrake when you leave
your vehicle and when you park.
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly
›››
Fig. 186. Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the re-
lea

se knob in the direction of the arrow
››› Fig. 186 and guide the handbrake lever
down fully ››› .
A lw
a

ys pull the handbrake all the way up, so
there is less risk of driving off with it still en-
gaged ››› .
The h andbr
ak

e 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.
If you drive faster than 6 km/h (4 mph) with
the handbrake on, the following message*
will appear on the instrument panel display: HANDBRAKE ON. You will also hear an audi-
ble warning. WARNING
● Never u se the h

andbrake 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 w
ill 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 v ehic

le. Put it in 1st gear as well. Parking
The handbrake should always be firmly ap-
plied when the
v

ehicle 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. T

urn the steering wheel
slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Never leave a vehicle key in the vehicle.
Additiona
l 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 downhil
l,
turn the front wheels so that they point to-
wards the kerb .
● If the vehicle is parked facing uphill
, turn
the front wheels so that they point away from
the kerb.
166

Operation
conventional automatic gearboxes and allow
f or smooth, u
nint
errupted acceleration of the
vehicle.
The tiptronic system allows the driver to
change gears manually if desired
››› page 170, Changing gears in tiptronic
mode*.
Selector lever positions Read the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 44
The selector lever position engaged is high-
lighted on the display in the instrument clus-
ter. With the selector lever in the manual
gearbox positions G, D, E and S, the engaged
gear is also indicated on the display.
P – Parking lock
When the selector lever is in this position,
the driven wheels are locked mechanically.
The parking lock must be engaged only when
the vehicle is stationary ››› .
The int erloc
k

button (the button on the selec-
tor lever handle) must be pressed in and si-
multaneously the brake pedal must be de-
pressed before moving the selector lever ei-
ther in or out of position P. R – Reverse gear
Rever

se gear must be engaged only when the
vehicle is stationary and the engine is idling
››› .
T o mo
v

e the selector lever to position R, the
interlock button must be pressed in and at
the same time the brake pedal must be de-
pressed. The reverse lights come on when
the selector lever is in the R position with the
ignition on.
N – Neutral (idling)
With the selector lever in this position, the
gear is in neutral.
D/S – Permanent drive (forward) position
The selector lever in the D/S position enables
the gears to be controlled in normal mode (D)
or Sport (S). To select Sport mode (S), move
the selector lever backwards. Moving the lev-
er again will select normal mode (D). The se-
lected driving mode is shown on the instru-
ment panel display.
In normal mode (D), the gearbox automatical-
ly selects the best gear ratio. This depends
on the engine load, the road speed and the
dynamic gear control programme (DCP).
Sport mode (S) must be selected for a sporty
driving style. This setting makes use of the
engine's maximum power output. When ac-
celerating the gear shifts will be noticeable. The brake pedal must be pressed when mov-
ing the select

or lever from D/S to N if the ve-
hicle is stationary or at speeds below 5 km/h
(3 mph) ››› .
Under c er
t

ain circumstances (e.g. when driv-
ing in mountains) it can be advantageous to
switch temporarily to tiptronic mode
››› page 170, in order to manually select gear
ratios to suit the driving conditions. WARNING
● Tak e c

are not to accidentally press the ac-
celerator pedal when the vehicle is stopped.
The vehicle could otherwise start moving im-
mediately (in some cases even if the parking
brake is engaged) resulting in the risk of an
accident.
● Never move the selector lever to R or P
when driving. F
ailure to follow this instruc-
tion could result in an accident.
● With selector lever in any position (except
P) the vehic
le must always be held with the
foot brake when the engine is running. This is
because an automatic gearbox still transmits
power even at idling speed, and the vehicle
tends to “creep”). The accelerator pedal must
on no account be pressed inadvertently when
a gear is engaged with the vehicle stationary.
The vehicle could otherwise start moving im-
mediately (in some cases even if the parking
brake is engaged) resulting in the risk of an
accident.
● While you are selecting a gear and the vehi-
cle i
s stopped with the engine running, do 168

Driving
When accelerating, the gearbox automatical-
ly shif
ts
up into the next gear shortly before
the maximum engine speed is reached.
If you select a lower gear, the automatic gear-
box will not shift down until there is no risk of
overrevving the engine.
When the kick-down feature is used, the
gearbox shifts down to a lower gear, depend-
ing on road speed and engine speed.
Driving tips The gearbox changes gear ratios automatical-
ly
a
s

the vehicle moves.
The engine can only start with the selector
lever in the position P or N. At low tempera-
tures, below -10°C (50°F), the engine can on-
ly start with the selector lever in the position
P.
Starting the vehicle
– Press and hold the brake pedal.
– Press and hold the interlock button (the
button on the sel

ector lever handle), move
the selector lever to the desired position,
for instance D ›››
page 168, and release the
interlock button.
– Wait for the gearbox to engage the gear (a
slight mo

vement can be felt). –
Rele
ase the brake and press the accelerator
››› .
St op
pin
g briefly
– Apply the foot brake to hold the vehicle
briefly when st

ationary (for instance at traf-
fic lights). Do not press the accelerator.
Stopping/Parking
If the driver door is opened and the selector
lever is not in position P, the vehicle could
move. The driver message will be:  Gear
change: selector lever in the
drive position! . Additionally, a buzzer
will sound.
– Press and hold the brake pedal ›››
.
– Apply the handbrake.
– Move the selector lever to position P.
Ho l
din

g the car on a hill
– Always apply the brake pedal firmly to pre-
vent
the vehicle from “moving backwards;
if necessary, apply the handbrake” ››› .
Do not tr y
t

o stop the vehicle “rolling back”
by increasing the engine speed when a
gear is engaged (pressing the accelerator)
››› .
Mo v
in

g off uphill in vehicles without Hill
start assistant*
– Apply the handbrake. –
Once y
ou have engaged a gear press the
accelerator carefully and disengage the
handbrake.
Moving off uphill in vehicles with Hill start
assistant* – Once you have engaged a gear, release the
footbr

ake and press the accelerator
››› page 182, Hill driving assistant*.
Driving down hills: in some situations (on
mountain roads or when towing a trailer or
caravan) it can be advantageous to switch
temporarily to the manual gearbox pro-
gramme so that the gear ratios can be selec-
ted manually to suit the driving conditions
››› .
On l ev
el

ground it is sufficient to move the
selector lever to position P. On slopes, first
engage the parking brake and then put the
selection lever into the P position. This
avoids overloading the locking mechanism
and it will be easier to move the selector lev-
er from position P. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Selector
lev er po
sitions on page 168.
● Never allow the brake to rub and do not use
the brake ped
al too often or for long periods.
Constant braking causes overheating in the » 171
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
brakes. This could significantly reduce brak-
ing po
w
er, increase braking distance or even
result in the total failure of the brake system.
● To avoid rolling back on gradients always
hold the
vehicle with the footbrake or hand-
brake if you have to stop. CAUTION
● If y

ou stop the vehicle on a gradient, do not
attempt to stop it from rolling by depressing
the accelerator when a gear has been selec-
ted. This could cause overheating and dam-
age the automatic gearbox. Apply the hand-
brake firmly or press the brake pedal in order
to prevent the vehicle from rolling back.
● If you allow the car to roll with the selector
lever in po
sition N with the engine switched
off, the automatic gearbox will be damaged
as it will not be lubricated.
● In certain driving situations or traffic condi-
tions, suc
h as frequently starting, prolonged
“creeping” of the vehicle or traffic jams with
continuous stoppages, the gearbox could
overheat causing damage! If the warning
lamp  lights up, stop the vehicle as soon as
possible and wait for the gearbox to cool
››› page 174. Kick-down feature
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac-
cel
er

ation to be reached.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right
down past the point of resistance at full throt-
tle, the gearbox will shift down to a lower
gear, depending on road speed and engine
speed. The upshift to the next higher gear is
delayed until the engine reaches maximum
rpm. WARNING
Please note that if the road surface is slip-
pery or w

et, the kick-down feature could
cause the driving wheels to spin, which could
result in skidding. Launch control programme
3 V
alid for vehicles: with Launch-Control/6-Speed
D
SG with diesel engines superior to 125 kW and pet-
rol engines superior to 140 kW.
The Launch control programme enables maxi-
mum acceleration.
Important: the engine must have reached op-
erating temperature and the steering wheel
must not be turned. The engine speed for launch-control is differ-
ent on petr
o

l and diesel engines. To use the
launch-control you must disconnect the anti-
slip regulation (ASR) through the Easy Con-
nect system menu ››› page 110. The warning
lamp  will stay switched on or will flash
slowly depending on whether or not the vehi-
cle has a driver information system*.
On vehicles with the driver information sys-
tem, the ESC lamp lights up permanently and
the corresponding text message Stability
control deactivated (temporary) ap-
pears on the instrument panel to indicate the
deactivation status.
– When the engine is running, switch off the
traction contr

ol (ASR)1)
.
– Turn the selector lever to the position “S”
or tiptronic, or else sel

ect the sport driv-
ing mode from the SEAT Drive Profile*
››› page 204.
– Press the brake pedal firmly with your left
foot and ho

ld it down for at least one sec-
ond.
– With your right foot, press the accelerator
down to the f

ull throttle or kick-down posi-
tion. The engine speed will stabilise at
about 3,200 rpm (petrol engine) or about
2,000 rpm (diesel engine). 1)
Vehicles without driver information system: the
warnin g l

amp flashes slowly/Vehicles with driver in-
formation system: the warning lamp stays on.
172

Driving
– Tak
e
your left foot off the brake pedal. WARNING
● Alw a

ys adapt your driving style to the traf-
fic conditions.
● Only use the launch control programme
when roa
d 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. Plea
se 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
● Aft er u

sing 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 pl
aces 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 driv
in

g 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 185, downhill speed control is acti-
vated when you set a cruising speed. WARNING
The downhill speed control cannot defy the
la w

s of physics. Therefore, speed cannot be maintained constant in all situations. Always
be prep
ar

ed to use the brakes! Inertia mode
The inertia mode enables the kinetic energy
of the
v

ehicle 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 204.
– Take your foot off the accelerator.
The driver mes
sage Inertia will be dis-
played. At speeds higher than 20 km/h (12
mph), the gearbox will automatically disen-
gage and the vehicle will roll freely, without
the effect of the engine brake. While the vehi-
cle rolls, the engine runs at idling speed.
Stopping inertia mode
– Press the brake or the accelerator pedal.
To mak
e use of the braking force and switch
off the engine again, simply press the brake
pedal briefly. »
173
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Exhaust gas filtration systems Catalytic converter
App
lie
s to vehicles with petrol engine: the
vehicle must only be used with unleaded pet-
rol, otherwise the catalytic converter will be
irreparably damaged.
Never drive until the tank is empty; an irregu-
lar supply of fuel can cause faulty combus-
tion. In these cases, unburned fuel reaches
the exhaust system, which can overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles with diesel engine: the
diesel engine particulate filter eliminates
most of the soot from the exhaust gas sys-
tem. Under normal driving conditions, the fil-
ter cleans itself. The diesel particulate filter is
cleaned automatically without need for indi-
cation by the warning lamp . This may be
noticed because the engine idle speed in-
creases and an odour may be detected.
If automatic filter purification cannot be car-
ried out (because only short trips are taken,
for example), soot will accumulate on the fil-
ter and the Diesel particulate filter warning
lamp will  switch on.
Facilitate the automatic filter cleaning proc-
ess by driving in the following manner: drive
for approximately 15 minutes at a minimum
speed of 60 km/h in 4th or 5th gear (auto- matic gearbox: gear S). Maintain the engine
speed at
ap

proximately 2,000 rpm. The rise
in temperature causes the soot on the filter
to burn. On completion of the cleaning the
warning lamp will switch off. If the warning
lamp does not switch off, go immediately to a
specialised workshop to rectify the problem. WARNING
● Bec au

se of the high temperatures which
can occur in the exhaust gas control system
(catalytic converter or diesel particulate fil-
ter), do not park the vehicle where the ex-
haust can come into contact with flammable
materials under the car (e.g. on grass or at
the forest edge). Fire hazard!
● Do not apply wax underneath the vehicle
around the ar
ea of the exhaust system: Fire
hazard! Driving through flooded roads
To prevent damage to the vehicle when driv-
in
g thr
ough w

ater, for example, along a floo-
ded road, please observe the following:
● The water should never come above the
lower edg
e of the bodywork.
● Drive at pedestrian speed. WARNING
After driving through water, mud, sludge,
etc ., the br

aking effect can be delayed slight-
ly due to moisture build-up on the discs and
brake pads. Applying the brakes carefully
several times will remove the moisture and
restore the full braking effect. CAUTION
● Drivin g thr

ough flooded areas may severely
damage vehicle components such as the en-
gine, transmission, running gear or electrical
system.
● Whenever driving through water, the Start-
Stop sys
tem* must be switched off
››› page 183. Note
● Check the depth of

the water before enter-
ing the flooded zone.
● Do not stop in the water, drive in reverse, or
stop the en
gine in any situation.
● Note that vehicles travelling in the opposite
direction ma
y splash water that could exceed
the maximum permitted water height for your
vehicle.
● Avoid driving through salt water (corro-
sion). 176