Page 177 of 232

Care and maintenance
WARNING
Solvents cause the surfaces of the airbag
modul e
s to become porous. If an airbag is ac-
cidentally triggered, the detachment of plas-
tic parts could cause serious injury.
● Never clean the dash panel and the surfa-
ces
of the airbag modules with cleaners con-
taining solvents. CAUTION
When cleaning the instrument panel, be care-
fu l
not to dampen the Portable Navigation
System connections as this can damage the
electrical installation. Cleaning seatbelts
If the seat belt is very dirty, the belt retractor
m
a
y
not work correctly thus preventing the
seat belt from operating correctly.
The seat belts should never be removed from
the vehicle for cleaning.
● Use a soft brush to remove the worst dirt
›››
.
● Pull the seat belt right out and leave it out.
● Clean dirty seat belts with a gentle
so
ap
and water solution.
● Wait until they are completely dry.
● Only allow the seat belt to retract when it is
compl
etely dry. WARNING
Check the condition of all the seat belts at
re gu
lar intervals. If the webbing or other
parts of the seat belt are damaged, the vehi-
cle should be taken to a Specialised work-
shop immediately and the belts should be re-
placed. It is extremely dangerous to drive us-
ing damaged seat belts and could result in
serious injury or loss of life.
● Seat belts and their components must nev-
er be cle
aned with chemical products, nor
should they be allowed to come into contact
with corrosive liquids, solvents or sharp ob-
jects. This could affect the strength of the
seat belt webbing.
● Seat belts should be completely dry before
retractin
g. Dampness could damage the belt
retractor so that it does not operate correctly.
● Do not allow liquids or foreign bodies to en-
ter the buc
kle fastenings. This could damage
the buckles and seat belts.
● Never attempt to repair, modify or remove a
seat belt
yourself.
● Always have damaged seatbelts replaced
immediately
by seat belts approved for the
vehicle in question by SEAT. Seat belts which
have been worn in an accident and stretched
must be replaced by a specialised workshop.
Renewal may be necessary even if there is no
apparent damage. The belt anchorage should
also be checked. Notes for the user
Intr oduction WARNING
Failure to treat the vehicle with the correct
car e inc
reases the risk of accident and injury.
● Observe legal requirements.
● Observe the Instruction Manual. CAUTION
If the vehicle is not properly cared for, dam-
age m a
y occur.
● Observe legal requirements.
● Carry out regular maintenance of the vehi-
cle, ac
cording to specifications in the Mainte-
nance Programme.
● Observe the Instruction Manual. 175
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Page 178 of 232

Advice
Labels and plates Fig. 162
Warnings relating to handling the
C ity
Safety Assist system radar sensor func-
tion Some parts in the engine compartment come
fr
om the f
act
ory with certificates of safety, la-
bels or plates containing important informa-
tion regarding the operation of the vehicle,
for example, on the fuel tank flap, on the pas-
senger's sun visor, on the driver door strut, or
on the floor of the boot.
● Never remove these certificates of safety,
labels
or plates, and ensure they are kept in
good condition and are legible.
● If a vehicle part, bearing a certificate of
safety
, label or plate, is replaced, the special-
ised workshop should attach the information
back in the same place. Certificate of safety
A certific
ate of safety on the door strut states
that all the safety standards and regulations
established by the national traffic authorities
responsible for road safety were met at the
time of manufacture. It may also give the
month and year of manufacture, together
with the chassis number.
Warning of high voltage label
There is a label close to the bonnet lock
which warns of high voltage in the vehicle's
electrical system.
Warning relating to the City Safety Assist
system laser sensor
There are some warning and information
signs on the City Safety Assist system laser
sensor ››› Fig. 162.
Using your vehicle in other countries
and continents The vehicle is manufactured at the factory for
u
se in a p
ar
ticular country in accordance with
the national legislation in force at the time of
manufacture.
If the vehicle is sold in another country or
used in another country for an extended peri-
od of time, the applicable legislation of that
country should be observed. It may be necessary to fit or remove certain
pieces
of equipment or to deactivate certain
functions. Service work may also be affected.
This is particularly true if the vehicle is used
in a different climate for an extended period
of time.
As there are different types of frequency
bands around the world, you may find that
the radio system or the Portable Navigation
System (supplied by SEAT) supplied at the
factory does not work in another country. CAUTION
● SEA T doe
s not accept liability for any dam-
age to the vehicle due to the use of a lower
quality fuel, an inadequate service or the
non-availability of genuine spare parts.
● SEAT does not accept liability if the vehicle
does not
comply in part or in full with the le-
gal requirements of other countries or conti-
nents. Radio and antenna reception
For factory-fitted radio equipment, the aerial
f
or r
a
dio reception is fitted to the roof of the
vehicle. Note
If electrical equipment such as mobile tele-
phones, i s
used near a roof aerial, you may176
Page 179 of 232

Care and maintenance
observe interference in the reception of AM
st
ation
s. Notes on SEAT repairs
Following payment, information about au-
thorised
S
EAT services and authorised SEAT
repairs in the following locations can be re-
quested:
Clients in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Cen-
tral America and South America
Contact a technical service or specialised
workshop, or request the corresponding doc-
umentation at www.erwin.volkswagen.de. WARNING
Repairs or modifications which are not per-
formed c orr
ectly may result in damage or er-
rors in the vehicle operation, affecting the ef-
fectiveness of the driver assist and airbag
systems. This could result in serious acci-
dent.
● Have any repairs or modifications carried
out at a s
pecialised workshop. Conformity certification
The respective manufacturer hereby declares
th
at
the pr
oducts indicated below comply
with basic requirements and the following provisions and important legislation on the
date of
manufacture of the vehicle, among
others FCC Part 15.19, FCC Part 15.21 and
RSS-Gen Issue 1:
Radio frequency equipment
● Electronic gearbox lock.
● Vehicle key
Electrica
l equipment
● 12 volt power socket
Collection and scrapping of end-of-life
vehicl
es Collection of end-of-life vehicles
S
EA
T i
s already prepared for the moment
when you wish to scrap your vehicle and of-
fers you an environmentally-friendly solution.
An extensive network of used car reception
centres already exists in much of Europe. Af-
ter the vehicle has been delivered, you will
receive a certificate of destruction describing
the environmentally friendly scrapping of the
vehicle in accordance with applicable legisla-
tion.
We will collect the used vehicle free of
charge, provided it complies with all national
legislation. Please see your technical service for further
information about
the collection and scrap-
ping of end-of-life vehicles.
Scrapping
The relevant safety requirements must be ob-
served when the vehicle or components of
the airbag or belt tensioner systems are
scrapped. These requirements are known to
specialised workshops. 177
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Page 180 of 232

Advice
Checking and refilling levels
F uel
Intr oduction You will find a factory-fitted sticker containing
inform
ation on the type of
fuel for your vehi-
cle on the inside of the fuel tank flap. WARNING
Refuelling or handling fuel carelessly can
cau se an e
xplosion or fire resulting in serious
burns and injuries.
● Fuel is a highly explosive, easily flammable
subs
tance.
● Observe current safety instructions and lo-
cal
regulations concerning the handling of
fuel. Types of fuel
The type of fuel to use when refilling will de-
pend on the
v
ehic
le's engine. You will find a
factory-fitted sticker containing information
on the type of fuel for your vehicle on the in-
side of the fuel tank flap.
SEAT recommends the use of sulphur-free or
low sulphur fuel to reduce consumption and
prevent engine damage.
Possible types of fuelAlternative namesFurther in-formation
91 a)
RONNormal petrol, normal
unleaded petrol
››› page 17895 a)
RONPremium unleaded
petrol (95 RON)
98 a)
RONPremium unleaded
petrol (98 RON)
a) RON = Regulation Octane Number
Petrol Petrol types
V
ehic
l
es with petrol engines must refuel us-
ing unleaded petrol according to European
norm EN 228 ››› .
P etr
o
l types are categorised according to
their octane number (e.g. 91, 95, 98 or 99
RON (RON = “Research Octane Number”).
You may use petrol with a high octane num-
ber than the one recommended for your en-
gine. However, this has no advantage in
terms of fuel consumption and engine power.
SEAT recommends refuelling with a low sul-
phur content or sulphur-free petrol to reduce
fuel consumption for petrol engines. Petrol additives
The quality of the f
uel influences the behav-
iour, power and service life of the engine.
This is why the petrol you use should carry
suitable additives already included by the
petrol industry, free of metals. These addi-
tives will help to prevent corrosion, keep the
fuel system clean and prevent deposits from
building up in the engine.
If good-quality petrol with metal-free addi-
tives is not available or engine problems
arise, the necessary additives must be added
when refuelling ››› .
Not al
l
petrol additives have been shown to
be effective. The use of unsuitable petrol ad-
ditives may cause significant damage to the
engine and the catalytic converter. Metal ad-
ditives should never be used. Metal additives
may also be contained in petrol additives for
improving anti-detonation ratings or octane
ratings ››› .
S EA
T r
ecommends “genuine Volkswagen
Group Fuel Additives for petrol engines”.
These additives can be bought at SEAT deal-
ers, where information on how to use them
can also be obtained. CAUTION
● Do not r ef
uel if the filler indicates that the
fuel contains metal. LRP (lead replacement
petrol) fuels contain high concentrations of 178
Page 181 of 232

Checking and refilling levels
metal additives. Using them may damage the
engine!
● On ly
use fuel with an octane rating that is
in line with the norm EN 228, otherw
ise sig-
nificant damage could be caused to the en-
gine and fuel system. Furthermore, it could
lead to a loss of performance with the conse-
quent engine fault.
● The use of unsuitable petrol additives could
seriously
damage the engine and the catalyt-
ic converter.
● If, in exceptional circumstances, petrol with
a lower oct
ane rating to that recommended is
used, only use moderate engine speeds and a
light throttle. Avoid using full throttle and
overloading the engine. Otherwise engine
damage may occur. Fill up with fuel of a suita-
ble octane rating as soon as possible.
● Just filling one full tank of leaded fuel or
with other meta
l additives would seriously
impair the efficiency of the catalytic convert-
er and could damage it. Natural gas
Natural gas, in addition to others, can be in
li
quid f
orm.
Li
quefied 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.
Theref
ore, vehicles with a natural gas engine
must only be refuelled using compressed
natural gas ››› .
Nat ur
a
l 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
one 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.
Natural gas and safety
If you can smell gas or suspect that there is a
leak ››› :
● Stop the vehicle immediately. ●
Sw it
c
h the ignition off.
● Open the doors to appropriately ventilate
the vehic
le.
● Immediately extinguish cigarettes.
● Move away from the vehicle or switch off
obj
ects that may cause sparks or a fire.
● If you continue to smell gas, do not contin-
ue driving!
● Seek
specialist assistance. Have the fault
repair
ed. WARNING
Failure to act when you can smell gas in the
vehic l
e 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
nat ur
al 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
The natural gas system must be subject to
re gu
lar inspections at a specialised work-
shop in accordance with the Maintenance
Programme. 179
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Page 182 of 232

Advice
Filling the tank Intr oduction The fuel tank flap is on the rear right of the
vehic
l
e. WARNING
Refuelling or handling fuel carelessly can
cau se an e
xplosion or fire resulting in serious
burns and injuries.
● Always make sure that you correctly close
the fuel c
ap to avoid evaporation and fuel
spillage.
● Fuels are highly explosive and inflammable
subs
tances that can cause serious burns and
injuries.
● Fuel could leak out or be spilt if the engine
is not
switched off or if the filler fuel nozzle is
not fully inserted into the tank filler neck
when refuelling. This could lead to a fire, ex-
plosion and severe injuries.
● When refuelling, turn off the engine and
turn off the ignition f
or safety reasons.
● Always turn off mobile telephones, radio
appar
atus and other radio wave emitting
equipment before refuelling. Electromagnetic
waves could cause sparks and lead to a fire.
● Never enter the vehicle while refuelling. If it
is ab
solutely necessary to enter, close the
door and touch a metal surface before touch- ing the filler nozzle again. This will prevent
the gener
ation of
static electricity. Sparks
could cause a fire when refuelling.
● Never handle fuel close to flames, sparks or
obj
ects with slow combustion (e.g. ciga-
rettes).
● Avoid static electricity and electro-magnet-
ic ra
diation when refuelling.
● Observe the safety regulations of the serv-
ice st
ation.
● Never spill fuel on the vehicle or in the lug-
gage c
ompartment. WARNING
For safety reasons, SEAT does not recommend
carr y
ing a spare fuel canister in the vehicle.
Fuel could be spilled and catch fire, above all
in case of an accident and this applies to a
full container as well as empty containers.
This could lead to explosions, fires and inju-
ries.
● Observe the following if you exceptionally
have t
o carry fuel in a canister:
– Never place a fuel container, to fill it, in-
side the vehicle or on the vehicle, for ex-
ample, in the luggage compartment. Fill-
ing in these circumstances could create
an electrostatic charge and spark that
could ignite fuel fumes.
– Always place the canister on the ground
to fill it. –
Inser t
the fuel nozzle into the neck of the
canister as far as possible.
– If you are using a metal fuel canister, the
nozzle must always touch the canister
while it is being filled to avoid static elec-
tricity.
– Follow the legal requirements for the use,
storage and transport of spare fuel canis- ters.
– Insure that the fuel container complies
with manufacturing standards, for exam-
ple, ANSI or ASTM F852-86. CAUTION
● Alw a
ys remove any fuel spilled anywhere
on the vehicle to avoid damage to the wheel
housing, the tyre and vehicle paintwork.
● Refuelling a petrol engine with diesel can
cause seriou
s engine and fuel system dam-
age; the resulting malfunctions are not cov-
ered by the SEAT warranty. If you refuel with
the wrong type of fuel, never start the engine.
This applies to even the smallest amount of
the wrong fuel. Seek specialist assistance.
With the engine running, the composition of
the wrong fuel could significantly damage the
fuel system and the engine itself. For the sake of the environment
Fuels can contaminate the environment. Col-
lect an
y spilt service fluids and allow a pro-
fessional to dispose of them. 180
Page 183 of 232
Checking and refilling levels
Control lamps and fuel gauge Fig. 163
On the instrument panel: fuel gauge
for petr o
l Fig. 164
On the instrument panel: Fuel gauge
for petr o
l and natural gas. The fuel gauge can vary depending on the ve-
hic
l
e equipment
››› Fig. 163 or ››› Fig. 164.
It lights upGauge position
››› Fig. 163Possible cause ››› Solution
a)Red mark (arrow)The fuel tank is almost empty.
The reserve tank is being used
››› page 30.Refuel as soon as possible ››› .
–The vehicle is running in natural gas operating mode.–
a)
This only applies to vehicles with the fuel gauge on the dash panel ››› Fig. 163.»
181
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Page 184 of 232

AdviceFlashes for about 10
secondsState of the barsPossible cause ››› Solution
and the segments
remaining a)Reserve zone (four small segments)The fuel tank is almost empty.
The reserve tank is being used
››› page 30.Refuel as soon as possible ››› .
–The vehicle is running in natural gas operating mode.–
a)
This only applies to vehicles with the fuel gauge on the dash panel display.
Several warning and indication lamps light
up for a few seconds when the ignition is
switched on, signalling that the function is
being verified. They will switch off after a few
seconds.
In natural gas engines
The warning lamp lights up when both fuel
types (petrol and natural gas) have reached
reserve level.
The warning lamp lights up when the vehi-
cle is running in natural gas operating mode.
The warning lamp switches off when the
natural gas is exhausted. The engine
changes to operate with petrol.
Problem: if the vehicle is left parked for a
long time just after refuelling, the gas level
indicator does not accurately indicate the
same level shown after refuelling when the
vehicle is started up again. This is not due to
a leak in the system, but to a drop in pres-
sure in the gas tank for technical reasons af- ter a cooling phase immediately after refuel-
ling. WARNING
Driving with insufficient fuel reserve could re-
su lt
in the vehicle breaking down in traffic
and a serious accident.
● If the fuel level is too low then the fuel sup-
ply t
o the engine can become irregular espe-
cially on slopes.
● If the engine “is choked” or stalls due to
lack
of or irregularity of the fuel supply, the
power steering as well as all of the driver as-
sistance systems including braking assis-
tance will stop working.
● Always refuel when there is only one quar-
ter of the f
uel tank left to avoid running out of
fuel. CAUTION
● Alw a
ys pay attention to any lit control
lamps and to the corresponding descriptions and instructions to avoid damage to the vehi-
cl
e.
● Nev
er run the fuel tank completely dry. An
irregu
lar fuel supply may lead to ignition
faults and unburnt fuel could enter the ex-
haust system. This could damage the catalyt-
ic converter. Note
The arrow next to the fuel pump symbol on
the ins trument
panel ››› Fig. 163 indicates the
side of the vehicle on which the fuel tank flap
is located. 182