Operation
Air vents
Nev er c
lo
se the air vents ››› Fig. 141 A com-
p l
et
ely to ensure heating, cooling and venti-
lation inside the vehicle.
● To open the air vents press the recess with
one slat
.
● Change the air direction by turning the
slats.
● T
o close the air vents, fold the slats.
There are a
dditional air vents in the centre of
the dash panel and in the footwell area. CAUTION
Never place food, medicines or other heat-
sens itiv
e objects close to the air vents. Being
heat-sensitive, they may be damaged or
made unsuitable for use by the air coming
from the air vents. Air recirculation mode
Important
Air r
ec
ir
culation mode prevents the ambient
air from entering the interior.
When the outside temperature is very high or
very low, selecting manual air recirculation
mode for a short period refreshes or heats
the interior more quickly. ●
Switc
h off air recirculation mode by turning
the air distribution control to the ››› po-
s ition.
Sw it
ching the air recirculation mode on and
off
Switching on: Move the sliding control
››› Fig. 140 4 to the right to maximum.
S wit
c
hing off: Move the sliding control
››› Fig. 140 4 to the left to maximum.
WARNING
Stuffy or used air will increase fatigue and re-
duce driv er c
oncentration possibly resulting
in a serious accident.
● Never use recirculation mode for long peri-
ods a
s it does not refresh the air inside the
vehicle.
● If the cooling system is switched off and air
recir
culation mode switched on, the windows
can mist over very quickly, considerably limit-
ing visibility.
● Switch air recirculation mode off when it is
not requir
ed. CAUTION
Do not smoke when the air recirculation is ac-
tivat ed.
The smoke taken in could lie on the
cooling system vaporiser and on the dust and
pollen filter, leading to a permanently un-
pleasant smell. Driving
St eerin
g
Intr
oduction The power steering* is not hydraulic but elec-
tromec
h
anical. The advantage of this steer-
ing system is that it disposes of hydraulic
tubes, hydraulic oil, the pump, filter and oth-
er components. The electromechanical sys-
tem saves fuel. While a hydraulic system re-
quires oil pressure to be maintained, electro-
mechanical steering only requires energy
when the steering wheel is turned.
With the power steering system, the assisted
steering function automatically adjusts ac-
cording to the vehicle speed, the steering tor-
que and the wheel turning angle. The power
steering only works when the engine is run-
ning. WARNING
If the power steering is not working then the
st eerin
g wheel is much more difficult to turn
and the vehicle more difficult to control.
● The power steering only works when the
engine is
running.
● Never allow the vehicle to move when the
engine is
switched off.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if
the vehic
le is in motion. The steering may128
Advice
Cleaning the engine compartment The engine compartment of any motor vehi-
cl
e i
s a potentially hazardous area
››› page 184.
The engine compartment should only be
cleaned by qualified personnel. If it is not
correctly cleaned, the anti-corrosion coating
and consequently electrical components may
be damaged. Moreover, water may filter di-
rectly into the vehicle interior through the wa-
ter chamber ››› .
If the en gine c
ompartment is very dirty, al-
ways take the vehicle to a specialised work-
shop for professional cleaning. SEAT recom-
mends taking your car in for technical serv-
ice.
Water box
The water box is in the engine compartment,
between the windscreen and the engine, and
beneath a perforated cover. Air is taken in
through the water box from outside to the ve-
hicle interior via the heating and air condi-
tioner.
Leaves and other loose objects should be
regularly cleaned away from the water box ei-
ther by hand or with a vacuum. WARNING
When working on the engine or in the engine
comp ar
tment, there is a risk of injury, burns,
accident or fire.
● Before starting work, please ensure you are
famili
ar with the required procedure and the
safety precautions ››› page 184.
● SEAT recommends getting a specialised
workshop t
o do these jobs. CAUTION
If water is manually poured into the water box
(e.g. u s
ing a high pressure cleaning appli-
ance), this could cause significant damage to
the vehicle. For the sake of the environment
Only wash the engine compartment in areas
al loc
ated for this purpose, to prevent dirty
water which may be contaminated by oil,
grease or fuel, from entering the drains. In
some places, even washing this compartment
outside planned areas for this purpose is
banned. Caring for and cleaning the ve-
hic
l
e int
erior
Introduction The dye from many items of modern clothing
(e.g. d
ark
jeans) is not always colour-fast.
Seat upholstery (material and leather), espe-
cially when light-coloured, may visibly discol-
our if the dye comes out of clothing (even
when used correctly). This is not an uphols-
tery defect but indicates that the dye in the
item of clothing is not sufficiently colour-fast. WARNING
Car-care products may be toxic and hazard-
ous. If c
ar care products are not suitable or
are used inappropriately, this could result in
accident, serious injury, burns or intoxica-
tion.
● Car care products must always be stored in
the original
container which should be kept
closed.
● Observe information provided by the manu-
factur
er.
● To prevent confusion, never store car care
products
in empty food cans, bottles or other
containers.
● Keep all care products out of reach of chil-
dren. 172
Advice
Preparations
● Park the vehicle on flat ground so that the
en gine oi
l
reading is correct.
● The engine must be hot to be able to check
the engine oil
level. Stop the engine and wait
a few minutes for the oil to drain back into
the sump.
● Open the bonnet ›››
page 184.
● The engine oil filler neck can be recognised
by the symbo
l on the cap ››› Fig. 168 and
the dipstick by its coloured handle.
Check the engine oil level
● Pull out the dipstick and wipe it on a clean
cloth.
● Rep
lace the dipstick, pushing it in as far as
it wi
ll go. If the dipstick to measure engine oil
has a mark, when you reintroduce it this
mark should slot into the corresponding
groove located on the upper end of the tube.
● Remove the oil dipstick again and check
the engine oil
level.
● After reading the oil level, replace the dip-
stick
in the tube completely. WARNING
Oil could catch fire if it comes into contact
with hot en
gine components. This could lead
to a fire, explosion and severe injuries.
● Always ensure that after topping of oil, the
engine oil
filler cap is correctly tightened. This will avoid engine oil spilling onto hot en-
gine par
t
s when the engine is running. CAUTION
● If the en gine oi
l level is above the area
››› Fig. 167 A do not start the engine. Seek
spec i
alist assistance. Otherwise catalytic
converter and engine damage may occur.
● When refilling or changing service liquids,
ensur
e that you put the liquids into the right
tank. Making a mistake when refilling could
cause serious malfunctions and damage the
engine! For the sake of the environment
The oil level must never be above area A .
Otherw i
se oil can be drawn in through the
crankcase breather and escape into the at-
mosphere via the exhaust system. Engine oil consumption
The consumption of engine oil can be differ-
ent
fr
om one en
gine to another and can vary
during the useful life of the engine.
Depending on how you drive and the condi-
tions in which the vehicle is used, oil con-
sumption can be up to 1 ltr./2000 km. In the
case of new vehicles, the consumption can
exceed this figure over 5,000 kilometres. For
this reason the engine oil level must be checked at regular intervals, preferably when
fillin
g the tank and before a journey.
When the engine is working hard, for in-
stance during sustained high-speed motor-
way cruising in summer or when climbing
mountain passes, the oil level should pref-
erably be kept within area ››› Fig. 167 A .
Topping up engine oil Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 30.
The engine oil must be changed regularly ac-
cording to the specifications of the Mainte-
nance Programme.
Due to the problems linked with disposing of
used oil and the need for suitable tools and
special knowledge, always visit a specialised
workshop to have the engine oil and filter
changed. SEAT recommends taking your car
in for technical service.
Detailed information on the service intervals
is shown in the Maintenance Programme.
Engine oil additives make new oil darker after
the engine has been running for a short peri-
od. This is normal and does not mean more
frequent oil changes are required.
188