2016 Seat Ibiza ST power steering

The essentials
Emergency towing of the vehi-
c l
e
T o
wing Fig. 68
Right side of the front bumper: Tow-
in g rin
g. Fig. 69
Right side of the rear bumper: Towing
rin g. Towline anchorages
Att
ac
h the b ar or r
ope to the towline ancho-
rages.
The towline anchorages are located under
the floor panel in the luggage compartment,
next to the vehicle tools ››› page 47.
Screw the front towline anchorage into the
screw connection ››› Fig. 68 and tighten it
with the wheel brace. The rear towline an-
chorage is under the rear bumper, on the
right.
Tow rope or tow bar
It is easier and safer for the vehicle to be tow-
ed using a tow bar. You should only use a
tow-rope if you do not have a tow-bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to re-
duce the loading on both vehicles. It is advis-
able to use a tow rope made of synthetic fi-
bre or similarly elastic material.
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the
towline anchorages provided or a towing
bracket.
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
● The tow rope must be taut before you drive
off.
● Rele

ase the clutch very carefully when start-
ing the vehic
le (manual gearbox), or acceler-
ate gently (automatic gearbox). Driving style
Towin

g requires some experience, especially
when using a tow rope. Both drivers should
realise how difficult it is to tow a vehicle. In-
experienced drivers should not attempt to
tow.
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle
and take care to avoid jerking the tow rope.
When towing on an unpaved road, there is al-
ways a risk of overloading and damaging the
anchorage points.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must
be switched on to prevent the steering wheel
from locking and also to allow the use of the
turn signals, horn, windscreen wipers and
washers.
Place the gear lever in neutral on vehicles
with a manual gearbox. With an automatic
gearbox, place the lever in N.
The brake servo only works when the engine
is running. When not running, you must ap-
ply considerably more pressure to the brake
pedal.
As the power assisted steering does not work
if the engine is not running, you will need
more strength to steer than you normally
would. » 51

Self-help
Check the condition of the wiper blades regu-
l arly
. If
the wipers scrape across the glass ,
they should be changed if they are damaged,
or cleaned if they are dirty ››› .
If thi
s doe

s not produce the desired results,
the setting angle of the windscreen wiper
arms might be incorrect. They should be
checked by a specialised workshop and cor-
rected if necessary. WARNING
Do not drive unless you have good visibility
through al l

windows!
● Clean the windscreen wiper blades and all
windows
regularly.
● The wiper blades should be changed once
or twice a y
ear. CAUTION
● Damaged or dir ty

windscreen wipers could
scratch the glass.
● Never use fuel, nail varnish remover, paint
thinner or similar pr
oducts to clean the win-
dows. This could damage the windscreen
wiper blades.
● Never move any windscreen wiper by hand.
This cou
ld cause damage.
● To prevent damage to the bonnet and the
windsc
reen wiper arms, the latter should only
be lifted off the windscreen when in service
position. Note
● The winds c

reen wiper arms can be moved
to the service position only when the bonnet
is properly closed.
● You can also use the service position, for
exampl
e, if you want to fix a cover over the
windscreen in the winter to keep it clear of
ice. Towing or tow-starting
Notes Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
 p

age 51
Please observe the following points if you
use a tow rope:
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
– Move the vehicle slowly until the cable is
taut. Then ac

celerate gradually.
– Begin and change gears cautiously. If you
are driving an aut

omatic vehicle, accelerate
gently.
– Remember that the brake servo and power
steering ar

e not working in the vehicle you
are towing. Brake sooner than normal and
pressing the pedal gently. Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
– Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all
times when to

wing.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
● Put the selector lever into position “N”.
● Do not drive faster than 50 km/h (31 mph).
● Do not tow further than 50 km.
● If a breakdown vehicle is used, the vehicle
must be t
owed with the front wheels raised. WARNING
If the vehicle has no electrical power, the
brake light s, t

urn signals and all other lights
will no longer function. Do not have the vehi-
cle towed away. Failure to follow this instruc-
tion could result in an accident. WARNING
Vehicle handling and braking capacity
chan g

e considerably during towing. Please
observe the following instructions to mini-
mise the risk of serious accidents and injury:
● As the driver of the vehicle being towed:
– You should depr

ess the brake much hard-
er as the brake servo does not operate.
Pay the utmost attention to avoid crash-
ing into 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. » 79
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Emergencies
●
As the driver of the t
owing vehicle:
– Accelerate with particular care and cau-
tion.
– Avoid sudden braking and manoeuvres.
– Brake earlier than usual and more
smoothly. CAUTION
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the cata-
lytic conv

erter and damage it. Note
● Obser v

e legal requirements when towing or
tow-starting.
● Switch on the hazard warning lights of both
vehicle
s. However, observe any regulations
to the contrary.
● For technical reasons, vehicles with an au-
tomatic g
earbox must not be tow-started.
● If there is no lubricant in the gearbox as the
resu
lt of a fault, you must raise the driven
wheels while the vehicle is being towed.
● If the vehicle has to be towed more than
50 km (30 miles), the fr
ont wheels should be
raised during towing, and towing should be
carried out by a qualified person.
● The steering wheel is locked when the vehi-
cle ha
s no electrical power. The vehicle must
then be towed with the front wheels raised.
Towing should be carried out by a qualified
person. ●
The towline anc hor

age should always be
kept in the vehicle. Towline anchorages
Fig. 90
Towline anchorage at the front of the
v ehic
le Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
 p

age 51
Fitting the front towline anchorage
– Take the towline anchorage from the on-
board too

l set.
– Remove the front cover by pressing down
on its left

-hand side. For FR finishes, press
down and pull outwards. For the rest of the
Sport finishes, remove the cover by insert-
ing a screwdriver into the lower slot and
levering gently. –
Bolt the anchor
age to its limit to the left, in
the direction of the arrow ››› Fig. 90.
Rear towline anchorage
There is a towline anchorage at the rear on
the right below the rear bumper. 80

Controls and displays
Operation
C ontr
ol
s and displays
General instrument panel Door release lever
Light swit
c

h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Headlight range control* . . . . . . . . . .122
Air vents
Lever for:
– T

urn signals/main beam head-
lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
– Cruise c ontr

ol* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Instrument panel and warning
lamps:
– Ins

truments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
– Warning and indic ation l

amps . . . 35
Steering wheel with horn and – Driver airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
– On-board comp
uter controls . . . .25
– Control
s for radio, telephone,
navigation and speech dialogue
system ›››
Booklet Radio
– Paddle levers for tiptronic gear-
shift (automatic gearbox) . . . . . . .164
1 2
3
4
5
6
7 Steering and starter lock
. . . . . . . . . .150
Lever for: – Wind
sc

reen wipers and washer . .125
– Window wa
sher-wiper system* . .125
– Multi-fu
nction display control* . .25
Infotainment system:
Depending on the equipment,
glov

e compartment with: . . . . . . . . .131
– CD play
er* and/or SD card*
››› Booklet Radio
Passenger airbag* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Switches for:
– Heating and v

entilation . . . . . . . . . 142
– Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
– Clim

atronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
D

epending on the equipment, but-
tons f

or:
– SEAT Drive Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
– Park a s

sist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
– Hazard warnin
g lights . . . . . . . . . . 123
– Airbag off warnin
g lamp* . . . . . . .68, 70
Depending on the equipment:
– USB/AUX-IN inp ut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
– C

igar ett

e lighter/Power socket . .134
Drink holder/Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
8 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 Controls in the centre console:
– St ar
t-

Stop operation button . . . . .172
– Tyre pr
essure monitoring* . . . . . . .216
– Heated re
ar window . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
– Heated seats* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
– C

entral loc
king* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Handbrake lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Gear lever – Automatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
– Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
St

orag
e space
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
St

eering column control lever* . . . .14
Bonnet release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
Fuse housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Control for adjusting electric exteri-
or mirrors* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Electric

window controls* . . . . . . . . .115 Note
Some of the items of equipment listed here
are fitted on ly

on certain model versions or
are optional extras. 17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
95
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
It is possible, however, to set the blower
s peed t
o suit
requirements.
● Turn control 10
› ››
Fig. 167
cou

nter-clock-
wise (to lower the speed) or clockwise (to in-
crease the speed).
Climatronic will switch off when the blower
switches off. WARNING
Read and observe the safety warnings ››› in
General not

es on page 140. Windscreen defrost
Switching on windscreen defrosting
●
Press the button 

12
› ›
›
Fig. 167
.
Switching off windscreen defrosting
● Press button 
12
› ›
›
Fig. 167
several
times or press the AUTO button.
The t emper
atur
e is regulated automatically.
The air output is increased from vents 1 and
2 ›››
page 141. Driving
Ad dr
es

s
Introduction The power steering is not hydraulic but elec-
tromech
anic

al. The advantage of this steer-
ing is that it foes not need flexible hydraulic
pipes, hydraulic oil, pump, filter or other
parts. The electromechanical system saves
fuel. Whereas a hydraulic system needs con-
tinuous oil pressure, electromechanical
steering only needs power when it is used.
In vehicles with electromechanical steering,
the assisted steering function automatically
adjusts according to vehicle speed, steering
wheel torque and wheel orientation. The
power steering only works when the engine
is running. WARNING
If the power steering does not work, you will
need much more s tr

ength to turn the wheel.
This has a considerable effect on vehicle
safety.
● The power steering only works when the
engine is ru
nning.
● Never allow the vehicle to move when the
engine is sw
itched off.
● Never remove the key from the ignition
while the v
ehicle is moving. The steering lock could be engaged and vehicle steering would
not work.
Note
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must
be sw itched on t

o prevent the steering wheel
from locking and also to allow the use of the
turn signals, horn, windscreen wipers and
washers. Control lamp
The control lamp should light up for a few
sec
ond
s when the ignition i

s switched on. It
should go out once the engine is started. 
It lights up red
The electromechani-
cal steering is dam-
aged.Have the steering checked im-
mediately by a specialised work-
shop.

It lights up yellow
Electromechanical
steering operation
is limited.See a specialised workshop im-
mediately and have the steering
checked.
If the yellow warning lamp does
not light up again after the en-
gine is restarted and the vehicle
has travelled a short distance,
you do not need to take it to a
specialised workshop. 148

Driving
It lights up yellow
The 12-volt battery
was disconnected
and has been recon-
nected.Take the vehicle for a short run
at 15-20 km/h (9-12 mph).

It flashes yellow
The steering column
is tight.Turn the wheel a little to both
sides.
The steering column
does not unlock or
lock.Remove the key from the ignition
and switch the ignition back on.
If necessary, check the messag-
es displayed on the instrument
panel display.
Do not drive on if
the steering
column remains locked after the
ignition has been switched on.
Seek specialist assistance. WARNING
If the warning lamps and the corresponding
mess ag

es are ignored when they light up, the
vehicle may stall in traffic and cause acci-
dents and severe injuries.
● Never ignore the warning lamps or messag-
es.
● Stop the v

ehicle at the next opportunity
and in a safe pl
ace. Note
Failure to heed the control lamps and corre-
sponding t e

xt messages when they light up
may result in damage to the vehicle. Information relating to different vehi-
cle pr
oc

esses. In order to make the vehicle more difficult to
ste
al,

you should always lock the steering be-
fore leaving the vehicle.
Mechanical steering lock
The steering column is locked when the key
is removed from the ignition lock and the ve-
hicle is stationary.
Activating the steering lock
● Park the vehicle ›››

p
age 152.
● Remove the ignition key.
● Turn the steering wheel slightly until the
steering loc
k has engaged.
Deactivating the steering lock
● Turn the steering wheel slightly to release
the lock.
● Insert

the key in the ignition lock.
● Hold the steering wheel in this position
and switch on the ignition. El

ectromechanical steering
In vehicl
es with electromechanical steering,
the assisted steering function automatically
adjusts according to vehicle speed, steering
wheel torque and wheel orientation. The
power steering only works when the engine
is running.
You should take into account that you will
need considerably more power than normal
to steer the vehicle if the power steering is
not working correctly or at all.
Power-assisted steering
Power-assisted steering helps the driver in
critical situations. In counter-steering, it as-
sists by applying additional torque ››› .
WARNING
Power-assisted steering, together with the
ESC, helps the driv

er to control vehicle steer-
ing in critical situations. However, the driver
is ultimately responsible for steering the ve-
hicle at all times. Power-assisted steering
does not remove this responsibility. 149
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Starting and stopping the en-
gine Ignition k ey
po s
itionsFig. 168
Ignition key positions. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
 p

age 21
Ignition switched off, steering lock 1In this position
››
›
Fig. 168
, the ignition and
the engine are OFF and the steering may be
locked.
For the Steering lock to operate without the
ignition key, turn the steering wheel until it
locks with an audible sound. You should al-
ways lock the steering wheel when you leave
your vehicle. This will help prevent vehicle
theft ››› . Switching the ignition or the glow plug sys-
t
em on 2 Turn the ignition key to this position and re-
l
e
a se it

. If the key cannot be turned or it is
difficult to turn from position 1 to position
2 , move the steering wheel from one side to
the other; thi s
w i

ll release it.
Starting 3 The engine is started when the key is in this
po
s
ition. El ectric

al devices with high power
consumption are switched off temporarily at
the same time.
Each time that the vehicle is restarted, the ig-
nition key must be turned to position 1 . The
r epetitiv
e st

art prevention lock of the igni-
tion prevents possible damage to the starter
motor if the engine is already running. WARNING
● The ignition key mu s

t NOT be removed from
the lock until the vehicle comes to a stand-
still. Otherwise, the steering could be imme-
diately blocked- Risk of accident!
● Always remove the key from the ignition
when leavin
g the vehicle, even if only for a
short period. This is especially important if
children or disabled people are left alone in
the vehicle. They could accidentally start the
engine or work electrical equipment such as
the electric windows, resulting in an acci-
dent. ●
Unsuper v

ised use of the key could start the
engine or any electrical system, such as the
electric windows. This could result in serious
injury. CAUTION
The starter motor will only work when the en-
gine i s st

opped (ignition key position 3 ).
Electronic immobiliser “SAFE”
The electronic immobiliser prevents unau-
thori
sed per
sons

from driving the vehicle.
Inside the key there is a chip that deactivates
the electronic immobiliser automatically
when the key is inserted into the ignition.
The electronic immobiliser will be activated
again automatically as soon as you pull the
key out of the ignition lock.
The engine can only be started using a genu-
ine SEAT key with its correct code.
If the following message* is shown on the in-
strument panel display: SAFE, the vehicle
cannot be started.
The engine can, however, be started if the
appropriate coded SEAT genuine key is used.
150

Operation
Glow plug system for the diesel engine
T o av
oid u nnec
essary discharging of the bat-
tery, do not use any other major electrical
equipment while the glow plugs are pre-heat-
ing.
Start the engine as soon as the glow plug
warning lamp goes out.
Starting a diesel engine after the fuel tank
has been completely run dry
If the fuel tank has been completely run dry,
it may take longer than normal (up to one mi-
nute) to start a diesel engine after refuelling.
This is because the fuel system must elimi-
nate air first. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ››› in Starting
petrol en

gines on page 151. CAUTION
● When the engine is c

old, you should avoid
high engine speeds, driving at full throttle
and over-loading the engine. Risk of engine
damage.
● The vehicle should not be pushed or towed
more than 50 metre
s to start the engine. Un-
burnt fuel could enter the catalytic converter
and damage it.
● Before attempting to push-start or tow a ve-
hicle in order t
o start it, you should first try to
start it using the battery of another vehicle. Please observe and follow the notes on the
›››
 p

age 52, How to jump start. For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the
en gine with the v

ehicle stationary. You
should drive off as soon as you start the en-
gine. This helps the engine reach operating
temperature faster and reduces emissions. Switching off the engine
–
Stop the vehicle.
– Turn the ignition key to position ››
›
Fig. 168
1 .
Af t
er sw it

ching the engine off, the radiator
fan may run on for up to 10 minutes. 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 expo-
sure to solar radiation. WARNING
● Never swit c

h the engine off until the vehi-
cle is completely stationary.
● The brake servo works only when the en-
gine is runnin
g. With the engine switched off,
more strength is needed to brake. As normal brake operation cannot be performed, risk of
accident
s

and serious injury may exist.
● The steering lock can be immediately
blocked onc
e the key is removed from the ig-
nition. The vehicle cannot be steered. Risk of
accident.
● Power-assisted steering does not work
when the engine is off
, and more strength is
needed to turn the wheel.
● If the key is removed from the ignition lock
the steering loc
k could be engaged and vehi-
cle steering would not work. CAUTION
When the engine has been running under a
heavy lo a

d for a long period, heat can accu-
mulate in the engine compartment and cause
engine damage. For this reason, idle the en-
gine for approximately 2 minutes before
switching it off. Braking and parking
Br ak
ing c

apacity and braking distance The efficiency of the brakes depends directly
on the br
ak
e p a

d wear. This wear depends to
a great extent on the conditions under which
the vehicle is operated and the way the vehi-
cle is driven. If you often drive in town, drive
short distances or have a sporty driving style,
we recommend that you have the thickness
152