2016 Seat Ibiza ST Owner's manual

Care and maintenance
To fold
Un s
cr
ew the aerial rod, tilting it backwards
into a horizontal position and then screw in
again.
To return to working position
Continue in the reverse order to the previous
instruction. CAUTION
If an automatic car wash tunnel is used, be-
fore ent erin

g the tunnel, put the aerial down
parallel to the roof and do not tighten to
avoid damage. Mobile phones and two-way radios
SEAT has approved for your vehicle the use of
mo
b
il

e telephones and two-way radios pro-
viding under the following conditions:
● The external aerial should be correctly in-
stall
ed.
● The transmitting power should be a maxi-
mum 10 watts.
The optimal r

each of the equipment is only
achieved with an external aerial.
First consult your Technical Service if you
wish to use a mobile telephone or a two-way
radio with a transmitting power output in ex-
cess of 10 watts. Here you will receive infor- mation concerning the technical possibilities
for retrofittin

g this equipment.
Mobile telephones and two-way radios
should be only fitted by a specialised work-
shop, for example a SEAT dealership. WARNING
● Alwa y

s concentrate primarily on driving. If
you are distracted while driving you could
have an accident.
● Never attach the telephone mountings to
the surfac
es covering the airbag units or
within the range of the airbags. There is a
high danger of injury if the airbag is trig-
gered.
● Using your mobile telephones or two-way
radios
in the vehicle without an external aer-
ial, electromagnetic radiation in the vehicle
could exceed authorised limits. This also may
occur to external aerials that have not been
correctly installed. CAUTION
Failure to consider the above-mentioned con-
ditions c ou

ld cause the electronics to mal-
function. The most common causes of faults
are:
● no external aerial,
● external aerial incorrectly installed,
● transmitting power output in excess of 10
watts. Note
Please observe the operating instructions of
your mob i

le telephone/two-way radio. Care and cleaning
General not

es Vehicle maintenance
Regu
l

ar care and washing help to maintain
the value of the vehicle. This may also be one
of the requirements for acknowledging war-
ranty claims in the event of bodywork corro-
sion or paint defects.
The best way to protect your vehicle against
the harmful effects of the environment is
through correct maintenance and frequent
washing. The longer substances such as in-
sect remains, bird droppings, resinous tree
sap, road dirt, industrial deposits, tar, soot or
road salt and other aggressive materials re-
main on the vehicle, the more damage they
do to the paintwork. High temperatures, for
instance in strong sunlight, further intensify
the corrosive effect.
After winter, a period when salt is put on the
roads, it is important to have the underside
of the vehicle washed thoroughly. »
191
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
Products for vehicle maintenance
C ar
-car
e products are available in your Tech-
nical Services. Keep the product instructions
until you have used them up. WARNING
● Car-c ar

e products can be toxic. Because of
this, they must always be kept closed in their
original container. Keep them out of the reach
of children. Failure to comply could result in
poisoning.
● Always read and observe the instructions
and warnings
on the package before using
car-care products. Improper use could cause
health problems or damage the vehicle. The
use of certain products may produce noxious
vapours; they should be used in well ventila-
ted areas.
● Never use fuel, turpentine, engine oil, nail
varnish remo
ver or other volatile fluids.
These are toxic and highly flammable. Risk of
fire and explosion.
● Before washing your vehicle, or carrying
out any m
aintenance, switch the engine off,
apply the handbrake firmly and remove the
key from the ignition. CAUTION
Never attempt to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surf ac

e of the vehicle is dry. Never use a
dry cloth or sponge for cleaning purposes.
This could damage the paintwork or the win-
dows of your vehicle. Soak dirt, mud or dust
with plenty of water. For the sake of the environment
● When purc h

asing car care products, try to
select ones that are not harmful to the envi-
ronment.
● The waste from car-care products should
not be dispo
sed of with ordinary household
waste. Observe the disposal information on
the package. Care of the vehicle exterior
Automatic c

ar wash tunnel The vehicle paintwork is so durable that the
v
ehic
le c

an normally be washed without
problems in an automatic car wash tunnel.
However, the paintwork wear depends to a
large extent on the kind of the car wash tun-
nel, the brushes used, its water filtering and
the type of cleaning and preservative prod-
ucts.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing
the windows and sunroof. There is nothing to
note apart from that.
If the vehicle has special accessories such as
spoilers or a roof rack or two-way radio aerial,
etc., it is advisable to consult the car wash
tunnel operator first. After washing, the brakes

could take some
time to respond as the brake discs and pads
could be wet, or even frozen in winter. “Dry”
the brakes by braking several times. WARNING
Water, ice and salt on the brake system can
reduce br ak

ing effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. CAUTION
Before putting the vehicle through the car
wash, do not tight

en the aerial if it is folded
because it can be damaged. Hand-washing
Vehicle washing
– First soften the dirt and rinse it off with wa-
ter
.
– Cl

ean your vehicle from top to bottom with
a soft spon
ge, a glove or a brush. Use very
light pressure.
– Rinse the sponge or glove often with clean
water.
– S

pecial car shampoo should only be used
for ver
y stubborn dirt.
– Leave the wheels, sill panels etc. until last,
using a diff

erent sponge or glove.
192

Care and maintenance
– Rin se the
vehic
le thoroughly with water.
– Dry the vehicle surface gently with a cha-
mois le

ather.
– In cold temperature, dry the rubber seals
and their surf

aces to prevent them from
freezing. Apply silicone spray to the rubber
seals.
After washing the vehicle – After washing, avoid sudden and sharp
braking. “Dr

y” the brakes by braking sever-
al times. WARNING
● Wash y

our vehicle with the ignition switch-
ed off.
● Protect your hands and arms from cuts on
sharp metal
edges when cleaning the under-
body, the inside of the wheel housings etc.
Risk of injury.
● Water, ice and salt on the brake system can
reduce brak
ing effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. CAUTION
● Never remo v

e dirt, mud or dust if the vehi-
cle surface is dry. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge for cleaning purposes. This could
scratch the paintwork or glass on your vehi-
cle. ●
Washin g the

vehicle in low temperatures:
when washing the vehicle with a hose, do not
direct water into the lock cylinders or the
gaps around the doors, rear lid, or sunroof.
Risk of freezing. For the sake of the environment
To protect the environment, the vehicle
shou ld be w a

shed only in specially provided
wash bays, to prevent toxic, oil-laden waste
water from entering the sewer system. In
some places, washing vehicles outside wash
bays is prohibited. Note
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight. Washing the vehicle with a high pres-
s
ur
e c l

eaner Be particularly careful when using a high
pr
e
ss

ure cleaner!
– Always observe the instructions for the
high-press

ure cleaner, particularly those
concerning the pressure and the spraying
distance.
– Increase the spraying distance for soft ma-
terials

and painted bumpers. –
Do not use a high pre
ssure cleaner to re-
move ice or snow from windows
››› page 194.
– Never use concentrated jet nozzles (“rotat-
ing jets”) ››

› .
– After washing, avoid sudden and sharp
br ak
ing. “Dr

y” the brakes by braking sever-
al times ››› page 152. WARNING
● Never wa sh ty

res with a concentrated jet
(“rotating nozzle”). Even at large spraying
distances and short cleaning times, damage
can occur to the tyres. This may cause an ac-
cident.
● Water, ice and salt on the brake system can
reduce brak
ing effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. CAUTION
● Do not use w at

er hotter than +60 °C
(+140 °F). This could damage the vehicle.
● To avoid damage to the vehicle, keep a suf-
ficient dis
tance from sensitive materials such
as flexible hoses, plastic, soundproofing ma-
terial, etc. This also applies to bumpers pain-
ted in the colour of the bodywork. The closer
the nozzle is to the surface, the greater the
wear on the material. 193
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
Sensors and camera lenses ●
Use a small brush to remove snow and a
de-icer spr a
y to remove ice.
● Clean the sensors with a solvent-free prod-
uct and a soft, dry
cloth.
● Moisten the camera lens using a standard
alcohol-ba
sed glass cleaning agent and
clean the lens with a dry cloth. CAUTION
● When you c l

ean the vehicle with a pressure
washer:
–Stay a suitable distance from the sensors
on the front and rear bumpers.
– Do not clean the camera lenses or sur-
rounding area with the pressure washer.
● Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice fr
om the reverse camera lens,
as it could crack the lens.
● Never use abrasive cleaning agents on the
lens. Vehicle paint maintenance
Regular waxing protects the paintwork.
Y
ou need t
o app

ly wax to your vehicle if water
does not form small drops and run off the
paintwork when it is clean.
Good quality hard wax products are available
at your Technical Service. Regular wax applications help to protect the
paintwork fr

om environmental contaminants
››› page 191. It is also effective in protecting
against minor scratches.
Even if a wax solution is used regularly in the
vehicle washing tunnel, it is advisable to pro-
tect the paint with a hard wax coating at least
twice a year.
Polishing the paintwork Polishing is only necessary if the paint has
lo
s
t its

shine, and the gloss cannot be
brought back by applying wax. Polishing
products can be purchased in your Technical
Service.
The vehicle must be waxed after polishing if
the polish used does not contain wax com-
pounds to seal the paint ››› page 194, Vehicle
paint maintenance . CAUTION
To prevent damage to the paintwork:
● Do not use polishes and hard wax on pain-
ted par t

s with a matt finish or on plastic
parts.
● Do not polish your vehicle in a sandy or
dusty en
vironment. Caring for plastic parts
If normal washing fails to clean plastic parts,
cle
an them w

ith approved solvent-free plas-
tic cleaning and care products. CAUTION
● The use of li quid air fr

eshener directly over
the air vents of the vehicle may damage the
plastic parts if the liquid is accidentally spil-
led.
● Cleaning products which contain solvents
will
damage the material. Cleaning of windows and mirrors
Cleaning windows
– Moisten the windows with commercially
av ai
lab

le, alcohol based glass cleaner.
– Dry the windows with a clean chamois
leather or a lint-fr

ee cloth.
Removing snow – Use a small brush to remove snow from the
windows

and mirrors.
Removing ice
– Use a de-icer spray.
Use a cle
an cloth or chamois leather to dry
the windows. The chamois leathers used on
194

Care and maintenance
painted surfaces are not suitable to clean
w indo
ws
because they are soiled with wax
deposits which could smear the windows.
If possible, use a de-icing spray to remove
ice. If you use an ice scraper, push it in one
direction only without swinging it.
Use window cleaner or a silicone remover to
clean rubber, oil, grease and silicone depos-
its off.
Wax deposits can only be removed with a
special cleaner available at your Technical
Service. Wax deposits on the windscreen
could cause the wiper blades to judder. Add-
ing a window cleaner that dissolves wax to
the windscreen washer fluid prevents wiper
blades from juddering, but wax deposits are
not removed. CAUTION
● Never use w arm or hot

water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors. This
could cause the glass to crack!
● The heating element for the rear window is
located on the inner side of
the window. To
prevent damage, do not put stickers over the
heating elements on the inside of the win-
dow. Cleaning windscreen wiper blades
Clean wiper blades improve visibility. 1. Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt
from the w
inds

creen wiper blades.
2. Use window cleaner to clean the wind- screen w
iper blades. Use a sponge or a
cloth to remove stubborn dirt.
Care of rubber seals If rubber seals are well looked after, they will
not freez
e so quic

kly.
1. Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt from the rubber seal s.
2.

Apply a specialist care product to the rub-
ber seals.
The rubber strip

s on the doors, windows, etc.
will remain pliable and last longer if they are
treated with a suitable rubber care product
from time to time (for example silicone
spray).
Caring for rubber seals will also prevent pre-
mature ageing and leaks. The doors will be
easier to open. If rubber seals are well looked
after, they will not freeze so quickly in winter.
Door lock cylinder The door lock cylinders can freeze up in win-
t
er
. T
o de-ic
e the lock cylinders you should only
use spra
y with lubricating and anti-corrosive
properties.
Cleaning chrome parts 1. Clean chrome parts with a damp cloth.
2. Polish chrome parts with a soft, dry cloth.
If this
doe

s not provide satisfying results, use
a specialist chrome cleaning product.
Chrome cleaning products will remove stains
from the surface. CAUTION
To prevent scratching chrome surfaces:
● Never use an abrasive cleaning product on
chrome.
● Do not c

lean or polish chrome parts in a
sandy or dus
ty environment. Steel wheel rims
–
Clean steel wheel rims regularly using a
sep ar
at e s

ponge.
Use an industrial cleaner to remove brake
dust. Any damage to the paint on steel wheel
rims should be repaired before starting to
rust. »
195
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
WARNING
● Never wa sh ty
res with a cylindrical jet. Even
at large spraying distances and short clean-
ing times, damage can occur to the tyres.
This may cause an accident.
● Water, ice and salt on the brake system can
reduce brak
ing effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. Directly after washing, avoid sudden
and sharp braking. “Dry” the brakes by brak-
ing several times ››› page 152, Braking ca-
pacity and braking distance .Alloy wheel rims
Every two weeks
– Wash salt and brake dust from alloy
wheel s.
– Use an ac id fr

ee detergent to clean the
wheel rims.
Ever

y 3 months
– Apply a hard wax compound to the wheels.
Alloy
wheels require regular attention to pre-
serve their appearance. If road salt and brake
dust are not often removed, the aluminium
finish will be impaired.
Always use an acid-free detergent for alloy
wheel rims.
Car polish or other abrasive agents should
not be used for maintaining the rims. If the protective coating is damaged, e.g. by flying
stones, the d

amaged area should be re-
paired immediately. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ››› in Steel
wheel rims on p ag

e 196. Vehicle underbody protection
The vehicle underbody is coated to protect it
from chemic
al

and mechanical damage.
The protective coating can be damaged when
driving. We recommend that you check the
protective coating under the body and on the
running gear, and retouch it if necessary, be-
fore and after the winter season.
We recommend that you go to your Technical
Service to carry out repair work and addition-
al anti-corrosion work. WARNING
Do not apply underseal or anti-corrosion
coatin g

s to the exhaust pipes, catalytic con-
verter or the heat shields on the exhaust sys-
tem. The heat of the exhaust system or the
engine could cause them to ignite. Risk of
fire. Cleaning engine compartment
Take special care when cleaning the engine
compar
tment

.
Anti-corrosion treatment
The engine compartment and the surface of
the power unit are given anti-corrosion treat-
ment at the factory.
Good corrosion protection is particularly im-
portant in winter when the vehicle is fre-
quently driven on salted roads. To prevent
the salt corroding the vehicle, the entire en-
gine compartment should be thoroughly
cleaned before and after winter.
Technical Services have the proper products
for cleaning and preservation as well as the
necessary workshop equipment. For this rea-
son, we recommend having this work per-
formed by them.
The anti-corrosion protection is usually re-
moved if the engine compartment is cleaned
with grease removing solutions, or if you
have the engine cleaned. On commissioning
this work, ensure that all surfaces, seams,
joints and components in the engine com-
partment are given anti-corrosion treatment. WARNING
● When workin g in the en

gine compartment,
always observe the safety warnings
››› page 201.196

Care and maintenance
●
Befor e openin
g the bonnet, switch the en-
gine off, apply the handbrake firmly and al-
ways remove the key from the ignition.
● Allow the engine to cool before you clean
the engine compar
tment.
● Do not clean, for example, the vehicle un-
derbody, wheel arc
hes or wheel trims without
protecting your hands and arms. You may cut
yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. Failure
to comply could result in injury.
● Moisture, ice and salt on the brake system
may aff
ect braking effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. Directly after washing, avoid sudden
and sharp braking.
● Never touch the radiator fan. It is tempera-
ture-contr
olled and could start automatically,
even when the key is removed from the igni-
tion! For the sake of the environment
Fuel, grease and oil deposits can be removed
when the engine is w

ashed. The polluted wa-
ter must be cleaned in an oil separator. For
this reason, engine washing should be car-
ried out only by a specialised workshop or a
petrol station. Caring for the vehicle interior
C l
e anin

g plastic parts and the dash
panel –
Use a clean, damp cloth to clean plastic
parts and the d

ash panel.
– If this does not provide satisfactory results,
use a speci

al solvent-free plastic cleaning
product. WARNING
Never clean the dash panel and the airbag
module s ur

face with cleaners containing sol-
vents. Solvents cause the surface to become
porous. If the airbag triggered, plastic parts
could become detached and cause injuries. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will
damag e the m

aterial. Cleaning wooden trim*
–
Clean the wooden trim with a water-mois-
tened c
le

an cloth.
– If this does not provide satisfactory results,
use a gentle

soap solution. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will
damag e the m

aterial. Cleaning upholstery and fabric trim
Cloth seat covers and fabric trim on the
doors, hea
dlinin

g etc. can be cleaned with a
special interior cleaner or with dry foam and
a soft brush.
Cleaning the radio and climate con-
trol s To clean the radio and/or climate controls,
u
se a sof
t d

amp cloth. For more resistant dirt,
a neutral soap solution may be used.
Cleaning leather* Normal cleaning
–
Moisten a cotton or woollen cloth with wa-
ter and w
ipe ov

er the leather surfaces.
Cleaning stubborn stains – More stubborn dirt can be removed using a
mild soap so

lution (pure liquid soap; two
tablespoons diluted in one litre of water)
and a cloth. »
197
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
– Do not l
et the w
ater soak through the leath-
er or soak into the seams.
– Then wipe off with a soft, dry cloth.
Leather maint
enance
– The leather should be treated twice a year
with a speci

al leather-care product, availa-
ble at Technical Services.
– Apply these products very sparingly.
– Then wipe off with a soft cloth.
SEAT does
everything possible to preserve
the genuine qualities of this natural product.
Due to the natural properties of the specially
selected hides employed, the finished leath-
er has a certain sensitivity to grease and dirt,
etc. so a degree of care is required in every-
day use and when looking after the leather.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the vehi-
cle is under solar radiation for long periods,
the leather should be protected to prevent it
from fading. However, slight colour variations
in high-quality natural leather are normal. CAUTION
● Do not use so lv

ents, wax polish, shoe
cream, spot removers or similar products on
leather.
● To avoid damage, stubborn stains should
be removed b
y a specialised workshop. Seat belt cleaning
A dirty belt may not work properly. Check all
seat belts
r

egularly and keep them clean.
Seat belts cleaning
– Pull the dirty seat belt right out and unroll
it.
– Cle

an dirty seat belts with a gentle soap
so
lution.
– Allow it to dry.
– Do not roll the seat belt up until it is dry.
If lar g

e stains form on the belts, the automat-
ic belt retractor will not work correctly. WARNING
● Do not use c hemic

al cleaning agents on the
seat belts, as this can impair the strength of
the webbing. Ensure that seat belts do not
come into contact with corrosive fluids.
● Check the condition of the seat belts at reg-
ular inter
vals. If you notice that the belt web-
bing, fittings, retractor mechanism or buckle
of any of the belts is damaged, the belt must
be replaced by a specialised workshop.
● Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat
belt your
self. The seat belts must not be re-
moved or modified in any way. CAUTION
After cleaning, allow seat belts to dry com-
plet ely

before rolling them up. Otherwise, the
belt retractors could become damaged. 198