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
The essentials
2. Connect one end of the re
d jump l
ead to
the positive + terminal of the vehicle
w ith the fl
at b
attery A
› ››
Fig. 70
.
3. C
onnect the other end of the red jump
l
ead to the positive terminal + in the ve-
hic l
e pr o
viding assistance B .
4. For vehicles without Start-Stop system:
connect
one end of the
b
lack jump lead to
the negative terminal – of the vehicle
pr o
vidin
g the current B
› ››
Fig. 70
.
– For
vehicles with Start-Stop system: con-
nect one end of the b
lack jump lead X to a
s uit
abl
e ground terminal, to a solid piece of
metal in the engine block, or to the engine
block itself ››› Fig. 71.
5. Connect the other end of the black jump
l
ead X to a solid metal component bolted
t o the en
gine bloc
k or to the engine block
itself of the vehicle with the flat battery.
Do not connect it to a point near the bat-
tery A .
6. Position the leads in such a way that they cannot
come int
o contact with any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
Starting
7. Start the engine of the vehicle with the boosting b
attery and let it run at idling
speed. 8. Start the engine of the vehicle with the flat
battery
and wait for 2 or 3 minutes until
the engine is running.
Removing the jump leads
9. Before you remove the jump leads, switch off the dipped beam he
adlights if they are
switched on.
10.Turn on the heater blower and heated rear window in the v
ehicle with the flat battery.
This helps minimise voltage peaks which
are generated when the leads are discon-
nected.
11.When the engine is running, disconnect the lead
s in reverse order to the details
given above.
Make sure the battery clamps have sufficient
metal-to-metal contact with the battery termi-
nals.
If the engine fails to start, switch off the start-
er after about 10 seconds and try again after
about a minute. WARNING
● Plea se not
e the safety warnings referring to
working in the engine compartment
››› page 201, Working in the engine
compartment.
● The battery providing assistance must have
the same vo
ltage as the flat battery (12 V)
and approximately the same capacity (see imprint on battery). Failure to comply could
res
u
lt in an explosion.
● Never use jump leads when one of the bat-
teries i
s frozen. Danger of explosion! Even af-
ter the battery has thawed, battery acid could
leak and cause chemical burns. If a battery
freezes, it should be replaced.
● Keep sparks, flames and lighted cigarettes
away
from batteries, danger of explosion.
Failure to comply could result in an explo-
sion.
● Observe the instructions provided by the
manufactur
er of the jump leads.
● Do not connect the negative cable from the
other vehicl
e directly to the negative terminal
of the flat battery. The gas emitted from the
battery could be ignited by sparks. Danger of
explosion.
● Do not attach the negative cable from the
other vehicl
e to parts of the fuel system or to
the brake line.
● The non-insulated parts of the battery
clamps
must not be allowed to touch. The
jump lead attached to the positive battery
terminal must not touch metal parts of the ve-
hicle, this can cause a short circuit.
● Position the leads in such a way that they
cannot come int
o contact with any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
● Do not lean on the batteries. This could re-
sult in c
hemical burns. » 53
Safety
Safety
Saf e driv
ing
Saf
ety first! This chapter contains important information,
tips, sug
g
estions and warnings that you
should read and consider for both your own
safety and for your passengers' safety. WARNING
● This m anua
l contains important informa-
tion about the operation of the vehicle, both
for the driver and the passengers. The other
sections of the on-board documentation also
contain further information that you should
be aware of for your own safety and for the
safety of your passengers.
● Ensure that the on-board documentation is
kept in the v
ehicle at all times. This is espe-
cially important when lending or selling the
vehicle to another person. Advice about driving
B ef or
e settin
g offFor your own safety and the safety of your
p
a
ssen
gers, always note the following points
before every trip: –
Make sur
e that the vehicle's lights and turn
signals are working properly.
– Check tyre pressure.
– Ensure that all windows provide a clear and
good view of
the surroundings.
– Ensure that all luggage is correctly secured
››› p
age 135.
– Make sure that no objects can interfere
with the pedals.
– Adju
st front seat, head restraint and mir-
rors pr
operly according to your size.
– Ensure that the passenger in the central
rear seat
always has the head restraint in
the correct position for use.
– Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints ac
cording to their height.
– Protect children with appropriate child
seats and properly
applied seat belts
››› page 72.
– Assume the correct sitting position. Instruct
your pas
sengers also to assume a proper
sitting position. ››› page 57.
– Fasten your seat belt securely. Instruct your
passen
gers also to fasten their seat belts
properly. ››› page 61. What affects driving safety? As a driver, you are responsible for yourself
and your p
a
ssengers. When your concentra-
tion or driving safety is affected by any cir-
cumstance, you endanger yourself as well as
others on the road ››› , for this reason:
– Always pay attention to traffic and do not
get di s
tracted by passengers or telephone
calls.
– Never drive when your driving ability is im-
paired (e.g. b
y medication, alcohol, drugs).
– Observe traffic laws and speed limits.
– Always reduce your speed as appropriate
for ro a
d, traffic and weather conditions.
– When travelling long distances, take
breaks
regularly - at least every two hours.
– If possible, avoid driving when you are tired
or stres
sed. WARNING
When driving safety is impaired during a trip,
the risk of injur
y and accidents increases. Safety equipment
Never put your safety or the safety of your
p
a
ssen
gers in danger. In the event of an acci-
dent, the safety equipment may reduce the
56
Safe driving
risk of injury. The following list includes most
of the s
afety
equipment in your SEAT:
● Three-point seat belts
● Belt tension limiter for the front and rear
side seats
● Belt
tensioners for the front seats
● Front airbags
● Side airbags in the front seat backrests,
with ches
t and head protection
● “ISOFIX” anchor points for “ISOFIX” rear
child se
at system
● Height-adjustable front head restraints
● Rear-centre head restraints with in-use po-
sition and non-use pos
ition
● Adjustable steering column
The safety equipment
mentioned above
works together to provide you and your pas-
sengers with the best possible protection in
the event of an accident. However, these
safety systems can only be effective if you
and your passengers are sitting in a correct
position and use this equipment properly.
Safety is everyone's business! Correct position for passengers
Correct s
itting position for driver Fig. 75
The proper distance between driver
and s t
eerin g wheel Fig. 76
Correct head restraint position for the
driv er
. For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injur
y
in the ev ent
of an accident, we recom- mend the following adjustments for the driv-
er:
– Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distanc
e of at least 25 cm between the
steering wheel and the centre of your chest
››› Fig. 75.
– Move the driver's seat forwards or back-
wards
so that you are able to press the ac-
celerator, brake and clutch pedals to the
floor with your knees still slightly angled
››› .
– Ensure that you can reach the highest point
of the s
teerin
g wheel.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is at
the same level as the top of your
head, or as close as possible to the same
level as the top of your head ››› Fig. 76.
– Move the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that y
our back rests completely
against it.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ››› p
age 61.
– Keep both feet in the footwell so that you
have the v
ehicle under control at all times.
Adjustment of the driver's seat ››› page 128. WARNING
● An incorrect s
itting position of the driver
can lead to severe injuries. » 57
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
Seat belt lamp* Fig. 79
Warning lamp on the instrument pan-
el . The control lamp illuminates to remind the
driv
er t
o fa
sten his seat belt.
Before starting the vehicle: – Fasten your seat belt securely.
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their
seat belts pr
operly before driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat ac-
cording t
o the child's height and weight.
When the ignition is switched on, the control
lamp in the instrument panel lights up* if
the driver or passenger* have not fastened
their seat belts.
An audible warning signal will sound for a
few seconds if the seat belts are not fastened
as the vehicle drives off and reaches a speed
of more than approximately 25 km/h (15 mph) or if the seat belts are unfastened
while the v
ehicle is in motion. The warning
lamp will also flash .
The lamp goes out when the driver and
passenger seat belts are fastened with the ig-
nition switched on.
The protective function of seat belts Fig. 80
Drivers with properly worn seat belts
w i
ll
not be thrown forward in the event of sud-
den braking Properly worn seat belts hold the occupants
in the pr
oper po
sition.
These also help pre-
vent uncontrolled movements that may result
in serious injury and reduce the risk of being
thrown out of the vehicle.
Vehicle occupants wearing their seat belts
correctly benefit greatly from the ability of the
belts to absorb kinetic energy. In addition,
the front part of your vehicle and other pas- sive safety features (such as the airbag sys-
tem) are des
igned to absorb the kinetic ener-
gy released in a collision. Taken together, all
these features reduce the releasing kinetic
energy and consequently, the risk of injury.
This is why it is so important to fasten seat
belts before every trip, even when "just driv-
ing around the corner".
Ensure that your passengers wear their seat
belts as well. Accident statistics have shown
that wearing seat belts is an effective means
of substantially reducing the risk of injury
and improving the chances of survival when
involved in a serious accident. Furthermore,
properly worn seat belts improve the protec-
tion provided by airbags in the event of an
accident. For this reason, wearing a seat belt
is required by law in most countries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with air-
bags, the seat belts must be fastened and
worn. The front airbags, for example, are only
triggered in some cases of head-on collision.
The front airbags will not be triggered during
minor frontal or side collisions, rear-end colli-
sions, rollovers or accidents in which the air-
bag trigger threshold value in the control unit
is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat
belt and ensure that all vehicle occupants
have fastened their seat belts properly before
you drive off!
62
Airbag system
airbag. In this case, the inflating airbag may
inflict c
ritic al
or fatal injuries on the occu-
pant. This also applies to children.
Always maintain the greatest possible dis-
tance between yourself and the front airbag.
This way, the front airbags can completely
deploy when triggered, providing their maxi-
mum protection.
The most important factors that will trigger
an airbag are: the type of accident, the angle
of collision and the speed of the vehicle.
Whether or not the airbags are triggered de-
pends primarily on the vehicle deceleration
rate resulting from the collision and detected
by the control unit. If the vehicle deceleration
occurring during the collision and measured
by the control unit remains below the speci-
fied reference values, the front, side and/or
curtain airbags will not be triggered. Take in-
to account that the visible damage in a vehi-
cle involved in an accident, no matter how
serious, is not a determining factor for the
airbags to have been triggered. WARNING
● Wearin g the se
at belt incorrectly or assum-
ing an incorrect sitting position can lead to
critical or fatal injuries.
● All vehicle occupants, including children,
who are not properly
belted can sustain criti-
cal or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered.
Children up to 12 years old should always travel on the rear seat. Never transport chil-
dren in the v
ehic
le if they are not restrained
or the restraint system is not appropriate for
their age, size or weight.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, or if you
lean for
ward or to the side while travelling or
assume an incorrect sitting position, there is
a substantially increased risk of injury. This
increased risk of injury will be further in-
creased if you are struck by an inflating air-
bag.
● To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating
airbag, alwa
ys wear the seat belt properly.
● Always adjust the front seats properly. Description of airbag system
The airbag system mainly comprises (as per
v
ehic
le equipment):
● an el
ectronic control and monitoring sys-
tem (contro
l unit)
● frontal airbags for driver and passenger,
● side airbags,
● curtain airbags,
● a control lamp on the dash panel
›
›› page 68.
● key-operated switch for front passenger air-
bag,
● a contro
l lamp for disabling/enabling the
front pa
ssenger airbag. The airbag system operation is monitored
electronical
ly. The airbag control lamp will il-
luminate for a few seconds every time the ig-
nition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the control
lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is
switched on ›
›› page 68,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is swit
ched on
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is swit
ched on
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
moving.
The airb
ag system is not triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over. WARNING
● The seat belt s
and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 57, Correct position
for passengers.
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the sys
tem checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a » 67
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
frontal collision the system might not trigger
correctly
or m
ay fail to trigger at all.Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thousandths
of
a second, to provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de-
ploys. This is normal and it is not an indica-
tion of fire in the vehicle.
The airbag system is only ready to function
when the ignition is on.
In special accidents instances, several air-
bags may activate at the same time.
In the event of minor head-on and side colli-
sions, rear-end collisions, overturning or roll-
over of the vehicle, airbags do not activate.
Activation factors
The conditions that lead to the airbag system
activating in each situation cannot be gener-
alised. Some factors play an important role,
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
cle hits (hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation. The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tory
and activ
ates the respective restraint
system.
If the deceleration rate is below the prede-
fined reference value in the control unit the
airbags will not be triggered, even though
the accident may cause extensive damage to
the car.
The following airbags are triggered in seri-
ous head-on collisions
● Driver airbag.
● Front passenger front airbag
The follo
wing airbags are triggered in seri-
ous side-on collisions
● Front side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Rear s
ide airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Curt
ain (head) airbag on the side of the ac-
cident.
In an acc
ident with airbag activation:
● the interior lights switch on (if the interior
light switc
h is in the courtesy light position);
● the hazard warning lights switch on;
● all doors are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut. Airbag control lamp and seat belt ten-
sioner The control lamp monitors all airbags and
seat belt
t
ensioners in the vehicle, including
control units and wiring connections.
Monitoring of airbag and belt tensioner sys-
tem
Both the airbag and belt tensioner systems
operation is constantly monitored electroni-
cally. The control lamp will light up for a
few seconds every time the ignition is switch-
ed on (self-diagnosis).
The system must be checked when the con-
trol lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is
switc hed on,
● t
urns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is swit
ched on
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is swit
ched on
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
moving.
In the ev
ent of a malfunction, the warning
lamp remains on continuously. Have the air-
bag system inspected immediately by a spe-
cialised workshop.
68
Airbag system
If any of the airbags are disabled by a Techni-
c al
Ser
vice, the warning lamp flashes for sev-
eral more seconds after verification and will
turn off if there is no fault. WARNING
● If there i s
a malfunction, the airbag and
belt tensioner system cannot properly per-
form its protective function.
● If a malfunction occurs, have the system
checked immedi
ately by a specialised work-
shop. Otherwise, in the event of an accident,
the airbag system and belt tensioners may
not be triggered, or may not be triggered cor-
rectly. Airbag safety instructions
Fr ont
airb ag
sRead the additional information carefully
› ›
›
p
age 14. WARNING
● The seat belt s
and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 57, Correct position
for passengers.
● The deployment space between the front
passen
gers and the airbags must not in any
case be occupied by other passenger, pets
and objects. ●
The airbags pr
ovide protection for just one
accident; replace them once they have de-
ployed.
● It is also important not to attach any ob-
jects s
uch as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the air-
bag units.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag syst
em in any way. Side airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
p
age 15. WARNING
● If y ou do not
wear a seat belt, if you lean
forward, or are not seated correctly while the
vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk
of injury if the side airbag system is triggered
in an accident.
● In order for the side airbags to provide their
maximum prot
ection, the prescribed sitting
position must always be maintained with
seat belts fastened while travelling.
● Occupants of the outer seats must never
carry an
y objects or pets in the deployment
space between them and the airbags, or al-
low children or other passengers to travel in
this position. It is also important not to at-
tach any accessories (such as cup holders) to the doors. This would impair the protection
offered b
y
the side airbags.
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight c
lothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Great forces, such as hard blows or kicks,
must not
be exerted upon the backrest bol-
ster because the system may be damaged. In
this case, the side airbags would not be trig-
gered.
● Under no circumstances should protective
cover
s be fitted over seats with side airbags
unless the covers have been approved for use
in your vehicle. Because the airbag deploys
from the side of the backrest, the use of con-
ventional seat covers would obstruct the side
airbag, seriously reducing the airbag's effec-
tiveness.
● Any damage to the original seat upholstery
or around the seams
of the side airbag units
must be repaired immediately by a special-
ised workshop.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; rep
lace them once they have de-
ployed.
● Any work on the side airbag system or re-
moval
and installation of the airbag compo-
nents for other repairs (such as removal of
the front seat) should only be performed by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, faults may
occur during the airbag system operation.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag syst
em in any way. » 69
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety