Operation
Air conditioning
He atin
g, v
entilation and cool-
ing
General notes Read the additional information carefully
›››
p
age 39
Pollution filter
The pollution filter (a combined particulate
filter and active carbon filter) serves as a bar-
rier against impurities in the outside air, in-
cluding dust and pollen.
For the climate control system to work with
maximum efficiency, the pollution filter must
be replaced at the specified intervals in the
Maintenance Programme.
If the filter loses efficiency prematurely due
to use in areas reaching very high pollution
levels, the pollen filter must be changed
more frequently than stated in the Service
Schedule. WARNING
Reduced visibility through the windows in-
cre a
ses the risk of serious accidents.
● Always ensure that all windows are free of
ice and snow
, and that they are not fogged, so as to maintain good visibility of everything
outside.
●
The m ax
imum heat output required to de-
frost
windows as quickly as possible is only
available when the engine has reached its
normal running temperature. Only drive when
you have good visibility.
● Always ensure that you use the heating
system, fr
esh air system, air conditioner and
the heated rear window to maintain good visi-
bility to the outside.
● Never leave the air recirculation on for a
long period of time. If the c
ooling system is
switched off and air recirculation mode
switched on, the windows can mist over very
quickly, considerably limiting visibility.
● Switch air recirculation mode off when it is
not required. WARNING
Stuffy or used air will increase fatigue and re-
duce driver c onc
entration possibly resulting
in a serious accident.
● Never leave the fresh air fan turned off or
use the air recir
culation for long periods of
time; the air in the vehicle interior will not be
refreshed. CAUTION
● If y ou s
uspect that the air conditioner is
damaged, switch it off with the A/C button to prevent further damage and have it checked
by a s
pec
ialised workshop.
● Repairs to the air conditioner require spe-
ciali
st knowledge and special tools. There-
fore, we recommend you to take the vehicle
to a specialised workshop. Note
● If the humidity and t emper
ature outside the
vehicle are high, condensation can drip off
the evaporator in the cooling system and
form a pool underneath the vehicle. This is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
● Keep the air intake slots in front of the
windsc
reen free of snow, ice and leaves to en-
sure heating and cooling are not impaired,
and to prevent the windows from misting
over.
● The air from the vents flows through the ve-
hicle interior and i
s extracted by slots in the
luggage compartment designed for this pur-
pose. Therefore, you should avoid obstruct-
ing these slots with any kind of object.
● The air conditioner operates most effective-
ly with the windo
ws and the sliding/tilting
sunroof* closed. However, if the temperature
inside the vehicle is excessive because of the
sun, the air inside can be cooled faster by
opening the windows for a short time.
● Do not smoke while air recirculation mode
is on, as
smoke drawn into the air condition-
ing system leaves residue on the evaporator,
producing a permanent unpleasant odour. 140
Air conditioning
●
At low out s
ide temperatures, the compres-
sor switches off automatically and cannot be
switched on even with the AUTO button.
● It is advisable to turn on the air condition-
ing at l e
ast once a month, to lubricate the
system gaskets and prevent leaks. If a de-
crease in the cooling capacity is detected, a
Technical Service should be consulted to
check the system.
● To ensure correct operation, the grilles on
both sides of
the screen must not be obstruc-
ted ●
When the engine is u
nder extreme strain,
switch off the compressor for a moment. Economic use of the air conditioning
When the air conditioning is switched on, the
compre
s
sor consumes engine power and has
influence on fuel consumption. Consider the
following points in order to have the system
operating in the minimum possible time. ●
If the v ehic
le interior has overheated due to
an excessive solar radiation, it is best to
open the windows or doors to allow the hot
air to escape.
● While in motion, the air conditioning
should not be sw
itched on if the windows or
the sunroof* are open.
Air outlets Fig. 164
Air vents » 141Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
Air distributionSymbol ››› page 142
CMain air output through out-
lets
1, 2
5
1, 2, 5
3, 4
Outlets
3 and
4 can be closed or opened
separat ely
using the slats and the air flow di-
rected as required.
Heating and fresh air
Contro l
s Fig. 165
Heating controls on the dash panel. ●
Use t
urn c ontr
ols A ,
B and
C
› ››
Fig. 165
t o a dju
st the temperature, blower speed and
air distribution.
● Press the D button to switch air recircula-
tion mode on or off .
When the f u
nction is ac-
tivated, a warning light on the button is
turned on.
Temperature
Switch A adjusts temperature. The desired
t emper
atur
e inside the vehicle cannot be
lower than the ambient temperature. Maxi-
mum heat output, which is needed to defrost
the windows quickly, is only available when
the engine has reached its operating temper-
ature.
Blower
The air flow can be set at four speeds with
switch B . The blower should always be set
at the lo
we
st speed when driving slowly.
Air distribution
Control C for setting the flow of air in the re-
quir ed dir
ection.
– Air di
stribution towards the windscreen
in order to demist. For safety reasons, it is
not recommended to switch air recirculation
on.
– Air distribution to upper body.
– Air distribution to footwell – Air distribution to the windscreen and
the footwel
l. WARNING
● For y our s
afety, the windows should never
be fogged up or covered with snow or ice.
This is essential to ensure good visibility.
Please familiarise yourself with the correct
operation of the heating and ventilation sys-
tem, including the demist/defrost functions
for the windows. Note
● Plea se c
onsider the general notes
››› page 140. Air recirculation
Air recirculation prevents unpleasant smells
fr
om ent
ering the int
erior.
Connecting the recirculation
In any position of rotary switch C except
th a
w:
● Pr e
ss button D
› ›
›
Fig. 165
and the lamp in
the button will illuminate.
Disconnecting the recirculation
● If the lamp is on, press button D and the
l amp w
il
l go off, indicating that the entry of
outside air has been activated.
142
Air conditioning
If the rotary switch C
› ››
Fig. 165
is
in the
thaw position, the recirculation flap will al-
ways be open and air will always enter from
the outside.
If the rotary switch C is switched from any
po s
ition t o the th
aw position, recirculation
will be automatically deactivated. WARNING
● In air recir c
ulation mode, no cold air from
the outside enters the vehicle interior. The
windows can quickly fog over if the heating is
switched off. Therefore, never leave the air re-
circulation mode switched on for a long time
(risk of accident). Vehicle ventilation or heating
Ventilating the vehicle interior
– Turn the temperature selector ››
›
Fig. 165
A anticlockwise.
– Turn blower switch B to any of the head
settin g
s 1 -4.
– Set
the airflow to the desired direction us-
ing air distrib
ution control C .
– Open the relevant air outlets. Interior heating
– Turn the temperature selector ››
›
Fig. 165
A clockwise to select the desired tempera-
t ur
e.
– Turn b
lower switch B to any of the head
settin g
s 1 -4.
– Set
the airflow to the desired direction us-
ing air distrib
ution control C .
– Open the relevant air outlets.
D efr
os
ting the windscreen
– Turn the temperature selector ››› Fig. 165
A clockwise to reach the maximum tem-
per at
ur e.
– T
urn the blower switch B to setting 4.
– Turn air distribution control to .
– Close outlet 3 .
– Open and turn outlet 4 towards the side
w indo
ws.
K
eeping the windscreen and the side win-
dows demisted
– Turn the temperature selector ››› Fig. 165
A to the heating area.
– Turn blower switch B to any of the head
settin g
s 2 -3.
– T
urn air distribution control to .
– Close outlets 3 –
Open and t urn outl
ets 4 towards side win-
do w
s.
Onc e the w
indows are demisted and as a pre-
ventive measure, the control C can be set in
po s
ition
, thus obtaining greater comfort
while preventing the windows from misting
again.
Heating
Maximum heat output, which is needed to
defrost the windows quickly, is only available
when the engine has reached its operating
temperature. Note
Remember that the temperature of the engine
cool ant
should be optimum to ensure that the
heating system functions correctly (except in
vehicles fitted with additional heating*). 143
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
Air conditioning* C ontr
ol
s Fig. 166
Air conditioning controls on the
d a
sh p anel
. Temperature selector
››
›
p
age 144
Blower control. There are four speed set-
tings for the blower. At low speed, it is
recommended to set the blower to a mini-
mum of 1 to improve the intake of fresh
air.
Air distribution control ››› page 144
Air recirculation button
› ›
› p age 145
A/C button – Switches on the cooling
sy s
tem
›
›› page 144
The air conditioning system only works when
the engine is running and the fan is switched
on. A B
C
D
E ●
Us
in g the r
otary switches A ,
B and
C ›››
Fig. 166 y ou c
an a dju
st temperature, blow-
er speed and air distribution.
● To switch a function on or off, press the ap-
propriate b
utton D or
E . When the function
i s
activ at
ed, a red warning light on the but-
ton is turned on.
To demist the windscreen
● Turn air distribution to .
● Turn the fan control to one of the two levels
depending on the speed requir
ed.
● Rotate the temperature control to the de-
sired lev
el of comfort.
● Close outlets 3 ●
Open and turn outlets 4 towards side win-
do w
s. WARNING
For your safety, the windows should never be
fogg ed up or c
overed with snow or ice. This is
essential to ensure good visibility. Please fa-
miliarise yourself with the correct operation
of the heating and ventilation system, includ-
ing the demist/defrost functions for the win-
dows. Note
Please consider the general notes. Vehicle interior heating or cooling
sy
s
tem Interior heating
– Turn off the cooling system using the
››› Fig. 166
A/C button (the button light
turns off).
– T
urn the temperature selector A to set the
desir ed t
emperature inside the vehicle.
– Turn the blower switch to any of the set-
tings 1-4.
– Set
the air distribution control C to the air
flo w c
onfigur ation de
sired: (towards the
w ind
sc
reen), (towards the chest),
(towards the footwell) and
(towards the
w ind
sc
reen and footwell areas).
Interior cooling
– Turn off the cooling system using the A/C button (the button light turns on).
– Turn the temperature control switch until
the de s
ir ed int
erior temperature is reached.
– Turn the blower switch to any of the set-
tings 1-4.
– Set
the air distribution control to the air
flow configuration de
sired: (towards the
w ind
sc
reen), (towards the chest),
(towards the footwell) and
(towards the
w ind
sc
reen and footwell areas).
144
Air conditioning
Heating
M ax
imum he at
output, which is needed to
defrost the windows quickly, is only available
when the engine has reached its operating
temperature.
Coolant system
When the air conditioning is switched on, the
temperature and the air humidity go down.
This way, if the outside humidity is extreme,
the air conditioning prevents the misting of
the windows and therefore, comfort is im-
proved.
If the air conditioning does not work, this
may be due to the following reasons:
● The engine is stationary.
● The fan blower is switched off.
● The outside temperature is lower than ap-
proxim
ately +3 °C (+37 °F).
● The air conditioning system compressor
has been t
emporarily switched off because of
an increased engine coolant temperature.
● The air conditioner fuse is faulty.
● Another fault in the vehicle. Have the air
conditioning chec
ked by a specialised work-
shop. Air recirculation
Air recirculation prevents unpleasant smells,
e.g. when pa
s
sing through a tunnel or in
queuing traffic, from entering the interior.
If the rotary switch C
››› Fig. 166 i s
in the
thaw position, the recirculation flap will al-
ways be open (button light off).
If the rotary switch C is switched from any
position t o the th
aw position, recirculation
will be automatically deactivated.
Connecting the recirculation
In any position of rotary switch C except
th a
w:
● Pr e
ss button D
› ›
› Fig. 166 , the sw
itch's
lamp will light up, indicating that air recircu-
lation inside the vehicle has been activated.
Disconnecting the recirculation
In any position of rotary switch C except
th a
w:
● Pr e
ss button D again and the button's
l amp w
il
l go off, indicating that air recircula-
tion from the outside has been activated. In the thaw position of rotary switch
C , the
entr y
of air int
o the vehicle interior is always
from the outside. WARNING
In air recirculation mode, no cold air from the
outside ent er
s the vehicle interior. If the air
conditioner is switched off, the windows can
quickly mist over. Therefore, never leave the
air recirculation mode switched on for a long
time (risk of accident). Note
● When engagin g r
everse gear, the air recir-
culation is connected automatically to pre-
vent the entrance of exhaust gases in the ve-
hicle on travelling backwards. The control
lamp on the button does not light up.
● If the temperature control is turned to the
col de
st setting (blue point) and the A/C but-
ton is on, the
“Air recirculation” function is
automatically activated in order to cool the
vehicle faster using less energy, and its func-
tion control lamp will light up.
● If the function is not deactivated by press-
ing the button, it
will deactivate after approx-
imately 20 minutes. 145
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Air conditioning
● Pr e
ss
the AUTO button
13
› ››
Fig. 167
.
● Adju s
t vents 3 and 4 ››› p
age 141 so that
the air flow is directed slightly upwards.
Change between degrees Centigrade and de-
grees Fahrenheit
Keep the AUTO and
A/C
› ››
Fig. 167
butt
ons
held down for 2 seconds at the same time.
The data is displayed on the screen in the
units required. Note
● A vi s
it to the specialised service once a
year is recommended to clean the Climatronic
system.
● The interior temperature sensor 11›››
Fig. 167 is at the bott
om. Do not cover it
with stickers or the like, as this could have a
negative effect on Climatronic operations. Automatic mode
Automatic mode is used to maintain a con-
s
t
ant t
emperature and demist the windows
inside the vehicle.
Switching on automatic mode
● Set the interior temperature between
+16 °C (+64 °F) and +29 °C (+84
°F).
● Adjust vents 3 and 4 ›››
p
age 141 so that
the air flow is directed slightly upwards. ●
Press
the AUTO button
13
› ››
Fig. 167
and
AUTO dis
played on the screen.
Automatic mode is switched off by pressing
the air distribution buttons or increasing or
decreasing the blower speed. However, the
temperature remains regulated.
Adjusting the temperature ●
When you switch on the ignition, control 1 ›››
Fig. 167 can be used t o set
the required in-
terior temperature.
It is possible to select interior temperatures
from +16 °C (+64 °F) to +29 °C (+84 °F). In
this range the temperature is regulated auto-
matically. If a temperature below +16 °C
(+64 °F) is selected, “LO” is displayed on the
screen. If a temperature above +29 °C
(+84 °F) is selected, “HI” is displayed on the
screen. At both extremes, Climatronic works
at maximum cooling or heating power, re-
spectively. The temperature is not regulated.
In the event of prolonged, irregular distribu-
tion of the air flow from the outlets (particu-
larly the footwells) and significant differen-
ces in temperature, e.g. on leaving the vehi-
cle, sensitive people may catch cold. Air recirculation Air recirculation prevents unpleasant smells,
e.g. when pa
s
sing through a tunnel or in
queuing traffic, from entering the interior.
Switching on air recirculation mode
● Press button
17
››› Fig. 167 and the
symbo
l is displayed on the screen.
Switching off air recirculation mode
● Press button
17
› ›
› Fig. 167 and the
symbol disappears from the screen. WARNING
Read and observe the safety warnings ››› in
General not
es on page 140. Note
If air recirculation mode remains on for 15 mi-
nutes, the
symbol will start to flash on
the screen to indicate prolonged air recircula-
tion. If air recirculation is not switched off,
the symbol will continue to flash for about 5
minutes. Blower selection
Climatronic automatically regulates blower
s
peed ac
cor
ding to the interior temperature. »
147
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