Operation
expect the ABS to reduce the braking dis-
t anc
e u
nder any circumstances. This distance
will increase when driving on gravel, recent
snow or on icy or slippery ground.
Brake assist system (BAS)
The brake assist system may reduce the re-
quired braking distance. The brake assist
system boosts the braking force if you press
the brake pedal quickly in an emergency. As
a result, the braking pressure increases rap-
idly, the braking force is multiplied and the
braking distance is reduced. This enables the
ABS to be activated more quickly and effec-
tively.
¡Do not lift your foot off the brake pedal!
When the brake pedal is released or when
the brake force is reduced, braking assist au-
tomatically turns off the brake servo.
Traction control system (ASR) or Traction
Control (TC)*
In the event of wheelspin, the traction control
system ASR or TC reduces the engine torque
to match the amount of grip available. The
ASR or TC makes some situations easier, for
example, when starting, accelerating or go-
ing uphill, even in unfavourable road condi-
tions. Electronic differential lock (EDS)
EDL is
available when driving in straight lines
under normal conditions. When the EDL de-
tects wheelspin, it brakes the spinning wheel
and directs the power to the other one. To
prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel
from overheating, the EDL cuts out automati-
cally if subjected to excessive loads. The EDL
will switch on again automatically when the
brake has cooled down. WARNING
Driving at high speed on icy, slippery or wet
grou nd c
an result in loss of vehicle control
and serious injury to the driver and passen-
gers.
● Adjust your speed and driving style to visi-
bility
, road, traffic and weather conditions.
Even though the brake assist systems, ABS,
BAS, EDL, ASR and ESC* provide more securi-
ty, do not take unnecessary risks while driv-
ing.
● Brake assist systems can not overcome the
law
s of physics. Even with ESC* and other
systems, slippery and wet roads will always
be dangerous.
● Driving to quickly on wet ground can result
in the wheels lo
sing contact with the ground
in an effect known as “aquaplaning”. Without
adherence, it is impossible to brake, steer or
control the vehicle.
● Brake assist systems cannot avoid acci-
dents if
, for example, the driver does not re- spect safety distances or drives to quickly in
difficu
lt
conditions.
● Even though brake assist systems are ex-
tremely eff
ective and help control the vehicle
in difficult situations, remember that the ve-
hicle stability depends on tyre grip.
● When accelerating on a slippery surface,
for ex
ample on ice or snow, press the acceler-
ator carefully. The wheels can still slip even
with brake assist systems resulting in loss of
vehicle control. WARNING
The effectiveness of the ESC* can be consid-
erab ly
reduced if other components and sys-
tems affecting driving dynamics are not main-
tained or are not functioning correctly. This
includes, among others, brakes, tyres and
other systems already mentioned.
● Remember that changing and fitting other
components
to the vehicle can affect opera-
tion of the ABS, BAS, ASR TC, EDL and ESC*.
● Changes to the vehicle suspension or using
unap
proved wheel/tyre combinations can af-
fect operation of the ABS, BAS, ASR, TC, EDL
and ESC* and their effectiveness.
● Likewise, the effectiveness of ESC* de-
pends on the u
se of suitable tyres
››› page 199.140
Advice
Advice
C ar
e and m
aintenance
Accessories, replacement of
parts and modifications Introduction WARNING
The use of spare parts and accessories, or in-
corr ectly
performed modifications or repairs
may result in damage to the vehicle, acci-
dents and serious injury.
● SEAT strongly recommends you to only use
SEAT ap
proved accessories and SEAT ®
origi-
nal spare parts. These parts and accessories
have been specially tested by SEAT for suita-
bility, reliability and safety.
● Have any repairs or modifications carried
out at a s
pecialised workshop. These work-
shops have the necessary tools, diagnostics
equipment, repair information and qualified
personnel.
● Only mount parts with the same specifica-
tions a
s the parts fitted at factory.
● Never mount, fasten or fit objects such as
drink hol
ders or telephone cradles over the
covers of the airbag modules or within their
deployment zones. ●
Only u
se wheels and tyre combinations
which have been approved by SEAT for your
vehicle type. Accessories and spare parts
SEAT recommends you consult an Official
Serv
ic
e before purchasing accessories and
spare parts or consumables. For example,
when fitting accessories at a later date, or
when replacing a component. A SEAT Official
Service will advise you as to the legal require-
ments and manufacturer's recommendations
regarding accessories, spare parts and other
components.
SEAT recommend you use only approved
SEAT accessories and genuine SEAT spare
parts ®
. These parts and accessories have
been specially tested by SEAT for suitability,
reliability and safety. In addition, SEAT tech-
nical services will guarantee that assembly is
performed professionally.
Although we continually monitor the market,
SEAT cannot guarantee that products not ap-
proved by SEAT are reliable, safe or suitable
for the vehicle. Therefore, SEAT cannot accept
liability, even in those cases authorised by
an officially recognised technical inspection
office or other official body.
Any retro-fitted equipment which has a direct
effect on vehicle control must be approved by SEAT for use in your vehicle and bear the
e
mark (the E
uropean Union's authorisation
symbol). This includes cruise control systems
or electronically controlled suspension.
If any additional electrical devices are fitted
which do not serve to control the vehicle it-
self, these must bear the mark (European
Union manufacturer conformity declaration).
This includes refrigerator boxes, laptops or
ventilator fans. WARNING
Unprofessional repairs or modifications to
the v ehic
le may affect the performance of the
airbags, and may cause operating faults or fa-
tal accidents.
● Never mount, fasten or fit objects such as
drink hol
ders or telephone cradles over or
next to the covers of the airbag modules or
within their deployment zones.
● Objects placed over the airbag covers, or
within their deplo
yment zones, could lead to
serious injury or loss of life if the airbags are
triggered. Service fluids and components
All vehicle fluids and consumables
, suc
h a
s
notched belts, tyres, coolant fluids, engine
oils, spark plugs and batteries are continual-
ly being developed. Therefore all fluids and
164
Advice
●
All
repairs and modifications to the vehicle
should only be performed by a specialised
workshop. Repairs and malfunctions in the air-
bag sy
s
tem When performing repairs and technical mod-
ification
s,
SEAT's directives must be ob-
served! ››› Modifications and repairs to the front bump-
er
, door
s, fr
ont seats, and repairs to the roof
or chassis should only be carried out in a
specialised workshop. These components
may contain parts or sensors belonging to
the airbag system.
If work is carried out on the airbag system or
parts have to be removed and fitted on the
system when performing other repair work,
parts of the airbag system may be damaged.
The consequence may be that, in the event of
an accident, the airbag inflates incorrectly or
does not inflate at all.
So that the effectiveness of the airbag is not
reduced and that removed parts do not cause
any injuries or environmental pollution, regu-
lations must be observed. These require-
ments are known to specialised workshops.
Modifications to the vehicle suspension may
affect the operation of the airbag system in
the event of collision. For example, if wheel and tyre combinations not approved by SEAT
are used, or if
the vehicle height is lowered,
the suspension is stiffened or the suspension
springs, telescopic arms, dampers, etc., are
modified, the results received by the airbag
sensors and sent to the control unit may not
be accurate. For example, some modifica-
tions to the suspension could increase the
force measured by the sensors and result in
the triggering of the airbag systems in colli-
sions. Under normal conditions, the meas-
ured values would be lower and the airbag
would not have been triggered. Other modifi-
cations may reduce the forces measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbags from be-
ing triggered when they should. WARNING
Repairs or modifications which are not per-
formed c orr
ectly may result in damage or er-
rors in the vehicle operation, affecting the ef-
fectiveness of the airbag systems. This could
result in serious or fatal accidents.
● All repairs and modifications to the vehicle
should on
ly be performed by a specialised
workshop.
● Airbag modules must never be repaired: if
damag
ed, they must be replaced.
● Never fit recycled or reused airbag compo-
nents in
your vehicle. WARNING
Modifications to the vehicle suspension, in-
cludin g the u
se of unauthorised wheel and
tyre combinations, may affect the perform-
ance of the airbags and increase the risk of
serious or fatal injury in the event of acci-
dent.
● Never fit suspension components which are
not identica
l to the original parts in the vehi-
cle.
● Never use wheel and tyre combinations not
appro
ved by SEAT. Retrofitting of mobile phones
An exterior aerial is required for the use of
tw
o-w
a
y radios in the vehicle.
The retro-fitting of electrical or electronic ap-
pliances in the vehicle is subject to their ap-
proval for use in your vehicle. Under certain
circumstances, this could mean that your ve-
hicle registration documents are no longer
valid.
SEAT has approved your vehicle for use with
two-way radios providing the following condi-
tions are observed:
● The exterior aerial must be mounted pro-
fes
sionally.
● The maximum transmitting power is 10
watts.
166
Wheels and tyres
Foreign bodies in the tyre
● Do not remove foreign bodies if they have
penetr at
ed thr
ough the tyre wall!
● You should obtain professional assistance
immediately
.
Tyre wear
The wear of tyres depends on a number of
factors, for example:
● Driving style.
● Unbalanced wheels.
● Running gear settings.
Driving
style: Driving round bends quickly or
sudden acceleration or braking speed accel-
erates tyre wear. When the driving style is
normal, if the tyres wear too quickly, have the
running gear settings checked at a special-
ised workshop.
Wheel run-out: The wheels on new vehicles
are balanced. However, certain circumstan-
ces may lead to imbalance (run-out), which is
detected as vibrations in the steering wheel.
Run-out leads to wear of the steering and
suspension. In the event of run out, the
wheels should be balanced again. When a
new wheel is fitted, it should be balanced
again.
Running gear settings : an incorrectly posi-
tioned running gear increases the wear of
tyres and affects your safety while driving. If tyres wear too quickly, have the wheel align-
ment chec
ked at a specialised workshop. WARNING
If you notice unusual vibration or the car pulls
to one s ide whi
le driving, this may indicate
that one of the tyres is damaged.
● Reduce speed immediately and stop, while
obser
ving the highway code.
● Check the wheels and tyres for damage.
● Never carry on driving on worn tyres or
wheels. Reque
st qualified assistance immedi-
ately.
● If there is no visible exterior damage, drive
slowly
and carefully to the nearest special-
ised workshop and have the vehicle checked. Tyre monitor system*
Fig. 176
Centre console: tyre monitor system
b utt
on The tyre control lamp compares wheel revolu-
tion
s
and w
ith it, the wheel diameter of each
wheel using the ESC. If the diameter of a
wheel changes, the tyre control lamp
lights up. The wheel diameter changes when:
● Tyre pressure is insufficient.
● The tyre structure is damaged.
● The vehicle is unbalanced because of a
load.
● The wheel
s of one axle are under more
pres
sure (for example, driving with a trailer or
on steep slopes).
● The vehicle is fitted with snow chains.
● The temporary spare wheel is fitted.
● The wheel on one axle is changed.
Tyr
e pressure adjustment
On adjusting tyre pressure or changing one
or more wheels, the ››› Fig. 176 button must
be kept pressed down, with the ignition on,
until an acoustic signal is heard.
If the wheels are under excessive load (for ex-
ample, driving with a trailer or heavy load),
the tyre pressure must be increased to the
recommended value for a full load (see the
sticker on the inside of the fuel flap). If the
tyre monitor system button is pressed down,
the new tyre pressures are confirmed. »
205
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety