The essentials
Note
● The v ehic
les must not touch each other,
otherwise electricity could flow as soon as
the positive terminals are connected.
● The discharged battery must be properly
connected t
o the on-board network. How to jump start: description
Fig. 86
Diagram of connections for vehicles
w ithout
Start-Stop system. Fig. 87
Diagram of connections for vehicles
with St
art-Stop system. Jump lead terminal connections
1. Switch off the ignition of both vehicles
››
›
.
2. Connect one end of the re
d
jump lead to
the positive + terminal of the vehicle
w ith the fl
at
battery A
› ›
› Fig. 86 .
3. Connect the other end of the red
jump
lead to the positive terminal + in the ve-
hic l
e pr
oviding assistance B .
4. For vehicles without Start-Stop system:
connect
one end of
the black jump lead to
the negative terminal – of the vehicle
pr o
v
iding the current B
› ›
› Fig. 86 .
– For vehicles with Start-Stop system: con-
nect one end of
the black jump lead X to a
s uit
ab
le ground terminal, to a solid piece of
metal in the engine block, or to the engine
block itself ››› Fig. 87. 5. Connect the other end of the
black
jump
lead X to a solid metal component bolted
t o the en
gine b
lock 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
c
ome into contact with any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
Starting
7. Start the engine of the vehicle with the boostin
g battery and let it run at idling
speed.
8. Start the engine of the vehicle with the flat batter
y 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 be
am headlights if they are
switched on.
10.
Turn on the heater blower and heated rear
window in the vehicle 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 lea
ds in reverse order to the details
given above. 68
Driving
Manual gearbox Driv in
g w
ith manual gearboxRead the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 47
Certain versions of the model may include a
6-speed manual gearbox, and its diagram is
shown on the gearbox lever.
The reverse gear can only be engaged when
the car is stationary. When the engine is run-
ning and before engaging this gear, wait
about 6 seconds with the clutch pressed
down thoroughly in order to protect the gear-
box.
The reverse lights switch on when the reverse
gear is selected and the ignition is on. WARNING
● When the engine i s
running, the vehicle
will start to move as soon as a gear is engag-
ed and the clutch released.
● Never select the reverse gear when the ve-
hicle i
s in motion. Risk of accident. Note
● Do not r e
st your hand on the gear lever
while driving. The pressure of your hand
could cause premature wear on the selector
forks in the gearbox. ●
When ch an
ging gear, you should always
depress the clutch fully to avoid unnecessary
wear and damage.
● Do not “slip” the clutch to hold the vehicle
on a hill
. This causes premature wear and
damage to the clutch.
● Do not leave your foot on the clutch pedal;
although the pre
ssure may seem insignifi-
cant, it can cause the premature wear of the
clutch plate. Use the foot rest when you do
not need to change gear. Automatic gearbox/DSG auto-
m
atic
g
earbox*
Introduction Your vehicle is equipped with an electronical-
ly
c
ontr
olled manual gearbox. Torque be-
tween the engine and the gearbox is trans-
mitted via two independent clutches. They re-
place the torque converter found on conven-
tional automatic gearboxes and allow for
smooth, uninterrupted acceleration of the ve-
hicle.
The tiptronic system allows the driver to
change gears manually if desired
››› page 185, Changing gears in tiptronic
mode*. Selector lever positions Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 47
The selector lever position engaged is high-
lighted on the display in the instrument clus-
ter. With the selector lever in the manual
gearbox positions G, D, E and S, the engaged
gear is also indicated on the display.
P – Parking lock
When the selector lever is in this position,
the driven wheels are locked mechanically.
The parking lock must be engaged only when
the vehicle is stationary ››› .
The int erloc
k
button (the button on the selec-
tor lever handle) must be pressed in and si-
multaneously the brake pedal must be de-
pressed before moving the selector lever ei-
ther in or out of position P.
R – Reverse gear
Reverse gear must be engaged only when the
vehicle is stationary and the engine is idling
››› .
T o mo
v
e the selector lever to position R, the
interlock button must be pressed in and at
the same time the brake pedal must be de-
pressed. The reverse lights come on when
the selector lever is in the R position with the
ignition on. »
183
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driver assistance systems
Driving situations Fig. 203
Schematic diagram: Pas sing sit-
uation with traffic behind the vehicle. Indi-
cation from the blind spot detector in the left-
hand external mirror. Fig. 204
Schematic diagram: Situation of
p a
ssing and then moving into the right-hand
lane. Indication from the blind spot detec- tor in the right-hand external mirror. In the following situations, an indication will
be di
s
p
layed in the external mirror ››› Fig. 203
(arrow) or ››› Fig. 204 (arrow):
● When being overtaken by another vehicle
›››
Fig. 203 .
● When overtaking another vehicle
›››
Fig. 204 with a speed differential of ap-
prox. 10 km/h (6 mph). If the vehicle is pass- ing at a considerably higher speed, no indi-
cation wi
ll be displayed.
The faster the vehicle approaches, the sooner
an indication will be displayed in the external
mirror, because the blind spot detector takes
into account the speed differential with other
vehicles. Thus even though the distance from
the other vehicle is identical, the indication
will appear sooner in some cases and later in
others. Physical limitations inherent to the system
In some situation
s the blind spot detector
may not interpret the traffic situation correct-
ly. E.g. in the following situations:
● on tight bends;
● in the case of lanes with different widths;
● at the top of slopes;
● in adverse weather conditions; »
223
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Towing bracket device
Hitching and connecting the trailer Fig. 233
Schematic diagram: assignment of
the pins of the trailer's electrical socket.
Key of the Schematic diagram ››› Fig. 233:
PinMeaning
1Left turn signal
2Rear fog light
3Earth, pins 1, 2, 4 to 8
4Right turn signal
5Rear light, right
6Brake lights
7Rear light, left
8Reverse lights
9Permanent live
10Cable without positive charge
11Earth, pin 10
Key of the Schematic diagram ››› Fig. 233:
PinMeaning
12Unassigned
13Earth, pin 9 Electrical socket for trailer
The v
ehic
le is fitted with a 13-pole power
socket for the electrical connection between
the trailer and the vehicle. If the system de-
tects that a trailer has been connected elec-
trically, the electrical equipment on the trailer
will receive voltage through this connection.
Pin 9 has a permanent live. This powers, for
example, the trailer's interior lighting. Pin 10
is only powered when the engine is running.
The charge wire (pin 10) charges, for exam-
ple, a caravan battery.
Pin 9 and 10 should not be connected to
each other to avoid discharging or damaging
the vehicle's battery.
The earth wires, pin 3, pin 11 and pin 13,
should never be connected to each other to
avoid overloading the electrical system.
If the trailer has a 7-contact connector , you
will need to use an adapter cable. In this case
the function corresponding to pin 10 will not
be available. Trailer maximum electricity consumption
Brake lights (total)84 Watts
Turn signal, on each side42 Watts
Side lights (total)100 Watts
Rear lights (total)42 Watts
Rear fog light42 Watts
Never exceed the values indicated!
Note
● If the r e
ar lights of the trailer are not cor-
rectly connected, the vehicle electronics may
be damaged.
● If the trailer absorbs excessive electric cur-
rent, the v
ehicle electronics may be dam-
aged.
● Never connect the trailer's electric system
directly t
o the electrical connections of the
tail lights or any other power sources. Only
use the connections intended for providing
electric current to the trailer. Ball coupling of towing bracket de-
v
ic
e* The ball coupling is provided with instruc-
tion
s
on fittin
g and removing the ball cou-
pling of the towing bracket. »
251
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Advice
Checking levels Fig. 236
Diagram for the location of the various ele-
ments. From time to time, the levels of the different
fluid
s
in the
vehicle must be checked. Never
fill with incorrect fluids, otherwise serious
damage to the engine may be caused.
Coolant expansion tank
Engine oil level dipstick
Engine oil filler cap
Brake fluid reservoir
Vehicle battery
Windscreen washer reservoir
The checking and refilling of service fluids
are carried out on the components men- 1 2
3
4
5
6 tioned above. These operations are descri-
bed in
››
›
page 267.
Overview
You will find further explanations, instruc-
tions and restrictions on the technical speci-
fications as of ››› page 285. Note
The layout of parts may vary depending on
the engine. Engine oil
Gener a
l
notes The engine comes with a special, multi-grade
oil
th
at can be used all year round.
Because the use of high-quality oil is essen-
tial for the correct operation of the engine
and its long useful life, when topping up or
changing oil, use only those oils that comply
with VW standards.
The specifications (VW standards) set out in
the following page should appear on the con-
tainer of the service oil; when the container
displays the specific standards for petrol and
270
Advice
The position of the battery is shown in the
c orr
e
sponding engine compartment diagram
››› page 270.
The “magic eye” indicator, located on the top
of the battery changes colour, depending on
the charge state and electrolyte level of the
battery.
There are two different colours:
● Black: correct charge status.
● Transparent/clear yellow: the battery must
be repl
aced. Contact a specialised workshop.
Charging or changing the battery The battery is maintenance-free and is
c
hec
k
ed during the inspection service. All
work on the vehicle battery requires special-
ist knowledge.
If you often drive short distances or if the ve-
hicle is not driven for long periods, the bat-
tery should be checked by a specialised
workshop between the scheduled services.
If the battery has discharged and you have
problems starting the vehicle, the battery
might be damaged. If this happens, we rec-
ommend you have the vehicle battery
checked by a Technical Service where it will
be re-charged or replaced. Charging the battery
The vehic
le battery should be charged by a
specialised workshop only, as batteries us-
ing special technology have been installed
and they must be charged in a controlled en-
vironment.
Replacing a vehicle battery
The battery has been developed to suit the
conditions of its location and has special
safety features.
Genuine SEAT batteries meet the mainte-
nance, performance and safety specifications
of your vehicle. WARNING
● We r ec
ommend you use only maintenance-
free or cycle free leak-proof batteries which
comply with standards T 825 06 and
VW 7 50 73. This standard applies as of
2001.
● Before starting any work on the batteries,
you mus
t read and observe the warnings
››› in Symbols and warnings on handling
the batt er
y on page 276. For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain toxic substances such as
su lphuric
acid and lead. They must be dis-
posed of appropriately and must not be dis-
posed of with ordinary household waste. Wheels
Wheel s
and ty
res
General notes Avoiding damage
– If you have to drive over a kerb or similar
ob s
tacle, drive very slowly and at a right
angle.
– Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
– Inspect the tyres regularly for damage
(cuts, c r
acks or blisters, etc.). Remove any
foreign objects embedded in the treads.
Storing tyres
– When you remove the tyres, mark them in
order to m
aintain the same direction of ro-
tation when they are installed again.
– When removed, the wheels and/or tyres
should be s
tored in a cool, dry and prefera-
bly dark location.
– Store tyres in a vertical position, if they are
not fitted on wheel
rims.
New tyres
New tyres must be run in ›››
page 191.
The tread depth of new tyres may vary, ac-
cording to the type and make of tyre and the
tread pattern.
278
Advice
Tyre useful life Fig. 239
Tyre tread wear indicators. Fig. 240
Diagram for changing wheels. The useful life of tyres is dependent on tyre
pr
e
s
sure, driving style and fitting.
Wear indicators
The original tyres on your vehicle have
1.6 mm high “tread wear indicators”
››› Fig. 239, running across the tread. De- pending on the make, there will be 6 to 8 of
them evenly
spaced around the tyre. Mark-
ings on the tyre sidewall (for instance the let-
ters “TWI” or other symbols) indicate the po-
sitions of the tread wear indicators. The mini-
mum tread depth required by law is 1.6 mm
(measured in the tread grooves next to the
tread wear indicators). Worn tyres must be re-
placed. Different figures may apply in export
countries ››› .
T y
r
e pressure
Incorrect tyre pressure causes premature
wear and could cause tyre blow-out. For this
reason, the tyre pressure should be checked
at least once per month ››› page 279.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking all increase tyre wear.
Changing wheels around
If the front tyres are worn considerably more
than the rear ones it is advisable to change
them around as shown ››› Fig. 240. The use-
ful life of all the tyres will then be about the
same time.
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
However, various factors encountered in nor-
mal driving can cause them to become unbal-
anced, which results in steering vibration. Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as
they otherw
ise cause excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must
also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect running gear alignment causes ex-
cessive tyre wear, impairing the safety of the
vehicle. If tyres show excessive wear, you
should have the wheel alignment checked by
a Technical Service. WARNING
There is a serious danger of accidents if a tyre
bur s
ts during driving!
● The tyres must be replaced at the latest
when the trea
d wear indicators are worn
››› page 280. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in an accident. Worn tyres do not
grip well at high speeds on wet roads. There
is also a greater risk of “aquaplaning”.
● At continuously high speeds, a tyre with in-
sufficient
pressure flexes more. This causes it
to overheat. This can cause tread separation
and tyre blow-out. Risk of accident. Always
observe the recommended tyre pressures.
● If tyres show excessive wear, you should
have the ru
nning gear checked by a Technical
Service.
● Keep chemicals such as oil, fuel and brake
fluid awa
y from tyres.
● Damaged wheels and tyres must be re-
plac
ed immediately! 280