2017 Seat Leon 5D brakes

The essentialsMenuSubmenuPossible settingDescription
Lights
Light assistDynamic Light Assist, Light Assist, motorway function, turning-on time, headlamp
range adjustment, automatic lights when raining, one-touch signalling, travel mode.›››
page 140
Vehicle interior lightingBrightness of instrument panel and controls››› page 147
Coming Home/Leaving Home functionSwitch-on time of the “Coming home” and “Leaving home” functions››› page 143
››› page 144
Driver assistance
ACC (adaptive cruise control)Activation and deactivation: default distance level, driving profiles.››› page 214
Front Assist (emergency brake as-
sist system)Activation and deactivation: Front Assist, advance warning, distance warning display››› page 210
Lane Assist (system warning you if
you leave the lane)Activation and deactivation of lane departure warning, adaptive lane guidance››› page 224
Detection of traffic signsDisplay on the instrument panel, activation and deactivation of the speed warning››› page 233
TrailerTrailer recognition (display of traffic signs for vehicles with trailer), use to calculate
the route, maximum speed for trailer››› page 246
Fatigue detectionActivation and deactivation››› page 236
Parking and ma-
noeuvring
ParkPilotAutomatic activation, front volume, front sound treble, rear volume, rear sound tre-
ble, adjust Infotainment volume››› page 237
Auto HoldSwitching on and off when starting off››› page 208
Electric parking brakeSwitching on and off automatically››› page 183
Braking while manoeuvring functionSwitching on and off››› page 242
Displaying the parking spaceSwitching on and off
Ambient lighting–Switching on and off, selecting brightness, colour, area or total››› page 147 34

Lights and visibility
Hazard warning lights Fig. 143
Dash panel: switch for hazard warn-
in g lights. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
 page 31
The hazard warning lights are used to draw
the attention of other road users to your vehi-
cle in emergencies.
If your vehicle breaks down:
1. Park your vehicle at a safe distance from movin
g traffic.
2. Press the button to switch on the hazard warning lights
››› .
3. Switch the ignition off.
4. Apply the handbrake.
5. For a manual gearbox, engage 1st gear; for an aut
om

atic gearbox, move the gear
lever to P. 6. Use the warning triangle to draw the atten-
tion of other ro
ad users to your vehicle.
7. Always take the vehicle key with you when you le
ave the vehicle.
All turn signals flash simultaneously when
the hazard warning lights are switched on.
The two turn signal turn signal lamps  
and the turn signal lamp in the switch  will
flash at the same time. The simultaneous
hazard warning lights also work when the ig-
nition is switched off.
Emergency braking warning
If the vehicle brakes suddenly and continu-
ously at a speed of more than 80 km/h (50
mph), the brake light flashes several times
per second to warn the vehicles driving be-
hind. If you continue braking, the hazard
warning lights will come on automatically
when the vehicle comes to a standstill. They
switch off automatically when the vehicle
starts to move again. WARNING
● The risk of

an accident increases if your ve-
hicle breaks down. Always use the hazard
warning lights and a warning triangle to draw
the attention of other road users to your sta-
tionary vehicle.
● Due to the high temperatures that the cata-
lytic con
verter can reach, never park in an
area where the catalytic converter could come into contact with highly inflammable materi-
al
s, f

or example dry grass or spilt petrol. This
could start a fire. Note
● The b atter

y will run down if the hazard
warning lights are left on for a long time,
even if the ignition is switched off.
● The use of the hazard warning lights de-
scribed her
e is subject to the relevant statu-
tory requirements. Parking lights
 When the parking light is switched on, (right
or l
ef
t

turn signal), the front side light and
the rear light on the corresponding side of
the vehicle stay lit. The parking lights can on-
ly be activated with the ignition switched off
and the turn signal and main beam lever in
the central position, before being triggered.
Parking light on both sides With the ignition switched off and the light
sw
it
c

h in position , when locking the vehi-
cle from the outside, the parking lights on
both sides of the vehicle light up. In doing
so, only the side lights of both headlights
light up, and additionally the tail lights will
do so partially.
145
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
WARNING
● The lugg ag
e compartment cover must al-
ways be fixed properly (risk of accident).
● The luggage compartment cover should not
be used as
a storage shelf. Articles placed on
this cover could cause injury to vehicle occu-
pants in an accident or if the brakes are ap-
plied suddenly. Retractable rear shelf
3 Applies to the model: LEON ST
Fig. 165
In the luggage compartment: open-
in g and r
etr

acting the rear shelf. Fig. 166
In the luggage compartment: remov-
ing the r e

ar shelf. Opening the rear shelf
● Pull evenly on the rear shelf using its han-
dl e
›
›

› Fig. 165 1  in a b
ackwards direction
u nti
l it audibly clicks into place.
Retracting the rear shelf
● Press on the handle of the rear shelf in the
direction of the arr
ow to release it ››› Fig. 165
.
The shelf will automatically move towards the
end and will retract completely.
Removing the rear shelf
● Press the rear shelf support ›››
Fig. 166 1 in the direction of the arrow.
●
Remove the rear shelf through the support
and up w
ar

ds.
162

Driving
The handbrake should be applied firmly to
pr ev
ent
the vehicle from accidentally rolling
away.
Always apply the handbrake when you leave
your vehicle and when you park.
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly
›››
Fig. 196.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the re-
lea

se knob in the direction of the arrow
››› Fig. 196 and guide the handbrake lever
down fully ››› .
A lw
a

ys pull the handbrake all the way up, so
there is less risk of driving off with it still en-
gaged ››› .
The h andbr
ak

e warning lamp  lights up
when the handbrake is applied and the igni-
tion switched on. The warning lamp turns off
when the handbrake is released.
If you drive faster than 6 km/h (4 mph) with
the handbrake on, the following message*
will appear on the instrument panel: HAND-
BRAKE ON. You will also hear an audible
warning. WARNING
● Never u se the h

andbrake to stop the vehi-
cle when it is in motion. The braking distance is considerably longer, because braking is
only
ap

plied to the rear wheels. Risk of acci-
dent!
● If the handbrake is only partially released,
this w
ill cause the rear brakes to overheat,
which can impair the function of the brake
system and could lead to an accident. This al-
so causes premature wear on the rear brake
pads. CAUTION
Always apply the handbrake before you leave
the vehic

le. Put it in 1st gear as well. Parking
The handbrake should always be firmly ap-
p
lied when the
v

ehicle is parked.
Always note the following points when park-
ing the vehicle: – Use the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
– Apply the handbrake.
– Put it in 1st gear.
– Switch the engine off and remove the key
from the ignition. T

urn the steering wheel
slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Never leave a vehicle key in the vehicle. Additional notes on parking the vehicle on
gradient

s:
Turn the steering wheel so that the vehicle
rolls against the kerb if it started to roll.
● If the vehicle is parked facing downhil
l,
turn the front wheels so that they point to-
wards the kerb .
● If the vehicle is parked facing uphill
, turn
the front wheels so that they point away from
the kerb.
● Secure the vehicle as usual by applying the
handbrak
e firmly and putting it in 1st gear. WARNING
● Tak e me

asures to reduce the risk of injury
when you leave your vehicle unattended.
● Never park where the hot exhaust system
coul
d ignite inflammable materials, such as
dry grass, low bushes, spilt fuel etc.
● Never allow vehicle occupants to remain in
the vehic
le when it is locked. They would be
unable to open the vehicle from the inside,
and could become trapped in the vehicle in
an emergency. In the event of an emergency,
locked doors will delay assistance to vehicle
occupants.
● Never leave children alone in the vehicle.
They cou
ld set the vehicle in motion, for ex-
ample, by releasing the handbrake or the
gearbox lever. » 185
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
●
Dependin g on w
eather conditions, it may
become extremely hot or cold inside the vehi-
cle. This can be fatal. Brakes
New brake pads
For the fir
s

t 400 km (250 miles), new brake
pads have not yet reached their maximum
braking capacity, and need to be “run in”
first. However, you can compensate for the
slightly reduced braking effect by applying
more pressure on the brake pedal. Avoid
overloading the brakes while running them
in.
Wear
The rate of wear on the brake pads depends
a great deal on how you drive and the condi-
tions in which the vehicle is operated. This is
a particular problem in urban traffic and
short stretches, or with very sporty driving.
Depending on the speed, the braking force
and the environmental conditions (for exam-
ple, the temperature, air humidity, etc.)
noises may be produced on braking.
Wet roads or road salt
In certain situations (for example, on driving
through flooded areas, in severe downpours
or after washing the vehicle) the braking ac- tion could be delayed if the discs and pads
are d
amp

, or frozen in winter. In this case the
brakes should be “dried” by pressing the
brake pedal several times.
At high speed and with the windscreen wip-
ers activated, the brake pads will briefly
touch the brake discs. This takes place, al-
though unnoticeable to the driver, at regular
intervals to improve the response time of the
brakes when they are wet.
The effectiveness of the brakes can also be
temporarily reduced if the vehicle is driven
for some distance without using the brakes
when there is a lot of salt on the road in win-
ter. The layer of salt that accumulates on the
discs and pads can be removed by gently ap-
plying the brakes a few times.
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for corrosion to
form on the discs and dirt to build up on the
brake pads if the vehicle is used infrequently
or the brakes are not used very often.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if
rust has formed on the disks, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and disks by braking
firmly a few times at a moderately high speed
››› .
F au
lt

in the brake system
If the brake pedal travel should ever increase
suddenly, this may mean that one of the two brake circuits has failed. Drive immediately
to the near

est specialised workshop and
have the fault repaired. Drive there slowly
and remember that you will have to apply
more pressure on the brake pedal and allow
for longer stopping distances.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu-
id level is monitored electronically.
Brake servo
The brake servo increases the pressure you
apply to the brake pedal. It works only when
the engine is running. WARNING
● App ly

the brakes heavily to clean the brake
system only in a suitable traffic situation. Do
not put other road users in danger: there is
risk of causing an accident.
● Ensure the vehicle does not move while in
neutral, when the en
gine is stopped. Failure
to follow this instruction could result in an
accident.
● If the brake fluid loses its viscosity and is
subj
ected to heavy use, vapour bubbles can
form in the brake system. This reduces the ef-
ficiency of the brakes. 186

Driving
CAUTION
● Never l et
the brakes “drag” by leaving your
foot on the pedal when it is not necessary to
brake. This overheats the brakes, resulting in
longer stopping distances and greater wear.
● Before driving down a long, steep gradient,
it is
advisable to reduce speed and select a
lower gear. This makes use of engine braking
and relieves the brakes. If you still have to
use the brakes, it is better to brake firmly at
intervals than to apply the brakes continu-
ously. Note
● If the br ak

e servo is out of action, for exam-
ple when the car is being towed, you will
have to press the brake pedal considerably
harder than normal to make up for the lack of
servo assistance.
● If you wish to equip the vehicle with acces-
sories s
uch as a front spoiler or wheel covers,
it is important that the flow of air to the front
wheels is not obstructed, otherwise the
brakes can overheat. Braking and stability systems
El ectr
onic

Stability Control (ESC)The ESC helps to improve safety. It reduces
the t
endency
t

o skid and improves the stabil-
ity and roadholding of the vehicle. The ESC detects critical handling situations, such as
vehicl

e understeer or oversteer, or wheelspin
on the driving wheels. It stabilises the vehi-
cle by braking individual wheels or by reduc-
ing the engine torque. The warning lamp will
flash on the instrument panel when the ESC
is intervening .
ESC includes the Anti-lock brake system
(ABS), the brake assist system, the traction
control system (ASR), electronic differential
lock (EDL), electronic self-locking*, selective
torque control* and tractor-trailer sway miti-
gation*. ESC also helps stabilise the vehicle
by changing the torque.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up un-
der braking until the vehicle has reached a
virtual standstill. You can continue to steer
the vehicle even when the brakes are on full.
Keep your foot on the brake pedal and do not
pump the brakes. You will feel the brake ped-
al pulsate while the ABS is working.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can reduce the re-
quired braking distance. The braking force is
automatically boosted if you press the brake
pedal quickly in an emergency. You must
keep pressing the brake pedal until the dan-
ger has passed. Traction control system (ASR)
In the event of
wheelspin, the traction control
system reduces the engine torque to match
the amount of grip available. This helps the
car to start moving, accelerate or climb a gra-
dient.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
When the EDL detects wheelspin, it brakes
the spinning wheel and directs the power to
the other driven wheel. This function is active
up to approximately 100 km/h (62 mph).
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel
from overheating, the EDL cuts out automati-
cally if subjected to excessive loads. The ve-
hicle can still be driven. The EDL will switch
on again automatically when the brake has
cooled down.
Tractor-trailer sway mitigation*
If the vehicle is pulling a trailer, it will control
the following: Tractor-trailers tend to sway.
When the swaying of the trailer is felt by the
vehicle and detected by the ESC, it will auto-
matically brake the towing vehicle within the
limits of the system and mitigate the sway.
Tractor-trailer sway mitigation is not available
in all countries.
Electronic torque management (XDS)
When taking a curve, the driveshaft differen-
tial mechanism allows the outer wheel to turn »
187
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
at a higher speed than the inner wheel. In
thi s
w
ay, the wheel that is turning faster (out-
er wheel) receives less drive torque than the
inner wheel. This may mean that in certain
situations the torque delivered to the inner
wheel is too high, causing the wheels to
spin. On the other hand, the outer wheel is
receiving a lower drive torque than it could
transmit. This causes an overall loss of lateral
grip on the front axle, resulting in understeer
or “lengthening” of the trajectory.
The XDS system can detect and correct this
effect via the sensors and signals of the ESC.
Via the ESC, the XDS will brake the inside
wheel and counter the excess driving torque
of that wheel. This means that the driver's
desired trajectory is much more precise.
The XDS system works in combination with
the ESC and is always active, even when ASR
traction control is disconnected, or the ESC in
Sport mode or disconnected.
Multi-collision Brake
In an accident, the multi-collision brake can
help the driver by braking to avoid the risk of
skidding during the accident, which could
lead to further collisions.
The multi-collision brake works for front, side
or rear accidents, when the airbag control
unit records its activation level and the acci-
dent takes place at a speed of over 10 km/h
(6 mph). The ESC automatically brakes the vehicle, as long as the accident has not dam-
aged the ESC, the br
ake hydraulics or the on-
board network
The following actions control automatic brak-
ing during the accident:
● When the driver presses the accelerator,
the automatic
braking does not take place.
● When the braking pressure through press-
ing the brak
e pedal is greater than the sys-
tem’s braking pressure the vehicle will brake
automatically.
● Multi-collision braking will not be available
if ESC
is malfunctioning. WARNING
● The ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL, el ectr

onic self-
locking differential or selective torque control
systems cannot exceed the limits imposed by
the laws of physics. Always bear this in mind,
especially on wet or slippery roads. If you no-
tice the systems cutting in, you should re-
duce your speed immediately to suit the road
and traffic conditions. Do not be encouraged
to take risks by the presence of more safety
systems. If you do, an accident may occur.
● Please remember that the accident risk al-
way
s increases if you drive fast, especially in
corners or on a slippery road, or if you follow
too close behind the vehicle in front of you.
The ESC, ABS, brake assist, EDL, electronic
self-locking and selective torque control sys-
tems cannot prevent accidents: risk of acci-
dents! ●
Ac c

elerate with caution on slippery surfa-
ces (for example, icy or snow-covered). De-
spite the control systems, the driven wheels
could spin, affecting the stability of the vehi-
cle: risk of accident! Note
● The ABS and ASR w i

ll only operate correctly
if the four wheels have identical tyres. Any
differences in the rolling radius of the tyres
can cause the system to reduce engine power
when this is not desired.
● The regulating processes of the systems
can mak
e noises when they intervene.
● If the warning lamp  lights up
, or  alter-
natively, there could be a fault ››› page 119. Switching on/off the ESC and ASR
Fig. 197
Centre console: Button for switching
on/off the E
SC

and ASR188

Driving
Moving off uphill in vehicles with Hill start
a s
s
istant*
– Once you have engaged a gear, release the
footbr

ake and press the accelerator
››› page 190, Hill driving assistant .
Driving down hills: in some situations (on
mountain roads or when towing a trailer or
caravan) it can be advantageous to switch
temporarily to the manual gearbox pro-
gramme so that the gear ratios can be selec-
ted manually to suit the driving conditions
››› .
On l ev
el

ground it is sufficient to move the
selector lever to position P. On slopes, first
engage the parking brake and then put the
selection lever into the P position. This
avoids overloading the locking mechanism
and it will be easier to move the selector lev-
er from position P. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Selector
lev er po
sitions on page 192.
● Never allow the brake to rub and do not use
the brake ped
al too often or for long periods.
Constant braking causes overheating in the
brakes. This could significantly reduce brak-
ing power, increase braking distance or even
result in the total failure of the brake system.
● To avoid rolling back on gradients always
hold the
vehicle with the footbrake or hand-
brake if you have to stop. CAUTION
● If y

ou stop the vehicle on a gradient, do not
attempt to stop it from rolling by depressing
the accelerator when a gear has been selec-
ted. This could cause overheating and dam-
age the automatic gearbox. Apply the hand-
brake firmly or press the brake pedal in order
to prevent the vehicle from rolling back.
● If you allow the car to roll with the selector
lever in po
sition N with the engine switched
off, the automatic gearbox will be damaged
as it will not be lubricated.
● In certain driving situations or traffic condi-
tions, suc
h as frequently starting, prolonged
“creeping” of the vehicle or traffic jams with
continuous stoppages, the gearbox could
overheat causing damage! If the warning
lamp  lights up, stop the vehicle as soon as
possible and wait for the gearbox to cool
››› page 198. Kick-down feature
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac-
c
el
er

ation to be reached.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right
down past the point of resistance at full throt-
tle, the gearbox will shift down to a lower
gear, depending on road speed and engine
speed. The upshift to the next higher gear is
delayed until the engine reaches maximum
rpm. WARNING
Please note that if the road surface is slip-
pery or w

et, the kick-down feature could
cause the driving wheels to spin, which could
result in skidding. Launch control program
3 Valid for vehicles: with Launch-Control/6-Speed
D SG w

ith diesel engines superior to 125 kW and pet-
rol engines superior to 140 kW.
The Launch control programme enables maxi-
mum acceleration.
Important: the engine must have reached op-
erating temperature and the steering wheel
must not be turned.
The engine speed for launch-control is differ-
ent on petrol and diesel engines. To use the
launch-control you must disconnect the anti-
slip regulation (ASR) through the Easy Con-
nect system menu ›››
page 120. The warning
lamp  will stay switched on or will flash
slowly depending on whether or not the vehi-
cle has a driver information system*.
On vehicles with the driver information sys-
tem, the ESC lamp lights up permanently and
the corresponding text message Stability
control deactivated (temporary) ap-
pears on the instrument panel to indicate the
deactivation status. »
195
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety