2017 Seat Leon 5D gearbox

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

Operation
– When the en gine i
s
running, switch off the
traction control (ASR) 1)
.
– Turn the selector lever to the position “S”
or tiptronic, or else sel

ect the sport driv-
ing mode from the SEAT Drive Profile*
››› page 230.
– Press the brake pedal firmly with your left
foot and ho

ld it down for at least one sec-
ond.
– With your right foot, press the accelerator
down to the f

ull throttle or kick-down posi-
tion. The engine speed will stabilise at
about 3,200 rpm (petrol engine) or about
2,000 rpm (diesel engine).
– Take your left foot off the brake pedal. WARNING
● Alw a

ys adapt your driving style to the traf-
fic conditions.
● Only use the launch control programme
when roa
d and traffic conditions permit, and
make sure your manner of driving and accel-
erating the vehicle does not inconvenience or
endanger other road users.
● Make sure that the ESC remains switched
on. Plea
se note that when the ASR and ESC
are deactivated, the wheels may start to spin, causing the vehicle to lose grip. Risk of acci-
dent!
●
After moving off, the ESC “sport” mode
shoul d be de

activated by briefly pressing the
  button. Note
● Af ter u

sing the Launch control programme,
the temperature in the gearbox may have in-
creased considerably. In this case, the pro-
gramme could be disabled for several mi-
nutes. The programme can be used again af-
ter the cooling phase.
● Accelerating with the Launch control pro-
gramme pl
aces a heavy load on all parts of
the vehicle. This can result in increased wear
and tear. Downhill speed control*
The downhill speed control function helps
the driv
er when driv
in

g down steep gradi-
ents.
Downhill speed control is activated when the
selector lever is in D/S and the driver applies
the foot brake. The automatic gearbox auto-
matically engages a lower gear that is suita-
ble for the slope. The downhill speed control function attempts to maintain the speed at
which the v

ehicle was travelling when the
foot brake was applied (subject to the laws of
physics and technical drive limitations). It
may be necessary to adjust the speed again
using the foot brake in certain situations. Giv-
en that the downhill speed control can only
change down to 3rd gear, on very steep de-
scents the tiptronic mode may be required. In
this case, manually reduce the tiptronic to
2nd or 1st gear to use the engine brake and
reduce the charge on the brakes.
Downhill speed control is deactivated as
soon as the road levels out again or you
press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with cruise control system*
››› page 209, downhill speed control is acti-
vated when you set a cruising speed. WARNING
The downhill speed control cannot defy the
la w

s of physics. Therefore, speed cannot be
maintained constant in all situations. Always
be prepared to use the brakes! 1)
Vehicles without driver information system: the
warnin g l

amp flashes slowly/Vehicles with driver in-
formation system: the warning lamp stays on.
196

Driving
Inertia mode The inertia mode enables the kinetic energy
of the
v
ehicle to be harnessed enabling cer-
tain stretches to be driven without using the
accelerator. This enables fuel to be saved.
Use the inertia mode to “let the vehicle roll”
before, for example, arriving in a town.
Switching on inertia mode
Important: selector lever must be in position
D, gradients below 12 %.
– Select, in SEAT Drive Profile*, Eco mode
›› ›

page 230.
– Take your foot off the accelerator.
The driver mes
sage Inertia will be dis-
played. At speeds higher than 20 km/h (12
mph), the gearbox will automatically disen-
gage and the vehicle will roll freely, without
the effect of the engine brake. While the vehi-
cle rolls, the engine runs at idling speed.
Stopping inertia mode
– Press the brake or the accelerator pedal.
To mak
e use of the braking force and switch
off the engine again, simply press the brake
pedal briefly.
Applying both the inertia mode (= prolonged
section with less energy) and the switching
off using inertia (= shorter section without the need for fuel) facilitates improved fuel
cons

umption and emission balance. WARNING
● If the iner ti

a mode has been switched on,
take into account, when approaching an ob-
stacle and releasing the accelerator pedal,
that the vehicle will not decelerate in the usu-
al manner: risk of accident!
● When using inertia mode while travelling
down hil
ls, the vehicle can increase speed:
risk of accident!
● If other users drive your vehicle, warn them
about inerti
a mode. Note
● Inerti a mode i

s only available in eco (SEAT
Drive Profile*) driving mode.
● The driver message Inertia is on
ly dis-
played with the current consumption. In iner-
tia mode the gear will no longer be displayed
(for example “E” will appear instead of “E7”).
● On downhill sections with gradients above
15 %, the inertia mode w
ill automatically be
switched off temporarily. Emergency program
A backup programme is in place if a fault
shou
l
d oc

cur in the control system. If all the positions of the selector lever are
shown ov

er a light background on the instru-
ment panel display, there is a system fault
and the automatic gearbox will operate in
with the backup programme. When the back-
up programme is activated, it is possible to
drive the vehicle, however, at low speeds and
within a selected range of gears. In some ca-
ses driving in reverse gear may not be possi-
ble. CAUTION
If the gearbox operates with the backup pro-
gramme, t ak

e the vehicle to a specialised
workshop and have the fault repaired without
delay. Clutch

Clutch overheating! Please
stop!
The c lut

ch has overheated and could be dam-
aged. Stop the vehicle and wait for the gear-
box to cool with the engine at idling speed
and the selector lever in position P. When the
warning lamp and the driver message switch
off, have the fault corrected by a specialised
workshop without delay. If the warning lamp
and the driver message do not switch off, do
not continue driving. Seek specialist assis-
tance.
197
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Gearbox malfunctions  Gearbox: Fault! Stop the ve-
hicle and place the lever in the
position P.
Ther e is
a fault in the gearbox. Stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place and do not continue driv-
ing. Seek specialist assistance.
 Gearbox: System fault! You
may continue driving.
Have the fault corrected by a specialised
workshop without delay.  Gearbox: System fault! You
can continue driving with re-
strictions. Reverse gear disa‐
bled
Take the vehicle to a specialised workshop
and have the fault repaired without delay.  Gearbox: System fault! You
can continue driving in D until
switching off the engine
Stop the vehicle in a safe place well away
from moving traffic. Seek specialist assis-
tance.  Gearbox: too hot. Adapt your
driving accordingly
Continue driving at moderate speeds. When
the warning lamp switches off, you can con-
tinue driving in a normal manner.  Gearbox: press the brake and
engage a gear again.
If the fau

lt was caused by a gearbox with a
high temperature, this driver message will be
displayed when the gearbox has cooled
again.
Address Electromec
hanical steering Electro-mechanical power steering assists
the driv
er when s
t

eering.
Electro-mechanical power steering adapts
electronically to the speed of the car, torque
and turning angle.
If the power steering should fail at any time
or the engine is switched off (for instance
when being towed), the car can still be
steered. However, more effort than normal
will be required to turn the steering wheel.
Driver warning lamps and messages  (in red) Faulty steering! To
park the vehicle
If the warning lamp remains on and the driver
indication appears, the power steering could
be faulty.
Do not continue driving. Seek specialist as-
sistance.  (in yellow) Steering: System
fault! You may continue driving.
If the warnin

g lamp comes on, the steering
could react with more difficultly or more sen-
sitivity than normal. In addition, when driving
in a straight line the steering wheel may be
off-centre.
Drive slowly to a specialised workshop and
have the fault repaired.
 (in yellow) Steering lock:
fault! Go to an Official Service
The electronic steering lock is malfunction-
ing.
Go to a specialised workshop as soon as
possible and have the fault repaired. WARNING
Take it immediately to a specialised work-
shop and hav e the f

ault repaired: risk of acci-
dent! Note
If the lamp  (in red) or el se
 (in yellow)
lights up briefly, you may continue driving. Progressive steering
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the
pr
ogr
e

ssive steering can adapt steering hard-
ness to the current driving situation. The
198

Operation
Economical and environmentally-
friendly driv
in
gFuel consumption, environmental pollution
and we
ar t

o the engine, brakes and tyres de-
pends largely on driving style. Fuel consump-
tion can be reduced by 10-15% with an eco-
nomical driving style and proper anticipation
of traffic conditions. The following section
gives you some tips on lessening the impact
on the environment and reducing your oper-
ating costs at the same time.
Active cylinder management (ACT ®
)*
Depending on vehicle equipment, the active
cylinder management (ACT ®
) may automati-
cally deactivate some of the engine cylinders
if the driving situation does not require too
much power. When it is switched off, no fuel
is injected into these cylinders, hence total
fuel consumption may be reduced. The num-
ber of active cylinders can be seen on the in-
strument panel display ›››
 page 37.
Foresight when driving
Acceleration causes the vehicle to consume
more fuel. If you think ahead when driving,
you will need to brake less and thus acceler-
ate less. Wherever possible, let the car roll
slowly to a stop, with a gear engaged (for in-
stance when you can see that the next traffic
lights are red). This takes advantage of the
engine braking effect, reducing wear on the brakes and tyres. Emissions and fuel con-
sumption w
i

ll drop to zero due to the overrun
fuel cut-off.
Changing gear to save energy
An effective way of saving is to change in ad-
vance to a higher gear. Running the engine at
high rpm in the lower gears uses an unneces-
sary amount of fuel.
Manual gearbox : shift up from first to second
gear as soon as possible. In any case, we rec-
ommend that you change to a higher gear
upon reaching 2,000 rpm. Choosing the right
gear enables fuel savings. Select the highest
possible gear appropriate for the driving sit-
uation (the engine should continue function-
ing with cyclical regularity).
Automatic gearbox : accelerate gradually and
without reaching the “kick-down” position.
Avoid driving at high speed
Avoid travelling at top speed, whenever pos-
sible. Fuel consumption, emission of harmful
gases and noise pollution multiply dispropor-
tionately as speed is increased. Driving at
moderate speeds will help to save fuel.
Reduce idling time
In vehicles with the Start-Stop system idling
is automatically reduced. In vehicles without
the Start-Stop system it is worth switching off
the engine, for example, at level crossings and at traffic lights that remain red for long
periods of
time. When an engine has reached
operating temperature, and depending on
the cylinder capacity, keeping it switched off
for a minimum of about 5 seconds already
saves more than the amount of fuel necessa-
ry for restarting.
The engine takes a long time to warm up
when it is idling. Mechanical wear and pollu-
tant emissions are also especially high dur-
ing this initial warm-up phase. It is therefore
best to drive off immediately after starting
the engine. Avoid running the engine at high
speed.
Regular maintenance
Regular servicing helps in saving fuel even
before the engine is started. A well-serviced
engine gives you the benefit of improved fuel
efficiency as well as maximum reliability and
an enhanced resale value. A badly serviced
engine can consume up to 10% more fuel
than necessary.
Avoid short journeys
The engine and catalytic converter need to
reach their optimal operating temperature in
order to minimise fuel consumption and
emissions.
A cold engine consumes a disproportionate
amount of fuel. The engine reaches its work-
ing temperature after about four kilometres
200

Driving
(2.5 miles), when fuel consumption will re-
t urn t
o a norm
al level.
Check tyre pressure
Always make sure the tyres are inflated to the
correct pressures ››› page 280 to save fuel. If
the pressure is below half bar, fuel consump-
tion may increase by 5%. Due to the greater
rolling resistance, under-inflation also increa-
ses tyre wear and impairs handling.
Do not use winter tyres all year round as they
increase fuel consumption by up to 10%.
Avoid carrying unnecessary loads
Given that every kilo of extra weight will in-
crease the fuel consumption, it is advisable
to always check the luggage compartment to
make sure that no unnecessary loads are be-
ing transported.
Since the luggage rack increases the aerody-
namic drag of the vehicle, you should remove
it when not needed. At speeds of 100-120
km/h (62-75 mph), this will save 12% of fuel.
Save electrical energy
The engine drives the alternator, thereby gen-
erating electricity. This implies that any in-
crease in power consumption also increases
fuel consumption! For this reason, switch off
any unneeded electrical devices. Devices that
use a lot of electricity includes the blower at a high setting, the rear window heating or
the seat he
ating*.
Power management This sy
stem helps to ensure reliable
starting The power management controls the distribu-
tion of el
ectric

al energy and thus helps to en-
sure that there is always enough power avail-
able to start the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional electrical sys-
tem is left parked for a long time, the battery
will gradually lose its charge because certain
electrical devices, such as the electronic
gearbox lock continues to draw current even
when the ignition is off. In some cases there
may not be enough power available to start
the engine.
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent
power management system to control the
distribution of electrical energy. This signifi-
cantly improves reliability when starting the
engine, and also prolongs the useful life of
the battery.
The main functions incorporated in the power
management system are battery diagnosis,
residual current management and dynamic
power management. Battery diagnosis
The batt
er

y diagnosis function constantly
registers the condition of the battery. Sen-
sors detect the battery voltage, battery cur-
rent and battery temperature. This enables
the system to calculate the current power lev-
el and charge condition of the battery.
Residual current management
The residual current management reduces
power consumption while the vehicle is
parked. It controls the supply of power to the
various electrical devices while the ignition is
switched off. The system takes the battery di-
agnosis data into consideration.
Depending on the power level of the battery,
switch off the individual electrical devices
one after the other to prevent the battery
from losing too much charge and to ensure
that the engine can be started reliably.
Dynamic power management
While the vehicle is moving, this function dis-
tributes the available power to the various
electrical devices and systems according to
their requirements. The power management
ensures that on-board systems do not con-
sume more electrical power than the alterna-
tor can supply, and thus maintains the maxi-
mum possible battery power level. »
201
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Driving
●
Do not ap p
ly wax underneath the vehicle
around the area of the exhaust system: Fire
hazard! Note
While the control lamps , ,  or  r
e-
m ain lit, ther

e may be engine problems, fuel
consumption may increase and the engine
may lose power. Catalytic converter
3 App
lies to vehicles with petrol engine
The
vehicle must only be used with unleaded
petrol, otherwise the catalytic converter will
be irreparably damaged.
Never drive until the tank is empty; an irregu-
lar supply of fuel can cause faulty combus-
tion. In these cases, unburned fuel reaches
the exhaust system, which can overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Diesel particulate filter 3 App
lies to vehicles with diesel engine
The die
sel engine particulate filter eliminates
most of the soot from the exhaust gas sys-
tem. Under normal driving conditions, the fil-
ter cleans itself. The diesel particulate filter is
cleaned automatically without need for indi-
cation by the warning lamp . This may benoticed because the engine idle speed in-
cr
e

ases and an odour may be detected.
If automatic filter purification cannot be car-
ried out (because only short trips are taken,
for example), soot will accumulate on the fil-
ter and the Diesel particulate filter warning
lamp will  switch on.
Facilitate the automatic filter cleaning proc-
ess by driving in the following manner: drive
for approximately 15 minutes at a minimum
speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) in 4th or 5th gear
(automatic gearbox: gear S). Maintain the en-
gine speed at approximately 2,000 rpm. The
rise in temperature causes the soot on the fil-
ter to burn. On completion of the cleaning
the warning lamp will switch off. If the warn-
ing lamp does not switch off, go immediately
to a specialised workshop to rectify the prob-
lem.
Engine management*  This warning lamp monitors the engine man-
ag
ement
sy

stem for petrol engines.
The warning lamp  (Electronic Power Con-
trol) lights up when the ignition is switched
on while system operation is being verified. It
should go out once the engine is started.
If there is a fault in the electronic engine
management system while you are driving,
this warning lamp will light up. Take the vehi- cle to a specialised workshop as soon as
poss

ible and have the engine checked.
Emission control system*  Control lamp
 flashe
s:
When there is misfiring that can damage the
catalytic converter. Reduce speed and drive
carefully to the nearest specialised workshop
to have the engine checked.
The control lamp  lights up:
If a fault has developed during driving which
has reduced the quality of the exhaust gas
(e.g. lambda probe fault). Reduce speed and
drive carefully to the nearest specialised
workshop to have the engine checked.
Engine pre-heating/fault system*  The warning lamp lights up to show that the
glo
w p
lug

s are preheating the diesel engine.
The control lamp  lights up
If the control lamp  lights up when the en-
gine is started it means that the glow plugs
are preheating. The engine can be started
straight away when the lamp switches off. »
203
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Stopping/Starting the engine Vehicles with a manual gearbox
– Before stopping the vehicle or when it is
stop
ped, put it into neutral and release the
clutch pedal. The engine will switch off. The
warning lamp  will appear on the instru-
ment panel display. The engine may stop
before the vehicle comes to a halt in the
deceleration phase (at 7 km/h).
– When the clutch pedal is pressed the en-
gine wil

l start up again. The warning lamp
will switch off.
Vehicles with an automatic gearbox – Use the foot brake to bring the vehicle to a
stop and k

eep the brake pedal pressed
down with your foot. The engine will switch
off. The warning lamp  will appear in the
display. The engine may stop before the ve-
hicle comes to a halt in the deceleration
phase (at 7 km/h or 2 km/h, depending on
the vehicle’s gearbox).
– When you take your foot off the brake pedal
the engine wi

ll start up again. The warning
lamp will switch off. In vehicles with the Au-
to Hold* system, when the system is active,
the engine will not start if you remove your
foot from the brake pedal. The car starts
when you press the accelerator pedal. Additional information related to the auto-
matic g

earbox
The engine stops when the selector lever is in
the positions P, D, N and S, in addition to
when in manual mode. With the selector lev-
er in position P, the engine will also remain
switched off when you take your foot off the
brake pedal. In order to start the engine up
again the accelerator must be pressed, or an-
other gear engaged or the brake released.
If the selector lever is placed in position R
during the stopping phase, the engine will
start up again.
Change from position D to P to prevent the
engine from accidentally starting when
changing and passing by position R.
Additional information about vehicles with
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
In vehicles with ACC function, the engine will
start up again in certain operating conditions
if the radar sensor detects that the vehicle
ahead drives off again. Note
● In v ehic

les with an automatic gearbox, you
can control whether the engine should switch
off or not by reducing or increasing the brake
force applied. While the vehicle remains stop-
ped, the engine will not stop if the brake ped-
al is slightly pressed, in traffic jams with fre-
quent stopping and starting for example. As soon as strong pressure is applied to the
brak
e ped

al, the engine will stop.
● In vehicles with manual gearbox, during
the stop
ping phases the brake pedal must re-
main depressed to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
● If the engine “stalls” in vehicles with man-
ual g
earbox, it can be directly started up
again by immediately pressing the clutch
pedal. General notes
The system can interrupt the Start-Stop mode
fr
equently
f

or different reasons.
The engine does not switch off
Before the stopping phase, the system veri-
fies whether certain conditions are met. The
engine does not switch off, in the following
situations for example:
● The engine has not yet reached the mini-
mum required t
emperature for the Start-Stop
mode.
● The interior temperature selected for the air
conditioner ha
s not yet been reached.
● The interior temperature is very high/low.
● Defrost function button activated
›› ›

 page 52.
● The parking aid* is switched on.
206