2017 Seat Leon SC clutch

Operation
Driving St ar
tin
g and stopping the en-
gine
Switching the ignition on and starting
the engine with the key Fig. 191
Ignition key positions. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 30
Diesel engines can take a few seconds longer
than usual to start on cold days. Therefore
the clutch pedal (manual gearbox) or the
brake pedal (automatic gearbox) must re-
main pressed until the engine starts up. Dur-
ing preheating, the warning lamp  remains
lit.
The preheating time depends on the coolant
and exterior temperatures. With the engine at operating temperature, or at outside temper-
ature

s above +8°C, the warning lamp  will
light up for about one second. This means
that the engine starts immediately.
If the engine does not immediately start up,
interrupt the starting process and try again
after 30 seconds. To start the engine again,
return the key to position ››› Fig. 191 1 .
St ar
t

-Stop System*
If the vehicle is stopped and the Start-Stop
system* switches off the engine, the ignition
remains switched on.
Automatic gearbox: before leaving the vehi-
cle, make sure that the ignition is switched
off and the selector lever is in position P.
Driver messages on the instrument panel
display
Press the clutch
This message appears on vehicles with a
manual gearbox if the driver tries to start the
engine without having the clutch pedal
pressed. The engine will only start if you
press the clutch pedal.
Press the brake This message appears on vehicles with an
automatic gearbox if the driver tries to start
the engine without having the brake pedal
pressed. Select N or P
This me

ssage appears if you try to start or
stop the engine when the selector lever of
the automatic gearbox is not in position P or
N. The engine can only start or stop in certain
positions.
Engage position P; the vehicle
can move; doors can only close in
position P.For safety reasons, this driver message ap-
pears and an audible warning sounds if the
selector lever of the automatic gearbox is not
in position P after you switch off the ignition.
Put the selector lever in position P, otherwise
the vehicle could roll away.
Gear change: selector lever in
the drive position! This driver message is displayed when the
selector lever is not in the position P when
the driver door is opened. Additionally, a
buzzer will sound. Put the selector lever in
position P, otherwise the vehicle could roll
away.
Ignition is switched on
This driver message is displayed and a buz-
zer is sounded when the driver door is
opened with the ignition switched on.
178

Operation
●
If the v
ehicle is stopped and the Start-Stop
system* switches off the engine, the ignition
remains switched on. Make sure that the igni-
tion is switched off before leaving the vehi-
cle, otherwise the battery could discharge. Starter button*
Fig. 192
In the lower part of the centre con-
so l
e: s

tarter button. Fig. 193
On the right of the steering column:
emerg ency

start. The vehicle engine can be started with a
s
t
ar

ter button (Press & Drive). To do so, there
must be a valid key inside the vehicle in the
area of the front or rear seats.
Opening the driver's door when exiting the
vehicle activates the electronic lock on the
steering column if the ignition is disabled.
Switching the ignition on/off manually
Briefly push the starter button without touch-
ing the brake or clutch pedal ››› .
F or
v

ehicles with both manual and automatic
transmission, the starter button text START ENGINE STOP flashes like a heartbeat
when the sy s
t

em is preset for switching the
ignition on and off. Automatic ignition switch-off
If the driver l

eaves the vehicle, taking the ve-
hicle key with them but leaving the ignition
on, the ignition is switched off automatically
after a certain time. If at that time the dipped
beam is on, the parking lights will stay on for
approx. 30 minutes. The side light can be
turned off by blocking the vehicle
››› page 125 or manually ››› page 140.
Emergency starting function
If no valid key is detected inside the vehicle,
an emergency start-up will be required. The
relevant message will appear in the dash
panel display. This may happen when, for ex-
ample, the battery of the vehicle key button
is very low or flat: ● Immediately after pushing the starter but-
ton, keep the
vehicle key next to the right
trim of the steering column ››› Fig. 193, as
close as possible to the Kessy logo.
● The ignition connects and the engine starts
automatic
ally.
Emergency disconnection
If the engine does not switch off after briefly
pressing the starter button, an emergency
disconnect will be required:
● Press the starter button twice within 3 sec-
onds or pr

ess it once for more than 1 sec-
ond ››› .
180

Driving
● The en gine t
urn
s off automatically.
Engine restart feature
If no valid key is detected inside the vehicle
after the engine stops, you will only have 5
seconds to restart it. A warning will display
on the dash panel screen.
After this interval, it will not be possible to
start the engine without a valid key inside
the vehicle.
Automatic deactivation of the ignition on ve-
hicles with the Start-Stop system
The ignition is switched off automatically
when the vehicle is stopped and the auto-
matic engine shutdown is active, if: ● The driver's seat belt is not fastened,
● the driver does not step on any pedal,
● the driver door is opened.
After aut
omatically turning off the ignition, if
the dipped beam  is on, the side light re-
mains on for approx. 30 minutes (if the bat-
tery is sufficiently charged). If the driver locks
the vehicle or manually turns off the light, the
side light goes out. WARNING
Any accidental movement of the vehicle could
re s

ult in serious injury. ●
When swit c

hing on the ignition, do not
press the brake or clutch pedal, otherwise
the engine could start immediately. WARNING
If vehicle keys are used negligently or with-
out due c ar

e, this may cause accidents and
serious injury.
● Never leave any key inside the vehicle
when exitin
g. Otherwise, a child or unauthor-
ised person could lock the vehicle, start the
engine or connect the ignition and, in this
way, operate electronic equipment (e.g. the
windows). Note
● Bef or

e leaving the vehicle, always discon-
nect the ignition manually and, if appropri-
ate, take into account the instructions on the
screen of the dash panel.
● If the vehicle is stationary for a long time
with the ignition on, the v
ehicle battery
might be discharged and it might not be pos-
sible to start the engine.
● In diesel vehicles, there may be a delay in
the engine st
arting if it requires preheating.
● If during the STOP phase you press the
STAR
T ENGINE STOP button, the ignition is
swit c
hed off and the button flashes.
● If the indication “Start-Stop system deacti-
vated:
Start the engine manually” is dis-
played on the dash panel display, the START ENGINE STOP button will blink. Starting the engine
3 Valid for vehicles: with starter button
StepStarting the engine with the starter
button
››› page 180.
1.Press and hold the brake pedal until step 5
is performed.
1a.In vehicles with a manual gearbox: press
and hold the clutch down until the engine
starts.
2.Put the gearbox lever in neutral or the selec-
tor lever in position P or N.
3.
Briefly press the starter button ››› Fig. 192
without pressing the accelerator. For the en-
gine to start there must be a valid key in the
vehicle.
After starting the engine, the light of the START ENGINE STOP
button changes to a fixed
light indicating that the engine has started.
4.
If the engine does not start, stop and wait for
approx. 1 minute before trying again. If nec-
essary, perform an emergency start
››› page 180.
5.Disconnect the parking brake when you are
about to start driving ››› page 183. WARNING
Never leave the vehicle with the engine run-
ning, e s

pecially if a gear or gear range is en-
gaged. The vehicle could then suddenly move
or something strange could happen that
would cause damage, fire or serious injury. » 181
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
fastened, an y
of the following situations take
place:
● On vehicles with an automatic gearbox: A
gear r
ange is engaged or the vehicle is
switched to another one and the accelerator
pedal is lightly pressed.
● In vehicles with a manual gearbox: The
clutc
h pedal is pressed fully before starting
off and the accelerator is pedal lightly press-
ed.
● To facilitate certain manoeuvres there are
exc
eptions that allow the automatic parking
brake to be released without the driver's seat
belt being fastened.
The parking brake can be prevented from be-
ing automatically released by continuously
pulling up the  ››› Fig. 195 switch when
starting off.
The electronic parking brake is not discon-
nected until the  button is released. This
can facilitate starting off when a heavy load
is towed ››› page 246.
Automatic activation of the electronic park-
ing brake when exiting the vehicle incorrect-
ly
In vehicles with automatic transmission, the
electronic parking brake is activated auto-
matically when exiting the vehicle incorrectly
if: ●
The selector l
ever is in the D/S or R posi-
tion or in the Tiptronic selector gate.
● AND: the vehicle is stationary.
● AND: the driv

er door is
open.
Emergency braking function
Only use the emergency brake function if you
are unable to stop the vehicle with the foot
brake ››› .
● Pull and hold the  › ›
›
Fig. 195 button in
this position to forcefully stop the vehicle. At
the same time, an acoustic warning can be
heard.
● To stop the braking process, release the
button or pr
ess the accelerator. WARNING
The improper use of the electronic parking
brak e c

an cause accidents and serious injury.
● Never use the electronic parking brake to
stop the
vehicle, unless it is an emergency.
The braking distance may be considerably
longer. Always use the foot brake.
● Never accelerate from the engine when a
gear r
ange or a gear is engaged and the en-
gine is running. The vehicle could move, even
if the electronic parking brake is activated. CAUTION
To prevent the vehicle from unintentionally
mov in

g when parking it, first apply the elec- tronic parking brake and then remove your
foot
fr

om the brake pedal. Note
● In vehic

les with a manual gearbox, releas-
ing the clutch and accelerating at the same
time automatically disconnects the electronic
parking brake.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it will not be
poss
ible to disconnect the electronic parking
brake. Use the jump-start ›››
 page 70.
● When the electronic parking brake is ap-
plied or rel
eased, noises may be heard.
● The system performs automatic and audi-
ble t
ests sporadically in the parked vehicle if
some time elapses without the electronic
parking brake being used. Using the handbrake
Fig. 196
Handbrake between the front seats.184

Operation
Note
● If the ASR i s
disconnected or the ESC’s
Sport mode is selected, cruise control* will
be switched off.
● In ESC OFF mode, the ESC w
ill be tempora-
rily reactivated to assist the driver during
braking and will then switch back to passive
mode when the brake pedal is released (de-
pending on the model version). Hill driving assistant
3 V
alid for vehicles: Without Auto Hold function
The hi
ll driving assistant helps the driver to
move off and upward on a hill when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
The system maintains brake pressure for ap-
proximately two seconds after the driver
takes his foot off the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from lurching backward when it is
started. During these 2 seconds, the driver
has enough time to release the clutch pedal
and accelerate without the vehicle moving
and without having to use the handbrake,
making start-up easier, more comfortable
and safer.
These are the basic operation conditions:
● being on a ramp or hill/slope,
● driver door closed,
● vehicle completely stationary, ●
engine ru nnin

g and foot on the brake,
● besides having a gear engaged or being in
neutral f
or manual gear change and with the
selector lever at position S, D or R for an au-
tomatic gearbox.
This system is also active when reversing up-
hill. WARNING
● If y

ou do not start the vehicle immediately
after taking your foot off the brake pedal, the
vehicle may start to roll back under certain
conditions. Depress the brake pedal or use
the hand brake immediately.
● If the engine stalls, depress the brake ped-
al or u
se the hand brake immediately.
● When following a line of traffic uphill, if you
want t
o prevent the vehicle from rolling back
accidentally when starting off, hold the brake
pedal down for a few seconds before starting
off. Note
The Official Service or a specialist workshop
can t el

l you if your vehicle is equipped with
this system. Manual gearbox
Ch an
gin

g gear Read the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 50
In some countries the clutch pedal must be
fully pressed down for the engine to start.
Selecting reverse gear ● Engage reverse gear only when the vehicle
is s
topped.
Changing down gears
While driving, changing down a gear must al-
ways be done gradually, i.e. to the gear di-
rectly below and when the engine speed is
not too high ››› . Changing down while by-
p a
s

sing one or various gears at high speeds
or at high engine speeds can damage the
clutch and the gearbox, even if the clutch
pedal remains depressed ››› .
WARNING
When the engine is running, the vehicle will
st ar

t to move as soon as a gear is engaged
and the clutch released. This is also the case
with the electronic parking brake switched
on.
● Never engage reverse gear when the vehi-
cle i
s moving. 190

Driving
WARNING
If the gear is changed down inappropriately
by sel
ecting a gear that is too low, you may
lose control of the vehicle, causing an acci-
dent and serious injuries. CAUTION
When travelling at high speeds or at high en-
gine speed s, sel

ecting a gear that is too low
can cause considerable damage to the clutch
and the gearbox. This can also occur if the
clutch pedal is pressed and held and it does
not engage. CAUTION
To prevent damage and avoid premature
we ar

, please observe the following:
● Do not rest your hand on the gear lever
while driv
ing. The pressure applied by your
hand is transmitted to the gearbox selector
forks.
● Always ensure that the vehicle is complete-
ly st
opped before engaging the reverse gear.
● Always press the clutch to the floor when
chan
ging gears.
● Never hold the vehicle “on the clutch” on
hill
s with the engine on. 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 193, Engaging gears with the trip-
tonic mode*.
Selector lever positions Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 50
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 vehic

le 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.
N – Neutral (idling)
With the selector lever in this position, the
gear is in neutral.
D/S – Permanent drive (forward) position
The selector lever in the D/S position enables
the gears to be controlled in normal mode (D)
or Sport (S) mode. To select Sport mode (S),
move the selector lever backwards. Moving
the lever again will select normal mode (D).
The selected driving mode is shown on the
instrument panel display. »
191
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

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
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