Operation
windscreen wipers and select
lower
while reversing ›
›› page 120.
● Select the R1)
position on the c
ontrol.
● Select reverse gear.
● Adjust the front passenger exterior mirror
so that
you can see, for example, the kerb
area well.
● Release the reverse gear.
● The adjusted position for the rear view mir-
ror is
stored.
Fold in the exterior mirrors after parking
(convenience function)*
Via the Easy Connect system, Menu and
Rear view mirrors and windscreen
wipers fu
nction,
you can choose to have the
exterior mirrors fold in when the vehicle is
parked ››› page 120.
When the vehicle is locked with the remote
control, by pressing for more than approxi-
mately 1 second the exterior mirrors are fol-
ded in automatically. When the vehicle is
opened with the remote control, the exterior
mirrors are deployed automatically. WARNING
Convex or wide-angle* exterior mirrors give a
lar g
er field of vision. However, they make ob- jects look smaller and further away than they
re
a
lly are. If you use these mirrors to esti-
mate the distance to vehicles behind you
when changing lane, you could misjudge the
distance. Risk of accident! CAUTION
● If one of the mirr
or housings is knocked out
of position (e.g. when parking), the mirrors
must first be fully retracted with the electric
control. Do not readjust the mirror housing by
hand, as this will interfere with the mirror ad-
juster function.
● Before washing the vehicle in an automatic
car wa
sh, please make sure to retract the ex-
terior mirrors to prevent them from being
damaged. Electrically retractable exterior
mirrors must not be folded in or out by hand.
Always use the electrical power control. Note
If the electrical adjustment should fail to op-
erat e, both of
the mirrors can be adjusted by
hand by lightly pressing the edge of the mir-
ror glass. Seats and head restraints
Adju
s
tin
g the seats and headr-
ests
Manual adjustment of the seats Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 19 WARNING
The safe driving chapter contains important
inform ation, tip
s, suggestions and warnings
that you should read and observe for your
own safety and the safety of your passengers
››› page 74. WARNING
● Adjus t
the front seats only when the vehi-
cle is stationary. Failure to follow this instruc-
tion could result in an accident.
● Be careful when adjusting the seat height.
Carel
ess or uncontrolled adjustment can
cause injuries.
● The front seat backrests must not be re-
clined for driv
ing. Otherwise, seat belts and
the airbag system might not protect as they
should, with the subsequent danger of injury. 1)
Regulation in right-hand drive vehicles is symmet-
rical .
152
Transport and practical equipment
Opening/closing – To open the glove compartment, pull the
handl
e in the dir
ection of the arrow.
– To close the glove compartment, move the
cov
er upwards until it engages.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the CD
player is located in the glove compartment.
Separate operating instructions are enclosed
for this equipment in the corresponding In-
struction Manual. WARNING
The cover of the glove compartment should
alw a
ys be closed while driving. Failure to fol-
low this instruction could result in an acci-
dent. Other storage compartments
You will find more object holders, compart-
ments
and s
up
ports in other parts of the ve-
hicle:
● In the top of the glove compartment in ve-
hicle
s that do not have a CD reader. The load
of the compartment should not exceed
1.2 kg.
● In the centre console under the centre arm-
res
t*.
● In the driver side panel there is a remova-
ble bo
x for access to fuses and relays. The load of the compartment should not exceed
0.2 kg.
●
Co
at hooks in the door frames ›››
.
● Other storage compartments are found in
the r e
ar se
at, to the left and the right of the
seats. WARNING
● Ple a
se make sure that any items of clothing
hanging from the coat hooks do not obstruct
your view to the rear.
● The coat hooks should only be used for
lightweight c
lothing. Do not leave any heavy
or sharp objects in the pockets.
● Do not use clothes hangers to hang up the
clothing, a
s this could interfere with the func-
tion of the head-protection airbags. Power sockets
Fig. 161
Centr
e console: front 12 volt pow-
er soc
ket Centre console, rear section: USB
power sockets. » 159
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
Retaining hooks Fig. 179
In the luggage compartment: retain-
in g hook
s
(LEON/LEON SC model). Fig. 180
In the luggage compartment: retain-
in g hook
s
(LEON ST model). At the rear of the luggage compartment, on
the l
ef
t
and right, there are fixed retaining
hooks ››› Fig. 180.
The retaining hooks have been designed to
secure light shopping bags. In the front and rear part of the luggage com-
partment
there are fastening rings to secure
the luggage ››› Fig. 177 and ››› Fig. 178. WARNING
Never use the retaining hooks as fastening
ring s. In c
ase of sudden braking or an acci-
dent, the hooks could break. CAUTION
Each hook is designed for a maximum load of
2.5 kg. Net bag*
Fig. 181
In the luggage compartment: net
b ag hook
ed up at
floor level (LEON ST model). Fig. 182
In the luggage compartment: rings
1 and hooks
2 for securing the net bag
(LEON S
T model). The luggage compartment prevents light lug-
g
ag
e fr
om moving. The net bag has a zip and
can be used to store small objects.
The net bag can be hooked up to the luggage
compartment in different ways.
Hooking the net bag into the luggage com-
partment floor
● As applicable, lift the front fastening rings
›››
Fig. 181 2 .
● Secure the net hooks to the fastening rings
2
› ›
› . The bag zip should be facing up-
w ar
d
s.
● Secure the net hooks to the fastening rings
1 .
168
Air conditioning
Air recirculation mode prevents the ambient
air fr om ent
erin
g the interior.
When the outside temperature is very high,
selecting manual air recirculation mode for a
short period refreshes the vehicle interior
more quickly.
For safety reasons, air recirculation mode is
switched off when the button is press-
ed or the air distributor turned to .
Switching the manual air recirculation mode
on and off
To switch system on: press the button un-
til the warning lamp lights up.
To switch system off: press the button un-
til the warning lamp goes off.
Functioning mode of automatic air recircula-
tion (air conditioning menu)
With the automatic air recirculation mode ac-
tivated, the entry of fresh air into the cabin
interior is enabled. If the system detects a
high concentration of hazardous substances
in the ambient air, air recirculation mode is
switched on automatically. When the level of
impurities drops to within a normal range, re-
circulation mode is switched off.
The system is unable to detect unpleasant
smells. The air recirculation will
not connect aut o-
matically in versions without humidity sensor
and in the following external conditions:
● The outside temperature is lower than +3°C
(+38°F).
● The cooling system is switched off and the
outside temper
ature is below +10°C (+50°F).
● The cooling system is switched off, the out-
side temper
ature is below +15°C (+59°F) and
the windscreen wipers are switched on.
Activation/deactivation of automatic air recir-
culation is done in the air conditioner menu,
under Configuration. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Intro-
duction on pag e 173
.
● If the cooling system is switched off and air
recir
culation mode switched on, the windows
can mist over very quickly, considerably limit-
ing visibility.
● Switch air recirculation mode off when it is
not requir
ed. CAUTION
Do not smoke when air recirculation is
swit c
hed on in vehicles with an air condition-
er. The smoke taken in could lie on the cool-
ing system vaporiser and on the activated
charcoal cartridge of the dust and pollen fil- ter, leading to a permanently unpleasant
smell
. Note
Climatronic: air recirculation mode is activa-
t ed t o pr
event exhaust gas or unpleasant
odours from entering the vehicle interior
when it is in reverse and while the automatic
windscreen wiper is working. 177Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
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
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
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