
The essentials
SEAT recommends you ask a technical serv-
ic e f
or f
urther information on wheel, tyre and
chain sizes.
Wherever possible use fine-link chains meas-
uring less than 15 mm (37/64 inch) includ-
ing the lock.
Remove wheel hub covers and trim rings be-
fore fitting snow chains ››› . The wheel bolts
shou l
d be c
overed with caps for safety rea-
sons. These are available from technical serv-
ices. WARNING
The use of unsuitable or incorrectly fitted
ch ain
s could lead to serious accidents and
damage.
● Always the appropriate snow chains.
● Observe the fitting instructions provided by
the snow c
hain manufacturer.
● Never exceed the maximum permitted
speeds
when driving with snow chains. CAUTION
● Remo v
e the snow chains to drive on roads
without snow. Otherwise they will impair
handling, damage the tyres and wear out very
quickly.
● Wheel rims may be damaged or scratched if
the chain
s come into direct contact with
them. SEAT recommends the use of covered
snow chains. Note
Snow chains are available in different sizes
acc or
ding to the vehicle type. Emergency towing of the vehi-
cl
e
T
owing Fig. 71
On the right-hand side of the front
b umper:
Sc
rew in the towline anchorage. Fig. 72
On the rear bumper, to the right hand
side: T
owline anchorage in position Towline anchorages
Att
ac
h the b
ar or rope to the towline ancho-
rages.
They are located with the vehicle's tools
››› page 83.
Screw the towline anchorage into the screw
connection ››› Fig. 71 o ››› Fig. 72 and tighten
it with the wheel brace.
Tow rope or tow bar
When towing, the tow bar is the safest and
vehicle friendly way. You should only use a
tow rope if you do not have a tow bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to avoid
damage to both vehicles. It is advisable to
use a tow rope made of synthetic fibre or sim-
ilarly elastic material. » 51

The essentials
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar to the
t o
wline anc
horage or specially designed fit-
ting.
Vehicles with a factory fitted towing device ,
can only be used for towing with a tow bar,
specially designed to fit on a tow hitch ball
››› page 237.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
Note the following for a towed vehicle: ● Make sure the gear selector lever is in the N
position.
● Do not
drive faster than 50 km/h (30 mph).
● Do not tow further than 50 km (30 miles).
● If a breakdown truck is used, the vehicle
must
be towed with the front wheels raised.
Note the following instructions for towing
four all-wheel drive vehicles.
Instructions for towing all-wheel drive vehi-
cles
All-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using a
toolbar or tow rope. If the vehicle is towed
with the front or rear axle raised, the engine
must be turned off to avoid transmission
damage.
For vehicles with a double clutched DSG ®
(di-
rect shift gearbox) the instructions for towing
vehicles with an automatic gearbox apply
››› page 52. Situations in which a vehicle should not be
tow
ed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not
be towed but transported on a trailer or spe-
cial vehicle:
● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lu-
bricant due t
o a fault.
● If the vehicle battery is flat and, as a result,
the electronic
steering lock and electronic
parking brake cannot be disengaged if ap-
plied.
● If the vehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbo
x and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles).
››› in Introduction on page 88
››› page 88 Tow-starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
b
y
t
owing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ›››
page 52.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox. ●
Vehicl
es with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition system, since the electronic
steering lock may not unlock.
● Vehicles with an electronic parking brake,
given that
it is possible that the brake will
not be disengaged.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it is possible
that the en
gine control units do not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear.
● Keep the clutch pressed down.
● Switch on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Rel
ease the clutch when both vehicles are
movin
g.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle.
How to jump start
Jump lea
ds If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
c
h
ar
ged battery, the battery of another vehi-
cle can be used to start the engine. Before 52

The essentials
How to jump start: description Fig. 74
Diagram of connections for vehicles
w ithout
Start-Stop system. Fig. 75
Diagram of connections for vehicles
w ith
St
art-Stop system. Jump lead terminal connections
Swit
c
h off the ignition of both vehicles
››› .
1. Connect one end of the
re
d
jump lead to
the positive + terminal of the vehicle
w ith the fl
at
battery A
› ››
Fig. 74
.
C
onnect the other end of the red jump
lead to the positive terminal + in the
v ehic
l
e providing assistance B .
F or
vehicles without Start-Stop system:
connect one end of the black jump lead
to the negative terminal – of the vehi-
c l
e pr
oviding the current B
› ››
Fig. 74
.
F
or vehicles with Start-Stop system: con-
nect one end of the black jump lead X to a suitable ground terminal, to a solid
piec
e of
met
al in the engine block, or to
the engine block itself ››› Fig. 75.
Connect the other end of the black jump
lead X to a solid metal component bol-
t ed t
o the en
gine block or to the engine
block itself of the vehicle with the flat
battery. Do not connect it to a point near
the battery A .
P o
s
ition the leads in such a way that
they cannot come into contact with any
moving parts in the engine compart-
ment.
Starting Start the engine of the vehicle with the
boosting battery and let it run at idling
speed.
2.
3.
4a.
4b.
5.
6.
7.
Start the engine of the vehicle with the
flat b
attery and wait for 2 or 3 minutes
until the engine is running.
Removing the jump leads Before you remove the jump leads,
switch off the dipped beam headlights if
they are switched on.
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 disconnected.
When the engine is running, disconnect
the leads in reverse order to the details
given above.
Make sure the battery clamps have sufficient
metal-to-metal contact with the battery termi-
nals.
If the engine fails to start after about 10 sec-
onds, switch off the starter and try again after
about 1 minute. WARNING
● Ple a
se note the safety warnings referring to
working in the engine compartment
››› page 271.
● The battery providing assistance must have
the same v
oltage as the flat battery (12V) and
approximately the same capacity (see imprint
on battery). Failure to comply could result in
an explosion. 8.
9.
10.
11.
54

Safe driving
The correct sitting positions for the driver and
p a
s
sengers are shown below.
If your physical constitution prevents you
from maintaining the correct sitting position,
contact a specialised workshop for help with
any special devices. The seat belt and airbag
can only provide optimum protection if a cor-
rect sitting position is adopted. SEAT recom-
mends taking your car in for technical serv-
ice.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident or sudden
braking or manoeuvre, SEAT recommend the
following positions:
Valid for all vehicle occupants:
● Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is
at the same level as the top of your
head, or as close as possible to the same lev-
el as the top of your head and under no cir-
cumstances below eye level. Keep the back
of your neck as close as possible to the head
restraint ››› Fig. 79 and ››› Fig. 80.
● Short people must lower the head restraint
compl
etely, even if your head is below its up-
per edge.
● Tall people must raise the head restraint
compl
etely.
● Adjust the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that
your back rests completely
against it. ●
Alwa
ys keep your feet in the footwell while
the vehicle is in motion.
● Adjust and fasten your seat belt correctly
›››
page 65.
Also valid for the driver:
● Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
dist
ance of at least 25 cm (10 inches) be-
tween it and your chest ››› Fig. 79 and so that
you can hold the steering wheel with both
hands on the outside of the ring at the 9
o'clock and 3 o'clock positions with your
arms slightly bent.
● The adjusted steering wheel must face your
ches
t and not your face.
● Adjust the driver seat forwards or back-
ward
s so that you are able to press the accel-
erator, brake and clutch pedals to the floor
with your knees slightly angled and the dis-
tance between your knees and the dash pan-
el is at least 10 cm (4 inches) ››› Fig. 79.
● Adjust the height of the driver seat so that
you can e
asily reach the top of the steering
wheel.
● Keep both feet in the footwell so that you
have the
vehicle under control at all times.
Also valid for the front passenger:
● Move the front passenger seat back as far
as po
ssible for optimum protection should
the airbag deploy. Adjusting the steering wheel position Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 18. WARNING
Incorrect use of the steering wheel adjust-
ment f u
nction and an incorrect adjustment of
the steering wheel can result in severe or fa-
tal injury.
● After adjusting the steering column, push
the lever ›
›› Fig. 24
1 firmly upwards to
ens ur
e the steering wheel does not acciden-
tally change position while driving.
● Never adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicl
e is in motion. If you need to adjust the
steering wheel while the vehicle is in motion,
stop safely and make the proper adjustment.
● The adjusted steering wheel should be fac-
ing y
our chest and not your face so as not to
hinder the driver's front airbag protection in
the event of an accident.
● When driving, always hold the steering
wheel with both h
ands on the outside of the
ring at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to reduce injuries when the driver's front air-
bag deploys.
● Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock
position or in any other manner (e.g.
in the centre of the steering wheel). In such
cases, if the driver's airbag deploys, you may
sustain injuries to your arms, hands and
head. 59
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safe driving
between your knees and the dash panel is at
le
a
st 10 cm (4 inches). If your physical consti-
tution prevents you from meeting these re-
quirements, contact a specialised workshop
to make any modifications required.
● Never drive with the seat backrest tilted far
back.
The further the seat backrests are tilted
to the rear, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the belt web or to
the incorrect sitting position!
● Never drive with the seat backrest tilted
forw
ards. Should a front airbag deploy, it
could throw the seat backrest backwards and
injure the passengers of the rear seats.
● Sit as far away as possible from the steer-
ing wheel and the d
ash panel.
● Keep your back straight and resting com-
plet
ely against the seat backrest and the
front seats correctly adjusted. Never place
any part of your body in the area of the airbag
or very close to it.
● If passengers on the rear seats are not sit-
ting in an upright po
sition, the risk of severe
injury due to incorrect positioning of the belt
web increases. WARNING
Incorrect seat adjustment may lead to acci-
dents and sev
ere injuries.
● Only adjust the seats when the vehicle is
station
ary, as the seats could move unex-
pectedly while the vehicle is in motion and
you could lose control of the vehicle. Further- more, an incorrect position is adopted when
adju
s
ting the seat.
● Only adjust the height, seat backrest and
forw
ards or backwards position of the seat
when there is nobody in the seat adjustment
area.
● There must be no objects blocking the seat
adjus
tment area.
● Only adjust the height, angle and longitu-
dinal
position of the rear seats when nobody
is in the way.
● The seat adjustment and lock areas must
be kept c
lean. Pedal area
P ed
a
ls Do not allow floor mats or other objects to
o
b
s
truct the free passage of the pedals.
Floor mats should leave the pedal area free
and unobstructed and be correctly secured in
the footwell zone.
In the event of failure of a brake circuit, the
brake pedal must be pressed harder than
normal to brake the vehicle. WARNING
Objects falling into the driver's footwell could
prev ent
use of the pedals. This could lead the driver to lose control of the vehicle, increas-
ing the ri
sk
of a serious accident.
● Make sure the pedals can be used at all
times, with no o
bjects rolling underneath
them.
● Always secure the mat in the footwell.
● Never place other mats or rugs on top of
the original
mat supplied by the factory.
● Ensure that no objects can fall into the driv-
er's footw
ell while the vehicle is in motion. CAUTION
The pedals must always have free and unob-
struct ed p
assage to the floor. For example, in
case of a fault in the brake circuit, the brake
pedal will need to be pressed further to stop
the vehicle. To press the brake pedal down
further will require more force than usual. 61
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
WARNING
An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause
sever e or f
atal injuries in the event of an acci-
dent.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection
unl
ess the seat backrests are in an upright
position and the seat belt is worn correctly,
according to your size.
● Unbuckling your seat belt while the vehicle
is in motion c
an cause severe or fatal injuries
in the event of an accident or sudden braking. Note
Seat belts with two buckles include a dia-
gram t o sho
w how to fasten the seat belt.Belt height adjustment
Fig. 89
Next to the front seats: belt height ad-
ju s
t
er Using the height adjusters for the front seats
and the out
er se
ats
of the second row, the
position of the seat belts can be adjusted in
the shoulder area according to the height of
the occupant:
● Keep the guide device pressed down in the
direction of the arr
ow ››› Fig. 89.
● Move the guide device up or down until the
seat belt
lies over the centre of your shoulder
››› page 65.
● Release the guide device.
● Pull the belt sharply to check that the de-
vice i
s engaged securely. WARNING
Never adjust the belt height while the vehicle
is in motion. Seat belt tensioners
Aut omatic
belt retractor, belt tension-
er, belt tension limiter Seat belts are part of the vehicle’s safety fea-
t
ur
e
s and consist of the following important
functions:
Automatic belt retainer
Every seat belt is equipped with an automatic
belt retainer on the shoulder belt. If the belt is pulled slowly or during normal driving, the
syst
em allows for total freedom of movement
on the shoulder belt. However, during sud-
den braking, during travel in mountains or
bends and during acceleration, the automat-
ic belt retainer on the seat belt is locked is
pulled quickly.
Belt tensioners
The seat belts on the front seats and the out-
er seats of the second row are equipped with
belt tensioners.
Sensors trigger the belt tensioners during se-
vere head-on, lateral and rear collisions and
retract and tighten the seat belts. If the seat
belt is loose, it is retracted to reduce the for-
wards movement of vehicle occupants or
movement in the direction of the collision.
The belt tensioner works in combination with
the airbag system. The belt tensioner will not
be triggered in the event of the vehicle over-
turning if the side airbags are not deployed.
If the belt tensioner is triggered, a fine dust is
produced. This is normal and it is not an indi-
cation of fire in the vehicle.
Belt tension limiter
The belt tension limiter reduces the force of
the seat belt on the body in the event of an
accident.
68

Airbag system
The airbag system operation is monitored
el ectr
onic
ally. The airbag control lamp will il-
luminate for a few seconds every time the ig-
nition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the control
lamp:
● does not light up when the ignition is
switc
hed on,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is sw
itched on,
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is sw
itched on,
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
movin
g.
The airbag system is not triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over. WARNING
● The seat belt
s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 58.
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the sy
stem checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise there is a danger that during a collision, the system
ma
y
fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly. Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thous
andths
of a second, to provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
The airbag system is only ready to function
when the ignition is on.
In special accidents instances, several air-
bags may activate at the same time.
In the event of minor head-on and side colli-
sions, rear-end collisions, overturning or roll-
over of the vehicle, airbags do not activate.
Activation factors
The conditions that lead to the airbag system
activating in each situation cannot be gener-
alised. Some factors play an important role,
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
cle hits (hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation.
The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tory and activates the respective restraint
system.
If the deceleration rate is below the prede-
fined reference value in the control unit the airbags will not be triggered, even though
the acc
ident
may cause extensive damage to
the car.
The following airbags are triggered in seri-
ous head-on collisions:
● Driver airbag.
● Front passenger front airbag
● Knee airbag for the driver.
The fol
lowing airbags are triggered in seri-
ous side-on collisions:
● Front side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Re
ar side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Cur
tain (head) airbag on the side of the ac-
cident.
In an ac
cident with airbag activation:
● the interior lights switch on (if the interior
light swit
ch is in the courtesy light position);
● the hazard warning lights switch on;
● all doors are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut.
71
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
Airbag safety instructions Fr ont
airb
agsRead the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 19. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of
a second.
● Always keep the deployment areas of the
front airb
ags free.
● Never secure objects to the covers or in the
deployment
area of the airbag modules, e.g.
drink holders or phone supports.
● The deployment space between the front
pas
sengers and the airbags must not in any
case be occupied by other passenger, pets
and objects.
● Never fix any object to the windscreen
above the fr
ont airbag on the front passenger
side.
● Do not alter, cover or stick anything to the
steerin
g wheel hub or the surface of the air-
bag module on the passenger side of the
dash panel. WARNING
Front airbags are deployed in front of the
st eerin
g wheel ›››
Fig. 25 and the dash
panel ›››
Fig. 26. ●
When drivin g, a
lways hold the steering
wheel on the outer edge of the ring with both
hands: 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is at
lea
st 25 cm distance between your chest and
the hub of the steering wheel. If your physi-
cal constitution prevents you from meeting
these requirements, make sure you contact a
specialised workshop.
● Adjust the front passenger seat so there is
as muc
h distance as possible between the
front passenger and the dash panel. Knee airbag*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 20. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of
a second.
● The knee airbag is deployed in front of the
driver's knee
s. Always keep the deployment
areas of the knee airbags free.
● Never not fix objects to the cover or in the
deployment
area of the knee airbag.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is a dis-
tance of
at least 10 cm (4 inches) between
your knees and the location of the knee air-
bag. If your physical constitution prevents
you from meeting these requirements, make
sure you contact a specialised workshop. Side airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 21. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of
a second.
● Always keep the deployment areas of the
side airbag
s free.
● Vehicle occupants of the front and outer
rear se
ats must never carry any other people,
pets or objects in the deployment space be-
tween them and the airbags.
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Do not mount accessories on the doors.
● Only used protective covers for the seats
that ar
e approved for the vehicle. Otherwise,
the side airbag would be obstructed when de-
ployed. WARNING
Incorrect handling of the driver's and front
pa s
senger seat could prevent the side airbag
from deploying properly and cause severe in-
juries.
● Never remove the front seats of the vehicle
or modify an
y of their components.72