2020 Seat Leon fuel

Start and driving
For the sake of the environment
If the engine is run in gently, the life of the
engine will be incr eased and the engine oil
consumption r
educed.Economical and environmentally
friendly driving
Fuel consumption, environmental pollution
and w
ear t

o the engine, brakes and tyres all
depend largely on driving style. Consumption
can be reduced between 10-15% with an effi-
cient driving type. The following section gives
you some tips on lessening the impact on the
environment and reducing your operating
costs at the same time.
Active cylinder management (ACT®)*
Depending on vehicle equipment, the active
cylinder management (ACT®) may deacti-
vate some of the engine cylinders if the driv-
ing situation does not require too much pow-
er. The number of active cylinders can be
seen on the instrument panel display.
››› page 72.
Foresight when driving
If you think ahead when driving, you will need
to brake less and thus accelerate less. Take
advantage of the inertia of the vehicle when-
ever possible, with a gear engaged. This takes advantage of the engine braking effect,
r
educing w

ear on the brakes and tyres. Emis-
sions and fuel consumption will drop to zero.
Changing gear to save energy
An effective way of saving is to change in ad-
vance to a higher gear.
Manual transmission: shift up from first to
second gear as soon as possible. Choosing
the right gear enables fuel savings. Select the
highest possible gear appropriate for the
driving situation (the engine should continue
functioning with cyclical regularity).
Automatic transmission: accelerate gradu-
ally and without reaching the “kick-down”
position.
Avoid driving at high speed
Avoid travelling at your vehicle’s top speed,
whenever possible. Fuel consumption, emis-
sion of harmful gases and noise pollution
multiply 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 alr
eady
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 during
this initial warm-up phase. It is therefore best
to drive off immediately after starting the en-
gine. 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
(2.5 miles), when fuel consumption will return
to a normal level. »
239

Driving
Check tyre pressure
Al w
ays make sure the tyres are inflated to the
correct pressures ››› page 348
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
make sure that no unnecessary loads are be-
ing transported.
Since the luggage rack increases the aero-
dynamic drag of the vehicle, you should re-
move 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
generating electricity. This implies that any
increase in power consumption also increa-
ses fuel consumption! For this reason, switch
off any unneeded electrical devices. Devices
that use a lot of electricity includes the blow-
er at a high setting, the rear window heating
or the seat heating*. Plug-in hybrid drive: brak
e early and evenly
to take advantage of energy recovery. Note

Driver assistance systems
information about service station networks
selling unl eaded fuel.

Driving
Towing bracket device*
T r
ailer mode
Introduction Take into account country-specific regula-
tions about driving with a tr
ail

er and the use
of a towing bracket.
The vehicle has been developed primarily for
carrying people, although it can also be used
to tow a trailer if fitted with the corresponding
technical equipment. This additional load has
an effect on the useful life, fuel consumption
and vehicle performance and in some cases
can reduce the service intervals.
Driving with a trailer requires more force from
the vehicle, and thus more concentration
from the driver.
In winter, winter tyres should be fitted on both
the vehicle and the trailer.
Maximum vertical load technically permit-
ted on the coupling device
The maximum technical permitted vertical
load of the trailer's towing bracket on the
hook of the tow-bar is 80 kg.
Vehicles with the Start-Stop system
If the vehicle has a factory-fitted towing
bracket or one that is retrofitted by SEAT, the Start-Stop system operates as normal. No
special char
act

eristics need to be taken into
account.
If the system does not recognise the trailer or
the trailer bracket has not been retrofitted by
SEAT, the Start-Stop system must be discon-
nected by pressing the corresponding button
in the lower part of the centre console before
driving with the trailer, and it should remain
off for the rest of the journey ››› .
V ehicl

es with driving profile selection
If you are going to be towing a trailer, the use
of the Eco driving profile is not recommen-
ded. You are advised to select another of the
available driving profiles before beginning to
drive with a trailer.
Trailer weight/drawbar load
Never exceed the authorised trailer weight. If
you do not load the trailer up to the maximum
permitted trailer weight, you can then climb
correspondingly steeper slopes.
The maximum trailer weights listed are only
applicable for altitudes up to 1000 m above
sea level. Since higher altitude decreases en-
gine performance and the ability to climb
slopes, the tow load decreases proportional-
ly. The weight of the vehicle and trailer com-
bination must be reduced by 10% for every
1000 m of altitude. When possible, operate
the trailer with the maximum authorised drawbar load on the ball joint of the to

wing
bracket, but do not exceed the specified lim-
it. WARNING
Never use the trailer to transport people,
since it w oul

d put their life in danger and is
also prohibited. WARNING
Undue use of the towing bracket may
cause injury and accidents.

Checking and refilling levels
Refuelling Fig. 218
Fuel tank flap with tank cap attached. The fuel tank flap is on the rear right of the
v
ehicl
e.
The flap that covers the tank cap is unlocked
and locked automatically using the central
locking.

Practical tips
at least 30 seconds before starting the en-
gine
. When you then st
art the engine it may
take longer than normal (up to one minute)
to start firing. For the sake of the environment
Do not overfill the fuel tank, it may cause
the fuel t o o

verflow if it becomes warm. Note
There is no emergency mechanism for the
manual r el

ease of the fuel tank flap. If nec-
essary, request assistance from special-
ised personnel. Note
Diesel vehicles are fitted with a protective
de vice that pr

events the insertion of the
wrong fuel hose 1)
. It is only possible to re-
fuel with Diesel nozzles.

Checking and refilling levels
Super unleaded petrol 95 octane petrol or
normal 91 oct ane petr
ol at least
We recommend refuelling with super 95 oc-
tane petrol (91 AKI). If not available, normal 91
octane petrol (87 AKI) (with a slight power
loss) may be used.
Super unleaded petrol, 95 octanes at
least
You should use super 95 octane petrol (91
AKI) at least.
If super is not available, if necessary, use nor-
mal 91 octane petrol (87 AKI). In this case only
use moderate engine speeds and a light
throttle. Refuel with super as soon as possi-
ble.
Unleaded super plus 98 octane petrol or
super 95 octane petrol at least
We recommend refuelling with super plus 98
octane petrol (93 AKI). If not available: super
95 octane petrol (91 AKI) (with a slight power
loss).
If super is not available, if necessary, use nor-
mal 91 octane petrol (87 AKI). In this case only
use moderate engine speeds and a light
throttle. Refuel with super as soon as possi-
ble. CAUTION

Practical tips
Diesel  V
alid for: vehicles with diesel engines
Pl ease note the information on the inside of
the fuel tank flap.
We recommend you use Diesel according to
standard EN 590.
The diesel can thicken at very low tempera-
tures, thus affecting the start or operation of
the engine. Ask your service station attendant
if their diesel is suitable for winter use.
Water in the fuel filter 1)
If your vehicle has a diesel engine and is
equipped with a fuel filter with a water sep-
arator, the instrument panel may display the
following warning: