towing Seat Exeo 2013 Owner's Guide

290If and when
Towing and tow-starting
Tow-starting
The use of jump leads is preferable to tow-starting.
We recommend that you do not tow-start your vehicle. Jump-start-
ing is preferable ⇒ page 286.
However, if your vehicle has to be tow-started:
– Engage the 2nd or the 3rd gear.
– Keep the clutch pressed down.
– Switch the ignition on.
– Once both vehicles are moving, release the clutch.
– As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch and move the
gear lever into neutral. This helps to prevent driving into the
towing vehicle.
WARNING
The risk of accidents is high when tow-starting. The vehicle being towed
can easily collide with the towing vehicle.
CAUTION
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it. General notes
Please observe the following points if you use a tow rope:
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
–
Drive slowly at first until the tow rope is taut. Then accelerate
gradually.
– Begin and change gears cautiously. If you are driving an auto-
matic vehicle, accelerate gently.
– Remember that the brake servo and power steering are not
working in the vehicle you are towing. Brake sooner than nor-
mal and pressing the pedal gently.
Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
– Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all times when towing.
Tow rope or tow bar
It is easier and safer to tow a vehicle with a tow bar. You should only use a
tow rope if you do not have a tow bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to reduce the loading on both vehicles.
It is advisable to use a tow rope made of synthetic fibre or similarly elastic
material.
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the towline anchorages provided
or a towing bracket.
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially when using a tow rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the technique required for towing. Inexper-
ienced drivers should not attempt to tow. 

291
If and when
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle and take care to avoid jerking
the tow rope. When towing on an unpaved road, there is always a risk of
overloading and damaging the anchorage points.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must be switched on to prevent the
steering wheel from locking and also to allow the use of the turn signals,
horn, windscreen wipers and washers.
As the brake servo does not work if the engine is not running, you must ap-
ply considerably more pressure to the brake pedal than you normally would.
As the power assisted steering does not work if the engine is not running,
you will need more strength to steer than you normally would.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
● Put the selector lever into position “N”.
● Do not drive faster than 50 km/h (30 mph).
● Do not tow further than 50 km.
● If a breakdown vehicle is used, the vehicle must be towed with the front
wheels raised.
Note
● Observe legal requirements when towing or tow-starting.
● Switch on the hazard warning lights of both vehicles. However, observe
any regulations to the contrary.
● For technical reasons, vehicles with an automatic gearbox must not be
tow-started.
● If damage to your vehicle means that there is no lubricant in the gear-
box, you must raise the driven wheels while the vehicle is being towed.
● If the vehicle has to be towed more than 50 km (30 miles), the front
wheels should be raised during towing, and towing should be carried out by
a qualified person. ●
The steering wheel is locked when the vehicle has no electrical power.
The vehicle must then be towed with the front wheels raised. Towing should
be carried out by a qualified person.
● The towline anchorage should always be kept in the vehicle. Please refer
to the notes ⇒ page 290, Tow-starting. 
Front towing eyeFig. 232 Fitting the tow-
line anchorage to front of
the vehicle
Fitting the towline anchorage
– Take the towline anchorage from the on-board tool set.
– Remove the front cover by pressing down on the right hand
side.
– Bolt the anchorage to its limit to the left, in the direction of the
arrow ⇒ Fig. 232. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

296Description of specifications
Towing a trailer
Trailer weights
Trailer weight
The trailer weights and drawbar loads approved are selected in intensive tri-
als according to precisely defined criteria. The approved trailer weights are
valid for vehicles in the EU for maximum speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) (in
certain circumstances up to 100 km/h (60 mph). The figures may be differ-
ent in other countries. All data in the official vehicle documentation takes
precedence over these data at all times ⇒ 
.
Drawbar loads
The maximum permitted drawbar load on the ball joint of the towing bracket
must not exceed 75 kg.
In the interest of road safety, we recommend that you always tow approach-
ing the maximum drawbar load. The response of the trailer on the road will
be poor if the drawbar load is too small.
If the maximum permissible drawbar load cannot be met (e.g. with small,
empty and light-weight single axle trailers or tandem axle trailers with a
wheelbase of less than 1 metre), a minimum of 4% of the actual trailer
weight is legally required for the drawbar load.
WARNING
● For safety reasons, do not exceed the 80 km/h (50 mph) limit. This is
also valid in countries where higher speeds are permitted.
● Never exceed the maximum trailer weights or the drawbar load. If the
permissible axle load or the permissible total weight is exceeded, the
driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents,
injuries and damage to the vehicle.
 Wheels
Tyre pressure, snow chains, wheel bolts
Tyre pressures
The sticker with the tyre pressure values can be found on the inside of the
fuel tank flap. The tyre pressure values given there are for cold tyres. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tyres must not be reduced. ⇒ 
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front wheels.
Consult the section “wheels” of this manual.
Wheel bolts
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel
bolts should be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench ⇒ 
.
The tightening torque for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
WARNING
● Check the tyre pressure at least once per month. Checking the tyre
pressure is very important. If the tyre pressure is too high or too low,
there is an increased danger of accidents, particularly at high speeds.
● If the tightening torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loos-
en while the vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening tor-
que is too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged.
Note
We recommend that you ask your Technical Service for information about
appropriate wheel, tyre and snow chain size. 

305
Technical specifications
Dimensions and capacities
Dimensions
Length, width 4661-4741a)
mm/ 1772 mm
Height at kerb weight 1430 mm
Front and rear projection 976 mm/ 1043-1123a)
mm
Wheelbase 2642 mm
Turning circle 11.2 m
Track width b) Front
Rear
1522 mm 1523 mm
Capacities
Fuel tank 70 litres. Reserve 10 litres.
Windscreen washer fluid container with headlight washer 4.8 l.
Tyre pressure
Summer-grade tyres:
The correct tyre pressure can be seen on the sticker on the inside of the tank flap.
Winter tyres:
The pressure of these tyres is the same as the summer tyre pressure plus 0.2 bar.
a) With towing eye.
b) This data will change depending on the type of wheel rim. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Index
Numbers and Symbols
230 V socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Faulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Airbag Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Air conditioner 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Air distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Air outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Air purity sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Air recirculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Air recirculation (automatic) . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Automatic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Blower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Defrosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
ECON Mode (economy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Economical use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Key settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Solar-powered blower/sunroof . . . . . . . . . 163
Temperature selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Air duct Fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267, 274
Removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267, 273
Air purity sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Alternator Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Anti-lock brake system How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Interior monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Armrest Storage compartment in front armrest . . . 141
Armrests Adjusting the front armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Ashtray Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
ASR Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Athermic windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Auto-check system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Automatic gearbox
Dynamic gear control programme . . . . . . . 184
Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
multitronic® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Paddle levers (tiptronic mode) . . . . . . . . . 186
Safety interlock for ignition key . . . . . . . . . 166
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Steering wheel with paddle levers . . . . . . 186
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Automatic headlight control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Battery voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Disconnection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Long periods of non-use . . . . . . . . . . 238, 239
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238, 239
Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Winter operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238, 239
Bicycle rack Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
307
Index

Stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Switches on the driver doorElectric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Symbols Red symbols in central display . . . . . . . . . . 78
Yellow symbols on central display . . . . . . . 80
T Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
The danger of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . 20
The environment Heated rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Warming up the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . 296
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200, 290 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Notes on towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200, 201
Removable towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Technical requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Towing bracket, fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Towing eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Towline anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Tow starting General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 Traction control system
How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Traction control system (ASR) control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Trailer weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Trip recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Turn signal lamps Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Trailer turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Tyre mobility system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Tyre Mobility System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tyre pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67, 91, 242 Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Tyre pressure monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Tyre pressure monitoring system . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Tyre repair kit Tyre Mobility System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tyres and wheels Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Tyres tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Tyres useful life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Tyres with directional tread pattern . . . . . . . . 242
U Underbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Upholstery Treating your upholstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 V
Vehicle care Treating your upholstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Vehicle data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Vehicle keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Vehicle maintenance electrically adjustable seats . . . . . . . . . . . 218
heated seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
natural leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
non-electrically adjustable seats . . . . . . . 218
seats with airbag components . . . . . . . . . 218
seats without airbag components . . . . . . 218
synthetic leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
trim fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
unheated seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Vehicle modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Vehicle paintwork Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Products for vehicle maintenance . . . . . . . 210
Vehicle washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Ventilation slits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
W
Warning lamp Alternator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Warning lamps Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Electronic differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
314 Index