charging Seat Ibiza SC 2012 Owner's manual

74Cockpit
Emission control system* 
This warning lamp monitors the exhaust system.
Control lamp  flashes:
When there is misfiring that can damage the catalytic converter. Reduce
speed and drive carefully to the nearest specialised workshop to have the
engine checked.
Control lamp  is lit:
If a fault has developed during driving which has reduced the quality of the
exhaust gas (e.g. lambda probe fault). Reduce speed and drive carefully to
the nearest specialised workshop to have the engine checked. 
Coolant level* / temperature 
The warning lamp lights up if the coolant temperature is too
high or if the coolant level is too low.
There is a fault if:
● The warning symbol does not go out again after a few seconds.
● The warning lamp lights up or flashes while the vehicle is moving, and
three acoustic warning signals ⇒ 
are emitted.
This means that either the coolant level is too low or the coolant tempera-
ture is too high.
Coolant temperature too high
If the warning light comes on, stop the vehicle, switch off the engine and
wait for it to cool down. Check the coolant level.
If the coolant level is correct, the overheating may be caused by a malfunc-
tion of the radiator fan. Check the radiator fan fuse and have it replaced if
necessary ⇒ page 224. If the control lamp lights up again after driving on for a short distance,
stop
the vehicle and switch the engine off . Contact a Technical Service or a spe-
cialised workshop.
Coolant level too low
If the warning light comes on, stop the vehicle, switch off the engine and
wait for it to cool down First check the coolant level. If the level of the cool-
ant is below the “MIN” mark, top up with coolant liquid ⇒ 
.
WARNING
● If your vehicle is immobilised for technical reasons, move it to a safe
distance from traffic. Turn the engine off, turn the hazard lights on and
place the warning triangle.
● Never open the bonnet if you can see or hear steam or coolant escap-
ing from the engine compartment. Risk of scalding. Wait until you can no
longer see or hear escaping steam or coolant.
● The engine compartment is a dangerous area! Before carrying out any
work in the engine compartment, switch off the engine and allow it to
cool down. Always note the corresponding warnings ⇒ page 193.

Alternator 
This warning lamp signals a fault in the alternator.
The warning lamp  lights up when the ignition is switched on. It should
go out when the engine has started running.
If the warning lamp  lights up while driving, the alternator is no longer
charging the battery. You should immediately drive to the nearest special-
ised workshop.
You should avoid using electrical equipment that is not absolutely necessa-
ry because this will drain the battery. 

105
Lights and visibility
Note
If not all the vehicle doors are closed, the interior lights will be switched off
after approx. 10 minutes, providing the ignition key has been removed and
the courtesy light position selected. This prevents the battery from dis-
charging. 
Front reading light*
Fig. 61 Front reading
light
Switching on the reading light 
Press the corresponding button B
⇒ Fig. 61 to switch on the reading light.
Switching the reading lights off 
Press the corresponding button to switch the reading light off. Luggage compartment light*
The light is activated when the rear lid is open, even when the ignition and
lights are turned off. For this reason, ensure that the rear lid is always
closed.

Glove compartment light
When opening the glove compartment on the passenger side, the glove
compartment light will automatically turn on and will turn off upon closure. 
Visibility Sun visors
Fig. 62 Sun visor on the
driver side 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

141
Driving
Starting diesel engines
The engine can only be started using a genuine SEAT key
with its correct code. – Move the gearbox lever to the neutral position and depress the
clutch pedal thoroughly and hold it in this position for the start-
er to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting position.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒ Fig. 98 2
. The warning lamp
 will light for engine pre-heating.
– When the lamp turns off, turn the ignition key to position 3
to
start the engine. Do not press the accelerator.
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts, the start-
er motor must not be allowed to run on with the engine.
When starting a very cold engine, it may be a little noisy for the first few sec-
onds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.
If there are problems starting the engine, see the ⇒ page 241.
Glow plug system for the diesel engine
To avoid unnecessary discharging of the battery, do not use any other major
electrical equipment while the glow plugs are pre-heating.
Start the engine as soon as the glow plug warning lamp goes out.
Starting the diesel engine after the fuel tank has been completely run dry
If the fuel tank has been completely run dry, it may take longer than normal
(up to one minute) to start a diesel engine after refuelling. This is because
the fuel system must eliminate air first.
WARNING
● Never start or run the engine in unventilated or closed rooms. The ex-
haust gases contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and colourless poi-
sonous gas. Risk of fatal accidents. Carbon monoxide can cause loss of
consciousness. It can also result in death.
● Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running.
● Never use “cold start sprays”, they could explode or cause the engine
to run at high revs. Risk of injury.
CAUTION
● When the engine is cold, you should avoid high engine speeds, driving
at full throttle and over-loading the engine. Risk of engine damage.
● The vehicle should not be pushed or towed more than 50 metres to start
the engine. Unburnt fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it.
● Before attempting to push-start or tow a vehicle in order to start it, you
should first try to start it using the battery of another vehicle. Note and fol-
low the instructions in ⇒ page 241, Jump-starting.
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the engine with the vehicle station-
ary. You should drive off as soon as you start the engine. This helps the en-
gine reach operating temperature faster and reduces emissions. 
Switching off the engine
– Stop the vehicle.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒ Fig. 98 1
.
After switching the engine off, the radiator fan may run on for up to 10 mi-
nutes. It is also possible that the fan turns itself on once more if the coolant 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

209
Checking and refilling levels
There are two different colours:
● Black: correct charge status.
● Transparent/clear yellow: the battery must be replaced. Contact a speci-
alised workshop. 
Charging and changing the vehicle battery
The battery is maintenance-free and is checked during the
inspection service. All work on the vehicle battery requires
specialist knowledge.
If you often drive short distances or if the vehicle is not driven for long peri-
ods, the battery should be checked by a specialised workshop between the
scheduled services.
If the battery has discharged and you have problems starting the vehicle,
the battery might be damaged. If this happens, we recommend you have
the vehicle battery checked by a Technical Service where it will be re-charg-
ed or replaced.
Charging the battery
The vehicle battery should be charged by a specialised workshop only, as
batteries using special technology have been installed and they must be
charged in a controlled environment.
Replacing a vehicle battery
The battery has been developed to suit the conditions of its location and
has special safety features.
Genuine SEAT batteries fulfil the maintenance, performance and safety
specifications of your vehicle.
WARNING
● We recommend you use only maintenance-free or cycle free leak-proof
batteries which comply with standards T 825 06 and VW 7 50 73. This
standard applies as of August 2001.
● Before starting any work on the batteries, you must read and observe
the warnings ⇒ 
in Warnings on handling the battery on page 207.
For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain toxic substances such as sulphuric acid and lead. They
must be disposed of appropriately and must not be disposed of with ordi-
nary household waste. 
Wheels
General notes
Avoiding damage
– If you have to drive over a kerb or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and at a right angle.
– Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
– Inspect the tyres regularly for damage (cuts, cracks or blisters,
etc.). Remove any foreign objects embedded in the treads.
Storing tyres
– When you remove the tyres, mark them in order to maintain the
same direction of rotation when they are installed again. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Index
A
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Acoustic warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
AFS headlight bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Air conditioner Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Air outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Air recirculation Semi-automatic air conditioning . . . . . . . . 132
Air recirculation mode Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Alarm system Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Alternator Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Anti-theft wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Aspects to note before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ASR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
ASR (Traction control system) Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Audible warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror Deactivating the anti-dazzle function . . . . 109
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror* Activating the anti-dazzle function . . . . . . 109
Automatic car washing tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Automatic lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Automatic windscreen wiper/washer . . . . . . . 106
Auxiliary audio input connection: AUX . . . . . . 124
AUX input connection/USB* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
B
Ball coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Battery
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Winter conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162, 167
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Braking distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Bulb change double headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Single headlight bulb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Bulb changes General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Bulb defect Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Buzzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104, 138
269
Index