ESP Seat Leon 5D 2011 Owner's manual

Foreword
This Instruction Manual and its corresponding supplements should be read carefully to familiarise yourself
with your vehicle.
Besides the regular care and maintenance of the vehicle, its correct handling will help preserve its value.
For safety reasons, note the information concerning accessories, modifications and part replacements.
If selling the vehicle, give all of the on-board documentation to the new owner, as it should be kept with the
vehicle.

Table of Contents
Manual structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Safety First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Proper sitting position for occupants . . . . . . . . . 10
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Storing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Deactivating airbags* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Securing child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Operating Instructions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
LPG system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Digital instrument panel display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Instrument panel menus* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Audio system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Radio navigation system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Unlocking and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Radio frequency remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Anti-theft alarm system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Sliding/tilting sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rear-view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Seats and storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . 132
The importance of correct seat adjustment . . . . . 132
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Storage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Ashtrays*, cigarette lighter* and electrical
sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
First-aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher . 142
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
2C-Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Starting and stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Driving with LPG* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Start-Stop function* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Automatic gearbox* / DSG automatic gearbox* . 168
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Acoustic parking aid system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Cruise speed* (Cruise control system) . . . . . . . . 178
Practical Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Anti-lock brake system and traction control M-
ABS (ABS and ASR (TCS)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Electronic Stability Control ESC (ESP) * . . . . . . . . 184
Driving and the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Running-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Economical and environmentally friendly driving 191
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
3
Table of Contents

7
Safe driving
Safety First
Safe driving
Brief introduction
Dear SEAT Driver
Safety first! This chapter contains important information, tips, suggestions and
warnings that you should read and consider for both your own
safety and for your passengers' safety.
WARNING
● This manual contains important information about the operation of
the vehicle, both for the driver and the passengers. The other sections of
the owner's manual also contain further information that you should be
aware of for your own safety and for the safety of your passengers.
● Ensure that the onboard documentation is kept in the vehicle at all
times. This is especially important when lending or selling the vehicle to
another person.
 Safety equipment
The safety equipment is a part of the occupant protection
system and can reduce the risk of injury in the event of acci-
dent.
Never put your safety or the safety of your passengers in danger. In the
event of an accident, the safety equipment may reduce the risk of injury.
The following list includes most of the safety equipment in your SEAT:
● Three-point seat belts
● Belt tension limiters for the front and rear side seats
● Belt tensioners for the front seats
● Belt height adjustment for the front seats
● Front airbags
● Side airbags in the front seat backrests
● side airbags in the rear seat backrests*,
● Curtain airbags
● Active front head restraints*
● ISOFIX anchor points for child seats in the rear side seats with the ISOFIX
system,
● Height-adjustable head restraints
● Head restraints with in-use position and non-use position
● Adjustable steering column 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

8Safe driving
The safety equipment mentioned above works together to provide you and
your passengers with the best possible protection in the event of an acci-
dent. However, these safety systems can only be effective if you and your
passengers are sitting in a correct position and use this equipment proper-
ly.
Therefore, information is provided about why this equipment is so impor-
tant, how it protects you, what you have to consider when using it and how
you and your passengers can achieve the greatest possible benefit from the
safety equipment fitted. This manual includes important warnings that you
and your passengers should note in order to reduce the risk of injury.
Safety is everyone's business! 
Before starting every trip
The driver is responsible for the safety of the passengers
and the safe operation of the vehicle.
For your own safety and the safety of your passengers, always note
the following points before every trip:
– Make sure that the vehicle's lights and turn signals are working
properly.
– Check tyre pressure.
– Ensure that all windows provide a clear and good view of the
surroundings.
– Make sure all luggage is secured ⇒ page 16.
– Make sure that no objects can interfere with the pedals. –
Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors properly according
to your size.
– Ensure that the passengers in the rear seats always have the
head restraints in the in-use position ⇒ page 14
– Instruct passengers to adjust the head restraints according to
their height.
– Protect children with appropriate child seats and properly ap-
plied seat belts ⇒ page 46.
– Assume the correct sitting position. Instruct your passengers al-
so to assume a proper sitting position. ⇒  page 10.
– Fasten your seat belt securely. Instruct your passengers also to
fasten their seat belts properly. ⇒ page 19. 
What affects driving safety?
Driving safety is largely determined by your driving style
and the personal behaviour of all occupants. As a driver, you are responsible for yourself and your passengers.
When your concentration or driving safety is affected by any cir-
cumstance, you endanger yourself as well as others on the road
⇒ 
, for this reason:
– Always pay attention to traffic and do not get distracted by pas-
sengers or telephone calls.
– Never drive when your driving ability is impaired (e.g. by medi-
cation, alcohol, drugs). 

15
Safe driving
Centre rear head restraint
– The centre head restraint only has two positions, in-use (head
restraint up) and non-use (head restraint down).
WARNING
● Under no circumstances should the rear passengers travel while the
head restraints are in the non-use position.
● Do not swap the centre rear head restraint with either of the outer
seat rear head restraints.
● Risk of injury in case of an accident!
CAUTION
Note the instructions on the adjustment of the head restraints. ⇒ page 133 
Examples of incorrect sitting positions
An incorrect sitting position can lead to severe injuries to oc-
cupants.
Seat belts can provide optimal protection only when the belt webs
are properly positioned. Incorrect sitting positions substantially re-
duce the protective function of seat belts and increase the risk of
injury due to incorrect seat belt position. As the driver, you are re-
sponsible for all vehicle occupants, especially children.
– Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect sitting position in
the vehicle while travelling ⇒ 
. The following list contains examples of sitting positions that could be dan-
gerous for all occupants. The list is not complete, but we would like to make
you aware of this issue.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is in motion:
●
Never stand in the vehicle.
● Never stand on the seats.
● Never kneel on the seats.
● Never tilt your backrest far to the rear.
● Never lean against the dash panel.
● Never lie on the rear bench.
● Never sit on the front edge of a seat.
● Never sit sideways.
● Never lean out of a window.
● Never put your feet out of a window.
● Never put your feet on the dash panel.
● Never put your feet on the surface of a seat.
● Do not allow anyone to travel in the footwell.
● Never travel without wearing the seat belt.
● Do not allow anyone to travel in the luggage compartment.
WARNING
● Any incorrect sitting position increases the risk of severe injuries.
● Sitting in an incorrect position exposes the occupants to severe inju-
ries if airbags are triggered, by striking a passenger who has assumed an
incorrect sitting position.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the proper sitting position and
maintain it throughout the trip. Before every trip, instruct your passen-
gers to sit properly and to stay in this position during the trip ⇒ page 10,
Proper sitting position for occupants.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

17
Safe driving
– Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
– Place heavy objects as far forward as possible in the luggage
compartment.
– Place the heavy objects first.
– Secure heavy objects to the fastening rings ⇒ page 17.
WARNING
● Loose luggage and other objects in the luggage compartment could
cause serious injuries.
● Always stow objects in the luggage compartment and secure them on
the fastening rings.
● Use suitable straps to secure heavy objects.
● During sudden manoeuvres or accidents, loose objects can be thrown
forward, injuring vehicle occupants or passers-by. This increased risk of
injury will be further increased if a loose object is struck by an inflating
airbag. If this happens, objects can be transformed into “missiles”. Risk
of fatal injury.
● Please note that the centre of gravity may shift when transporting
heavy objects; this may affect the vehicle's handling and lead to an acci-
dent. Therefore, it is essential to adjust your speed and driving style ac-
cordingly, to avoid accidents.
● Never exceed the allowed axle weights or allowed maximum weight.
If the allowed axle load or the allowed total weight is exceeded, the driv-
ing characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents, inju-
ries and damage to the vehicle.
● Never leave your vehicle unattended, especially when the tailgate is
open. Children could climb into the luggage compartment, closing the
door behind them; they will be trapped and run the risk of death.
WARNING (Continued)
● Never allow children to play in or around the vehicle. Close and lock
all the doors and tailgate when you leave the vehicle. Before you lock the
vehicle, make sure that there are no adults or children in the vehicle.
● Never transport passengers in the luggage compartment. All passen-
gers must have their seat belt fastened ⇒ page 19.
Note
● Air circulation in the vehicle helps reduce fogging of the windows. Used
air escapes through ventilation slits in the side trim of the luggage compart-
ment. Ensure that the ventilation slits are never covered.
● Straps for securing the load to the fastening rings are commercially
available. 
Fastening rings*
There can be four fastening rings in the luggage compart-
ment for fastening luggage and other objects.
– Always use suitable and undamaged straps to secure luggage
and other objects to the fastening rings ⇒ 
in Loading the lug-
gage compartment on page 17.
– Pull up the fastening rings to attach the straps.
During a collision or an accident, even small and light objects can build up
so much energy that they can cause very severe injuries. The amount of ki-
netic energy depends on the speed of the vehicle and the weight of the ob-
ject. The most significant factor, however, is the speed of the vehicle.
Example: An object weighing 4.5 kg is lying unsecured in the vehicle. Dur-
ing a frontal collision at a speed of 50 km/h, this object generates a force
corresponding to 20 times its weight. That means that the effective weight 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

27
Seat belts
Pregnant women must also fasten their seat belts properly
The best protection for the unborn child is for the mother to
wear the seat belt properly at all times during the pregnan-
cy.
Fig. 14 Positioning seat
belts during pregnancy
The seat belt provides maximum protection only when the seat belt
is properly positioned ⇒ page 26.
– Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly ⇒ page 10.
– Holding the latch plate, pull the belt evenly across your chest
and as low as possible over the pelvis ⇒ fig. 14.
– Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the corresponding seat
and push it down until it is securely locked with an audible click
⇒ 
.
– Pull the belt to ensure that the latch plate is securely engaged
in the buckle.
WARNING
● An incorrectly worn seat belt can cause severe injuries in the event of
an accident.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the seat belt must lie as low as
possible over the pelvis, never across the stomach, and always lie flat so
that no pressure is exerted on the abdomen.
● Read and observe the warnings ⇒ page 23.

Seat belt release
The seat belt must not be unfastened until the vehicle has
come to a standstill.
Fig. 15 Removing latch
plate from buckle
– Press the red button on the belt buckle ⇒ fig. 15. The latch plate
is released and springs out ⇒ 
. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

28Seat belts
–Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls up easily and the
trim is not damaged
WARNING
Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehicle is in motion. If you do, you
increase the risk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries.

Adjusting the seat belt height
Seat belt height adjusters can be used to adjust the position
of the seat belt at the shoulder.
Fig. 16 Location of the
belt height adjuster
The seat belt adjuster for the front seats can be used to adjust the
proper belt position at the shoulder.
– Press the upper part of the shoulder belt guide and hold it in
this position ⇒ fig. 16. –
Move the shoulder belt guide up or down until you have adjus-
ted the seat belt ⇒ page 26.
– After adjusting, pull the shoulder belt sharply to check that the
catch on the shoulder belt guide is engaged securely. 
Incorrectly fastened seat belts
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause severe or even mortal
injuries. Seat belts can provide optimal protection only if the belt web is
properly worn. The seat belts must be fastened exactly in the order
described in this chapter. An incorrect sitting position impairs sub-
stantially the protection a seat belt offers and can lead to severe or
fatal injuries. The risk of severe or fatal injuries is especially in-
creased when a deploying airbag strikes an occupant who has as-
sumed an incorrect sitting position. As the driver, you are responsi-
ble for all vehicle occupants, especially children. Therefore:
– Never allow anyone to wear the seat belt incorrectly while the
vehicle is moving ⇒ 
.
WARNING
● An incorrectly worn seat belt increases the risk of severe injuries.
● Before every trip, instruct your passengers to adjust their seat belts
properly and to wear them for the whole journey.
● Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the
use of seat belts ⇒ page 23.


45
Airbag system
WARNING
● The driver is responsible for the proper position of the key-operated
switch.
● You should deactivate the front passenger airbag only if you have to
use a rear-facing child seat in exceptional cases. ⇒ page 46, Child safe-
ty.
● For those vehicles that do not include a key lock switch to turn the
airbag off, an Authorised Service Centre must be consulted.
● Never install a child seat facing backwards on the front passenger
seat unless the front passenger airbag has been disabled. Otherwise,
there is a risk of death. If under exceptional circumstances it is necessary
to transport a child in a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger
seat, you must always disable the front passenger airbag.
● As soon as the child seat is no longer needed on the front passenger
seat, enable the front passenger airbag again.
● Only deactivate the passenger airbag when the ignition is off, other-
wise a fault may occur in the airbag system, which could cause the airbag
to not deploy properly or not deploy at all.
● When the passenger airbag is deactivated, if the warning lamp AIR-
BAG OFF is not continuously lit up, there may be a fault in the airbag sys-
tem:
–Have the airbag system inspected immediately by a specialised
workshop.
– Do not use a child seat on the front passenger seat! The front pas-
senger airbag could be triggered despite the fact that there is a fault
in the system and, as a result, a child could sustain serious or fatal
injuries.
– It is unpredictable whether the front passenger airbag will deploy
in the event of an accident. Warn all your passengers of this.
● When using the ignition key to activate/deactivate the front passen-
ger airbag, only the front passenger airbag will be activated/deactivated.
The side airbag and head airbag on the passenger side will remain ac-
tive.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

46Child safety
Child safety
Brief introduction Introduction
Statistics show that children are generally safer on the rear
seat than on the front passenger seat.For safety reasons we recommend that children under 12 years of age travel
on the rear seats. Depending on their age, height and weight, children trav-
elling on the rear seat must use a child seat or a seat belt. For safety rea-
sons, the child seat should be installed in the centre of the rear seat or be-
hind the front passenger seat.
The physical laws involved and the forces acting in a collision apply also to
children. ⇒ page 21, Why wear seat belts?.
But unlike adults, children do not have muscle and bone structures fully de-
veloped. This means that children are subject to a greater risk of injury.
To reduce this risk, children must always use special child restraint systems
when travelling in the vehicle.
We recommend the use of child safety products from the SEAT Genuine Ac-
cessories Programme, which includes systems for all ages made by
“Peke” 1)
.
These systems have been especially designed and approved, complying
with the ECE-R44. regulation. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats. Always read and note
⇒ page 46.
We recommend you to include the manufacturer's Child Seat instruction
manual together with the on-board documentation.

Safety notes on using child seats
Proper use of child seats substantially reduces the risk of in-
jury in an accident! As the driver, you are responsible for any children you transport in
your vehicle.
– Protect your children by properly using the appropriate child
seats ⇒ page 48.
– Always ensure that the seat belt is properly positioned accord-
ing to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child
seat.
– When travelling, do not allow children to distract you from traf-
fic.
– Take breaks regularly during long trips. Take a break at least ev-
ery two hours. 
1)
Not for all countries