check engine Seat Leon 5D 2012 Owner's Guide

216Checking and refilling levels
Topping up coolant
Top up coolant when the level is below the MIN (minimum)
mark.
Fig. 110 Engine com-
partment: Coolant expan-
sion tank cap
Checking coolant level
– Park the vehicle in a horizontal position.
– Switch the ignition off
– Read off the coolant level on coolant expansion tank. When the
engine is cold, the coolant level should be between the marks.
When the engine is hot, it may be slightly above the upper
mark.
Topping up coolant
– Wait for the engine to cool down.
– Cover the coolant expansion tank cap with a cloth and carefully
unscrew it to the left ⇒ 
. –
Top up the coolant only if there is still coolant in the expansion
tank, otherwise you could damage the engine. If there is no
coolant in the expansion tank, do not continue driving. You
should obtain professional assistance ⇒ 
.
– If there is still some coolant in the expansion tank, top up to the
upper mark.
– Top up with coolant to the upper mark until the level becomes
stable.
– Screw the cap back on correctly.
Any loss of coolant fluid normally indicates a leak in the cooling system.
Take the vehicle straight to a specialised workshop to have the cooling sys-
tem examined. If there are no leaks in the engine cooling system, a loss of
coolant can only occur if the coolant boils and is forced out of the system as
a result of overheating.
WARNING
● The cooling system is under pressure. Do not unscrew the cap on the
coolant expansion tank when the engine is hot: risk of burns!
● The antifreeze and coolant fluid can be a health hazard. Therefore,
the antifreeze should be stored in the original container in a safe place
out of reach of children. Failure to comply could result in poisoning.
● If working inside the engine compartment, remember that, even when
the ignition is switched off, the radiator fan may start up automatically,
and therefore there is a risk of injury.
CAUTION
Do not top up the expansion tank with coolant fluid if it is empty! Air could
enter the cooling system. In this case, stop driving. Seek specialist assis-
tance. Otherwise, there is a risk of engine damage. 

217
Checking and refilling levels
Brake fluid
Fig. 111 Engine com-
partment: brake fluid res-
ervoir, lid
Checking the brake fluid level
The brake fluid level must be between the MIN and MAX markings.
However, if the brake fluid level goes down noticeably in a short time, or
drops below the MIN mark, there may be a leak in the brake system. Seek
specialist assistance. A warning light on the instrument panel display moni-
tors the brake fluid level ⇒ page 69.
In right-hand drive vehicles the brake fluid reservoir is on the other side of
the engine compartment.
Changing brake fluid
The regular intervals at which the brake fluid should be replaced are listed
in the Service Plan. We recommend you have the brake fluid replaced at a
SEAT Official Service, during an Inspection Service.
WARNING
● Brake fluid should be stored in the closed original container in a safe
place out of reach of children. Risk of poisoning!
● If the brake fluid is left in the system for too long and the brakes are
subjected to heavy use, vapour bubbles may form in the brake system.
This would seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes and the safety of
the vehicle. This may cause an accident.
CAUTION
Brake fluid should not come into contact with the vehicle paintwork, as it is
abrasive. 
Battery General information
The battery is located in the engine compartment and is almost mainte-
nance-free. It is checked as part of the Inspection Service. Nevertheless,
check the terminals are clean and have the correct tightening torque, espe-
cially in summer and winter.
Disconnecting the battery
The battery should only be disconnected in exceptional cases. When the
battery is disconnected, some of the vehicles functions are "lost" ( ⇒ table
on page 218). These functions will require resetting after the battery is re-
connected.
Deactivate the anti-theft alarm* before you disconnect the battery Other-
wise the alarm will be triggered. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

218Checking and refilling levels
FunctionReprogrammingOne-touch function of the electric
windows⇒ page 101, One-touch opening and
closing*
Remote control keyIf the vehicle does not respond to the
key, they should be synchronised
⇒ page 90
Digital clock⇒ page 63
ESC warning lampAfter driving for a few metres, the
warning lamp goes out again.
If the vehicle is not used for long periods
The vehicle has a system for monitoring the current consumption when the
engine is left unused for long periods of time ⇒ page 187. Some functions,
such as the interior lights, or the remote door opening, may be temporarily
disabled to prevent the battery from running flat. These functions will come
back on as soon as the ignition is switched on and the engine started.
Winter conditions
During the winter, the starting power may be reduced, and if necessary, the
battery should be charged ⇒ 
in Important safety warnings for handling a
vehicle battery on page 218 
Important safety warnings for handling a vehicle battery
All work on batteries requires specialist knowledge. Please refer to a SEAT
Official Service or a workshop specialising in batteries: risk of burns or ex-
ploding battery!
The battery must not be opened. Never try to change the fluid level of the
battery. Explosive gas is released from the battery that could cause an ex-
plosion.
Wear eye protection.
Battery acid is very corrosive and caustic. Wear protective gloves
and eye protection. In the event of electrolyte splashes, rinse off
with plenty of water.
Fires, sparks, open flames and smoking are prohibited.
The battery should only be charged in a well-ventilated zone. Risk
of explosion!
Keep children away from acid and batteries!
WARNING
● When repairing or working on the electrical system, proceed as fol-
lows:
● 1. Remove the key from the ignition. The negative cable on the bat-
tery must be disconnected.
● 2. When the repair is finished, reconnect the negative pole of the bat-
tery.
● Switch off all electrical consumers before reconnecting the battery.
Reconnect first the positive cable and then the negative cable. Never re-
verse the polarity of the connections. This could cause an electrical fire.
● Ensure that the vent hose is always connected to the battery.
● Never use damaged batteries. This could cause an explosion! Replace
a damaged battery immediately.
CAUTION
● Never disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched on or if the en-
gine is running. This could damage the electrical system or electronic com-
ponents. 

219
Checking and refilling levels
Charging the battery
Terminals for charging the battery are fitted in the engine
compartment.
– Note the warnings ⇒ 
in Important safety warnings for han-
dling a vehicle battery on page 218 and ⇒ .
– Switch off all electrical equipment. Remove the ignition key.
– Raise the bonnet ⇒ page 210.
– Open the battery cover.
– Connect the charger clamps as described to the positive pole of
the battery (+) and, exclusively to an earth on the bodywork
(–).
– Only use a charger which is compatible for use with 12 V nomi-
nal voltage batteries. The charge must not exceed a voltage of
15 V.
– Now connect the battery charger to the power socket and switch
on.
– After charging the battery: switch off the battery charger and
disconnect the power socket cable.
– Finally disconnect the charger cables from the battery.
– Replace the battery cover correctly.
– Close the bonnet ⇒ page 210.
Important: Before you charge the battery make sure you read the manufac-
turer's instructions for using the battery charger.
WARNING
Never charge a battery that has frozen: replace battery! Failure to do so
may lead to an explosion.
Note
Use only the terminals in the engine compartment to charge the battery. 
Replacing the battery
The new battery should have the same specifications (am-
perage, load and voltage) as the used battery.
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent power management system to
control the distribution of electrical energy ⇒ page 187. The power manage-
ment function ensures that the battery is charged much more efficiently
than on vehicles without a power management system. To maintain this
function after replacing the battery, we recommend that the replacement
battery used is of the same make and type as the original fitted battery. To
make proper use of the power management function after the battery has
been changed, have the battery coded to the power management mode at a
specialised workshop.
CAUTION
● Some vehicles, for example those with the Start-Stop system* are fitted
with a special battery (AGM-type or EFB-type battery). If any other type of
battery is fitted, the Start-Stop function may be considerably reduced and
the vehicle may not stop on repeated occasions.
● Make sure that the vent hose is always attached to the original opening
on the side of the battery. Gases or battery acid can otherwise escape and
possibly cause damage.
● The battery holder and clamps must always be correctly secured. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

220Checking and refilling levels
● Before starting any work on the battery, always observe the warnings lis-
ted under ⇒  page 218, Important safety warnings for handling a vehicle
battery.
● Do not forget to replace the battery coverings, where applicable. This
helps to protect against excess temperatures. This in turn extends the vehi-
cle service life.
For the sake of the environment
 Batteries contain toxic substances including sulphuric acid and lead. They
must be disposed of appropriately and must not be disposed of with ordi-
nary household waste. Make sure disconnected batteries cannot tip over.
Sulphuric acid could be spilt! 
Windscreen washer reservoir and wiper
blades
Windscreen washer
Fig. 112 Engine com-
partment: Windscreen
washer reservoir top The windscreen washer reservoir  contains the cleaning fluid for the wind-
screen, the rear window and the headlight washer system* ⇒ Fig. 112. Res-
ervoir capacity: ⇒ page 276.
To prevent the nozzles from becoming blocked with chalk deposits, fill res-
ervoir with water with a low calcium content (distilled water). Always add
washer fluid to the water (with anti-freeze additive in winter).
CAUTION
● Never put radiator anti-freeze or other additives into the windscreen
washer fluid.
● Never use washer fluid which contains paint thinners or solvents as it
can damage the paintwork. 

241
Emergencies
– Take out the temporary spare wheel.
Chains
For technical reasons, snow chains must not be used on the temporary
spare wheel.
If you have a puncture on one of the front wheels when using snow chains,
fit the temporary spare wheel in place of one of the rear wheels. Fit the snow
chains on the rear wheel that you have removed and replace the punctured
front wheel with this wheel.
WARNING
● After fitting the temporary spare wheel, check the tyre pressures as
soon as possible. Failure to do so may cause an accident. The tyre pres-
sures are listed on the inside of the fuel tank flap.
● Do not drive at over 80 km/h (50 mph) when the temporary spare
wheel is fitted on the vehicle: risk of accident!
● Avoid heavy acceleration, hard braking and fast cornering: risk of ac-
cident!
● Never use more than one temporary spare wheel at the same time,
risk of accident.
● No other type of tyre (normal summer or winter tyre) may be fitted on
the compact temporary spare wheel rim.
 Jump starting
Jump leads
The jump lead must have a sufficient wire cross section.
If the engine fails to start because of a discharged battery, the battery can
be connected to the battery of another vehicle to start the engine.
Jump leads
Jump leads must comply with standard DIN 72553 (see cable manufactur-
er's instructions). The wire cross section must be at least 25 mm 2
for petrol
engines and at least 35 mm 2
for diesel engines.
Note
● The vehicles must not touch each other, otherwise electricity could flow
as soon as the positive terminals are connected.
● The discharged battery must be properly connected to the on-board net-
work. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

250Fuses and bulbs
–Unlock the fuse cover ⇒ Fig. 132.
– Remove the clips from the fuse cover.
– Use the plastic clip to pull out the fuse and replace the blown
fuse with a fuse of the same rating.
The individual electrical circuits are protected by fuses. Fuses are located
under a cover below the steering wheel on the left side of the engine com-
partment.
WARNING
Do not repair fuses, and never replace a blown fuse with a higher amper-
age fuse. The electrical system could be damaged, with risk of fire.
CAUTION
● Multiple fuse values on the same line (for example, 5/10/20) in the fol-
lowing tables indicate equipment-related differences. Replace the blown
fuse with a fuse of the same amperage.
● If a newly replaced fuse blows again after a short time, the electrical sys-
tem must be checked by a specialised workshop as soon as possible.
Note
● Positions are not occupied by a fuse do not appear in the following ta-
bles.
● Some of the equipment listed in the tables below pertain only to certain
versions of the model or are an optional extra. Fuses in the vehicle interior
No.Electrical consumerAmpsF2Vacant-F4Alarm10F5Gateway5F6Anti-theft alarm system5
F7Air conditioner/heating control panel, selector
lever (automatic gearbox), relay coil, rear win-
dow heating, additional heating10
F8Diagnosis, handbrake switch, light switch, re-
verse light, interior lighting10
F9Vacant-F10Radio display10F11Vacant-F12Radio20F13Vacant-F14Air conditioner fan40F15Vacant-F16Vacant-F17Instrument panel5F18Vacant-F19Vacant-F20Vacant-F23Right lights40F24Sunroof30F25Left door30F26Heated seats30F27Vacant-F28Vacant-


253
Fuses and bulbs
LED rear lightTypeReverse lightsP21W LLThe remaining functions work with LEDs
WARNING
● Take particular care when working on components in the engine com-
partment if the engine is warm. Risk of burns.
● Bulbs are highly sensitive to pressure. The glass can break when you
touch the bulb, causing injury.
● When changing bulbs, please take care not to injure yourself on sharp
edges, in particular on the headlight housing.
CAUTION
● Remove the ignition key before working on the electric system. Other-
wise, a short circuit could occur.
● Switch off the lights or parking lights before you change a bulb.
● Take good care to avoid damaging any components.
For the sake of the environment
Please ask your specialist retailer how to dispose of used bulbs in the prop-
er manner.
Note
● Please check at regular intervals that all lighting (especially the exterior
lighting) on your vehicle is functioning properly. This is not only in the inter-
est of your own safety, but also that of all other road users.
● Before changing a bulb, make sure you have the correct new bulb.
● Do not touch the glass part of the bulb with your bare hands, use a cloth
or paper towel instead. Otherwise, the fingerprints left on the glass will va-
porise as a result of the heat generated by the bulb, they will be deposited
on the reflector and will impair its surface. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

267
Technical specifications
Engine specifications
Checking fluid levels
From time to time, the levels of the different fluids in the ve-
hicle must be checked. Never fill with incorrect fluids, other-
wise serious damage to the engine may be caused.
Fig. 152 Diagram for the location of the various elements Coolant expansion tank
Engine oil dipstick
Engine oil filler cap
Brake fluid reservoir
Vehicle battery (underneath the cover)
Windscreen washer reservoir
The checking and refilling of service fluids are carried out on the compo-
nents mentioned above. These operations are described in ⇒ page 209.
1
23456
Overview
You will find further explanations, instructions and restrictions on the tech-
nical specifications as of
⇒ page 263. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

Controls and displays (overview) . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Control Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Convenience closingPanoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Convenience opening Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Convenience opening/closing . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Cooling system Checking the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Topping up coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Cornering lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Correct adjustment of front seat head re- straints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Correct adjustment of rear seat head restraints In-use and non-use positions . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Correct sitting position front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Incorrect sitting position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 D
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front pas- senger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Data recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Daytime driving light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
DEF (instrument panel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Depth of tread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Diagnostic connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Diesel Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Particulate filter Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Preheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Dipped beam headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Direction of rotation (tyres) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Disabling the airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61, 62
Display/Easy Connect control panel: Cleaning . .202
Disposal Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Door/rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Downhill speed control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Drink holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Driver see Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 11, 12, 13
Driver information system CD/radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Door/rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Engine oil temperature display . . . . . . . . . . 77 Operation via the windscreen wiper lever . 73
Outside temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Driving With a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194, 195
Driving abroad Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Driving through water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Dynamic headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . 114
E
E10 see Ethanol (fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Easy Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Economic driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Efficiency programme Additional electrical appliances . . . . . . . . . 78
Saving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Electrical accessories see Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Convenience opening/closing . . . . . . . . . 101
Electro-mechanical steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Electronic differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Electronic Self-locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . 183
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 Automatic gearbox Backup programme . . 162
Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Emergency braking warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
279
Index