ESP Seat Leon SC 2015 User Guide

The essentials
Emergencies F u
se
s
Fuse location Fig. 65
On the driver-side dash panel: fuse
bo x
c

over Fig. 66
In the engine compartment: fuse box
c o
v

er Underneath the instrument panel
The f
use bo

x is located behind the storage
compartment ››› Fig. 65.
In the engine compartment
Press the locking tabs to release the fuse box
cover ››› Fig. 66.
Identifying fuses situated below the dash
panel by colours
ColourAmp rating
Black1
Purple3
Light brown5
Brown7.5
Red10
Blue15
Yellow20
White or transparent25
Green30
Orange40 
››› in Introduction on page 91
›››
page 91 Replacing a blown fuse
Fig. 67
Image of a blown fuse Preparation
● Switch off the ignition, lights and all elec-
tric al
equipment

.
● Open the corresponding fuse box
›››
 page 92.
Identifying a blown fuse
A fuse is blown if its metal strip is ruptured
››› Fig. 67.
● Point a lamp at the fuse to see if it has
blown.
T

o replace a fuse
● Remove the fuse.
● Replace the blown fuse by one with an
identica
l amperage rating (same colour and
markings) and identical size. » 55

The essentials
● Find the s up
por
t point on the strut (sunken
area) closest to the wheel to be changed
››› Fig. 74.
● Turn the jack*, located below the strut sup-
port point, t
o raise it until tab 1
› ››
Fig. 75
is
below the housing provided.
● Align the jack* so that tab 1 “grips” onto
the hou s
in

g provided on the strut and the
mobile base 2 is resting on the ground. The
b a
se p

late 2 should fall vertically with re-
s pect
t
o the support point 1 .
● Continue turning the jack* until the wheel
i s
s

lightly lifted off the ground. WARNING
● Mak e s

ure that the jack* remains stable. If
the surface is slippery or soft, the jack* could
slip or sink, respectively, with the resultant
risk of injury.
● Only raise the vehicle with the jack* sup-
plied by
the manufacturer. Other vehicles
could slip, with the consequent risk of injury.
● Only mount the jack* on the support points
designed f
or this purpose on the strut, and
always align the jack correctly. If you do not,
the jack* could slip as it does not have an ad-
equate grip on the vehicle: risk of injury!
● The height of the parked vehicle can
chan
ge as a result of variations in tempera-
ture and loading. CAUTION
The vehicle must not be raised on the cross-
bar . On

ly place the jack* on the points de-
signed for this purpose on the strut. Other-
wise, the vehicle may be damaged. Removing and fitting a wheel
Change the wheel after loosening the wheel
bolts
and r

aising the vehicle with the jack.
Taking off the wheel ● Unscrew the wheel bolts using the box
sp anner and p

lace them on a clean surface.
● Take off the wheel.
Putting on the s
pare wheel
When fitting tyres with a compulsory rotation
direction, observe the instructions in
››› page 60.
● Mount the wheel.
● Screw on the wheel bolts in position and
tighten them loosely
with a box spanner.
● Carefully lower the vehicle using the jack*.
● Tighten the wheel bolts in diagonal pairs
usin
g the wheel brace.
The wheel bolts should be clean and turn
easily. Before fitting the spare wheel, inspect
the wheel condition and hub mounting surfa- ces. These surfaces must be clean before fit-
ting the wheel.
T

yres with compulsory direction of ro-
tation A directional tread pattern can be identified
by
the arr

ows on the sidewall that point in
the direction of rotation. Always observe the
direction of rotation indicated when fitting
the wheel to guarantee optimum properties
of this type of tyres with regard to grip,
noises, wear and aquaplaning.
If it is absolutely necessary to fit the spare
tyre* against the direction of rotation, drive
with care as this means the tyre does not of-
fer optimum driving properties. This is of par-
ticular importance when the road surface is
wet.
To return to directional tread tires, replace
the punctured tyre as soon as possible and
restore the obligatory direction of rotation of
all tyres.
Subsequent work ●
Alloy wheels: rep
l
ace the wheel bolt caps.
● Plate wheels: rep l
ace the wheel hubcap
››› page 58.60

The essentials
● Ret
urn al
l tools to their proper storing loca-
tion.
● If the replaced wheel does not fit in the
spar
e wheel housing, store it safely in the
luggage compartment ›››
 page 148.
● Check the tyre pressure of the newly moun-
ted tyr
e as soon as possible.
● In vehicles fitted with a tyre pressure indi-
cator
, adjust the pressure and store the read-
ing in the radio/Easy Connect system*
›››  page 259.
● Have the tightening torque of the wheel
bolts c
hecked as soon as possible with a tor-
que wrench (it should be 120 Nm). Mean-
while, drive carefully.
● Have the flat tyre replaced as quickly as
poss
ible.
Snow chains Use Snow chains should only be used on the
fr
on
t

wheels.
Check that they are correctly seated after
driving for a few yards; correct the position if
necessary, in accordance with the manufac-
turer's fitting instructions. Keep your speed
below 50 km/h. If there is a danger of being trapped despite
havin

g mounted the chains, it is best to disa-
ble the driving wheels (ASR) in the ESC
›››  page 180, Switching on/off the ESC
and ASR.
Snow chains will improve braking ability as
well as traction in winter conditions.
For technical reasons snow chains may only
be used with the following wheel rim/tyre
combination.
195/65 R15Chains with links of maximum 15 mm
205/55 R16Chains with links of maximum 15 mm
225/45 R17Chains with links of maximum 9 mm
225/40 R18Chains with links of maximum 9 mm Remove wheel covers and any integral trim
rin
g bef
or

e fitting snow chains.
Remove the chains when roads are free of
snow. Driving characteristics worsen, and the
wheels become damaged quickly and may
even be rendered unusable. Emergency towing of the vehi-
cle
T

owing Fig. 76
Right side of the front bumper: tow-
line anc hor
ag

e screwed in. Fig. 77
Right side of the rear bumper: towline
anc hor
ag

e screwed in. » 61

The essentials
Towline anchorages
Att ac
h the b
ar or rope to the towline ancho-
rages.
The towline anchorages are located under
the floor panel in the luggage compartment,
next to the vehicle tools ›››
 page 86.
Screw the towline anchorage into the screw
connection ››› Fig. 76 o ››› Fig. 77 and tighten
it with the wheel brace.
Tow rope or tow bar
The tow bar offers increased safety and a
lower risk of damage.
The tow rope is recommended when there is
no tow bar. It must be elastic so that it does
not damage the vehicle.
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
● The tow rope must be taut before you drive
off.
● Rel

ease the clutch very carefully when start-
ing the v
ehicle (manual gearbox), or acceler-
ate gently (automatic gearbox).
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially
when using a tow rope. Both drivers should
realise how difficult it is to tow a vehicle. In-
experienced drivers should not attempt to
tow. Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle
and take c

are to avoid jerking the tow rope.
When towing on an unpaved road, there is al-
ways a risk of overloading and damaging the
anchorage points.
Switch on the ignition so that the turn sig-
nals, windscreen wipers and windscreen
washer can work. Ensure that the steering
wheel is unlocked and moves freely.
Place the gear lever in neutral on vehicles
with a manual gearbox. With an automatic
gearbox, place the lever in N.
To brake, press the brake pedal firmly. The
brake servo does not work when the engine
is switched off.
The power steering only works when the igni-
tion is switched on and the vehicle is moving,
provided that the battery is sufficiently charg-
ed. Otherwise, it will need more force.
Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all
times.

››› in General information on page 89
››› page 89 Tow-starting
If the engine will not start, first try starting it
us
in

g the battery of another vehicle
››› page 62. You should only attempt to tow-
start a vehicle if charging the battery does
not work. This is done by leveraging wheel
movement.
When tow-starting a vehicle with a petrol en-
gine, do not tow it more than a short dis-
tance, otherwise unburned fuel can enter the
catalytic converter.
● Engage 2nd or 3rd gear before moving off.
● Press the clutch and hold the pedal down.
● Switch the ignition on.
● Once both vehicles are moving, release the
clut c

h.
● As soon as the engine has started, press
the clutc
h and move the gear lever to neutral.
How to jump start Jump lea
ds The jump lead must have a sufficient wire
c
r
o

ss section.
If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
charged battery, the battery can be connec-
ted to the battery of another vehicle to start
the engine. 62

Safety
Safety
Saf e driv
in
g
Safety first! WARNING
● This m

anual contains important informa-
tion about the operation of the vehicle, both
for the driver and the passengers. The other
sections of the on-board documentation also
contain further information that you should
be aware of for your own safety and for the
safety of your passengers.
● Ensure that the on-board documentation is
kept in the
vehicle at all times. This is espe-
cially important when lending or selling the
vehicle to another person. Advice about driving
B ef
or

e starting every trip For your own safety and the safety of your
p
a
s

sengers, always note the following points
before every trip:
– Make sure that the vehicle's lights and turn
signal

s are working properly.
– Check tyre pressure. –
Ensur
e that all windows provide a clear and
good view of the surroundings.
– Make sure all luggage is secured
›››
page 148.
– Make sure that no objects can interfere
with the pedal

s.
– Adjust front seat, head restraint and rear vi-
sion mirror

s properly according to your
size.
– Ensure that the passengers in the rear
seats alw

ays have the head restraints in
the in-use position ››› page 70.
– Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints

according to their height.
– Protect children with appropriate child
seats and pr

operly applied seat belts
››› page 83.
– Assume the correct sitting position. Instruct
your pa

ssengers also to assume a proper
sitting position. ››› page 67.
– Fasten your seat belt securely. Instruct your
pas

sengers also to fasten their seat belts
properly. ››› page 72.
What affects driving safety? As a driver, you are responsible for yourself
and
your p

assengers. When your concentra-
tion or driving safety is affected by any cir- cumstance, you endanger yourself as well as
others on the r

oad ››› , for this reason:
– Always pay attention to traffic and do not
g et
di

stracted by passengers or telephone
calls.
– Never drive when your driving ability is im-
paired (e.

g. by medication, alcohol, drugs).
– Observe traffic laws and speed limits.
– Always reduce your speed as appropriate
for ro

ad, traffic and weather conditions.
– When travelling long distances, take
break

s regularly - at least every two hours.
– If possible, avoid driving when you are tired
or stre

ssed. WARNING
When driving safety is impaired during a trip,
the risk of

injury and accidents increases. Safety equipment
Never put your safety or the safety of your
p
a
s

sengers in danger. In the event of an acci-
dent, 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,
66

Safe driving
dash panel, out the window or on the seat. An
incorr
ect
sitting position exposes you to an
increased risk of injury in case of a sudden
braking or an accident. If the airbag is trig-
gered, you could sustain severe injuries due
to an incorrect sitting position.
● To reduce the risk of injury to the front pas-
senger in ev
ents such as sudden braking ma-
noeuvres or an accident, never travel with the
backrest tilted far back! The airbag system
and seat belts can only provide optimal pro-
tection when the backrest is in an upright po-
sition and the front passenger is wearing his
or her seat belt properly. The further the seat
backrests are tilted to the rear, the greater
the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning
of the belt web or to the incorrect sitting po-
sition!
● Adjust the head restraint correctly in order
to achiev
e maximum protection. Correct sitting position for rear seat
p
as

sengers To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a
s
ud
den br

aking manoeuvre or an accident,
passengers on the rear seat bench must con-
sider the following:
– Sit up straight.
– Adjust the head restraint to the correct po-
sition ››

› page 70. –
Alwa
ys keep both feet in the footwell in
front of the rear seat.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ›››
page 72.
– Use an appropriate child restraint system
when you t

ake children in the vehicle
››› page 83. WARNING
● If the p a

ssengers in the rear seats are not
sitting properly, they could sustain severe in-
juries.
● Adjust the head restraint correctly in order
to achiev
e maximum protection.
● Seat belts can only provide optimal protec-
tion when seat b
ackrests are in an upright
position and the vehicle occupants are wear-
ing their seat belts correctly. If passengers In
the rear seats are not sitting in an upright po-
sition, the risk of injury due to incorrect posi-
tioning of the seat belt increases. Examples of incorrect sitting posi-
tion
s Seat belts can provide optimal protection on-
ly
when the belt
w

ebs are properly posi-
tioned. Incorrect sitting positions substan-
tially reduce the protective function of seat
belts and increase the risk of injury due to in-
correct seat belt position. As the driver, you
are responsible for all passengers, especially
children. –
Never allo
w anyone to assume an incorrect
sitting position in the vehicle while travel-
ling ››› .
The f o
l

lowing list contains examples of sit-
ting positions that could be dangerous for all
vehicle 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 seat 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 foot-
well
.
● Never travel without wearing the seat belt.
● Do not allow anyone to travel in the lug-
gage c
ompartment. »
69
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
Seat belts
Wh y
w
ear a seat belt?
Number of seats Your vehicle has
five se
ats, two in the front
and three in the rear. Each seat is equipped
with a three-point seat belt.
In some versions, your vehicle is approved
only for four seats. Two front seats and two
rear seats. WARNING
● Never tr an

sport more than the permitted
amount of people in your vehicle.
● Every vehicle occupant must properly fas-
ten and we
ar the seat belt belonging to his or
her seat. Children must be protected with an
appropriate child restraint system. Seat belt lamp* 
Fig. 88
Instrument panel: right rear seat oc-
c upied and c
orr

esponding seat belt fastened
display. The control lamp illuminates to remind the
driv
er t
o f

asten his seat belt.
Before starting the vehicle: – Fasten your seat belt securely.
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their
seat belts

properly before driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat ac-
cordin

g to the child's height and weight.
When the ignition is switched on, the control
lamp  in the instrument panel lights up (de-
pending on the model version) if the driver or
passenger have not fastened their seat belts.
An audible warning signal will sound for a
few seconds if the seat belts are not fastened
as the vehicle drives off and reaches a speed of more than approximately 25 km/h
(15 mph) or if the seat

belts are unfastened
while the vehicle is in motion. The warning
light will also flash .
The  lamp goes out when the driver and
passenger seat belts are fastened with the ig-
nition switched on.
Rear seat belts fastened display.*
Depending on the model version, when the
ignition is switched on, the seat belt status
display ››› Fig. 88 on the instrument panel in-
forms the driver whether the passengers in
the rear seats have fastened their seat belts.
The  symbol indicates that the passenger in
this seat has fastened “his or her” seat belt.
When a seat belt in the rear seats is fastened
or unfastened, the seat belt status is dis-
played for approximately 30 seconds. The in-
dication can be hidden by pressing the 0.0/SET button on the dash panel.
The se at
belt

status flashes for a maximum of
30 seconds when a seat belt in the rear seats
is unfastened while the vehicle is in motion.
An audible warning will also be heard if the
vehicle is travelling at over 25 km/h
(15 mph).
72

Safety
●
The slot in the se
at belt buckle must not be
blocked with paper or other objects, as this
can prevent the latch plate from engaging se-
curely.
● Never use seat belt clips, fastening rings or
simil
ar items to alter the position of the belt
webbing.
● Frayed or torn seat belts or damage to the
connections, belt
retractors or parts of the
buckle could cause severe injuries in the
event of an accident. Therefore, you must
check the condition of all seat belts at regular
intervals.
● Seat belts which have been worn in an acci-
dent and str
etched must be replaced by a
specialised workshop. Renewal may be nec-
essary even if there is no apparent damage.
The belt anchorage should also be checked.
● Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat
belt y
ourself. The seat belts must not be re-
moved or modified in any way.
● The belts must be kept clean, otherwise the
retract
ors may not work properly. Head-on collisions and the laws of
ph
y
s

ics Fig. 90
A driver not wearing a seat belt is
thr o
wn f

orward violently Fig. 91
The unbelted passenger in the rear
se at
i

s thrown forward violently, hitting the
driver who is wearing a seat belt. It is easy to explain how the laws of physics
w
ork
in the c

ase of a head-on collision: when
a vehicle starts moving, a type of energy called “kinetic energy” is created both in the
pas

sengers and inside the vehicle.
The amount of “kinetic energy” depends on
the speed of the vehicle and the weight of
the vehicle and its passengers. The higher
they are, the more energy there is to be “ab-
sorbed” in the event of an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the
speed of the vehicle. If the speed doubles
from 25 km/h (15 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph), for example, the corresponding ki-
netic energy is multiplied by four.
Given that the passengers of the vehicle in
our example do not have their seat belts fas-
tened, in the event of a collision the entire
amount of the passengers' kinetic energy will
be only absorbed by the mentioned impact.
Even at speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph) to
50 km/h (30 mph), the forces acting on bod-
ies in a collision can easily exceed one tonne
(1000 kg). At greater speed these forces are
even higher.
Vehicle occupants not wearing seat belts are
not “attached” to the vehicle. In a head-on
collision, they will move forward at the same
speed their vehicle was travelling just before
the impact. This example applies not only to
head-on collisions, but to all accidents and
collisions.
Even at low speeds the forces acting on the
body in a collision are so great that it is not
74

Airbag system
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
c l
e hits
(hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation.
The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tory and activates the respective restraint
system.
If the deceleration rate is below the prede-
fined reference value in the control unit the
airbags will not be triggered, even though
the accident may cause extensive damage to
the car.
The following airbags are triggered in seri-
ous head-on collisions
● Driver airbag.
● Front passenger front airbag
● Knee airbag for the driver.
The fol
lowing airbags are triggered in seri-
ous side-on collisions
● Front side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Re

ar side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Cur

tain (head) airbag on the side of the ac-
cident. In an ac

cident with airbag activation:
● the interior lights switch on (if the interior
light swit
ch is in the courtesy light position);
● the hazard warning lights switch on;
● all doors are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut.
Airbag safety instructions Front airb
ags Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 17. WARNING
● The deplo yment

space between the front
passengers and the airbags must not in any
case be occupied by other passenger, pets
and objects.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; r
eplace them once they have de-
ployed.
● It is also important not to attach any ob-
jects
such as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the air-
bag units.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag sys
tem in any way. Knee airbag*
Read the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 19. WARNING
● The knee airbag i s

deployed in front of the
driver's knees. Always keep the deployment
areas of the knee airbags free.
● Never not fix objects to the cover or in the
deployment
area of the knee airbag.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is a dis-
tance of
at least 10 cm (4 inches) between
your knees and the location of the this air-
bag. If your physical constitution prevents
you from meeting these requirements, make
sure you contact a specialised workshop. Side airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 19. WARNING
● If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean
for w

ard, or are not seated correctly while the
vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk
of injury if the side airbag system is triggered
in an accident.
● In order for the side airbags to provide their
maximum pr
otection, the prescribed sitting » 79
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Airbag system
●
The side and he a
d airbags are managed
through sensors located in the interior of the
front doors. To ensure the correct operation of
the side and curtain airbags neither the
doors nor the door panels should be modified
in any way (e.g. fitting loudspeakers). If the
front door is damaged, the airbag system
may not work correctly. All work carried out
on the front door must be done in a special-
ised workshop. Deactivating airbags
D e
activ

ation of front airbag Fig. 94
Control lamp for disabling the front
p a
s

senger front airbag on the dash panel 
It lights up on the combi-in-
strument
Fault in airbag
system and seat belt tensioners.Have the system checked immedi-
ately by a specialised workshop.  
It lights up on the dash panel
Fault in the air-
bag system.Have the system checked immedi-
ately by a specialised workshop.
Front passenger
front airbag dis-
abled.Check whether the airbag should re-
main disabled.


It lights up on the dash panel
Front passenger
front airbag ena-
bled.The control lamp switches off about
60 seconds after the ignition is
turned on or after enabling of the
front passenger front airbag with the
key lock switch. Several warning and indication lamps light
up f
or a f
ew sec

onds when the ignition is
switched on, signalling that the function is
being verified. They will switch off after a few
seconds.
If the front passenger airbag is deactivated,
the lamp      does not re-
main lit, or if it is lit together with the control
lamp  on the dash panel, there may be a
fault in the airbag system ››› .The disabling of airbags is only carried out in
c
er
t

ain cases, i.e. if:
● a child seat is required in the front passen-
ger seat
with the child facing in the opposite
direction to the direction of travel (in some
countries, due to divergent legal require-
ments, facing in the direction of travel)
››› page 85;
● despite the driver seat being in the correct
position, a minimum di
stance of 25 cm can-
not be maintained between the centre of the
steering wheel and the driver's torso,
● installation of special devices is required in
the steerin
g wheel area due to a physical dis-
ability,
● if you have special seats installed (e.g. an
orthopaedic
seat without side airbags).
The front passenger front airbag can be disa-
bled using the switch ››› page 82.
We recommend that you contact an author-
ised SEAT dealer for the disabling of other air-
bags.
Airbag system control
The airbag system availability is controlled
electronically, regardless of whether an air-
bag is disabled. »
81
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety