ignition Seat Mii 2012 Owner's Guide

88Lights and visibility
Headlight range control, lighting of instruments and
controls
Fig. 57 Next to the
steering wheel: Head-
light range control
Headlamp height adjustment
The headlight range control ⇒ Fig. 57 is modified according to the value of
the headlight beam and the vehicle load status. This offers the driver opti-
mum visibility and the headlights do not dazzle oncoming drivers ⇒ 
.
The headlights can only be adjusted when the dipped beam is switched on.
To reset, turn switch ⇒ Fig. 57:ValueVehicle load status a)–Two front occupants, luggage compartment empty1All seats occupied, luggage compartment empty2All seats occupied, luggage compartment full.3Driver only, luggage compartment full.a)
If the vehicle load does not correspond to those shown in the table, it is possible to select
intermediary positions. Instrument and switch lighting
When the side lights or dipped beam headlights are switched on, the light-
ing for instruments and controls lights up at a constant brightness.
WARNING
Heavy objects in the vehicle may mean that the headlights dazzle and
distract other drivers. This could result in serious accident.
● Adjust the light beam to the vehicle load status so that it does not
blind other drivers.

Reading light
Button / SwitchFunction
Switching off the reading light.
Switching on the reading light.

Switches door contact control on (central position).
The reading light comes on automatically when the vehicle is un-
locked, a door is opened or the key is removed from the ignition.
The light goes off a few seconds after all the doors are closed,
the vehicle is locked or the ignition is switched on.
Note
The reading lights go out when the vehicle is locked, or a few minutes after
the key is removed from the ignition. This prevents the battery from dis-
charging. 

92Lights and visibility
Move the lever to the required position ⇒ :
0Windscreen wiper off.
1Windscreen interval wipe.
2Slow wipe.
3Continuous wipe.
4Brief wipe - short wipe. Hold the lever down for more time to
increase the wipe frequency.
5Automatic wipe for cleaning windscreens with the lever up.
6Interval wipe for rear window. The wiper will clean the win-
dow approximately every 6 seconds.
7Automatic wipe for cleaning rear windows with the lever
pressed.
CAUTION
If the ignition is switched off while the windscreen wipers are on, the wind-
screen wipers carry on wiping at the same level when the ignition is switch-
ed back on. Ice, snow and other obstacles may damage the windscreen wip-
er and the wiper motor.
● If necessary, remove snow and ice from the windscreen wipers before
starting your journey.
● Carefully lift the frozen windscreen wipers from the glass. SEAT recom-
mends a de-icer spray for this operation.
Note
The windscreen wipers will only work when the ignition is switched on.
Note
The interval wipe speed varies according to the vehicle speed. The faster
the vehicle is moving, the more often the windscreen is cleaned.
Note
The rear wiper is automatically switched on when the windscreen wiper is
connected and the vehicle is in reverse gear. 
Windscreen wiper functions
Windscreen wiper performance in different situations:If the vehicle is at a stand-
still:The activated position provisionally changes
to the previous position.
For the interval wipe:The intervals between wipes vary according
to the speed of the vehicle. The higher the
vehicle speed the shorter the intervals.
Note
The windscreen wiper will try to wipe away any obstacles that are on the
windscreen. The windscreen wiper will stop moving if the obstacle blocks its
path. Remove the obstacle and switch the windscreen wiper back on again. 

93
Lights and visibility
Windscreen wipers service position
Fig. 62 Windscreen wip-
ers in service position
The wiper arms can be raised when the wipers are in service position
⇒  Fig. 62. To place the windscreen wipers in the service position, proceed
as follows:
● The bonnet must be closed
⇒ page 180.
● Switch the ignition on and off.
● Press the windscreen wiper lever downwards briefly
⇒ Fig. 60 4
.
Before driving, always lower the wiper arms. When the ignition is switched
on, the windscreen wiper arms return to their initial position upon activating
the windscreen wiper lever.
Lifting and returning windscreen wiper arms
● Place the windscreen wiper arms in the service position
⇒ 
.
● Only hold the windscreen wiper arms at the point where the blade is
fixed.
CAUTION
● To prevent damage to the bonnet and the windscreen wiper arms, only
leave them in the service position.
● Before driving, always lower the windscreen wiper arms. 
Checking and topping up the windscreen washer bottle
with water
Fig. 63 In the engine
compartment: wind-
screen washer bottle top
Check the water level in the windscreen washer bottle regularly and top up
as required.
● Open the bonnet  ⇒ page 180.
● The washer bottle is marked with the symbol  on the lid ⇒ Fig. 63.
● Check there is enough water in the bottle. 
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115
Practical equipment
Ashtray and Lighter
Introduction
Additional information and warnings:
● Power socket ⇒ page 117
● Accessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 222
WARNING
Undue use of the ashtray and cigarette lighter may cause a fire or burns
and other serious injuries.
● Never put paper or other flammable objects in the ashtray.

Ashtray*
Fig. 80 In the front part
of the centre console:
Opening the ashtray Opening and closing the ashtray
To open, lift the lid of the ashtray in the direction of the arrow
⇒ Fig. 80.
To close, push the ashtray lid down.
Emptying the ashtray
● Remove the ashtray from the storage compartment lifting it up.
● After emptying the ashtray, insert it into the drink holder from above. 
Cigarette lighter*
Fig. 81 In the front part
of the centre console:
lighter
● Push the button on the cigarette lighter inwards with the ignition on
⇒  Fig. 81.
● Wait for the cigarette lighter to pop out slightly.
● Pull out the cigarette lighter and light the cigarette on the glowing coil
⇒ 
.
● Replace the cigarette lighter in its insert. 
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116Practical equipment
WARNING
Undue use of the cigarette lighter may cause a fire or burns and other se-
rious injuries.
● The cigarette lighter must only be used to light cigarettes or similar.
● Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. The cigarette lighter
can be used when the ignition is switched on.
Note
The cigarette lighter can also be used with the 12 Volt socket. 

117
Practical equipment
Electrical power socket* Introduction
Electrical equipment can be connected to the socket in the vehicle.
Connected equipment must be in perfect condition and show no signs of
faults.
Additional information and warnings:
● Cigarette lighter ⇒ page 115
● Accessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 222
WARNING
Improper use of the socket or electrical devices could lead to a fire and
cause serious injuries.
● Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. The socket and
equipment connected to it can be used when the ignition is switched on.
● Should a connected electrical device overheat, switch it off and un-
plug it immediately.
CAUTION
● To avoid damage to the vehicle's electrical system, never connect equip-
ment that generates electrical current, such as solar panels or battery charg-
ers, to the 12 Volt sockets in order to charge the vehicle's battery.
● Only use accessories with approved electromagnetic compatibility ac-
cording to current regulations. ●
To avoid damage due to voltage variations, switch off all appliances con-
nected to the 12 V socket before switching the ignition on or off and before
starting the engine.
● Never connect an appliance to the 12 Volt socket that consumes more
than the power indicated in watts. Exceeding the maximum power absorp-
tion could damage the vehicle's electrical system.
For the sake of the environment
Do not leave the engine running when the vehicle is at a standstill.
Note
Using electrical appliances with the engine stopped and the ignition switch-
ed on will drain the battery.
Note
Unshielded equipment can cause interference on the radio system equip-
ment and the vehicle's electrical system.
Note
If electrical equipment is used near an aerial, you may observe interference
in the reception of AM stations. 
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118Practical equipment
Vehicle socket
Fig. 82 Front centre con-
sole: 12 Volt socket in
the storage compartment
Maximum power consumption
SocketMaximum power consumption12 Volts120 Watts
The maximum capacity of the socket must not be exceeded. The power con-
sumption is indicated on the rating plate of each appliance.
Where 2 or more appliances are connected at the same time, the total rating
of all the connected devices must never exceed 190 Watts ⇒ 
.
12 volt socket
The 12 volt socket is found in the storage compartment in the front part of
the centre console ⇒ Fig. 82 and only functions when the ignition is switch-
ed on.
Using electrical appliances with the engine stopped and the ignition switch-
ed on will drain the battery. Therefore, electrical consumers connected to
the socket must only be used when the engine is running. To prevent voltage variations from causing damage, switch off the electrical
consumer connected to the 12 Volt socket before switching the ignition on
or off and before starting the engine.
CAUTION
● Always follow the operating instructions for the appliances to be con-
nected!
● Never exceed the maximum power rating as this could damage the vehi-
cle's general electrical system.
● 12 volt socket:
– Only use accessories with approved electromagnetic compatibility ac-
cording to current regulations.
– Never power the socket. 

120Starting, changing gears, parking
WARNING
The components of the exhaust system reach very high temperatures.
This could cause a fire and considerable damage.
● Always park your vehicle so that no part of the exhaust system can
come in contact with flammable materials (such as wood, leaves, spilled
fuel, dried grass, etc).
● Never apply additional underseal or anti-corrosion coatings to the ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converter or the heat shields on the exhaust sys-
tem.

Ignition lock
Fig. 83 Vehicle key positions
Vehicle keys ⇒ Fig. 83 No key in the ignition lock: The steering lock may be activated.0Ignition switched off. Key can be removed from the vehicle.1Ignition is switched on. The steering lock can be unlocked.2Switch on the engine. Release the key when the engine has star-
ted. When it is released, the key returns to position 1.
Key not authorised for the vehicle
If a key which is not authorised for this vehicle is inserted in the ignition
lock, it can be removed as follows:
●
Automatic gearbox : the key cannot be removed from the ignition lock.
Press and release the selector lever locking button. Key can be removed
from the vehicle.
● Manual gearbox: Remove the key from the ignition. 

121
Starting, changing gears, parking
WARNING
Unsuitable or careless use of the vehicle key could result in serious in-
jury.
● Always take all the keys with you whenever you leave the vehicle. The
engine could accidentally be started and electrical equipment such as
the windows could accidentally be operated resulting in serious injury.
● Never leave children or disabled people alone in the vehicle. They
could be trapped in the vehicle in an emergency and will not be able to
get themselves to safety. For example, depending on the time of the
year, temperatures inside a locked and closed vehicle can be extremely
high or extremely low resulting in serious injuries and illness or even
death, particularly for young children.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if the vehicle is in motion. The
steering may lock and it will not be possible to turn the steering wheel.
Note
● If the key is left in the ignition lock with the engine off for long periods,
the vehicle battery will run flat.
● For automatic gearbox vehicles the key can only be removed from the ig-
nition lock if the gear selector lever is in position P. In this case, press and
release the selector lever locking button. 
Starting the engine
Complete operations only in the sequence given.
1.Press the brake pedal and keep pressed until step 5 has been completed.
1 a.In vehicles with a manual gearbox: Press the clutch pedal all
the way and keep pressed until the engine starts.
Complete operations only in the sequence given.
2.Put the gearbox lever in neutral or the selector lever in posi- tion P or N.
3.Turn the key in the ignition lock to position ⇒ Fig. 83 2; do
not press the accelerator.
4.When the engine has started, release the key in the ignition lock.
5.If the engine does not start, stop the process and try again af-ter one minute.
6.Release the handbrake when you want to begin driving⇒ page 134.
WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running. The vehicle
could move off suddenly, especially if it is in gear, resulting in an acci-
dent and serious injury.
WARNING
Cold start sprays could explode or cause a sudden increase in the engine
speed.
● Never use start boosters.
CAUTION
● An attempt to start the engine while driving or starting the engine imme-
diately after turning it off can cause damage to the engine or starter motor.
● When the engine is cold, avoid high revs and heavy acceleration and do
not make the engine work hard.
● Do not push or tow start the engine. Sunburnt fuel could damage the
catalytic converter. 
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122Starting, changing gears, parking
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm the engine at idle speed; start driving immediately if the visi-
bility is OK. This helps the engine reach operating temperature faster and
reduces emissions.
Note
Electrical components with a high power consumption are switched off tem-
porarily when the engine starts.
Note
When the engine is started cold, there may be strong vibrations for a few
moments for technical reasons. This is quite normal, and no cause for con-
cern.
Note
Natural gas engines always start up with petrol, as a certain operating tem-
perature is required for running with gas. Once the required operating tem-
perature is reached, the engine will change to operate with natural gas. 
Stopping the engine
Complete operations only in the sequence given.1.Stopping the vehicle completely ⇒ .
2.Press the brake pedal and keep pressed until step 4 has been
completed.
3.In automatic gearboxes, put the selector lever in position P4.Apply the handbrake firmly ⇒ page 134.5.Turn the key in the ignition lock to position ⇒ Fig. 83 0.6.With a manual gearbox, put the vehicle in first or reverse gear.
WARNING
Never switch off the engine while the vehicle is moving. You may lose
control of the vehicle and there is a risk of serious accident.
● The airbags and belt tensioners do not work when the ignition is
switched off.
● The brake servo does not work when the engine is not running. To
stop, the brake pedal must be pressed with more force.
● As the power steering does not work if the engine is not running, you
will need more strength to steer than normally.
● If the key is removed from the ignition, the steering may lock and it
will not be possible to steer the vehicle.
CAUTION
If the engine has been driven at high speed for a prolonged period of time,
it may overheat when turned off. To avoid engine damage, allow the engine
to run for approximately 2 minutes in neutral before switching it off.
Note
● In vehicles with automatic gearbox, the key can only be removed when
the selector lever is in position P.
● After stopping the engine, the engine compartment fan may continue
running for a few minutes, even when the ignition has been switched off or
the key removed. The radiator fan is automatically switched off. 
Electronic immobilizer
The gear lock prevents the engine from being started with an unauthorised
key and the vehicle being moved.
The vehicle key has a built-in chip. It automatically deactivates the immobil-
izer when the key is inserted into the ignition lock. 