Seat Leon. Service Manual - part 1

The essentials

Exterior view

1

 

››› 

page 60

2

 

››› 

page 50

3

 

››› 

page 10

4

 

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page 12

5

 

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page 55

6

 

››› 

page 13

7

 

››› 

page 11

8

 

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page 50

7

The essentials

Exterior view

1

 

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page 51

2

 

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page 50

3

 

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page 52

4

 

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page 54

5

 

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page 50

6

 

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page 52

7

 

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page 52

8

 

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page 157

9

 

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page 57

10

 

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page 56

11

 

››› 

page 154

8

The essentials

Interior view (left-hand drive)

1

 

››› 

page 13

2

 

››› 

page 10

3

 

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page 24

4

 

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page 25

5

 

››› 

page 39

6

 

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page 40

7

 

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page 26

8

 

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page 30

9

 

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page 27

10

 

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page 25

11

 

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page 45

12

 

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page 17

13

 

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page 42

14

 

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page 24

15

 

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page 15

16

 

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page 12

17

 

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page 54

18

 

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page 16

19

 

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page 14

20

 

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page 14

9

The essentials

How it works

Unlocking and locking

Doors

Fig. 1 

Remote control key: buttons.

Fig. 2 

Driver door: central locking switch.

Locking and unlocking the vehicle using the
key

●

Locking: press the  

››› 

Fig. 1

 button.

●

Locking the vehicle without activating the

anti-theft system: Press the  

››› 

Fig. 1

 button

for a second time within 2 seconds.

●

Unlocking: press the  

››› 

Fig. 1

 button.

●

Unlocking the rear lid: Hold down the 

››› 

Fig. 1

 button for at least 1 second.

Locking and unlocking with the central lock-
ing switch

●

Locking: press the  

››› 

Fig. 2

 button. None

of the doors can be opened from the outside.
The doors can be opened from the inside by
pulling the inside door handle.

●

Unlocking: press the  

››› 

Fig. 2

 button.



››› 

 in Description on page 116



››› 

page 116



››› 

page 10

, 

››› 

page 11

Unlocking and locking the driver's
door

Fig. 3 

Driver door lever: hidden lock cylinder.

If the central locking system should fail to op-
erate, the driver door can still be locked and
unlocked by turning the key in the lock.

As a general rule, when the driver door is
locked manually all other doors are locked.
When it is unlocked manually, only the driver
door opens. Please observe the instructions
relating to the anti-theft alarm system

››› 



page 116

.

●

Unfold the vehicle key blade

››› 



page 117

.

●

Insert the key blade into the lower opening

in the cover on the driver door handle

››› 

Fig. 3

 (arrow) then remove the cover up-

wards.

●

Insert the key blade into the lock cylinder

to unlock or lock the vehicle.

10

The essentials

Special Characteristics

●

The anti-theft alarm will remain active when

vehicles are unlocked. However, the alarm
will not be triggered 

››› 



page 116

.

●

After the driver door is opened, you have

15 seconds to switch on the ignition. Once
this time has elapsed, the alarm is triggered.

●

Switch the ignition on. The electronic im-

mobilizer recognises a valid vehicle key and
deactivates the anti-theft alarm system.

Note

The anti-theft alarm is not activated when the
vehicle is locked manually using the key
shaft 

››› 



page 116

.

Manual locking of the doors with no
lock cylinder

Fig. 4 

Locking the door manually.

If the central locking system should fail to
work at any time, doors with no lock cylinder
will have to be locked separately.

A mechanical locking device (only visible
when the door is open) is provided on the
front passenger door.

●

Pull the cap out of the opening.

●

Insert the key in the inside slot and turn it

to the right as far as it will go (if the door is
on the right side) or to the left (if the door is
on the left side).

Once the door has been closed it can no lon-
ger be opened from the outside. Pull the inte-
rior door handle once to unlock and open the
door.

Rear lid

Fig. 5 

Rear lid: opening from the outside.

The rear lid opening system operates electri-
cally. It is activated by using the handle on
the boot lid.

To lock/unlock, press the button  or button


 

››› 

Fig. 1

 on the remote control key.

A warning appears on the instrument panel
display if the rear lid is open or not properly
closed.* An audible warning is also given if it
is opened while the vehicle is moving faster
than 6 km/h (4 mph)*.

Opening and closing

●

Opening the rear lid: Pull on the release

lever and lift it up 

››› 

Fig. 5

. The rear lid opens

automatically.

●

Closing the rear lid: Hold it by one of the

handles on the interior lining and close it by
pushing gently.



››› 

 in Tailgate automatic lock on

page 126



››› 

page 126



››› 

page 12

, 

››› 

page 12

11

The essentials

Manual release of the rear lid

3

 Applies to the model: LEON/LEON SC

Fig. 6 

Luggage compartment: access to man-

ual release.

The rear lid can be unlocked manually from
inside in the event of an emergency.

●

Insert the key in the opening in the lining

of the tail gate 

1

 and move the key in the di-

rection of the arrow until the lock is released.

Manual release of the rear lid

3

 Applies to the model: LEON ST

Fig. 7 

Luggage compartment: access to man-

ual release.

The rear lid can be unlocked manually from
inside in the event of an emergency.

●

Remove the cover by inserting a screwdriv-

er in groove 

››› 

Fig. 7

 

A.

●

Insert the key into the opening and turn it

in the direction of the arrow until the latch

››› 

Fig. 7

 

B has been released.

Bonnet

Fig. 8 

Release lever in the driver's footwell

area.

Fig. 9 

Cam under the bonnet

●

Opening the bonnet: Pull the lever under

the dashboard 

››› 

Fig. 8

 

1

.

●

Lift up the bonnet. Press the release catch

under the bonnet upwards 

››› 

Fig. 9

 

2

. The

arrester hook under the bonnet is released.

12

The essentials

●

The bonnet can be opened. Release the

bonnet stay and secure it in the fixture de-
signed for this in the bonnet.



››› 

 in Work in the engine compartment

on page 262



››› 

page 262

Electric windows*

Fig. 10 

Detail of the driver door: controls for

the windows.

●

Opening the window: Press the  button.

●

Closing the window: Pull the  button.

Buttons on the driver door

Window on the front left door
Window on the front right door
Window on the rear left door (only 5-door
vehicles)
Window on the right rear door (only 5-
door vehicles)
Safety switch for deactivating the electric
window buttons on the rear doors (only 5-
door vehicles)



››› 

 in Opening and closing of the elec-

tric windows* on page 127



››› 

page 127

Panoramic roof*

Fig. 11 

On the interior roof lining: use the ro-

tary button for opening and closing

1

2

3

4

5

Fig. 12 

On the interior roof lining: press the

button and pull on it to raise and lower the
sunroof.

●

Opening: Turn the switch to position

››› 

Fig. 11

 

3

.

●

Convenience position: Turn the switch to

position 

››› 

Fig. 11

 

2

.

●

Closing: Turn the switch to position

››› 

Fig. 11

 

1

.

●

To tilt open: Push the switch to position

››› 

Fig. 12

 

4

. For an intermediate position,

hold down the switch until you reach the de-
sired position.

●

Lowering: Pull the switch to position

››› 

Fig. 12

 

5

. For an intermediate position,

hold down the switch until you reach the de-
sired position.

»

13

The essentials



››› 

 in Opening or closing the panoramic

sliding sunroof on page 129



››› 

page 129

Before driving

Manually adjusting the front seats

Fig. 13 

Front seats: manual seat adjustment.

Forward/back: pull the lever and move
the seat forwards or backwards.
Raising/lowering: pull/push the lever.

1

2

Tilting the backrest: turn the hand wheel.
Lumbar support: Press the button in the
corresponding position.
Folding down the backrest (only 3-door
vehicles): pull the lever and push the
backrest forward.



››› 

 in Manual adjustment of seats on

page 143

Electric adjustment of the driver's
seat*

Fig. 14 

Driver's seat: electric seat adjust-

ment.

Adjusting the lumbar support: press the
button according to the desired position.
Seat up/down: Press the button
up/down. To adjust the front of the seat
cushion, press the front of the button
up/down. To adjust the rear of the seat

3

4

5

A

B

cushion, press the rear of the button
up/down.
Seat forwards/backwards: press the but-
ton forwards/backwards.
Backrest further upright/further reclined:
press the button forwards/backwards.



››› 

 in Electric driver's seat adjustment*

on page 143

Adjusting the head restraints

Fig. 15 

Front seat: adjustment of the head re-

straint.

●

Grab the sides of the head restraints with

both hands and push upwards to the desired
position. To lower it, repeat the same action,
pressing the 

1

 button on the side.

C

14

The essentials



››› 

 in Correct adjustment of front head

restraints on page 69



››› 

page 69

, 

››› 

page 144

Adjustment of the seat belt

Fig. 16 

Positioning and removing the seat

belt buckle.

Fig. 17 

Correct seat belt and head restraint

positions, viewed from front and the side.

To adjust the seat belt around your should-
ers, adjust the height of the seats.

The shoulder part of the seat belt should be
well centred over it, never over the neck. The
seat belt lies flat and fits comfortably on the
upper part of the body.

The lap part of the seat belt lies across the
pelvis, never across the stomach. The seat
belt lies flat and fits comfortably on the pel-
vis.



››› 

page 72



››› 

page 74

Seat belt tensioners

During a collision, the seat belts on the front
seats are retracted automatically.

The tensioner can be triggered only once.



››› 

 in Service and disposal of belt ten-

sioners on page 76



››› 

page 75

Adjusting the exterior mirrors

Fig. 18 

Detail of the driver door: control for

the exterior mirror.

Adjusting the exterior mirrors: Turn the knob
to the corresponding position:

Turning the knob to the desired posi-
tion, adjust the mirrors on the driver

»

L/R

15

The essentials

side (L, left) and the passenger side (R,
right) to the direction desired.
Depending on the equipment fitted on
the vehicle, the mirrors may be heated
according to the outside temperature.
Folding in mirrors.



››› 

 in Adjusting the exterior rear view

mirrors on page 142



››› 

page 142

Adjusting the steering wheel

Fig. 19 

Lever in the lower left side of the

steering column.

●

Adjusting the position of the steering

wheel: Pull the 

››› 

Fig. 19

 

1

 lever down,

move the steering wheel to the desired posi-
tion and lift the lever back up until it locks.







››› 

 in Adjusting the steering wheel po-

sition on page 67

Airbags

Front airbags

Fig. 20 

Driver airbag located in steering

wheel.

Fig. 21 

Front passenger airbag located in

dash panel.

The front airbag for the driver is located in
the steering wheel 

››› 

Fig. 20

 and the airbag

for the front passenger is located in the dash
panel 

››› 

Fig. 21

. Airbags are identified by the

word “AIRBAG”.

When the driver and front passenger airbags
are deployed, the covers remain attached to
the steering wheel and dashboard, respec-
tively 

››› 

Fig. 20

 

››› 

Fig. 21

.

In conjunction with the seat belts, the front
airbag system gives the front occupants ad-
ditional protection for the head and chest in

16

The essentials

the event of a severe frontal collision 

››› 

 in

Front airbags on page 78

.

Their special design allows the controlled es-
cape of the propellant gas when an occupant
puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are protected by the airbag. After the
collision, the airbag deflates sufficiently to
allow visibility.



››› 

page 78

Deactivating the front passenger front
airbag

Fig. 22 

Front passenger front airbag switch.

To deactivate the front passenger front air-
bag:

●

Open the glove compartment on the front

passenger side.

●

Insert the key blade into the slot provided

in the deactivation switch.

●

Approximately ¾ of the length of the key

blade remains inserted (the maximum).

●

Turn the key blade, changing its position to



. Do not force it. If you have difficulty, en-

sure that you have inserted the key as far as
it will go.

●

Finally, check the control lamp on the in-

strument panel where it shows  


   the following should appear .



››› 

 in Front passenger front airbag

switch on page 82



››› 

page 81

Knee airbag*

Fig. 23 

On the driver side: location of the

knee airbag

Fig. 24 

On the driver side: radius of action of

the knee airbag.

The knee airbag is located on the driver side
below the dash panel 

››› 

Fig. 23

. Airbags are

identified by the word “AIRBAG”.

The area framed in red (deployment area)

››› 

Fig. 24

 is covered by the knee airbag when

it is deployed. Objects should never be
placed or mounted in this area.



››› 

page 78

17

The essentials

Side airbags*

Fig. 25 

Side airbag in driver's seat.

Fig. 26 

Illustration of completely inflated side

airbags on the left side of the vehicle.

The side airbags are located in the backrest
cushions of the driver seat 

››› 

Fig. 25

 and the

front passenger seat as well as in the back-
rest of the side rear seats*. The locations are
identified by the text “AIRBAG” in the upper
region of the backrests.

In conjunction with the seat belts, the side
airbag system provides additional protection
for the upper body in the event of a severe
side collision 

››› 

 in Side airbags* on

page 78

.

In a side collision, the side airbags reduce
the risk of injury to passengers to the areas
of the body facing the impact. In addition to
their normal function of protecting the occu-
pants in a collision, the front and rear outer
seat belts also hold the passengers in the
event of a side collision; this is how these air-
bags provide maximum protection.



››› 

page 78

Head-protection airbags*

Fig. 27 

Location of head-protection airbags.

The head-protection airbags are located on
both sides in the interior above the doors

››› 

Fig. 27

 and are identified with the text

“AIRBAG”.

In conjunction with the seat belts, the head-
protection airbag system gives the vehicle
occupants additional protection for the head
and upper body in the event of a severe side
collision 

››› 

 in Curtain airbags* on

page 79

.



››› 

 in Curtain airbags* on page 79

18

The essentials

Child seats

Important information regarding the
front passenger's airbag

Fig. 28 

Airbag stickers - version 1: on the

front passenger's sun visor  and on the rear
frame of the front passenger's door .

Fig. 29 

Airbag stickers - version 2: on the

front passenger's sun visor  and on the rear
frame of the front passenger's door .

A sticker with important information about
the passenger airbag is located on the pas-
senger's sun visor and/or on the passenger
side door frame.



››› 

 in Important information regarding

the front passenger's airbag on page 83



››› 

page 82

19

The essentials

Securing child seats with the seat belt

Fig. 30 

On the rear seats: Possible installations

for the child seat.

Figure 

››› 

Fig. 30

 

A

 shows the basic child re-

straint system mounting using lower retain-
ing rings and the upper retaining strap. Fig-
ure 

››› 

Fig. 30

 

B

 shows the child restraint

system mounting using the vehicle seat belt.

The seat belt may be used to secure 

univer-

sal type child seats to the vehicle seats
marked with a 

U in the table below.

If the front passenger seat lacks a height ad-
justment, child seats cannot be mounted is
this location

1)

.

To correctly use a child seat in the back, the
front backrest must be adjusted so that there

is no contact with the child seat in the back
in the case that it goes opposite to the direc-
tion of the car. In the case of front facing re-
straint systems, the front backrest must be
adjusted so that there is no contact with the
child's feet.

To adjust the passenger seat to accommo-
date a child's seat and get the seat belt in a
perfect position, adjust the passenger back-
rest as far forward as possible.

1)

.

Starting with 

Group 0+ child seats should not

be mounted facing backwards in the passen-
ger seat given that due to the size of some of
them, they can be difficult to install.

1)

.

1)

Compliance with current national legislation and

the manufacturer's instructions is required when us-
ing or installing child seats.

20

The essentials

Weight

group

Seating position

Front pas-

senger

seat

a)

Rear

side
seat

Rear

central

seat

Group 0
to 10 kg

U*

U

U

Group 0+

to 13 kg

U*

U

U

Group I

9 to 18 kg

U*

U

U

Group II

15 to 25 kg

U*

U

U

Group III

22 to 36 kg

U*

U

U

a)

Compliance with current national legislation and the manu-

facturer's instructions is required when using or installing child
seats.

Suitable for universal restraint systems
for use in this weight group.
Only compatible for models with adjust-
able seat height. Place the seat in the
backmost and highest position possi-
ble.

The systems include the child restraint sys-
tem mounting with an upper retaining strap
(Top Tether) and lower anchoring points on
the seat.



››› 

 in Safety instructions on page 84

U:

*:

“ISOFIX” and Top Tether child seat mounting system*

Child seats can be secured quickly, easily
and safely on the rear outer seats with the
“ISOFIX” and Top Tether* system.

Two “ISOFIX” retaining rings are fitted on
each rear seat. In some vehicles, the rings
are secured to the seat frame and, in others,
they are secured to the rear floor. The “ISO-

FIX” rings are located between the rear seat
backrest and the seat cushioning. The Top
Tether* rings are located at the rear of the
backrests of the rear seats (behind the seat
backrest or in the boot).

To understand the compatibility of the "ISO-
FIX" systems in the vehicle, consult the table
below.

The body weight permitted and information
regarding sizes 

A to F is indicated on the la-

bel on child seats with “

universal” or “semi-

universal” certification.

»

21

The essentials

Weight group

Size class

Electrical equipment

Mounting direction

Vehicle Isofix positions

Rear side seats

Baby carrier

F

ISO/L1

Backward-facing

X

G

ISO/L2

Backward-facing

X

Group 0 to 10 kg

E

ISO/R1

Backward-facing

IU

Group 0+ to 13 kg

E

ISO/R1

Backward-facing

IU

D

ISO/R2

Backward-facing

IU

C

ISO/R3

Backward-facing

IU

Group I 9 to 18 kg

D

ISO/R2

Backward-facing

IU

C

ISO/R3

Backward-facing

IU

B

ISO/F2

Forward-facing

IU

B1

ISO/F2X

Forward-facing

IU

A

ISO/F3

Forward-facing

IU

Group II 15 to 25 kg

---

---

Forward-facing

---

Group III 22 to 36 kg

---

---

Forward-facing

---

Suitable for ISOFIX universal child re-
straint systems approved for use in this
weight group.
ISOFIX position not suitable for ISOFIX
child restraint systems for this weight
group or size class.



››› 

 in Safety instructions on page 84

IU:

X:

22