Seat Leon - Page 208

Driving
Note
The system switches on every time the en-
gine is turned off volunt
arily.
Manual gearbox
Changing gears
Fig. 150 Gear shift pattern of a 5 or 6-speed
manual gearbo
x.
The position of the gears is indicated on the
gearbo
x l
e
ver
›››
Fig. 150.
●
Press the clutch pedal and keep your foot
right down.
●
Move the gearbox lever to the required po-
sition.
●
Release the clutch.
Selecting reverse gear
Engage reverse gear only when the vehicle is
stopped.
●
Press the clutch pedal and keep your foot
right down.
●
With the gearbox lever in neutral, push it
downwards, move it to the left as far as it will
go and then forwards to select reverse
›››
Fig. 150
R
.
●
Release the clutch.
Changing do
wn gears
Whil
e driving, changing do
wn a gear must al-
ways be done gradually, i.e. to the gear di-
rectly below and when the engine speed is
not too high
›››
. Changing down while by-
passing one or v
arious gears at high speeds
or at high engine speeds can damage the
clut
ch and the gearbo
x, even if the clutch
pedal remains depressed
›››
.
WARNING
When the engine is running, the vehicle will
start t
o move as soon as a gear is engaged
and the clutch released. This also happens
if the electronic parking brake is switched
on.
●
Never engage reverse gear when the ve-
hicle is moving.
WARNING
If the gear is changed down inappropriate-
ly by selecting a gear that is too l
ow, you
may lose control of the vehicle, causing an
accident and serious injuries.
CAUTION
When travelling at high speeds or at high
engine speeds, selecting a gear that is too
l
ow can cause considerable damage to the
clutch and the gearbox. This can also oc-
cur if the clutch pedal is pressed and held
and it does not engage.
CAUTION
To prevent damage and avoid premature
wear, pl
ease observe the following:
●
Do not rest your hand on the gear lever
while driving. The pressure applied by your
hand is transmitted to the gearbox selector
forks.
●
Do not leave your foot on the clutch ped-
al; although the pressure may seem insig-
nificant, it can cause the premature wear of
the clutch plate. Use the foot rest when you
do not need to change gear.
●
Always ensure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped before engaging the re-
verse gear.
●
Always press the clutch to the floor when
changing gears.
206