Get Emergencies -> Tow start and towing Guide for Cupra Leon 4 Door First Generation (2020-2026)

Self-help

solid piece of metal in the engine block,

or to the engine block itself.

11. When the engine is running, disconnect

the leads in reverse order to the details

given above.

terminal of the flat battery. The gas emitted

from the battery could be ignited by sparks.

Danger of explosion.

5. Connect the other end of the black

jump lead

to a solid metal compo-

●

Never attach the negative cable to fuel

Make sure the battery clamps have sufficient

metal-to-metal contact with the battery ter-

minals.

nent bolted to the engine block or to

the engine block itself of the vehicle

with the flat battery. Do not connect it

to a point near the battery.

system components or the brake lines in

the other vehicle.

●

The non-insulated parts of the battery

If the engine fails to start after about 10 sec-

onds, switch off the starter and try again af-

ter about 1 minute.

clamps must not be allowed to touch. The

jump lead attached to the positive battery

terminal must not touch metal parts of the

vehicle, this can cause a short circuit.

6. Position the leads in such a way that

they cannot come into contact with any

moving parts in the engine compart-

ment.

WARNING

●

Position the leads in such a way that they

●

cannot come into contact with any moving

parts in the engine compartment.

Please note the safety warnings referring

to working in the engine compartment

Starting

page 316.

›››

●

Do not lean on the batteries. This could

7. Start the engine of the vehicle with the

boosting battery and let it run at idling

speed.

●

result in chemical burns.

The battery providing assistance must

have the same voltage as the flat battery

(12V) and approximately the same capacity

(see imprint on battery). Failure to comply

could result in an explosion.

Note

8. Start the engine of the vehicle with the

flat battery and wait for 2 or 3 minutes

until the engine is running.

The vehicles must not touch each other,

otherwise electricity could flow as soon as

the positive terminals are connected.

●

Never use jump leads when one of the

batteries is frozen. Danger of explosion!

Even after the battery has thawed, battery

acid could leak and cause chemical burns.

If a battery freezes, it should be replaced.

Removing the jump leads

9. Before you remove the jump leads,

switch off the dipped beam headlights if

they are switched on.

Tow start and towing

●

Keep sparks, flames and lighted ciga-

rettes away from batteries, danger of ex-

plosion. Failure to comply could result in an

explosion.

10. Turn on the heater blower and heated

rear window in the vehicle with the flat

battery. This helps minimise voltage

peaks which are generated when the

leads are disconnected.

Introduction

Tow-starting means starting the engine of

the vehicle while another pulls it.

●

Observe the instructions provided by the

manufacturer of the jump leads.

Towing means one vehicle pulling another

●

Do not connect the negative cable from

that is not roadworthy.

the other vehicle directly to the negative

Emergencies

Always consider the legal provisions relating

to tow-starting and towing.

Instructions for tow-starting

quest the assistance of specialist person-

nel.

Vehicle's should not generally be tow-star-

ted. The jump start should be used instead

For technical reasons, towing a vehicle

with a discharged battery is not allowed.

The jump start should be used instead

WARNING

page 54.

›››

Vehicle handling and braking capacity

change considerably during towing. Please

observe the following instructions to mini-

mise the risk of serious accidents and in-

jury:

page 54.

For technical reasons, towing the following

vehicles is not allowed:

›››

If the vehicle comes with the Keyless Access

system, towing is only allowed with the igni-

tion on!

●

Vehicles with an automatic gearbox.

If the vehicle battery is discharged, be-

●

As the driver of the vehicle being towed:

The vehicle battery drains if the vehicle is

towed with the engine switched off and the

ignition connected. Depending on the bat-

tery charge status, the drop in voltage may

be so large, even after just a few minutes,

that no electrical device in the vehicle may

work e.g. the hazard warning lights. In vehi-

cles with the Keyless Access system, the

cause in vehicles with the Keyless Access

locking and ignition system the steering re-

mains locked and the electronic parking

brake cannot be deactivated nor can the

electronic lock of the steering column be re-

leased if they are activated.

–

You should depress the brake much

harder as the brake servo does not op-

erate. Pay the utmost attention to avoid

crashing into the towing vehicle.

–

More strength is required at the steer-

ing wheel as the power steering does

not operate when the engine is switch-

ed off.

●

If the battery is flat, it is possible that the

engine control units may not operate cor-

rectly.

steering wheel could lock

›››

As the driver of the towing vehicle:

WARNING

–

Accelerate with particular care and

caution.

CAUTION

A vehicle with no power should never be

towed.

When tow-starting, unburnt fuel could en-

ter the catalytic converter and damage it.

–

Avoid sudden braking and manoeuvres.

●

During towing, never switch off the igni-

Brake earlier than usual and more

smoothly.

tion using the start button. Otherwise, the

electronic lock of the steering column

could suddenly become blocked and it

would be impossible to steer the vehicle.

This could cause an accident, serious injury

and loss of control of the vehicle.

Note

The vehicle can only be jump-started if the

electronic parking brake and, if appropri-

ate, the electronic lock of the steering col-

umn are deactivated. If the vehicle has no

power supply or there is an electric system

fault, the engine must be jump-started to

CAUTION

To avoid damaging the vehicle, for exam-

ple the paint, remove and replace the lid

and towing eye carefully.

●

If during towing the vehicle runs out of

●

power, stop towing immediately and re-

Unburnt fuel could enter the catalytic

converter and damage it during towing.

Self-help

●

More strength is required at the steering

if it has been specially designed to be instal-

deactivate the electronic parking brake and

the electronic lock of the steering column.

wheel as the power steering does not oper-

ate when the engine is switched off.

led on a tow hitch page 288 .

›››

When the vehicle has to be towed:

●

You should depress the brake much harder

as the brake servo does not operate. Avoid

hitting the towing vehicle.

Check whether the vehicle may be towed

Towing instructions

page 58, Cases where towing the vehi-

›››

cle is not permitted.

●

Towing requires some expertise and experi-

ence, especially when using a tow rope. Both

drivers should be familiar with the difficulties

involved in towing. For this reason, inexper-

ienced drivers should abstain from towing.

Bear in mind the information and instruc-

tions in the manual of the vehicle to be tow-

ed.

The vehicle can be towed using a tow bar or

tow rope in the normal way, with all four

wheels on the road; it can also be towed with

either the front or rear wheels lifted off the

road.

Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle

●

Accelerate with particular care and cau-

tion. Avoid sharp manoeuvres.

During towing, it should be ensured that no

impermissible tractive forces or shocks are

generated. When towing on an unpaved

road, there is always a risk of overloading and

damaging the anchorage points.

●

Switch the ignition on.

●

Brake earlier than usual and smoothly.

Bear in mind the information and instruc-

Move the selector lever to the N

page 220 position.

›››

tions in the manual of the towed vehicle.

●

Do not allow the vehicle to be towed at

speeds of over 50 km/h (30 mph).

During towing, the towing vehicle can signal

the change of direction even with the hazard

warning lights turned on. To do so, at the

same time, the turn signal lever must be op-

erated with ignition switched on. Meanwhile,

the hazard warning lights will go off. When

the turn signal lever is returned to the rest

position, the hazard warning lights will be au-

tomatically reactivated.

Tow rope or tow bar

●

The vehicle must not be towed further

than 50 km (30 miles).

It is safer for the vehicle to be towed using a

tow bar, avoiding damage to the vehicle. A

tow rope should only be used if a tow bar is

not available.

●

If a breakdown lorry is used, vehicles with

automatic transmission are only allowed to

be towed with the front wheels suspended.

A tow rope should be slightly elastic to avoid

damage to both vehicles. It is advisable to

use a tow rope made of synthetic fibre or

similarly elastic material.

Towing vehicles with four-wheel drive

(4Drive)

Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle

Four-wheel drive vehicles (4Drive) can be

towed using a tow bar or tow rope. If the ve-

hicle is towed with the front or rear axle sus-

pended, the engine must be switched off,

otherwise the transmission may be dam-

aged.

●

Leave the ignition on, so that the steering

Only attach the tow rope or the tow bar to

the towing eyes provided or a towing bracket.

is not blocked, and the electronic parking

brake may be deactivated and the turn sig-

nals and wash/wipe operated.

If the vehicle has a factory-fitted towing de-

vice, towing with a tow bar is only permitted

Emergencies

Cases where towing the vehicle is not per-

mitted

lock of the steering column are deactiva-

ted. If the vehicle has no power supply or

there is an electric system fault, the engine

●

If, due to a fault, the gearbox is out of lubri-

cant.

must be jump-started page 54 to deacti-

›››

vate the electronic parking brake and the

electronic lock of the steering column.

●

If the vehicle battery is discharged, be-

cause the steering remains locked and, if ap-

propriate, the electronic parking brake can-

not be deactivated or the electronic lock of

the steering column released.

Front towline anchorage

●

If a distance above 50 km needs to be trav-

elled.

Fig. 48 Right side of the front bumper:

towline anchorage in position.

●

When, for example, after an accident, the

The housing of the screw towing eye is on

the right side of the front bumper behind a

smooth rotation of the wheels or the steer-

ing operation cannot be guaranteed.

lid Fig. 47 .

›››

When the vehicle is to tow another vehi-

cle:

The towing eye should always be kept in the

vehicle.

●

Observe legal requirements.

Bear in mind the instructions for towing

Keep in mind the instructions in the man-

page 57.

›››

Fig. 47 On the right side of the front

bumper: remove the cover.

ual on towing vehicles.

Fitting the towline anchorage

CAUTION

●

Remove the towing eye from the vehicle

If there is no oil in the gearbox or no lubri-

cant in the automatic transmission the car

may only be towed with the driven wheels

lifted clear of the road, or transported on a

special car transporter or trailer.

tool kit in the luggage compartment

page 45.

›››

●

Remove the cover by pressing down on its

base and leave it hanging from the vehicle

Fig. 47.

›››

●

Screw the towing eye in the housing by

Note

turning it as far as it will go anticlock-

wise Fig. 48 . Use a suitable object

The vehicle can only be towed if the elec-

tronic parking brake and the electronic

›››

Self-help

that can completely and securely tighten the

towing eye in its housing.

Rear towline anchorage

●

After towing, unscrew the towing eye

clockwise with a suitable object.

●

Replace the cover and tighten on its right

side until the tab snaps into the bumper.

●

Clean the towing eye if necessary and then

store it in the luggage compartment along

with the other vehicle tools.

CAUTION

The towing eye must always be completely

and firmly tightened. Otherwise, it could be

released while towing and tow-starting.

Fig. 50 On the right side of the rear

bumper: towline anchorage in position. 

Leon Sportstourer;  Leon.

Fig. 49 On the right side of the rear

bumper: remove the cover.  Leon

Sportstourer;  Leon.

The housing of the screw towing eye is on

the right side of the rear bumper behind a lid

Fig. 49.

›››

Vehicles equipped as standard with a towing

bracket do not have any housing for the

screw towing eye behind the lid. In this case,

the tow hitch needs to be extracted or instal-

led and used for towing page 288 ,

›››

Emergencies -> Tow start and towing for Your Cupra Leon 4 Door First Generation (2020-2026)

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