Driving and the environment179
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
WARNING
The catalytic converter reaches very high temperatures! Risk of fire.•
Never park where the catalytic converter could come into contact with
dry grass or inflammable materials under the vehicle.
•
Do not apply additional underseal or anti-corrosion coatings to the
exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or the heat shields on the exhaust
system. These materials could catch fire when the vehicle is driven.Caution
Never fully drain the fuel tank, in this case, the irregularity of the fuel supply
may cause ignition problems. This allow s unburnt fuel to enter the exhaust
system, which could cause overheating and damage the catalytic converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even when the emission control system is working perfectly, there may be a
smell of sulphur from the exhaust unde r some conditions. This depends on
the sulphur content of the fuel used. Quite often the problem can be reme-
died by changing to another brand of fuel.Driving abroadNotesFor driving abroad, the following must be taken into consideration:
•
For vehicles fitted with a catalytic converter ensure that unleaded petrol is
available for the journey. See the chap ter “Refuelling”. Automobile organisa-
tions will have information about service station networks selling unleaded
fuel.
•
In some countries it is possible that a vehicle model is sold under condi-
tions where some spare parts are not available or that the Authorised Service
Centre may only carry out limited repairs.
SEAT importers and distributors will gladly provide information about the
technical preparation of your vehicle in addition to necessary maintenance
and repair possibilities.
Adhesive strips for headlightsIf you have to drive a right-hand drive vehicle in a left-hand drive country, or
vice versa, the asymmetric dipped beam headlights will dazzle oncoming
traffic.
To prevent dazzling, you must apply stickers to certain parts of the headlight
lenses. Further information is available from your Authorised Service
Centre.
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Cleaning and caring for your vehicle193
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
•
To avoid damage, stubborn stains should be removed by a qualified
workshop.
Cleaning seat belts
A dirty belt may stop the seat belt working properly.Keep the seat belts clean and check all seat belts regularly.
Cleaning seat belts
– Carefully pull the dirty seat belt right out and leave it out.
– Clean the dirty seat belts with a gentle soap solution.
– Allow the seat belt fabric to dry.
– Do not roll up the seat belt until it is dry.If large stains form on the belts the belt will not retract correctly into the auto-
matic belt retractor.
WARNING
•
Do not use chemical cleaning agents on the seat belts, as this can
impair the strength of the webbing. Ensure that the belts do not come into
contact with corrosive fluids.
•
Check the condition of all seat belts at regular intervals. If you notice
that the belt webbing, fittings, retractor mechanism or buckle of any of the
belts is damaged, the belt must be replaced by a specialist workshop.
•
Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat belt yourself. The seat belts
must not be removed or modified in any way.
Caution
After cleaning, allow seat belts to dr y completely before rolling them up.
Otherwise the belt retracto rs could become damaged.
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Accessories, parts replacement and modifications195
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
WARNING
Incorrectly performed modifications or other work on your vehicle can lead
to malfunctions and cause accidents.Roof aerial*The vehicle may be fitted with a collapsible roof aerial* with antitheft
system*, which can be folded backwards, when, for example, going through
an automatic carwash.
To f o l d
Unscrew the aerial rod, tilting it backwards into a horizontal position and then
screw in again.
To return to working position
Continue in the reverse order to that given in the previous instruction.Mobile telephones and two-way radiosYou will require an external aerial for mobile phones and two-
way radios.SEAT has approved your vehicle for use with mobile telephones and two-way
radios providing the following conditions are observed:•
The correct installation of an external aerial,
•
transmitting power of maximum 10 watts.
An external aerial is needed to give the equipment its optimal range. First consult your Authorised Service Centre if you wish to use a mobile tele-
phone or a two-way radio with a transmitting power in excess of 10 watts.
Here you will receive information concerning the technical possibilities for
retro-fitting this equipment.
Mobile telephones and two-way radios
should be fitted only by a qualified
workshop, for example an Authorised Service Centre.
WARNING
•
Always concentrate primarily on driving. If you are distracted while
driving you could have an accident.
•
Never attach the telephone mountings to the surfaces covering the
airbag units or within the range of the airbags, danger of injury if the airbag
is triggered.
•
If you use mobile telephones or two-way radios in the vehicle without
an external aerial, electromagnetic ra diation in the vehicle could exceed
authorised limits. This also applies to external aerials that have not been
correctly installed.Caution
Failure to observe the above conditions could cause the electroni cs to
malfunction. The most common causes of faults are:•
no external aerial,
•
external aerial incorrectly installed,
•
transmitting power in excess of 10 watts.Note
Please observe the operating instructions of your mobile telephone / two-way
radio.
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Checking and refilling levels217
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
•
If the vehicle is left standing in cold conditions for a long period, protect
the battery from frost. If it “freezes” it will be damaged.
Checking the electrolyte level
The electrolyte level should be checked regularly in high-
mileage vehicles, in hot countries and in older batteries.– Open the bonnet and open the battery cover at the front ⇒ in
“Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment” on
page 201 ⇒ in “Warnings on handling the battery” on
page 216.
– Check the colour display in the magic eye on the top of the battery.
– If there are air bubbles in the window, tap the window gently until they disperse.The position of the battery is shown in the corresponding engine compart-
ment diagram ⇒page 260.
The round window (“magic eye”) on the top of the battery changes colour,
depending on the charge level and electrolyte level of the battery.
If the colour in the window is colourless or bright yellow, the electrolyte level
of the battery is too low. Have the battery checked by a qualified workshop.
The colours green and black are used by the workshops for diagnostic
purposes.
Charging and changing the vehicle battery
The battery is maintenance-free and is checked during the
inspection service. All work on the vehicle battery requires
specialist knowledge.If you often drive short distances or if the vehicle is not driven for long
periods, the battery should be checked by a qualified workshop between the
scheduled services.
If the battery has discharged and you have problems starting the vehicle, the
battery might be damaged. If this happens, we recommend you have the
vehicle battery checked by an Authorised Service Centre where it will be re-
charged or replaced.
Charging the battery
The vehicle battery should be charged by a qualified workshop only, as
batteries using special technology have been installed and they must be
charged in a controlled environment.
Replacing a vehicle battery
The battery has been developed to suit the conditions of their location and
has special safety features.
Genuine SEAT batteries fulfil the maintenance, performance and safety spec-
ifications of your vehicle.
WARNING
•
We recommend you use only maintenance-free or cycle free leak-proof
batteries which comply with the standards T 825 06 and VW 7 50 73. This
standard applies as of 2001.
•
Before starting any work on the batteries, you must read and observe
the warnings ⇒ in “Warnings on handling the battery” on page 216.
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Index275
Index
AABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Acoustic signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Acoustic warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Adjusting headlights driving on the left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
driving on the right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Adjusting the seat belt height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Air conditioner* 2C-Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Air conditioning system General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Air recirculation mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Manual air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Airbags
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Alarm system Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Alterations to the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Alternator Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Ambient temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Anti-freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Anti-theft wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Ashtray* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror* Activating the anti-dazzle function . . . . . . 122
Deactivating anti-dazzle function . . . . . . . . 122
Automatic car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Automatic lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Automatic mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Automatic wiper/wash function for the rear window 121
BBall coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
BAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Battery
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Winter conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Belt tension device Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Belt tension devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Brake assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
monitor indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Brake pad wear indicator* Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173, 177
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Braking distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Bulb defect warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
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