Checking and refilling levels
228Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be tightened to the correct torque.The design of wheel bolts is matched to the rims. If different wheel rims are
fitted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt
heads must be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted securely and that the
brake system functions correctly.
In certain circumstances, you may not use wheel bolts from a different car -
even if it is the same model ⇒page 199.
WARNING
If the wheel bolts are not tightened correctly, the wheel could become
loose while driving. Risk of accident.•
The wheel bolts must be clean and turn easily. Never apply grease or oil
to them.
•
Use only wheel bolts which belong to the wheel.
•
If the prescribed torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loosen
whilst the vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads could be damaged.Caution
The prescribed torque for wheel bolts for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
Winter tyres
Winter tyres will improve the vehicles handling on snow and
ice.In winter conditions winter tyres will considerably improve the vehicles
handling. The design of summer tyres (width, rubber compound, tread
pattern) gives less grip on ice and snow.
Winter tyres must be inflated to a pressure 0.2 bar higher than the pressures
specified for summer tyres (see sticker on tank flap).
Winter tyres must be fitted on all four wheels.
Information on permitted winter tyre sizes can be found in the vehicle’s regis-
tration documents. Use only radial winter tyres. All tyre sizes listed in the
vehicle documentation also apply to winter tyres.
Winter tyres lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth
of 4 mm.
The speed rating code ⇒page 226, “New tyres and wheels” determines the
following speed limits : ⇒
Q max. 160 km/h
S max. 180 km/h
T max. 190 km/h
H max. 210 km/h
In some countries, vehicles which can exceed the speed rating of the fitted
tyre must have an appropriate sticker in the driver’s field of view. These
stickers are available from your Authorised Service Centre. The legal require-
ments of each country must be followed.
Do not have winter tyres fitted for unnecessarily long periods. Vehicles with
summer tyres handle better when the roads are free of snow and ice.
If you have a flat tyre, please refer to the notes on the spare wheel
⇒ page 226, “New tyres and wheels”.
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If and when
230If and whenTools, tyre repair kit and spare wheelVehicle To ols
The vehicle onboard tools are located under the floor panel in
the luggage compartment.– Lift the cover of the luggage compartment, by pulling it up with a
finger in the fitting.
– Take the onboard tools out of the vehicle.The tool kit includes:•
Jack*
•
Hook for removing wheel covers* or hub caps*
•
Box spanner for wheel bolts*
•
Reversible screwdriver with handle (including hexagonal interior) for the
wheel bolts. The screwdriver is a combination tool.
•
To wi ng e ye
•
Adapter for the anti-theft wheel bolts*
Some of the items listed are only prov ided on certain models / model years,
or are optional extras.
WARNING
•
Do not use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle to tighten
the wheel bolts. It is impossible to tighten the bolts with the torque
required, risk of accident.
•
The jack* supplied by the factory is only designed for changing wheels
on this model. On no account attempt to use it for lifting heavier vehicles
or other loads, risk of injury.
•
Use the jack* only on firm, level ground.
•
Never start the engine when the vehicle is on the jack, risk of accident.
•
I f wo r k is t o b e ca r r i e d o u t un d e r n ea th the vehicle, this must be secured
by suitable stands. Otherwise, there is a risk of injury.WARNING (continued)
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If and when233
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
After changing a wheel
After changing the wheel there are still tasks to complete.– Put the tools and jack back in the luggage compartment.
– Place the wheel with the defective tyre in the luggage compart-
ment and secure it.
– Check the tyre pressure of the newly fitted tyre as soon as
possible.
– Have the tightening torque of the wheel bolts checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench. The prescribed torque is 120 Nm.
Note•
If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to turn when
changing a wheel, they must be replaced before having the wheel bolt torque
checked.
•
In the interest of safety, drive at moderate speeds until the wheel bolt
torque has been checked.
Wheel trims
The wheel trims must be removed to gain access to the wheel
bolts.Removing
–Insert the extraction hook from the tools into the designated ring, located in one of the bolt hole covers of the wheel cover
⇒fig. 170.
–Pull off the hub cap .
Fig. 170 Changing a
wheel: Removing the
wheel trim
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General notes on the technical data 267
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the
front wheels.
Consult the chapter “wheels” of this manual.
Wheel bolts
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel bolts
should be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench ⇒. The tight-
ening torque for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
WARNING
•
Check the tyre pressure at least once per month. Correct tyre pressure
is very important. If the tyre pressure is too high or too low, there is an
increased danger of accidents, particularly at high speeds.
•
If the torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loosen whilst the
vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening torque is too high,
the wheel bolts and threads could be damaged.Note
We recommend that you ask your Authorised Service Centre for information
about appropriate wheel, tyre and snow chain size.
AlteaXL_ingles_02_06 Seite 267 Dienstag, 1. August 2006 11:11 11
Index283
Seat belt position
Pregnant women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Seat belt release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Seat belt warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Incorrectly fastened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Not worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seat belts protect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Selective opening* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Selector lever locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Sitting position Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Incorrect sitting position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Sitting position, occupants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229, 267
Soot accumulation in the
diesel engine particulate
filter *
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Spare wheel* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Starting Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162, 163 After the fuel tank has been run dry . . . . . . 164
Steam cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Steering lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Steering wheel audio controls audio + telephone version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
audio version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Steering wheel controls Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Steering wheel height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . 159
Stowage area Centre arm rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Other stowage areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Stowage compartment Front passenger side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Stowage in the luggage compartment . . . . . . . 136
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Sunroof blind Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Switch Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Switches
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Electrical exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Switching on hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . 115
TTailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Emergency opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Tank fuel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
reserve indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
TCS (Traction control system) Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
The danger of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . 22
Tightening torque of wheel bo lts . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186, 266
Towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Towing bracket, fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Towing eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Traction control system warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
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Index
284Trailer turn signals
Indicator lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Trailer weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Trips, checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76, 116
Two-way radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Type plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tyre Mobility-System (Tyre repair kit) . . . . . . . 231
Tyre monitor indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Tyre pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tyre repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231, 238
Tyre-Mobility-System (Tyre repair kit) . . . . . . . 238
Tyres and wheels Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Tyres service life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Tyres tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tyres with directional tread pattern . . . . . . . . . 223UUnderbody sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
USB* connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Using the Tiptronic gear system . . . . . . . . . . . . 170VVehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Vehicle data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Vehicle paint
Car care products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Vehicle tools Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Vehicle wallet storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Ventilation slits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Volumetric sensor* Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Deactivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
WWarning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Warning reportsRed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Warning texts in the display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Warning triangle and first aid kit . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Washing by hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Washing with high pressure cleaners . . . . . . . 192
Water warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Water in the windscreen washer tank . . . . . . . 216
Wear indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234, 267
Torque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Wheel trims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223, 266
Why assume the correct sitting position? . . . . . 30
Why should head restraints be correctly adjusted? 13
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 21
Why wear seatbelts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Windscreen washer fluid Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Windscreen wiper blades Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Changing blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Changing the rear blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Winter driving Diesel engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Wiper/wash automatic function . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . 206
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