Checking and refilling levels
228Brake fluidChecking the brake fluid level
The brake fluid is checked at the intervals given in the service
schedule.– Read off the fluid level at the transparent brake fluid reservoir. It
should always be between the “MIN” and “MAX” marks.The position of the brake fluid reservoir is shown in the corresponding engine
compartment diagram ⇒page 275. The brake fluid reservoir has a black and
yellow cap.
The brake fluid level drops slightly when the vehicle is being used as the
brake pads are automatically adjusted as they wear. However, if the level goes down noticeably in a short time, or drops below the
“MIN” mark, there may be a leak in the brake system. A display on the instru-
ment panel will warn you if the brake fluid level is too low
⇒page 75.
WARNING
Before opening the bonnet to check the brake fluid level, read and observe
the warnings ⇒page 215.Changing the brake fluid
The Maintenance Program indicates the brake fluid change
intervals.We recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by an Authorised
Service Centre.
Before opening the bonnet, please read and follow the warnings ⇒ in
“Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment” on page 215 in
“Working in the engine compartment”.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. In the course of time, it will absorb water from
the ambient air. If the water content in the brake fluid is too high, the brake
system could corrode. This also considerably reduces the boiling point of the
brake fluid. Heavy use of the brakes may then cause a vapour lock which
could impair the braking effect.
It is important that you use only brake fluid compliant with the US standard
FMVSS 116 DOT 4. We recommend the use of Genuine SEAT brake fluid.
WARNING
Brake fluid is poisonous. Old brak e fluid impairs the braking effect.
Fig. 166 In the engine
compartment: Brake fluid
reservoir cover
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Wheels and tyres
232Wheels and tyresWheelsGeneral notesAvoiding damage
– If you have to drive over a kerb or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and as near as possible at a right angle to the kerb.
– Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
– Inspect the tyres regularly for da mage (cuts, cracks or blisters,
etc.). Remove any foreign objects embedded in the treads.
Storing tyres
– Mark tyres when you remove them to indicate the direction of rotation. This ensures you will be able to install them correctly
when you replace them.
– When removed, the wheels and/or tyres should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark location.
– Store tyres in a vertical position if they are not fitted on wheel rims.New tyres
New tyres have to be run in ⇒page 192.
The tread depth of new tyres may vary, according to the type and make of tyre
and the tread pattern. Concealed damage
Damage to tyres and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice unusual
vibrations or the car pulling to one side, this may indicate that one of the tyres
is damaged. The tyres should be checked immediately by an Authorised
Service Centre.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the direction of rotation on tyres with
directional tread. Always observe the direction of rotation indicated when
fitting the wheel. This guarantees optimum grip and helps to avoid aqua-
planing, excessive noise and wear.
WARNING
•
New tyres do not have maximum grip in the first 500 km. Drive particu-
larly carefully to avoid risk of accident.
•
Never drive with damaged tyres. This may cause an accident.
•
If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side when
driving, stop the vehicle immediately and check the tyres for damage.
Checking tyre pressure
The correct tyre pressure can be seen on the sticker on the
inside of the tank flap.1. Read the required tyre inflation pressure from the sticker. The values refer to Summer tyres. For Winter tyres, you must add 0.2
bar to the values given on the sticker.
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Wheels and tyres235
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Wear indicators
The original tyres on your vehicle have 1.6 mm high “tread wear indicators”
⇒
page 234, fig. 167 , running across the tread. Depending on the make,
there will be six to eight of them evenly spaced around the tyre. Markings on
the tyre sidewall (for instance the letters “TWI” or other symbols) indicate the
positions of the tread wear indicators. The minimum tread depth required by
law is 1.6 mm (measured in the tread grooves next to the tread wear indica-
tors). Worn tyres must be replaced. Different figures may apply in export
countries ⇒.
Tyre pressure
Incorrect tyre pressure causes premature wear and could cause tyre blow-out.
For this reason, the tyre pressure should be checked at least once per month
⇒ page 232.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard braking all increase tyre wear.
Changing wheels around
If the front tyres are worn considerably more than the rear ones it is advisable
to change them around as shown ⇒page 234, fig. 168 . All the tyres will then
last for about the same time.
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various factors encoun-
tered in normal driving can cause them to become unbalanced, which results
in steering vibration.
Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as they otherwise cause excessive
wear on steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tyre is fitted.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive tyre wear, impairing the safety of
the vehicle. If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the wheel align-
ment checked by an Authorised Service Centre.
WARNING
There is a serious danger of accidents if a tyre bursts during driving!•
The tyres must be replaced at the latest when the tread is worn down to
the tread wear indicators. Failure to do so could result in an accident. Worn
tyres do not grip well at high speeds on wet roads. There is also a greater
risk of “aquaplaning”
•
At continuously high speeds, a tyre with insufficient pressure flexes
more. This causes it to overheat. This can cause tread separation and tyre
blow-out. Risk of accident. Always observe the recommended tyre pres-
sures.
•
If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the running gear checked
by an Authorised Service Centre.
•
Keep chemicals such as oil, fuel and brake fluid away from tyres.
•
Damaged wheels and tyres must be replaced immediately!For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel consumption.Anti-puncture tyres
Anti-puncture tyres allow you to continue driving even with a
punctured tyre, in the majority of cases.Vehicles equipped with anti-puncture
21)
tyres from the factory indi-
cate the loss of tyre pressure on the instrument panel.
21)Depending upon version and country.
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Wheels and tyres
238wheels or tyres which have not been approved by SEAT for use with your
model may invalidate the vehicle's type approval for use on public roads.•
If the spare tyre is not the same as the tyres that are mounted on the
vehicle - for example with winter tyres - you should only use the spare tyre for
a short period of time and drive with extra care. Refit the normal road wheel
as soon as possible.
Wheel 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 210.
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
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 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 can 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 237, “New tyres and wheels” determines the
following speed limits for winter tyres: ⇒
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
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Technical Data275
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Te c h n i c a l D a t aChecking fluid levelsFrom time to time, the levels of the different fluids in the
vehicle must be checked. Never fill with incorrect fluids,
otherwise serious damage to the engine may be caused.
Coolant expansion tank
Windscreen washer fluid reservoir
Engine oil filler cap
Engine oil dipstick
Brake fluid reservoir
Vehicle battery (underneath the cover)
The checking and refilling of service fluids are carried out on the components
mentioned above. These operations are described in the ⇒page 215. Overview
Further explanations, instructions and restrictions on the technical data are
contained as of
⇒page 271.
Fig. 202 Diagram for the
location of the various
elements
A1A2A3A4A5A6
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Index
282Buzzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118, 167CCatalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Automatic locking system for involuntary unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Automatic speed dependent locking and un- locking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Emergency unlocking system . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Selective unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Central locking button Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Centre arm rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Cetane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Changing gear See Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Changing the lamps Main headlight lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
rear lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Changing the main headlight lamps dipped beam lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
main beam lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
turn signal lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Changing the rear light lamps Position light, fog light and rear light on the tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Changing the rear lights
Indicator, side and brake lights on the bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
luggage compartment lights . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Changing windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . . 225
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Checking battery electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . 230
Checking engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Categorisation in groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Group 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Group 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Group 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Groups 0 and 0+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Child seats on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Cigarette lighter* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Cleaning alloy wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Cleaning chrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Cleaning engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Cleaning steel wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Cleaning windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Climatronic General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Cloth seat covers cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Clothes hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Control lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Controls
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Light switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Convenience closing Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Convenience opening Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222, 223 Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Coolant Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Coolant level warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Coolant Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Coolant temperature Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Cruise control* Turning off the cruise control system . . . . 182
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
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Index283
DDanger of fitting a child seat on the front passenger
seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Dash panel cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Daytime lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 activating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Diesel engine Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Diesel engine particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Differential lock fault (EDL) warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Dipped headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Disabling front passenger airbag Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Disabling the airbag Disabling front passenger airbag . . . . . . . . . 44
Display (without warning or information texts) . 60
Displays in the Multi-function display Memory displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Disposal Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Door lock cylinders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Door release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Doors Childproof locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Drinks holders at the front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Drive wheels traction control system . . . . . . . . 186
Driveshaft differential
XDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Driving Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Economical/ Environtmental . . . . . . . . . . . 194
With a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driving programmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Driving with an automatic gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Duplicate keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Dust filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Dynamic curve lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Dynamic headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . 115
EEcological driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
EDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
EDS Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Electric steering system warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Electrical sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Electronic differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84, 168
Electronic stabilisation program . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Electronic stabilisation programme . . . . . . . . . . 83 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Electronic stabilisation programme (ESP) warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Emergency braking function . . . . . . . . . . 117, 185
emergency manual locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Emergency opening Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Emission control system warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Engine Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Engine compartment Working in the engine compartment . . . . . 215
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine fault Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Engine management Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Checking level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
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