2009 Seat Altea Freetrack warning light

Driving167
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
•
when driving in deep snow or on loose surfaces,
•
when rocking the vehicle backwards and forwards to free it from mud, for
example.
Next, the button should be pressed to reactivate the TCS.
When does the warning light switch on or flash?
•
On switching the ignition on, it lights up for about two seconds to carry
out a function control.
•
The warning lamp will start flashing when the vehicle is moving if the ESP
or the TCS is activated. The warning lamp will light up slowly if the TCS is
switched off.
•
It will light up continuously if there is a malfunction in the ESP.
WARNING
•
The electronic stabilisation programme (ESP) cannot defy the laws of
physics. This should be kept in mind, particularly on slippery and wet
roads and when towing a trailer.
•
Always adapt your driving style to suit the condition of the roads and
the traffic situation. Do not let the extra safety afforded by ESP tempt you
into taking any risks when driving, this can cause accidents.
•
Please refer to the corresponding warning notes on ESP in ⇒page 185,
“Intelligent technology”.
Ignition lockPosition of the ignition keyIgnition switched off, steering lock
In this position ⇒ fig. 138 the ignition and the engine are OFF and the
steering may be locked.
For the Steering lock to operate without the ignition key, turn the steering
wheel until it locks with an audible sound. You should always lock the
steering wheel when you leave your vehicle. This will help prevent vehicle
theft ⇒ .
Switching the ignition or the glow plug system on
Turn the ignition key to this position and release it. If the key cannot be turned
or it is difficult to turn from position to position , move the steering
wheel back and forth until it loosens up.

Fig. 138 Ignition key
positions
A0
A1
A0
A12
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Driving
168Starting
The engine is started when the key is in this position. Electrical components
with a high power consumption are switched off temporarily.
Every time the vehicle is started again, the ignition key must be turned to
position . The repetitive start prevention lock of the ignition prevents
possible damage to the starter motor if the engine is already running.
WARNING
•
The ignition key must NOT be removed from the lock until the vehicle
comes to a standstill. Otherwise, the steering could be immediately
blocked- Risk of accident!
•
Always remove the key from the ignition lock when leaving the vehicle,
even for a short period. This is especially important if children or disabled
people are left alone in the vehicle. They could accidentally start the
engine or work electrical equipment such as the electric windows, conse-
quently resulting in an accident.
•
Unsupervised use of the keys could start the engine or any electrical
system, such as the electric window. This could result in serious injury.Caution
The starter motor will only work when the engine is stopped (ignition key
position ).Electronic immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents unauthorised persons from driving
the vehicle.Inside the key there is a chip that deactivates the electronic immobiliser auto-
matically when the key is inserted into the ignition. The immobiliser will be activated again automatically as soon as you pull the
key out of the ignition lock.
The engine can only be started using a genuine SEAT key with its correct code.
Note
A perfect operation of the vehicle is ensured if genuine SEAT keys are used.Starting and stopping the engineStarting petrol engines
The engine can only be started using a genuine SEAT key with
its correct code.– Move the gear lever to the neutral position and depress the
clutch pedal thoroughly and hold it in this position for the starter
to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting ⇒page 167 position.
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts; the starter motor must not run on with the engine.After starting a very hot engine, you may need to slightly press down the
accelerator.
When starting a very cold engine, it may be a little noisy for the first few
seconds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.
A2A0A2
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Driving169
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
If the engine does not start immediately, switch the starter off after
10 seconds and try again after half a minute. If the engine still does not start,
the fuel pump fuse should be checked ⇒
page 251, “Fuses”.
WARNING
•
Never start or run the engine in unventilated or closed rooms. The
exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and colourless
poisonous gas. Risk of fatal accidents. Carbon monoxide can cause loss of
consciousness. It can also cause death.
•
Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running.
•
Never use “cold start sprays”, they could explode or cause the engine
to run at high revs. Risk of injury.Caution
•
When the engine is cold, you should avoid high engine speeds, driving at
full throttle and over-loading the engine. Risk of engine damage.
•
The vehicle should not be pushed or towed more than 50 metres to start
the engine. Unburnt fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it.
•
Before attempting to push-start or tow a vehicle in order to start it, you
should first try to start it using the battery of another vehicle. Note and follow
the instructions ⇒page 264, “Jump-starting”.For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the engine with the vehicle stationary.
You should drive off as soon as you start the engine. This helps the engine
reach operating temperature faster and reduces emissions.
Starting diesel engines
The engine can only be started using a genuine SEAT key with
its correct code.– Move the gear lever to the neutral position and depress the
clutch pedal thoroughly and hold it in this position for the starter
to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting position.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒ page 167, fig. 138 . The
indication lamp

will light for engine pre-heating.
– When the warning lamp turns off, turn the key to position to start the engine. Do not press the accelerator.
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts, the starter motor must not be allowed to run on with the engine.
When starting a very cold engine, it may be a little noisy for the first few
seconds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.
If there are problems starting the engine, see ⇒page 264.
Glow plug system for the diesel engine
To avoid unnecessary discharging of the battery, do not use any other major
electrical equipment while the glow plugs are pre-heating.
Start the engine as soon as the glow plug warning lamp ⇒page 78 goes out.
Starting the engine after the fuel tank has been completely run dry
If the fuel tank has been completely run dry, it may take longer than normal
(up to one minute) to start the engine after refuelling with diesel fuel. This is
because the system must eliminate air first.
A1A2
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Driving171
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Manual gearboxDriving a car with a manual gearbox
Engaging the reverse gear
– The vehicle should be stationary with the engine idling. Press the
clutch down thoroughly.
– Place the gear lever into neutral and push the lever downwards.
– Slide the gear lever to the left, and then into the reverse position shown on the gear stick.The reverse gear can only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary. When
the engine is running and before engaging this gear, wait about 6 seconds
with the clutch pressed down thoroughly in order to protect the gearbox.
The reverse lights light up when the reverse gear is selected and the ignition
is on.
WARNING
•
When the engine is running, the vehicle will start to move as soon as a
gear is engaged and the clutch released.
•
Never select the reverse gear when the vehicle is in motion. Risk of acci-
dent.Note
•
Do not rest your hand on the gear rest when driving. The pressure of your
hand could cause premature wear on the selector forks in the gearbox.
•
When changing gear, you should always depress the clutch down fully to
avoid unnecessary wear and damage.
•
Do not hold the car “on the clutch” uphills. This causes premature wear
and damage to the clutch.
Fig. 139 Detail of the
centre console: gear shift
pattern of a 5-speed
manual gearboxFig. 140 Detail of the
centre console: gear shift
pattern of a 6-speed
manual gearbox
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Driving
174
Driving
– Press and hold the foot brake.
– Press on the button on the selector lever knob on the left ⇒page 173, fig. 144 .
– Select a gear for driving ( R, D or S).
– Release the button and wait a few seconds for the gear to engage, a light jerk will be felt.
– Release the brake and accelerate.
Short stop
– Hold the vehicle stationary with the brake pressed down (for example at traffic lights). The selector lever does not need to be
put into the positions P or N for this.
– Do not press the accelerator.
Parking the vehicle
– Press the foot brake and hold to bring the vehicle to a stop.
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Press in the button on the selector lever knob, move the lever to the position P and release the button.
Driving slowly
– Move the selector lever to the position D and press to the right to
put the lever into Tiptronic mode.
– Press the gear lever towards (-) to select a lower gear. Hill stop
– Hold the vehicle, in all cases, using the foot brake to prevent
rolling back.
– Do not try to slow the vehicle using another forward gear (engine braking).
Descending gradients
– With the gear engaged, release the brake and accelerate.
The steeper the gradient the lower the gear must be for effective engine
braking. For example, if 3rd gear is used on a very steep gradient, the engine
braking is insufficient and vehicle accelerates. So that the engine speed does
not become excessive, the gearbox changes to the next highest gear. Depress
the brake pedal and move the selector lever to the Tiptronic gate to return to
3rd gear.
WARNING
•
The driver should never leave the vehicle while the engine is running or
with any gear selected. If for any reason you must leave the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the handbrake and move the selector lever to posi-
tion P.
•
When the engine is running and the positions D, S or R are selected, it
is necessary to hold the vehicle with the foot brake because the vehicle will
creep at a low speed.
•
Never accelerate while changing the position of the selector lever (risk
of an accident).
•
The selector lever must never be moved into the positions R or P while
moving (risk of an accident).
•
Before descending a steep gradient, reduce speed and use the Tiptronic
programme to select a lower gear.
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Driving175
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
•
If you must stop on a hill, always hold the vehicle using the footbrake
to avoid rolling back.
•
The footbrake must not be held for a long period of time, not even
lightly; continuous braking will cause overheating of the brakes and a
reduction or even a loss of braking power and a significant increase in
braking distances.
•
Never allow the vehicle to coast down a gradient with the selector lever
in positions N or D, even when the engine is not running. For descents, the
use of the Tiptronic programme is recommended to keep the speed
reduced.Caution
•
Never use the automatic gearbox to hold the vehicle stationary on a hill,
even for short periods, as this may overheat the gearbox and cause damage.
Apply the handbrake or depress the foot brake to hold the vehicle in position.
•
If the vehicle is allowed to roll with the engine stopped but the selector in
position N then the gearbox may be damaged because it will not be
lubricated.
Using the Tiptronic gear system
The Tiptronic system allows the driver to manually select
gears
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 145 Changing gear
with TiptronicFig. 146 Steering wheel
with levers for automatic
gearbox
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Driving177
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly ⇒page 176, fig. 147 .
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the release knob in the direc- tion of the arrow ⇒page 176, fig. 147 and guide the handbrake
lever down fully ⇒ .Always apply the handbrake firmly. This prevents you driving with the hand-
brake applied ⇒ .
The handbrake warning lamp
 lights up when the handbrake is applied
and the ignition switched on. The warning turns off when the handbrake is
released.
If you drive faster than 6 km/h with the handbrake on, the following
message* will appear on the instrument panel display: HANDBRAKE ON. Also,
an audible warning is given.
WARNING
•
Never use the handbrake to stop the vehicle when it is in motion. The
braking distance is considerably longer, because braking is only applied to
the rear wheels. Risk of accident!
•
If it is only partially released, this will cause rear brakes overheating,
which can impair the function of the brake system and could lead to an acci-
dent. This also causes premature wear on the rear brake pads.Caution
Always apply the handbrake before you leave the vehicle. The first gear
should also be selected.
Parking
The handbrake should always be firmly applied when the
vehicle is parked.Always note the following points when parking the vehicle:
– Use the foot brake to stop the vehicle.
– Apply the handbrake.
– The first gear should also be selected.
– Switch the engine off and remove the key from the ignition lock. Turn the steering wheel slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Always take you car keys with you when you leave the vehicle ⇒ .Additional notes on parking the vehicle on gradients:
Turn the steering wheel so that the vehicle rolls against the kerb if it started
to roll.•
If the vehicle is parked facing downhill, turn the front wheels so that they
point towards the kerb .
•
If the vehicle is parked facing uphill, turn the front wheels so that they
point away from the kerb .
•
Secure the vehicle as normal by applying the handbrake firmly and
engaging first gear.
WARNING
•
Take measures to reduce the risk of injury when you leave your vehicle
unattended.
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Driving
180Cruise control system (CCS)*Description
The cruise control system is able to maintain the set speed in
the range from approx. 30 km/h to 180 km/h.Once the speed setting has been saved, you may take your foot off the accel-
erator.
WARNING
It could be dangerous to use the cruise control system if it is not possible
to drive at constant speed.•
For safety reasons the cruise control system should not be used in
dense traffic, in sections with bends or where roads are in bad conditions
(e.g. aquaplanning, loose chippings, slippery surfaces, snow). Risk of acci-
dent.
•
Always switch the CCS off when finish to use it in order to avoid an
involuntary use.
•
It is dangerous to use a set speed which is too high for the current road,
traffic or weather conditions. Risk of accident.Note
The cruise control cannot maintain a constant speed when descending down-
hills. The vehicle will accelerate due to its own weight. Use the foot brake to
slow the vehicle.
Switching the cruise control system on and offSwitching on the system
–Push the switch ⇒fig. 148 to the left to ON.
Switching off system
– Either push the switch to the right to OFF or turn the ignition
off when the vehicle is stationary.When the cruise control is on and a speed is programmed, the indicator  on
the instrument panel is lit.
19)
If the cruise control system is switched off, the
 symbol is switched off. The
system will also be fully switched off when the 1st gear is selected.*
19)Depending on the version of the model.
Fig. 148 Indicator and
main beam headlight
lever: switch and rocker
switch for the cruise
control
AB
AB
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