2009 Seat Altea towing

Trailer towing
200If a towing bracket is to be fitted after the vehicle is purchased, this must be
completed according to the instructions of the towing bracket manufacturer.
The attachment points for the towing bracket are on the lower part of the
vehicle.
The distance between the centre of the ball coupling and the ground should
never be lower than the indicated value, even with a fully loaded vehicle and
including the maximum resting weight.
Elevation values for securing the towing bracket:
65 mm (minimum)
350 mm to 420 mm (fully laden vehicle)
357 mm
569 mm
875 mm
1,040 mm
Fitting a towing bracket•
Driving with a trailer involves an extra effort for the vehicle. Therefore,
before fitting a towing bracket, please contact an Authorised Service Centre
to check whether your cooling system needs modification.
•
Submit to the legal requirements in your country (e.g. the fitting of a sepa-
rate warning lamp).
•
Certain vehicle components, e.g. the rear bumper, must be removed and
reinstalled. The towing bracket securin g bolts must be tightened using a
torque wrench, and an electrical socket must be connected to the vehicle's
electrical system. The above-mentione d require specialized knowledge and
tools.
•
Figures in the illustration show the elevation value and the attachment
points which must be considered if you are retrofitting a towing bracket.
WARNING
Towing brackets should be fitted by specialists.
•
If the towing bracket is incorrectly installed, there is serious danger of
accident.
•
For your own safety, please observe the instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the towing bracket.Caution
•
If the electrical socket is incorrectly installed, this could cause damage to
the vehicle's electrical system.Note
For the sports model (FR), fitting of a trailer bracket is not recommended due
to the design of the bumpers.
AA
ABACADAEAFAG
WARNING (continued)
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If and when
242reliably seal punctures up to a size of about 4 mm caused by the penetration
of a foreign body into the tyre.
Note
•
Seek professional assistance if the repair of a tyre puncture is not
possible with the sealing compound.
Wheel changePreparation work
What you must do before changing a wheel.– If you have a flat tyre or puncture, park the vehicle as far away from the flow of traffic as possible. Choose a location that is as
level as possible.
– All passengers should leave the ve hicle. They should wait in a
safe area (for instance behind the roadside crash barrier).
– Switch off the engine. Switch on the hazard warning lights.
–Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Engage the first gear, or put the selector lever to position P for
those vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
– If you are towing a trailer, unhitch it from your vehicle.
– Take the vehicle tools and the spare wheel out of the luggage
compartment.
WARNING
Put the hazard warning lights on and place the warning triangle in position.
This is for your own safety and also warns other road users.
Caution
If you have to change the tyre on a gradient, block the wheel opposite the
wheel being changed by placing a stone or similar object under it to prevent
the vehicle from rolling away.
Note
Please observe legal requirements when doing so.Changing a wheelChange the wheel as described below
– Remove the wheel cover. Also refer to ⇒page 243, fig. 169
– Slacken the wheel bolts .
– Raise the car with the jack in the corresponding zone.
– Remove the wheel and then put on the spare wheel
– Lower the vehicle.
– Tighten the wheel bolts firmly with the box spanner.
–Replace the hub cap.
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If and when
266To w i n g a n d t o w - s t a r t i n gTo w - s t a r t i n g
The use of jump leads is preferable to tow-starting.We recommend that you do not t o w - s t a r t yo u r v e h i c l e . J u m p - s ta r t i n g
is preferable ⇒page 263.
However, if your vehicle has to be tow-started:
– Engage the 2
nd or the 3
rd gear.
– Keep the clutch pressed down.
– Switch the ignition on.
– Once both vehicles are moving, release the clutch.
– As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch and move the gear lever into neutral. This helps to prevent driving into the towing
vehicle.
WARNING
The risk of accidents is high when tow-starting. The vehicle being towed
can easily collide with the towing vehicle.
Caution
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it.
CommentsPlease observe the following points if you use a tow-rope:
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
– Drive slowly at first until the tow-rope is taut. Then accelerate gradually.
– Begin and change gears cautiously. If you are driving an auto- matic vehicle, accelerate gently.
– Remember that the brake servo and power steering are not working in the vehicle you are towing. Brake earlier than you
would normally, but with a more gentle pressure on the brake.
Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
– Ensure that the tow-rope remains taut at all times when towing.Tow-rope or tow-bar
It is easier and safer to tow a vehicle with a tow-bar. You should only use a
tow-rope if you do not have a tow-bar.
A tow-rope should be slightly elastic to reduce the loading on both vehicles.
It is advisable to use a tow-rope made of synthetic fibre or similarly elastic
material.
Attach the tow-rope or the tow-bar only to the towing eyes provided or a
towing bracket.
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, espec ially when using a tow-rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the te chnique required for towing. Inexperi-
enced drivers should not attempt to tow-start or tow away another vehicle.
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If and when267
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehi
cle and take care to avoid jerking the
tow-rope. When towing on an unpaved road, there is always a risk of over-
loading and damaging the anchorage points.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must be switched on to prevent the
steering wheel from locking and also to allow the use of the turn signals,
horn, windscreen wipers and washers.
As the brake servo does not work if th e engine is not running, you must apply
considerably more pressure to the brake pedal than you normally would.
As the power assisted steering does not wo rk if the engine is not running, you
will need more strength to steer than you normally would.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
•
Put the selector lever into position “N”.
•
Do not drive faster than 50 km/h when towing a vehicle.
•
Do not tow further than 50 km.
•
If a breakdown vehicle is used, the vehicle must be towed with the front
wheels raised.Note
•
Observe legal requirements when towing or tow-starting.
•
Switch on the hazard warning lights of both vehicles. However, observe
any regulations to the contrary.
•
For technical reasons, vehicles with an automatic gearbox must not be
tow-started.
•
If damage to your vehicle means that there is no lubricant in the gearbox,
you must raise the drive wheels while the vehicle is being towed.
•
If the vehicle has to be towed more than 50 km, the front wheels must be
raised during towing, and towing should be carried out by a qualified person.
•
The steering wheel is locked when the vehicle has no electrical power. The
vehicle must then be towed with the front wheels raised. Towing should be
carried out by a qualified person.
•
The towing eye should always be kept in the vehicle. Please refer to the
notes on ⇒page 266, “Tow-starting”.
Trailer eyes
Fig. 198 The front right
section of the vehicle:
Fitting the front towing
eyeFig. 199 Fitting the
towing eye to the rear of
the vehicle
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If and when
268
Fitting the towing eye
– Take the towing ring from the onboard tool set.
– Pull the lower front cover down and leave the cover hanging on the vehicle.
– Remove the cover of the screw hole, insert a screwdriver into the lower slot and lever gently.
– Screw the towing eye as shown by the arrow anti-clockwise to the
limit position in the front ⇒page 267, fig. 198 or rear
⇒ page 267, fig. 199 threaded hole.
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General notes on the technical data
272To w i n g a t r a i l e rTrailer weightsTrailer weights
The trailer weights and drawbar loads approved are selected in intensive
trials according to precisely defined criteria. The approved trailer weights are
valid for vehicles in the EU for maximum speeds of 80 km/h (in certain
circumstances up to 100 km/h). The figu res may be different in other coun-
tries. All data in the official vehicl e documents take precedence over these
data ⇒ .
Drawbar load
The maximum permitted weight exerted by the trailer drawbar on the ball joint
of the towing bracket must not exceed 75 kg.
In the interest of road safety, we recommend that you always tow
approaching the maximum drawbar load. The response of the trailer on the
road will be poor if the drawbar load is too small.
If the maximum permissible drawbar loa d cannot be met (e.g. with small,
empty and light-weight single axle trailers or tandem axle trailers with an axle
base of less than 1 metre), at least 4% of the actual trailer weight is a legal
stipulation for a drawbar load.
WARNING
•
For safety reasons, do not exceed the 80 km/h limit. This is also valid in
countries where higher speeds are permitted.
•
Never exceed the maximum trailer weights or the draw bar loading. If
the permissible axle load or the permissible total weight is exceeded, the
driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents,
injuries and damage to the vehicle.
WheelsTyre pressure, snow chains, wheel boltsTyre pressures
The sticker with the tyre pressure values can be found on the inside of the
tank flap. The tyre pressure values given there are for cold tyres. The slightly
raised pressures of warm tyres must not be reduced ⇒.
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. Checking tyre pressure
value 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 while the
vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening torque is too high,
the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged.Note
We recommend that you ask your Authorised Service Centre for information
about appropriate wheel, tyre and snow chain size.
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Index295
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Incorrectly fastened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Not worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seat belts cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Seat belts protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Selective opening* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Selector lever locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Self directional headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
servotronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239, 272 Soot accumulation in the
diesel engine particulate
filter
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Starting on an uphill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Starting Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168, 169 After the fuel tank has been run dry . . . . . . 169
Steam jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Steering lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Steering wheel audio controls audio + telephone version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
audio version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Steering wheel height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . 165
Storage compartment Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Stowage area Centre arm rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Other stowage areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Stowage compartment Front passenger side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Stowage in the luggage compartment . . . . . . . 140
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Sunroof blind Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Switch Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Switches
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Electrical exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
TTailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Emergency opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Tank fuel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
reserve indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
TCS (Traction control system) Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Technical modification s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
The danger of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . 22
Tightening torque of wheel bo lts . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Tow starting Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Towing bracket, fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Towing eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
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Index
296Traction control system
warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Trailer Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Trailer eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Trailer turn signals Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Trailer weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Trips, checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78, 118
Turning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Type plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Tyre Mobility-System (Tyre repair kit) . . . 241, 248
Tyre monitor indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Tyre pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Tyre pressure monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Tyre repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241, 248
Tyres and wheels Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Tyres service life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Tyres tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Tyres with directional tread pattern . . . . . . . . . 232UUnderbody maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Unlocking and locking
Personalisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Using the Tiptronic gear syst em . . . . . . . . . . . 175
VVehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Vehicle data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Vehicle Maintenance
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Vehicle modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Vehicle paintwork Products for vehicle maintenance . . . . . . . 201
Waxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Vehicle tools Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Vehicle wallet storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Vehicle washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Ventilation slits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Volumetric sensor* Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Deactivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102WWarning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Warning reports
Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Warning texts in the display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Warning triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Washing by hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Washing with high pressure cleaners . . . . . . . 203
Water warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Water in the windscreen washer tank . . . . . . . 224
Wear indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244, 272 Torque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Wheel trims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232, 272
Why assume the correct sitting position? . . . . . 30
Why should head restraints be correctly adjusted? 13
Why to wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 30
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Windscreen washer fluid Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Windscreen wiper blades Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Changing blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Changing the rear blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
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