2009 Seat Altea warning lights

Driving and the environment
194Diesel engine particulate filter*
The diesel engine particulate filter eliminates soot produced
by burning diesel.The diesel engine dust filter eliminates most of the soot from the exhaust gas
system. Under normal driving conditions, the filter cleans itself. If the driving
conditions do not allow the filter to cle an itself (for example, multiple short
trips) the filter will be obstructed by dust and pollen and the indicator
 for
the diesel engine particulate filter indicator will light. See under Warning
Lights.
WARNING
•
The diesel engine particulate filter may reach extremely high tempera-
tures; it should not enter into cont act with flammable materials under-
neath the vehicle. Failure to comply could result in fire.Caution
•
The vehicle is not designed for refuel ling with mixtures of FAME fuel
(biodiesel) over 7% in accordance with DIN 51628. The diesel particle filter is
damaged when this mixture percentage is exceeded.
Economical and ecological drivingEconomical and environmental drivingFuel consumption, environmental pollution and wear to the engine, brakes
and tyres depends in large part on your driving style. By adopting an econom-
ical driving style and anticipating the traffic situation ahead, you can easily reduce fuel consumption by 10-15%. Next, we provide you with some tips in
order to help reduce contamination
and, at the same time, save money.
Driving ahead of the circumstances
A vehicle uses most fuel when accele rating. When you anticipate the situa-
tion, you have to brake less often and, thus, accelerate less. If it is possible,
let the vehicle roll with a gear engaged, for example, if you see a red light
ahead. The braking effect preserves brakes and tyres from wear; the emis-
sions and fuel consumption are reduce d to zero (disconnection out of
inertia).
Change gear early to save energy
An effective way of saving fuel is to change up quickly through the gears.
Running the engine at high rpm in the lower gears uses an unnecessary
amount of fuel.
Manual gearbox: Change from first to second gear as quickly as possible. We
recommend that, whenever possible, you change to a higher gear upon
reaching 2,000 rpm.
Automatic gearbox: Accelerate in moderation and avoid the “kick-down”
position.
Avoid driving at high speed
We advise you not to drive at the top speed permitted by the vehicle. Fuel
consumption, exhaust emissions and noise levels all increase very rapidly at
higher speeds. Driving at moderate speeds will help to save fuel.
Avoid idling
It is worthwhile switching off the engine when waiting in a traffic jam, at level
crossings or at traffic lights with a long red phase. The fuel saved after only
30 - 40 seconds is greater than the amount of fuel needed to restart the
engine.
The engine takes a very long time to warm up when it is running at idling
speed. Mechanical wear and pollutant emissions are also especially high
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Checking and refilling levels
224•
When the engine is warm or hot, th e cooling system is pressurised! Do
not unscrew the cap on the expansion t ank when the engine is hot. This is
a burn injury risk.Caution
•
When mixed with other additives the colour of G12 will change to brown.
If this occurs you should have the coolant changed immediately. Failure to do
so will result in engine damage!
•
If a lot of coolant has been lost, wait for the engine to cool down before
putting in cold coolant. This avoids damaging the engine. Large coolant
losses are an indication of leaks in the cooling system. See a specialised
workshop immediately and have the cooling system checked. Otherwise,
there is a risk of engine damage.
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper bladesTopping up washer fluid

The water for cleaning the windscreen should always be
mixed with washer fluid.The windscreen washer and the headlight washing system are supplied with
fluid from the windscreen washer flui d container in the engine compartment.
The reservoir is located on the right-hand side of the engine compartment.
Plain water is not enough to clean the windscreen and headlights. We recom-
mend that you always add a product to the windscreen washer fluid.
Approved windscreen cleaning products exist on the market with high deter-
gent and anti-freeze properties, these may be added all-year-round. Please
follow the dilution instructions on the packaging.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 160 In the engine
compartment: Cap of
windscreen washer fluid
reservoir.
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Checking and refilling levels229
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
•
Before opening the bonnet to check the brake fluid level, read and
observe the warnings ⇒page 215.
•
Brake fluid should be stored in the closed original container in a safe
place out of reach of children. There is a toxic risk.
•
Complete the brake fluid change according to the Maintenance
Program. Heavy use of the brakes may cause a vapour lock if the brake fluid
is left in the system for too long. This would seriously affect the efficiency
of the brakes and the safety of the vehicle. This may cause an accident.Caution
Brake fluid could damage the paintwork. Wipe off any brake fluid from the
paintwork immediately.
For the sake of the environment
Brake fluid must be drained and disposed of in the proper manner observing
environmental regulations.
BatteryWarnings on handling the battery
WARNING
Always be aware of the danger of injury and chemical burns as well as the
risk of accident or fire when working on the battery and the electrical
system:•
Wear eye protection. Protect your eyes , skin and clothing from acid and
particles containing lead.
•
Battery acid is very corrosive and caustic. Wear protective gloves and
eye protection. Do not tilt the batter ies. This could spill acid through the
vents. Rinse battery acid from eyes immediately for several minutes with
clear water. Then seek medical care immediately. Neutralize any acid
splashes on the skin or clothing with a soapy solution, and rinse off with
plenty of water. If acid is swallowed by mistake, consult a doctor immedi-
ately.
•
Fires, sparks, naked lights and smoki ng are prohibited. When handling
cables and electrical equipment, avoid causing sparks and electrostatic
WARNING (continued)

Wear eye protection

Battery acid is very corrosive and caustic. Wear protec-
tive gloves and eye protection!

Fires, sparks, naked lights and smoking are prohibited!

A highly explosive mixture of gases is released when the
battery is under charge.

Keep children away from acid and batteries!
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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 when249
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Note
Seek professional assistance if the repair of a tyre puncture is not possible
with the sealing compound.Preparation work
Certain steps must be taken before repairing a tyre.– If you have a flat tyre or puncture, park the vehicle as far away
from the flow of traffic as possible.
–Apply the handbrake firmly.
–Engage first gear, or put the selector lever to position P.
– All passengers should leave the vehicle. They should wait in a
safe area (for instance behind the roadside crash barrier).
– Check whether a repair is possible using the Tyre Mobility System “General information and safety notes.”
– Unscrew inflation cap from the affected wheel.
–Take the tyre repair kit 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
Take special care if you have to repair a tyre on a slope.
Note
Please observe legal requirements when doing so.Tyre repair
The following sections describe the procedures for repairing
a tyre.Using the sealing compound
– The instructions on the container give detailed information on
how to use the sealing compound.
Inflating the tyre.
– Remove the air compressor and hose from the container.
– Screw the retaining nut onto the valve.
– Plug the compressor cable into a 12 volt power point.
– Turn on compressor and monitor the pressure shown on the pres- sure gauge.
Completing the repair
– Remove the compressor hose from the valve.
–Fit the valve cap.
– Unplug the compressor from the socket.
– Return all tools to their proper storing location.
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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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Index289
Index
AABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Acoustic signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Acoustic warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Adjusting the seat belt height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
AFS (curve lights) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Air conditioner* 2C-Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Air conditioning system General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Air recirculation mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Manual air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Alarm system Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Alternator Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Ambient temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . 64, 71 Anti-freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Anti-puncture tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Anti-theft wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Ashtray* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror* Activating the anti-dazzle function . . . . . . 127
Deactivating anti-dazzle function . . . . . . . . 127
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Automatic gearbox / DS G automatic gearbox . 172
Automatic lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Automatic mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Automatic wiper/wash function for the rear window 126
Auxiliary audio connection: AUX-IN . . . . . . . . . 147
BBall coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
BAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Battery
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Winter conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Belt tension device Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Belt tension devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Brake assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185, 192
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Braking distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Bulb changes general notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Bulb defect warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Buzzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118, 167
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Index
290CCatalytic 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
rear lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Changing the main headlight lamps
dipped beam lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
main beam lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
turn signal lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Changing the rear lights
indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
luggage compartment lights . . . . . . . . . . . 261
rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 reverse light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Changing windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . . 225
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
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 and caring for your vehicle . . . . . . . . 201
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Cruise control* Turning off the cruise control system . . . . 184
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
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