2009 Seat Altea XL check engine light

Checking and refilling levels
212Petrol additives
Petrol additives improve the quality of the petrol.The quality of the petrol influences running behaviour, performance and
service life of the engine. For this reason, you should use good quality petrol
containing additives. These additives will help to prevent corrosion, keep the
fuel system clean and prevent deposits from building up in the engine.
If good quality petrol with additives is not available or engine problems occur,
the required additives must be added during refuelling.DieselDiesel*Diesel fuel must correspond to DIN EN 590 (EN = “European standard”). It
must have a cetane number (CN) of at least 51. The cetane number indicates
the ignition quality of the diesel fuel.
Notes on filling with fuel ⇒page 210.Biodiesel*The biodiesel fuel must comply with the DIN EN 14.214 (FAME) Standard.•
Biodiesel is a methylester obtained from rapeseed oil.
•
DIN is the German abbreviation for “Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.”,
the German standards institute.
•
EN means E uropean Norm.
•
FAME is the English abbreviation for “ Fatty Acid Methyl Ester”. Your Authorised Service Centre can also be consulted to know if the vehicle
has been prepared for biodiesel use.
Things to note about RME fuel (biodiesel)
•
The performance of a vehicle using biodiesel maybe somewhat reduced.
•
Fuel consumption of a vehicle usin
g biodiesel may be slightly higher.
•
RME fuel is resistant to the cold down to approx. -10°C.
•
At temperatures below -10°C, we recommend using winter diesel fuel.
•
Your vehicle is designed to be refuelled with up to a maximum of 7%
blended biodiesel in accordance with standard DIN 51628.Caution
•
RME fuel can damage the fuel system in vehicles which are not suitably
adjusted.
•
If you decide to use biodiesel in your vehicle, please use only RME fuel
which is DIN E 14,214 compliant.
•
If you use biodiesel that does not me et the required standard, the fuel
filter could become clogged.Note
•
In case of low exterior temperatures and a fuel biodiesel percentage of
higher than 50%, an increase in gas emission may occur during operation of
the independent heating.
•
The fuel filter may become clogged when fuel is changed to biodiesel. For
this reason, we recommend you that, when having run 300 or 400 km after a
fuel change, the fuel filter change must also be done. Also note the instruc-
tions in the Inspection and Maintenance plan.
•
If the vehicle is to remain parked for more than about two weeks, we
recommend filling the fuel tank with biodiesel and driving about 50 km in
order to avoid damage to the injection system.
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 212 M ontag, 2. Februar 2009 12:26 12

Checking and refilling levels
216•
Wait until no more steam, smoke or coolant is emitted from the bonnet,
then carefully open the bonnet.
•
When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 213.
Closing the bonnet– Raise the bonnet slightly.
– Release the bonnet stay and replace it in its support.
– At a height of about 30 cm let it fall so it is locked.If the bonnet does not close, do not press downwards. Open it once more and
let it fall as before.
WARNING
If the bonnet is not closed properly, it could open while you are driving and
completely obscure your view of the road. Risk of accident.•
After closing the bonnet, always check that it is properly secured. The
bonnet must be flush with the surrounding body panels.
•
If you notice that the bonnet latch is not secured when the vehicle is
moving, stop the vehicle immediately and close the bonnet properly. Risk
of accident.
Engine oilEngine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform with exact specifications.Specifications
The engine comes with a special, high quality, multi grade oil that can be
used in all seasons of the year except for those regions affected by extreme
cold.
As the use of high quality oil is essential for the correct operation of the
engine and its long useful life, when topping up or replacement is necessary
use only those oils that conform to the requirements of the VW standards.
If it is not possible to find oil conforming to the VW standards then oil
conforming to the ACEA or API standards with an appropriate viscosity at
atmospheric temperature should be used in stead. The use of this type of oil
may have some repercussions on the performance of the engine for example,
long starting time, increased consumption and a higher emission level.
If a top up is required then different oils may be mixed as long as they all
conform to the VW standards.
The specifications (VW standards) set out in the following page should
appear on the container of the service oil; the container will display together
the different standards for petrol and diesel engines, the oil can be used for
both types of engines.
WARNING (continued)
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 216 M ontag, 2. Februar 2009 12:26 12

Checking and refilling levels
222•
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 G 12 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. 162 In the engine
compartment: Cap of
windscreen washer fluid
reservoir.
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 222 M ontag, 2. Februar 2009 12:26 12

Checking and refilling levels
226Brake 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 273. 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 noticeab
ly 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 73.
WARNING
Before opening the bonnet to check the brake fluid level, read and observe
the warnings ⇒page 213.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 213 in
“Working in the engine compartment”.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. In the cour se 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 consider ably 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 brake fluid impairs the braking effect.
Fig. 167 In the engine
compartment: Brake fluid
reservoir cover
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 226 Montag, 2. Februar 2009 12:26 12

Checking and refilling levels
228charge. Never short the battery terminals. High-energy sparks can cause
injury.•
A highly explosive mixture of gases is released when the battery is
under charge. The batteries should be charged in a well-ventilated room
only.
•
Keep children away from acid and batteries.
•
Before working on the electrical system, you must switch off the
engine, the ignition and all consumers. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected. When a light bulb is changed, you need only switch
off the light.
•
Deactivate the anti-theft alarm by unlocking the vehicle before you
disconnect the battery! The alarm will otherwise be triggered.
•
When disconnecting the battery from the vehicle electrical system,
disconnect first the negative cable and then the positive cable.
•
Switch off all electrical consumers before reconnecting the battery.
Reconnect first the positive cable and then the negative cable. Never
reverse the polarity of the connections. This could cause an electrical fire.
•
Never charge a frozen battery, or one which has thawed. This could
result in explosions and chemical burns. Always replace a battery which
has frozen. A flat battery can freeze at temperatures around 0°
•
Ensure that the vent hose is always connected to the battery.
•
Never use a defective battery. This may be fatally explosive. Replace a
damaged battery immediately.Caution
•
Never disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched on or if the engine
is running. This could damage the electrical system or electronic compo-
nents.
•
Do not expose the battery to direct sunlight over a long period of time, as
the intense ultraviolet radiation can damage the battery housing.
•
If the vehicle is left standing in cold conditions for a long period, protect
the battery from frost. If it “freezes” it will be damaged.
Checking the electrolyte level
The electrolyte level should be checked regularly in high-
mileage vehicles, in hot countries and in older batteries.– Open the bonnet and open the battery cover at the front ⇒ in
“Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment” on
page 213 ⇒ in “Warnings on handling the battery” on
page 227.
– Check the colour display in the "magic eye" on the top of the battery.
– If there are air bubbles in the window, tap the window gently until they disperse.The position of the battery is show n in the corresponding engine compart-
ment diagram ⇒page 273.
The round window (“magic eye”) on the top of the battery changes colour,
depending on the charge level and electrolyte level of the battery.
If the colour in the window is colourless or bright yellow, the electrolyte level
of the battery is too low. Have the battery checked by a qualified workshop.
The colours green and black are used by the workshops for diagnostic
purposes.
WARNING (continued)
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 228 M ontag, 2. Februar 2009 12:26 12

Index
288CCatalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Automatic speed dependent locking and un-locking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Emergency unlocking system . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Locking system for invo luntary unlocking . . 93
Selective unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Central locking button Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Centre arm rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Cetane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Changing gear See Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Changing the lamps Main headlight lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
rear lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Changing the main headlight lamps
dipped beam lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
main beam lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
turn signal lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Changing the r ear light lamps
Position light, fog light and rear light on the tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Changing the rear lights
Indicator, side and brake lights on the bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
luggage compartment lights . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Changing windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . . 223
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Checking battery electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . 228
Checking engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Categorisation in groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Group 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Group 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Group 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Groups 0 and 0+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Child seats on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Cigarette lighter* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Cleaning alloy wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Cleaning and caring for your vehicle . . . . . . . . 199
Cleaning chrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Cleaning engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Cleaning steel wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Cleaning windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Climatronic General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Cloth seat covers cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Clothes hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Control lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Controls
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Light switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Convenience closing Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Convenience opening Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220, 221 Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Coolant Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Coolant level warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Coolant Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Coolant temperature Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Cruise control* Turning off the cruise control system . . . . 182
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 288 M ontag, 2. Februar 2009 12:26 12

Index289
DDanger of fitting a child seat on the front passenger
seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Dash panel cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Daytime lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 activating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Diesel engine Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Diesel engine particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Differential lock fault (EDL) warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Dipped headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Disabling front passenger airbag Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Disabling the airbag Disabling front passenger airbag . . . . . . . . . 43
Display (without warning or information texts) . 58
Displays in the Multi-function display Memory displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Disposal Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Door lock cylinders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Door release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Doors Childproof locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Drinks holders at the front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Drive wheels traction control system . . . . . . . . 184
Driveshaft differential
XDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Driving Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Economical/ Environtmental . . . . . . . . . . . 192
With a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Driving programmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Driving with an automati c gearbox / DSG automatic
gearbox* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Duplicate keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Dust filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Dynamic curve lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Dynamic headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . 113
EEcological driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
EDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
EDS Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Electric steering system warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Electrical sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Electronic differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82, 166
Electronic stabilisation program . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Electronic stabilisation programme . . . . . . . . . . 81 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Electronic stabilisation programme (ESP) warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Emergency braking function . . . . . . . . . . 115, 183
emergency manual locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Emergency opening Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Emission control system warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Engine Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Engine compartment Working in the engine compartment . . . . . 213
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Engine fault Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Engine management Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Checking level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 289 M ontag, 2. Februar 2009 12:26 12