
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.
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Checking and refilling levels213
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l  D a t a
Winter driving
Diesel can thicken in winter.Winter-grade diesel
When using “summer-grade diesel fuel”, difficulties may be experienced at 
sub-zero temperatures because the fuel thickens due to wax separation. 
Therefore, “winter-grade diesel fuel” is available in some countries during 
the cold months. It can be used at temperatures as low as -22°C.
In countries with different climatic conditions the diesel fuel generally sold 
has different temperature characteristics. Check with an Authorised Service 
Centre or filling stations in the country concerned regarding the type of diesel 
fuels available.
Filter pre-heater
Your vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter pre-heater, making it well equipped for 
operation in winter. This ensures that the fuel system remains operational to 
approx. -24°C, provided you use winter-grade diesel which is safe to -15°C.
However, if the fuel has waxed to such an extent that the engine will not start 
at temperatures of under -24°C, simply place the vehicle in a warm place for 
a while.
Caution
Do not mix fuel additives (“thinners”,  or similar additives) with diesel fuel.
Working in the engine compartmentSafety instructions on working in the engine compartment
Any work carried out in the engine compartment or on the 
engine must be carried out cautiously.Before starting any work on the engine or in the engine compart-
ment:
1.  Switch off the engine and remove the key from the ignition.
2. Apply the handbrake.
3.  Move the gear stick to neutral or the selector lever to position  P.
4.  Wait for the engine to cool down.
5.  Keep children away from the vehicle.
6.  Raise the bonnet  ⇒page 215.You should not do any work in the engine compartment unless you know 
exactly how to carry out the jobs and have the correct tools! Have the work 
carried out by a qualified workshop if you are uncertain.
All service fluids and consumables, e.g. coolant, engine oil, spark plugs and 
batteries, are being constantly developed. SEAT provides a constant flow of 
information to the Authorised Service  Centres concerning modifications. For 
this reason, we recommend you to have service fluids and consumables 
replaced by an Authorised Service Centre. Please observe the relevant 
instructions  ⇒page 208. The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a 
hazardous area ⇒ .
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Checking and refilling levels217
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l  D a t a
Oil propertiesViscosity
The viscosity class of the oil is selected according to the diagram.
When the ambient temperature falls outside the limits of the scale for a short 
period, an oil change is not required.
Mono-grade oil
Single grade oils are generally not suitable for all year round use, due to 
ranges of viscosity
21). These oils are only useful in a climate that is constantly very cold or very 
warm.
Engine oil additives
No type of additive should be mixed with the engine oil. The deterioration 
caused by these additives is not covered by the warranty.
Note
Before a long trip, we recommend findin
g an engine oil that conforms to the 
corresponding VW specifications and keeping it in the vehicle. This way, the 
correct engine oil will always be available for a top-up if needed.Checking the engine oil level
The engine oil dipstick indicates the level of the oil.
Engine type
Specification
Petrol
VW 501 01/ VW 502 00/ VW 504 00
Diesel 
VW 505 01/ VW 507 00/ VW 506 01
Diesel Engines with Particulate filter 
(DPF)
a)
a)Only use recommended oils, otherwise you may damage the engine.
VW 507 00
Fig. 158  Types of oil 
according to temperature
21)Viscosity: oil density
Fig. 159  Engine oil 
dipstick.
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Checking and refilling levels219
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Te c h n i c a l  D a t a
– To avoid over-filling with engine oil, you should top-up using 
small quantities, wait a while and check the oil level before 
adding any more oil.
– As soon as the oil level is in area  , carefully close the cap.The position of the oil filler opening is shown in the corresponding engine 
compartment diagram  ⇒page 273.
Engine oil specification  ⇒page 216.
WARNING
Oil is highly inflammable! Ensure that no oil comes into contact with hot 
engine components when topping up.
Caution
If the oil level is above the area   do not start the engine. This could result 
in damage to the engine and catalytic converter. Contact a qualified work-
shop.
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must never be above ar ea  . Otherwise oil can be drawn in 
through the crankcase breather and escape into the atmosphere via the 
exhaust system.
Changing engine oil
The engine oil must be changed at the intervals given in the 
service schedule.We recommend that you have the engine oil changed by an Authorised 
Service Centre.
The oil change intervals are shown in the Maintenance Programme ⇒.
WARNING
Only change the oil yourself if you have the specialist knowledge required!•
Before opening the bonnet, read and observe the warnings 
⇒ page 213, “Safety instructions on wo rking in the engine compartment”.
•
Wait for the engine to cool down. Hot oil may cause burn injuries.
•
Wear eye protection to avoid injuries caused by splashes of oil.
•
When removing the oil drain plug with  your fingers, keep your arm hori-
zontal to help prevent oil from running down your arm.
•
Wash your skin thoroughly if it comes into contact with engine oil.
•
Engine oil is poisonous! Used oil must be stored in a safe place out of 
the reach of children until it is disposed of.Caution
No additives should be used with engine  oil. This could result in engine 
damage. Any damage caused by the use of such additives would not be 
covered by the factory warranty.
For the sake of the environment
•
Because of the disposal problems, the necessary special tools and 
specialist knowledge required, we recommend that you have the engine oil 
and filter changed by an Authorised Service Centre.
AB
AA
AA
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Checking and refilling levels
220•
Never pour oil down drains or into the ground.
•
Use a suitable container when draining the used oil. It has to be large 
enough to hold all the engine oil
CoolantCoolant specifications
Coolant is a mixture of water and at least 40% coolant addi-
tive.The cooling system must be filled with a mixture of water and at least 40 % of 
our coolant additive G 12+ or an addi tive with the specification TT-VW 774 F 
(it is dyed purple). This mixture gives the necessary frost protection down to 
-25
° C and protects the alloy parts of the cooling system against corrosion. It 
also prevents scaling and raises the boiling point of the coolant.
The concentration of coolant must  always be at least 40% - even if frost 
protection is not required.
If greater frost protection is required in very cold climates, the proportion of 
the antifreeze additive G 12+ can be increased. However, the percentage of 
coolant additives should not exceed 60%, as this would reduce the frost 
protection. It would also reduce th e cooling effect. A mixture with 60% 
coolant additive will give frost protection to approx. -40
° C.
WARNING
•
The coolant additive is toxic. There is a toxic risk. Always keep the 
coolant additive in the original container which should be stored out of the 
reach of children. The same applies to coolant which you have drained off.
•
The coolant additive G 12+ must be  added in sufficient quantities to 
provide anti-freeze protection at the coldest ambient temperatures that 
can be expected. At extremely cold ambient temperatures, the coolant 
could freeze, causing the vehicle to breakdown. As the heater would also 
not work in this situation, there is a risk of suffering exposure!Caution
•
Other additives may give considerably inferior corrosion protection. The 
resulting corrosion in the cooling syst em can lead to a loss of coolant, 
causing serious damage to the engine.
•
The coolant additive G 12+ (purple) can be mixed with the additive G 12 
(red) or  G 11. Never mix G12 (red colour) with G 11.WARNING (continued)
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