2010 Seat Altea Freetrack brake pads

Driving
176•You should use the kickdown feature only when traffic and weather
conditions allow it to be used safely.
HandbrakeUsing the handbrake
The handbrake should be applied firmly to prevent the
vehicle from accidentally rolling away.Always apply the handbrake when you leave your vehicle and when
you park. Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly
⇒fig. 147 .
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the release knob in the direc- tion of the arrow ⇒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.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 147 Handbrake
between the front seats
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Intelligent technology
188Brakes
What factors can have a negative effect on the brakes?New brake pads
New brake pads do not provide optimal performance during the first 400 km
they must be “run in”. However, the reduced braking capacity may be
compensated by pressing on the brake pedal a little harder. Avoid over-
loading the brakes during run-in.
Wear
T h e r a t e o f we a r o n t h e brake pads depends a great deal on how you drive and
the conditions in which the vehicle is operated. Negative factors are, for
instance, city traffic, frequent short trips or hard driving with abrupt starts
and stops.
Wet roads; road salt
When the velocity is over 80 km/h windscreen wipers are on, the brake
system moves the pads towards the brake discs for a few seconds. This
occurs - without warning to the driver - at regular intervals and requires a
more rapid response from the brakes when driving on wet roads.
In certain conditions, such as in heavy rain, or after washing the car or driving
through water, the full braking effect can be delayed by moisture (or in winter
by ice) on the discs and brake pads. The brakes should be “dried” by pressing
the pedal to restore full braking effect.
The effectiveness of the brakes can also be temporarily reduced if the car is
driven for some distance without using the brakes when there is a lot of salt
on the road in winter. In this case, the layer of salt on the brake discs and pads
has to wear off before braking.
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up on the brake pads and corrosion
to form on the discs if the car is used infrequently, or if you only drive low
mileages without using the brakes very much. If the brakes are not used frequently, or if rust has formed on the disks, it is
advisable to clean off the pads and disks by braking firmly a few times from a
moderately high speed
⇒.
Faults in the brake system
If the brake pedal travel should ever increase suddenly, this may mean that
one of the two brake circuits has failed. Drive immediately to the nearest qual-
ified workshop and have the fault rectified. On the way to the dealer, be
prepared to use more pressure on the brake pedal, and allow for longer stop-
ping distances.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is too low.
The brake fluid level is monitored electronically.
Brake servo
The brake servo amplifies the pressure you apply to the brake pedal. The
brake servo works only when the engine is running.
WARNING
•When applying the brakes to clean off deposits on the pads and discs,
select a clear, dry road. Be sure not to inconvenience or endanger other
road users. Risk of accident.•Ensure the vehicle does not move while in neutral, when the motor is
stopped. Failure to do so could result in an accident.Caution
•Never let the brakes “drag” by leaving your foot on the pedal when you do
not really intend to brake. This overheats the brakes, resulting in longer stop-
ping distances and greater wear.•Before driving down a long, steep gradient, it is advisable to reduce speed
a n d ch a n ge to a l o w e r ge a r ( o r m o v e t h e s e l e c t o r le v e r t o a l o w e r g ea r p o s i t i o n
if your car has automatic transmission). This makes use of engine braking
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Driving and the environment
190Driving and the environmentRunning-inRunning in a new engine
The engine needs to be run-in over the first 1,500 km.Up to 1,000 kilometres
– Do not drive faster than two thirds of top speed.
– Do not accelerate hard.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.
From 1000 to 1500 km
–Speeds can be gradually increased to the maximum road speed
or maximum permissible engine speed (rpm).During its first few hours of running, the internal friction in the engine is
greater than later on, when all the moving parts have bedded in.
For the sake of the environment
If the engine is run in gently, its life will be increased and its oil consumption,
reduced.
Braking effect and braking distance
The braking effect and braking distance are influenced by
driving situations and road conditions.The efficiency of the brakes depends directly on the brake pad wear. The rate
of wear of the brake pads depends to a great extent on the conditions under
which the vehicle is operated and the way the vehicle is driven. If you often
drive in town traffic, drive short distances or have a sporty driving style, we
recommend that you have the thickness of your brake pads checked by an
Authorised Service Centre more frequently than recommended in the Service
Schedule.
If you drive with wet brakes , for example, after crossing water areas, in heavy
rainfall or even after washing the car, the effect of the brakes is lessened as
the brake discs are wet or even frozen (in winter): The brakes should be
“dried” by pressing the pedal to restore full braking effect.
WARNING
Longer braking distances and faults in the brake system increase the risk
of accidents.•New brake pads must be run in and do not have the correct friction
during the first 400 km. However, the reduced braking capacity may be
compensated by pressing on the brake pedal a little harder. This also
applies when new brake pads are fitted.•If brakes are wet or frozen, or if you are driving on roads which have
been gritted with salt, braking power may set in later than normal.•On steep slopes, if brakes are excessively used, they will overheat.
Before driving down a long steep slope, it is advisable to reduce speed and
change down into a lower gear (or move the selector lever to a lower gear if
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Your vehicle maintenance and cleaning
200Vehicle exterior maintenanceAutomatic car wash tunnel
The car can normally be washed without problem in an auto-
matic car wash.The vehicle paintwork is so durable that the car can normally be washed
without problems in an automatic car washing tunnel. However, the paint-
work wear depends to a large extent, on the kind of the car washing tunnel,
the brushes used, its water filtering and the type of cleaning and preservative
products.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to take the usual precautions such
as closing the windows and sunroof. There is nothing to note apart from that.
If the vehicle has special accessories such as spoilers or a roof carrier or two-
way radio aerial, etc., it is advisable to consult the car washing tunnel oper-
ator.
After washing, the brakes could hesitate to respond as the brake discs and
pads could be wet, or even frozen in winter. “Dry” the brakes by braking
several times.
WARNING
Water, ice and salt on the brakes can reduce braking efficiency. Risk of acci-
dent.
Caution
If an automatic car wash tunnel is used, before entering the tunnel, put the
aerial down parallel to the roof and do not tighten to avoid damage.
Washing by handVehicle washing
– First soften the dirt with plenty of water and rinse it off.
– Clean your vehicle from top to bottom with a soft sponge, a glove or a brush. Use very light pressure.
– Rinse the sponge or glove often with clean water.
– Special car shampoo should only be used for very stubborn dirt.
– Clean the wheels, sill panels etc. until last with a different sponge or glove.
– Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water.
– Dry your vehicle surface gently with a chamois leather.
–When temperature is cold , dry the rubber seals and its surfaces
to prevent them from freezing. Apply silicone spray to the rubber
seals.
After washing
– Directly after washing, avoid sudden and sharp braking. “Dry” ⇒page 190, “Braking effect and braking distance”the brakes by
braking several times.
WARNING
•Wash your car with the ignition switched off.•Protect your hands and arms from cuts on sharp metal edges when
cleaning the underbody, the inside of the wheel housings etc. Risk of
injury.
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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 noticeably 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 75.
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 course 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 considerably 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. 166 In the engine
compartment: Brake fluid
reservoir cover
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Index283
Index
AABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Acoustic signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Acoustic warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Adjusting the seat belt height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
AFS (curve lights) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Air conditioner* 2C-Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Air conditioning system General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Air recirculation mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Manual air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Anti-puncture tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Anti-theft wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Ashtray* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror* Activating the anti-dazzle function . . . . . . 126
Deactivating anti-dazzle function . . . . . . . . 126
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Automatic gearbox Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Automatic gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox . 171
Automatic lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Automatic mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Automatic wiper/wash function for the rear window 125
Auxiliary audio connection: AUX-IN . . . . . . . . . 147
BBall coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
BAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Battery
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Winter conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Belt tension device Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Belt tension devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Boot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Brake assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183, 190
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Braking distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Bulb changes general notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Bulb defect warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
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