Wheels and tyres
252
For the sake of the environmentOld tyres must be disposed of according to the laws in the country concerned.
Note
•For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to use the wheels from
other vehicles. This can also apply to wheels of the same model. The use of
wheels or tyres which have not been approved by SEAT for use with your
model may invalidate the vehicle's type approval for use on public roads.•If the spare tyre is not the same as the tyres that are mounted on the
vehicle - for example with winter tyres - you should only use the spare tyre for
a short period of time and drive with extra care. Refit the normal road wheel
as soon as possible.Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be tightened to the correct torque.The design of wheel bolts is matched to the rims. If different wheel rims are
fitted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt
heads must be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted securely and that the
brake system functions correctly.
In certain circumstances, you should not use wheel bolts from a different
vehicle, even if it is the same model ⇒page 223.
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel bolts
s ho uld b e che cke d as s o on as p ossible wit h a to rqu e w re nch. ⇒ The tight-
ening torque for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
WARNING
If the wheel bolts are not tightened correctly, the wheel could become
loose while driving. Risk of accident.•The wheel bolts must be clean and turn easily. Never apply grease or oil
to them.•Use only wheel bolts which belong to the wheel.•If the torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loosen whilst the
vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening torque is too high,
the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged.Caution
The prescribed tightening torque for wheel bolts for steel and alloy wheels is
120 Nm.Winter tyres
Winter tyres will improve the vehicles handling on snow and
ice.In winter conditions winter tyres will considerably improve the vehicle's
handling. The design of summer tyres (width, rubber compound, tread
pattern) gives less grip on ice and snow.
Winter tyres must be inflated to a pressure 0.2 bar higher than the pressures
specified for summer tyres (see sticker on tank flap).
Winter tyres must be fitted on all four wheels.
Information on permitted winter tyre sizes can be found in the vehicle's regis-
tration documents. Use only radial winter tyres. All tyre sizes listed in the
vehicle documentation also apply to winter tyres.
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Wheels and tyres253
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
Winter tyres lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth
of 4 mm.
The speed rating code
⇒page 251, “New tyres and wheels” determines the
following speed limits for winter tyres: ⇒
Q max. 160 km/h
S max. 180 km/h
T max. 190 km/h
H max. 210 km/h
In some countries, vehicles which can exceed the speed rating of the fitted
tyre must have an appropriate sticker in the driver's field of view. These
stickers are available from your Authorised Service Centre. The legal require-
ments of each country must be followed.
Do not have winter tyres fitted for unnecessarily long periods. Vehicles with
summer tyres handle better when the roads are free of snow and ice.
If you have a flat tyre, please refer to the notes on the spare wheel
⇒ page 251, “New tyres and wheels”.
WARNING
The maximum speed for the winter tyres must not be exceeded. Otherwise,
this could lead to tyre damage and risk of accident.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres again as soon as possible. They are quieter, do not wear
so quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chainsSnow chains may be fitted only to the front wheels, and only to certain tyre
sizes ⇒page 300.
Remove wheel hub covers and trim rings before fitting snow chains. For safety
reasons cover caps, available in any Authorised Service Centre, must then be
fitted over the wheel bolts.
WARNING
Observe the fitting instructions provid ed by the snow chain manufacturer.
Caution
You must remove the snow chains to drive on roads which are free of snow.
Otherwise they will impair handling, damage the tyres and wear out very
quickly.
Note
•In some countries, the speed limit for using snow chains is 50 km/h. The
legal requirements of the country should be followed.•We recommend that you ask your Authorised Service Centre for informa-
tion about appropriate wheel, tyre and snow chain size.205/55 R16
15 mm chains
225/45 R17
9 mm chains
225/40 R18
7 mm chains
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Technical Specifications
•A hook for removing wheel covers* or hub caps•Box spanner for wheel bolts•A screwdriver with reversible blade•Towing eye•An adapter for the anti-theft wheel bolts*
Before replacing the jack in the storage bin, wind down the arm of the jack as
far as it will go.
Some of the tools listed are only provided in certain models or are optional
extras.WARNING
•Do not use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle to tighten
the wheel bolts, as with this it is not possible to tighten the bolts to the
required torque. Risk of accident.•The factory-supplied jack is only designed for changing wheels on this
model. On no account attempt to use it for lifting heavier vehicles or other
loads. Risk of injury.•Never start the engine when the vehicl e is raised. Failure to do so could
result in an accident.•I f w o r k is t o b e ca r r ie d o u t un d e r n ea t h t h e v e h ic l e , t h is m u s t be s e cu re d
by suitable stands. Otherwise, there is a risk of injury.
Tyre mobility system
The tyre mobility system is stored under the floor panel in the
luggage compartment.– Take hold of the handle and fold back the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
– Take out the tyre mobility system.Your vehicle is equipped with a Tyre Mobility System in case of a puncture.
The tyre mobility system consists of a container with sealing compound and
a compressor to generate the required tyre pressure.
Instructions for using the sealant compound and the compressor are
included with the sealant can.
Fig. 191 Tyre Mobility
System under floor panel
in luggage compartment
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Changing a wheelPreparation 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 vehicle. They should wait in a
safe place (e.g. behind the roadside crash barrier).
–Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Engage 1st gear .
– When towing a trailer: Unhitch the trailer from your vehicle.
– Take the tools and the spare wheel ⇒ page 254 out of the
luggage compartment.
WARNING
If you have a puncture in heavy traffic, switch on the hazard warning lights
and place the warning triangle in a visible location. 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 wheel
Change the wheel as described below.– Remove the wheel cover.
–Loosen the wheel bolts ⇒page 258.
– Raise the vehicle with the jack ⇒page 259.
– Ta k e o f f the wheel with the flat tyre and then put on the spare
wheel ⇒page 260.
– Lower the vehicle.
– Tighten the wheel bolts firmly in diagonal sequence with the box
spanner ⇒page 258.
– Replace the cover.After changing a wheel
After changing the wheel, there are still tasks to complete.– Place the wheel with the defective tyre in the spare wheel well
and secure it.
– Put the tools and jack back in the luggage compartment.
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258
–The inflation pressure of the newly fitted spare tyre must be
checked as soon as possible.
–Have the tightening torque of the wheel bolts checked as soon
as possible with a torque wrench. It must be 120 Nm (always
when cold)
–Have the flat tyre replaced as quickly as possible.
Note•If you notice that the wheel bolts are rusty and difficult to turn when
changing a wheel, they must be replaced before having the tightening torque
checked.•For your safety, drive at moderate speeds until the wheel bolt tightening
torque has been checked.
Loosening and tightening the wheel bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before raising the vehicle.Loosening
–Fit the box spanner as far as it will go over the wheel bolt
4).
– Grip the box spanner as close to the end as po ssible an d turn t he
wheel bolts about one turn anti-clockwise ⇒ fig. 193 -arrow- .
Tightening
– Fit the box spanner as far as it will go over the wheel bolt4).
– Grip the box spanner as close to the end as possible and tighten
the bolt firmly by turning clockwise.
4)An adapter is required to unscrew or tighten the anti-theft wheel bolts* ⇒page 261.
Fig. 193 Changing the
wheel: Loosen the wheel
bolts
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WARNING
Loosen the wheel bolts only about one turn before raising the vehicle with
the jack. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
Note
•Do not use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle to loosen or
tighten the wheel bolts.•If the wheel bolt does not come loose, it may be possible to release it by
pushing down the end of the spanner carefully with your foot. Hold on to the
vehicle for support and take care not to slip.Raising the vehicle
In order to remove the wheel, the vehicle must be raised with
a jack.
– Position the vehicle jack under the door sill at the jacking point
closest to the wheel being changed ⇒fig. 194 -arrows- .
–Wind up the jack under the jacking point until the claw of the jack
is directly below the vertical rib under the door sill.
– Align the jack so that the arm of the jack fits on the rib under the door sill ⇒fig. 195 and the movable base plate of the jack
is flat on the ground.
– Raise the vehicle until the defective wheel is just clear of the ground.Recesses at the front and rear of the door sills mark the jacking points
⇒fig. 194 -arrows- . There is only one jacking point for each wheel. Do not fit
the jack anywhere else.
The distance from the jacking points to the wheel arches is approximately 15
cm at the front and 25 cm at the rear.
Fig. 194 Changing the
wheel: Jack position
points
Fig. 195 Changing the
wheel: Jack
AA
AB
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260An unstable surface under the jack may cause the vehicle to slip off the jack.
Therefore, the jack must be fitted on solid ground offering good support. Use
a large, stable base if necessary. On a hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent the jack from slipping.
WARNING
•Take all precautions so that the base of the jack does not slip. Failure to
do so could result in an accident.•The vehicle can be damaged if the jack is not applied at the correct
jacking points. There is also a risk of injury since the jack can slip off
suddenly if it is not properly engaged.
Removing and fitting the wheel
For removal and fitting the wheel, the following tasks must be
completed.
After loosening the wheel bolts and raising the vehicle with the jack,
change the wheel as described below:
Removing a wheel
– Unscrew the bolts using the hexagonal tool in the handle of the
screwdriver (vehicle tool) and place them on a clean surface
⇒ fig. 196 .
Fitting a wheel
– Screw in the wheel bolts and tighten them lightly using the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle.The wheel bolts should be clean and easily screwed. Before fitting the spare
wheel, inspect the wheel condition and hub mounting surfaces. These
surfaces must be clean before fitting the wheel.
The hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle makes it easier to turn the
wheel bolts. The reversible screwdriver blade should be removed when the
tool is used for this purpose.
If tyres with a specific direction of rotation are fitted, note the direction of
rotation.
Note
Do not use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle to loosen or
tighten the wheel bolts.
Fig. 196 Changing the
wheel: Hexagonal socket
in screwdriver handle to
turn the wheel bolts
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Technical Specifications
Anti-theft wheel bolts*
A special adapter is required to turn the anti-theft wheel
bolts.– Insert the adapter onto the wheel bolt and push it on as far as it
will go ⇒ fig. 197.
– Fit the box spanner as far as it will go over the adapter.
– Loosen or tighten the wheel bolt as appropriate.Code
The code number of the anti-theft wheel bolt is stamped onto the front part of
the adaptor.
The code number should be noted and kept in a safe place, as it is only by
using the code number that a duplicate adaptor can be obtained from an
Authorised Service Centre.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
Tyres with directional tread pattern must be fitted so that they
rotate in the correct direction.A directional tread pattern can be identified by arrows on the sidewall that
point in the direction of rotation. Always note the direction of rotation indi-
cated when fitting the wheel. This is important so that these tyres can give
maximum grip and avoid excessive noise, tread wear and aquaplaning.
If, in an emergency, you have to fit the spare wheel so it rotates in the wrong
direction, you must drive extremely carefully. The tyre will not give optimum
performance. This is particularly important when driving on wet roads.
To benefit from the advantages of tyres with this type of tread pattern, the
defective tyre should be replaced as soon as possible so that all tyres again
rotate in the correct direction.
Fig. 197 Anti-theft wheel
bolt
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