
Contents
4Trailer towing
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Instructions to follow  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Ball coupling of towing bracket*  . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Driving tips  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Fitting a towing bracket* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
 . . . . . . . . 
General notes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Vehicle exterior maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Vehicle interior maintenance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Accessories, parts replacement and 
modifications
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Accessories and spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Technical modifications  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Roof aerial*  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Mobile phones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . . . 
Checking and refilling levels
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
LPG system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Petrol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . 
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades . . . . 
Brake fluid  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Wheels and tyres
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
If and when
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Tools, tyre repair kit and spare wheel  . . . . . . . . 
Wheel change  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Tyre repair kit* (Tyre Mobility System)  . . . . . . . . 
Fuses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Bulb change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Towing and tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Technical Specifications
 . . . . . . . . . . 
Description of specifications
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Information on fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Towing a trailer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Technical Specifications
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Petrol engine 1.4 63 kW (85 PS)  . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Petrol engine 1.6 75 kW (102 PS)  . . . . . . . . . . . 
Petrol engine 1.2 77 kW (105 PS)  . . . . . . . . . . . 
Petrol engine 1.4 92 kW (125 PS)  . . . . . . . . . . . 
Petrol engine 1.8 118 kW (160 PS)  . . . . . . . . . . 
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 77 kW (105 PS) 
with/without DPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 77 kW (105 PS) DPF 
Start&Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI CR 103 kW (140 PS) DPF  
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI PD 103 kW (140 PS) without 
DPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Dimensions and capacities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Index
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
211
211
212
212
213
215
215
216
221
224
224
224
225
225
226
226
227
230
231
232
235
239
241
245
246
249
249
257
257
259
265
267
272
281
284 287
287
287
289
289
290
291
291
292
293
294
296
297
298
300
301
302
304
305
Altea_EN.book  Seite 4  Donnersta
g, 2. September 2010  2:00 14 

Lights and visibility131
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
WARNING
•Worn and dirty wiper blades reduce visibility and safety levels while 
driving.•In cold conditions, you should not use the wash / wipe system unless 
you have warmed the windscreen with the heating and ventilation system. 
The washer fluid could otherwise freeze on the windscreen and obscure 
your view of the road.•Always note the corresponding warnings on  ⇒page 242.Caution
In icy conditions, always check that the wiper blades are not frozen to the 
glass before using the wipers for the first time. If you switch on the wipers 
when the wiper blades are frozen to the windscreen, you could damage both 
the wiper blades and the wiper motor.
Note
•The windscreen wipers will only work when the ignition is switched on.•In certain versions of vehicles with alarms, the windscreen wiper will only 
work when the ignition is on and the bonnet closed.•When in use, the wipers do not go as far as the rest position. When the 
lever is moved to position 0, they are totally hidden.•The next speed down will automatically be selected if wiper speed   
⇒ page 130, fig. 85  or   is selected when the vehicle stops. The set speed 
will be resumed when the vehicle starts again•The windscreen will be wiped again after approximately five seconds once 
the “automatic wipe/wash system” has been operated, provided the vehicle 
is in transit (drip function). If you activate the wipers less than three seconds 
after the drip function, a new wash sequence will begin without the last wipe. 
For the “drip” function to work again, you have to turn the ignition off and 
then on again.
•When the “intermittent wipe function” is on, the intervals are directly 
proportional to the speed. This way, the higher the vehicle speed the shorter 
the intervals.•The wiper will try to wipe away any obstacles that are on the windscreen. 
The wiper will stop moving if the obstacle blocks its path. Remove the 
obstacle and switch the wiper back on again.•Before removing any objects that may be trapped in the side areas of the 
windscreen, always move the wiper arms to the service position (horizontal).•The heat output of the heated jets is controlled automatically when the 
ignition is switched on, depending upon the outside temperature.
A2
A3
Altea_EN.book  Seite 131  Donnerstag, 2. September 2010  2:00 14 

Intelligent technology
202•The braking capability of your vehicle is limited by the tyres’ grip. 
Vehicle behaviour is no different from a vehicle without four-wheel drive. 
So do not be tempted to drive too fast on icy or slippery roads just because 
the vehicle still has good acceleration in these conditions. Failure to do so 
could result in an accident.•On wet roads bear in mind that the front wheels may start to aquaplane 
and lose contact with the road if the vehi cle is driven too fast. If this should 
happen, there will be no sudden increase in engine speed when aqua-
planing begins to warn the driver, as with a front-wheel drive vehicle. For 
this reason and for that mentioned above, always choose a driving speed 
suitable for the road conditions. Failure to do so could result in an 
accident.
Brakes
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; 
first 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 or road salt
When the speed is 
over 80 km/h and the windscreen wipers are  on, the brake 
system moves the pads towards the brake discs for a few seconds. This 
occurs - without the driver knowing - at regular intervals and allows a faster 
response from the brakes when driving on wet roads.
In certain conditions, such as in heavy rain, or after washing the vehicle or 
driving through water, the full braking effect can be delayed by moisture (or 
in winter by ice) on the discs and brake pads. In this case the brakes should 
be dried by pressing the brake pedal several times.
The effectiveness of the brakes can also be temporarily reduced if the vehicle 
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 corrosion to form on the discs and dirt to build 
up on the brake pads if the vehicle is used infrequently or the brakes are not 
used very often.
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 at 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 
specialised workshop and have the fault repaired. Drive there slowly and 
remember that you will have to apply more pressure on the brake pedal and 
allow for longer stopping 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.
WARNING (continued)
Altea_EN.book  Seite 202  Donnerstag, 2. September 2010  2:00 14 

Vehicle maintenance and cleaning219
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
screen washer fluid prevents wiper blades from juddering, but wax deposits 
are not removed.
Caution
•Never use warm or hot water to remove snow and ice from windows and 
mirrors. This could cause the glass to crack!•The heating element for the rear window is located on the inner side of the 
window. To prevent damage, do not put stickers on the heating elements 
inside the window.Cleaning windscreen wiper bladesClean wiper blades improve visibility.
1.  Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt from the windscreen  wiper blades.
2.  Use window cleaner to clean the windscreen wiper blades. Use a  sponge or a cloth to remove stubborn dirt.Rubber seals maintenance
If rubber seals are well looked after, they will not freeze so 
quickly.1.  Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt from the rubber seals.
2.  Apply a specialist care product to the rubber seals.
The rubber strips on the doors, windows, bonnet and tailgate will remain 
pliable and last longer if they are treated with a suitable care product (for 
example silicone spray).
Caring for rubber seals will also prevent premature ageing and leaks. The 
doors will be easier to open. If rubber seals are well looked after, they will not 
freeze so quickly in winter.Door lock cylinders
The door lock cylinders can freeze up in winter.To de-ice the lock cylinders you should only use spray with lubricating and 
anti-corrosive properties.Cleaning chrome parts1.  Clean chrome parts with a damp cloth.
2.  Polish chrome parts with a soft, dry cloth.If this does not provide satisfying results, use a specialist  chrome cleaning 
product . Chrome cleaning products will remove stains from the surface.
Caution
To prevent scratching chrome surfaces:•Never use an abrasive cleaning product on chrome.•Do not clean or polish chrome parts in a sandy or dusty environment.
Altea_EN.book  Seite 219  Donnerstag, 2. September 2010  2:00 14 

Checking and refilling levels241
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
•When the engine is warm or hot, the cooling system is pressurised! Do 
not unscrew the cap on the expansion tank  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 fluid 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 special-
ised workshop immediately and have the cooling system checked. Other-
wise, there is a risk of engine damage.
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper bladesTopping up washer fluid 
 Y
The water for cleaning the windscreen should always be 
mixed with washer fluid.The  windscreen washer  and the headlight washers  are supplied with fluid 
from the windscreen washer fluid 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. 166  In the engine 
compartment: Cap of 
windscreen washer fluid 
reservoir.
Altea_EN.book  Seite 241  Donnerstag, 2. September 2010  2:00 14 

Checking and refilling levels
242
WARNING
Any work carried out in the engine compartment or on the engine must be 
carried out cautiously.•When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety 
warnings  ⇒page 232.Caution
•Never put radiator anti-freeze or other additives into the windscreen 
washer fluid.•Always use approved windscreen cleansing products diluted as per 
instructions. If you use other washer fluids or soap solutions, the tiny holes 
in the fan-shaped nozzles could become blocked.
Changing windscreen wiper blades
If the windscreen wiper blades are in perfect condition, you 
will benefit from an improved visibility. Damaged wiper 
blades should be replaced immediately.
Fig. 167  Windscreen 
wipers in the service posi-
tionFig. 168  Changing the 
front wiper blades
Altea_EN.book  Seite 242  Donnerstag, 2. September 2010  2:00 14 

Index305
Index
AABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Accessories  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Acoustic signal  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Acoustic warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Adaptive headlights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Adjusting the seat belt height  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
AFS (cornering lights)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Air conditioner General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Air conditioner automatic mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Air conditioner* 2C-Climatronic*  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Air conditioning*  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Air recirculation mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Manual air conditioner  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Airbag system  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Curtain airbags  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Front airbags  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Alarm system Switching off  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 All-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Alternator
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Anti-freeze  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Anti-lock brake system  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Anti-theft alarm Switching off  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Anti-theft wheel bolts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Aquaplaning  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Ashtray*  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Aspects to note before setting off  . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror* Activating the anti-dazzle function  . . . . . . 134
Deactivating anti-dazzle function . . . . . . . . 134
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Automatic gearbox Kick-down feature  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Automatic gearbox/DSG automatic gearbox . . 182
Automatic lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Automatic windscreeen wiper/washer . . . . . . . 130
Auxiliary audio connection: AUX-IN  . . . . . . . . . 154
BBall coupling  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Battery
Changing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Winter conditions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
Biodiesel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Bonnet  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Brake fluid  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Changing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Warning lamp  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Brake pedal warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Brake servo  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  197, 205
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Brake servo  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Brakes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Warning lamp  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Brakes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Worn brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Braking distance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Bulb changes General notes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Bulb defect warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Buzzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  125, 173
Altea_EN.book  Seite 305  Donnerstag, 2. September 2010  2:00 14 

Index313
Wheel bolts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  261, 290
Tightening torque  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Wheel change  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Wheel trims  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Wheels  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  249, 290
Why assume the correct sitting position?  . . . . . 30
Why should head restraints be correctly adjusted? 13
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19, 21, 30
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Windscreen washer fluid Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Windscreen wiper blades Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Windscreen wipers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Changing blades  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Changing the rear wiper blade . . . . . . . . . . 244
Winter driving Diesel engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Winter tyres  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Wooden trim cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Working in the engine compartment  . . . . . . . . 232
Altea_EN.book  Seite 313  Donnerstag, 2. September 2010  2:00 14