Seats and storage compartments
148Luggage compartment net*
There is a retaining net in the luggage compartment for
securing objects.– Use the fastening rings located on the side of the luggage
compartment to attach the retaining net ⇒ fig. 109.
Note•Do not exceed the maximum authorised weight for the vehicle
⇒ page 293.
Other storage areasOther storage areas can be found:•in the centre console,•in the door trims (front and rear),•in the side trims of the luggage compartment,•in the spare wheel recess in the luggage compartment (only on vehicles
with an optional anti-puncture kit*.
The clothes hooks are located on the rear roof handles.WARNING
•Do not store loose objects on the dash panel. These objects could be
flung through the passenger compartment when the vehicle is moving (e.g.
while accelerating, braking or cornering) and distract the driver. Risk of
accident.•Ensure that no objects can fall from the centre console or other storage
areas into the driver footwell while the vehicle is moving. In the event of a
sudden braking manoeuvre, you will not be able to use the brake, clutch or
accelerator. Risk of accident.•Clothing hung on the coat hooks must not restrict the driver’s view.
Risk of accident. The coat hooks are intended only for use with light arti-
cles of clothing. Do not leave any hard, sharp or heavy objects in hanging
articles of clothing. During sudden br aking manoeuvres or accidents, espe-
cially those involving airbag deployment, these objects could injure the
vehicle occupants.
Fig. 109 Retaining net
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Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
220If 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.Steel wheel rims– Clean steel wheel rims regularly using a separate sponge.Use an industrial cleaner to remove brake dust. Any damage to the paint on
steel wheel rims should be repaired before starting to rust.
WARNING
•Never wash tyres with a cylindrical jet. Even at large spraying distances
and short cleaning times, visible and invisible damage can occur to the
tyres. This may cause an accident.•Water, ice and salt on the brakes can reduce braking efficiency. Risk of
accident. Directly after washing, avoid sudden and sharp braking. Dry the
brakes by braking several times ⇒page 205, “Braking capacity and
braking distance”.
Alloy wheelsEvery two weeks
– Wash salt and brake dust from alloy wheels.
– Use an acid free detergent to clean the wheel rims.
Every three months
– Apply a hard wax compound to the wheels.Alloy wheels require regular attention to preserve their appearance. If road
salt and brake dust are not often removed, the aluminium finish will be
impaired.
Always use an acid-free detergent for alloy wheels.
Car polish or other abrasive agents should not be used. If the protective
coating is damaged, e.g. by flying stones, the damaged area should be
repaired immediately.
WARNING
•Never wash tyres with a cylindrical jet. Even at large spraying distances
and short cleaning times, visible and invisible damage can occur to the
tyres. This may cause an accident.•Water, ice and salt on the brakes can reduce braking efficiency. Risk of
accident. Directly after washing, avoid sudden and sharp braking. Dry the
brakes by braking several times ⇒page 205, “Braking capacity and
braking distance”.
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Vehicle maintenance and cleaning221
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
Underbody protection
The vehicle underbody is coated to protect it from chemical
and mechanical damage.The protective coating can be damaged when driving. We recommend you to
check the protective coating under the body and on the running gear, and
reinstated if necessary, before and after the winter season.
We recommend you to go to your Authorised Service Centre to carry out repair
work and additional anti-corrosion work.
WARNING
Do not apply underseal or anti-corrosion coatings to the exhaust pipes,
catalytic converter or the heat shields on the exhaust system. The heat of
the exhaust system or the engine could cause them to ignite. Risk of fire.Cleaning the engine compartment
Take special care when cleaning the engine compartment.Anti-corrosion treatment
The engine compartment and the surface of the power unit are given anti-
corrosion treatment at the factory.
Good corrosion protection is particularly important in winter when the vehicle
is frequently driven on salted roads. To prevent the salt corroding the vehicle,
the entire engine compartment should be thoroughly cleaned before and
after winter.
Yo u r A u t h o r i s e d S e r v i ce Ce n t re has got the necessary equipment to provide
the correct cleaning and preserving products. For this reason, we recommend
having this work performed by them. The anti-corrosion protection is usually removed if the engine compartment
is cleaned with grease removing solutions, or if you have the engine cleaned.
On commissioning this work, ensure that all surfaces, seams, joints and
components in the engine compartment are given anti-corrosion treatment.
WARNING
•When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒page 233.•Before opening the bonnet, switch the engine off, apply the handbrake
firmly and always remove the key from the ignition.•Allow the engine to cool before you clean the engine compartment.•Do not clean the vehicle underbody, wheel arches or wheel trims
without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-
edged metal parts. Failure to comply could result in injury.•Moisture, ice and salt on the brakes may affect braking efficiency. Risk
of accident. Directly after washing, avoid sudden and sharp braking.•Never touch the radiator fan. It is temperature-controlled and could
start automatically, even when the key is removed from the ignition!For the sake of the environment
Fuel, grease and oil deposits could be removed when the engine is washed.
The polluted water must be cleaned in an oil separator. For this reason,
engine washing should only be carried out at a specialised workshop or an
adequate petrol station.
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Wheels and tyres
250Wheels and tyresWheelsGeneral notesAvoiding damage
– If you have to drive over a kerb or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and at a right angle.
– Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
– Inspect the tyres regularly for damage (cuts, cracks or blisters, etc.). Remove any foreign objects embedded in the treads.
Storing tyres
– When you remove the tyres, mark them in order to maintain the same direction of rotation when they are installed again.
– When removed, the wheels and/or tyres should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark location.
– Store tyres in a vertical position if they are not fitted on wheel rims.New tyres
New tyres must be run in ⇒page 205.
The tread depth of new tyres may vary, according to the type and make of tyre
and the tread pattern. Concealed damage
Damage to tyres and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice unusual
vibrations or the vehicle pulling to one side, this may indicate that one of the
tyres is damaged. The tyres should be checked immediately by an Authorised
Service Centre.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the direction of rotation on tyres with
directional tread. Always observe the direction of rotation indicated when
fitting the wheel. This guarantees optimum grip and helps to avoid aqua-
planing, excessive noise and wear.
WARNING
•New tyres do not have maximum grip during the first 500 km. Drive
particularly carefully to avoid possible accidents.•Never drive with damaged tyres. This may cause an accident.•If you notice unusual vibrations or if the vehicle pulls to one side when
driving, stop the vehicle immediately and check the tyres for damage.
Checking tyre pressure
The correct tyre pressure can be seen on the sticker on the
inside of the tank flap.1. Read the required tyre inflation pressure from the sticker. The values refer to Summer tyres. For Winter tyres, you must add 0.2
bar to the values given on the sticker.
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Wheels and tyres255
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
New tyres and wheels
New tyres and wheels have to be run in.The tyres and wheel rims are an essential part of the vehicle’s design. The
tyres and rims approved by SEAT are specially matched to the characteristics
of the vehicle and make a major contribution to good road holding and safe
handling ⇒.
Tyres should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (i.e. both front
tyres or both rear tyres together). A knowledge of tyre designations makes it
easier to choose the correct tyres. Radial tyres have the tyre designations
marked on the sidewall, for example: 195/65 R15 91T
This contains the following information:
195 Tyre width in mm
65 Height/width ratio in %
RTyre construction: Radial
15 Rim diameter in inches
91 Load rating code
TSpeed rating
The tyres could also have the following information:•A direction of rotation symbol•“Reinforced” denotes heavy-duty tyres.
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tyre sidewall (possibly only
on the inner side of the wheel).
“DOT ... 1103...” means, for example, that the tyre was produced in the 11th
week of 2003.
We recommend that work on tyres and wheels be carried out by an Authorised
Service Centre. They are familiar with the procedure and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as the proper facilities for disposing of
the old tyres.
Any Authorised Service Centre has full information on the technical require-
ments when installing or changing tyres, wheels or wheel trims.
On vehicles with
all-wheel drive, all four tyres must always be fitted with tyres
of the same type, make and tread pattern, as otherwise the driveline can be
damaged by continuous differences in the wheel speeds. For the same
reason, only use a spare wheel with the same tyre dimensions as the normal
road wheels. You may also use the factory-supplied compact temporary spare
wheel.
WARNING
•We recommend that you use only wheels and tyres which have been
approved by SEAT for your model. Failure to do so could impair vehicle
handling. Risk of accident.•Avoid running the vehicle on tyres that are more than 6 years old. If you
have no alternative, you should drive slowly and with extra care at all
times.•Never use old tyres or those with an unknown history of use.•If wheel trims are retrofitted, you must ensure that the flow of air to the
brakes is not restricted. This could cause them to overheat.•All four wheels must be fitted with radial tyres of the same type, size
(rolling circumference) and the same tread pattern.For the sake of the environment
Old 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
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Wheels and tyres
256wheels 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 (e.g. 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 224.
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.
Winter tyres lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth
of 4 mm.
The speed rating code ⇒ page 255, “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
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If and when261
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
After changing a wheel
After changing the wheel there are still tasks to complete.– Put the tools and jack back in the luggage compartment.
– Place the wheel with the defective tyre in the luggage compart-
ment and secure it.
– Check the tyre pressure of the newly fitted tyre as soon as possible.
– Have the tightening torque of th e wheel bolts checked as soon as
possible with a torque wrench. Th e prescribed torque must be
120 Nm.
Note•If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to turn when
changing a wheel, they must be replaced before having the wheel bolt torque
checked.•For safety reasons, drive at moderate speeds until the wheel bolt tight-
ening torque has been checked.
Wheel trims
The wheel trims must be removed to gain access to the wheel
bolts.Removing
– Insert the extraction hook from the tools into the designated
ring, located in one of the bolt hole covers of the wheel cover
⇒ fig. 177 .
–Pull off the hub cap.
Fig. 177 Changing the
wheel: Removing a hub
cap
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 261 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12
Index
308CCatalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Automatic speed dependent locking and un-locking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Emergency unlocking system . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Locking system for involuntary unlocking . 101
Selective unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Central locking button Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Centre armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Cetane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Changing gear See Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Changing gear in tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Changing the bulbs Main headlight bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Changing the main headlight bulbs dipped beam headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Main beam headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Turn signal bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Changing the tail light bulbs Side light, fog light and tail light on the tailgate279 Changing the tail lights
Luggage compartment lights . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Turn signal, side and brake lights on the body278
Changing windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . . 243
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Checking battery electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . 248
Checking engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Categorisation in groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Group 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Group 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Group 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Groups 0 and 0+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Child seats ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Top Tether system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Cigarette lighter* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Cleaning alloy wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Cleaning chrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Cleaning engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Cleaning steel wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Cleaning windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Climatronic General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Cloth seat covers cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Clothes hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Coming/leaving home function . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Compartment for on-board documentation . . 144
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Control lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Controls
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Convenience closing Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Convenience opening Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240, 241 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Coolant loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Coolant temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Correct adjustment of front seat head restraints . . 13
Correct adjustment of rear seat head restraints In-use and non-use positions . . . . . . . . . . . 14
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