200Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Care of the vehicle exterior
Automatic car wash tunnel
The vehicle can normally be washed without problem in an
automatic car wash.
The vehicle paintwork is so durable that the vehicle can normally be washed
without problems in an automatic car wash tunnel. However, the paintwork
wear depends to a large extent on the kind of the car wash tunnel, the
brushes used, its water filtering and the type of cleaning and preservative
products.
Before going through a vehicle wash, be sure to take the usual precautions
such as closing the windows and sunroof.
If the vehicle has special accessories such as spoilers or a roof rack or two-
way radio aerial, etc., it is advisable to consult the car wash tunnel operator.
After washing, the brakes could take some time 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
accident.
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 hand
Vehicle washing
–
First soften the dirt and rinse it off with water.
– 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.
– Leave the wheels, sill panels etc. until last, using a different
sponge or glove.
– Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water.
– Dry the vehicle surface gently with a chamois leather.
– In cold temperature, dry the rubber seals and their surfaces to
prevent them from freezing. Apply silicone spray to the rubber
seals.
After washing the vehicle
– After washing, avoid sudden and sharp braking. “Dry” the
brakes by braking several times ⇒ page 189, Braking capacity
and braking distance.
201
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
WARNING
● Wash your vehicle 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 in-
jury.
● Water, ice and salt on the brakes can reduce braking efficiency. Risk
of accident.
CAUTION
● Never remove dirt, mud or dust if the vehicle surface is dry. Never use a
dry cloth or sponge for cleaning purposes. This could scratch the paintwork
or glass on your vehicle.
● Washing the vehicle in low temperatures: when washing the vehicle
with a hose, do not direct water into the lock cylinders or the gaps around
the doors, tailgate, or sunroof. Risk of freezing.
For the sake of the environment
To protect environment, the vehicle should be washed only in specially pro-
vided wash bays. This prevents toxic, oil-laden waste water entering the
sewerage system. In some places, washing vehicles outside wash bays is
prohibited.
Note
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight. Washing the vehicle with a high pressure cleaner
Be particularly careful when using a high pressure cleaner!
– Always observe the instructions for the high-pressure cleaner,
particularly those concerning the pressure and the spraying
distance.
– Increase the spraying distance for soft materials and painted
bumpers.
– Do not use a high pressure cleaner to remove ice or snow from
windows ⇒ page 202.
– Never use concentrated jet nozzles (“rotating jets”) ⇒
.
– After washing, avoid sudden and sharp braking. “Dry” the
brakes by braking several times ⇒ page 189.
WARNING
● Never wash tyres with a concentrated jet (“rotating nozzle”). 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.
CAUTION
● Do not use water hotter than 60°C. This could damage the vehicle.
● To avoid damage to the vehicle, keep a sufficient distance from sensitive
materials such as flexible hoses, plastic, soundproofing material, etc. This
is also important for bumpers painted in the colour of the bodywork. The
closer the nozzle is to the surface, the greater the wear on the material.
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications
233
Wheels and tyres
Wheels and tyres
Wheels
General notes
Avoiding 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 189.
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 Au-
thorised 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 dam-
age.
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.
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications
236Wheels and tyres
Wear indicators
The original tyres on your vehicle have 1.6 mm high “tread wear indicators”
⇒ fig. 152, running across the tread. Depending on the make, there will be
6 to 8 of them evenly spaced around the tyre. Markings on the tyre sidewall
(for instance the letters “TWI” or other symbols) indicate the positions of
the tread wear indicators. The minimum tread depth required by law is
1.6 mm (measured in the tread grooves next to the tread wear indicators).
Worn tyres must be replaced. Different figures may apply in export countries
⇒
.
Tyre pressure
Incorrect tyre pressure causes premature wear and could cause tyre blow-
out. For this reason, the tyre pressure should be checked at least once per
month ⇒ page 233.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard braking all increase tyre wear.
Changing wheels around
If the front tyres are worn considerably more than the rear ones it is advisa-
ble to change them around as shown ⇒ fig. 153. All the tyres will then last
for about the same time.
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various factors encoun-
tered in normal driving can cause them to become unbalanced, which re-
sults in steering vibration.
Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as they otherwise cause exces-
sive wear on steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must also be reba-
lanced when a new tyre is fitted. Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive tyre wear, impairing the safety
of the vehicle. If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the wheel
alignment checked by an Authorised Service Centre.
WARNING
There is a serious danger of accidents if a tyre bursts during driving!
● The tyres must be replaced at the latest when the tread wear indica-
tors are worn ⇒ page 236. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
Worn tyres do not grip well at high speeds on wet roads. There is also a
greater risk of aquaplaning.
● At continuously high speeds, a tyre with insufficient pressure flexes
more. This causes it to overheat. This can cause tread separation and tyre
blow-out. Risk of accident. Always observe the recommended tyre pres-
sures.
● If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the running gear
checked by an Authorised Service Centre.
● Keep chemicals such as oil, fuel and brake fluid away from tyres.
● Damaged wheels and tyres must be replaced immediately!
For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel consumption.
239
Wheels and tyres
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of according to the laws in the country con-
cerned.
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 (e.g. winter tyres) you should only use the spare tyre for a short peri-
od 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 208.
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel
bolts should be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench. ⇒
The tightening 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 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 han-
dling. 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 pres-
sures 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 reg-
istration 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.
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications
253
If and when
NumberConsumerAmps48Engine management1049Vacant
Some of the electrical items listed in the table are only fitted on certain
models or are optional extras.
Please note that the above list, while correct at the time of printing, is sub-
ject to alterations. If discrepancies should occur, please refer to the sticker
on the inside of the fuse cover for the correct information for your model.
Fuses layout, engine compartment, left part
Fuses
NumberConsumerAmps1Windscreen wipers302DQ200 gearbox303Cable control unit54ABS205AQ gearbox156Instrument panel/Steering column57Ignition key408Radio159Telephone/TomTom Navigator5
10Engine management5Engine management1011Vacant 12Electronic control unit5
13Petrol injection module supply15Diesel injection module supply30
NumberConsumerAmps14Coil20
15Engine management5Pump relay1016Right lighting3017Horn1518Vacant 19Clean30
20Water pump10Pressure sensor pump for 1.8 engine2021 a)Lambda probe1522Brake pedal, speed sensor5
23a)Engine management5Engine management10Engine management1524AKF, gearbox valve1025a)ABS pump4026Left lighting30
27a)Engine management40Engine management5028Vacant
29a)Electric windows (front and back)50Electric windows (front)3030Ignition key50a)
Ampere rating according to motorisation
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Checking engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Engine oil pressure Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66, 87
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Environmental friendliness . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Environmentally friendly driving . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Environmental tip Avoiding pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89, 158, 184 see also Electronic Stability Control . . . . . 158
ESP see ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89, 158, 184
Example of menu use Program a speed limit warning . . . . . . . . . . 69
To activate and deactivate the speed limitwarning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Example of the use of the menus Open the Configuration menu with the MFIlever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Open the Configuration menu with the steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Examples of menu use Open the main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Open the winter tyres menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
To close the winter tyres menu . . . . . . . . . . 69
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 F
Fabric trim cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Fastening rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Fire extinguisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
First-aid kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Flexible service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Fog lights with cornering function . . . . . . . . . 120
Fold down the backrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Front drink holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Front interior light Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Front passenger airbag deactivation . . . . . . . . 44
Front reading lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Front seat adjustment Lumbar support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Fuel Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Fuel level Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Warning message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Fuel tank
see Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Fuel Tank Opening the fuel tank flap . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Fuel: save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
G
G 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Gear shift pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
General overview of the engine compartment 273
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Glow plug system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
H Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
HBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Headlight flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Headlights Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Headlight washer system* . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Head restraints Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133, 134
294 Index
Adjustment of the head restraint angle . . 134
Removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Heated front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Heated rear window 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Heating element wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
High pressure cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Hill-start aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
How to jump start description . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Hydraulic Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
I
Identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Identification plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Ignition key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Information in the multifunction display Memory displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Information messages in the display . . . . . . . . 66
Instrument and switch lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Instrument lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Instrument panel menu Lights and visibility menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Instrument panel menus Configuration menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Example of menu use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Vehicle status menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Interior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Intermittent wipe, windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
J
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Jump leads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
K
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
L
Leather cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Load compartment in the luggage compart- ment
see Loading the luggage compartment . . . 16
Loading the luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . 16
Locker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
LPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60, 163, 212
LPG system Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Filler neck adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Level indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 see also Loading the luggage compartment . .16 M
Main beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115, 122
Main beam headlights Indicator lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Main headlight bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Maintenance Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Manual mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
MEDIA-IN connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
MFI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Mirrors Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Interior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Vanity mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Mobile phones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . 209
Multifunction display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
N
Number of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
O
Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Octane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Oil change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
295
Index