2012 Seat Altea Freetrack winter tyres

236Wheels 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 195.
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. 

242Wheels and tyres
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 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 214.
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. 

243
Wheels and tyres
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.
The speed rating code ⇒  page 241, New tyres and wheels determines the
following speed limits for winter tyres: ⇒ 
max. 160 km/h
max. 180 km/h
max. 190 km/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. Q
S
T
H If you have a flat tyre, please refer to the notes on the spare wheel
⇒ page 241, New tyres and wheels.
WARNING
The maximum speed for the winter tyres must not be exceeded. Other-
wise, 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 chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front wheels, and only for 205/55R16
tyres. These tyres may only be fitted with fine-pitch link chains which do not
protrude more than 15 mm ⇒ page 241. For 225/50R17 tyres, the use of
snow chains is not permitted.
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.
All-wheel drive : Where snow chains are compulsory on certain roads, this
normally also applies to cars with all-wheel drive. Snow chains may only be
fitted to the front wheels (also on vehicles with all-wheel drive).
WARNING
Snow chains should be correctly tightened in accordance with the manu-
facturer's instructions. This will prevent the chains coming into contact
with the wheel housing. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

246If and when
How to use the temporary spare wheel
Should you ever have a punctured tyre, the temporary spare wheel is only
intended for temporary use until you can reach a workshop. The standard-
size road wheel should be replaced as soon as possible.
Please note the following restrictions when using the temporary spare
wheel. This spare wheel has been specially designed for your vehicle, thus,
it cannot be changed with the spare wheel from another vehicle.
No other type of tyre (normal summer or winter tyre) may be fitted on the
compact temporary spare wheel rim.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, snow chains must not be used on the compact tem-
porary spare wheel.
If you have a puncture on one of the front wheels when using snow chains,
fit the compact temporary spare in place of one of the rear wheels. You can
then attach the snow chains to the wheel taken from the rear and use this
wheel to replace the punctured front wheel.
WARNING
● The tyre pressures must be checked and corrected as soon as possi-
ble. The emergency tyre pressure for dimensions 125/70R16 125/70R18
135/90R16 is 4.2 bar; for all other tyre dimensions please refer to the la-
bel on the fuel cap. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
● Do not drive faster than 80 km/h. Higher speeds can cause an acci-
dent.
● Avoid heavy acceleration, hard braking and fast cornering. Risk of ac-
cident.
● Never use two or more compact spare tyres at the same time, risk of
accident.
● No other type of tyre (normal summer or winter tyre) may be fitted on
the compact temporary spare wheel rim.
 Tyre repair kit
The tyre repair kit (for vehicles not including a spare wheel)
is stored under the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
In the event of a punctured tyre, your vehicle is equipped with the Tyre Mo-
bility System.
The tyre repair kit consists of a container with sealing compound to repair
the puncture and a compressor to generate the required tyre pressure. The
kit will reliably seal punctures up to a size of about 4 mm caused by the
penetration of a foreign body into the tyre.
Note
● Seek professional assistance if the repair of a tyre puncture is not possi-
ble with the sealing compound. 
Wheel change Preparation 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 area (for instance behind the roadside crash barrier).
– Switch off the engine. Switch on the hazard warning lights.
– Apply the handbrake firmly. 

284Technical specifications
Dimensions and capacities
Dimensions
Length, width 4493 mm/ 1778 mm
Height at kerb weight 1615 mm
Front and rear projection 940 mm/ 977 mm
Wheelbase 2578 mm
Turning circle 10.7
Track width Front
Rear
1534 mm 1519 mm
1542 mm 1527 mm
Capacities
Fuel tank 60 l. Reserve 8l.
Windscreen washer fluid container with headlight washer 3 l/ 5.5 l
Tyre pressure
Summer-grade tyres:
The correct tyre pressure can be seen on the sticker on the inside of the tank flap.
Winter tyres:
The pressure of these tyres is the same as the summer tyre pressure plus 0.2 bar.


Engine managementWarning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Checking engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine oil pressure Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65, 85
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Environmental friendliness . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Environmentally friendly driving . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Environmental tip Avoiding pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87, 167, 189
ESP see ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87, 167, 189
Example of menu use Program a speed limit warning . . . . . . . . . . 68
To activate and deactivate the speed limitwarning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Example of the use of the menus Open the Configuration menu with the MFIlever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Open the Configuration menu with the steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Examples of menu use Open the main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Open the winter tyres menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
To close the winter tyres menu . . . . . . . . . . 68
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
F
Fabric trim cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Fastening rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Fire extinguisher* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Flexible service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Folding the seat backrests down . . . . . . . . . . 137
Folding tray* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Front drinks holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Front interior light type 1 Switching light off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Switching light on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Front interior light type 2 Switching light off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Switching light on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Front passenger airbag deactivation . . . . . . . . 44
Front reading lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Front seat adjustment Lumbar support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Fuel Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 Fuel level
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Warning message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Fuel tank see Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Fuel Tank Opening the fuel tank flap . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Fuel: save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
G
G 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Gear shift pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
General overview of the engine compartment 278
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Glow plug system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
H
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
HBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Headlight flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
288 Index

Winter drivingDiesel engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Wooden trim cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . 219
293
Index