2012 Seat Altea Freetrack tow

271
If and when
Towing and tow-starting
Tow-starting
The use of jump leads is preferable to tow-starting.
We recommend that you do not tow-start your vehicle. Jump-start-
ing is preferable ⇒ page 268.
However, if your vehicle has to be tow-started:
– Engage the 2nd or the 3rd gear.
– Keep the clutch pressed down.
– Switch the ignition on.
– Once both vehicles are moving, release the clutch.
– As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch and move the
gear lever into neutral. This helps to prevent driving into the
towing vehicle.
WARNING
The risk of accidents is high when tow-starting. The vehicle being towed
can easily collide with the towing vehicle.
CAUTION
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it. General notes
Please observe the following points if you use a tow-rope:
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
–
Drive slowly at first until the tow-rope is taut. Then accelerate
gradually.
– Begin and change gears cautiously. If you are driving an auto-
matic vehicle, accelerate gently.
– Remember that the brake servo and power steering are not
working in the vehicle you are towing. Brake sooner than nor-
mal and pressing the pedal gently.
Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
– Ensure that the tow-rope remains taut at all times when towing.
Tow-rope or tow-bar
It is easier and safer to tow a vehicle with a tow-bar. You should only use a
tow-rope if you do not have a tow-bar.
A tow-rope should be slightly elastic to reduce the loading on both vehicles.
It is advisable to use a tow-rope made of synthetic fibre or similarly elastic
material.
Attach the tow-rope or the tow-bar only to the towing eyes provided or a
towing bracket.
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially when using a tow-rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the technique required for towing. Inexper-
ienced drivers should not attempt to tow. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

272If and when
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle and take care to avoid jerking
the tow-rope. When towing on an unpaved road, there is always a risk of
overloading and damaging the anchorage points.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must be switched on to prevent the
steering wheel from locking and also to allow the use of the turn signals,
horn, windscreen wipers and washers.
As the brake servo does not work if the engine is not running, you must ap-
ply considerably more pressure to the brake pedal than you normally would.
As the power assisted steering does not work if the engine is not running,
you will need more strength to steer than you normally would.
● The vehicle must not be towed faster than 50 km/h.
● The vehicle must not be towed faster than 50 km/h.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
● Put the selector lever into position “N”.
● Do not drive faster than 50 km/h.
● Do not tow further than 50 km.
● If a breakdown vehicle is used, the vehicle must be towed with the front
wheels raised.
Note
● Observe legal requirements when towing or tow-starting.
● Switch on the hazard warning lights of both vehicles. However, observe
any regulations to the contrary.
● For technical reasons, vehicles with an automatic gearbox must not be
tow-started.
● If damage to your vehicle means that there is no lubricant in the gear-
box, you must raise the drive wheels while the vehicle is being towed.
● If the vehicle has to be towed more than 50 km, the front wheels should
be raised during towing, and towing should be carried out by a qualified
person. ●
The steering wheel is locked when the vehicle has no electrical power.
The vehicle must then be towed with the front wheels raised. Towing should
be carried out by a qualified person.
● The towing eye should always be kept in the vehicle. Please refer to the
notes on ⇒ page 271, Tow-starting. 

273
If and when
Trailer eyes
Fig. 199 The front right
section of the vehicle:
Fitting the front towing
eye
Fig. 200 Fitting the tow-
ing eye to the rear of the
vehicle
Fitting the towing eye
– Take the towing ring from the on-board tool set. –
Remove the front cover by pressing down on its left-hand side.
– Remove the rear cover by pressing down on the right hand side.
– Screw the towing eye as shown by the arrow anti-clockwise to
the limit position in the front ⇒ fig. 199 or rear ⇒ fig. 200 threa-
ded hole. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

276Description of specifications
Information on fuel consumption
Fuel consumption
The consumption and emission details shown on the vehicle
data sticker differ from one vehicle to another.
The vehicle's fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions can be consulted on the
vehicle data sticker in the spare wheel well, inside the luggage compart-
ment and on the rear cover of the Maintenance Programme.
The fuel consumption and CO 2 emission values refer to the weight category
assigned to your vehicle according to the engine and gearbox combination,
as well as the specific equipment fitted, and is only used to compare be-
tween the different models.
The fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions do not depend only on the per-
formance of the vehicle, they can also differ from the established values de-
pending on other factors such as driving style, road conditions, traffic con-
ditions, environmental conditions, load and number of passengers.
Calculation of fuel consumption
The consumption values have been calculated based on measurements per-
formed or supervised by certified CE laboratories according to the latest ver-
sion of directives 715/2007/EC and 80/1268/CEE (for more information
consult the European Union Publications Office at EUR-Lex: © European Un-
ion, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm) and are valid for the kerb
weight indicated for the vehicle.
Note
In practice, and considering all the factors mentioned here, consumption
values can differ from those calculated in the current European regulations. Weights
Kerb weight refers to the basic model with a fuel tank filled to 90% capacity
and without optional extras. The figure quoted includes 75 kg to allow for
the weight of the driver.
For special versions and optional equipment fittings or for the addition of
accessories, the weight of the vehicle will increase
⇒ 
.
WARNING
● Please note that the centre of gravity may shift when transporting
heavy objects; this may affect the vehicle's handling and lead to an acci-
dent. Always adjust your speed and driving style to suit road conditions
and requirements.
● Never exceed the gross axle weight rating or the gross vehicle weight
rating. If the allowed axle load or the allowed total weight is exceeded,
the driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to acci-
dents, injuries and damage to the vehicle.

Towing a trailer Trailer weights
Trailer weight
The trailer weights and drawbar loads approved are selected in intensive tri-
als according to precisely defined criteria. The approved trailer weights are
valid for vehicles in the EU for maximum speeds of 80 km/h (in certain cir-
cumstances up to 100 km/h). The figures may be different in other coun-
tries. All data in the official vehicle documents take precedence over these
data ⇒ 
. 

277
Description of specifications
Drawbar load
The maximum permitted drawbar load on the ball joint of the towing bracket
must not exceed 75 kg.
In the interest of road safety, we recommend that you always tow approach-
ing the maximum drawbar load. The response of the trailer on the road will
be poor if the drawbar load is too small.
If the maximum permissible drawbar load cannot be met (e.g. with small,
empty and light-weight single axle trailers or tandem axle trailers with a
wheelbase of less than 1 metre), a minimum of 4% of the actual trailer
weight is legally required for the drawbar load.
WARNING
● For safety reasons, do not exceed the 80 km/h limit. This is also valid
in countries where higher speeds are permitted.
● Never exceed the maximum trailer weights or the drawbar load. If the
permissible axle load or the permissible total weight is exceeded, the
driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents,
injuries and damage to the vehicle.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Safety notesAirbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Deactivating front passenger airbag . . . . . . 45
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Using child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Using seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Safety system - Safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131, 134, 136
Seat belt cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Seat belt position Pregnant women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Seat belt protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seat belt release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Incorrectly fastened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Not worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seat belt tensioner Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Seat belt warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Selective opening* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Selector lever locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 servotronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Sitting position Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sitting position, occupants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Soot accumulation in the diesel engine particu- late filter
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Spare wheel* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Start-Stop Activating and deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Starting petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Starting Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169, 170 After the fuel tank has been run dry . . . . . 170
Steam jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Steering lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Steering wheel audio controls Audio version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Audio + telephone version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Steering wheel height adjustment . . . . . . . . . 166 Storage compartment
Centre armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Front passenger side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Other storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . 141
Storage in the luggage compartment . . . . . . . 140
Stowage area Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Sun visor Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Switch Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Light switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Switches electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
T Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Emergency opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tank Fuel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Reserve indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
TCS see ASR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87, 188
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
The danger of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . 22
291
Index

Tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Top Tether system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Towing bracket, fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Towing eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Traction control systemControl lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Trailer Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Trailer eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Trailer turn signals Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Trailer weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Indicator lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Tyre Mobility-System (Tyre repair kit) . . . . . . . 246
Tyre Mobility System (Tyre repair kit) . . . . . . . 252
Tyre pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Tyre pressure monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Tyre pressure warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Tyre repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246, 252
Tyres and wheels Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Tyres service life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Tyres tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Tyres with directional tread pattern . . . . . . . . 236
U Underbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Unlocking and locking Personalisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
V Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Vehicle data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Vehicle modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Vehicle paintwork Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Products for vehicle maintenance . . . . . . . 205
Vehicle tools Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Vehicle washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Ventilation slits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Volumetric sensor* Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Deactivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
W Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Warning messages in the display . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Warning reports
Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65, 78
Yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65, 78
Warning symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Warning triangle and first-aid kit . . . . . . . . . . 149
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Washing by hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Washing with high pressure cleaners . . . . . . . 207
Water Warning message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Water in the windscreen washer tank . . . . . . . 228
Wear indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Wearing suitable shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Tightening torque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Wheel trims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Why assume the correct sitting position? . . . . . 30
Why should head restraints be correctly adjus- ted? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 21, 30
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Windscreen washer fluid Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Windscreen wiper blades Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Changing blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Changing the rear wiper blade . . . . . . . . . 230
292 Index