2012 Seat Altea Freetrack brake

Table of Contents
Manual structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Safety First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Proper sitting position for occupants . . . . . . . . . 10
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Storing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Deactivating airbags* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Securing child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Operating Instructions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Digital instrument panel display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Instrument panel menus* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Audio system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Radio navigation system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Unlocking and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Radio frequency remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Anti-theft alarm system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Sliding/tilting sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Rear-view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Seats and storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . 131
The importance of correct seat adjustment . . . . . 131
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Storage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Ashtrays*, cigarette lighter* and electrical
sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 First-aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher . 149
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
2C-Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Starting and stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Start-Stop function* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Automatic gearbox* / DSG automatic gearbox* . 175
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Parking aid acoustic system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Cruise speed* (Cruise control system) . . . . . . . . 183
Practical Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Anti-lock brake system and traction control M-
ABS (ABS and ASR (TCS)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Electronic Stability Control ESC (ESP) * . . . . . . . . 189
Driving and the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Running-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Economical and environmentally friendly driving 197
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
3
Table of Contents

Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Instructions to follow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Ball coupling of towing bracket* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Fitting a towing bracket* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . 205
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Care of the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Vehicle interior maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Accessories, parts replacement and
modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Accessories and spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Roof aerial* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Mobile phones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . 219
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades . . . . 228
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
If and when . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tools, tyre repair kit and spare wheel . . . . . . . . . 245
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Tyre repair kit (Tyre Mobility System)* . . . . . . . . . 252
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Bulb change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Towing and tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Technical Specifications
. . . . . . . . . . . 274
Description of specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Information on fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Petrol engine 2.0 155 kW (211 PS) Front-wheel
drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Petrol engine 2.0 155 kW (211 PS) All-wheel
drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 77 kW (105 PS) DPF
with/without Start-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI CR 103 kW (140 PS) DPF
All-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI CR 125 kW (170 PS) DPF
All-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Dimensions and capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
4Table of Contents

10Safe driving
Proper sitting position for occupants
Proper sitting position for driver
The proper sitting position for the driver is important for a
safe and relaxed driving.
Fig. 1 The proper dis-
tance between driver and
steering wheel
Fig. 2 Proper head re-
straint position for driver
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
an accident, we recommend the following adjustments for the driv-
er:
– Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a distance of at least
25 cm between the steering wheel and the centre of your chest
⇒ fig. 1.
– Move the driver seat forwards or backwards so that you are able
to press the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals to the floor
with your knees still slightly angled ⇒ 
.
– Ensure that you can reach the highest point of the steering
wheel.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same
level as the top of your head, or as close as possible to the
same level as the top of your head ⇒ fig. 2.
– Move the backrest to an upright position so that your backrests
completely against it. 

16Safe driving
● Never travel without wearing the seat belt.
● Do not allow anyone to travel in the luggage compartment.
WARNING
● Any incorrect sitting position increases the risk of severe injuries.
● Sitting in an incorrect position exposes the occupants to severe inju-
ries if airbags are triggered, by striking a passenger who has assumed an
incorrect sitting position.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the proper sitting position and
maintain it throughout the trip. Before every trip, instruct your passen-
gers to sit properly and to stay in this position during the trip ⇒ page 10,
Proper sitting position for occupants.

Pedal area Pedals
The operation of all pedals must never be impaired by ob-
jects or floor mats.
– Ensure that you can always press the accelerator, brake and
clutch pedals unimpaired to the floor.
– Ensure that the pedals can return unimpaired to their initial po-
sitions.
Use only floor mats which leave the pedal area free and can be securely fas-
tened on the footwell.
If a brake circuit fails, the brake pedal must be pressed down thoroughly in
order to stop the vehicle. Wearing suitable shoes
Always wear shoes which support your feet properly and give you a good
feeling for the pedals.
WARNING
● Restricting pedal operation can lead to critical situations while driv-
ing.
● Never place objects on the driver footwell. An object could move into
the pedal area and impair pedal operation. In the event of a sudden driv-
ing or braking manoeuvre, you will not be able to operate the brake,
clutch or accelerator pedal. Risk of accident!

Floor mats on the driver side
Only floor mats may be used which can be securely fastened
in the footwell and do not impair operation of the pedals.
– Ensure that the floor mats are securely fastened during the trip
and do not obstruct the pedals ⇒ 
.
Only use floor mats which leave the pedals clear and which are secured to
prevent them from slipping. You can obtain suitable floor mats from a speci-
alised dealership. Fasteners* for floor mats are fitted in the footwells. 

55
Cockpit
Operating Instructions Cockpit
Overview Overview of the dash panel
This overview will help you to familiarise yourself with the
controls and displays. Door release lever
Light switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Lighting control for instrument and control lighting . . . . . . . . .117
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Air vents
Turn signal and main beam lever and cruise control system* 119, 183
Controls on the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Instrument panel:
– Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
– Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
– Indicator lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Horn (works only when the ignition is on)/ Driver front airbag . .30
Windscreen wiper and washer lever and operation of the
multifunction display* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124, 62
Left seat heating button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
1
2345678
910
11
Controls for
–
Heating* and ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
– Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
– Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Radio/Navigator*
Right seat heating button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Warning lamp for deactivated front passenger airbag . . . . . . .44
Front passenger airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Glove compartment lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Cup holder compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Controls on the centre console:
– Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
– ESC (ESP)* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
– Tyre pressure monitoring
– Cigarette lighter / Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
– Exterior mirror adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
– Start-Stop* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Hazard warning light switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Pedals
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Steering column control lever* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Handle for releasing the bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
12
1314151617181920
212223242526
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

61
Cockpit
Recommended gear display*
This display helps to save fuel.
Fig. 39 Gear display
Use the gear display to save fuel. If you are driving in the correct gear, a dot
will be shown next to the gear display. If you are not in the correct gear, an
arrow will appear next to the gear display indicating whether you should
change up or down.
Note
The gear change indication should not be taken into account the accelera-
tion is required (for example when overtaking). 
Odometer or flexible service interval display
Odometer
The left-hand counter in the display registers the total amount of distance
covered by the vehicle. The right-hand counter registers the short journeys. The last digit indicates
steps of 100 metres. The trip recorder counter may be reset by holding
down the reset button for a few seconds.
Service interval display
Vehicles with
Service intervals dependent on time/distance travelled al-
ready have certain service intervals set. The intervals are calculated individ-
ually in vehicles with LongLife service.
The service interval display only indicates the dates of services that include
engine oil change. The dates of all other services, such as Inspection Serv-
ice or brake fluid change, appear in the sticker on the door pillar or in the
Maintenance Programme.
A Service pre-warning will appear in the odometer if a service is due soon. A
“spanner” symbol appears and the display “km” with the distance that can
be driven until the next service appointment is due. The display will change
after approximately 10 seconds. A “clock symbol” appears and the number
of days until the service appointment should be carried out. The following
message is shown in the instrument panel display*: Service in
[XXXX]
kmor
[XXXX]
days
The service message will disappear approximately 20 seconds after the ig-
nition is switched on or the engine is running. The normal display can be
resumed by briefly pressing the reset button on the trip counter or by press-
ing the OK
button on the steering wheel controls.
With the ignition on, you can check the current service message at any mo-
ment in the Vehicle status menu or turning the reset button to access the
service display.
An overdue service is indicated by a minus sign in front of the mileage or
day information. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

65
Cockpit
This may be deactivated by pressing the button A
(Reset).
The speed may be altered using the rocker switch B
in steps of 5 km/h
within 5 seconds of the initial memory value.
WARNING
There could be black ice on the road surface even if the “snowflake sym-
bol” is not shown. For this reason you should not rely exclusively on this
display - Risk of accident!
Note
When the vehicle is stationary or travelling at very low speeds, the tempera-
ture displayed may be slightly higher than the actual outside temperature
as a result of the heat radiated from the engine. 
Warning or information message in the display
Faults are shown in the display with warning lamps and
warning/information reports.
The system runs a check on certain components and functions when the ig-
nition is switched on and while the vehicle is moving. Functional faults are
indicated by symbols with warning or information messages in the display.
An acoustic warning is given in certain cases.
Warning symbols
There are red warning symbols (priority 1) and yellow warning symbols (pri-
ority 2)
Information text
In addition to warning messages given on a fault, you will receive informa-
tion in the display on procedures or will be asked to carry out certain tasks.
Note
In the case of screens without warning or information texts, faults are indi-
cated exclusively by the warning lamps. 
Warning reports, Priority 1 (red)
If one of these faults occurs, the warning lamp will flash or light up and will
be accompanied by three audible warnings. This is a danger warning. Stop
the vehicle and switch off the engine. Check the fault and correct it. Obtain
professional assistance if necessary.
If several priority 1 faults are detected at the same time, the symbols will be
displayed one after the other for about 2 seconds at a time and will contin-
ue until the fault is corrected.
No menus will be shown in the display for the duration of a priority 1 warn-
ing message.
Examples of priority 1 warning messages (red)
● Brake system symbol  with warning message STOP BRAKE FLUID IN-
STRUCTION MANUAL or STOP BRAKE FAULT INSTRUCTION MANUAL
● Coolant symbol  with the warning message STOP SEE COOLANT IN-
STRUCTION MANUAL.
● Engine oil pressure symbol  with the warning message STOP ENGINE
OIL PRESSURE LOW! INSTRUCTION MANUAL . 
Warning reports, Priority 2 (yellow)
If one of these faults occurs, the warning lamp lights up, and is accompa-
nied by one audible warning. The function should be checked as soon as
possible. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

77
Cockpit
ItemSymbolMeaning of warning and indicator
lampsFurther infor-mation
1Fuel level / reserve⇒ page 79
2Coolant level / coolant temperature⇒ page 80
3Rear fog light switched on⇒ page 80
4 Turn signals in operation⇒ page 80
5Engine fault (petrol engine)⇒ page 81
Glow plug system for diesel engine⇒ page 81
6Main beam switched on⇒ page 81
7Soot accumulation in the diesel engine
particulate filter⇒ page 81
8ABS system fault⇒ page 82
9Windscreen washer fluid level⇒ page 82
10Alternator fault⇒ page 83
11Fasten seat belts!⇒ page 19
12Brake pad worn⇒ page 83
13Tyre pressure⇒ page 83
14Airbag or belt tensioner system fault or
airbag disabled⇒ page 29
⇒ page 32
ItemSymbolMeaning of warning and indicator
lampsFurther infor-mation
15Bulb defective⇒ page 84
16Brake fluid required or
brake system fault⇒ page 84
17
Red:
Engine oil pressure
⇒ page 85Yellow:
If flashing: engine oil sensor faulty
If it remains lit: insufficient engine oil
18Handbrake on⇒ page 180
19Cruise speed activated (Cruise control)⇒ page 85
20Door open indicator⇒ page 86
21If it stays lit: ASR (TCS) deactivated⇒ page 87
⇒ page 87
⇒ page 167
22Electromechanical steering⇒ page 86
23Fault in the emission control system⇒ page 86
24If flashing: the Electronic Stability Con-
trol ESC (ESP) or the ASR (TCS) is work-
ing
If it remains lit: ESC (ESP) or ASR (TCS)
faulty⇒ page 87
⇒ page 87
⇒ page 167

25Selector lever lock (automatic gearbox)⇒ page 88 
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