2012 Seat Altea Freetrack gas type

35
Airbag system
The front airbag system will not be triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision,
● there is a side collision,
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over
WARNING
● The seat belts and airbags can only provide maximum protection if
the occupants are seated correctly ⇒ page 10, Proper sitting position for
occupants.
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system, have the system checked
immediately by a specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a frontal colli-
sion the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.
 Operation of front airbags
Inflated airbags reduce the risk of head or chest injury.
Fig. 20 Inflated front air-
bags
The airbag system is designed so that the airbags for the driver and front
passenger are triggered in a severe frontal collision.
In certain types of accident the front, curtain and side airbags may be trig-
gered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbags fill with a propellant gas and de-
ploy in front of the driver and front passenger ⇒ fig. 20. The fully deployed
airbags cushion the forward movement of the front occupants and help to
reduce the risk of injury to the head and the upper part of the body.
The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag. After the collision, the
airbag deflates sufficiently to allow visibility.
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within thousandths of a second, to
provide additional protection in the event of an accident. A fine dust may 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

39
Airbag system
WARNING (Continued)
● Never drive the vehicle if the loudspeakers in the door panels have
been removed, unless the holes left by the loudspeakers have been cor-
rectly closed.
● Always check that the openings are closed or covered if loudspeakers
or other equipment are fitted in the interior door panels.
● Any work carried out to the doors should be made in a specialised
workshop.
● The seat belts and airbags can only provide maximum protection if
the occupants are seated correctly ⇒ page 10, Proper sitting position for
occupants.
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system, have the system checked
immediately by a specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a side colli-
sion, the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.
 Operation of side airbags
Inflated airbags can reduce the risk of head or chest injury
in many side impact collisions.
Fig. 23 Inflated side air-
bag on left side of vehicle
In some side collisions, the side airbag is triggered on the impact side of
the vehicle ⇒ fig. 23.
In certain types of accident the front, curtain and side airbags may be trig-
gered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled with propellant gas.
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within thousandths of a second, to
provide additional protection in the event of an accident. A fine dust may
develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and it is not an indication
of fire in the vehicle.
The fully deployed airbags cushion the movement of the occupants of the
front seats and the outer rear seats and help to reduce the risk of injury to
the upper body. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

42Airbag system
● the vehicle turns over
● there is a minor side collision
WARNING
If a fault has occurred in the airbag system, have the system checked im-
mediately by a specialised workshop. Otherwise there is a danger that
during a collision, the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.

Operation of curtain airbags
Fully inflated airbags reduce the risk of head or chest injury
in a side collision.
Fig. 25 Deployed curtain
airbags
During some side collisions the curtain airbag is triggered on the impact
side of the vehicle ⇒ fig. 25.
In certain types of accident the front, side and curtain airbags may be trig-
gered together. When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled with propellant gas. In the
process, the curtain airbag covers the side windows and door pillars.
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within thousandths of a second, to
provide additional protection in the event of an accident. A fine dust may
develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and it is not an indication
of fire in the vehicle.
The fully deployed airbags cushion the movement of the front occupants
and help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper body.
The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag.

Safety notes on the operation of the curtain airbag system
If you use airbags correctly, they can considerably reduce
the risk of injury in many kinds of accident.
WARNING
● In order for the side airbags to provide their maximum protection, the
prescribed sitting position must always be maintained with seat belts
fastened while travelling.
● For safety reasons, the curtain airbag must be disconnected in those
vehicles fitted with a passenger compartment separation screen. See an
Authorised Service Centre to make this adjustment.
● There must be no other persons, animals or objects between the oc-
cupants of the outer seats and the deployment space of the curtain air-
bags so that the curtain airbag can deploy without restriction and pro-
vide the greatest possible protection. Therefore, sun blinds which have 

196Driving and the environment
WARNING (Continued)
● On steep slopes, if brakes are excessively used, they will overheat.
Before driving down a long steep slope, it is advisable to reduce speed
and change down into a lower gear or range (depending on the type of
transmission). This makes use of engine braking and relieves the brakes.
● Never let the brakes “drag” by applying light pressure. Continuous
braking will cause the brakes to overheat and the braking distance will
increase. Apply and then release the brakes alternately.
● Never let the vehicle run with the engine switched off. The braking
distance is increased considerably when the brake servo is not active.
● If the brake fluid loses its viscosity and is subjected to heavy use, va-
pour bubbles can form in the brake system. This reduces the efficiency of
the brakes.
● Non-standard or damaged front spoilers could restrict the airflow to
the brakes and cause them to overheat. Before purchasing accessories
please observe the relevant instructions ⇒ page 214, Technical modifi-
cations.
● If a brake circuit fails, the braking distance will be increased consider-
ably. Contact a specialised workshop immediately and avoid unnecessa-
ry journeys.

Exhaust gas purification system Catalytic converter*
To maintain the useful life of the catalytic converter
– Use only unleaded petrol with petrol engines, as lead damages
the catalytic converter.
– Do not let the fuel get too low in the tank. –
For engine oil changes, do not replenish with too much engine
oil ⇒ page 224, Topping up engine oil .
– Never tow the vehicle to start it, use jump leads if necessary
⇒ page 268.
If you notice misfiring, uneven running or loss of power when the vehicle is
moving, reduce speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected at the
nearest specialised workshop. In general, the exhaust gas warning lamp
will light up when any of the described symptoms occur ⇒ page 76. If this
happens, unburnt fuel can enter the exhaust system and escape into the en-
vironment. The catalytic converter can also be damaged by overheating.
WARNING
The catalytic converter reaches very high temperatures! There is a risk of
fire.
● Never park where the catalytic converter could come into contact with
dry grass or flammable materials under the vehicle.
● Do not apply additional underseal or anti-corrosion coatings to the
exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or the heat shields on the exhaust sys-
tem. These materials could catch fire when the vehicle is being driven.
CAUTION
Never run the fuel tank completely dry because the irregularity of the fuel
supply may cause ignition problems. This allows unburnt fuel to enter the
exhaust system, which could cause overheating and damage the catalytic
converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even when the emission control system is working perfectly, there may be a
smell of sulphur from the exhaust gas under some conditions. This depends
on the sulphur content of the fuel used. Quite often the problem can be
solved by changing to another brand of fuel. 

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