2012 Seat Altea XL wiper fluid

Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Instructions to follow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Ball coupling of towing bracket* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Fitting a towing bracket* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . 212
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Care of the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Vehicle interior maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Accessories, parts replacement and
modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Accessories and spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Roof aerial* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Mobile phones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
LPG system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades . . . . 239
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
If and when . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Tools, tyre repair kit and spare wheel . . . . . . . . . 256
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Tyre repair kit (Tyre Mobility System)* . . . . . . . . . 263
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Bulb change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Towing and tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Technical Specifications
. . . . . . . . . . . 285
Description of specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Information on fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Petrol engine 1.4 63 kW (85 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Petrol engine 1.6 75 kW (102 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Petrol engine 1.2 77 kW (105 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Petrol engine 1.4 92 kW (125 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Petrol engine 1.8 118 kW (160 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 66 kW (90 PS) with/
without DPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 77 kW (105 PS) with/
without DPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 77 kW (105 PS) Start-
Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI CR 103 kW (140 PS) . . . . . 299
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI CR 103 kW (140 PS) 4-
wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Dimensions and capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
4Table of Contents

128Lights and visibility
WARNING
● Worn and dirty wiper blades reduce visibility and safety levels while
driving.
● In cold conditions, you should not use the wash / wipe system unless
you have warmed the windscreen with the heating and ventilation sys-
tem. The washer fluid could otherwise freeze on the windscreen and ob-
scure your view of the road.
● Always note the corresponding warnings on ⇒ page 240, Changing
windscreen wiper blades.
CAUTION
In icy conditions, always check that the wiper blades are not frozen to the
glass before using the wipers for the first time. If you switch on the wipers
when the wiper blades are frozen to the windscreen, you could damage
both the wiper blades and the wiper motor.
Note
● The windscreen wipers will only work when the ignition is switched on.
● In certain versions of vehicles with alarms, the windscreen wiper will on-
ly work when the ignition is on and the bonnet closed.
● When in use, the wipers do not go as far as the rest position. When the
lever is moved to position 0, they are totally hidden.
● The next speed down will automatically be selected if speed ⇒ fig. 86
2
or 3 is selected when the vehicle stops. The set speed will be resumed
when the vehicle starts again
● The windscreen will be wiped again after approximately five seconds
once the “automatic wipe/wash system” has been operated, provided the
vehicle is in transit (drip function). If you activate the wipers less than three
seconds after the drip function, a new wash sequence will begin without the
last wipe. For the “drip” function to work again, you have to turn the ignition
off and then on again. ●
When the “intermittent wipe function” is on, the intervals are directly
proportional to the speed. This way, the higher the vehicle speed the short-
er the intervals.
● The wiper will try to wipe away any obstacles that are on the windscreen.
The wiper will stop moving if the obstacle blocks its path. Remove the ob-
stacle and switch the wiper back on again.
● Before removing any objects that may be trapped in the side areas of
the windscreen, always move the wiper arms to the service position (hori-
zontal).
● The heat output of the heated jets is controlled automatically when the
ignition is switched on, depending upon the outside temperature. 

199
Intelligent technology
WARNING
● Even with all-wheel drive, you should always adjust your speed to
suit the conditions. Do not let the extra safety features tempt you into
taking any risks when driving. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
● The braking capability of your vehicle is limited by the tyres' grip. Ve-
hicle behaviour is no different from a vehicle without four-wheel drive. So
do not be tempted to drive too fast on icy or slippery roads just because
the vehicle still has good acceleration in these conditions. Failure to do
so could result in an accident.
● On wet roads bear in mind that the front wheels may start to aqua-
plane and lose contact with the road if the vehicle is driven too fast. If
this should happen, there will be no sudden increase in engine speed
when aquaplaning begins to warn the driver, as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. For this reason and for that mentioned above, always choose a
driving speed suitable for the road conditions. Failure to do so could re-
sult in an accident.

Brakes
What factors can have a negative effect on the brakes?
New brake pads
New brake pads do not provide optimal performance during the first 400
km; first they must be run in. However, the reduced braking capacity may be
compensated by pressing on the brake pedal a little harder. Avoid overload-
ing the brakes during run-in.
Wear
The rate of wear on the brake pads depends a great deal on how you drive
and the conditions in which the vehicle is operated. Negative factors are, for
instance, city traffic, frequent short trips or hard driving with abrupt starts
and stops. Wet roads or road salt
When the speed is
over 80 km/h and the windscreen wipers are on, the
brake system moves the pads towards the brake discs for a few seconds.
This occurs - without the driver knowing - at regular intervals and allows a
faster response from the brakes when driving on wet roads.
In certain conditions, such as in heavy rain, or after washing the vehicle or
driving through water, the full braking effect can be delayed by moisture (or
in winter by ice) on the discs and brake pads. In this case the brakes should
be dried by pressing the brake pedal several times.
The effectiveness of the brakes can also be temporarily reduced if the vehi-
cle is driven for some distance without using the brakes when there is a lot
of salt on the road in winter. In this case, the layer of salt on the brake discs
and pads has to wear off before braking.
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for corrosion to form on the discs and dirt to build
up on the brake pads if the vehicle is used infrequently or the brakes are
not used very often.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if rust has formed on the disks, it is
advisable to clean off the pads and disks by braking firmly a few times at a
moderately high speed ⇒ .
Faults in the brake system
If the brake pedal travel should ever increase suddenly, this may mean that
one of the two brake circuits has failed. Drive immediately to the nearest
specialised workshop and have the fault repaired. Drive there slowly and re-
member that you will have to apply more pressure on the brake pedal and
allow for longer stopping distances.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is too
low. The brake fluid level is monitored electronically. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

216Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
If possible, use a de-icing spray to remove ice. If you use an ice scraper,
push it in one direction only without swinging it.
Use window cleaner or a silicone remover to clean rubber, oil, grease and
silicone deposits off.
Wax deposits can be removed with a special cleaner available in your Au-
thorised Service Centre. Wax deposits on the windscreen could cause the
wiper blades to judder. Adding a window cleaner that dissolves wax to the
windscreen washer fluid prevents wiper blades from juddering, but wax de-
posits are not removed.
CAUTION
● Never use warm or hot water to remove snow and ice from windows and
mirrors. This could cause the glass to crack!
● The heating element for the rear window is located on the inner side of
the window. To prevent damage, do not put stickers on the heating ele-
ments inside the window. 
Cleaning windscreen wiper blades
Clean wiper blades improve visibility.
1. Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt from the windscreen wiper blades.
2. Use window cleaner to clean the windscreen wiper blades. Use a sponge or a cloth to remove stubborn dirt. Rubber seals maintenance
If rubber seals are well looked after, they will not freeze so
quickly.
1. Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt from the rubber seals.
2. Apply a specialist care product to the rubber seals.
The rubber strips on the doors, windows, bonnet and tailgate will remain
pliable and last longer if they are treated with a suitable care product (for
example silicone spray).
Caring for rubber seals will also prevent premature ageing and leaks. The
doors will be easier to open. If rubber seals are well looked after, they will
not freeze so quickly in winter. 
Door lock cylinders
The door lock cylinders can freeze up in winter.
To de-ice the lock cylinders you should only use spray with lubricating and
anti-corrosive properties. 
Cleaning chrome parts
1. Clean chrome parts with a damp cloth.
2. Polish chrome parts with a soft, dry cloth. If this does not provide satisfying results, use a specialist chrome cleaning
product. Chrome cleaning products will remove stains from the surface. 

232Checking and refilling levels
WARNING (Continued)
– Never work near naked flames.
– Always have a fire extinguisher on hand.
CAUTION
When topping up service fluids, make sure not to mistake them. Using the
wrong fluids could cause serious malfunctions and engine damage!
For the sake of the environment
Service fluids leaks are harmful to the environment. For this reason you
should make regular checks on the ground underneath your vehicle. If you
find spots of oil or other fluids, have your vehicle inspected in a specialised
workshop. 
Opening the bonnet
The bonnet is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig. 165 Detail of foot-
well area on driver side:
lever for unlocking the
bonnet.
Fig. 166 Arrester hook
for bonnet.
Before opening the bonnet ensure that the windscreen wipers are
in rest position.
– To release the bonnet, pull the lever under the dash panel
⇒ fig. 165 in the direction indicated (arrow). The bonnet will be
released by a spring action ⇒ 
.
– Lift the bonnet using the release lever (arrow) and open the
bonnet.
– Release the bonnet stay and secure it in fixture designed for
this in the bonnet.
WARNING
Hot coolant can scald!
● Never open the bonnet if you see steam, smoke or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment. 

239
Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
Any work carried out in the engine compartment or on the engine must
be carried out cautiously.
● When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 230.
● When the engine is warm or hot, the cooling system is pressurised!
Do not unscrew the cap on the expansion tank when the engine is hot.
This is a burn injury risk.
CAUTION
● When mixed with other additives the colour of G12 will change to brown.
If this occurs you should have the coolant changed immediately. Failure to
do so will result in engine damage!
● If a lot of coolant fluid has been lost, wait for the engine to cool down
before putting in cold coolant. This avoids damaging the engine. Large cool-
ant losses are an indication of leaks in the cooling system. See a special-
ised workshop immediately and have the cooling system checked. Other-
wise, there is a risk of engine damage. Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades
Topping up washer fluid 
The water for cleaning the windscreen should always be
mixed with washer fluid.
Fig. 170 In the engine
compartment: Cap of
windscreen washer fluid
reservoir.
The windscreen washer and the headlight washers are supplied with fluid
from the windscreen washer fluid container in the engine compartment.
The reservoir is located on the right-hand side of the engine compartment.
Plain water is not enough to clean the windscreen and headlights. We rec-
ommend that you always add a product to the windscreen washer fluid. Ap-
proved windscreen cleaning products exist on the market with high deter-
gent and anti-freeze properties, these may be added all-year-round. Please
follow the dilution instructions on the packaging. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

240Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
Any work carried out in the engine compartment or on the engine must
be carried out cautiously.
● When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 230.
CAUTION
● Never put radiator anti-freeze or other additives into the windscreen
washer fluid.
● Always use approved windscreen cleansing products diluted as per in-
structions. If you use other washer fluids or soap solutions, the tiny holes in
the fan-shaped nozzles could become blocked. Changing windscreen wiper blades
If the windscreen wiper blades are in perfect condition, you
will benefit from an improved visibility. Damaged wiper
blades should be replaced immediately.
Fig. 171 Windscreen
wipers in the service po-
sition
Fig. 172 Changing the
front wiper blades


Index
A
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Acoustic signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Acoustic warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Adjusting the seat belt height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
AFS (cornering lights) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Air conditioner General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Air conditioner automatic mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Air conditioner* 2C-Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Air recirculation mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Manual air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Alarm system Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
All-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Alternator
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Anti-freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Anti-theft wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Ashtray* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Aspects to note before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ASR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror* Activating the anti-dazzle function . . . . . . 131
Deactivating anti-dazzle function . . . . . . . 131
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Automatic gearbox Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Automatic gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox 180
Automatic lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Automatic windscreeen wiper/washer . . . . . . 127
Auxiliary audio connection: AUX-IN . . . . . . . . 151
B
Ball coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Battery
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Winter conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Brake pedal warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Worn brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194, 202
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Braking distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Bulb changes General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Bulb defect warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Buzzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122, 171
303
Index