2012 Seat Leon 5D wheel bolts

201
Care and cleaning
Windows
Clear vision is an essential safety factor.
The windscreen must not be cleaned with insect remover or wax, otherwise
the windscreen wipers will not function properly (juddering).
Traces of rubber, oil, grease or silicone can be removed with a window
cleaning solution or a silicone remover. Wax residue can only be removed
with a special cleaner. Your SEAT Official Service will be able to provide you
with more detailed information.
The windows should also be cleaned on the inside at regular intervals.
Use a separate cloth or chamois to dry the windows. Cloths used for waxing
and polishing contain residues that will cause smears on the glass.
WARNING
Do not use water-repellent coatings on the windscreen. In bad visibility
conditions (e.g. in the rain, dark or with a low sun), these coatings may
cause dazzle: risk of accident! Such coatings can also cause the wind-
screen wiper blades to make noise.
CAUTION
● Remove snow and ice from windows and exterior mirrors with a plastic
scraper only. To avoid scratches caused by dirt on the glass, the scraper
should only be pushed in one direction and not moved to and fro.
● The heating element for the rear window is located on the inner side of
the window. To avoid damaging them, do not apply stickers to the heating
elements.
● Never use warm or hot water to remove snow and ice from windows and
mirrors. This could cause the glass to crack! Rims
The wheels require regular attention to preserve their appearance. It is im-
portant to remove road salt and brake dust by washing the wheels at regu-
lar intervals, otherwise the finish will be impaired.
After washing, the wheels should only be cleaned with an "acid-free" clean-
ing agent for alloy wheels. This is available from SEAT Official Services and
specialist retailers. Never leave the cleaning agent on the rims for any lon-
ger than specified in the instructions before rinsing it off. If the wheel clean-
er fluid contains acid it can attack the surfaces of the wheel bolts.
Car polish or other abrasive agents should not be used for maintaining the
rims. If the protective coating is damaged, e.g. by stone impact, the dam-
aged area should be touched up immediately.
WARNING
Please note when cleaning the wheels that water, ice and road salt can
impair the effectiveness of the brakes; this can cause an accident.

Exhaust tail pipe
It is important to remove road salt and brake dust by washing the wheels at
regular intervals, otherwise the exhaust tail pipe material could be dam-
aged. To remove impurities, do not use rim, paint or chrome cleaners or oth-
er abrasive products. Clean the exhaust tail pipes with cleaning products
that are suitable for stainless steel.
SEAT Official Services carry stocks of cleaning products that have been tes-
ted and approved for use on your vehicle. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

227
Wheels and tyres
If you use tyres that are approved by SEAT you can be sure that the actual
tyre dimensions will be correct for your vehicle. If you decide to fit a differ-
ent type of tyre, you must obtain the appropriate manufacturer's certificate
from the tyre retailer to confirm that the tyres are suitable for your vehicle.
Keep this certificate in a safe place.
Your SEAT Official Service will be able to advise you on which tyres may be
fitted to your vehicle.
It is best to have all servicing of wheels and tyres performed by a special-
ised workshop. They are familiar with the procedure and have the necessary
special tools and spare parts as well as the proper facilities for disposing of
the old tyres.
WARNING
● It is very important to ensure that the tyres you have chosen have ad-
equate clearance. When selecting replacement tyres, do not rely entirely
on the nominal tyre size marked on the tyre; with some makes of tyre the
effective tyre size can differ significantly from the nominal dimensions,
even though the tyres have the same size designation. Inadequate tyre
clearance can result in damage to the tyres or the vehicle, causing a seri-
ous safety risk. It may also invalidate the vehicle's registration for use on
public roads.
● 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.
● If wheel trims are fitted after the car is purchased, ensure that there
is an adequate flow of air for cooling the brake system.
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of according to the laws in the country con-
cerned.
Note
● Never mount used tyres if you are not sure of their “previous history”.
● For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to use the wheels from
other vehicles. In some cases, this may also be true for the same model of
wheel. 
Wheel bolts
The wheel bolts are designed to suit the rims on your car.
The wheel bolts are matched to the rims. When installing different wheels
(for instance alloy wheels or wheels with winter tyres) it is important to use
the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt
heads. This ensures that wheels are fitted securely and that the brake sys-
tem functions correctly.
The wheel bolts must be clean and turn easily.
A special adapter is required to turn the anti-theft wheel bolts*
⇒ page 237. 
Winter tyres
Winter tyres will improve the vehicles handling on snow and
ice.
– Winter tyres must be fitted on all four wheels.
– Only use winter tyres that are approved for your vehicle.
– Please note that the maximum permissible speed for winter
tyres may be lower than for summer tyres. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

236Emergencies
Wheel covers*
The wheel covers must be removed for access to the wheel
bolts
Fig. 119 Remove the
complete hub cap
Removing
– Remove the wheel cover using the wire hook ⇒ Fig. 119.
– Hook this into one of the cut-outs of the wheel cover.
Fitting
– Fit the wheel cover onto the wheel rim by pressing it firmly. Put
pressure initially on the point of the cut-out for the valve. Next
fit the rest of the hubcap Removing the wheel bolt caps*
Fig. 120 Wheel: wheel
bolts with caps
Removal
– Fit the plastic clip (vehicle tools) over the cap until it clicks into
place ⇒ Fig. 120.
– Remove the cap with the plastic clip. 

237
Emergencies
Anti-theft wheel bolts
Fig. 121 Anti-theft
wheel bolt with cap and
adapter
A special adapter (vehicle tools) is required to remove the anti-
theft wheel bolts.
– Remove the wheel cover* or the cap*.
– Insert the adapter onto the anti-theft wheel bolt and push it on
as far as it will go.
– Insert the wheel brace (vehicle tools) onto the adapter as far as
it will go.
– Remove the wheel bolt ⇒ page 237.
Note
Make a note of the code number of the anti-theft wheel bolt and keep it in a
safe place, but not in your vehicle. If you need a new adapter, you can ob-
tain it from the SEAT Official Service, indicating the code number. 
Loosening the wheel bolts
Fig. 122 Wheel: loosen
the wheel bolts
– Insert the wheel brace (vehicle tools) onto the wheel bolt as far
as it will go 1)
.
– Turn the wheel bolt approximately one turn to the left ⇒ 
Fig. 122
-arrow-. To apply the required torque, hold the wheel brace at
the end. If it is not possible to loosen a wheel bolt, carefully ap-
ply pressure with one foot on the end of the wheel brace. Hold
on to the car for support and take care not to slip. 
1)
An adapter is required to unscrew or tighten the anti-theft wheel bolts ⇒ page 237.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

238Emergencies
WARNING
Slightly loosen the wheel bolts (one turn) before raising the vehicle with
the jack*. If not, an accident may occur.

Raising the vehicle
Fig. 123 Crossbar:
makes
Fig. 124 Strut: mount-
ing the jack on the ve-
hicle
– Place the jack* (vehicle tools) on a firm surface. If necessary use
a large, strong board or similar support. If the surface is slip-
pery (for example, tiles), use a non-slip base underneath the
jack (for example, a rubber mat) ⇒ 
.
– Find the support point on the strut (sunken area) closest to the
wheel to be changed ⇒ Fig. 123. The jack* support point is be-
hind the mark on the strut.
– Turn the jack*, located below the strut support point, to raise it
until tab A
⇒ Fig. 124 is below the plastic housing.
– Align the jack* so that tab A
"grips" onto the plastic housing
on the strut and the mobile base plate B is resting on the
ground. The base plate B should fall vertically with respect to
the support point A.
– Continue turning the jack* until the wheel is slightly lifted off
the ground. 

239
Emergencies
WARNING
● Make sure that the jack* remains stable. If the surface is slippery or
soft, the jack* could slip or sink, respectively, with the resultant risk of
injury.
● Only raise the vehicle with the jack* supplied by the manufacturer.
Other vehicles could slip, with the consequent risk of injury.
● Only mount the jack* on the support points designed for this purpose
on the strut, and always align the jack correctly. If you do not, the jack*
could slip as it does not have an adequate grip on the vehicle: risk of in-
jury!
● The height of the parked vehicle can change as a result of variations
in temperature and loading.
CAUTION
The vehicle must not be raised on the crossbar. Only place the jack* on the
points designed for this purpose on the strut. Otherwise, the vehicle may be
damaged. 
Removing and fitting a wheel
After loosening the wheel bolts and raising the vehicle with the
jack, change the wheel as described below:
Taking off the wheel
– Unscrew the wheel bolts using the box spanner and place them
on a clean surface.
– Take off the wheel ⇒ 
. Putting on the spare wheel
When fitting tyres with a compulsory rotation direction, observe
the instructions in
⇒ page 239.
– Mount the wheel.
– Screw on the wheel bolts in position and tighten them loosely
with a box spanner.
– Carefully lower the vehicle using the jack*.
– Tighten the wheel bolts in diagonal pairs using the wheel
brace.
The wheel bolts should be clean and turn easily. Before fitting the spare
wheel, inspect the wheel condition and hub mounting surfaces. These sur-
faces must be clean before fitting the wheel.
CAUTION
When removing/fitting the wheel, the rim may hit and damage the brake
disc. For this reason, please take care and get a second person to assist
you. 
Tyres with compulsory direction of rotation
A directional tread pattern can be identified by arrows on the sidewall that
point in the direction of rotation. Always observe the direction of rotation in-
dicated when mounting the wheel. This is important so that these tyres can
give maximum grip and avoid excessive noise, tread wear and aquaplaning.
If, exceptionally, it is necessary to mount the spare wheel* in the opposite
direction of rotation, please drive carefully, as in this case the tyre does not
have optimum conditions of use. This is particularly important when driving
on wet roads. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications

240Emergencies
To benefit from the advantages of tyres with this type of tread pattern, the
defective tyre should be replaced as soon as possible so that all tyres again
rotate in the correct direction. 
After changing a wheel
– On alloy wheels: replace the wheel bolt caps.
– On plate wheels: replace the wheel hubcap ⇒ page 236.
– Put the tools and jack back in the luggage compartment.
– If the replaced wheel does not fit in the spare wheel housing,
store it safely in the luggage compartment ⇒ page 17.
– Check the tyre pressure of the newly mounted tyre as soon as
possible.
– In vehicles fitted with a tyre pressure indicator, adjust the pres-
sure and store the reading in the radio/Easy Connect system*
⇒ page 175.
– The wheel bolts should be tightened to 120 Nm. Check the tor-
que as soon as possible with a torque wrench. Meanwhile, drive
carefully.
– Have the flat tyre replaced as quickly as possible. Spare wheel
General information
Fig. 125 Compact tem-
porary spare wheel:
raised floor panel
The temporary spare wheel has been designed to be used for short
periods of time. Have the tyres checked, and if necessary, replaced
as soon as possible at a SEAT Official Service or at a specialised
workshop.
Please note the following restrictions when using the compact tem-
porary spare wheel. The compact temporary spare wheel is de-
signed specifically for this model. For this reason, do not use a
temporary spare wheel from a different type of vehicle.
Removing the temporary spare wheel
– Lift and hold up the floor panel to remove the temporary spare
wheel ⇒ Fig. 125.
– Turn the thumb wheel anti-clockwise. 

266Technical specifications
Drawbar loads
The maximum permitted drawbar load on the ball joint of the towing bracket
must not exceed 80 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 (50 mph) 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.

Wheels
Tyre pressure, snow chains, wheel bolts
Tyre pressures
The sticker with the tyre pressure values can be found on the inside of the
fuel tank flap. The tyre pressure values given there are for cold tyres. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tyres must not be reduced. ⇒ 
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front wheels, and only for the follow-
ing tyres:
175/70R14
185/60R15Chains with links not exceeding 15 mm (including the chain
closure)
215/45R16Chains with links not exceeding 9 mm (including the chain
closure)
215/40R17Chains with links not exceeding 7 mm (including the chain
closure)
Wheel bolts
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
● Check the tyre pressure at least once per month. Checking the tyre
pressure is very important. If the tyre pressure is too high or too low,
there is an increased danger of accidents, particularly at high speeds.
● If the tightening torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loos-
en while the vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening tor-
que is too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged.
Note
We recommend that you ask your Technical Service for information about
appropriate wheel, tyre and snow chain size. 