2012 Seat Mii winter tyres

146Starting, changing gears, parking
Unnecessary short journeys should be avoided. Try to combine trips.
The vehicle uses more fuel in winter than in summer, even when other con-
ditions are the same.
“Warming” the engine is not only forbidden in some countries, but in prac-
tice it is technically superfluous as it is a waste of fuel.
Adjusting type pressures.
Having the correct pressure in your tyres helps to reduce rolling resistance
and, as a result reduces fuel consumption. Increasing the tyre pressure
slightly (+ 0.2 bar / + 3 psi / + 200 kPa) can help to save fuel.
When you buy new tyres, make sure they are optimised for minimum rolling
resistance.
Use low friction engine oil
The use of low viscosity totally synthetic oils, known as low friction engine
oil, help to reduce fuel consumption. Low friction engine oils reduce the re-
sistance caused by friction in the engine, they flow around the engine more
quickly and efficiently, particularly in cold starts. The effect is particularly
noticeable in vehicles frequently used for short journeys.
Always check the engine oil level and observe service intervals (engine oil
change intervals).
When purchasing engine oil, always observe legal requirements and ensure
that the oil is approved by SEAT.
Avoid carrying unnecessary loads
The lighter the vehicle, the more economical and ecological the driving
style. For example, an additional weight of 100 kg will increase fuel con-
sumption up to 0.3 ltr/100 km.
Remove any unnecessary objects or loads from the vehicle. Remove optional equipment and unnecessary accessories
The more aerodynamic the vehicle, the lower the fuel consumption. Option-
al equipment and accessories (such as roof racks or bike carriers) reduce
the aerodynamic benefits of the vehicle.
Therefore, we recommend you remove all optional and unnecessary equip-
ment and racks, especially if you intend to drive at high speeds.


199
Vehicle care and maintenance
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the vehicle, please observe the following before en-
tering an automatic car wash :
● Compare the distance between the vehicle wheels and the distance be-
tween the guide-rails of the car wash to prevent damage to the wheels and
tyres!
● Switch off the rain sensor before taking the vehicle to an automatic car
wash.
● Compare the height and width of your vehicle with the available height
and width when entering and driving through the car wash!
● Fold in exterior mirrors Electrically retractable exterior mirrors must NOT
be folded in or out by hand. Always use the electrical power control.
● To avoid damaging the bonnet paintwork, rest the windscreen wipers on
the windscreen after drying the wiper blades. Do not let them fall!
● Lock the rear lid to prevent it from opening unexpectedly while inside
the car wash. 
Washing the vehicle with high pressure cleaning apparatus
When cleaning the vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, always follow the
operating instructions for the equipment. Pay special attention to the re-
quired pressure of the jet and the distance between the jet and the vehicle
⇒ 
.
Keep a suitable distance from soft materials, such as rubber hoses or insu-
lating material, and from the parking distance warning system sensors. The
sensors of the parking distance warning system are situated on the rear
bumper ⇒ 
.
Do not use a nozzle that sprays the water out in a direct stream or one that
has a rotating jet for forcing off dirt ⇒ 
.
WARNING
The incorrect use of high pressure cleaning equipment could result in
permanent damage, visible or invisible, to the tyres or other materials.
This could result in serious accident.
● Ensure there is a suitable distance between the nozzle and the tyres.
● Never wash tyres with a concentrated jet or so-called “dirt blasters”.
Even at large spraying distances and short cleaning times, you may dam-
age the tyres.
WARNING
After the vehicle has been washed, the braking effect will be reduced
(and the braking distance increased) due to moisture (and ice in winter)
on the brakes.
● “Dry the brakes and remove ice” by braking carefully. Ensure that you
are not endangering other road-users or breaking traffic regulations in
the process.
CAUTION
● The temperature of the water must not be above +60 °C (+140 °F).
● To avoid damage to the paintwork, do not wash the vehicle in full sun.
● To ensure that the system functions well, the sensors located on the
bumper must be kept clean and free from ice. When cleaning with pressure
hoses and steam cleaners, the sensors should be sprayed only briefly. A
distance of 10 cm between the sensors and the steam / hose nozzle must
be observed.
● Do not use a high pressure cleaner to remove ice or snow from windows
● Washing the vehicle in low temperatures: When washing the vehicle
with a hose, do not direct water into the lock cylinders or the gaps around
the doors, rear lid, or sunroof. Locks and seals could freeze! 
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214Vehicle care and maintenance
Note
If you use tyres that are approved by SEAT, you can be sure that the true tyre
dimensions will be correct for your vehicle. For other tyre models, the tyre
vendor should provide the manufacturer's certificate with the tyre, indicat-
ing that this type of tyre is suitable for your vehicle. This certificate should
always be carried with the vehicle. 
Tyre pressures
Fig. 121 Position of tyre pressure specification plate
The correct tyre pressures for tyres fitted at the factory is shown on a label
and is valid for summer and winter tyres. This label ⇒ Fig. 121 is either in
the driver door strut or inside the fuel cap.
Under-inflation or over-inflation will reduce the life of the tyres considerably
and also impair the vehicle's handling ⇒ 
. It is essential to maintain the
correct tyre pressures, especially if driving at high speeds. Incorrect tyre
pressure causes premature wear and could cause tyre blow-out. The pressure should therefore be checked at least once a month and before
starting a journey.
As a general rule, the pressures given are for
cold tyres. When the tyres are
hot, the pressures are greater.
Never deflate a hot tyre in order to obtain the required pressure. This could
result in very low tyre pressures which may lead to sudden blow-outs. 

215
Vehicle care and maintenance
Checking tyre pressures
Check tyre pressures only when the vehicle has not been driven for more
than a few kilometres at low speeds in the past three hours.
● Check tyre pressures regularly, and only when the tyres are cold. Always
check all tyres, including the spare wheel. Check tyre pressures more often
in colder regions, and only when the vehicle has not been driven recently.
Always use a correctly-operating tyre gauge.
● Adjust tyre pressures to the loads carried in the vehicle.
● After adjusting the tyre pressure, check that the caps are properly
screwed.
The spare wheel or temporary spare wheel must be at the maximum pres-
sure specified.
WARNING
If tyre pressures are too high or too low, the tyre may deflate or burst
suddenly while driving. This could result in serious accident.
● If the tyre pressure is too low, the tyres could overheat, resulting in
tread detachment or even burst tyres.
● When driving at high speeds and/or fully loaded, the tyre could sud-
denly overheat, burst or be subject to tread detachment, with the resul-
tant loss of control of the vehicle.
● Tyre pressures which are too high or too low reduce the service life of
the tyre, affecting the vehicle's performance.
● Tyre pressures should be checked regularly, at least once a month
and before long journeys.
● Adjust the pressures of all the tyres to the vehicle load.
● Never deflate excess pressure from hot tyres.
CAUTION
● Take care not to tilt the manometer when placing it on the valve. Other-
wise, the valve may be damaged.
● To avoid damage to the valves, always replace valve caps correctly.
Check that the caps are identical to the standard caps and have been cor-
rectly tightened.
For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase the fuel consumption. 
Tread depth and wear indicators
Fig. 122 Tyre tread:
tread wear indicators
Tread depth
Certain driving conditions require a deeper tread, as well as needing the
tread to be approximately the same on the front and rear tyres. This is par-
ticularly important when driving in winter, in cold temperatures and on wet
roads ⇒ 
. 
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216Vehicle care and maintenance
The minimum tread depth required by law in the majority of cases is
1.6 mm, measured in the tread grooves next to the tread wear indicators.
Observe legal requirements in each country.
The performance of winter tyres is much reduced when the tread has worn
to 4 mm (5/32 inch).
The tread depth of new tyres may vary, according to the type and make of
tyre and the tread pattern.
Wear indicators on the tyre
The original tyres on your vehicle have 1.6 mm high ⇒ Fig. 122 tread wear
indicators running across the tread. A number of these indicators are equal-
ly spaced around the tyre tread. Certain marks on the tyre walls (for exam-
ple, the letters “TWI” or other symbols) indicate the position of the wear in-
dicators.
Tread wear indicators indicate if a tyre is worn. Tyres must always be re-
placed before the tyre tread has worn to the level of the indicator.
WARNING
Driving with worn tyres is dangerous, and may lead to loss of control of
the vehicle with serious consequences.
● Tyres must be replaced before the wear indicators are at the same lev-
el as the tread pattern.
● Worn tyres have significantly reduced grip, especially on wet surfa-
ces, increasing the risk of “aquaplaning”.
● Worn tyres make control of the vehicle more difficult in normal or dif-
ficult driving conditions, increasing the braking distance and the risk of
skidding.
 Damaged tyres
Damage to wheels and tyres is often not immediately visible. If you notice
unusual
vibration or the vehicle pulling to one side, this may indicate that
one of the tyres is damaged ⇒ 
.
● Slow down immediately if you think you have a damaged wheel.
● Check the wheels and tyres for damage.
● If tyres are worn, stop driving and seek qualified assistance.
● If there is no visible exterior damage, drive slowly and carefully to the
nearest Specialised workshop and have the vehicle checked.
Foreign bodies in the tyre
● Do not remove foreign bodies if they have penetrated through the tyre
wall!
● You should obtain professional assistance immediately.
Wear of tyres
The wear of tyres depends on a number of factors, for example:
● Driving style.
● Unbalanced wheels.
● Running gear settings.
Driving style : driving round bends fast or sudden acceleration or braking
speed up the wear of tyres. When the driving style is normal, if the tyres
wear too quickly, have the running gear settings checked at a Specialised
workshop.
Wheel run-out: The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, certain
circumstances may lead to imbalance (run-out), which is detected as vibra-
tions in the steering wheel. Run-out leads to wear of the steering and sus-
pension. In the event of run out, the wheels should be balanced again.
When a new wheel is fitted, it should be balanced again. 

217
Vehicle care and maintenance
Running gear settings : an incorrectly positioned running gear increases the
wear of tyres and affects your safety while driving. If tyres wear too quickly,
have the wheel alignment checked at a Specialised workshop.
WARNING
If you notice unusual vibration or the vehicle pulls to one side while driv-
ing, this may indicate that one of the tyres is damaged.
● Reduce speed immediately and stop, while observing the highway
code.
● Check the wheels and tyres for damage.
● Never carry on driving on worn tyres or wheels. Request qualified as-
sistance immediately.
● If there is no visible exterior damage, drive slowly and carefully to the
nearest Specialised workshop and have the vehicle checked.

Spare wheel or temporary spare wheel*
Fig. 123 In the luggage
compartment: hand con-
trolled wheel for securing
the spare wheel Removing the spare wheel
●
Open the rear lid and lift the luggage compartment shelf ⇒ page 100.
● If necessary, remove the luggage compartment variable floor
⇒ page 100.
● Lift up the carpet from the recess and remove it from the luggage com-
partment.
● If necessary, take out the vehicle tool kit with the container.
● Completely remove the hand controlled wheel from the centre of the
spare wheel ⇒ Fig. 123 by turning it in an anticlockwise direction, and take
out the spare wheel.
Storing the replaced wheel
● Pull back the carpet.
● With the wheel rim facing downwards, situate the replaced wheel in the
spare wheel well so that the wheel rim central hole coincides with the open-
ing.
● Turn the hand controlled wheel with the shank screwed clockwise until
the replaced wheel is secured.
● If necessary, store the vehicle tool in the container, inside the luggage
compartment.
● Replace the carpet on the luggage compartment floor.
● Lower the rear shelf.
● Close the rear lid.
If the spare wheel is different to the rest of the vehicle tyres
If the spare tyre is not the same as the tyres that are mounted on the vehicle
- for example with winter tyres or the temporary spare wheel - you should
only use the spare tyre for a short period of time and drive with extra care
⇒ .
Refit the normal road wheel as soon as possible.
Please observe driving advice: 
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219
Vehicle care and maintenance
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index & speed rating
DOT tyre identification number
Severe snow conditions
Tyre ply composition and materials used
Max. load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
Max. permissible inflation pressure
Passenger vehicle tyre
Nominal width of tyre in millimetres
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Tyre code (example)MeaningMake, logotypeManufacturerProduct nameName of tyre assigned by manufacturer.P255 / 55 R 18Size:PPassenger vehicle code.255Nominal width between walls, in mm.55Height/width ratio in %RTyre type (R indicates "radial").18Rim diameter in inches109 HLoad index ⇒ page 220 and speed rating
⇒ page 220.
XL(“Reinforced”) tyres.M+S or M/S or Winter tyres code (mud and snow tyres).RADIAL TUBELESSRadial tyre without inner tube.E4 ...E-mark certifying tyre complies with internation-
al legislation followed by a number denoting the
country granting the authorisation. The authori-
sation number ( several digits) is shown below.
123456789101112
Tyre code (example)MeaningDOT BT RA TY5 1709Tyre identification number (TIN a)
, may be only on
interior wall of wheel) and date of manufacture:
DOTThe tyre complies with the legal require-
ments of the US Department of Trans-
port, responsible for tyre safety regula-
tions.
BTPlace of manufacture code.RAInformation about manufacturer and tyre
size.
TY5Manufacturer's tyre specifications.1709Date of manufacture: Week 17 of 2009.TWIThis identifies the position of the Tread Wear In-
dicator ⇒ page 215.
Made in GermanyCountry of manufacture.MAX LOAD 615 KGUS load rating, indicating maximum permitted
load per tyre.
MAX INFLATION 350 KPA
(51 PSI)US limit, indicating maximum permitted tyre
pressure.
SIDEWALL 1 PLY RAYONInformation about tyre wall components:
1 layer of rayon (artificial silk).
TREAD 4 PLIES
1 RAYON + 2 STEEL +
1 NYLONInformation about tread components:
In the example, there are 4 layers below the
tread: 1 layer of rayon (artificial silk), 2 layers of
steel reinforcement and 1 layer of nylon.
Information for the end consumer concerning the comparative values of
the established base tyres (standardised test procedures) ⇒ page 233:
TREADWEAR 220Relative service life of the tyre, with respect to
specific US standard test.
TRACTION ABraking capacity of tyre on wet surface (AA, A, B
or C).
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220Vehicle care and maintenance
Tyre code (example)MeaningTEMPERATURE ATyre temperature resistance at higher test
speeds (A, B or C).
If the tyre has other markings, these are specific tyre manufacturer codes
or specific national codes, e.g. for Brazil or China.
a)
The letters TIN refer to the tyre serial number.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
Tyres with directional tread pattern have been designed to operate best
when rotating in only one direction. An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates
the direction of rotation on tyres with directional tread. Always observe the
direction of rotation indicated when mounting the wheel. This guarantees
optimum grip and helps to avoid aquaplaning, excessive noise and wear.
If the tyre is mounted in the opposite direction of rotation, drive with ex-
treme caution, as the tyre is no longer being used correctly. This is of partic-
ular importance when the road surface is wet. Change the tyre as soon as
possible or remount it with the correct direction of rotation.
Tyre load rating
The load rating code indicates the maximum load in kilograms each wheel
can carry (load capacity).
425 kg
462 kg
487 kg
515 kg
545 kg
615 kg
Speed rating
The speed rating indicates the maximum speed permitted for the tyres.
max. 150 km/h (93 mph)
max. 160 km/h (99 mph)
78
81
83
85
87
91
P
Q max. 170 km/h (106 mph)
max. 180 km/h (112 mph)
max. 190 km/h (118 mph)
max. 200 km/h (124 mph)
max. 210 km/h (130 mph)
max. 240 km/h (149 mph)
max. 240 km/h (149 mph)
max. 270 km/h (168 mph)
max. 300 km/h (186 mph)
Some manufacturers use the letters “ZR” for tyres with a maximum author-
ised speed above 240 km/h (149 mph). 
Snow chains
When using snow chains, applicable local legislation and maximum permit-
ted speed limits must be observed.
In winter weather, snow chains not only help to improve grip but also im-
prove the braking capacity.
The fitting of chains is permitted only on front wheels and only with the fol-
lowing combinations of wheel trims and tyres :
Tyre sizeWheel rim165/70 R145 J x 14 offset of 35
SEAT recommends you ask a Technical Service for further information on
wheel, tyre and chain sizes.
Wherever possible use fine-link chains measuring less than 15 mm includ-
ing the lock. 
R
S
T
U
H
V
Z
W
Y