2013 Seat Altea Freetrack steering wheel

36Airbag system
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.

Airbag covers when the frontal airbags are triggered
Fig. 21 Airbag covers reacting when the front airbags
are triggered
The airbag covers fold out of the steering wheel or dash panel when the
driver and front passenger airbags are triggered ⇒ Fig. 21. The airbag cov-
ers remain connected to the steering wheel or the dash panel. 

37
Airbag system
Safety notes on the front airbag system
If you use airbags correctly, they can considerably reduce
the risk of injury in many kinds of accident.
WARNING
● It is important for the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel and dash panel. If the minimum
distance is not observed then the airbags do not correctly protect the ve-
hicle occupants; risk of fatal injuries! In addition, the front seats and
head restraints must always be positioned correctly for the height of the
occupant.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side
while travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a sub-
stantially increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be fur-
ther increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag.
● Never let a child travel on the front seat without an appropriate re-
straint system. If the airbag is triggered in an accident, children can sus-
tain serious or fatal injuries from the airbag as it inflates ⇒ page 46,
Child safety.
● The deployment space between the front passengers and the airbags
must not in any case be occupied by other passenger, pets and objects.
● The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them
once they have deployed.
● It is also important not to attach any objects such as cup holders or
telephone mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
● Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in any
way.

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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
Light intensity regulator for the instruments and controls . . . .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
– Control and warning 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* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Radio/Navigator*
Right seat heating button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Control lamp for deactivated front passenger airbag . . . . . . . .44
Front passenger front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Glove compartment lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Cup holder compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Controls on the centre console:
– Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
– ESC* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
12
1314151617181920
212223242526
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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. 
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62Cockpit
Indications for vehicles with LongLife service
Technical progress has made it possible to considerably reduce servicing re-
quirements. With the LongLife System, SEAT ensures that your vehicle only
has an interval service when it is necessary. The length of the Interval Serv-
ices (max. two years) is determined by factors such as conditions under
which the vehicle is used and personal driving style.
The service pre-warning will first appear 20 days before the date on which
the service is due. The distance travelled is rounded off to the nearest
100 km (miles) and the time to full days. The current service message can
only be consulted 500 km (300 miles) after the last service. Until that time,
only dashes are displayed.
Note
● If you reset the display manually, the next service interval will be indica-
ted after 15 000 km (10 000 miles) or one year and will not be calculated
individually.
● Do not reset the display between service intervals as the display will
otherwise be incorrect.
● In LongLife Service vehicles, if the battery is disconnected for a long pe-
riod, the days remaining until the next service cannot be calculated. There-
fore, the service message displays on the instrument panel may be incor-
rect. Take into account the maximum authorised service intervals. Multifunction display (MFI)*
The multifunction display (MFI) shows you information on
the journey and fuel consumption.
Fig. 40 Rocker buttons A
and B. Steering wheel
controls.
Fig. 41 Digital instru-
ment panel display


63
Cockpit
The multifunction system uses two automatic memories: 1 - Trip
memory and 2 - Total memory . The selected memory will be shown
in the upper right-hand corner of the display.
Selecting a memory
– When the ignition is on, briefly press button ⇒ Fig. 40 A
on the
windscreen wiper lever to change from one memory to another
or press button A
on the steering wheel controls
⇒ Fig. 40.
Resetting a memory
– Select the memory that you would like to reset.
– Hold down button A
on the windscreen wiper lever or button
A on the steering wheel controls for at least 2 seconds.
The trip memory 1 collects the travel and consumption rates from the mo-
ment the ignition is switched on until it is switched off. If the journey is con-
tinued within two hours of switching off the ignition, the new values will be
added to the existing trip recorder memory. The memory will automatically
be deleted if the journey is interrupted for more than two hours.
The total memory 2 collects the trip data for any number of individual jour-
neys (even if the ignition is switched off for longer than two hours) up to a
total of 19 hours and 59 minutes travel time or 1999 km (miles) distance
travelled. The memory will automatically be deleted if one of the named val-
ues is reached. Information in the multifunction display (MFI)*Fig. 42 Rocker buttons A
and B. Steering wheel
controls.
Fig. 43 Digital instru-
ment panel display: aver-
age fuel consumption in-
dicator.
You can switch between the following displays in the multifunction display
(MFI) by operating rocker switch ⇒ Fig. 42 B
on the window wiper lever.

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Cockpit
Instrument panel menus*
Example of menu use
All the menus on the instrument panel may be used accord-
ing to the following procedure. The instrument panel menus
may vary according to the version of the model.
Fig. 44 Windscreen wip-
er lever: button A to con-
firm the menu selection
and rocker switch B to
change the menu
Fig. 45 Steering wheel
controls: button A to con-
firm the menu selection
and switch B to change
the menu
The setting of a speed warning will be used as an example of how
to use the menus. This is a good idea if you are, for example, using
winter tyres which are not suited for the top speed of the vehicle.
1. Open the main menu with the MFI lever
– Switch the ignition on.
– Hold down button B
for two seconds to return to main menu
from other menu. It may be necessary to repeat this operation
until the main menu is displayed.
2. Open the menu “Configuration” with the MFI lever
– To choose an option from the menu, press the upper or lower
end of the rocker switch. The selected option is displayed be-
tween two lines and there will also be a triangle on the right.
– Select menu Configuration.
– Press button A
on the windscreen wiper lever. The
Configura-
tion menu is opened. 
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68Cockpit
2. Access the Configuration menu with the steering wheel controls
–To access the “Configuration” menu, press button C
⇒ Fig. 45
until the menu is displayed. Now you are in this menu.
3. Open the main menu “Winter tyres”
– Select option Winter tyres using switch B
.
– Press the button A
. The menu
Winter tyres is opened.
4. Program a speed limit warning
– Use button B
to select the option
+10 km/h or -10 km/h and
press button B to either increase or decrease the speed dis-
played.
5. To activate and deactivate the speed limit warning
– Use switch B
to select the menu point
On / Off and press the
button to switch the speed warning on or off. If the speed warn-
ing is deactivated, three dashes will be displayed ---
6. To close the menu “Winter tyres”
– In the menu select Back.
The function “Winter tyres” sends an optical and an acoustic signal when
the vehicle reaches the set speed.
Example menu “Winter tyres”
In the menu
Winter tyresFunction
Name of menu displayed
X km/hThe current set speed is displayedor ---or dashes will be shown if the function is deac-
tivated.
On / OffIf the function is activated or deactivated
+10 km/h (mph)The set value increases by 10 km/h (mph)-10 km/h (mph)The set value decreases by 10 km/h (mph)BackThe menu “Winter tyres” is closed and the last
displayed menu is shown.
Note
For electronic and vehicle equipment one or more of these menus will be
displayed. 