2013 Seat Altea Freetrack check engine

231
Checking and refilling levels
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. 161 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.
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 222.
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. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

234Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
Do not drive unless you have good visibility through all windows!
● Clean the windscreen wiper blades and all windows regularly.
● The wiper blades should be changed once or twice a year.
CAUTION
● A damaged or dirty window wiper could scratch the rear window.
● Never use fuel, nail varnish remover, paint thinner or similar products to
clean the window.
● Never move the windscreen wiper by hand. This could cause damage. Brake fluid
Checking the brake fluid level
The brake fluid is checked at the intervals given in the serv-
ice schedule.
Fig. 165 In the engine
compartment: Brake fluid
reservoir cover
– Read off the fluid level at the transparent brake fluid reservoir. It
should always be between the “MIN” and “MAX” marks.
The position of the brake fluid reservoir is shown in the corresponding en-
gine compartment illustration ⇒ page 281. The brake fluid reservoir has a
black and yellow cap.
The brake fluid level drops slightly when the vehicle is being used as the
brake pads are automatically adjusted as they wear.
However, if the level goes down noticeably in a short time, or drops below
the “MIN” mark, there may be a leak in the brake system. A display on the
instrument panel will warn you if the brake fluid level is too low ⇒ page 76.


235
Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
Before opening the bonnet to check the brake fluid level, read and ob-
serve the warnings ⇒ page 222.

Changing the brake fluid
The Maintenance Programme indicates the brake fluid
change intervals. We recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by a Technical Serv-
ice.
Before opening the bonnet, please read and follow the warnings ⇒ 
in
Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment on page 222 in
section “Safety notes for working in the engine compartment”.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. In the course of time, it will absorb water from
the ambient air. If the water content in the brake fluid is too high, the brake
system could corrode. This also considerably reduces the boiling point of
the brake fluid. Heavy use of the brakes may then cause a vapour lock
which could impair the braking effect.
Be sure to always use the correct brake fluid. Only use brake fluid that ex-
pressly meets VW 501 14 standards.
You can buy VW 501 14 standard brake fluid in a SEAT dealership or SEAT
Official Service. If none is available, use only high quality brake fluid that
meets DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4 standards, or USA Standards FMVSS 116 DOT
4.
Using any other kind of brake fluid or one that is not of a high quality may
affect operation of the brake system and reduce its effectiveness. Never use
a brake fluid if the container does not state that it complies with VW 501 14,
DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4 standards, or USA standards FMVSS 116 DOT 4.
WARNING
Brake fluid is poisonous. Old brake fluid impairs the braking effect.
● Before opening the bonnet to check the brake fluid level, read and ob-
serve the warnings ⇒ page 222.
● Brake fluid should be stored in the closed original container in a safe
place out of reach of children. There is a toxic risk.
● Complete the brake fluid change according to the Maintenance Pro-
gramme. Heavy use of the brakes may cause a vapour lock if the brake
fluid is left in the brake system for too long. This would seriously affect
the effectiveness of the brakes and the safety of the vehicle. This may
cause an accident.
CAUTION
Brake fluid damages the vehicle paintwork. Wipe off any brake fluid from
the paintwork immediately.
For the sake of the environment
The brake pads and brake fluid must be collected and disposed of accord-
ing the applicable regulations. The SEAT Technical Service network has the
necessary equipment and qualified personnel for collecting and disposing
of this waste material. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

237
Checking and refilling levels
CAUTION
● Never disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched on or if the en-
gine is running. This could damage the electrical system or electronic com-
ponents.
● Do not expose the battery to direct sunlight over a long period of time,
as the intense ultraviolet radiation can damage the battery housing.
● If the vehicle is left standing in cold conditions for a long period, protect
the battery from freezing. If it freezes it will be damaged. 
Checking the electrolyte level
The electrolyte level should be checked regularly in high-
mileage vehicles, in hot countries and in older batteries. – Open the engine bonnet and the battery cover ⇒ 
in Safety in-
structions on working in the engine compartment on page 222
⇒ 
in Warnings on handling the battery on page 236.
– Check the colour display in the "magic eye" on the top of the
battery.
– If there are air bubbles in the window, tap the window gently
until they disperse.
The position of the battery is shown in the corresponding engine compart-
ment diagram ⇒ page 281.
The “magic eye” indicator, located on the top of the battery changes colour,
depending on the charge state and electrolyte level of the battery.
There are two different colours: ●
Black: correct charge status.
● Transparent/clear yellow: the battery must be replaced. Contact a speci-
alised workshop. 
Charging and changing the vehicle battery
The battery is maintenance-free and is checked during the
inspection service. All work on the vehicle battery requires
specialist knowledge.
If you often drive short distances or if the vehicle is not driven for long peri-
ods, the battery should be checked by a specialised workshop between the
scheduled services.
If the battery has discharged and you have problems starting the vehicle,
the battery might be damaged. If this happens, we recommend you have
the vehicle battery checked by a Technical Service where it will be re-charg-
ed or replaced.
Charging the battery
The vehicle battery should be charged by a specialised workshop only, as
batteries using special technology have been installed and they must be
charged in a controlled environment.
Replacing a vehicle battery
The battery has been developed to suit the conditions of its location and
has special safety features.
Genuine SEAT batteries fulfil the maintenance, performance and safety
specifications of your vehicle. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

241
Wheels and tyres
WARNING
● Never adjust tyre pressure when the tyres are hot. This may damage
or even burst the tyres. Risk of accident!
● An insufficiently inflated tyre flexes a lot more at high speeds and
causes significant heating of the tyre. Under these conditions, the tyre
bead may be released or the tyre may burst. Risk of accident!
For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres lead to increased fuel consumption and tyre wear. 
Significant tyre pressure loss
The tyre symbol  is displayed and indicates that the tyre pressure
of at least one tyre is insufficient.
– Stop the vehicle.
– Switch the engine off.
– Check the tyre(s).
– Change the wheel if necessary ⇒ 
page 250. Tyre useful life
The useful life of tyres is dependent on tyre pressure, driving
style and fitting.
Fig. 166 Tyre tread wear
indicators
Fig. 167 Diagram for
changing wheels

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281
Technical specifications
Technical specifications
Checking fluid levels
From time to time, the levels of the different fluids in the ve-
hicle must be checked. Never fill with incorrect fluids, other-
wise serious damage to the engine may be caused.
Fig. 201 Diagram for the
location of the various el-
ements
Coolant expansion tank
Windscreen washer reservoir
Engine oil filler cap
Engine oil dipstick
Brake fluid reservoir
Vehicle battery (underneath the cover)
The checking and refilling of service fluids are carried out on the compo-
nents mentioned above. These operations are described in the ⇒ page 222.
1
23456
Overview
Further explanations, instructions and restrictions on the technical data are
contained as of
⇒ page 277 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

C
Car care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
CCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Central lock button Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Automatic locking system for involuntaryunlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Automatic speed dependent locking and unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Emergency unlocking system . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Selective unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Unlocking system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Centre armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Cetane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Changing gear see Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Changing gear in tiptronic mode . . . . . . . . . . 178
Changing the bulbs Main headlight bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Changing the main headlight bulbs Main beam lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Turn signal bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Changing the main headlight lamps dipped lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 Changing the tail light bulbs
Position light, fog light and tail light on therear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Changing the tail lights Luggage compartment lights . . . . . . . . . . 269
Turn signal, side and brake lights on thebody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Changing windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . 232
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Checking battery electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . 237
Checking engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Checklist Seat upholstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Child seat Categorisation in groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Group 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Group 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Group 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Groups 0 and 0+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Top Tether system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Cigarette lighter* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Cleaning alloy wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Cleaning chrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Cleaning engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Cleaning steel wheel rims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Cleaning windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Climatronic
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Clothes hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Compartment for on-board documentation . . 138
control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Control lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Controls electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Convenience closing Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Convenience opening Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229, 230 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Coolant loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Coolant temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Correct adjustment of front seat head re- straints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Correct adjustment of rear seat head restraints In-use and non-use positions . . . . . . . . . . . 14
290 Index

Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229G 12 plus-plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
G 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Engine fault Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Engine management control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Checking engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Engine oil pressure control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65, 85
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Environmental friendliness . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Environmentally friendly driving . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Environmental tip Avoiding pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87, 167, 189 see also Electronic Stability Control . . . . . 167
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
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Fuel level Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Warning message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Fuel tank see Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Fuel Tank Opening the fuel tank flap . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Fuel: save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
G
Gear shift pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
General overview of the engine compartment 281
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Glow plug system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
H
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
HBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Headlight flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
292 Index