2014 Seat Altea XL ESP

220Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
WARNING
Do not apply underseal or anti-corrosion coatings to the exhaust pipes,
catalytic converter or the heat shields on the exhaust system. The heat of
the exhaust system or the engine could cause them to ignite. Risk of fire.

Cleaning the engine compartment
Take special care when cleaning the engine compartment.
Anti-corrosion treatment
The engine compartment and the surface of the power unit are given anti-
corrosion treatment at the factory.
Good corrosion protection is particularly important in winter when the vehi-
cle is frequently driven on salted roads. To prevent the salt corroding the ve-
hicle, the entire engine compartment should be thoroughly cleaned before
and after winter.
Your Technical Services have got the necessary workshop equipment to pro-
vide the correct cleaning and preserving products. For this reason, we rec-
ommend having this work performed by them.
The anti-corrosion protection is usually removed if the engine compartment
is cleaned with grease removing solutions, or if you have the engine
cleaned. On commissioning this work, ensure that all surfaces, seams,
joints and components in the engine compartment are given anti-corrosion
treatment.
WARNING
● When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 235.
● Before opening the bonnet, switch the engine off, apply the hand-
brake firmly and always remove the key from the ignition.
● Allow the engine to cool before you clean the engine compartment.
● Do not clean the vehicle underbody, wheel arches or wheel trims
without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-
edged metal parts. Failure to comply could result in injury.
● Moisture, ice and salt on the brake system may affect braking effec-
tiveness. Risk of accident. Directly after washing, avoid sudden and
sharp braking.
● Never touch the radiator fan. It is temperature-controlled and could
start automatically, even when the key is removed from the ignition!
For the sake of the environment
Fuel, grease and oil deposits could be removed when the engine is washed.
The polluted water must be cleaned in an oil separator. For this reason, en-
gine washing should be carried out only by a specialised workshop or a pet-
rol station. 
Vehicle interior maintenance Introduction
The dye used in many modern garments, for example dark jeans, is not al-
ways sufficiently colour-fast. Seat upholstery (material and leather), espe-
cially when light-coloured, may visibly discolour if the dye comes out of
clothing (even when used correctly). This is not an upholstery defect but in-
dicates that the dye in the item of clothing is not sufficiently colour-fast. 

221
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
The longer stains or dirt remain on the vehicle surfaces, especially the fab-
rics covering the padded upholstery, the more difficult it becomes to clean
and maintain them. If stains and dirt are left for a long time, it may be that
they are impossible to remove.
WARNING
Car-care products may be toxic and hazardous. Using unsuitable car-care
products or, using them in the wrong way, may cause accidents, serious
injury, burns or intoxication.
● Keep your car-care products in their original containers.
● Read the instructions.
● Never keep car-care products in empty food containers, bottles or
other similar containers. Other people may confuse them.
● Keep all car-care products out of the reach of children.
● Some products may give off harmful vapours during use. Therefore,
they should be used outdoors in well-ventilated places.
● Never use fuel, turpentine, engine oil, nail-varnish remover or any
other volatile product for washing, maintenance or cleaning. These are
toxic and highly flammable.
WARNING
Unsuitable maintenance and cleaning of vehicle components may impair
proper operation of safety equipment and cause serious injury.
● Maintain and clean vehicle components according to the manufactur-
er's instructions.
● Only use approved or recommended cleaning products.
CAUTION
● Cleaning products which contain solvents have a corrosive effect and
may damage the material irreparably.
● Stains and dirt containing aggressive substances or solvents attack the
material and may damage it irreparably, even when they are cleaned quick-
ly.
● Dirt and stains should not be allowed to dry and should be cleaned as
quickly as possible.
● In the case of stubborn stains, take the vehicle to a specialised work-
shop to avoid damage. 
Treating your upholstery
Checklist
To treat and maintain your seat upholstery, keep the following in mind ⇒ 
:
 Before entering the vehicle, close any Velcro fasteners that might
snag on the upholstery or trim fabric. Any open Velcro fasteners may
damage the trim or upholstery fabrics.
 To prevent damage, avoid direct contact between sharp decorative
objects and the upholstery and trim fabrics. Decorative objects in-
clude zips, rivets and rhinestones on clothing and belts.
 From time to time, clean the dust that gathers in the perforations,
folds and seams so that the surfaces of the seats are not damaged
by its abrasive effect.
 Make sure clothes are colour-fast to avoid them running and staining
the upholstery. This is especially important if the upholstery is light
in colour.

Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

222Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
CAUTION
If you ignore this checklist, which is important for maintaining your seat up-
holstery, the fabric may be damaged or stained.
● Consult the checklist and carry out the operations it describes.
Note
SEAT recommends you take the vehicle to a specialised workshop to treat
any stains on the upholstery caused by the discolouration of clothing. 
How to clean the upholstery, trim fabrics and Alcantara ®
Cleaning the fabric on heated seats and electrically adjustable seats or
seats with airbag components
It is possible that there are important airbag components and electrical con-
nections inside the driver seat, passenger seat and possibly the outer rear
seats. If these seats and seat backrests are damaged, or are cleaned and
are treated incorrectly, or if they get wet, the vehicle electric system may be
destroyed and the airbag system damaged
⇒ 
.
Electric and heated seats contain components and electrical connections
that may be damaged if the seats are cleaned or incorrectly treated ⇒ 
.
Similarly, damage might be caused at other points in the vehicle's electric
system.
For this reason, bear the following indications in mind for cleaning:
● Do not use high-pressure or steam cleaning equipment or cold aerosols.
● Do not use cream detergents or detergent-based solutions for delicate
garments.
● Prevent the fabric from getting wet at all times.
● Only use cleaning products approved by SEAT.
● If in doubt, take the vehicle to a professional cleaning company. Cleaning the fabric on unheated seats, non-electrically adjustable seats
and seats without airbag components
●
Before using any cleaning products, consult and keep in mind the in-
structions of use, indications and warnings on the container.
● Use a vacuum cleaner (with the brush attachment) on the trim and seat
fabrics, the Alcantara ®
upholstery of the seats and the carpet.
● Do not use high-pressure or steam cleaning equipment or cold aerosols.
● For general cleaning, use a soft sponge or an ordinary lint-free microfi-
bre cloth ⇒ 
.
● Clean Alcantara ®
surfaces with a slightly damp cotton or woollen cloth,
or a standard lint-free microfibre cloth ⇒ 
.
If the dirt on the trim and upholstery fabrics is only superficial, you can use
a standard foam cleaner.
If the upholstery and trim are very dirty, before cleaning them we recom-
mend you find out about the most suitable cleaning options from a profes-
sional cleaning company. If necessary, the cleaning should be carried out
by a specialised company.
Stain removal
When removing stains, it may be necessary to clean the whole surface and
not just the stain itself. Especially if the surface has been dirtied through
normal use. If you only clean the stained area, that part may then look light-
er than the rest. If in doubt, take the vehicle to a professional cleaning com-
pany.
WARNING
If there is a fault in the airbag system, it is likely that the airbag will not
deploy correctly, not deploy at all, or do so unexpectedly, which could
cause serious or fatal injuries.
● Have the system checked immediately by a specialised workshop. 

223
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
CAUTION
If the upholstery on electrically operated seats or seats with airbag compo-
nents gets soaked, the vehicle's electric system and certain other compo-
nents may be damaged.
● If the seat gets soaked, take the vehicle immediately to a specialised
workshop to be dried and for the system components to be inspected.
● Do not use steam cleaning equipment as the dirt becomes more encrus-
ted and fixed in the material.
● High-pressure cleaning equipment and cold aerosols may damage the
upholstery.
CAUTION
● Brushes should only be used to clean the carpet and floor mats! Other
fabrics may be damaged if cleaned with a brush.
● If cream detergents or detergents for delicate garments are applied with
a damp cloth or sponge, they may, for example, leave rings when dry be-
cause of the surfactant components they contain. Generally, such rings are
very difficult or almost impossible to remove.
CAUTION
● Do not let water soak into Alcantara ®
under any circumstances.
● Do not use leather cleaning products, solvents, wax polish, shoe cream,
stain removers or similar products on Alcantara ®
.
● Never use brushes for cleaning damp material as they could damage the
surface. 
Cleaning and maintenance of natural leather upholstery
Consult a professional cleaning workshop if you have any doubts on clean-
ing and maintaining the leather equipment in your vehicle. Maintenance and treatment
Nappa natural leather is delicate because it has no additional protective
layer.
●
After cleaning, regularly apply a conditioner with sun-screen and im-
pregnating action. These products nourish the leather, soften it and make it
more breathable, as well as re-hydrating it. They also provide it with a pro-
tective film.
● Clean the leather every two or three months and remove stains as they
appear.
● Treat the leather regularly (about twice a year) with a suitable mainte-
nance product.
● Apply as few cleaning and maintenance products as possible, always
using a dry, lint-free cotton or woollen cloth. Do not apply cleaning and
maintenance products directly to the leather.
● Remove recent ball-point pen and ink stains, lipstick, shoe cream and
similar stains as soon as possible.
● Maintain the colour of the leather. To do this, use a special cream espe-
cially coloured for leather to achieve the same overall colour, if necessary.
● Afterwards, go over it with a soft cloth.
Cleaning the vehicle
SEAT recommends using a slightly damp cotton or woollen cloth for general
cleaning purposes.
Generally, the leather should never be soaked at any point, nor should wa-
ter penetrate the seams.
Before cleaning the leather upholstery, bear in mind the following recom-
mendations ⇒ page 222, Cleaning the fabric on heated seats and electrical-
ly adjustable seats or seats with airbag components. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

226Accessories, replacement of parts and modifications
Accessories, replacement of parts and modifications
Accessories and spare parts
Always consult a SEAT dealership before purchasing acces-
sories and parts.
Your vehicle is designed to offer a high standard of active and passive safe-
ty.
Before purchasing accessories and parts, and before making technical
changes to your vehicle, we recommend that you consult your Technical
Service.
SEAT dealerships will be happy to provide you with the latest information
about the use, legal requirements and recommendations from the manufac-
turer regarding accessories and spare parts.
We recommend you use only SEAT Approved Accessories®
and SEAT Ap-
proved Spare Parts ®
. This way, SEAT can guarantee that the product in
question is suitable, reliable and safe. SEAT Technical Services have the
necessary experience and facilities to ensure that parts are correctly and
professionally installed.
Despite a continuous observation of the market, SEAT is not able to assess
the reliability, safety and suitability of parts that SEAT has not approved. For
this reason, SEAT cannot assume responsibility for any non-genuine parts
used, even if these parts have been approved by an official testing agency
or are covered by an official approval certificate.
Any equipment subsequently installed which has a direct effect on the driv-
er's control of the vehicle (e.g. cruise control system or electronically-con-
trolled suspension) must be approved by SEAT and bear the e mark (the Eu-
ropean Union's authorisation symbol). If any
additional electrical components are fitted which do not serve to con-
trol the vehicle itself (e.g. refrigerator box, laptop or ventilator fan), these
must bear the CE mark (European Union manufacturer conformity declara-
tion).
WARNING
Accessories, for example telephone holders or cup holders, should never
be fitted on the covers, or within the working range, of the airbags. Oth-
erwise, there is a danger of injury if the airbag is triggered in an accident.

Technical modifications
Modifications must always be carried out according to our
specifications.
Unauthorised modifications to the electronic components or software in the
vehicle may cause malfunctions. Due to the way the electronic components
are linked together in networks, other indirect systems may be affected by
the faults. This can seriously impair safety, lead to excessive wear of compo-
nents, and also invalidate your vehicle registration documents.
SEAT Technical Services cannot be held liable for any damage caused by
modifications and/or work incorrectly performed.
For this reason, we recommend having all work performed by a SEAT Techni-
cal Service using SEAT Original Spare Parts ®
. 

231
Checking and refilling levels
Note
● The vehicle includes the adapter for the country in question, the most
common one. On the whole, we recommend you carry all the adapters in
your vehicle, as some countries use more than one type of filling system.
● If the ambient temperature is very high, the LPG pump protection
against overheating may disconnect this automatically.
● If the outside temperature is very high, the pressure of the LPG tank may
be equal to or greater than that of the gas tank of the LPG pump. In this
case refuelling will be physically impossible.
● The filling nozzles of LPG pumps can differ in the way they are operated.
If you do not know, ask a qualified employee at the petrol station to do the
refuelling.
● Noises heard when refuelling are normal and do not indicate the pres-
ence of a fault in the system. Adapter for the
An adapter is required due to the existence of a range of
pumps with different nozzles.
Fig. 162 General table of LPG filler neck adapters
ACME adapter (adapter for Europe)
Dish Coupling Adapter (adapter for Italy)
Bayonet adapter
EURO adapter (adapter for Spain)
The supply includes the adapter for the country in question, the ACME 1
,
the Dish Coupling 2, the bayonet 3 or the EURO adapter 4.
The filler systems and corresponding adapters vary according to country. As
petrol stations abroad do not always have the necessary adapters for your
LPG system, we recommend you purchase the appropriate adapter before
travelling abroad. Check that the adapters are suited to your filling system. 
1
234
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

239
Checking and refilling levels
Because this oil is essential for extending the service intervals, it must only
be used observing the following indications:
● Avoid mixing it with oil for fixed service intervals.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the engine oil level is too low
⇒ page 240 and LongLife oil is not available, it is permitted to top up
(once) with oil for fixed service intervals ⇒ page 239 (up to a maximum of
0.5 litres).
Fixed service intervals*
If your vehicle does not have the “LongLife service interval” or it has been
disabled (by request), you may use oils for fixed service intervals, which al-
so appear in ⇒ page 239, Oil properties. In this case, your vehicle must be
serviced after a fixed interval of 1 year/15 000 km (10 000 miles)(whatever
comes first) ⇒ Booklet Maintenance Programme.
● In exceptional circumstances, if the engine oil level is too low
⇒ page 240 and you cannot obtain the oil specified for your vehicle, you
can put in a small quantity of oil conforming to the specification ACEA A2 or
ACEA A3 (petrol engines) or ACEA B3 or ACEA B4 (diesel engines) (up to 0.5
l).
Vehicles with diesel particulate filter*
The “Maintenance Programme” states whether your vehicle is fitted with a
diesel particulate filter.
Only VW 507 00 engine oil, with reduced ash formation, may be used in die-
sel engines equipped with particulate filter. Using other types of oil will
cause a higher soot concentration and reduce the life of the DPF. Therefore:
● Avoid mixing this oil with other engine oils.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the engine oil level is too low
⇒ page 240 and you cannot obtain the oil specified for your vehicle, you
can use a small quantity of oil (once) conforming to the VW 506 00,
VW 506 01, VW 505 00, VW 505 01 or ACEA B3/ACEA B4 specification. (up
to 0.5 l). Oil properties
Engine typeSpecificationPetrol without flexible service in-
tervalVW 502 00/VW 504 00
Petrol with flexible service inter-
val (LongLife)VW 504 00
Diesel. Engines without Particu-
late filter (DPF)VW 505 01/VW 506 01/VW 507 00
Diesel. Particulate Filter Engines
(DPF).
With or without flexible service in-
terval (with and without Long-
life)
a)VW 507 00
a)
Only use recommended oils, otherwise you may damage the engine.
Engine oil additives
No type of additive should be mixed with the engine oil. The deterioration
caused by these additives is not covered by the warranty.
Note
Before a long trip, we recommend finding an engine oil that conforms to the
corresponding VW specifications and recommend keeping it in the vehicle.
This way, the correct engine oil will always be available for a top-up if nee-
ded. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

241
Checking and refilling levels
Topping up engine oil 
Top up gradually with small quantities of engine oil.
Fig. 167 In the engine
compartment: Engine oil
filler cap
Before opening the bonnet, read and observe the warnings ⇒ 
in
Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment on
page 235.
– Unscrew cap from engine oil filler opening ⇒ Fig. 167.
– Top-up oil in small amounts, using the correct oil.
– To avoid over-filling with engine oil, you should top-up using
small quantities, wait a while and check the oil level before
adding any more oil.
– As soon as the oil level is in area B
, carefully close the cap.
The position of the oil filler opening is shown in the corresponding engine
compartment illustration ⇒ page 297.
Engine oil specification ⇒ page 238.
WARNING
Oil is highly inflammable! Ensure that no oil comes into contact with hot
engine components when topping up.
CAUTION
If the oil level is above the area A do not start the engine. This could result
in damage to the engine and catalytic converter. Contact a specialised work-
shop.
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must never be above area A. Otherwise oil can be drawn in
through the crankcase breather and escape into the atmosphere via the ex-
haust system. 
Changing engine oil
The engine oil must be changed at the intervals given in the
service schedule. We recommend that you have the engine oil changed by a Technical Serv-
ice.
The oil change intervals are shown in the Maintenance Programme. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications