2014 Seat Altea XL jump start

Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Instructions to follow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Ball coupling of towing bracket* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Fitting a towing bracket* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . 214
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Care of the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Vehicle interior maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Accessories, replacement of parts and
modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Accessories and spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Roof aerial* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Mobile phones and two-way radios . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
LPG system (Liquefied petroleum gas)* . . . . . . . 230
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . 235
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades . . . . 244
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
If and when . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Vehicle tools, tyre repair kit and spare wheel . . . 262
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tyre repair kit (Tyre-Mobility-System)* . . . . . . . . . 269
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Bulb change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Towing and tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 Technical Specifications
. . . . . . . . . . . 293
Description of specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Information on fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Petrol engine 1.6 75 kW (102 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
1.2 TSI 77 kW (105 HP) Start-Stop petrol engine 299
Petrol engine 1.4 92 kW (125 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Petrol engine 2.0 155 kW (211 PS) . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 66 kW (90 PS) with/
without DPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 77 kW (105 PS) with/
without DPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Diesel engine 1.6 TDI CR 77 kW (105 PS) DPF
Start-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI CR 103 kW (140 PS) . . . . . 305
Diesel engine 2.0 TDI CR 125 kW (170 PS) . . . . . 306
Dimensions and capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
4Table of Contents

175
Driving
If the engine does not start immediately, switch the starter off after 10 sec-
onds and try again after half a minute. If the engine still does not start, the
fuel pump fuse should be checked ⇒ page 272, Fuses.
WARNING
● Never start or run the engine in unventilated or closed rooms. The ex-
haust gases contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and colourless poi-
sonous gas. Risk of fatal accidents. Carbon monoxide can cause loss of
consciousness. It can also result in death.
● Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running.
● Never use “cold start sprays”, they could explode or cause the engine
to run at high revs. Risk of injury.
CAUTION
● When the engine is cold, you should avoid high engine speeds, driving
at full throttle and over-loading the engine. Risk of engine damage.
● The vehicle should not be pushed or towed more than 50 metres to start
the engine. Unburnt fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it.
● Before attempting to push-start or tow a vehicle in order to start it, you
should first try to start it using the battery of another vehicle. Note and fol-
low the instructions in ⇒ page 287, Jump-starting.
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the engine with the vehicle station-
ary. Start off immediately, driving gently. This helps the engine reach oper-
ating temperature faster and reduces emissions. Starting diesel engines
The engine can only be started using a genuine SEAT key
with its correct code.
– Move the gearbox lever to the neutral position and depress the
clutch pedal thoroughly and hold it in this position for the start-
er to turn the engine on.
– Turn the ignition key to the starting position.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒ Fig. 140 1
. The warning
lamp  will light for engine pre-heating.
– When the lamp turns off, turn the ignition key to position 2
to
start the engine. Do not press the accelerator.
– Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts, the start-
er motor must not be allowed to run on with the engine.
When starting a very cold engine, it may be a little noisy for the first few sec-
onds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.
If there are problems starting the engine, see the ⇒ page 287.
Glow plug system for the diesel engine
To avoid unnecessary discharging of the battery, do not use any other major
electrical equipment while the glow plugs are pre-heating.
Start the engine as soon as the glow plug warning lamp ⇒ page 82 goes
out.
Starting the diesel engine after the fuel tank has been completely run dry
If the fuel tank has been completely run dry, it may take longer than normal
(up to one minute) to start a diesel engine after refuelling. This is because
the fuel system must eliminate air first. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

176Driving
WARNING
● Never start or run the engine in unventilated or closed rooms. The ex-
haust gases contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and colourless poi-
sonous gas. Risk of fatal accidents. Carbon monoxide can cause loss of
consciousness. It can also result in death.
● Never leave the vehicle unattended if the engine is running.
● Never use “cold start sprays”, they could explode or cause the engine
to run at high revs. Risk of injury.
CAUTION
● When the engine is cold, you should avoid high engine speeds, driving
at full throttle and over-loading the engine. Risk of engine damage.
● The vehicle should not be pushed or towed more than 50 metres to start
the engine. Unburnt fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it.
● Before attempting to push-start or tow a vehicle in order to start it, you
should first try to start it using the battery of another vehicle. Note and fol-
low the instructions in ⇒ page 287, Jump-starting.
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm-up the engine by running the engine with the vehicle station-
ary. You should drive off as soon as you start the engine. This helps the en-
gine reach operating temperature faster and reduces emissions. 
Switching off the engine
– Stop the vehicle.
– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒ Fig. 140 0
.
After switching the engine off, the radiator fan may run on for up to 10 mi-
nutes. It is also possible that the fan turns itself on once more if the coolant temperature increases due to the heat accumulated in the engine compart-
ment or due to its prolonged exposure to solar radiation.
WARNING
● Never switch the engine off until the vehicle is completely stationary.
● The brake servo works only when the engine is running. With the en-
gine switched off, more strength is needed to brake. As normal brake op-
eration cannot be performed, risk of accidents and serious injury may ex-
ist.
● The steering lock can be immediately blocked once the key is re-
moved from the ignition. The vehicle cannot be steered. Risk of accident.
CAUTION
When the engine has been running under a heavy load for a long period,
heat can accumulate in the engine compartment and cause engine damage.
For this reason, you should idle the engine for approx. 2 minutes before you
switch it off. 

205
Driving and the environment
WARNING (Continued)
● On steep slopes, if brakes are excessively used, they will overheat.
Before driving down a long steep slope, it is advisable to reduce speed
and change down into a lower gear or range (depending on the type of
transmission). This makes use of engine braking and relieves the brakes.
● Never let the brakes “drag” by applying light pressure. Continuous
braking will cause the brakes to overheat and the braking distance will
increase. Apply and then release the brakes alternately.
● Never let the vehicle run with the engine switched off. The braking
distance is increased considerably when the brake servo is not active.
● If the brake fluid loses its viscosity and is subjected to heavy use, va-
pour bubbles can form in the brake system. This reduces the efficiency of
the brakes.
● Non-standard or damaged front spoilers could restrict the airflow to
the brakes and cause them to overheat. Before purchasing accessories
please observe the relevant instructions ⇒ page 226, Technical modifi-
cations.
● If a brake system circuit fails, the braking distance will be increased
considerably. Contact a specialised workshop immediately and avoid un-
necessary journeys.

Exhaust gas purification system Catalytic converter*
To maintain the useful life of the catalytic converter
– Use only unleaded petrol with petrol engines, as lead damages
the catalytic converter.
– Do not let the fuel get too low in the tank. –
For engine oil changes, do not replenish with too much engine
oil ⇒ page 241, Topping up engine oil .
– Never tow the vehicle to start it, use jump leads if necessary
⇒ page 287.
If you notice misfiring, uneven running or loss of power when the vehicle is
moving, reduce speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected at the
nearest specialised workshop. In general, the exhaust gas warning lamp
will light up when any of the described symptoms occur ⇒ page 76. If this
happens, unburnt fuel can enter the exhaust system and escape into the en-
vironment. The catalytic converter can also be damaged by overheating.
WARNING
The catalytic converter reaches very high temperatures! Risk of fire!
● Never park where the catalytic converter could come into contact with
dry grass or flammable materials under the vehicle.
● Do not apply additional underseal or anti-corrosion coatings to the
exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or the heat shields on the exhaust sys-
tem. These materials could catch fire when the vehicle is being driven.
CAUTION
Never run the fuel tank completely dry because the irregularity of the fuel
supply may cause ignition problems. This allows unburnt fuel to enter the
exhaust system, which could cause overheating and damage the catalytic
converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even when the emission control system is working perfectly, there may be a
smell of sulphur from the exhaust gas under some conditions. This depends
on the sulphur content of the fuel used. Quite often the problem can be
solved by changing to another brand of fuel. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

236Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
All work on the engine or in the engine compartment, e.g. checking and
refilling fluids, involves the danger of injury and scalding as well as the
risk of accident or fire.
● Never open the bonnet if you see steam, smoke or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment. Otherwise, there is a risk of sustaining
burns. Wait until no more steam or coolant is emitted, then allow the en-
gine to cool before carefully opening the bonnet.
● Switch off the engine and remove the key from the ignition.
● Apply the handbrake and move the gear lever to neutral or selector
lever to position P.
● Keep children away from the vehicle.
● Never touch hot engine parts. There is a risk of burns.
● Never spill liquids on a hot engine or on a hot exhaust gas system.
This is a fire hazard.
● Avoid causing short-circuits in the electrical system, particularly at
the points where the jump leads are attached ⇒ page 288. The battery
could explode.
● Never touch the radiator fan. It is temperature controlled and could
start automatically, even when the engine has been switched off and the
key removed from the ignition!
● Do not unscrew the cap on the coolant expansion tank when the en-
gine is hot. If the coolant is hot, the cooling system will be pressurised!
● Protect face, hands and arms by covering the cap with a large, thick
cloth to protect against escaping coolant and steam.
● Always make sure you have not left any objects, such as cleaning
cloths and tools, in the engine compartment.
● If you have to work underneath the vehicle, you must use suitable
stands additionally to support the vehicle, there is a risk of accident!. A
hydraulic jack is insufficient for securing the vehicle and there is a risk of
injury.WARNING (Continued)
● If any work has to be performed when the engine is started or with
the engine running, there is an additional, potentially fatal, safety risk
from the rotating parts, such as the drive belts, alternator, radiator fan,
etc., and from the high-voltage ignition system. You should also observe
the following points:
–Never touch the electrical wiring of the ignition system.
– Ensure that jewellery, loose clothing and long hair do not get trap-
ped in rotating engine parts. Danger of death. Before starting any
work remove jewellery, tie back and cover hair, and wear tight-fitting
clothes.
– Never accelerate with a gear engaged without taking the necessary
precautions. The vehicle could move, even if the handbrake is ap-
plied. Danger of death.
● If work has to be carried out on the fuel system or on electrical com-
ponents, you must observe the following safety notes in addition to the
above warnings:
–Always disconnect the battery from the on-board network. The ve-
hicle must be unlocked when this is done, otherwise the alarm will be
triggered.
– Do not smoke.
– Never work near naked flames.
– Always have a fire extinguisher on hand.
CAUTION
When topping up service fluids, make sure not to mistake them. Using the
wrong fluids could cause serious malfunctions and engine damage! 

287
If and when
Sun visor light
Fig. 212 Removing sun
visor light
Fig. 213 Removing sun
visor light
– Carefully remove the lamp, using the flat side of a screwdriver,
as shown in the figure ⇒ Fig. 213. –
Remove the bulb, moving it in the direction of the arrow and
outwards ⇒ Fig. 213. 
Jump-starting
Jump leads
The jump lead must have a sufficient wire cross section. If the engine fails to start because of a discharged battery, the battery can
be connected to the battery of another vehicle to start the engine.
Jump leads
Jump leads must comply with standard DIN 72553 (see cable manufactur-
er's instructions). The wire cross section must be at least 25 mm 2
for petrol
engines and at least 35 mm 2
for diesel engines.
Note
● The vehicles must not touch each other, otherwise electricity could flow
as soon as the positive terminals are connected.
● The discharged battery must be properly connected to the on-board net-
work. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

288If and when
How to jump start: description
Fig. 214 Diagram of con-
nections for vehicles
without Start Stop sys-
tem
Fig. 215 Diagram of con-
nections for vehicles
with Start Stop system
Jump lead terminal connections
1. Switch off the ignition of both vehicles ⇒ 
.2. Connect one end of the
red jump lead to the positive +
termi-
nal of the vehicle with the flat battery A ⇒ Fig. 214.
3. Connect the other end of the red jump lead to the positive ter-
minal +
in the vehicle providing assistance B.
4. For vehicles without Start-Stop system: Connect one end of the
black jump lead to the negative terminal –
of the vehicle pro-
viding assistance B ⇒ Fig. 214.
– For vehicles with Start-Stop system: Connect one end of the
black black jump lead X
to a suitable ground terminal, a solid
piece of metal in the engine block, or to the engine block
⇒ Fig. 215.
5. Connect the other end of the black jump lead X
to a solid met-
al component bolted to the engine block or to the engine block
itself of the vehicle with the flat battery. However, connect it to
a point as far as possible from the battery A
.
6. Position the leads in such a way that they cannot come into contact with any moving parts in the engine compartment.
Starting
7. Start the engine of the vehicle with the boosting battery and let it run at idling speed.
8. Start the engine of the vehicle with the flat battery and wait two or three minutes until the engine is “running”.
Removing the jump leads
9. Before you remove the jump leads, switch off the dipped beam headlights (if they are switched on). 

289
If and when
10.Turn on the heater blower and heated rear window in the vehi- cle with the flat battery. This helps minimise voltage peaks
which are generated when the leads are disconnected.
11.When the engine is running, disconnect the leads in reverse or- der to the details given above.
Connect the battery clamps so they have good metal-to-metal contact with
the battery terminals.
If the engine fails to start, switch off the starter after about 10 seconds and
try again after about half a minute.
WARNING
● Please note the safety warnings referring to working in the engine
compartment ⇒ page 235, Working in the engine compartment.
● The battery providing assistance must have the same voltage as the
flat battery (12V) and approximately the same capacity (see imprint on
battery). Failure to comply could result in an explosion.
● Never use jump leads when one of the batteries is frozen. Danger of
explosion! Even after the battery has thawed, battery acid could leak and
cause chemical burns. If a battery freezes, it should be replaced.
● Keep sparks, flames and lighted cigarettes away from batteries, dan-
ger of explosion. Failure to comply could result in an explosion.
● Observe the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the jump
leads.
● Do not connect the negative cable from the other vehicle directly to
the negative terminal of the flat battery. The gas emitted from the battery
could be ignited by sparks. Danger of explosion.
● Do not attach the negative cable from the other vehicle to parts of the
fuel system or to the brake line.
WARNING (Continued)
● The non-insulated parts of the battery clamps must not be allowed to
touch. The jump lead attached to the positive battery terminal must not
touch metal parts of the vehicle, this can cause a short circuit.
● Position the leads in such a way that they cannot come into contact
with any moving parts in the engine compartment.
● Do not lean on the batteries. This could result in chemical burns.
Note
The vehicles must not touch each other, otherwise electricity could flow as
soon as the positive terminals are connected. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications