
Towing bracket device
altitude, this also reduces climbing ability,
which requires a reduction of the weight of
the vehicle with a trailer by 10% for every
1000 m increase in altitude. The weight of
the assembly is calculated by adding the ve-
hicle weight (loaded) to the trailer weight
(loaded). Always drive with special care when
towing a trailer.
The towed load and support load information
that is displayed on the towing bracket man-
ufacturers label are only values for the verifi-
cation of the device. The correct figures for
your specific vehicle, which are usually lower
than these figures, are given in the documen-
tation of your vehicle. WARNING
● Exceeding the maximum established load
per axle and the maximum towing bracket
load in addition to the maximum permitted
load or the load of the vehicle + trailer as-
sembly can cause accidents and serious inju-
ries.
● A sliding load can considerably affect the
stability and safety of the vehicle + trailer as-
sembly, resulting in accidents and serious in-
juries. Towing a trailer
Exterior mirrors
Check whether you can see enough of the
road behind the trailer with the standard rear
vision mirrors. If this is not the case, you
should have additional exterior mirrors fitted.
Observe the relevant statutory requirements
of the country you are in.
Headlights
Before starting a journey, also check the
headlight beam settings with the trailer
hitched up. Adjust the headlight range set-
tings if necessary
›››
page 62, Range control
of main lights .
Driving speed
For your own safety do not drive faster than
the maximum permitted speed indicated on
the trailer.
At all times, immediately reduce speed if you
detect the slightest swaying movement of the
trailer. Never try to “return the trailer to a
straight position” by accelerating.
Brakes
Brake in due course! If the trailer has an over-
run brake , apply the brakes gently at first and
then, firm ly
. This will prevent the jerking that
can be caused by locking of trailer wheels.
Change to a lower gear in good time before descending a slope in order to take advant-
age of the engine brake.
The trailer is incorporated into the vehicle's
anti-theft alarm system:
● When the vehicle has a factory-fitted anti-
theft alarm and a towing bracket.
● When the trailer is electrically connected to
the vehicle via the towing bracket socket.
● When the vehicle electrical device and the
towing bracket are operational.
● When the vehicle is locked and the vehi-
cle's anti-theft alarm device is activated.
Once the electrical connection is interrupted
with the vehicle trailer locked, the alarm
sounds.
Always switch off the vehicle anti-theft alarm
device before connecting or disconnecting a
trailer. The vehicle anti-theft alarm device
could cause the alarm to sound ››› page 57,
Anti-theft alarm system*.
Engine overheating
In the event that the coolant temperature
gauge needle moves to the right section of
the scale or to the red area, immediately re-
duce speed. If the control lamp flashes on
the general instrument panel, stop the vehi-
cle and switch off the engine. Wait several
minutes and check the coolant level in the
tank ››› page 138
.
»
115
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
Please observe the following indications
››› page 35, Coolant level and temperature
.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by
switching on the heating. WARNING
● Adjust your speed to suit the road and traf-
fic conditions.
● An electrical installation that is connected
incorrectly or by non-specialised personnel
can prevent the connection of the current to
the trailer and cause faults in the operation of
the electrical system throughout the entire
vehicle, leading to accidents and serious in-
jury.
● All electrical work must be carried out only
by specialised services.
● Never directly connect the trailer electrical
device to the electrical sockets of the reverse
driving lights or other sources of electrical
current. CAUTION
● Avoid corners, and sudden and sharp brak-
ing.
● Once the trailing arm has been removed,
place the corresponding cover on the hole of
the fastening point. This prevents dirt from
entering the hole – see the trailer system as-
sembly manual. Note
● In the event of frequent journeys with a
trailer, we recommend also having the vehi-
cle inspected in between the service inter-
vals.
● When connecting and disconnecting the
trailer, the handbrake must be applied.
● For technical reasons, trailers with LED re-
verse lights cannot be incorporated into the
vehicle anti-theft alarm system. Towing bracket device
Introduction If the vehicle is equipped with a towing
bracket device from the factory or is a genu-
ine SEAT accessory, it meets all national tech-
nical and legal requirements for towing.
Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power
socket for the electrical connection between
the trailer and the vehicle. If the towing
bracket is equipped with a
7-pin connector,
y ou c
an use the corresponding available
adaptor that is a genuine SEAT accessory.
The towing device has a maximum vertical
load of 50 kg
. WARNING
● Before driving with the ball-headed bar fit-
ted, verify its correct assembly and place-
ment in the clamping bush.
● Do not use the ball-headed bar if it is not
correctly placed and fixed in the clamping
bush.
● Do not use the towing device for towing if it
is damaged or has missing parts.
● Do not modify or adapt the towing device
connection.
● Never disengage the ball-headed bar with
the trailer still hitched. CAUTION
Be careful not to damage the paint on the
bumper when handling the ball-headed bar. 116

Towing bracket device
Description Fig. 99
Towing bracket device support for
hitching/ball-headed bar. The ball-headed bar is detachable. It is loca-
ted in the spare wheel compartment or in the
spare wheel compartment in the boot
››› page 150, Vehicle tool kit*.
Key to ››› Fig. 99
13-pin socket
Safety flange
1 2 Clamping bush
Clamping bush cap
Ball head cover
Ball-headed bar
Locking balls
Centred
Red marking on the manual regulator
Manual regulator
Key
Key slot cover
Red marking on the manual regulator
White marking on the ball-headed bar
Note
Contact an Authorised Service Partner if you
lose your key. 3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 Placing in service position
Fig. 100
Placing in service position.
» 117Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Towing bracket device
Fig. 103
Placing the key slot cover. –
Remove the cap from the clamping bush 4›››
Fig. 99 by pulling downwards.
– Plac
e the ball-headed bar in the service po-
sition ››› page 117.
– Hol
d the ball-headed bar from underneath
››› Fig. 102
and push it into the clamping
bush as far as possible until you hear it
click into place ››› .
The manual regulator A
automatically turns
in the op po
site direction, adjusting to the
ball-headed bar ››› .
– Switch off the manual regulator lock with
key B by turning the key fully to the right
in the direction of arrow 1 – the arrow in
the key displays the “locked” symbol.
– Remove the key in the direction of arrow
2 .
– Place cover C over the manual regulator
lock in the direction of arrow 3
››› Fig. 103 .–
Verif
y the correct placement of the ball-
headed bar ››› page 119. WARNING
● Do not hold the manual regulator with your
hand when fitting the ball-headed bar since
you could sustain injuries to your fingers.
● When mounting the ball-headed bar, al-
ways lock it with a key and remove the key
from the slot.
● The ball-headed bar must not be in the
service position with the key in the key slot.
● If the ball-headed bar is not placed in the
service position you will not be able to place
it in the clamping bush. CAUTION
When removing the key, always place the
cover over the key slot of the manual regula-
tor to prevent dirt from entering. Note
Once removed, place the clamping bush cap
in an appropriate location in the boot. Verification of correct placement
Fig. 104
Correct placement of the ball-head-
ed bar. Before using the ball-headed bar, ensure it is
correctly fitted.
Ensure that:
● The ball-headed bar does not come out of
the clamping bush in a “jerky” manner.
● The red mark A
››› Fig. 104 on the manual
r e
gulator signals toward the white mark on
the ball-headed bar.
● The manual regulator is adjusted to the
ball-headed bar, leaving no space between
them.
● The regulator is locked and the key has
been removed.
● Cover B has been placed over the manual
regulator lock. »
119
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
WARNING
Only use the towing bracket device when the
ball-headed bar is properly fitted! Disassembly of the ball-headed bar
Fig. 105
Remove the key slot cover/unlock
with the key. Fig. 106
Unblock the ball-headed bar. –
Remove cover A from over the regulator
key slot in the direction of arrow 1 ›››
Fig. 105 .
– Inser
t key B in the key slot.
– Open the manual regulator lock by turning
key B fully to the left in the direction of ar-
row 2 . The arrow on the key points to the
“unlocked” symbol.
– Hold the ball-headed bar from underneath
››› Fig. 106 and remove manual regulator
C with your other hand in the direction of
arrow 3 .
– Turn the removed regulator fully in the di-
rection of arrow 4 and hold it firmly in this
position.
– Remove the ball-headed bar from the
clamping bush, pulling downward in the di-
rection of arrow 5 .The ball-headed bar should be placed in the
service position so that it is ready to be inser-
ted into the clamping bush
››› .
– Place the cover over the clamping bush 4 ›››
Fig. 99 . WARNING
● Never leave the ball-headed bar unsecured
in the boot. It could be damaged in the event
of sudden braking, putting the safety of pas-
sengers at risk!
● Never disassemble the ball-headed bar
with the trailer still hitched. CAUTION
● If you do not turn the manual regulator
fully, it will return to its original position
when the ball-headed bar is removed. The
manual regulator will be stuck to the ball-
headed bar and you will not be able to put it
in the service position. Therefore, before you
assemble it again, you must place the ball-
headed bar in this position.
● When disassembling, place the cap on the
clamping bush holder’s key slot. This way
you will prevent dirt from entering the clamp-
ing bush. Note
● Before disassembling the ball-headed bar,
we recommend placing the cover on the ball
head. 120

Towing bracket device
●
Clean the ball-headed bar thoroughly be-
fore returning it to the on-board toolbox. Use and maintenance
Cover the clamping bush with the cap to pre-
vent dirt from entering.
Before hooking on the trailer, check the ball
head and, if necessary, lubricate it with ade-
quate lubricant.
Place the protective cover over the ball head
when storing the bar. This way, you will avoid
getting the boot dirty.
If it gets dirty, clean and dry the clamping
bush thoroughly with an appropriate prod-
uct.
CAUTION
The top part of the clamping bush opening is
lubricated. Be careful not to remove this lu-
brication. 121Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Advice
● Avoid mixing this oil with other engine oils.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the
engine oil level is too low ››› page 136 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 propertiesEngine typeSpecification
Petrol without flexible
service intervalVW 502 00/VW 504 00
Petrol with flexible serv-
ice interval (LongLife)VW 504 00
Diesel. Engines without
Particulate filter (DPF)VW 505 01/VW 506 01/VW
507 00
Diesel. Particulate Filter
Engines (DPF).
With or without flexible
service interval (with
and without LongLife) 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 correspond-
ing VW specifications and recommend keep-
ing it in the vehicle. This way, the correct en-
gine oil will always be available for a top-up if
needed. Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 111
Engine oil dipsticks. The dipstick shows the engine oil level.
››› Fig. 111 .
Chec k
ing oil level
– Park the vehicle on a level surface and en-
sure the engine is at operating tempera-
ture.
– Switch the ignition off.
– Open the bonnet. –
Wait a few minutes for the engine oil to
flow back to the sump and remove the dip-
stick.
– Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth and in-
sert it again as far as it will go.
– Then pull the dipstick out again and check
the oil level.
Oil level in area A –
Do not
t
op up oil.
Oi
l level in area B –
Oil can be topped up. After topping up the
oi l
level could be in area A .
Oil level in area C –
Oil must be topped up. After topping up,
the oil level should be in area B .
It is normal for the engine to consume a cer-
tain amount of oil. Depending on how you
drive and the conditions in which the vehicle
is used, oil consumption can be up to 0.5 li-
tres per 1,000 km. Oil consumption can also
be higher for the first 5,000 km (3000 miles).
You should therefore check the oil level at
regular intervals, ideally every time you fill
the tank or before setting off on a long trip.
When the engine is working hard, for in-
stance during sustained motorway cruising in
summer, when towing a trailer or caravan or
136

Advice
Vehicle tool kit* Fig. 122
Vehicle tool kit. The vehicle tool kit and the jack are stored in
a box on the spare wheel or in the spare
wheel well. There is also enough space for
the towing bracket ball coupling. The box is
strapped to the spare wheel with tape.
The vehicle tool kit includes the following
parts (depending on equipment):
Screwdriver
Adapter for anti-theft wheel bolts
Towline anchorage
Wire hook for removing hub caps
Jack
Box spanner for wheel bolts
Clip for wheel bolt cover
Spare set of bulbs
1 2
3
4
5
6
7
8 Before stowing the jack again, screw down
the arm as far as it will go.
WARNING
● The factory-supplied jack is only designed
for changing wheels on this model of vehicle.
On no account attempt to use it for lighting
heavier vehicles or other loads. Risk of injury!
● Make sure that the vehicle tools are stored
properly in the luggage compartment. Note
● Make sure the box always remains strap-
ped to the spare wheel with tape.
● The jack does not generally require any
maintenance. If required, it should be
greased using universal type grease. Changing a wheel
Introduction WARNING
● If you have a puncture in moving traffic,
switch on the hazard warning lights and
place the warning triangle at the obligatory
distance. Observe applicable local legal regu-
lations. This is for your own safety and that of
other drivers. ●
If you have a flat tyre, stop the vehicle as
far away as possible from moving traffic. Stop
on flat, solid ground.
● If you have to change the tyre on a gradi-
ent, block the wheel opposite the wheel be-
ing changed by placing a stone or similar ob-
ject under it to prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing away unexpectedly.
● If the vehicle has been fitted with tyres or
alloys that are different to those fitted in
manufacture, the instructions ››› page 146,
Replacing tyres and wheels must be followed.
● Always raise the vehicle with the doors
closed.
● Never place parts of your body, e.g. arms
and legs, underneath the vehicle when it is
supported only by the jack.
● Secure the base of the jack with suitable
supports so that it cannot slip. The jack could
slide if the ground below it is soft and slip-
pery and the vehicle could slip off it. There-
fore, place the jack on a firm surface or use a
large, stable base. On a slippery surface, e.g.
tile, use a non-slip base such as a rubber
mat.
● Never start the engine when the vehicle is
jacked. Risk of injury.
● The jack should only be used in the correct
jacking points. CAUTION
● The prescribed tightening torque for wheel
bolts on steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm. 150