
Advice
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially
when using a tow rope. Both drivers should
be familiar with the technique required for
towing. Inexperienced drivers should not at-
tempt to tow.
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle
and take care to avoid jerking the tow rope.
When towing on an unpaved road, there is al-
ways a risk of overloading and damaging the
anchorage points.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must
be switched on to prevent the steering wheel
from locking and also to allow the use of the
turn signals, horn, windscreen wipers and
washers.
The brake servo only works when the engine
is running. When not running, you must ap-
ply considerably more pressure to the brake
pedal.
As the power assisted steering does not work
if the engine is not running, you will need
more strength to steer than you normally
would.
● The vehicle must not be towed faster than
50 km/h (31 mph).
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
● Put the selector lever into position “N”.
● Do not drive faster than 50 km/h (31 mph). ●
Do not tow further than 50 km.
● If a breakdown vehicle is used, the vehicle
must be towed with the front wheels raised. Note
● Observe legal requirements when towing or
tow-starting.
● Switch on the hazard warning lights of both
vehicles. However, observe any regulations
to the contrary.
● For technical reasons, vehicles with an au-
tomatic gearbox must not be tow-started.
● If there is no lubricant in the gearbox as the
result of a fault, you must raise the driven
wheels while the vehicle is being towed.
● If the vehicle has to be towed more than
50 km, the front wheels should be raised dur-
ing towing, and towing should be carried out
by a qualified person.
● The steering wheel is locked when the vehi-
cle has no electrical power. The vehicle must
then be towed with the front wheels raised.
Towing should be carried out by a qualified
person.
● The towline anchorage should always be
kept in the vehicle. Please refer to the notes
on ››› page 191, Tow-starting. Towline anchorages
Fig. 165
Fitting the front towline anchorage
to the front right section of the vehicle. Fig. 166
Fitting the towline anchorage to the
rear of the vehicle. Front towline anchorage
– Take the towline anchorage from the on-
board tool set.
– Remove the cover by pressing down on its
left-hand side.
192

Fuses and bulbs
WARNING
The high voltages in the electrical system can
give serious electrical shocks, causing burns
and even death!
● Never touch the electrical wiring of the igni-
tion system.
● Take care not to cause short circuits in the
electrical system. WARNING
Using unsuitable fuses, repairing fuses or
bridging a current circuit without fuses can
cause a fire and serious injury.
● Never use a fuse with a higher value. Only
replace fuses with a fuse of the same amper-
age (same colour and markings) and size.
● Never repair a fuse.
● Never replace a fuse by a metal strip, staple
or similar. CAUTION
● To prevent damage to the vehicle's electric
system, before replacing a fuse turn off the
ignition, the lights and all electrical elements
and remove the key from the ignition.
● If you replace a fuse with higher-rating
fuse, you could cause damage to another part
of the electrical system.
● Protect the fuse boxes when open to pre-
vent the entry of dust or humidity as they can
damage the electrical system. Note
● One component may have more than one
fuse.
● Several components may run on a single
fuse. Vehicle fuses
Fig. 173
Left side of dash panel fuse box cov-
er Fig. 174
In the engine compartment: fuse box
cover Only replace fuses with a fuse of the same
amperage (same colour and markings) and
size.
Identifying fuses situated below the driver-
side dash panel by coloursColourAmp rating
Purple3
Light brown5
Brown7.5
Red10
Blue15
Yellow20
White or trans-
parent25
Green30» 197
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

AdviceColourAmp rating
Orange40
Opening and closing the fuse box situated
below the dash panel
●
Opening: fold the cover down ››
› Fig. 173.
● Closing:
push back the cover it in until it
clicks into place.
To open the engine compartment fuse box
● Open the bonnet ›››
page 163.
● Press the locking tabs in the direction indi-
cated by the arrows to release the fuse box
cover ›››
Fig. 174.
● Then lif t
the cover out.
● To
fit the cover, place it on the fuse box.
Push the locking tabs down, in the opposite
direction to that indicated by the arrows, un-
til you hear them click into place. CAUTION
● Always carefully remove the fuse box cov-
ers and refit them correctly to avoid problems
with your vehicle.
● Protect the fuse boxes when open to avoid
the entry of dust or humidity. Dirt and humid-
ity inside fuse boxes can cause damage to
the electrical system. Note
In the vehicle, there are more fuses than
those indicated in this chapter. These should
only be changed by a specialised workshop. Replacing a blown fuse
Fig. 175
Image of a blown fuse Preparation
● Switch off the ignition, lights and all elec-
trical equipment.
● Open the corresponding fuse box
››› page 197 .
Identif y
ing a blown fuse
A fuse is blown if its metal strip is ruptured
››› Fig. 175
.
Point a lamp at the fuse. This will make it
easier to see if the fuse is blown. To replace a fuse
● Remove the fuse.
● Replace the blown fuse by one with an
identical amperage rating (same colour and
mark
ings) and identical size ››› .
● Replace the cover again or close the fuse
box lid. CAUTION
If you replace a fuse with higher-rating fuse,
you could cause damage to another part of
the electrical system. Changing the lights
General notes Before changing any bulb, first turn off the
failed device.
Do not touch the glass part of the bulb with
your bare hands. The fingerprints left on the
glass will vaporise as a result of the heat gen-
erated by the bulb, reducing bulb life and
causing condensation on the reflector sur-
face, thus reducing effectiveness.
A bulb must only be replaced by one of the
same type. The type is indicated on the bulb,
either on the glass part or on the base.
It is highly recommended to keep a box of
spare bulbs in the vehicle. At the very least,
198

Fuses and bulbs
the following spare bulbs, which are essen-
tial for road safety, should be kept in the ve-
hicle.
Main headlights - H7
- H1
- W5W - PY21W
Xenon headlights 1)
/adaptive*
- D1S 2)
- P21W SLL
- W5W - PY21W
Front fog light - H3
Dipped beam
Main beam
Position
Turn signal
Dipped and full beam
Daylight
Position
Turn signals
Front fog light Upper tail light (ALTEA)
- P21W3)
- R10W
Lower tail light (ALTEA) - P21W- P21W
Fixed tail light (ALTEA XL / ALTEA FREETRACK) - P21W3)
- P21W
Mobile tail light (ALTEA XL / ALTEA
FREETRACK) - P21W- P21W
- W5W
Stop/Position
Turn signal
Fog light
Reverse light
Stop/Position
Turn signal
Fog light (driver side)
Reverse (passenger side)
Position Side turn signal
- W5W
Number plate light - C5W Note
● Depending on weather conditions (cold or
wet), the headlights, the fog lights, the tail
lights and the turn signals may be temporari-
ly misted. This has no influence on the useful
life of the lighting system. By switching on
the lights, the area through which the beam
of light is projected will quickly be demisted.
However, the edges may continue to be mis-
ted.
● Please check at regular intervals that all
lighting (especially the exterior lighting) on
your vehicle is functioning properly. This is » Side turn signal
Number plate light
1)
On this type of headlight, the bulb changes must
be made by the technical service, given that complex
elements must be removed from the vehicle and the
incorporated automatic control system must be re-
set.
2) The Xenon bulbs discharge 2.5 times the light flux
and have an average lifespan of 5 times more than
that of halogen bulbs, this means that, except due to
unusual circumstances, there is no need to change
the bulbs for the whole life of the vehicle.
3) Electronically controlled single filament bulb for
Stop/side bulbs. If the bulb blows it will not work in
either position or Stop. 199Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Advice
not only in the interest of your own safety,
but also that of all other road users.
● Due to difficulty of access to some of the
bulbs, any replacement work should be done
by a technical service. However, the following
is a description of how to change the lamps
except for the fog lights* and interior lamps. Main headlight bulbs
Fig. 176
Main headlight bulbs. Turn signal
Dipped beam headlights
Main beam headlights
Side light
A B
C
D Turn signal bulbs
Fig. 177
Turn signal bulb. –
Raise the bonnet.
– Rotate the bulb holder ››› Fig. 177 A to the
left and pull.
– Remove the bulb by pressing on the bulb
holder and turn it anti-clockwise at the
same time.
– Installation involves all of the above steps
in reverse sequence. Dipped lights Fig. 178
Dipped beam headlights. Fig. 179
Dipped beam headlights. –
Raise the bonnet.
– Move the loops ››› Fig. 178 1 in the direc-
tion of the arrow and remove the cover.
– Remove connector ››› Fig. 179 2 from the
bulb.
200

Fuses and bulbs
– Unclip the retainer spring ››› Fig. 179 3 pressing inwards to the right.
– Extract the bulb and fit the replacement so
that the lug on the base fits into the recess
on the reflector.
Main beam lights Fig. 180
Main beam headlight. Fig. 181
Main beam headlight. –
Raise the bonnet.
– Remove the cover ››› Fig. 180 C by pulling
on this.
– Remove connector ››› Fig. 181 1 from the
bulb.
– Press the spring ››› Fig. 181 2 inwards and
to the right.
– Extract the bulb and fit the replacement so
that it sits correctly into the cut-out on the
reflector.
– Installation involves all of the above steps
in reverse sequence.
Side lights Fig. 182
Side light. Fig. 183
Side light. –
Raise the bonnet.
– Remove the cover ››› Fig. 182 D by pulling
on this.
– Extract the bulb holder ››› Fig. 183 1 out-
wards.
– Replace the bulb by pulling it out and in-
serting the replacement.
– Installation is done in the reverse order.
201Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Advice
Side lights/ brake lights 3 Applies to the model: ALTEA
Fig. 184
Side lights and brake lights. Fig. 185
Side lights and brake lights. –
Open the rear lid.
– Remove the bolts ››› Fig. 184 A .
– Remove the cover of the luggage compart-
ment lateral panel. –
Unscrew the plastic fitting ››› Fig. 185 B securing the tail light. Inserting a screw-
driver under the plastic fitting may help to
loosen it.
– Partially remove the tail light from its cas-
ing taking care not to pull on the cable.
– Remove the bulb holder connector.
– Unscrew the bolts ››› Fig. 186 C from the
bulb holder and pull on this.
– Press on the bulb and rotate to the left then
fit the replacement.
– To refit follow the steps in reverse order,
taking special care when fitting the bulb
holder. The metal contacts of the bulb hold-
er ends should be correctly fitted with re-
spect to the rear light contacts. Turn signal light 3 Applies to the model: ALTEA
Fig. 186
Turn signal light. Fig. 187
Turn signal light. –
Remove the lamp from its housing
››› page 202.
– Unscrew the bolts ››› Fig. 186 C from the
bulb holder and pull on this.
202

Fuses and bulbs
– Pull out the turn signal bulb holder using a
screw driver in the direction of the arrow
››› Fig. 187 .
– Fit the r
eplacement bulb by pressing it
down and rotating to the left.
– Installation involves all of the above steps
in reverse sequence.
Reverse light/rear fog light 3 Applies to the model: ALTEA
Fig. 188
Lamp on interior side of bumper. –
Rotate the bulb holder to the left and re-
move it in the direction of the arrow
››› Fig. 188.
– Replace the bulb by pressing on it and ro-
tating at the same time to the left Turn signal, side and brake lights on
the body 3 Applies to the model: ALTEA XL/ALTEA FREETRACK
Fig. 189
Lights on the vehicle body. Fig. 190
Lights on the vehicle body. –
Open the cover of the luggage compart-
ment side panel ››› Fig. 189 .
– Turn the b
ulb holder to the left ››› Fig. 190. –
Remove the blown bulb and change it for a
new one.
– To refit follow the steps in reverse order,
taking special care when fitting the bulb
holder.
203
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety