
Operation
the rear of the vehicle. The right exterior
mirror will be adjusted at the same time
(sy nc
hronised). WARNING
● Convex or spherical mirrors increase the
field of vision however the objects appear
smaller and further away. If you use these
mirrors to estimate the distance to vehicles
behind you when changing lane, you could
make a mistake. Risk of accident.
● If possible, use the rear vision mirror to es-
timate distances to vehicles behind you.
● Make sure that you do not get your finger
trapped between the mirror and the mirror
base when folding back the mirrors. Risk of
injury! For the sake of the environment
The exterior mirror heating should be switch-
ed off when it is no longer needed. Other-
wise, it is an unnecessary fuel waste. Note
● If the electrical adjustment ever fails to op-
erate, the mirrors can be adjusted by hand by
lightly pressing the edge of the mirror glass.
● In vehicles with electric exterior mirrors,
the following points should be observed: if, due to an external force (e.g. being knocked
while manoeuvring), the adjustment of the
mirror housing is altered, the mirror will have
to be fully folded electrically. Do not readjust the rear vision mirror housing by hand, as
this will interfere with the mirror adjuster
function.
● The rear vision mirrors can be adjusted sep-
arately or simultaneously, as described
above.
● The folding function on the exterior mirrors
is not active at speeds over 40 km/h
(25 mph). Seats and head restraints
Adjusting the seat and head
restraints
The importance of correct seat
adjustment Proper seat adjustment optimises the level of
protection offered by seat belts and airbags.
Your vehicle has
five
seats, two in the front
and thr ee in the r
ear. Each seat is equipped
with a three-point seat belt.
The driver seat and the front passenger seat
can be adjusted in many ways to suit the
physical requirements of the vehicle occu-
pants. The correct seat position is very impor-
tant for:
● a fast and easy operation of all controls on
the instrument panel,
● a relaxed posture which does not cause
drowsiness,
● a safe driving ›››
page 5,
● ensuring that the seat belts and airbag sys-
tem provide maximum protection ›››
page 11. WARNING
● If the driver and passengers assume im-
proper sitting positions, they may sustain
critical injuries. 88

Seats and head restraints
Angle adjustment (front seats) – Press the head restraint forward or back to
the required position.
Removing the head restraint – Push the head restraint up as far as it will
go.
– Press the button ››› Fig. 76 (arrow).
– Pull head restraint out of fitting without re-
leasing the button.
Fitting the head restraint
– Insert the head restraint into the guides on
the backrest.
– Push head restraint down.
– Adjust the head restraint to suit body size
››› page 10 and
›
›› page 9. WARNING
● Never drive if the head restraints have been
removed. Risk of injury.
● Never drive if the head restraints are in an
unsuitable position, there is a risk of serious
injury.
● After refitting the head restraint, you must
always adjust it properly for height to achieve
optimal protection.
● Please observe the safety warnings in
››› page 90, Correct adjustment of head re-
straints. Seat functions
Heated seats* Fig. 77
Thumb wheel for front seat heating. Fig. 78
Front seat heating with Climatronic. The front seat cushions and backrests can be
heated electrically.Front seat heating for vehicles without
Climatronic
– Turn the appropriate thumb wheel
››› Fig. 77 to switch on the seat heating. The
se at
heating is switched off in the 0 posi-
tion.
Front seat heating for vehicles with
Climatronic – Press the button to switch on seat heating.
– Press once to set seat heating at maximum
level (level 3).
– Press twice to set seat heating at medium
level (level 2).
– Press three times to set seat heating at
minimum level (level 1).
– When the button is pressed four times, the
heating goes off and the LED goes out (lev-
el 0).
The seat heating only works when the igni-
tion is switched on. The left thumb wheel
controls the left seat and the right thumb
wheel the right seat. CAUTION
To avoid damaging the heating elements,
please do not kneel on the seat or apply
sharp pressure at a single point to the seat
cushion and backrest. 91
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Transport and practical equipment
Luggage compartment Loading the luggage compartment All luggage and other loose objects must be
safely secured in the luggage compartment.
Unsecured objects which shift back and forth
could impair the driving safety or driving
characteristics of the vehicle by shifting the
centre of gravity.
– Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
– Place heavy objects as far forward as possi-
ble in the luggage compartment.
– Place the heavy objects first.
– Secure heavy objects to the fitted fastening
rings ›››
page 103 . WARNING
● Loose luggage and other objects in the lug-
gage compartment could cause serious inju-
ries.
● Always stow objects in the luggage com-
partment and secure them on the fastening
rings.
● Use suitable straps to secure heavy ob-
jects.
● During sudden manoeuvres or accidents,
loose objects can be thrown forward, injuring
vehicle occupants or passers-by. This in-
creased risk of injury will be further increased if a loose object is struck by an inflating air-
bag. If this happens, objects can be trans-
formed into “missiles”. Risk of fatal injury.
●
Please note that the centre of gravity may
shift when transporting heavy objects; this
may affect vehicle handling and lead to an ac-
cident. Therefore, it is essential to adjust
your speed and driving style accordingly, to
avoid accidents.
● Never exceed the allowed axle weights or
allowed maximum weight. If said weights are
exceeded, the driving characteristics of the
vehicle may change, leading to accidents, in-
juries and damage to the vehicle.
● Never leave your vehicle unattended, espe-
cially when the rear lid is open. Children
could climb into the luggage compartment,
closing the door behind them; they will be
trapped and run the risk of death.
● Never allow children to play in or around
the vehicle. Close and lock all the doors and
rear lid when you leave the vehicle. Before
you lock the vehicle, make sure that there are
no adults or children in the vehicle. CAUTION
Hard objects on the boot cover could chafe
against the wires of the heating element in
the rear window and cause damage. Note
● Air circulation in the vehicle helps reduce
fogging of the windows. Used air escapes through ventilation slits in the side trim of
the luggage compartment. Ensure that these
ventilation slits are never covered.
● Straps for securing the load to the fasten-
ing rings are commercially available. Rear shelf
3 Applies to the model: ALTEA
Fig. 103
Rear shelf. Fig. 104
Removing the storage compartment.
» 101Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Air conditioning
Air conditioning
Heating Operating instructions Fig. 114
Heating controls on the dash panel. –
Use the knobs ››› Fig. 114 1 and
4 and
control 5 to set the temperature, air distri-
bution and blower speed.
– To switch a function on or off, press the ap-
propriate button 2 or
3 . When the func-
tion is activated, the display window in the
lower left of the button is lit.
Temperature
With the regulator 1 the heating level is de-
termined. The desired temperature inside the
vehicle cannot be lower than the ambient
temperature. Maximum heat output, which is needed to defrost the windows quickly, is on-
ly available when the engine has reached its
operating temperature.
Heated rear window
Thi s
function 2 will be switched off automat-
ically approximately 20 minutes after being
switched on. It can also be switched off soon-
er by pushing the button. Air recirculation mode
Air recirculation mode
3 prevents strong
odours in the outside air from entering the
vehicle interior, for example when passing
through a tunnel or in queuing traffic ››› .
With low outside temperatures, the air recir-
culation increases the effectiveness of the
heating system by heating the air inside the
vehicle rather than the air from outside. »
107
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
Air distribution
Control 4 for setting the flow of air in the re-
quired direction.
Air distribution towards the windscreen.
If the windscreen air output is on and air
recirculation mode is pressed, it is acti-
vated. When the recirculation mode is
on, if the air distribution towards the
windscreen mode is selected, the recir-
culation mode is deactivated. For safety
reasons, the air recirculation mode
should not be connected.
Air distribution to the upper body
Air distribution towards the footwell
Air distribution towards the windscreen
and the footwell
Blower
The air flow can be set at four speeds with
the control 5 . The air flow should always be
set at the lowest speed when driving slowly. WARNING
● For road safety all windows must be clear of
ice, snow, and condensation. This is essential
to ensure good visibility. Please familiarise
yourself with the correct operation of the
heating and ventilation system, including the
anti-fog/defrost functions for the wind-
screens.
●
In air recirculation mode, no cold air from
the outside enters the vehicle interior. The
windows can quickly fog over if the heating is
switched off. Therefore, never leave the air re-
circulation mode switched on for a long time
(risk of accident). Note
Please observe the general notes
››› page 116.108

Air conditioning
Climatic* Controls Fig. 115
On the dash panel: Climate controls. The Climatic or semi-automatic air condition-
ing system only works when the engine is
running and the blower is switched on.
– Use the knobs ››› Fig. 115 1 and
5 and
control 6 to set the temperature, air distri-
bution and blower speed.
– To switch a function on or off, press the ap-
propriate button 2 ,
3 or
4 . When the
function is activated, the display window in
the lower corner of the button is lit.
Temperature selector ››› page 110
A/C button – Cooling system on/off
››› page 110
1 2
button – Heated rear window The
heating will be switched off automatically
approximately 20 minutes after switching
on. It can also be switched off before-
hand by pushing the button.
Button – Air recirculation mode
››› page 111
Air distribution control ››› page 110
Blower switch. There are four speed set-
tings for the air flow. The air flow should
always be set at the lowest speed when
driving slowly.
3 4
5
6 WARNING
For road safety all windows must be clear of
ice, snow, and condensation. This is essential
to ensure good visibility. Please familiarise
yourself with the correct operation of the
heating and ventilation system, including the
anti-fog/defrost functions for the wind-
screens. Note
Please observe the general notes
››› page 116. 109Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
Heating and cooling the interior Fig. 116
On the dash panel: Climate controls. Interior heating
– Turn the temperature selector ››› Fig. 116
1 clockwise to select the desired tempera-
ture.
– Turn the blower switch to one of the set-
tings 1-4.
– Set the air distribution control to the air
flow configuration desired: (towards the
windscreen), (towards the chest),
(towards the footwell) and
(towards the
windscreen and footwell areas).
Interior cooling
– Switch on the air conditioner using the but-
ton ››› Fig. 115
A/C .–
Turn the temperature selector anticlockwise
until the desired cooling output is reached.
– Turn the blower switch to one of the set-
tings 1-4.
– Use the air distribution regulator to guide
the airflow in the required direction (to
the windscreen), (to the upper body),
(to the footwell) and
(to the wind-
screen and to the footwell).
Heating
Maximum heat output, which is needed to
defrost the windows quickly, is only available
when the engine has reached its operating
temperature. Air conditioner
When the air conditioning system is switched
on, not only the temperature, but also the air
humidity in the vehicle interior is reduced.
This improves comfort for the vehicle occu-
pants and prevents misting of the windows
when the ambient air humidity is high.
If the air conditioning system cannot be
switched on this may be caused by the fol-
lowing reasons:
● The engine is not running.
● The blower is switched off.
● The outside temperature is lower than ap-
proximately +3 °C (+37 °F).
110

Air conditioning
● The air conditioning system compressor
has been temporarily switched off because
the engine coolant temperature is too high.
● The air conditioner fuse is faulty.
● Another fault in the vehicle. Have the air
conditioner checked by a specialised work-
shop.
Air recirculation mode Air recirculation mode
››› Fig. 116 4
pre-
vents strong odours or contaminated air from the outside from entering the vehicle, for ex-
ample when passing through a tunnel or in a
traffic jam.
With low temperatures outside, the air recir-
culation increases the effectiveness of the
heating system by warming the air inside the
vehicle rather than the cold air from outside.
With high outside temperatures, the air recir-
culation increases the effectiveness of the air
conditioning system by cooling the air inside
the vehicle rather than the ambient air.
If the windscreen air output is on and air re-
circulation mode is pressed, it is activated.When the recirculation mode is on, if the air
distribution towards the windscreen mode is
selected, the recirculation mode is deactiva-
ted. For safety reasons, the air recirculation
mode should not be connected. WARNING
In air recirculation mode, no cold air from the
outside enters the vehicle interior. If the air
conditioning system is switched off, the win-
dows can quickly mist over. Therefore, never
leave the air recirculation mode switched on
for a long time (risk of accident). 111Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety