2015 Seat Altea seats

Seat belts
Fig. 11
Placing the seat belt in the shoulder
and pelvis area for pregnant women. Fastening the seat belt
The seat belt cannot offer its full protection if
the seat belt is not positioned correctly.
● Adjust the seat and head restraint correctly.
● To fasten the belt, take hold of the latch
plate and pull it slowly across your chest and
lap.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the
appropriate seat and push it down until it is securely locked with an audible click
››› Fig. 10
A.
● Pull the belt to ensure that the latch plate is
securely engaged in the buckle.
The seat belts are equipped with an automat-
ic retractor on the shoulder strap. Full free-
dom of movement is permitted when the
shoulder belt is pulled slowly. However, dur-
ing sudden braking, during travel in steep
areas or bends and during acceleration, the
automatic retractor on the shoulder belt is
locked.
The automatic belt retractors on the front
seats are fitted with seat belt tensioners
››› page 16.
Seat

belt release
● Press the red button on the belt buckle
››› Fig. 10 B
. The latch plate is released and
springs out ››› .
● Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls
up easily and the trim is not damaged.
Seat belt position
Seat belts offer their maximum protection on-
ly when they are properly positioned.
The following features are available to adjust
the seat belt in the shoulder region:
● belt height adjustment for the front seats.
● front seat height adjustment*. WARNING
● The seat belts offer best protection only
when the backrests are in an upright position
and the seat belts have been fastened prop-
erly.
● Never put the latch plate in the buckle of
another seat. If you do this, the seat belt will
not protect you properly and the risk of injury
is increased.
● Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehi-
cle is in motion. If you do, you increase the
risk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries.
● An incorrectly worn seat belt can cause se-
vere injuries in the event of an accident.
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie
on the centre of the shoulder, never across
the neck. The seat belt must lie flat and snug-
ly on the torso ››› Fig. 11.
● The l ap p

art of the seat belt must lie across
the pelvis, never across the stomach. The
seat belt must lie flat and snugly on the pel-
vis ››› Fig. 11. Pull the belt tight if necessary
to t

ake up any slack.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the
seat belt must lie as low as possible over the
pelvis, never across the stomach, and always
lie flat so that no pressure is exerted on the
abdomen.
● Always engage the retractor lock when you
are securing a child seat in group 0, 0+ or 1
››› page 24.
● Re

ad and observe the warnings ››› page 13. 15
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Safety
Adjusting the seat belt height Fig. 12
Location of the belt height adjuster. Seat belt height adjusters can be used to ad-
just the position of the seat belt in the front
seats at the shoulder depending on a per-
son's height.
– Press the upper part of the shoulder belt
guide and hold it in this position ››› Fig. 12 .
– Mo v
e the shoulder belt guide up or down
until you have adjusted the seat belt
››› page 14.
– Aft

er adjusting, pull the shoulder belt
sharply to check that the catch on the
shoulder belt guide is engaged securely. Seat belt tensioners
How the seat belt tensioner works During a frontal collision, the seat belts on
the front seats are retracted automatically.
The seat belts for the occupants in the front
seats are equipped with belt tensioners. Sen-
sors will trigger the belt tensioners only dur-
ing severe head-on, lateral and rear-end colli-
sions and only if the seat belt is worn. The
tensioners retract and tighten the seat belts,
reducing the forward motion of the occu-
pants.
The seat belt tensioner can be triggered only
once.
The seat belt tensioners will not be triggered
in the event of a light frontal, side or rear col-
lision, if the vehicle overturns or in situations
where no large forces act on the front, side or
rear of the vehicle.
Note
● If the seat belt tensioners are triggered, a
fine dust is produced. This is normal and it is
not an indication of fire in the vehicle.
● The relevant safety requirements must be
observed when the vehicle or components of
the system are scrapped. Specialised work-
shops are familiar with these regulations,
which are also available to you. Service and disposal of belt
tensioners
The belt tensioners are components of the
seat belts that are installed in the seats of
your vehicle. If you work on the belt tension-
ers or remove and install parts of the system
when performing other repair work, the seat
belt may be damaged. The consequence may
be that, in the event of an accident, the belt
tensioners function incorrectly or not at all.
So that the effectiveness of the seat belt ten-
sioner is not reduced and that removed parts
do not cause any injuries or environmental
pollution, regulations, which are known to
the specialised workshops, must be ob-
served.
WARNING
● Improper use or repairs not carried out by
qualified mechanics increase the risk of se-
vere or fatal injuries. The belt tensioners may
fail to trigger or may trigger in the wrong cir-
cumstances.
● Never attempt to repair, adjust, remove or
install parts of the belt tensioners or seat
belts.
● The seat belt tensioner, seat belt and auto-
matic retractor cannot be repaired.
● Any work on the belt tensioners and seat
belts, including the removal and refitting of
system parts in conjunction with other repair 16

Safety
Children up to 12 years old should always
travel on the rear seat. Never transport chil-
dren in the vehicle if they are not restrained
or the restraint system is not appropriate for
their age, size or weight.
●
If you are not wearing a seat belt, or if you
lean forward or to the side while travelling or
assume an incorrect sitting position, there is
a substantially increased risk of injury. This
increased risk of injury will be further in-
creased if you are struck by an inflating air-
bag.
● To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating
airbag, always wear the seat belt properly
››› page 11.
● Alw
ays adjust the front seats properly. Description of airbag system
The airbag system mainly comprises (as per
vehicle equipment):
●
an electronic control and monitoring sys-
tem (control unit)
● frontal airbags for driver and passenger,
● side airbags,
● curtain (head) airbags,
● a control lamp  on the dash panel
››› page 19 .
● a k ey

-operated switch for front passenger
airbag, ●
a control lamp for disabling/enabling the
front passenger airbag.
The airbag system operation is monitored
electronically. The airbag control lamp will il-
luminate for a few seconds every time the ig-
nition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the control
lamp  :
● does

not light up when the ignition is
switched on ››› page 19,
● turn

s off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is switched on
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is switched on
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
moving.
The airbag system is not triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over. WARNING
● The seat belts and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 6, Proper sitting po-
sition for occupants. ●
If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the system checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a
frontal collision the system might not trigger
correctly or may fail to trigger at all. Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thousandths of a second, to provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de-
ploys. This is normal and it is not an indica-
tion of fire in the vehicle.
The airbag system is only ready to function
when the ignition is on.
In special cases of an accident, several air-
bags may activate at the same time.
In the event of minor head-on and side colli-
sions, rear-end collisions, overturning or roll-
over of the vehicle, airbags
do not activate.
Activation factors
The conditions that lead to the airbag system
activating in each situation cannot be gener-
alised. There are some factors that play an
important role, such as the properties of the
object the vehicle hits (hard/soft), angle of
impact, vehicle speed, etc.
The deceleration trajectory is key for airbag
activation.
18

Airbag system
Side airbags* Fig. 15
Side airbag in driver seat. Fig. 16
Inflated side airbag on left side of ve-
hicle. The side airbags are located in the backrest
cushions of the driver seat
››› Fig. 15 and the
fr ont
passenger seat and the rear side air-
bags are mounted in the rear wheel housing.
The locations are identified by the text “AIR-
BAG” in the upper region of the backrests
and in the rear wheel housing lining. In conjunction with the seat belts, the side
airbag system gives the front seat occupants
additional protection for the upper body in
the event of a severe side collision.
In a side collision, the side airbags reduce
the risk of injury to passengers on the front
seats to the areas of the body facing the im-
pact. In addition to their normal function of
protecting the occupants in a collision, the
seat belts also hold the passengers in the
front seats and the outer rear seats in a posi-
tion where these airbags can provide maxi-
mum protection.
WARNING
● If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean
forward, or are not seated correctly while the
vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk
of injury if the side airbag system is triggered
in an accident.
● In order for the side airbags to provide their
maximum protection, the prescribed sitting
position must always be maintained with
seat belts fastened while travelling.
● Occupants of the outer seats must never
carry any objects or pets in the deployment
space between them and the airbags, or al-
low children or other passengers to travel in
this position. It is also important not to at-
tach any accessories (such as cup holders) to
the doors. This would impair the protection
offered by the side airbags. ●
The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Great forces, such as hard blows or kicks,
must not be exerted upon the backrest bol-
ster because the system may be damaged. In
this case, the side airbags would not be trig-
gered.
● Under no circumstances should protective
covers be fitted over seats with side airbags
unless the covers have been approved for use
in your vehicle. Because the airbag is trig-
gered from the side of the backrest, the use
of non-approved seat covers would obstruct
the side airbag, seriously reducing the air-
bag's effectiveness ››› page 147.
● Any damage to the original seat upholstery
or around the seams of the side airbag units
must be repaired immediately by a special-
ised workshop.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; replace them once they have de-
ployed.
● Any work on the side airbag system or re-
moval and installation of the airbag compo-
nents for other repairs (such as removal of
the front seat) should only be performed by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, faults may
occur during the airbag system operation.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag system in any way.
● The side and head airbags are managed
through sensors located in the interior of the
front doors. To ensure the correct operation of
the side and curtain (head) airbags neither » 21
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Safety
the doors nor the door panels should be
modified in any way (e.g. fitting loudspeak-
ers). If the front door is damaged, the airbag
system may not work correctly. All work car-
ried out on the front door must be done in a
specialised workshop.
●
In a side collision, the side airbags will not
work, if the sensors do not correctly measure
the pressure increase on the interior of the
doors, due to air escaping through the areas
with holes or openings in the door panel.
● Never drive the vehicle if the interior panels
have been removed.
● Never drive if the interior door panels have
been removed or if the panels have not been
correctly fitted.
● Never drive the vehicle if the loudspeakers
in the door panels have been removed, un-
less the holes left by the loudspeakers have
been closed properly.
● Always check that the openings are closed
or covered if additional loudspeakers or other
equipment are fitted inside the door panels.
● Any work carried out to the doors should be
made in an authorised specialised workshop. Head-protection airbags*
Fig. 17
Location of head-protection airbags
on the left side of the vehicle Fig. 18
Deployed head-protection airbags. The head-protection airbags are located on
both sides in the interior above the doors
››› Fig. 17 and are identified with the text
“AIRB AG”.
In c
onjunction with the seat belts, the head-
protection airbag system gives the occupants additional protection for the head and upper
body in the event of a severe side collision. WARNING
● In order for the head-protection airbags to
provide their maximum protection, the pre-
scribed sitting position must always be main-
tained with seat belts fastened while travel-
ling.
● For safety reasons, the curtain airbag must
be disabled in those vehicles fitted with a
screen dividing the interior of the vehicle.
See a Technical Service to make this adjust-
ment.
● There must be no other persons, animals or
objects between the occupants of the outer
seats and the deployment space of the head-
protection airbags so that the head-protec-
tion airbag can deploy completely without re-
striction and provide the greatest possible
protection. Therefore, sun blinds which have
not been expressly approved for use in your
vehicle may not be attached to the side win-
dows ››› page 147.
● The b ui

lt-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
Please, do not hang the clothes on coat hang-
ers.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; replace them once they have de-
ployed. 22

Safety
››› Fig. 19 . About 3/4 of the key should en-
t er
, as far as it will go.
– Then turn the key gently to the ON position.
Do not f

orce it if you feel resistance, and
make sure you have inserted the key fully.
– Check that the control lamp on the instru-
ment panel ››› Fig. 20 does not light up
when the ignition i

s switched on ››› .
WARNING
● It is the driver's responsibility to ensure
that the key-operated switch is set to the cor-
rect position.
● You should deactivate the front passenger
front airbag only if you have to use a rear-fac-
ing child seat in exceptional cases
››› page 24, Transporting children safety.
● Never install a child seat facing backwards
on the front passenger seat unless the front
passenger front airbag has been disabled.
Otherwise, there is a risk of death.
● As soon as the child seat is no longer nee-
ded on the front passenger seat, enable the
front passenger front airbag again.
● Only deactivate the front passenger front
airbag when the ignition is off, otherwise a
fault may occur in the airbag system, which
could cause the airbag to not deploy properly
or not deploy at all in case of an accident.
● Never leave the key in the airbag deactiva-
tion switch as it could get damaged or acti-
vate or deactivate the airbag during driving. ●
When the front passenger front airbag is
deactivated, if the control lamp AIRBAG OFF
is not continuously lit up, there may be a
fault in the airbag system:
– Have the airbag system inspected imme-
diately by a specialised workshop.
– Do not use a child seat on the front pas-
senger seat! The front passenger front
airbag could be triggered in the event of
an accident, even if there is a fault in the
system and, as a result, a child could sus-
tain serious or fatal injuries.
– It is unpredictable whether the front pas-
senger airbag will deploy in the event of
an accident. Warn all your passengers of
this.
● When using the ignition key to activate/de-
activate the front passenger front airbag, on-
ly the front passenger airbag will be activa-
ted/deactivated. The side airbag and head
airbag on the passenger side will remain ac-
tive. Transporting children safety
Safety for children Introduction For safety reasons, as we have learned from
accident statistics, we recommend that chil-
dren under 12 years of age travel in the rear
seats. Depending on their age, height and
weight, children travelling in the rear seat
must use a child seat or a seat belt. For safety
reasons, the child seat should be installed in
the rear seat, behind the front passenger
seat or in the centre back seat.
The physical laws involved and the forces
acting in a collision apply also to children
››› page 13 . But unlike adults, children do not
h av

e fully developed muscle and bone struc-
tures. This means that children are subject to
a greater risk of injury.
To reduce the risk of injuries, children must
always use special child restraint systems
when travelling in the vehicle.
We recommend the use of child safety prod-
ucts from the SEAT Original Accessories Pro-
gramme, which includes systems for all ages
made by “Peke” (not for all countries).
These systems have been especially de-
signed and approved, complying with the
ECE-R44. regulation.
24

Transporting children safety
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and
observe any statutory requirements when in-
stalling and using child seats. Always read
and note ››› page 25 .
W e r
ecommend you always carry the manu-
facturer's Child Seat Instruction Manual to-
gether with the on-board documentation.
Important information regarding the
front passenger's airbag Fig. 21
Passenger's side sun visor: airbag
sticker. Fig. 22
On the rear frame of the passenger
side door: airbag sticker. A sticker with important information about
the passenger airbag is located on the pas-
senger's sun visor and/or on the passenger
side door frame. Read and always observe
the safety information included in the follow-
ing chapters:
● Safety distance with respect to the passen-
ger airbag ››› page 17 .
● Ob

jects between the passenger and the
passenger side airbag ››› in Front airbags
on page 20 .
The p a

ssenger side front airbag, when activa-
ted, is a serious risk for a child who is facing
backward since the airbag can strike the seat
with such force that it can cause serious or
fatal injuries. Children up to 12 years old
should always travel on the rear seat.
Therefore we strongly recommend you to
transport children on the rear seats. This is the safest location in the vehicle. Alternative-
ly, the front passenger airbag can be disa-
bled with a key-operated switch
››› page 23.
When transporting children, use a child seat
suitable for the age and size of each child
››› page 24. WARNING
● If a child seat is secured to the front pas-
senger seat, the risk to the child of sustain-
ing critical or fatal injuries in the event of an
accident increases.
● An inflating front passenger airbag can
strike the rear-facing child seat and project it
with great force against the door, the roof or
the backrest.
● Never install a child seat facing backwards
on the front passenger seat unless the front
passenger front airbag has been disabled.
Risk of potentially fatal injuries to the child!
However, if it is necessary, in exceptional ca-
ses, to transport a child in the front passen-
ger seat, the front passenger front airbag
must always be disabled ››› page 23, Front
passenger front airbag deactivation . If the
front passenger seat has a height adjustment
option, move it to the highest position.
● For those vehicles that do not include a key
lock switch to deactivate the airbag, the vehi-
cle must be taken to a Technical Service.
● All vehicle occupants, especially children,
must assume the proper sitting position and
be properly belted in while travelling. » 25
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Safety
●
Never hold children or babies on your lap,
this can result in potentially fatal injuries to
the child!
● Never allow a child to be transported in a
vehicle without being properly secured, or to
stand up or kneel on a seat while travelling.
In an accident, the child could be flung
through the vehicle, causing possibly fatal in-
juries to themselves and to the other vehicle
occupants.
● If children assume an improper sitting posi-
tion when the vehicle is moving, they expose
themselves to greater risk of injury in the
event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or in an
accident. This is particularly important if the
child is travelling on the front passenger seat
and the airbag system is triggered in an acci-
dent; as this could cause serious injury or
even death.
● A suitable child seat can protect your child!
● Never leave a child alone in the child seat
or inside the vehicle because depending on
the season, very high temperatures may be
reached inside a parked vehicle, which could
be fatal.
● Children who are less than 1.5 metres tall
must not wear a normal seat belt without a
child seat, as this could cause injuries to the
abdominal and neck areas during a sudden
braking manoeuvre or in an accident.
● Only one child may occupy a child seat
››› page 26, Child seats. ●
When a child seat is mounted in the rear
seats, the door child-proof lock should be ac-
tivated ››› page 66. Child seats
Categorisation of child seats into
groups Use only child seats that are officially ap-
proved and suitable for the child.
Child seats are subject to the regulation ECE-
R 44. ECE-R stands for: Economic Commis-
sion for Europe Regulation.
The child seats are grouped into 5 catego-
ries:
Group 0 : Up to 10 kg (up to around 9
months)
Gr oup 0+: Up to 13 kg (up to around 18
months)
Group 1
: From 9 to 18 kg (up to around 4
years old)
Group 2
: From 15 to 25 kg (up to around 7
years old)
Group 3
: From 22 to 36 kg (over around 7
years old) Child seats that have been tested and ap-
proved under the ECE R44 standard bear the
test mark on the seat (the letter E in a circle
with the test number below it).
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and
observe any statutory requirements when in-
stalling and using child seats.
We recommend you to always include the
manufacturer's Child Seat Instruction Manual
together with the on-board documentation.
WARNING
Read and always observe information and
warnings concerning the use of child seats
››› page 25. Ways to secure a child seat
You can secure a child seat to the rear seat or
front passenger seat in the following ways:
● Child seats in groups 0 to 3 can be secured
w ith a se

at belt.
● Child seats for groups 0, 0+ and 1
can be
fastened without seatbelts, using the “ISO-
FIX” and Top Tether* system, using the “ISO-
FIX” and Top Tether* securing rings
››› page 27.
26