2015 Seat Altea maintenance

Advice
●
Never use brushes for cleaning damp mate-
rial as they could damage the surface. Cleaning and maintenance of natural
leather upholstery
Consult a professional cleaning workshop if
you have any doubts on cleaning and main-
taining the leather equipment in your vehicle.
Maintenance and treatment
Nappa natural leather is delicate because it
has no additional protective layer.
● After cleaning, regularly apply a condition-
er with sun-screen and impregnating action.
These products nourish the leather, soften it
and make it more breathable, as well as re-
hydrating it. They also provide it with a pro-
tective film.
● Clean the leather every two or three months
and remove stains as they appear.
● Treat the leather regularly (about twice a
year) with a suitable maintenance product.
● Apply as few cleaning and maintenance
products as possible, always using a dry, lint-
free cotton or woollen cloth. Do not apply
cleaning and maintenance products directly
to the leather. ●
Remove recent ball-point pen and ink
stains, lipstick, shoe cream and similar
stains as soon as possible.
● Maintain the colour of the leather. To do
this, use a special cream especially coloured
for leather to achieve the same overall colour,
if necessary.
● Afterwards, go over it with a soft cloth.
Cleaning the vehicle
SEAT recommends using a slightly damp cot-
ton or woollen cloth for general cleaning pur-
poses.
Generally, the leather should never be
soaked at any point, nor should water pene-
trate the seams.
Before cleaning the leather upholstery, bear
in mind the f o
llowing recommendations
››› page 154, Cleaning the fabric on heated
seats and electrically adjustable seats or
seats with airbag components . CAUTION
● On no account use solvents, wax polish,
shoe cream, stain removers or similar materi-
als on leather.
● If the stain remains on the leather for long,
it will soak in and be impossible to remove.
● In the event of spilt liquids, dry immediate-
ly with an absorbent cloth to prevent the liq-
uid penetrating through the leather or seams. ●
If the vehicle is left standing in the sun for
long periods, the leather should be protected
against direct sunlight to prevent it from fad-
ing. Note
The leather will usually change colour slight-
ly with use. Cleaning synthetic leather upholstery
Before cleaning synthetic leather upholstery,
bear in mind the following recommendations
››› page 154, Cleaning the fabric on heated
seats and electrically adjustable seats or
seats with airbag components
Only use water and neutral cleaning products
to clean synthetic leather upholstery. CAUTION
Do not use solvents, floor wax, shoe cream,
stain removers or similar products on syn-
thetic leather. These will stiffen the material,
causing it to crack prematurely. Cleaning plastic parts and the
instrument panel
–
Use a clean, damp cloth to clean plastic
parts and the dash panel.
156

Care and maintenance
– If this does not provide satisfactory results,
use a special solvent-free plastic cleaning
product. WARNING
Never clean the dash panel and the airbag
module surface with cleaners containing sol-
vents. Solvents cause the surface to become
porous. If the airbag triggered, plastic parts
could become detached and cause injuries. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will
damage the material. Wooden trim cleaning*
–
Clean the wooden trim with a water-mois-
tened clean cloth.
– If this does not provide satisfactory results,
use a gentle
soap solution. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will
damage the material. Cleaning the radio and climate
controls
To clean the radio and/or climate controls,
use a soft damp cloth. For more resistant dirt,
a neutral soap solution may be used.
Seat belts cleaning A dirty belt may not work properly. Check all
seat belts regularly and keep them clean.
Seat belts cleaning
– Pull the dirty seat belt right out and unroll
it.
– Clean dirty seat belts with a gentle
soap
so lution.
– A
llow it to dry.
– Do not roll the seat belt up until it is dry.
If large stains form on the belts, the automat-
ic belt retractor will not work correctly. WARNING
● Do not use chemical cleaning agents on the
seat belts, as this can impair the strength of
the webbing. Ensure that seat belts do not
come into contact with corrosive fluids.
● Check the condition of the seat belts at reg-
ular intervals. If you notice that the belt web-
bing, fittings, retractor mechanism or buckle of any of the belts is damaged, the belt must
be replaced by a specialised workshop.
●
Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat
belt yourself. The seat belts must not be re-
moved or modified in any way. CAUTION
After cleaning, allow seat belts to dry com-
pletely before rolling them up. Otherwise, the
belt retractors could become damaged. 157
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Checking and refilling levels
LPG quality and consumption
Quality requirements for LPG are regulated
for all Europe in DIN EN 589 and permit the
use of LPG throughout Europe.
A difference is drawn between winter gas and
summer gas. Winter gas has a higher propor-
tion of propane gas. As a result, the driving
range of winter gas may be lower (due to in-
creased consumption) than that of summer
gas.
LPG supplier network
The number of LPG pumps is constantly in-
creasing.
Lists of existing LPG pumps may be found on
Internet.
LPG safety A series of collision tests performed on this
vehicle while running with LPG have con-
firmed its high level of safety.
The safety of the LPG system guarantees op-
eration without risk. The following safety
measures have been adopted:
● The LPG tank has a solenoid valve which
closes automatically when the engine is
switched off (ignition off) or when running on
petrol. ●
A solenoid type main valve disconnects the
supply of gas to the engine compartment
when the engine is switched off or running
on petrol.
● A safety valve in the LPG tank with pipes to
the outside prevents the gas from entering
the vehicle interior.
● All anchorage points and materials have
been designed to ensure the maximum pos-
sible levels of safety.
The condition of the LPG system should be
checked regularly to guarantee safe driving
conditions ››› . These checks are included
in the Maintenance Programme. WARNING
● If there is a smell of gas or a suspected
leak, stop the vehicle immediately and switch
off the ignition. Open the doors to ventilate
the vehicle. Do not carry on driving! Take the
vehicle to a specialised workshop and have
the fault repaired.
● Immediately extinguish any cigarettes and
remove from the vehicle any objects which
might produce a spark or cause a fire, and
switch off immediately if gas is smelt or a
leak is detected.
● LPG tanks are subject to pressure and must
be checked regularly. The owner of the vehi-
cle must check that these services are per-
formed correctly. ●
When parking the vehicle in a closed area
(e.g. in a garage), make sure that there is ad-
equate ventilation, either natural or mechani-
cal, to neutralise the LPG in the event of a
leak. Note
For any fault in the LPG system, please refer
to the SEAT web page, which lists the work-
shops authorised to repair these faults. Working in the engine
compartment
Safety instructions on working in the
engine compartment Before starting any work on the engine or in
the engine compartment:
1. Switch off the engine and remove the key
from the ignition.
2. Apply the handbrake.
3. Move the gear lever to neutral or the selec- tor lever to position P.
4. Wait for the engine to cool down.
5. Keep children away from the vehicle.
6. Raise the bonnet ››› page 165.
»
163Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Advice
Checking fluid levels Fig. 146
Diagram for the location of the vari-
ous elements. From time to time, the levels of the different
fluids in the vehicle must be checked. Never
fill with incorrect fluids, otherwise serious
damage to the engine may be caused.
Coolant expansion tank
Windscreen washer reservoir
Engine oil filler cap
Engine oil dipstick
Brake fluid reservoir
Vehicle battery (underneath the cover)
The checking and refilling of service fluids
are carried out on the components men-
tioned above. These operations are descri-
bed in the ››› page 163 .
1 2
3
4
5
6 Overview
You will find further explanations, instruc-
tions and restrictions on the technical speci-
fications as of
››› page 207 .
En gine oi
l
General notes The engine comes with a special, multi-grade
oil that can be used all year round.
Because the use of high-quality oil is essen-
tial for the correct operation of the engine
and its long useful life, when topping up or
changing oil, use only those oils that comply
with VW standards.
The specifications (VW standards) set out on
the following page should appear on the con-
tainer of the service oil; when the container
displays the specific standards for petrol and
diesel engines together, it means that the oil
can be used for both types of engines.
We recommend that the oil change indicated
in the Maintenance Programme be performed
by a technical service or a specialised work-
shop.
The correct oil specifications for your engine
are listed in the
›››
page 167, Oil properties .Service intervals
Service intervals can be flexible (LongLife
service) or fixed (dependent on time/dis-
tance travelled).
If the PR code that appears on the back of the
Maintenance Programme booklet is PR QI6,
this means that your vehicle is programmed
with the LongLife service. If it lists the codes
QI1, QI2, QI3, QI4 or QI7, the interval service
is dependent on time/distance travelled.
Flexible service intervals (LongLife service
intervals*)
Special oils and processes have been devel-
oped which, depending on characteristics
and individual driving profiles, allow for
greater intervals between oil change services
(LongLife service intervals).
Because this oil is essential for extending the
service intervals, it
must only be used ob-
serving the following indications:
● Avoid mixing it with oil for fixed service in-
tervals.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the
engine oil level is too low ››› page 167 and
LongLife oil is not available, it is permitted to
top up (once) with oil for fixed service inter-
vals › ›
›
page 167 (up to a maximum of 0.5 li-
tres).
166

Checking and refilling levels
Fixed service intervals*
If your vehicle does not have the “LongLife
service interval” or it has been disabled (by
request), you may use oils for fixed service
intervals , which also appear in
›
› › page 167,
Oil properties . In this case, your vehicle must
be serviced after a fixed interval of 1
year/15 000 km (10 000 miles)(whatever
comes first) ››› Booklet Maintenance Pro-
gramme.
● In ex

ceptional circumstances, if the engine
oil level is too low ››› page 167 and you can-
not o

btain the oil specified for your vehicle,
you can put in a small quantity of oil con-
forming to the specification ACEA A2 or
ACEA A3 (petrol engines) or ACEA B3 or
ACEA B4 (diesel engines) (up to 0.5 l).
Vehicles with a diesel particulate filter*
The Maintenance Programme states whether
your vehicle is fitted with a diesel particulate
filter.
Only VW 507 00 engine oil, with reduced ash
formation, may be used in diesel engines
equipped with particulate filter. Using other
types of oil will cause a higher soot concen-
tration and reduce the life of the DPF. There-
fore:
● Avoid mixing this oil with other engine oils.
● Only in exceptional circumstances, if the
engine oil level is too low ››› page 167 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 properties
Engine 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. 147
Engine oil dipstick. The engine oil dipstick indicates the level of
the oil.
Checking oil level
– Park the vehicle in a horizontal position.
– Briefly run the engine at idle speed until
the operating temperature is reached and
then stop.
– Wait for about two minutes.
»
167
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Checking and refilling levels
Changing engine oil The engine oil must be changed at the inter-
vals given in the service schedule.
We recommend that you have the engine oil
changed by a Technical Service.
The oil change intervals are shown in the
Maintenance Programme.
WARNING
Only change the engine oil yourself if you
have the specialist knowledge required!
● Before opening the bonnet, read and ob-
serve the warnings ››› page 163, Safety in-
structions on working in the engine compart-
ment.
● Wait
for the engine to cool down. Hot oil
may cause burn injuries.
● Wear eye protection to avoid injuries, such
as acid burns, caused by splashes of oil.
● When removing the oil drain plug with your
fingers, keep your arm horizontal to help pre-
vent oil from running down your arm.
● Wash your skin thoroughly if it comes into
contact with engine oil.
● Engine oil is poisonous! Used oil must be
stored in a safe place out of the reach of chil-
dren. CAUTION
No additives should be used with engine oil.
This could result in engine damage. Any dam-
age caused by the use of such additives
would not be covered by the factory warranty. For the sake of the environment
● Because of disposal problems and the spe-
cial tools and specialist knowledge required,
we recommend that you have the engine oil
and filter changed by a Technical Service.
● Never pour oil down drains or into the
ground.
● Use a suitable container when draining the
used oil. It must be large enough to hold all
the engine oil. Cooling system
Engine coolant specifications The engine cooling system is supplied from
the factory with a specially treated mixture of
water and, at least, 40 % of the additive
G 13
(TLVW 774 J). The engine coolant additive is
recognisable by its purple colour. This mix-
ture of water and additive gives the necessa-
ry frost protection down to -25°C (-13 F) and
protects the light alloy parts of the cooling
system against corrosion. It also prevents scaling and considerably raises the boiling
point of the coolant.
To protect the engine cooling system, the
percentage of additive must
always be at
l e

ast 40 %, even in warm climates where an-
ti-freeze protection is not required.
If greater frost protection is required in very
cold climates, the proportion of additive can
be increased. However, the percentage of ad-
ditive should not exceed 60%, as this would
reduce frost protection and, in turn, decrease
cooling capacity.
When the coolant is topped up, use a mixture
of distilled water and, at least, 40 % of the G
13 or G 12 plu

s-plus (TL-VW 774 G) additive
(both are purple) to obtain an optimum anti-
corrosion protection ››› . The mixture of G
13 with G 12 plus (TL-VW 774 F), G 12 (red) or
G 11 (green-blue) engine coolants will signifi-
cantly reduce the anticorrosion protection
and should, therefore be avoided ››› .
WARNING
If there is not enough anti-freeze in the cool-
ant system, the engine may fail leading to se-
rious damage.
● Please make sure that the percentage of
additive is correct with respect to the lowest
expected ambient temperature in the zone
where the vehicle is to be used.
● When the outside temperature is very low,
the coolant could freeze and the vehicle » 169
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Advice
Brake fluid Checking the brake fluid level Fig. 151
Engine compartment: brake fluid
reservoir cap –
Read off the fluid level at the transparent
brake fluid reservoir. It should always be
between the “MIN” and “MAX” marks.
The position of the brake fluid reservoir is
shown in the corresponding engine compart-
ment illustration ››› page 166. The brake fluid
reservoir has a black and yellow cap.
The brake fluid level drops slightly when the
vehicle is being used as the brake pads are
automatically adjusted as they wear.
However, if the level goes down noticeably in
a short time, or drops below the “MIN” mark,
there may be a leak in the brake system. A
display on the instrument panel will warn you
if the brake fluid level is too low ››› page 35. WARNING
Before opening the bonnet to check the brake
fluid level, read and observe the warnings
››› page 163. Changing the brake fluid
The Maintenance Programme indicates brake
fluid change intervals.
We recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by a Technical Service.
Before opening the bonnet, please read and
follow the warnings
››› in Safety instruc-
tions on working in the engine compartment
on page 163 in section “Safety notes for
w ork
ing in the engine compartment”.
In the course of time, brake fluid becomes
hygroscopic and absorbs water from the am-
bient air. If the water content in the brake flu-
id is too high, the brake system could cor-
rode. This also considerably reduces the boil-
ing point of the brake fluid. Heavy use of the
brakes may then cause a vapour lock which
could impair the braking effect.
Be sure to always use the correct brake fluid.
Only use brake fluid that expressly meets the
VW 501 14 standard.
You can buy VW 501 14 standard brake fluid
at a SEAT dealership or a SEAT Official Serv-
ice. If none is available, use only high-quality brake fluid that meets DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4
standards, or USA Standards FMVSS 116 DOT
4.
Using any other kind of brake fluid or one
that is not of a high quality may affect opera-
tion of the brake system and reduce its effec-
tiveness. Never use a brake fluid if the con-
tainer does not state that it complies with VW
501 14, DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4 standards, or
USA standards FMVSS 116 DOT 4.
WARNING
Brake fluid is poisonous. Old brake fluid im-
pairs the braking effect.
● Before opening the bonnet to check the
brake fluid level, read and observe the warn-
ings ››› page 163.
● Br ak
e fluid should be stored in the closed
original container in a safe place out of reach
of children. There is a toxic risk.
● Perform the brake fluid change according to
the Maintenance Programme. Heavy use of
the brakes may cause a vapour lock if the
brake fluid is left in the brake system for too
long. This would seriously affect the effec-
tiveness of the brakes and the safety of the
vehicle. This may cause an accident. CAUTION
Brake fluid damages the vehicle paintwork.
Wipe off any brake fluid from the paintwork
immediately. 172

Advice
Checking the electrolyte level The electrolyte level should be checked regu-
larly in high-mileage vehicles, in hot coun-
tries and in older batteries.
– Open the bonnet and open the battery cov-
er at the front ››› in Safety instructions
on working in the engine compartment on
page 164 ››› in Warnings on handling
the battery on page 173.
– Check the colour display in the "magic eye"
on the top of the battery.
– If there are air bubbles in the window, tap
the window gently until they disperse.
The position of the battery is shown in the
corresponding engine compartment diagram
››› page 166 .
The “m agic
eye” indicator, located on the top
of the battery changes colour, depending on
the charge state and electrolyte level of the
battery.
There are two different colours:
● Black: correct charge status.
● Transparent/clear yellow: the battery must
be replaced. Contact a specialised workshop. Charging and changing the vehicle
battery The battery is maintenance-free and is
checked during the inspection service. All
work on the vehicle battery requires special-
ist knowledge.
If you often drive short distances or if the ve-
hicle is not driven for long periods, the bat-
tery should be checked by a specialised
workshop between the scheduled services.
If the battery has discharged and you have
problems starting the vehicle, the battery
might be damaged. If this happens, we rec-
ommend you have the vehicle battery
checked by a Technical Service where it will
be re-charged or replaced.
Charging the battery
The vehicle battery should be charged by a
specialised workshop only, as batteries us-
ing special technology have been installed
and they must be charged in a controlled en-
vironment.
Replacing a vehicle battery
The battery has been developed to suit the
conditions of its location and has special
safety features.
Genuine SEAT batteries meet the mainte-
nance, performance and safety specifications
of your vehicle. WARNING
● We recommend you use only maintenance-
free or cycle free leak-proof batteries which
comply with standards T 825 06 and
VW 7 50 73. This standard applies as of
2001.
● Before starting any work on the batteries,
you must read and observe the warnings
››› in Warnings on handling the battery on
page 173. For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain toxic substances such as
sulphuric acid and lead. They must be dis-
posed of appropriately and must not be dis-
posed of with ordinary household waste. 174