Safety
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their
seat belts properly before driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat ac-
cording to the child's height and weight.
The control lamp on the instrument panel
lights up 1)
if the driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened when the ignition is switched on.
If, when starting to drive, the speed surpass-
es 25 km/h (15 mph) approx. and no seat
belt is worn or it is unfastened during the
drive, a warning sound will be heard for a few
seconds. The warning light will also flash .
The lamp goes out when the seat belt is
fastened with the ignition switched on. Seat belt protection Fig. 7
Drivers with properly worn seat belts
will not be thrown forward in the event of sud-
den braking Properly worn seat belts hold the occupants
in the proper position. They also help prevent
uncontrolled movements that may result in
serious injury and reduce the risk of being
thrown out of the vehicle in case of an acci-
dent.
Vehicle occupants wearing their seat belts
correctly benefit greatly from the ability of the
belts to absorb kinetic energy. The front part
of your vehicle and other passive safety fea-
tures (such as the airbag system) are also de-
signed to absorb the kinetic energy released
in a collision. Taken together, all these fea-
tures reduce the releasing kinetic energy and
consequently, the risk of injury. This is why itis so important to fasten seat belts before ev-
ery trip, even when "just driving around the
corner".
Ensure that your passengers wear their seat
belts as well. Accident statistics have shown
that wearing seat belts is an effective means
of substantially reducing the risk of serious
injury and improving the chances of survival
when involved in an accident. Furthermore,
properly worn seat belts improve the protec-
tion provided by airbags in the event of an
accident. For this reason, wearing a seat belt
is required by law in most countries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with air-
bags, the seat belts must be fastened and
worn. The front airbags, for example, are only
triggered in some cases of head-on collision.
The front airbags will not be triggered during
minor frontal or side collisions, rear-end colli-
sions, rollovers or accidents in which the air-
bag trigger threshold value in the control unit
is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat
belt and ensure that all vehicle occupants
have fastened their seat belts properly before
you drive off!
1)
Depending on the model version
12
Operation
Overview of control and warning
lamps (vehicles with LPG) 3 Applies to the model: ALTEA / ALTEA XL
Fig. 31
Instrument panel control and warning
lamps in vehicles with LPG1 Red: coolant level/coolant
temperature›››
page
40
2 Blue: cold engine warning›››
page
40
3
(green
)
The green lamp lights up
when the vehicle is in LPG
mode.
The lamp goes off when
you switch, automatically
or manually, to petrol
mode.
››› page
118
(yel-
low)
The yellow warning lamp
lights up when the petrol
has reached the reserve
level.
WARNING
● Failure to observe control lamps and warn-
ing messages can result in serious personal
injury or damage to your vehicle.
● The risk of an accident increases if your ve-
hicle breaks down. Use a warning triangle to
draw the attention of other road users in or-
der to prevent danger to third parties.
● The engine compartment is a dangerous
area. Before you open the bonnet to work on
the engine or in the engine compartment,
switch the engine off and allow it to cool to
reduce the risk of burns or other injuries.
Read and observe the relevant warnings
››› page 163. Note
● The appropriate control lamp for a fault will
light up in vehicles without warning or infor-
mation messages in the display. ●
In vehicles with warning or information
messages on the screen, the appropriate con-
trol lamp for a fault will light up and a warn-
ing or information message will also appear
on the screen. Warning symbols
There are red warning symbols (priority 1)
and yellow warning symbols (priority 2).
Warning messages, Priority 1 (red)
If one of these faults occurs, the warning
lamp will light up or flash and will be accom-
panied by
three audible warnings. This is a
danger warning. Stop the vehicle and switch
off the en
gine. Check the fault and correct it.
Obtain professional assistance if necessary.
If several priority 1 faults are detected at the
same time, the symbols will be displayed one
after the other for about 2 seconds at a time
and will continue until the fault is corrected.
No menus will be shown in the display for the
duration of a priority 1 warning message.
Examples of priority 1 warning messages
(red)
● Brake system symbol with the warning
message STOP BRAKE FLUID INSTRUCTION
MANUAL or STOP BRAKE FAULT INSTRUCTION MANUAL.
38
OperationMessages
a)Description
CHECK SAFE-
LOCKNotification of central locking function
activated.
a)These messages may vary according the version of the vehi-
cle model.
Fuel level/reserve The light comes on when only 7 litres of fuel
remain in the tank, and an acoustic signal
al-
so sou nd
s. It reminds you to fuel up the fuel
tank as soon as possible ›››
page 158.
The instrument panel displays the following
message 1)
: PLEASE REFUEL!
.
Coolant level* / temperature (red) There is a fault if:
● The warning symbol does not go out again
after a few seconds.
● The warning lamp lights up or flashes while
the vehicle is moving, and three acoustic
warning signals ›
›
› are emitted.
This means that either the coolant level is too
low or the coolant temperature is too high. Coolant temperature too high
The instrument panel displays the following
message
1)
: CHECK COOLANT INSTRUCTION
MANU AL
››› page 169.
Firs
t look at the coolant temperature gauge.
The coolant temperature is too high if the
needle is over the warning area on the dial.
Stop the vehicle, switch the engine off and
wait for it to cool down. Check the coolant
level.
If the coolant level is correct, the overheating
may be caused by a malfunction of the radia-
tor fan. Check the radiator fan fuse and have
it replaced if necessary ››› page 196.
If the control lamp lights up again after driv-
ing on for a short distance, stop the vehicle
and switch the engine off. Contact a Techni-
cal
Service or a specialised workshop.
Coolant level too low
The instrument panel displays the following
message 1)
: STOP CHECK COOLANT INSTRUC-
TION MANUAL.
First look at the coolant temperature gauge. If
the needle is in the normal range, top up with
coolant at the earliest opportunity ››› . WARNING
● If your vehicle is immobilised for technical
reasons, move it to a safe distance from traf-
fic. Turn the engine off, turn the hazard lights
on and place the warning triangle.
● Never open the bonnet if you can see or
hear steam or coolant escaping from the en-
gine compartment. Risk of scalding. Wait un-
til you can no longer see or hear escaping
steam or coolant.
● The engine compartment is a dangerous
area. Before carrying out any work in the en-
gine compartment, switch off the engine and
allow it to cool down. Always note the corre-
sponding warnings ››› page 163. Coolant temperature
(blue) 3 Applies to vehicles with LPG
This lamp lights up when the coolant is be-
low approximately +45 °C (+113 °F). When it
exceeds this temperature the lamp turns off.
Rear fog light The warning lamp lights up when the rear
fog light is switched on. For further informa-
tion see
›››
page 75 . 1)
Depending on the version of the model.
40
Operation
There is a fault in the ABS if:
● The warning lamp
does not light up
when the ignition i
s switched on.
● The control lamp does not go out again af-
ter a few seconds.
● The control lamp lights up when the vehicle
is moving.
The vehicle can still be braked in the normal
way, without the ABS function. Take the vehi-
cle to a specialised workshop as soon as
possible. For further information on the ABS
see the ››› page 136
.
If a fault occurs in the ABS, the ESC* control
lamp will also light up.
Brake system fault
If the ABS warning lamp lights up together
with the brake warning lamp , there is a
fault in the ABS function and in the brake
system ››› .
WARNING
● Before opening the bonnet, read and ob-
serve the warnings ››› page 163, Working in
the engine compartment.
● If the br
ake system warning lamp should
light up together with the ABS warning lamp
, stop the vehicle immediately and check the brake fluid level in the reservoir
››› page 172, Brake fluid. If the brake fluid
l ev
el has dropped below the “MIN” mark you
must not drive on. Risk of accident. Obtain
technical assistance.
● If the brake fluid level is correct, the fault in
the brake system may have been caused by a
failure of the ABS system. This could cause
the rear wheels to lock quickly when you
brake. This could cause the rear to break
away. Risk of skidding. Stop the vehicle and
seek technical assistance. Washer fluid*
This warning lamp lights up to indicate that
the windscreen washer level is very low.
This serves as a reminder to fill up the reser-
voir at the earliest opportunity
››› page 171.
The following message is shown on the in-
strument panel display* 1)
: REFILL WIND-
SCREEN WASHER FLUID .
Alternator This warning lamp signals a fault in the alter-
nator.The warning lamp
lights up when the igni-
tion i
s switched on. It should go out when the
engine has started running.
If the warning lamp
lights up while driv-
ing, the alternator is no longer charging the
battery. You should immediately drive to the
nearest specialised workshop.
You should avoid using electrical equipment
that is not absolutely necessary because this
will drain the battery.
Worn brake pads If the
symbol lights up, have the front
brake pads (and, for safety reasons, the rear
pads as well) inspected by a specialised
workshop. 1)
Depending on the version of the model.
42
Dash panel
Cruise speed (cruise control)* The warning lamp
comes on when the
c
ruise control system is switched on. For fur-
ther information on the cruise control system,
see ››› page 142
.
Indicator for open doors or boot* This warning lamp lights up if one of the
doors is open.
The warning light
should go off when all
the doors are closed correctly.
The system also works when the ignition is
switched off. It should disappear approxi-
mately 15 seconds after the vehicle has been
locked.
Electromechanical steering* For vehicles with power steering, the level of
steering assistance depends on the vehicle's
speed and on the steering angle.
The warning lamp should light up for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched on. It
should go out once the engine is started.
If the battery is disconnected, the indicator
remains lit, even with the engine running. The warning light only goes off after a dis-
tance of approx. 50 m.
There is a fault in the electromechanical
steering system if the lamp does not go out
or lights up while the vehicle is in motion.
The warning lamp may appear in two differ-
ent colours to indicate faults. If the light is
yellow, it indicates a minor fault. If the light is
red, seek assistance from a specialised work-
shop immediately, as the power steering is
not working; in this case you should not keep
driving. Stop the vehicle and seek technical
assistance. The power steering does not work
if the battery is flat or if the engine is off (e.g.
for towing). You should take into account that
you will need considerably more power than
normal to steer the vehicle if the power steer-
ing is not working correctly or at all.
For those vehicles fitted with ESC*, the
“Steering manoeuvre recommendation”
››› page 134 function is included.
Emi s
sion control system* Control lamp
flashes:
When there is misfiring that can damage the
catalytic converter. Reduce speed and drive
carefully to the nearest specialised workshop
to have the engine checked. The instrument panel displays the following
message
1)
: EXHAUST GAS SEE WORKSHOP
.
The c ontr
ol lamp
lights up:
If a fault has developed during driving which
has reduced the quality of the exhaust gas
(e.g. lambda probe fault). Reduce speed and
drive carefully to the nearest specialised
workshop to have the engine checked.
The instrument panel displays the following
message:
EXHAUST GAS SEE WORKSHOP .
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)*
/. There are two control lamps for the electronic
stability control. The lamp
provides infor-
mation concerning function and disconnec-
tion status.
Both warning lamps light up together when
the ignition is switched on and should turn
off after approximately 2 seconds. This is the
time taken for the function check.
This programme includes the ABS, EDL and
ASR. This also includes the brake assistance
system (BAS), automatic cleaning of the
brake discs and the trailer stability pro-
gramme (TSP). »1)
Depending on the version of the model.
45
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Operation
The warning lamp
has the following
f
unctions:
● It flashes whilst driving when the ASR/ESC
is activated.
● It will light up if there is a fault in the ESC.
● As the ESC operates in conjunction with the
ABS, the ESC light will also come on if a fault
should occur in the ABS.
If the ESC control lamp
stays on after the
engine is started, this may mean that the
control system has temporarily switched off
the ESC. In this case the ESC can be reactiva-
ted by switching the ignition off and then on
again. If the control lamp goes out, this
means the system is fully functional.
The lamp provides information about the
disconnection status of the system:
● It stays lit when the ASR is disconnected
when pressing the switch.
Differential lock fault (EDL)* The EDL operates along with the ABS in vehi-
cles equipped with Electronic Stability Con-
trol (ESC)*.
A malfunction in the EDL is indicated by the
ABS control lamp
. Take the vehicle to a specialised workshop as soon as possible.
For further information on the EDL see
››› page 135, Electronic differential lock
(EDL)* .
T r
action control system (ASR)* / The traction control system prevents the driv-
en wheels from spinning when the vehicle is
accelerating.
There are two warning lamps for the traction
control system:
and . Both warning lamps
light up together when the ignition is switch-
ed on and should turn off after approximately
2 seconds. This is the time taken for the func-
tion check.
The lamp has the following function:
● It flashes when the ASR is working if the ve-
hicle is moving.
If the system is deactivated or if it has any
fault, the warning lamp will remain lit. The
warning lamp will also light up if a fault
should occur in the ABS because the ASR op-
erates in conjunction with the ABS. For fur-
ther information, see ›››
page 137. The
lamp provides information about the
di
sconnection status of the system:
● It stays lit when the ASR is disconnected
when pressing the ASR OFF switch.
By pressing it again, the ASR function is reac-
tivated and the warning lamp switched off.
Speed selector lever lock The brake pedal must be depressed when
this warning lamp lights up. This is necessary
when the automatic gearbox* selector lever
is moved out of the positions
P
or N
.
Electronic immobiliser* “Safe” This warning lamp flashes if an unauthorised
key is used.
Inside the key there is a chip that deactivates
the electronic immobiliser automatically
when the key is inserted into the ignition.
The electronic immobiliser will be activated
again automatically as soon as you pull the
key out of the ignition lock.
The instrument panel displays the following
message
1)
: IMMOBILISER
. The vehicle cannot
be used in that case ›››
page 121. 1)
Depending on the version of the model.
46
Dash panel
●
In LongLife Service vehicles, if the battery
is disconnected for a long period, the days re-
maining until the next service cannot be cal-
culated. Therefore, the service message dis-
plays on the instrument panel may be incor-
rect. Take into account the maximum author-
ised service intervals. Warning or information message in
the display
The system runs a check on certain compo-
nents and functions when the ignition is
switched on and while the vehicle is moving.
Functional faults are indicated by symbols
with warning or information messages in the
display. An audible warning is given in cer-
tain cases.
Warning symbols
There are red warning symbols (priority 1)
and yellow warning symbols (priority 2).
Information text
In addition to warning messages given on a
fault, you will receive information in the dis-
play on procedures or will be asked to carry
out certain tasks. Note
In the case of screens without warning or in-
formation messages, faults are indicated ex-
clusively by the control lamps. Warning messages, Priority 1 (red)
If one of these faults occurs, the warning
lamp will light up or flash and will be accom-
panied by
three audible warnings. This is a
danger warning. Stop the vehicle and switch
off the en
gine. Check the fault and correct it.
Obtain professional assistance if necessary.
If several priority 1 faults are detected at the
same time, the symbols will be displayed one
after the other for about 2 seconds at a time
and will continue until the fault is corrected.
No menus will be shown in the display for the
duration of a priority 1 warning message.
Examples of priority 1 warning messages
(red)
● Brake system symbol with the warning
message STOP BRAKE FLUID INSTRUCTION
MANUAL or STOP BRAKE FAULT INSTRUCTION
MANUAL . ●
Coolant symbol with the warning mes-
s ag
e STOP SEE COOLANT INSTRUCTION MAN-
UAL.
● Engine oil pressure symbol with the
warnin
g message STOP ENGINE OIL PRESSURE
LOW! INSTRUCTION MANUAL.
Warning messages, Priority 2 (yellow) If one of these faults occurs, the correspond-
ing warning lamp lights up and is accompa-
nied by
an audible warning. The function
should be checked as soon as possible.
If several priority 2 warning messages are de-
tected at the same time, the symbols are dis-
played one after the other for about 2 sec-
onds at a time. After a set time, the informa-
tion text will disappear and the symbol will
be shown as a reminder at the side of the
display.
Priority 2 warning messages will not be
shown until all Priority 1 warning messages
have been dealt with!
Examples of priority 2 warning messages
(yellow): 1)
● Fuel warning light with the information text
PLEASE REFUEL .
»1)
Depending on the version of the model.
49
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Operation
● Select the submenu Multifunction Display
Data from the Configuration menu
››› page 54 .
● The di s
plays can be activated or deactiva-
ted individually by marking the required op-
tion and pressing the OK button on the wind-
screen wiper lever or the multifunction steer-
ing wheel*.
Outside temperature indicator
The measurement margin ranges from -45 °C
(-49 °F) to +58 °C (+136.4 °F). At tempera-
tures lower than +4°C (+39.2 °F), an “ice crys-
tal symbol” is displayed and a “warning” is
sounded if the vehicle is moving at more
than 20 km/h (12 mph) (ice warning). This
symbol flashes first for around 10 seconds
and remains lit as long as the outside tem-
perature does not rise above +4 °C (+39.2 °F)
or +6 °C (+42.8 °F) if it was already lit. WARNING
There could be black ice on the road surface
even if the “snowflake symbol” is not shown.
For this reason you should not rely exclusive-
ly on this display - Risk of accident! Note
● There are different instrument panels;
therefore the multifunction display may vary.
● When the vehicle is stationary or travelling
at very low speeds, the temperature dis- played may be slightly higher than the actual
outside temperature as a result of the heat
radiated from the engine.
● Vehicles with a multifunction steering
wheel* do not have buttons on the wind-
screen wiper lever. The multifunction display
can only be controlled from the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel*. Vehicle status menu
Open Vehicle Condition menu
– Select the option Vehicle status from the
main menu: “Main menu” and press button OK on the windscreen wiper lever
A ›››
Fig. 38 .
or
– Pr
ess button or
on the multifunction
steering wheel* ››› Fig. 37 until the
V
ehicle
St
atus menu is displayed.
Priority 2 warning messages and information
texts: “Information and warning messages on
the screen” will automatically disappear from
the screen after a time and will be stored in
the
Vehicle status menu.
The warning and information texts may be
viewed in this menu. If there is no warning or
information message, the option
Vehicle sta-
tus is not displayed. If there are several mes-
sages, each one is shown for a few seconds.
Example of menu use ››› page 50. Note
If there are no warning messages, this menu
is not available. Configuration menu
Open Configuration menu
– Select the option Configuration from the
main menu: “Main menu” and press button OK
A
››› Fig. 36 on the windscreen wiper
l ev
er. or
– Pr e
ss button or
on the multifunction
steering wheel* ›››
Fig. 37 until the
C
onfigu-
r
ation menu is displayed.
Examp
le of menu use ›››
page 50.
Displayed on
the screenFunction
Multifunction
display data.This menu is used to establish the da-
ta in the multifunction display menu
to be displayed on the instrument
panel ››› page 52
ConvenienceThe convenience set-up mode is used
to make the settings for the conven-
ience functions in the vehicle.
Lights and visi-
bilityFrom this menu it is it possible to alter
the vehicle lighting settings. 54