2015 Seat Altea ECU

Safe driving
Safety
Safe driving Safety first! WARNING
● This manual contains important informa-
tion about the operation of the vehicle, both
for the driver and the passengers. The other
sections of the on-board documentation also
contain further information that you should
be aware of for your own safety and for the
safety of your passengers.
● Ensure that the onboard documentation is
kept in the vehicle at all times. This is espe-
cially important when lending or selling the
vehicle to another person. Advice about driving
Before setting off For your own safety and the safety of your
passengers, always note the following points
before every trip:
– Make sure that the vehicle's lights and turn
signals are working properly.
– Check tyre pressure. –
Ensure that all windows provide a clear and
good view of the surroundings.
– Make sure all luggage is secured
››› page 101.
– Make sure that no objects can interfere
with the pedals.
– Adjust front seat, head restraint and rear vi-
sion mirrors properly according to your
size.
– Ensure that the passengers in the rear
seats always have the head restraints in
the in-use position ››› page 10.
– Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints according to their height.
– Protect children with appropriate child
seats and properly applied seat belts
››› page 24 .
– As s
ume the correct sitting position. Instruct
your passengers also to assume a proper
sitting position. ››› page 6.
– Fasten your seat belt securely. Instruct your
passengers also to fasten their seat belts
properly. ››› page 11
.
What affects driving safety? As a driver, you are responsible for yourself
and your passengers. When your concentra-
tion or driving safety is affected by any cir-cumstance, you endanger yourself as well as
others on the road
››› , for this reason:
– Always pay attention to traffic and do not
get distracted by passengers or telephone calls.
– Never drive when your driving ability is im-
paired (e.g. by medication, alcohol, drugs).
– Observe traffic laws and speed limits.
– Always reduce your speed as appropriate
for road, traffic and weather conditions.
– When travelling long distances, take
breaks regularly - at least every two hours.
– If possible, avoid driving when you are tired
or stressed. WARNING
When driving safety is impaired during a trip,
the risk of injury and accidents increases. Safety equipment
Never put your safety or the safety of your
passengers in danger. In the event of an acci-
dent, the safety equipment may reduce the
risk of injury. The following list includes most
of the safety equipment in your SEAT:
● Three-point seat belts
● belt tension limiters for the front and rear
side seats, »
5
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Safety
● Belt tensioners for the front seats
● Belt height adjustment for the front seats
● Front airbags
● Side airbags in the front seat backrests
● Head-protection airbags
● Active front head restraints*
● “ISOFIX” anchorage points for child seats
in the rear side seats with the “ISOFIX” sys-
tem,
● height-adjustable front head restraints,
● rear head restraints with in-use position
and non-use position,
● adjustable steering column.
The safety equipment mentioned above
works together to provide you and your pas-
sengers with the best possible protection in
the event of an accident. However, these
safety systems can only be effective if you
and your passengers are sitting in a correct
position and use this equipment properly.
Safety is everyone's business! Proper sitting position for
occupants
Correct sitting position for driver Fig. 1
The proper distance between driver
and steering wheel Fig. 2
Correct head restraint position for the
driver. For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom-mend the following adjustments for the driv-
er:
– Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 25 cm between the
steering wheel and the centre of your chest
››› Fig. 1 .
– Mo v
e the driver seat forwards or backwards
so that you are able to press the accelera-
tor, brake and clutch pedals to the floor
with your knees still slightly angled ››› .
– Ensure that you can reach the highest point
of the steering wheel.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is at the same level as the top of your
head, or as close as possible to the same
level as the top of your head ››› Fig. 2 .
– Mo v

e the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that your back rests completely
against it.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ››› page 11.
– Keep both feet in the footwell so that you
have the vehicle under control at all times.
Adjustment of the driver seat ››› page 88. WARNING
● An incorrect sitting position of the driver
can lead to severe injuries.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is at
least 25 cm distance between the centre of 6

Safety
Correct sitting position for front
passenger For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom-
mend the following adjustments for the front
passenger:
– Move the front passenger seat back as far
as possible ››› .
– Move the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that your back rests completely
against it.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is at the same level as the top of your
head, or as close as possible to the same
level as the top of your head ›››
page 9.
– Always keep both feet in the footwell in
front of the front passenger seat.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ›››
page 11.
It is possible to deactivate the front passen-
ger airbag in exceptional circumstances .
Adju s
ting the front passenger seat
››› page 89. WARNING
● An incorrect sitting position of the front
passenger can lead to severe injuries.
● Adjust the front passenger seat so that
there is at least 25 cm between your chest
and the dash panel. If you are sitting closer than 25 cm, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
●
If your physical constitution prevents you
from maintaining the minimum distance of 25
cm, contact a specialised workshop. The
workshop will help you decide if special spe-
cific modifications are necessary.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell when
the vehicle is moving; never rest them on the
dash panel, out the window or on the seat. An
incorrect sitting position exposes you to an
increased risk of injury in case of a sudden
braking or an accident. If the airbag is trig-
gered, you could sustain severe injuries due
to an incorrect sitting position.
● To reduce the risk of injury to the front pas-
senger in events such as sudden braking ma-
noeuvres or an accident, never travel with the
backrest tilted far back! The airbag system
and seat belts can only provide optimal pro-
tection when the backrest is in an upright po-
sition and the front passenger is wearing his
or her seat belt properly. The further the seat
backrests are tilted to the rear, the greater
the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning
of the belt web or to the incorrect sitting po-
sition!
● Adjust the head restraint correctly in order
to achieve maximum protection. Correct sitting position for passengers
in the rear seats
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a
sudden braking manoeuvre or an accident,
passengers on the rear seat bench must con-
sider the following:
–
Sit up straight.
– Adjust the head restraint to the correct po-
sition ››› page 10.
– Alw

ays keep both feet in the footwell in
front of the rear seat.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ›››
page 11.
– Use an appropriate child restraint system
when you take children in the vehicle
››› page 24. WARNING
● If the passengers in the rear seats are not
sitting properly, they could sustain severe in-
juries.
● Adjust the head restraint correctly in order
to achieve maximum protection.
● Seat belts can only provide optimal protec-
tion when seat backrests are in an upright
position and the vehicle occupants are wear-
ing their seat belts correctly. If passengers In
the rear seats are not sitting in an upright po-
sition, the risk of injury due to incorrect posi-
tioning of the seat belt increases. 8

Seat belts
Pedal area Pedals –
Ensure that you can always press the accel-
erator, brake and clutch pedals unimpaired
to the floor.
– Ensure that the pedals can return unim-
paired to their initial positions.
– Ensure that the floor mats are securely fas-
tened during the trip and do not obstruct
the pedals ››› .
Only use floor mats which leave the pedals
clear and which are secured to prevent them
from slipping. You can obtain suitable floor
mats from a specialised dealership. Fasten-
ers* for floor mats are fitted in the footwells.
If a brake circuit fails, the brake pedal must
be pressed down thoroughly in order to stop
the vehicle.
Wearing suitable shoes
Always wear shoes which support your feet
properly and give you a good feeling for the
pedals. WARNING
● If the pedals are obstructed, an accident
may occur. Risk of serious injuries. ●
Never lay or fit floor mats or other floor cov-
erings over the original floor mats. This
would reduce the pedal area and could ob-
struct the pedals, leading to a risk of acci-
dent.
● Never place objects in the driver footwell.
An object could move into the pedal area and
impair pedal operation. In the event of a sud-
den driving or braking manoeuvre, you will
not be able to operate the brake, clutch or ac-
celerator pedal. Risk of accident! Seat belts
The reason why we should
wear seat belts Number of seats 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.
In some versions, your vehicle is approved
only for four seats. Two front seats and two
r e

ar seats. WARNING
● Never transport more than the permitted
amount of people in your vehicle.
● Every vehicle occupant must properly fas-
ten and wear the seat belt belonging to his or
her seat. Children must be protected with an
appropriate child restraint system. Seat belt warning lamp* 
The control lamp illuminates to remind the
driver to fasten his or her seat belt.
Before starting the vehicle:
– Fasten your seat belt securely.
»
11
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

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

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