DrivingMessage in the instru-
ment panel displayHow to proceed
Gas operating mode cur-
rently impossible See the
manual!
Check that all conditions
for LPG operating mode
have been met
››› page 118. If so, have
the system checked imme-
diately by a specialised
workshop.
Petrol operating mode cur-
rently impossible. See the
manual!Have the system checked
immediately by a special-
ised workshop. 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 without any
problems.
LPG is a mixture of propane and butane.
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.
The vehicle's engine management adapts au-
tomatically to the LPG used. Therefore, both
types of LPG can be mixed in the tank, with-
out the need for comprehensive draining be-
fore applying a different quality LPG. LPG and safety
If you smell gas or suspect that there is a
leak in the LPG system.
››› ●
Stop the vehicle immediately.
● Switch the ignition off.
● Open all the doors to properly ventilate the
vehicle.
● Extinguish cigarettes immediately.
● Move away from the vehicle or switch off
objects that may cause sparks or a fire.
● If you continue to smell gas, do not contin-
ue driving!
● Seek specialist assistance. Have the fault
repaired. WARNING
LPG is a highly explosive and inflammable
substance. It may cause severe burns and
other injury.
● Due care must be taken to avoid any risk of
fire or explosion.
● When parking the vehicle in a closed area
(for example in a garage), make sure that
there is adequate ventilation, either natural
or mechanical, to neutralise the LPG in the
event of a leak. WARNING
Failure to act when you can smell gas in the
vehicle or when refuelling can cause serious
injuries.
● Carry out the necessary operations.
● Leave the danger zone.
● If necessary, warn the emergency services. Note
● The LPG system must be subject to regular
inspections at a specialised workshop in ac-
cordance with the Maintenance Plan.
● The engine is always started with petrol,
even when LPG was being used when it was
switched off. For this reason the tank should
never be drained of petrol completely.
● If frequent short journeys are made, espe-
cially when the outside temperature is low,
the vehicle will tend to run on petrol more of-
ten than on LPG. Therefore, the petrol tank
may empty before the LPG tank.
● If while driving the system switches auto-
matically to petrol operating mode because
the LPG tank is almost empty, the next few
times the engine starts up, and depending on
the outside temperature and driving style, it
may automatically switch briefly to LPG oper-
ating mode to use up what is left in the tank.
● When the system automatically switches to
petrol operating mode because the LPG tank
is almost empty, you can revert to gas operat-
ing mode by pressing the ››› Fig. 121 GAS »
119
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Advice
Diesel Diesel* Diesel fuel
must conform to DIN EN 590 (EN =
“European Standard”). It must have a cetane
number (CN) of at least 51. The cetane num-
ber indicates the ignition quality of the diesel
fuel.
Notes on refuelling ››› page 158.
Biodiesel* CAUTION
● Your vehicle is not designed to use biodie-
sel fuel. Never, under any circumstances re-
fuel with biodiesel. The use of biodiesel fuel
could damage the engine and the fuel sys-
tem. The addition of biodiesel to diesel fuel
by the diesel manufacturer in accordance
with standard EN 590 or DIN 51628 is author-
ised and will not cause damage to the engine
or the fuel system.
● The diesel engine has been designed to be
used exclusively with diesel fuel conforming
to standard EN 590. Never refuel or use pet-
rol, kerosene, fuel oil or any other type of
fuel. If you accidentally fill up the vehicle
with the wrong type of fuel, do not start the
engine. Seek assistance from specialised per-
sonnel. The composition of these fuels may
severely damage the fuel system and the en-
gine. Winter operation
Winter-grade diesel
When using “summer-grade diesel fuel”, dif-
ficulties may be experienced at temperatures
below 0 °C (+32 °F) because the fuel thickens
due to wax separation. For this reason, “win-
ter-grade diesel fuel” is available in some
countries during the cold months. It can be
used at temperatures as low as -22 °C (-8 °F).
In countries with different climatic conditions
the diesel fuel generally sold has different
temperature characteristics. Check with the
Technical Services or filling stations in the
country concerned regarding the type of die-
sel fuels available.
Filter pre-heater
Your vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter glow
plug system, making it well equipped for op-
eration in winter. This ensures that the fuel
system remains operational to approx. -24 °C
(-11 °F), provided you use winter-grade diesel
which is safe to -15 °C (+5 °F).
However, if the fuel has waxed to such an ex-
tent that the engine will not start at tempera-
tures of under -24 °C (-11 °F), simply leave
the vehicle in a heated area for a while.
CAUTION
Do not mix fuel additives, the so-called “thin-
ners”, or similar additives with diesel fuel. LPG system (Liquefied
petroleum gas)*
Refuelling with LPG 3 Applies to the model: ALTEA / ALTEA XL
Fig. 140
Fuel tank open with LPG filler neck
and adapter 160
Checking and refilling levels
Fig. 141
LPG tank in spare wheel well Before refuelling, turn off the engine and
switch off the ignition and mobile telephone
››› .
Read carefully the instructions on how to use
the LPG pump.
Opening the fuel tank cap
The LPG filler neck is behind the fuel cap,
next to the petrol filler neck.
● The tank flap is located on the rear right-
hand side of the vehicle.
● Open the fuel tank flap.
Refuelling
● Remove the plug from the gas filler mouth
››› Fig. 140 1 .
● Screw the required adapter 2 onto the
LPG gas filler neck. ●
Refuel as indicated in the pump instruc-
tions.
● The fuel tank will be full when the pump
c ompr
essor automatically cuts the supply.
● If you wish to finish refuelling sooner, re-
lease the button on the pump to stop the
flow.
Closing the fuel tank cap
● Unscrew the adapter from the gas filler
neck 2 .
● Screw the cap onto the gas filler neck 1 .
● Close the fuel tank flap. The cover should
be flush with the bodywork. WARNING
Incorrect handling of LPG can cause explo-
sions, fire, serious burns and other injuries.
● LPG is a highly explosive and inflammable
substance.
● Small quantities of LPG may leak out after
refuelling. If LPG comes into contact with the
skin there is a risk of freezing. Note
● The vehicle includes one adapter for the
country in question, the most common one.
We generally recommend that you carry all
the adapters in your vehicle, as some coun-
tries use more than one type of filling sys-
tem. ●
If the outside temperature is very high, the
protection against overheating for the LPG
pump may disconnect automatically.
● If the outside temperature is very high, the
pressure of the LPG tank may be equal to or
greater than that of the gas tank of the LPG
pump. In this case, refuelling will be physi-
cally impossible.
● The filling nozzles of LPG pumps can differ
in the way they are operated. If you do not
know, ask a qualified employee at the petrol
station to do the refuelling.
● Noises heard when refuelling are normal
and do not indicate the presence of a fault in
the system. 161
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Advice
Adapter for the Fig. 142
General table of LPG filler neck
adapters An adapter is required due to the existence of
a range of pumps with different nozzles.
ACME adapter (adapter for Europe)
Dish Coupling Adapter (adapter for Italy)
Bayonet adapter
EURO adapter (adapter for Spain)
The supply includes the adapter for the coun-
try in question, the ACME 1 , the Dish Cou-
1 2
3
4 pling
2 , the bayonet
3 or the EURO adapt-
er 4 .
The filler systems and corresponding adapt-
ers vary according to country. As petrol sta-
tions abroad do not always have the neces-
sary adapters for your LPG system, we recom-
mend you purchase the appropriate adapter
before travelling abroad. Check that the
adapters are suited to your filling system. Note
The four most common types of adapter in Eu-
rope are the ACME adapter 1 , the Dish Cou-
pling adapter 2 , the bayonet adapter
3 and
the EURO adapter 4 . We generally recom-
mend that you carry all four adapters in your
vehicle, as some countries use more than one
type of filling system. The introduction of a
single system (Euronozzle) throughout Eu-
rope is being studied. Fixed adapter
3 Applies to the market: Spanish
Fig. 143
Fuel tank flap open with EURO-type
connector. The end of the filling tube has a EURO-type
connector so that you can refill LPG without
having to use an additional adapter
››› Fig. 143 .
LPG f uel LPG is an alternative vehicle fuel and is a
blend of propane and butane.
The success of LPG is due to the strict regula-
tions concerning exhaust gas emissions.
Compared to other fossil fuels, LPG is charac-
terised by its reduced emissions.
162
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