Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Safety first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Advice about driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Proper sitting position for occupants . . . . . . . . 6
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The reason why we should wear seat belts . . . 11
How to properly adjust your seatbelt . . . . . . . . 14
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Airbag overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Deactivating airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Transporting children safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Safety for children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Digital instrument panel display . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Instrument panel menus* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Steering wheel controls* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Audio system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Radio navigation system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Radio frequency remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Anti-theft alarm system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Boot hatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Sliding/tilting sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Lights and visibility
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Windscreen wiper and rear window wiper
systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Rear vision mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Seats and head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Adjusting the seat and head restraints . . . . . . 88
Seat functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Transport and practical equipment . . . . . . . . . 93
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Multi-purpose mobile storage compartment* . 96
Ashtray*, cigarette lighter* and power sockets 98
First-aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher 100
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Roof carrier/rack system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
2C-Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Power steering (servotronic*) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
All-wheel drive* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Driving with LPG* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Journeys abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Braking and parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Automatic gearbox/DSG automatic gearbox* . 127
Run-in and economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Driver assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Braking and stability systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Start-Stop System* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Parking aid acoustic system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Cruise speed* (cruise control system - CCS) . . . 142
Towing bracket device
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Care and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Accessories and technical modifications . . . . . 147
Care and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Care of the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Caring for the vehicle interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
LPG system (Liquefied petroleum gas)* . . . . . . 160
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . 163
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Windscreen washer reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Winter service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Vehicle tools, spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Wheel change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Tyre repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Towing and tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Emergency locking and unlocking . . . . . . . . . . 193
Changing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Changing the lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
3
Dash panel
● 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. Check the corre-
sponding function as soon as possible al-
though the vehicle may be used without risk.
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 . ●
Windscreen washer fluid symbol with the
inform
ation text REFILL WINDSCREEN WASHER
FLUID. Top up the washer fluid level.
Information messages displayed on
the screen*
Messages a)Description
SERVICEThe service interval has ended. Take
the vehicle to a Technical Service.
IMMOBILISERImmobiliser system active. The vehicle
will not start. Take the vehicle to a
Technical Service.
ERRORInstrument panel faulty. Take the vehi-
cle to a Technical Service.
CLEAN AIR FIL-
TERWarning: The air filter must be cleaned
NO KEYWarning: Correct key cannot be found
in the vehicle.
KEY BATTERYWarning: Key battery low. Change the
battery.
CLUTCHWarning: Press the clutch to start. In
vehicles with manual gearbox and
Start-Stop system.
--> P/NWarning: Place the selector level in po-
sition P/N to start. Only in vehicles
with automatic gearbox.
Messages a)Description
--> PWarning: Place the selector lever in po-
sition P to stop the engine.
STARTINGWarning: The engine starts automati-
cally. Start-Stop system activated.
START MAN-
UALLYWarning: The engine must be started
manually. Start-Stop system activated
ERROR START- STOPWarning: Start-Stop system error.
START-STOP
IMPOSSIBLEWarning: Although the Start-Stop sys-
tem is switched on, the engine cannot
be stopped automatically. Not all the
necessary conditions are met
START-STOP ACTIVEWarning: Start-Stop system activated.
Vehicle in Stop mode.
SWITCH OFFWarning: Start-Stop system activated.
Switch off the ignition when you leave
the vehicle.
STOP TRANS-
MISSION TOO HOTWarning: Stop the engine. Gearbox
overheated.
BRAKEWarning: To start the engine, press the
brake pedal. Only in vehicles with au-
tomatic gearbox.
COASTINGFUNCTIONWarning: Coasting mode active. Trans-
mission engaged. Only in vehicles with
automatic gearbox.
» 1)
Depending on the version of the model.
39
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Opening and closing
The set of keys belonging to your vehicle con-
sists of the following items:
● one remote control key ››› Fig. 49 A with
folding key bit,
● one key without remote control B ,
● a plastic key tab* C .
Duplicate keys
If you need a replacement key, go to a Techni-
cal Service with your vehicle identification
number. WARNING
● An incorrect use of the keys can cause seri-
ous injuries.
● Never leave children or disabled persons in
the vehicle. In case of emergency, they may
not be able to leave the vehicle or manage on
their own.
● An uncontrolled use of the key could start
the engine or activate any electric equipment
(e.g. electric windows), causing risk of acci-
dent. The doors can be locked using the re-
mote control key. This could become an ob-
stacle for assistance in an emergency situa-
tion.
● Never forget the keys inside the vehicle. An
unauthorised use of your vehicle could result
in injury, damage or theft. Always take the
key with you when you leave the vehicle.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if
the vehicle is in motion. Otherwise, the steer- ing could suddenly block and it would be im-
possible to steer the vehicle.
CAUTION
There are electronic components in the re-
mote control key. Avoid wetting and hitting
the keys. Radio frequency remote control
Locking and unlocking the vehicle Fig. 50
Assignment of buttons on the remote
control key. Fig. 51
Range of the radio frequency remote
control. The radio frequency remote control key is
used to lock and unlock the vehicle from a
distance.
By using button
4
››› Fig. 50 on the control,
the k ey
shaft is released.
Unlocking the vehicle
››› Fig. 50 1 .
Locking the vehicle
››› Fig. 50 2 .
Unlocking the rear lid. Press button ›››
Fig. 50 3 until all the turn signals on the
vehicle flash briefly. When the unlocking but-
ton
3 is pressed, you have 2 minutes to
open the door. Once this time has passed, it
will lock again.
Moreover, the battery indicator on the key
››› Fig. 50 (arrow), will flash.
The r emot
e control transmitter and the bat-
teries are integrated in the key. The receiver »
67
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Operation
is inside the vehicle. The maximum range de-
pends on different factors. The range is re-
duced as the batteries start to lose power.
Selective unlocking*
When the button
››› Fig. 50 1 , is pressed
once, the driver door is unlocked, all others
remain locked.
Press the button
››› Fig. 50 1 twice to un-
lock all doors. WARNING
Read and observe the relevant warnings ››› in Set of keys on page 67
Note
● The radio frequency remote control can be
programmed by means of pressing the un-
locking button once; as a result, only the
driver door will unlock. When the button is
pressed once more, all doors and the rear lid
will be unlocked.
● The radio frequency remote control func-
tions only when you are in range ››› Fig. 51
(red area).
● If the vehicle is unlocked using the
1 button, it will lock again automatically if any
of the doors or the rear lid are not opened
within 30 seconds after unlocking it. This
function prevents the vehicle from remaining
unlocked if the unlock button is pressed by
mistake. ●
If the vehicle cannot be opened and closed
using the radio frequency remote control, the
remote control key will have to be re-
synchronised ››› page 68. Changing the battery
If the battery indicator does not flash when
the buttons are pushed, the battery must be
replaced.
CAUTION
The use of inappropriate batteries may dam-
age the radio frequency remote control. For
this reason, always replace the dead battery
with another of the same size and power. For the sake of the environment
Used batteries must be disposed of at an ap-
propriate waste facility or through an author-
ised service, given that their components can
affect the environment. Synchronising the remote control key
If it is not possible to unlock or lock the door
with the remote control, it should be re-
synchronised.
– Press the
›››
Fig. 50 button on the re-
mot e c
ontrol. –
Then close the vehicle using the key shaft
within one minute.
It i
s possible that the vehicle could no longer
be opened and closed with the remote con-
trol if the button is repeatedly pressed
outside of the effective range of the radio fre-
quency remote control. The remote control
key will have to be resynchronised.
Spare remote control keys are available at
your Technical Service, where they must be
matched to the locking system.
Up to four remote control keys can be used.
Anti-theft alarm system* Description of anti-theft alarm
system* The anti-theft alarm makes it more difficult to
break into the vehicle or steal it. Audible and
visible alarms are triggered if the vehicle is
opened using the key, or if unauthorised ac-
cess to the vehicle is forced.
The anti-theft alarm system is automatically
switched on when locking the vehicle. The
system is then primed.
● The turn signal light will flash twice on
opening and deactivating the alarm.
68
Opening and closing
● The turn signal light will flash once on clos-
ing and activating the alarm.
When does the system trigger an alarm?
The system triggers an alarm if the following
unauthorised actions are carried out when
the vehicle is locked:
● Opening the vehicle mechanically using
the key and with the ignition off.
● A door is opened.
● Opening the bonnet.
● The rear lid is opened.
● Ignition switched on with a non-validated
key.
● Movements in the driving compartment
(vehicles with interior monitoring).
● Undue manipulation of the alarm.
● Battery handling.
The acoustic signals sound and the turn sig-
nals flash for approx. 30 seconds. This cycle
may be repeated up to 10 times depending
on the country.
Opening the doors mechanically (emergency
opening)
If the radio frequency remote control function
fails, you will have to use the key to unlock
the vehicle. This is done as follows: ●
Use the lock on the driver door to unlock
the vehicle. The anti-theft alarm system re-
mains active, but an alarm is not triggered
immediately.
● Switch on the ignition within 15 seconds.
When the ignition is switched on, the elec-
tronic immobiliser recognises a valid vehicle
key and deactivates the anti-theft alarm sys-
tem. If you do not switch on the ignition with-
in 15 seconds, the alarm is triggered (in cer-
tain markets, such as the Netherlands, there
is no 15-second waiting time and the alarm
is activated immediately after opening the
door).
Opening all the doors in manual mode
In vehicles without an alarm, when opening
the driver door manually, all doors are
opened.
How to switch the alarm off
When the vehicle is unlocked via the unlock-
ing button of the radio frequency remote con-
trol or when the key is inserted in the ignition
lock. Note
● After 28 days, the indicator light will be
switched off to prevent the battery from
draining if the vehicle has been left parked
for a long period of time. The alarm system
remains activated. ●
If, after the audible warning turns off, an-
other monitored area is accessed (e.g. the
boot hatch is opened after a door has been
opened), the alarm is triggered again.
● The anti-theft alarm is not activated when
the vehicle is locked from within using the
central locking button .
● If the vehicle battery is run down or flat
then the anti-theft alarm will not operate cor-
rectly.
● Vehicle monitoring remains active even if
the battery is disconnected or not working for
any reason.
● The alarm is triggered immediately if one of
the battery cables is disconnected while the
alarm system is active. Interior monitoring*
This is a monitoring or control function incor-
porated in the anti-theft alarm* which de-
tects unauthorized vehicle entry by means of
ultrasound.
The system consists of 3 sensors, 2 emitters
and a receptor.
Activation
– It is automatically turned on with the anti-
theft alarm, when the vehicle is locked me-
chanically with the key and when the but-
ton on the remote control is used.
»
69Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Opening and closing
One-touch closing
– Pull up the window button briefly up to the
second position. The window closes fully.
One-touch opening
– Push down the window button briefly up to
the second position. The window opens
fully.
Restoring one-touch opening and closing
– Close all windows.
– Use the key to lock the vehicle from outside
and hold the key in the lock position for at
least one second. The one-touch function is
now ready for operation.
The buttons ››› Fig. 55 1 and
2 have two
levels for opening the window and two for
closing it. This makes it easier to open and
close windows to the desired position.
One-touch closing does not work when the
ignition has been switched off, even if the
key is in the ignition.
The automatic open and close function will
not work if the battery has been temporarily
disconnected, or if the battery is flat. The
function then has to be reactivated.
The one-touch function and roll-back function
will not work if there is a malfunction in the
electric windows. Contact a specialised work-
shop. Roll-back function The roll-back function reduces the risk of in-
jury when the electric windows close.
● If a window is obstructed when closing au-
tomatically, the window stops at this point
and lowers immediately ››› .
● If this happens, check immediately (within
10 seconds) why the window could not be
closed before attempting to close it again. Af-
ter 10 seconds the normal automatic func-
tion resumes.
● If the window is still obstructed, the win-
dow will stop at this point.
● If there is no obvious reason why the win-
dow cannot be closed, try to close it again
within 5 seconds.
If you wait longer than 10 seconds, the win-
dow will open again fully when you operate
one of the buttons. One-touch closing is reac-
tivated.
The one-touch function and roll-back function
will not work if there is a malfunction in the
electric windows. Contact a specialised work-
shop. WARNING
● Incorrect use of the electric windows can
result in injury.
● Always take the ignition key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even if you only intend to be gone for a short time. Please ensure that
children are never left alone inside the vehi-
cle.
●
The electric windows will work until the key
has been removed from the ignition and one
of the front doors has been opened.
● Never close the rear lid without observing
and ensuring it is clear, to do otherwise could
cause serious injury to you and third parties.
Make sure that no one is in the path of a win-
dow.
● Never allow people to remain in the vehicle
when you close the vehicle from the outside.
The windows cannot be opened even in an
emergency. Note
The roll-back function is deactivated if the
windows are closed from the outside of the
vehicle using the ignition key for convenience
closing ››› page 73. Convenience opening and closing*
Using the door lock
– Hold the key in the door lock of the driver
door in either the locking or the unlocking
position until all windows are either
opened or closed.
– Release the key to interrupt this function.
»
73Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Operation
WARNING
● The risk of an accident increases if your ve-
hicle breaks down. Always use the hazard
warning lights and a warning triangle to draw
the attention of other road users to your sta-
tionary vehicle.
● Never park where the catalytic converter
could come into contact with inflammable
materials under the vehicle, for example dry
grass or spilt petrol. This could start a fire! Note
● The battery will run down if the hazard
warning lights are left on for a long time,
even if the ignition is switched off.
● The use of the hazard warning lights de-
scribed here is subject to the relevant statu-
tory requirements. Interior lights
Front interior lights and reading lights Fig. 64
Interior roof trim: front interior light-
ing option 1. Fig. 65
Interior roof trim: front interior light-
ing option 2. Switch
A
››› Fig. 64 o
›
›› Fig. 65 is used to se-
lect the following positions: Courtesy light position
Rocker switch in flat position (not activated).
The interior lighting is automatically switched
on when the vehicle is unlocked or the key re-
moved from the ignition. It goes out approxi-
mately 20 seconds after the doors are
closed. The interior lights are switched off
when the vehicle is locked or when the igni-
tion is switched on.
Interior light switched on
Push the switch to the position
.
Turning off the interior light 0
Press the switch to position 0
››› Fig. 64 or
››› Fig. 65.
Swit
ching on the reading light
Press the corresponding button B
››› Fig. 64
or ››› Fig. 65 to switch on the reading light.
Sw it
ching the reading lights off
Press the corresponding button to switch the
reading light off. Note
If not all the vehicle doors are closed, the in-
terior lights will be switched off after approx.
10 minutes, providing the ignition key has
been removed and the courtesy light position
selected. This prevents the battery from dis-
charging. 82
Lights and visibility
Rear interior lights and reading
lights* Fig. 66
Interior roof trim: rear interior lights
and reading lights. The switch
››› Fig. 66 C is used to select the
following positions:
Interior light switched off 0
In switch position ››› Fig. 66 1 , the interior
and reading lights are switched off.
Switching on the reading light
Turn the switch to position 2 (left reading
light) or to position 4 (right reading light).
Courtesy light position
Turn the control to position 3 . The interior
lighting is automatically switched on when
the vehicle is unlocked or the key removed
from the ignition. The light goes out approxi-
mately 20 seconds after the doors are closed. The interior lights are switched off
when the vehicle is locked or when the igni-
tion is switched on.
Interior lights or both reading lights
switched on
T urn the c
ontrol to position 5 .
Note
If not all the vehicle doors are closed, the in-
terior lights will be switched off after approx.
10 minutes, providing the ignition key has
been removed and the courtesy light position
selected. This prevents the battery from dis-
charging. Visibility
Sun visors Fig. 67
Sun visor on the driver side. The sun visors for the driver and the front
passenger can be pulled out of their mount-
ings in the centre of the vehicle and turned
towards the doors
››› Fig. 67 1 .
The vanity mirrors in the sun visors have cov-
ers. When you open the cover 2 , a lamp in
the roof lights up.
The light* in the roof lining will go out when
the vanity mirror cover is pushed back or the
sun visor is pushed back up. Note
The roof lighting will go out approximately
ten minutes after the ignition key has been
removed. This prevents the battery from dis-
charging. Sun blind*
3 Applies to the model: ALTEA XL/ALTEA FREETRACK
Fig. 68
Rear door blind.
» 83
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety