2015 Seat Altea XL ECO mode

Operation
If the windscreen air output is on and air re-
circulation mode is pressed, this remains ac-
tive. When the recirculation mode is on, if the
air distribution towards the windscreen mode
is selected, the recirculation mode is deacti-
vated. For safety reasons, the air recirculation
mode should not be connected. WARNING
In air recirculation mode, no cold air from the
outside enters the vehicle interior. If the air
conditioning system is switched off, the win-
dows can quickly mist over. Therefore, never
leave the air recirculation mode switched on
for a long time (risk of accident). General notes
Pollution filter
The pollution filter (a combined particulate
filter and active carbon filter) serves as a bar-
rier against impurities in the outside air, in-
cluding dust and pollen.
For the climate control system to work with
maximum efficiency, the pollution filter must
be replaced at the specified intervals in the
Maintenance Programme.
If the filter loses efficiency prematurely due
to use in areas reaching very high pollution
levels, the pollen filter must be changed
more frequently than stated in the Service
Schedule. Air conditioner
When the air conditioning system is switched
on, not only the temperature, but also the air
humidity in the vehicle interior is reduced.
This improves comfort for the vehicle occu-
pants and prevents misting of the windows
when the ambient air humidity is high.
If the air conditioning system cannot be
switched on this may be caused by the fol-
lowing reasons:
● The engine is not running.
● The A/C button is switched off.
● The outside temperature is lower than ap-
proximately +3 °C (+37 °F).
● The air conditioning system compressor
has been temporarily switched off because
the engine coolant temperature is too high.
● The air conditioner fuse is faulty.
● Another fault in the vehicle. Have the air
conditioner checked by a specialised work-
shop. CAUTION
● If you suspect that the air conditioner is
damaged, switch it off with the A/C button to
prevent further damage and have it checked
by a specialised workshop.
● Repairs to the air conditioner require spe-
cialist knowledge and special tools. There-
fore, we recommend you to take the vehicle
to a specialised workshop. Note
● If the humidity and temperature outside the
vehicle are high, condensation can drip off
the evaporator in the cooling system and
form a pool underneath the vehicle. This is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
● Keep the air intake slots in front of the
windscreen free of snow, ice and leaves to en-
sure heating and cooling are not impaired,
and to prevent the windows from misting
over.
● The air from the vents flows through the ve-
hicle interior and is extracted by slots de-
signed for this purpose. Therefore, do not
cover these slots with items of clothing or
other objects.
● The air conditioner operates most effective-
ly with the windows and the sliding/tilting
sunroof* closed. However, if the temperature
inside the vehicle is excessive because of the
sun, the air inside can be cooled faster by
opening the windows for a short time.
● Do not smoke while air recirculation mode
is on, as smoke drawn into the air condition-
ing system leaves residue on the evaporator,
producing a permanent unpleasant odour.
● It is advisable to turn on the air condition-
ing at least once a month, to lubricate the
system gaskets and prevent leaks. If a de-
crease in the cooling capacity is detected, a
Technical Service should be consulted to
check the system. 116

Driving
Driving Power steering (servotronic*) Power steering assists the driver by reducing
the force needed to turn the steering wheel.
In cars equipped with servotronic* power
steering the degree of power assistance is
regulated electronically
according to road
s
peed.
The power steering will keep on working even
if

the servotronic* device fails. The degree of
po w
er assistance will, however, no longer
adapt to different speeds. If the electronic
regulating system is not working properly,
this is most noticeable when turning the
steering wheel at low speeds (for instance
when parking), as more effort will be required
than usual. The fault should be corrected by
a specialised workshop as soon as possible.
Power steering does not work if the engine is
off. In this case the steering wheel requires
much more force to turn.
Turning the steering to its limit when the ve-
hicle is stationary will place an excessive
load on the power steering system. Turning
the steering wheel to its limit places a load
on the system, which causes noise. It will al-
so reduce the idling speed of the engine. CAUTION
When the engine is running, do not turn the
steering wheel to its limit for more than 15
seconds. Otherwise, there is a risk of damag-
ing the power steering. Note
● If the power steering should fail at any time
or the engine is switched off (for instance
when being towed), the vehicle can still be
steered. However, more effort will be required
to turn the steering wheel.
● If the system is leaking or malfunctioning,
please take the car to a specialised workshop
immediately.
● The power steering system requires a spe-
cial hydraulic fluid. The container is located
in the engine compartment (front left). The
correct fluid level in the reservoir is impor-
tant for the power steering to function prop-
erly. The hydraulic fluid level is checked at
the Inspection Service. All-wheel drive*
On all-wheel drive models, the engine power
is distributed to all four wheels
General notes
The all-wheel drive system operates com-
pletely automatically. The propulsion force is
distributed among the four wheels and adap-ted to the driving style and the road condi-
tions.
The all-wheel drive is specially designed to
complement the superior engine power. This
combination gives the vehicle exceptional
handling and performance capabilities, both
on normal roads and in more difficult condi-
tions, such as snow and ice.
Winter tyres
Thanks to its all-wheel drive, your vehicle will
have plenty of traction in winter conditions,
even with the standard tyres. Nevertheless,
we still recommend that winter tyres or all-
season tyres should be fitted on all four
wheels when winter road conditions are ex-
pected, mainly because this will give a better
braking response.
Snow chains
On roads where snow chains are mandatory,
this also applies to cars with all-wheel drive.
Changing tyres
On vehicles with all-wheel drive, all four tyres
must have the same rolling circumference
››› page 179 . WARNING
● Even with all-wheel drive, you should al-
ways adjust your speed to suit the condi-
tions. Do not let the extra safety features » 117
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
tempt you into taking any risks when driving.
Failure to follow this instruction could result
in an accident.
●
The braking capability of your vehicle is
limited by the tyres' grip. Vehicle behaviour
is no different from a vehicle without four-
wheel drive. So do not be tempted to drive
too fast on icy or slippery roads just because
the vehicle still has good acceleration in
these conditions. Failure to do so could result
in an accident.
● On wet roads bear in mind that the front
wheels may lose contact with the road and
start to float (aquaplaning) if the vehicle is
driven too fast. If this should happen, there
will be no sudden increase in engine speed
when aquaplaning begins to warn the driver,
as with a front-wheel drive vehicle. For this
reason and for that mentioned above, always
choose a driving speed suitable for the road
conditions. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in an accident. Driving with LPG*
3 Applies to the model: ALTEA / ALTEA XL
Fig. 121
Centre console: gas system control
switch. Your SEAT vehicle has a bivalent engine able
to run on either LPG or petrol. The LPG tank
››› page 160, Refuelling with LPG is in the
spare wheel well ››› .
Connecting LPG operating mode
● Press the GAS button.
After checking the system, the engine auto-
matically switches from petrol to LPG provi-
ded the following conditions are met:
● There is enough LPG in the tank.
● The engine coolant has reached the neces-
sary temperature for LPG operation.
● The outside temperature is suitable for LPG
to work. ●
The engine speed is always above 1,200
rpm.
● The LPG system check has been completed
and the established waiting time has elapsed
(this operation may take several minutes).
● No fault was detected during the system
check.
The 
green LPG gauge control lamp will
light up.
Connecting petrol operating mode
● Press the GAS button.
The  green
control lamp will go out on the
LPG l

evel indicator.
Petrol operating mode connects automatical-
ly when the engine is started or when any of
the LPG operating mode conditions are not
met. As soon as the necessary conditions are
met again, the LPG operating mode recon-
nects.
LPG system fault
Message in the instru-
ment panel displayHow to proceed
Error: LPG Visit the work-
shop!Have the system checked
immediately by a special-
ised workshop. 118

Driving
Automatic gearbox/DSG
automatic gearbox* Selector lever positions Fig. 125
Centre console: selector lever for au-
tomatic gearbox/DSG automatic gearbox. Selector lever positions indicated on the
cover
Parking position (lever locked).
Reverse position.
Neutral position (lever locked). This po-
sition is similar to the neutral position
for manual gearboxes).
Drive position (economic driving pro-
gramme).
Sports driving position.
Tiptronic driving position (this pro-
gramme is similar to the operation of a
manual gearbox).
P
R
N
D
S
+/- Driving programmes The automatic gearbox / DSG gearbox has
three programmes.
Selecting the economy programme
– This programme selects a higher gear earli-
er rather than remain in a lower gear.
– Put the selector lever into position D to
driv e f
orwards.
– Put the selector lever into position R to re-
ver

se. This position is shared by all pro-
grammes for reversing.
Selecting the sport programme – Move the lever to position S.
If you select sport programme S, the pro-
gr amme i

s designed for sport mode, that is,
a programme which changes up at higher en-
gine speeds to use the full power of the en-
gine. This programme is not recommended
for use on the motorway or in the city.
Selecting the manual programme (Tiptronic)
This programme allows driving similar to a
manual gearbox.
This programme may be accessed using the
selector lever or from the steering wheel con-
trols when this option is fitted ›››
page 129. Selector lever locking
Fig. 126
Centre console: automatic gearbox
selector lever. The selector lever lock prevents gears from
being engaged inadvertently, which would
cause the vehicle to move.
Releasing the selector lever lock
– Start the vehicle.
– Press and release the brake pedal, at the
same time press the button on the selector
lever.
The lock can only be engaged when the vehi-
cle is stationary or at a speed of less than
5 km/h (3 mph). It is automatically switched
off at higher speeds in position N.
F or r

apid gear changes (e.g. from R
to D) the
lever will not lock. If the lever remains in po-
sition
N for more than one second it will lock.
With the automatic lock, the lever is »
127
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
– Lightly press the selector lever forward
››› Fig. 128 + to change up to a higher
gear.
– Lightly press the selector lever backward
››› Fig. 128 - to change down to a lower
gear.
Changing gear with the steering wheel
paddle levers* – Press the right paddle lever + towards the
steering wheel to change up ››› Fig. 129 .
– Pr e
ss the left paddle – towards the steer-
ing wheel to change down ››› Fig. 129 .
U s

ing the paddle levers on the steering
wheel, you can access manual driving mode
regardless of the pre-selected driving mode.
General information about driving in
tiptronic mode
When accelerating, the automatic gearbox /
DSG automatic gearbox goes into a higher
gear a little before the engine reaches its
maximum permitted revolutions.
If a lower gear is selected, the automatic
gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox will only
change down when the engine cannot go
over its maximum permitted revolutions.
If “tiptronic” is selected whilst the vehicle is
in motion and the automatic gearbox / DSG
automatic gearbox is in third gear and selec- tor lever position D, “tiptronic” mode will
then also be in third gear.
Changing gears in the normal or sport
programme using the steering wheel paddle
levers
If the paddle levers
››› Fig. 129 are used in
the normal

or sport programme, the system
switches temporarily to “tiptronic” mode. To
exit “Tiptronic” mode again, press the right
paddle shifter +OFF toward the steering
wheel for approximately one second. You will
also leave “Tiptronic” mode if the paddle lev-
ers are not moved for a certain time. Note
● The gearbox controls on the steering wheel
can operate with the selector lever in any po-
sition and with the vehicle in motion. Kick-down feature
This feature allows maximum acceleration.
If you press the accelerator down thoroughly,
the gearbox automatically changes down, de-
pending on speed and engine speed, into a
lower gear to take full advantage of give the
vehicle maximum acceleration.
The gearbox does not change gear until the
engine reaches the maximum determined en-
gine speed for the gear. WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle if you ac-
celerate on slippery road surfaces. Risk of se-
rious injury.
● Be particularly careful when using the kick-
down features on slippery road surfaces. With
a fast acceleration, the vehicle could lose
traction and skid.
● You should use the kick-down feature only
when traffic and weather conditions allow it
to be used safely. Run-in and economical driving
Running in a new engine The engine needs to be run in over the first
1,500 km.
Up to 1,000 kilometres
– Do not drive at speeds of more than 2/3
the maximum speed.
– Do not accelerate hard.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.
130

Driving
Some tips on how to help you reduce pollu-
tion while saving money are listed below.
Drive anticipating the traffic situation
A vehicle uses most fuel when accelerating.
When you anticipate situations, you have to
brake less often and, thus, accelerate less. If
it is possible, let the vehicle roll with a gear
engaged , for example, if you see a red light
ahe a
d. The braking effect achieved in this
way helps to reduce the wear of brakes and
tyres; emissions and fuel consumption are
reduced to zero (disconnection due to iner-
tia).
Change gear early to save energy
An effective way of saving fuel is to change
up
quickly through the gears. Running the
engine at high rpm in the lower gears uses
an unnecessary amount of fuel.
Manual gearbox: shift up from first to second
gear as soon as possible. We recommend
that, whenever possible, you change to a
higher gear upon reaching 2000 rpm. Follow
the “recommended gear” indication that ap-
pears on the instrument panel ››› page 47.
Avoid driving at high speed
We advise you not to drive at the top speed
permitted by the vehicle. Fuel consumption,
exhaust emissions and noise levels all in- crease very rapidly at higher speeds. Driving
at moderate speeds will help to save fuel.
Avoid idling
It is worthwhile switching off the engine
when waiting in a traffic jam, at level cross-
ings or at traffic lights with a long red phase.
The fuel saved after only 30 - 40 seconds is
greater than the amount of fuel needed to re-
start the engine.
The engine takes a long time to warm up
when it is idling. Mechanical wear and pollu-
tant emissions are also especially high dur-
ing this initial warm-up phase. It is therefore
best to drive off immediately after starting
the engine. Avoid running the engine at high
speed.
Periodic maintenance
Periodic maintenance work guarantees that,
before beginning a journey, you will not con-
sume more than the required amount of fuel.
A well-serviced engine gives you the benefit
of
improved fuel efficiency as well as maxi-
mum reliability and an enhanced resale val-
ue.
A badly serviced engine can consume up to
10% more fuel than necessary.
Avoid short journeys
To reduce the consumption and emission of
polluting exhaust gases, the engine and the exhaust gas filtration systems should reach
the optimum operating temperature.
With the en

gine cold, fuel consumption is
proportionally higher. The engine does not
warm up and fuel consumption does not nor-
malise until having driven approximately four
kilometres. This is why we recommend avoid-
ing short trips whenever possible.
Maintain the correct tyre pressures
Bear in mind that keeping the tyres at an ad-
equate pressure saves fuel. If the tyre pres-
sure is just one bar (14.5 psi / 100 kPa) too
low, fuel consumption can increase by as
much as 5%. Due to the greater rolling resist-
ance, under-inflation also increases tyre wear
and impairs handling.
The tyre pressures should always be checked
when the tyres are cold.
Do not u

se winter tyres
all year round as they
increase fuel consumption by up to 10%.
Avoid unnecessary weight
Given that every kilo of extra weight
will in-
crease the fuel consumption, it is advisable
to always check the luggage compartment to
make sure that no unnecessary loads are be-
ing transported.
A roof rack is often left in place for the sake
of convenience, even when it is no longer
needed. At a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) »
133
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Driver assistance systems
SEAT Parking System Plus*:
description The Parking System Plus is an acoustic and
optical parking aid.
Sensors are located in the front and rear
bumpers. When the sensors detect an obsta-
cle, you are alerted by audible and optical
warnings. The measuring range of the sen-
sors starts at approximately:FrontSide0.90
Centre1.20
RearSide0.60
Centre1.60
The audible warnings sound with increasing
frequency as you approach the obstacle.
When the vehicle is less than 0.30 m away
from the obstacle, the warning tone will
sound continuously. Stop moving immediate-
ly!
The volume of the warning beeps will gradu-
ally decrease after about 4 seconds if the ve-
hicle remains at a constant distance from a
detected obstacle (it does not affect the per-
manent acoustic signal). Activating/deactivating
Fig. 134
Centre console: Switch for parking
aid. Activate
– Connects the radio navigator.
– Press the switch  on the centre console
››› Fig. 134 or on the gear indicator. You will
he ar a brief

confirmation tone and the LED
on the switch will light up.
Deactivating – Drive forward faster than 10 km/h (6 mph),
or
– Press the switch  or
– Switch the ignition off.
Segments in the optical display
Some colour segments in front and behind
and an audible warning enable the driver to
assess the distance with respect to an obsta- cle. The amber colour segments combined
with a discontinuous beep indicate the pres-
ence of an obstacle. As the vehicle gets clos-
er to the obstacle, the colour of the segment
changes to red and the acoustic signal beeps
continuously. When the penultimate segment
is displayed, this means that the vehicle has
reached the collision zone. Stop moving im-
mediately!
››› in SEAT Parking System: de-
scription on page 140. Note
● Please refer to the notes on towing
››› page 141.
● Ther e i

s a slight delay in the picture dis-
play. Towing bracket
In towing mode, the rear parking aid sensors
are not enabled when you select reverse gear
or press the switch
. This function may not
be guaranteed on towing brackets that are
not factory fitted. This results in the following
restrictions:
SEAT Parking System*
No warning is given.
SEAT Parking System Plus*
There is no rear distance warning. The system
will still give a warning when obstacles are »
141
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
detected while driving forward. The optical
display changes to towing mode.
Fault messages If you hear a long beep for a few seconds and
the LED on the switch 
* starts flashing
when
you switch on the parking aid, a system
fault has occurred. Contact a SEAT official
service or specialised workshop. Note
If the fault is not corrected before you switch
off the ignition, it will only be indicated by
the flashing LED on the switch  the next
time y

ou switch on the parking aid. Cruise speed* (cruise control
system - CCS)
Description The CCS is able to maintain the set speed in
the range from approx. 30 km/h (19 mph) to
180 km/h (112 mph).
Once the speed setting has been saved, you
may take your foot off the accelerator. WARNING
It could be dangerous to use the cruise con-
trol system if it is not possible to drive at con-
stant speed.
● Do not use the cruise control system when
driving in dense traffic, on roads with lots of
bends or on roads with poor conditions (with
ice, slippery surfaces, loose grit or gravel), as
this could cause an accident.
● Always switch the cruise control system off
after using it in order to avoid involuntary
use.
● It is dangerous to use a set speed which is
too high for the current road, traffic or weath-
er conditions. Risk of accident. Note
The cruise control cannot maintain a constant
speed when descending downhill. It will in-
crease due to its own weight. Use the foot
brake to slow the vehicle. Switching the cruise control system
on and off
Fig. 135
Turn signal and main beam head-
light lever: switch and rocker switch for the
cruise control. Switching on the cruise control system
– Push the switch ››› Fig. 135 B to the left to
ON.
Switching off the cruise control system
– Either push the switch B to the right to
OFF or turn the ignition off when the vehicle
is stationary.
When cruise control is on and a speed is pro-
grammed, the indicator  on the dash panel
is lit. 1)
If the cruise control system is switched off,
the  symbo l

is switched off. The system will 1)
Depending on the model version
142