
Advice
Products for vehicle maintenance
C ar
-car
e products are available in your Tech-
nical Services. Keep the product instructions
until you have used them up. WARNING
● Car-c ar
e products can be toxic. Because of
this, they must always be kept closed in their
original container. Keep them out of the reach
of children. Failure to comply could result in
poisoning.
● Always read and observe the instructions
and warnings
on the package before using
car-care products. Improper use could cause
health problems or damage the vehicle. The
use of certain products may produce noxious
vapours; they should be used in well ventila-
ted areas.
● Never use fuel, turpentine, engine oil, nail
varnish remo
ver or other volatile fluids.
These are toxic and highly flammable. Risk of
fire and explosion.
● Before washing your vehicle, or carrying
out any m
aintenance, switch the engine off,
apply the handbrake firmly and remove the
key from the ignition. CAUTION
Never attempt to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surf ac
e of the vehicle is dry. Never use a
dry cloth or sponge for cleaning purposes.
This could damage the paintwork or the win-
dows of your vehicle. Soak dirt, mud or dust
with plenty of water. For the sake of the environment
● When purc h
asing car care products, try to
select ones that are not harmful to the envi-
ronment.
● The waste from car-care products should
not be dispo
sed of with ordinary household
waste. Observe the disposal information on
the package. Care of the vehicle exterior
Automatic c
ar wash tunnel The vehicle paintwork is so durable that the
v
ehic
le c
an normally be washed without
problems in an automatic car wash tunnel.
However, the paintwork wear depends to a
large extent on the kind of the car wash tun-
nel, the brushes used, its water filtering and
the type of cleaning and preservative prod-
ucts.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing
the windows and sunroof. There is nothing to
note apart from that.
If the vehicle has special accessories such as
spoilers or a roof rack or two-way radio aerial,
etc., it is advisable to consult the car wash
tunnel operator first. After washing, the brakes
could take some
time to respond as the brake discs and pads
could be wet, or even frozen in winter. “Dry”
the brakes by braking several times. WARNING
Water, ice and salt on the brake system can
reduce br ak
ing effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. CAUTION
Before putting the vehicle through the car
wash, do not tight
en the aerial if it is folded
because it can be damaged. Hand-washing
Vehicle washing
– First soften the dirt and rinse it off with wa-
ter
.
– Cl
ean your vehicle from top to bottom with
a soft spon
ge, a glove or a brush. Use very
light pressure.
– Rinse the sponge or glove often with clean
water.
– S
pecial car shampoo should only be used
for ver
y stubborn dirt.
– Leave the wheels, sill panels etc. until last,
using a diff
erent sponge or glove.
192

Advice
Sensors and camera lenses ●
Use a small brush to remove snow and a
de-icer spr a
y to remove ice.
● Clean the sensors with a solvent-free prod-
uct and a soft, dry
cloth.
● Moisten the camera lens using a standard
alcohol-ba
sed glass cleaning agent and
clean the lens with a dry cloth. CAUTION
● When you c l
ean the vehicle with a pressure
washer:
–Stay a suitable distance from the sensors
on the front and rear bumpers.
– Do not clean the camera lenses or sur-
rounding area with the pressure washer.
● Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice fr
om the reverse camera lens,
as it could crack the lens.
● Never use abrasive cleaning agents on the
lens. Vehicle paint maintenance
Regular waxing protects the paintwork.
Y
ou need t
o app
ly wax to your vehicle if water
does not form small drops and run off the
paintwork when it is clean.
Good quality hard wax products are available
at your Technical Service. Regular wax applications help to protect the
paintwork fr
om environmental contaminants
››› page 191. It is also effective in protecting
against minor scratches.
Even if a wax solution is used regularly in the
vehicle washing tunnel, it is advisable to pro-
tect the paint with a hard wax coating at least
twice a year.
Polishing the paintwork Polishing is only necessary if the paint has
lo
s
t its
shine, and the gloss cannot be
brought back by applying wax. Polishing
products can be purchased in your Technical
Service.
The vehicle must be waxed after polishing if
the polish used does not contain wax com-
pounds to seal the paint ››› page 194, Vehicle
paint maintenance . CAUTION
To prevent damage to the paintwork:
● Do not use polishes and hard wax on pain-
ted par t
s with a matt finish or on plastic
parts.
● Do not polish your vehicle in a sandy or
dusty en
vironment. Caring for plastic parts
If normal washing fails to clean plastic parts,
cle
an them w
ith approved solvent-free plas-
tic cleaning and care products. CAUTION
● The use of li quid air fr
eshener directly over
the air vents of the vehicle may damage the
plastic parts if the liquid is accidentally spil-
led.
● Cleaning products which contain solvents
will
damage the material. Cleaning of windows and mirrors
Cleaning windows
– Moisten the windows with commercially
av ai
lab
le, alcohol based glass cleaner.
– Dry the windows with a clean chamois
leather or a lint-fr
ee cloth.
Removing snow – Use a small brush to remove snow from the
windows
and mirrors.
Removing ice
– Use a de-icer spray.
Use a cle
an cloth or chamois leather to dry
the windows. The chamois leathers used on
194

Care and maintenance
painted surfaces are not suitable to clean
w indo
ws
because they are soiled with wax
deposits which could smear the windows.
If possible, use a de-icing spray to remove
ice. If you use an ice scraper, push it in one
direction only without swinging it.
Use window cleaner or a silicone remover to
clean rubber, oil, grease and silicone depos-
its off.
Wax deposits can only be removed with a
special cleaner available at your Technical
Service. Wax deposits on the windscreen
could cause the wiper blades to judder. Add-
ing a window cleaner that dissolves wax to
the windscreen washer fluid prevents wiper
blades from juddering, but wax deposits are
not removed. CAUTION
● Never use w arm or hot
water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors. This
could cause the glass to crack!
● The heating element for the rear window is
located on the inner side of
the window. To
prevent damage, do not put stickers over the
heating elements on the inside of the win-
dow. Cleaning windscreen wiper blades
Clean wiper blades improve visibility. 1. Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt
from the w
inds
creen wiper blades.
2. Use window cleaner to clean the wind- screen w
iper blades. Use a sponge or a
cloth to remove stubborn dirt.
Care of rubber seals If rubber seals are well looked after, they will
not freez
e so quic
kly.
1. Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt from the rubber seal s.
2.
Apply a specialist care product to the rub-
ber seals.
The rubber strip
s on the doors, windows, etc.
will remain pliable and last longer if they are
treated with a suitable rubber care product
from time to time (for example silicone
spray).
Caring for rubber seals will also prevent pre-
mature ageing and leaks. The doors will be
easier to open. If rubber seals are well looked
after, they will not freeze so quickly in winter.
Door lock cylinder The door lock cylinders can freeze up in win-
t
er
. T
o de-ic
e the lock cylinders you should only
use spra
y with lubricating and anti-corrosive
properties.
Cleaning chrome parts 1. Clean chrome parts with a damp cloth.
2. Polish chrome parts with a soft, dry cloth.
If this
doe
s not provide satisfying results, use
a specialist chrome cleaning product.
Chrome cleaning products will remove stains
from the surface. CAUTION
To prevent scratching chrome surfaces:
● Never use an abrasive cleaning product on
chrome.
● Do not c
lean or polish chrome parts in a
sandy or dus
ty environment. Steel wheel rims
–
Clean steel wheel rims regularly using a
sep ar
at e s
ponge.
Use an industrial cleaner to remove brake
dust. Any damage to the paint on steel wheel
rims should be repaired before starting to
rust. »
195
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
WARNING
● Never wa sh ty
res with a cylindrical jet. Even
at large spraying distances and short clean-
ing times, damage can occur to the tyres.
This may cause an accident.
● Water, ice and salt on the brake system can
reduce brak
ing effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. Directly after washing, avoid sudden
and sharp braking. “Dry” the brakes by brak-
ing several times ››› page 152, Braking ca-
pacity and braking distance .Alloy wheel rims
Every two weeks
– Wash salt and brake dust from alloy
wheel s.
– Use an ac id fr
ee detergent to clean the
wheel rims.
Ever
y 3 months
– Apply a hard wax compound to the wheels.
Alloy
wheels require regular attention to pre-
serve their appearance. If road salt and brake
dust are not often removed, the aluminium
finish will be impaired.
Always use an acid-free detergent for alloy
wheel rims.
Car polish or other abrasive agents should
not be used for maintaining the rims. If the protective coating is damaged, e.g. by flying
stones, the d
amaged area should be re-
paired immediately. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ››› in Steel
wheel rims on p ag
e 196. Vehicle underbody protection
The vehicle underbody is coated to protect it
from chemic
al
and mechanical damage.
The protective coating can be damaged when
driving. We recommend that you check the
protective coating under the body and on the
running gear, and retouch it if necessary, be-
fore and after the winter season.
We recommend that you go to your Technical
Service to carry out repair work and addition-
al anti-corrosion work. WARNING
Do not apply underseal or anti-corrosion
coatin g
s to the exhaust pipes, catalytic con-
verter or the heat shields on the exhaust sys-
tem. The heat of the exhaust system or the
engine could cause them to ignite. Risk of
fire. Cleaning engine compartment
Take special care when cleaning the engine
compar
tment
.
Anti-corrosion treatment
The engine compartment and the surface of
the power unit are given anti-corrosion treat-
ment at the factory.
Good corrosion protection is particularly im-
portant in winter when the vehicle is fre-
quently driven on salted roads. To prevent
the salt corroding the vehicle, the entire en-
gine compartment should be thoroughly
cleaned before and after winter.
Technical Services have the proper products
for cleaning and preservation as well as the
necessary workshop equipment. For this rea-
son, we recommend having this work per-
formed by them.
The anti-corrosion protection is usually re-
moved if the engine compartment is cleaned
with grease removing solutions, or if you
have the engine cleaned. On commissioning
this work, ensure that all surfaces, seams,
joints and components in the engine com-
partment are given anti-corrosion treatment. WARNING
● When workin g in the en
gine compartment,
always observe the safety warnings
››› page 201.196

Advice
– Do not l
et the w
ater soak through the leath-
er or soak into the seams.
– Then wipe off with a soft, dry cloth.
Leather maint
enance
– The leather should be treated twice a year
with a speci
al leather-care product, availa-
ble at Technical Services.
– Apply these products very sparingly.
– Then wipe off with a soft cloth.
SEAT does
everything possible to preserve
the genuine qualities of this natural product.
Due to the natural properties of the specially
selected hides employed, the finished leath-
er has a certain sensitivity to grease and dirt,
etc. so a degree of care is required in every-
day use and when looking after the leather.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the vehi-
cle is under solar radiation for long periods,
the leather should be protected to prevent it
from fading. However, slight colour variations
in high-quality natural leather are normal. CAUTION
● Do not use so lv
ents, wax polish, shoe
cream, spot removers or similar products on
leather.
● To avoid damage, stubborn stains should
be removed b
y a specialised workshop. Seat belt cleaning
A dirty belt may not work properly. Check all
seat belts
r
egularly and keep them clean.
Seat belts cleaning
– Pull the dirty seat belt right out and unroll
it.
– Cle
an dirty seat belts with a gentle soap
so
lution.
– Allow it to dry.
– Do not roll the seat belt up until it is dry.
If lar g
e stains form on the belts, the automat-
ic belt retractor will not work correctly. WARNING
● Do not use c hemic
al cleaning agents on the
seat belts, as this can impair the strength of
the webbing. Ensure that seat belts do not
come into contact with corrosive fluids.
● Check the condition of the seat belts at reg-
ular inter
vals. If you notice that the belt web-
bing, fittings, retractor mechanism or buckle
of any of the belts is damaged, the belt must
be replaced by a specialised workshop.
● Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat
belt your
self. The seat belts must not be re-
moved or modified in any way. CAUTION
After cleaning, allow seat belts to dry com-
plet ely
before rolling them up. Otherwise, the
belt retractors could become damaged. 198

Advice
Fuel Ty
pe s
of petrol The correct grade of petrol is listed inside the
fuel t
ank
flap.
The vehicle is equipped with a catalytic con-
verter and must only be run on unleaded pet-
rol. The petrol must comply with European
Standard EN 228 or German standard DIN
51626-1 and must be unleaded. You can re-
fuel with a maximum ethanol proportion of
10 % (E10). The types of petrol are differenti-
ated by their octane rating (RON).
The following titles appear on the corre-
sponding adhesive on the fuel tank flap:
Super unleaded 95 octane or normal 91 oc-
tane unleaded petrol
We recommend you use super 95 octane pet-
rol. If this is not available: normal 91 octane
petrol, with a slight decrease in power.
Super unleaded petrol with a minimum of 95
octanes
You should use super petrol with a minimum
of 95 octanes.
If super is not available, in an emergency you
may refuel with normal 91 octane petrol. In
this case only use moderate engine speeds
and a light throttle. Refuel with super as soon
as possible. Super unleaded 98 octane or super 95 oc-
tane un
l
eaded petrol
We recommend you use super plus 98 octane
petrol. If this is not available: super 95 oc-
tane petrol, with a slight decrease in power.
If super is not available, in an emergency you
may refuel with normal 91 octane petrol. In
this case only use moderate engine speeds
and a light throttle. Refuel with super as soon
as possible.
Petrol additives
The quality of the fuel influences the behav-
iour, power and service life of the engine.
This is why the petrol you use should carry
suitable additives already included by the
petrol industry, free of metals. These addi-
tives will help to prevent corrosion, keep the
fuel system clean and prevent deposits from
building up in the engine.
If good-quality petrol with metal-free addi-
tives is not available or engine problems
arise, the necessary additives must be added
when refuelling ››› .
Not al
l petr
ol additives have been shown to
be effective. The use of unsuitable petrol ad-
ditives may cause significant damage to the
engine and the catalytic converter. Metal ad-
ditives should never be used. Metal additives
may also be contained in petrol additives for
improving anti-detonation ratings or octane
ratings ››› .SEAT recommends “genuine Volkswagen
Gr
oup F
uel Ad
ditives for petrol engines”.
These additives can be bought at SEAT deal-
ers, where information on how to use them
can also be obtained. CAUTION
● Do not ref uel
if the filler indicates that the
fuel contains metal. LRP ( lead replacement
petrol) fuels contain high concentrations of
metal additives. Using them may damage the
engine!
● Never refuel with fuels containing a large
proportion of eth
anol (for example, E50, E85).
This could damage the fuel system.
● Just filling one full tank of leaded fuel or
fuel cont
aining other metal additives would
seriously impair the efficiency of the catalytic
converter.
● Only use fuel additives that have been ap-
proved b
y SEAT. Octane boosting or anti-
knock additives may contain metal additives
that could seriously damage the engine or
the catalytic converter. These additives must
not be used.
● High engine speed and full throttle can
damage the en
gine when using petrol with an
octane rating lower than the correct grade for
the engine. 200

Checking and refilling levels
Note
● You ma y
use petrol with a high octane num-
ber than the one recommended for your
engine.
● In those countries where unleaded petrol is
not avail
able, you may refuel with a fuel with
a low lead content. Diesel fuel
Please note the information on the inside of
the f
uel
tank
flap.
We recommend the use of diesel fuel which
complies to European standard EN 590. If
diesel fuel which meets European standard
EN 590 is not available, the Cetane number
(CZ) must, at minimum, be 51. If the engine
is equipped with a particulate filter, the sul-
phur content of the fuel must be below 50
parts per million.
Winter-grade diesel
Summer fuel becomes thicker in winter and it
is more difficult to start the engine. For this
reason, petrol stations in some countries al-
so offer winter diesel with improved fluidity
when cold (winter-grade diesel). Water in the fuel filter
1)
If your
vehicle has a diesel engine and is
equipped with a fuel filter with a water sepa-
rator, the instrument panel may display the
following warning: Water in the
fuel filter. If this is the case, take the
vehicle to a specialised workshop so that
they can drain the fuel filter. CAUTION
● The vehic l
e is not designed for the use of
FAME fuel (biodiesel). The fuel system would
be damaged if you used biodiesel.
● Do not mix fuel additives, the so-called
“thinners”, petrol
or similar additives with
diesel fuel.
● If poor-quality diesel fuel is used, it may be
necess
ary to drain the fuel filter more fre-
quently than is specified in the Maintenance
Programme. We recommend having this done
by a specialised workshop. If water is allowed
to collect in the filter, this can cause engine
performance problems. Working in the engine compart-
ment
saf
ety not
es for work in the engine
compartment Read the additional information carefully
›››
p
age 10
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. Ap p
ly the handbrake.
3. Move the gear lever to neutral or the selec- tor lever t
o position P.
4. Wait for the engine to cool down.
5. Keep children away from the vehicle.
6. Raise the bonnet ›››
p
age 203.
You should not do any work in the engine
compartment unless you know exactly how to
carry out the jobs and have the correct tools!
Have the work carried out by a specialised
workshop if you are uncertain.
All service fluids and consumables, e.g. cool-
ant, engine oil, spark plugs and batteries, »1)
Valid for the market: Algeria.
201
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
are under constant development. SEAT pro-
v ide
s a c
onstant flow of information to Tech-
nical Services concerning modifications. For
this reason, we recommend you have service
fluids and consumables replaced by a Techni-
cal Service. Please observe the relevant in-
structions ››› page 190. The engine compart-
ment of the vehicle is a hazardous area ››› .
WARNING
All work on the engine or in the engine com-
partment, e. g. c
hecking and refilling fluids,
involves the danger of injury and burns, acci-
dents and even fire.
● Never open the bonnet if you see steam,
smoke or cool
ant escaping from the engine
compartment. Otherwise, there is a risk of
sustaining burns. Wait until no more steam or
coolant is emitted, then allow the engine to
cool before carefully opening the bonnet.
● Switch off the engine and remove the key
from the ignition.
● Apply
the handbrake and move the gear
lever to neutr
al or selector lever to position P.
● Keep children away from the vehicle.
● Never touch hot engine parts. There is a
risk of b
urns.
● Never spill liquids on a hot engine or on a
hot exhau
st gas system. This is a fire hazard.
● Avoid causing short-circuits in the electri-
cal sy
stem, particularly at the points where
the jump leads are attached ›››
page 52.
The battery could explode. ●
Never touc h the r
adiator fan. It is tempera-
ture controlled and could start automatically,
even when the engine has been switched off
and the key removed from the ignition!
● Never cover the engine with additional in-
sulatin
g materials such as a blanket. Risk of
fire!
● Do not unscrew the cap on the coolant ex-
pansion t
ank when the engine is hot. If the
coolant is hot, the cooling system will be
pressurised!
● Protect face, hands and arms by covering
the cap with a lar
ge, thick cloth to protect
against escaping coolant and steam.
● Always make sure you have not left any ob-
jects, suc
h as cleaning cloths or tools, in the
engine compartment.
● If you have to work underneath the vehicle,
you must
use suitable stands additionally to
support the vehicle, there is a risk of acci-
dent!. A hydraulic jack is insufficient for se-
curing the vehicle and there is a risk of injury.
● If any work has to be performed when the
engine is s
tarted or with the engine running,
there is an additional, potentially fatal, safety
risk from the rotating parts, such as the drive
belts, alternator, radiator fan, etc., and from
the high-voltage ignition system. You should
also observe the following:
– Never touch the electrical wiring of the
ignition system.
– Ensure that jewellery, loose clothing and
long hair do not get trapped in rotating
engine parts. Danger of death. Before starting any work remove jewellery, tie
back
and c
over hair, and wear tight-fit-
ting clothes.
– Never accelerate with a gear engaged
without taking the necessary precau-
tions. The vehicle could move, even if the
handbrake is applied. Danger of death.
● If work has to be carried out on the fuel
system or on el
ectrical components, you
must observe the following safety notes in
addition to the above warnings:
– Always disconnect the battery from the
on-board network. The vehicle must be
unlocked when this is done, otherwise
the alarm will be triggered.
– Do not smoke.
– Never work near naked flames.
– Always have a fire extinguisher on hand. WARNING
If the bonnet is not correctly closed, it could
sudden ly
open while driving leaving the driv-
er without visibility. This could result in a se-
rious accident.
● After closing the bonnet, always check that
it is pr
operly secured by the locking mecha-
nism in the lock carrier piece. The bonnet
must be flush with the surrounding body pan-
els.
● While driving, if you notice that the bonnet
is not c
orrectly closed then stop immediately
and close it correctly. 202