
The essentials
Wheel bolts Fig. 80
Changing a wheel: loosen the wheel
bo lts. Fig. 81
Changing a wheel: tyre valve 1 and
the c orrect
position for the anti-theft wheel
locking bolt 2 or
3 .
Use only the wheel wrench belonging to the
c
ar t
o loo
sen the wheel bolts.
Loosen the wheel bolts only about one turn
before raising the vehicle with the jack. If the wheel bolt is very tight, carefully push
on the end of the wheel wr
ench with your
foot. Hold on to the vehicle for support and
take care not to slip during this operation.
Loosening wheel bolts
● Fit the wheel wrench on as far as it will go
›››
Fig. 80.
● Hold the wrench at the end and rotate the
bolt ap
proximately one turn anticlock-
wise ››› in Removing and fitting the wheel
on p ag
e 65
.
The caps protect the wheel bolts and should
be pushed fully on again after changing the
tyre.
Loosening the anti-theft wheel bolt
● Take the adapter for the anti-theft wheel
bolts out
of the vehicle tool kit.
● Insert the adapter fully onto the anti-theft
wheel bolt
››› Fig. 81.
● Fit the wheel wrench as far as it will go over
the adapt
er.
● Hold the wrench at the end and rotate the
bolt ap
proximately one turn anticlock-
wise ››› in Removing and fitting the wheel
on p ag
e 65
.
The anti-theft wheel bolt has a different cap.
This cap only fits on anti-theft locking bolts
and is not for use with standard wheel bolts. Important information about wheel bolts
Factor
y-fitted rims and wheel bolts are spe-
cially matched during construction. There-
fore, if different rims are fitted, the correct
wheel bolts with the right length and heads
must be used. This ensures that wheels are
fitted securely and that the brake system
functions correctly.
In certain circumstances, you should not
even use wheel bolts from vehicles of the
same model.
In wheels with full hubcaps, the anti-theft
locking bolt must be threaded onto positions 2 or
3 , taking the tyre valve’s position as
r ef
er
ence 1 . Otherwise it will not be possi-
b l
e t
o mount the hubcap. 63

The essentials
Raising the vehicle Fig. 82
Jack position points. Fig. 83
Fitting the jack. ●
Place the jack* (vehicle tools) on firm
gr ou
nd. If
necessary use a large, strong
board or similar support. If the surface is slip-
pery (for example tiles) place the jack on a
rubber mat or similar to prevent it from slip-
ping ››› . ●
Find the s up
por
t point on the strut (sunken
area) closest to the wheel to be changed
››› Fig. 82.
● Turn the jack* crank handle, located below
the strut s
upport point, to raise it until the
tab 1
› ››
Fig. 83
i
s below the housing provi-
ded.
● Align the jack* so that tab 1 “grips” onto
the hou s
in
g provided on the strut and the
mobile base 2 is resting on the ground. The
b a
se p
late 2 should fall vertically with re-
s pect
t
o the support point 1 .
● Continue turning the jack* until the wheel
i s
s
lightly lifted off the ground. WARNING
● Mak e s
ure that the jack* remains stable. If
the surface is slippery or soft, the jack* could
slip or sink, respectively, with the resultant
risk of injury.
● Only raise the vehicle with the jack* sup-
plied by
the manufacturer. Other vehicles
could slip, with the consequent risk of injury.
● Only mount the jack* on the support points
designed f
or this purpose on the strut, and
always align the jack correctly. If you do not,
the jack* could slip as it does not have an ad-
equate grip on the vehicle: risk of injury!
● The height of the parked vehicle can
chan
ge as a result of variations in tempera-
ture and loading. CAUTION
The vehicle must not be raised on the cross-
bar . On
ly place the jack* on the points de-
signed for this purpose on the strut. Other-
wise, the vehicle may be damaged. Removing and fitting the wheel
Change the wheel after loosening the wheel
bolts
and r
aising the vehicle with the jack.
Taking off the wheel
● Unscrew the wheel bolts using the box
sp anner and p
lace them on a clean surface.
● Take off the wheel ›››
.
P uttin
g on the s
pare wheel
When fitting tyres with a compulsory rotation
direction, observe the instructions in
››› page 65.
● Mount the wheel.
● Screw on the wheel bolts in position and
tighten them loosely
with a box spanner.
● Carefully lower the vehicle using the jack*.
● Tighten the wheel bolts in diagonal pairs
usin
g the wheel brace.
The wheel bolts should be clean and turn
easily. Before fitting the spare wheel, inspect 64

The essentials
the wheel condition and hub mounting surfa-
c e
s.
These surfaces must be clean before fit-
ting the wheel.
Wheel bolt tightening torque
The prescribed tightening torque for wheel
bolts for steel and alloy wheels is 140 Nm.
After changing a wheel, have the tightening
torque checked immediately with a torque
wrench that is working perfectly.
Before checking tightening torque, have any
rusty wheel bolts that are difficult to screw re-
placed and clean the wheel hub threads.
Never apply grease or oil to wheel bolts or to
the wheel hub threads. Even if the bolts have
been tightened to the prescribed torque, they
could come loose while driving. WARNING
If the wheel bolts are not properly tightened,
they c ou
ld come loose while driving and
cause an accident, serious injury and loss of
vehicle control.
● Use only wheel bolts which correspond to
the rim in question.
● Nev
er use different wheel bolts.
● Wheel bolts and threads should be clean,
free of oi
l and grease, and it should be possi-
ble to screw them easily.
● To loosen and tighten wheel bolts, only use
the wheel wrenc
h that came with the car from
the factory. ●
Loo sen the wheel
bolts only about one turn
before raising the vehicle with the jack.
● Never apply grease or oil to wheel bolts or
to the wheel hub thr
eads. Even if the bolts
have been tightened to the prescribed tor-
que, they could come loose while driving.
● Never loosen the screwed joints of wheel
rims with bo
lted ring trims.
● If wheel bolts are tightened below the pre-
scribed t
orque, the bolts and rims could come
loose while driving. If tightening torque is too
high, the wheel bolts or threads can be dam-
aged. CAUTION
When removing/fitting the wheel, the rim
ma y
hit and damage the brake disc. For this
reason, please take care and get a second
person to assist you. Tyres with compulsory rotation direc-
tion
A directional tread pattern can be identified
b
y
the arr
ows on the sidewall that point in
the direction of rotation. Always observe the
direction of rotation indicated when fitting
the wheel to guarantee optimum properties
of this type of tyres with regard to grip,
noises, wear and aquaplaning.
If it is absolutely necessary to fit the spare
tyre* against the direction of rotation, drive with care as this means the tyre does not of-
fer optimum drivin
g properties. This is of par-
ticular importance when the road surface is
wet.
To return to directional tread tires, replace
the punctured tyre as soon as possible and
restore the obligatory direction of rotation of
all tyres.
Subsequent work ●
Alloy wheels: rep
l
ace the wheel bolt caps.
● Plate wheels: repl
ace the wheel hubcap.
● Return all tools to their proper storing loca-
tion.
● If the replaced wheel does not fit in the
spar
e wheel housing, store it safely in the
luggage compartment ›››
page 152.
● Check the tyre pressure of the newly moun-
ted tyr
e as soon as possible.
● In vehicles fitted with a tyre pressure indi-
cator
, adjust the pressure and store it in
memory ›››
page 282.
● Have the tightening torque of the wheel
bolts c
hecked as soon as possible with a tor-
que wrench (it should be 120 Nm). Mean-
while, drive carefully.
● Have the flat tyre replaced as quickly as
pos s
ible. 65

The essentials
Snow chains U se Snow chains should only be used on the
fron
t
wheels.
● Check that they are correctly seated after
driving f
or a few yards; correct the position if
necessary, in accordance with the manufac-
turer's fitting instructions.
● Keep your speed below 50 km/h (30 mph).
● If there is a danger of being trapped de-
spit e h
aving mounted the chains, it is best to
disable the driving wheels (ASR) in the ESC
››› page 177.
Snow chains will improve braking ability as
well as traction in winter conditions.
For technical reasons snow chains may only
be used with the following wheel rim/tyre
combination.
195/60 R16Chains with links of maximum 13.5
mm Remove wheel covers and any integral trim
rin
g bef
or
e fitting snow chains.
Remove the chains when roads are free of
snow. Driving characteristics worsen, and the
wheels become damaged quickly and may
even be rendered unusable. WARNING
Snow chains should be correctly tightened in
acc or
dance with the manufacturer's instruc-
tions. This will prevent the chains coming in-
to contact with the wheel housing. Emergency towing of the vehi-
cl
e
T
owing Fig. 84
Right side of the front bumper: Tow-
in g rin
g. Fig. 85
Right side of the rear bumper: Towing
ring. Towline anchorages
Att
ac
h the b
ar or rope to the towline ancho-
rages.
The towline anchorages are located under
the floor panel in the luggage compartment,
next to the vehicle tools ››› page 61.
Screw the towline anchorage into the screw
connection ››› Fig. 84 o ››› Fig. 85 and tighten
it with the wheel brace.
Tow rope or tow bar
It is easier and safer for the vehicle to be tow-
ed using a tow bar. You should only use a
tow-rope if you do not have a tow-bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to re-
duce the loading on both vehicles. It is advis-
able to use a tow rope made of synthetic fi-
bre or similarly elastic material. 66

The essentials
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the
t o
wline anc
horages provided or a towing
bracket.
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
● The tow rope must be taut before you drive
off.
● Rel
ease the clutch very carefully when start-
ing the v
ehicle (manual gearbox), or acceler-
ate gently (automatic gearbox).
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially
when using a tow rope. Both drivers should
realise how difficult it is to tow a vehicle. In-
experienced drivers should not attempt to
tow.
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle
and take care to avoid jerking the tow rope.
When towing on an unpaved road, there is al-
ways a risk of overloading and damaging the
anchorage points.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must
be switched on to prevent the steering wheel
from locking and also to allow the use of the
turn signals, horn, windscreen wipers and
washers.
Place the gear lever in neutral on vehicles
with a manual gearbox. With an automatic
gearbox, place the lever in N. The brake servo only works when the engine
is ru
nning. When not running, you must ap-
ply considerably more pressure to the brake
pedal.
As the power assisted steering does not work
if the engine is not running, you will need
more strength to steer than you normally
would.
››› in General information on page 96
››› page 96 Tow-starting
If the engine will not start, first try starting it
u
s
in
g the battery of another vehicle
››› page 67. You should only attempt to tow-
start a vehicle if charging the battery does
not work. This is done by leveraging wheel
movement.
When tow-starting a vehicle with a petrol en-
gine, do not tow it more than a short dis-
tance, otherwise unburned fuel can enter the
catalytic converter.
However, if your vehicle has to be tow-star-
ted:
● Engage 2 nd
or 3 rd
ge
ar.
● Keep the clutch pressed down. ●
Switc
h the ignition on.
● Once both vehicles are moving, release the
clutc
h.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent driving into the towing
vehicle.
››› in General information on page 96
››› page 96 How to jump start
Jump l e
a
ds The jump lead must have a sufficient wire
c
r
o
ss section.
If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
charged battery, the battery can be connec-
ted to the battery of another vehicle to start
the engine.
Jump leads
Jump leads must comply with standard DIN
72553 (see cable manufacturer's instruc-
tions). The wire cross section must be at least
25 mm 2
for petrol engines and at least
35 mm 2
for diesel engines. » 67

Safety
risk of injury. The following list includes most
of the s
af
ety equipment in your SEAT:
● three-point seat belts,
● Belt tension limiter for the front and rear
side seats
● B
elt tensioners for the front seats,
● front airbags,
● Side airbags in the front seat backrests,
with che
st and head protection
● “ISOFIX” anchor points for “ISOFIX” rear
chil
d seat system
● height-adjustable front head restraints,
● Rear-centre head restraints with in-use po-
sition and non-use po
sition
● 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! Correct position for passengers
Correct
sitting position for driver Fig. 91
The proper distance between driver
and s t
eerin
g wheel. Fig. 92
Correct head restraint position for the
driv er
. For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injur
y
in the ev
ent of an accident, we recom- mend the following adjustments for the driv-
er:
– Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
dist
ance of at least 25 cm between the
steering wheel and the centre of your chest
››› Fig. 91.
– Move the driver's seat forwards or back-
ward
s so that you are able to press the ac-
celerator, brake and clutch pedals to the
floor with your knees still slightly angled
››› .
– Ensure that you can reach the highest point
of the s
t
eering 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. 92.
– Move the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that
your back rests completely
against it.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ›››
page 77.
– Keep both feet in the footwell so that you
have the
vehicle under control at all times.
Adjustment of the driver's seat ››› page 146. WARNING
● An incorr ect
sitting position of the driver
can lead to severe injuries. 72

Safe driving
●
Adjus t
the driver's seat so that there is at
least 25 cm distance between the centre of
the chest and the centre of the steering
wheel ››› Fig. 91. If distance is less than 25
cm, the airbag system may not protect you
properly.
● If your physical constitution prevents you
from maint
aining the minimum distance of 25
cm, contact a specialised workshop. The
workshop will help you decide if special spe-
cific modifications are necessary.
● When driving, always hold the steering
wheel with both h
ands on the outside of the
ring at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions.
This reduces the risk of injury when the driver
airbag is triggered.
● Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock
position, or in any other manner (e.g.
in the centre of the steering wheel). In such
cases, if the airbag is triggered, you may sus-
tain injuries to the arms, hands and head.
● To reduce the risk of injury to the driver
during sud
den braking manoeuvres or an ac-
cident, never drive with the backrest tilted far
back! The airbag system and seat belts can
only provide optimal protection when the
backrest is in an upright position and the
driver is wearing his or her seat belt correct-
ly.
● Adjust the head restraint properly to ach-
ieve optima
l protection. Adjusting the steering wheel position
Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 20 WARNING
● Never a dju
st the position of the steering
wheel when the vehicle is moving, as this
could cause an accident.
● Move the lever up firmly so the steering
wheel pos
ition does not accidentally change
during driving. risk of accident!
● Make sure you are capable of reaching and
firmly ho
lding the upper part of the steering
wheel: risk of accident!
● If you adjust the steering wheel so that it
points t
owards your face, the driver airbag
will not protect you properly in the event of
an accident. Make sure that the steering
wheel points towards your chest. Correct sitting position for front pas-
sen
g
er For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injur
y
in the ev
ent of an accident, we recom-
mend the following adjustments for the front
passenger:
– Move the front passenger seat back as far
as po
ssible ››› .–
Mo v
e the se
at 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 75.
– Always keep both feet in the footwell in
front of
the front passenger seat.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ›››
page 77.
It is possible to deactivate the front passen-
ger airbag in exceptional circumstances
››› page 86.
Adjusting the front passenger seat
››› page 18. WARNING
● An incorr ect
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 distance is less than
25 cm, the airbag system may not protect you
properly.
● If your physical constitution prevents you
from maint
aining the minimum distance of 25
cm, contact a specialised workshop. The
workshop will help you decide if special spe-
cific modifications are necessary. » 73
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
Even at low speeds the forces acting on the
body in a c
o
llision are so great that it is not
possible to brace oneself with one's hands.
In a frontal collision, unbelted passengers
are thrown forward and will make violent con-
tact with the steering wheel, dash panel,
windscreen or whatever else is in the way
››› Fig. 98.
It is also important for rear passengers to
wear seat belts properly, as they could other-
wise be thrown forward violently through the
vehicle interior in an accident. Passengers in
the rear seats who do not use seat belts en-
danger not only themselves but also the front
occupants ››› Fig. 99. How to properly adjust your
seatbelt
F
astening and unfastening the seat
belt Fig. 100
Positioning and removing the seat
belt b
uc
kle. Fig. 101
Position of seat belt during pregnan-
cy . Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 19.
Fasten your 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
plat
e and pull it slowly across your chest and
lap.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the
appropri
ate seat and push it down until it is
securely locked with an audible click
››› Fig. 100.
● Pull the belt to ensure that the latch plate is
securely
engaged in the buckle.
80