The essentials
Changing a wheel R el
at
ed video Fig. 76
Wheels Vehicle tool kit
Fig. 77
Underneath the floor panel of the lug-
g ag
e c
ompartment: vehicle tool kit. An adapter for the anti-theft wheel bolts*
T
o
wline anc
horage
Box spanner for wheel bolts*
Crank handle for jack
1 2
3
4 Jack*
Hook
f
or e
xtracting the central wheel
trims*
Clip for removing the wheel bolt caps.
››› in Vehicle tools on page 97
››› page 97 Central trim for steel rims*
Fig. 78
Correct positioning of the central
wheel trim f
or s
teel rims. The central trims must be removed for access
t
o the wheel
bo
lts.
5 6
7 Removing
●
Attach the wire hook (vehicle tools
› ›
›
Fig. 77 6 ) to one of the chambers of the
c entr
al
wheel trim.
● Insert the box spanner through the hook,
suppor
ting it on the tyre and remove the
wheel trim.
Fitting
● Fit the central wheel trim onto the rim. The
bottom of the
“S” of the SEAT badge should
align with the inflation valve ››› Fig. 78 1 .
● Press the central trim firmly until it locks in
w ith an audib
l
e click. Note
There is also a valve mark on the back of the
centr a
l wheel trim that indicates the correct
alignment. 65
The essentials
Central trim for alloy rims* Fig. 79
Removing the central wheel trim. Fig. 80
Fitting the central wheel trim. Removing
● Attach the wire hook (vehicle tools
› ››
Fig. 77 6 ) to the housing provided for this
› ›
›
Fig. 79. ●
Pul
l on it to remove the trim ››› Fig. 79.
Fitting
● Fit the central wheel trim onto the rim, fit-
ting the protru
sion on the trim into the recess
in the rim ››› Fig. 80 (arrows).
● Press the central trim firmly until it locks in
with an audibl
e click.
Wheel covers* Fig. 81
Remove the wheel cover. The wheel covers must be removed for access
t
o the wheel
bo
lts.
Removing ● Remove the wheel cover using the wire
hook ››
› Fig. 81.
● Hook this into one of the cut-outs of the
wheel co
ver. Fitting
●
Fit the wheel cover onto the wheel rim by
pres
sing it firmly.
● Put pressure on the point of the cut-out for
the valv
e.
● Next fit the rest of the wheel cover.
Wheel bolt caps* Fig. 82
Wheel: wheel bolts with caps. Removal
● Fit the plastic clip (vehicle tools) over the
c ap u
nti
l it clicks into place ››› Fig. 82.
● Remove the cap with the plastic clip. 66
The essentials
Wheel bolts Fig. 83
Changing a wheel: loosen the wheel
bo lts. Fig. 84
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. 83.
● 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 69
.
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. 84.
● 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 69
.
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
› ›
› Fig. 84
or 3 , taking the tyre valve’s po-
s ition a
s
reference 1 . Otherwise it will not
be po s
s
ible to mount the hubcap. 67
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 120 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 direction of ro-
t
ation 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 160.
● 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 278.
● 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. 69
Care and maintenance
Steel wheel rims –
Clean steel wheel rims regularly using a
separ at
e sponge.
Use an industrial cleaner to remove brake
dust. Any damage to the paint on steel wheel
rims should be repaired before starting to
rust. WARNING
● Never w a
sh tyres 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 br
aking effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. Directly after washing, avoid sudden
and sharp braking. “Dry” the brakes by brak-
ing several times ››› page 181, 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 free detergent to clean the
wheel rims.
Ev
ery 3 months
– Apply a hard wax compound to the wheels. Alloy wheels require regular attention to pre-
serve their ap
pearance. 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 damaged area should be re-
paired immediately. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Steel
wheel rims on p
age 253. Vehicle underbody protection
The vehicle underbody is coated to protect it
fr
om c
hemic
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
co atin
gs 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
comp
ar
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 »
253
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Advice
have the engine cleaned. On commissioning
thi s
w
ork, ensure that all surfaces, seams,
joints and components in the engine com-
partment are given anti-corrosion treatment. WARNING
● When work in
g in the engine compartment,
always observe the safety warnings
››› page 263.
● Before opening the bonnet, switch the en-
gine off, app
ly the handbrake firmly and al-
ways remove the key from the ignition.
● Allow the engine to cool before you clean
the engine comp
artment.
● Do not clean, for example, the vehicle un-
derbody, wheel ar
ches or wheel trims without
protecting your hands and arms. You may cut
yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. Failure
to comply could result in injury.
● Moisture, ice and salt on the brake system
may
affect braking effectiveness. Risk of acci-
dent. Directly after washing, avoid sudden
and sharp braking.
● Never touch the radiator fan. It is tempera-
ture-c
ontrolled and could start automatically,
even when the key is removed from the igni-
tion! For the sake of the environment
Fuel, grease and oil deposits can be removed
when the engine i s
washed. The polluted wa-
ter must be cleaned in an oil separator. For
this reason, engine washing should be car- ried out only by a specialised workshop or a
petro
l
station. Caring for the vehicle interior
Scr een f
or the radio/Easy Connect*
and control panel* The display can be cleaned with a soft cloth
and a prof
e
ssionally available “LCD cleaner”.
Moisten the cloth with a small amount of the
cleaning fluid.
The Easy Connect control panel* should first
be cleaned with a brush so that no dirt goes
into the device or between the keys and
housing. Next, we recommend cleaning the
Easy Connect control panel* using a cloth
dampened with water and washing-up liquid. CAUTION
● To av oid s
cratching the screen, do not wipe
the display with a dry cloth.
● To avoid damage, ensure that no liquid
goes
into the Easy Connect control panel*. Cleaning plastic parts and the dash
p
anel –
Use a clean, damp cloth to clean plastic
par ts
and the dash panel. –
If this
does not provide satisfactory results,
use a special solvent-free plastic cleaning
product. WARNING
Never clean the dash panel and the airbag
modul e s
urface with cleaners containing sol-
vents. Solvents cause the surface to become
porous. If the airbag triggered, plastic parts
could become detached and cause injuries. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will
dam ag
e the material. Cleaning wooden trim*
–
Clean the wooden trim with a water-mois-
tened c
l
ean cloth.
– If this does not provide satisfactory results,
use a gen
tle soap solution. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will
dam ag
e the material. Cleaning textile covers and trim parts
Textile covers and trim parts (e.g. seats, door
trim) shou
l
d be c
leaned regularly with a
254
Advice
The position of the battery is shown in the
c orr
e
sponding engine compartment diagram
››› page 266.
The “magic eye” indicator, located on the top
of the battery changes colour, depending on
the charge state and electrolyte level of the
battery.
There are two different colours:
● Black: correct charge status.
● Transparent/clear yellow: the battery must
be repl
aced. Contact a specialised workshop.
Charging or changing the battery The battery is maintenance-free and is
c
hec
k
ed during the inspection service. All
work on the vehicle battery requires special-
ist knowledge.
If you often drive short distances or if the ve-
hicle is not driven for long periods, the bat-
tery should be checked by a specialised
workshop between the scheduled services.
If the battery has discharged and you have
problems starting the vehicle, the battery
might be damaged. If this happens, we rec-
ommend you have the vehicle battery
checked by a Technical Service where it will
be re-charged or replaced. Charging the battery
The vehic
le battery should be charged by a
specialised workshop only, as batteries us-
ing special technology have been installed
and they must be charged in a controlled en-
vironment.
Replacing a vehicle battery
The battery has been developed to suit the
conditions of its location and has special
safety features.
Genuine SEAT batteries meet the mainte-
nance, performance and safety specifications
of your vehicle. WARNING
● We r ec
ommend you use only maintenance-
free or cycle free leak-proof batteries which
comply with standards T 825 06 and
VW 7 50 73. This standard applies as of
2001.
● Before starting any work on the batteries,
you mus
t read and observe the warnings
››› in Symbols and warnings on handling
the batt er
y on page 272. For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain toxic substances such as
su lphuric
acid and lead. They must be dis-
posed of appropriately and must not be dis-
posed of with ordinary household waste. Wheels
Wheel s
and ty
res
General notes Avoiding damage
– If you have to drive over a kerb or similar
ob s
tacle, drive very slowly and at a right
angle.
– Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
– Inspect the tyres regularly for damage
(cuts, c r
acks or blisters, etc.). Remove any
foreign objects embedded in the treads.
Storing tyres
– When you remove the tyres, mark them in
order to m
aintain the same direction of ro-
tation when they are installed again.
– When removed, the wheels and/or tyres
should be s
tored in a cool, dry and prefera-
bly dark location.
– Store tyres in a vertical position, if they are
not fitted on wheel
rims.
New tyres
New tyres must be run in ›››
page 199.
The tread depth of new tyres may vary, ac-
cording to the type and make of tyre and the
tread pattern.
274
Wheels
Concealed damage
Dam ag
e t
o tyres and rims is often not readily
visible. If you notice unusual vibrations or the
vehicle pulling to one side, this may indicate
that one of the tyres is damaged. They
should be checked immediately by a Techni-
cal Service.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the di-
rection of rotation on tyres with directional
tread. Always observe the direction of rota-
tion indicated when fitting the wheel. This
guarantees optimum grip and helps to avoid
aquaplaning, excessive noise and wear. WARNING
● New tyr e
s do not have maximum grip dur-
ing the first 500 km. Drive particularly care-
fully to avoid possible accidents.
● Never drive with damaged tyres. This may
cause an ac
cident.
● If you notice unusual vibrations or if the ve-
hicle p
ulls to one side when driving, stop the
vehicle immediately and check the tyres for
damage. Tyre pressure monitoring system
Fig. 231
Location of the tyre pressure sticker. The maximum tyre pressure values are shown
on a s
tic
k
er stuck to the back of the left front
door frame ›››
Fig. 231.
1. Read the required tyre inflation pressure from the stic
ker. The values refer to Sum-
mer tyres.
2. The tyre pressures should only be checked when the tyre
s are cold. The slightly raised
pressures of warm tyres must not be re-
duced.
3. Adjust the tyre pressure to the load you are carr
ying. Tyre pressure
The correct
tyre pressure is especially impor-
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and before starting a journey.
Depending on the vehicle, tyre pressure can
be adjusted to medium load to improve driv-
ing comfort (“comfort” tyre pressure). When
driving with comfort tyre pressure fuel con-
sumption may increase slightly. WARNING
A tyre can easily burst if the pressure is too
low , c
ausing an accident!
● At continuously high speeds, a tyre with in-
sufficient
pressure flexes more. In this way it
becomes too hot, and this can cause tread
separation and tyre blow-out. Always observe
the recommended tyre pressures.
● If the tyre pressure is too low or too high,
the tyre
s will wear prematurely and the vehi-
cle will not handle well. Risk of accident! For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel con-
sumption. 275
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety