Advice
Service life of tyres Fig. 250
Location of the tyre pressure sticker. Correct inflation pressures and sensible driv-
in
g h
ab
its will increase the useful life of your
tyres.
– Check tyre pressure at least once a month,
and also prior to an
y long trip.
– The tyre pressure should only be checked
when the tyre
s are cold. Do not reduce the
pressure of warm tyres.
– Adjust tyre pressure to the load being car-
ried by the
vehicle. –
In vehic
les with a tyre pressure indicator,
save the modified tyre pressure
››› page 283.
– Avoid fast cornering and hard acceleration.
– Inspect the tyres for irregular wear from
time to time.
The usef
ul life of your tyres depends on the
following factors:
Tyre pressure
Tyre pressure values are indicated on the
sticker on the inside of the fuel tank flap
››› Fig. 250.
Insufficient or excessive pressure greatly re-
duces the useful life of the tyres and adverse-
ly affects vehicle performance and ride. Cor-
rect inflation pressures are very important,
especially at high speeds.
Depending on the vehicle, tyre pressure can
be adjusted to medium load to improve driv-
ing comfort (tyre pressure ). When driving
with comfort tyre pressure fuel consumption
may increase slightly.
The tyre pressure must be adjusted according
to the load the vehicle is carrying. If the vehi-
cle is going to carry the maximum load, the
tyre pressure should be increased to maxi-
mum value indicated on the sticker on the in-
side of the fuel tank flap. Do not forget the spare wheel when checking
the tyre pr
essures: Keep this spare wheel in-
flated to the highest pressure required for the
road wheels.
In the case of a minimised temporary spare
wheel (125/70 R16 or 125/70 R18) inflate to
a pressure of 4.2 bar as indicated on the tyre
pressure label on the fuel tank flap.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking (squealing tyres) all increase tyre
wear.
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
However, certain circumstances may lead to
imbalance (run-out), which is detected as vi-
brations in the steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as
they otherwise cause excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must
also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted
or if a tyre is repaired.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect running gear alignment causes ex-
cessive tyre wear, impairing the safety of the
vehicle. If you notice excessive tyre wear, you
should check wheel alignment at a SEAT Offi-
cial Service.
280
Wheels
WARNING
● Alw a
ys adapt the tyre pressure accordingly
when the vehicle load changes.
● A tyre with low air pressure has to flex a lot
more when the v
ehicle is heavily loaded or at
high speeds, therefore causing overheating
to occur. Under these conditions, the tyre
bead may be released or the tyre may burst.
Risk of accident! For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel con-
sumption. Wear indicators
Fig. 251
Tyre tread: tread wear indicators Tread wear indicators indicate if a tyre is
w
orn. The origin
al
tyres on your vehicle have
1.6 mm high “trea
d wear indicators” running
across the tread. Depending on the manufac-
turer, there will be 6 to 8 of them spaced at
equal distances around the tyre. Markings on
the tyre sidewall (for instance the letters
“TWI” or a triangle) indicate the positions of
the tread wear indicators.
The minimum tread depth required by law is
1.6 mm (measured in the tread grooves next
to the tread wear indicators). (Different fig-
ures may apply in other countries.) WARNING
The tyres must be replaced at the latest when
the tre a
d is worn down to the tread wear indi-
cators. Failure to follow this instruction could
result in an accident.
● Especially in difficult driving conditions
such a
s wet or icy roads. It is important that
the tyre tread be as deep as possible and be
approximately the same on the tyres of both
the front and the rear axles.
● The scant driving safety due to insufficient
trea
d depth is particularly evident in vehicle
handling, when there is a risk of “aquaplan-
ing” in deep puddles of water and when driv-
ing through corners, and braking is also ad-
versely affected.
● The speed has to be adapted accordingly,
otherwi
se there is a risk of losing control over
the vehicle. Interchanging tyres
Fig. 252
Interchanging tyres. To ensure that the wear is equal on all tyres
the wheel
s
shou
ld be changed round from
time to time according to the system
››› Fig. 252. The useful life of all the tyres will
then be about the same time.
New tyres or new wheels –
All four wheels must be fitted with tyres of
the s ame type, s
iz
e (rolling circumference)
and preferably the same tread pattern.
– Tyres should be replaced at least in pairs
and not individual
ly (i.e. both front tyres or
both rear tyres together).
– Do not use tyres whose effective size ex-
ceeds
the dimensions of the factory-ap-
proved makes of tyre. »
281
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Wheels
●
Av oid ru
nning the vehicle on tyres that are
more than 6 years old. If you have no
alternative, you should drive slowly and with
extra care at all times.
● If wheel trims are fitted after the car is pur-
cha
sed, ensure that there is an adequate flow
of air for cooling the brake system. For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of according to
the l aw
s in the country concerned. Note
● A S EA
T Service Centre should be consulted
to find out whether wheels or tyres of differ-
ent sizes to those originally fitted by SEAT
can be fitted, and to find out about the com-
binations allowed between the front axle
(axle 1) and the rear axle (axle 2).
● Never mount used tyres if you are not sure
of their “pr
evious history”.
● For technical reasons, it is not generally
poss
ible to use the wheels from other vehi-
cles. In some cases, this may also be true for
the same model of wheel. Wheel bolts
The wheel
bolts
ar
e m
atched to the rims.
When installing different wheels (for instance
alloy wheels or wheels with winter tyres) it is
important to use the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt
head
s. This ensures that wheels are fitted se-
curely and that the brake system functions
correctly.
The wheel bolts must be clean and turn easi-
ly.
A special adapter is required to turn the anti-
theft wheel bolts* ›››
page 67.
Tyre monitoring systems Introduction WARNING
Unsuitable handling of the wheels and tyres
ma y
lead to sudden tyre pressure losses, to
tread separation or even to a blow-out.
● Check tyre pressures regularly and ensure
they are m
aintained at the pressures indica-
ted. Tyre pressure that is too low could cause
overheating, resulting in tread detachment or
even burst tyres.
● Tyre pressure should be that indicated on
the label when the ty
res are cold at all times
››› page 291.
● Regularly check the cold inflation pressure
of the tyr
es. If necessary, change the tyre
pressure of the vehicle tyres while they are
cold. ●
Re gu
larly check your tyres for damage and
wear.
● Never exceed the maximum permitted
speed or loa
ds specified for the type of tyre
fitted on your vehicle. For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres lead to increased fuel
c on s
umption and tyre wear. Note
● Driv ing f
or the first time with new tyres at a
high speed can cause them to slightly ex-
pand, which could then produce an air pres-
sure warning.
● Only replace used tyres with those author-
ised by
SEAT for the corresponding type vehi-
cle.
● Do not only rely on the tyre monitoring sys-
tem. Re
gularly check your tyres to ensure
that the tyre pressure is correct and that the
tyres are not damaged due to puncture, cuts,
tears and impacts/dents. Remove objects
from the tyres only when they have not
pierced the tyres. 283
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Advice
When driving, the system self-calibrates the
ty r
e pr
essure provided by the driver and the
wheels fitted. After a long journey with varied
speeds the programmed values are collected
and monitored.
With the wheels under very heavy loads, the
tyre pressure must be increased to the total
recommended tyre pressure before the cali-
bration ››› page 291. Note
● The tyr e monit
oring indicator does not
function when there is a fault in the ESC or
ABS ››› page 187.
● An erroneous indication may be given when
snow c
hains are in use because they increase
the tread of the wheel. Temporary spare wheel
Gener a
l
information Fig. 255
Compact temporary spare wheel:
r ai
sed floor p
anel. The temporary spare wheel has been de-
s
igned t
o be u
sed for short periods of time.
Have the tyres checked, and if necessary, re-
placed as soon as possible at a SEAT Official
Service or at a specialised workshop.
Please note the following restrictions when
using the compact temporary spare wheel.
The compact temporary spare wheel is de-
signed specifically for this model. For this
reason, do not use a temporary spare wheel
from a different type of vehicle.
Removing the temporary spare wheel
– Lift and hold up the floor panel to remove
the temporar
y spare wheel ››› Fig. 255. –
Turn the thumb wheel anti-c
lockwise.
– Take out the temporary spare wheel.
Chains
F
or technical reasons, snow chains must not
be used on the temporary spare wheel.
If you have a puncture on one of the front
wheels when using snow chains, fit the tem-
porary spare wheel in place of one of the rear
wheels. Fit the snow chains on the rear wheel
that you have removed and replace the punc-
tured front wheel with this wheel. WARNING
● Aft er fittin
g the temporary spare wheel,
check the tyre pressures as soon as possible.
Failure to do so may cause an accident. The
tyre pressures are listed on the inside of the
fuel tank flap.
● Do not drive at over 80 km/h (50 mph)
when the temporar
y spare wheel is fitted on
the vehicle: risk of accident!
● Avoid heavy acceleration, hard braking and
fas
t cornering: risk of accident!
● Never use more than one temporary spare
wheel at the s
ame time, risk of accident.
● No other type of tyre (normal summer or
winter ty
re) may be fitted on the compact
temporary spare wheel rim.
● If you are driving using the spare wheel,
the ACC
system could automatically switch
off during the journey. Switch off the system
when starting off. 286