steering wheel Seat Altea 2007 Owner's Guide

Lights and visibility123
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Rear window wiper

The windscreen wiper lever operates the windscreen wiper
and the wash and wipe system for the rear window.Switching on the interval wipe
– Press the lever forwards to position ⇒fig. 87 . The wiper will
wipe the window approximately every 6 seconds.
Switching off the interval wipe function
– Pull the lever back from positi on towards the steering wheel.
The wiper will continue to function for a short period if you switch
off whilst the wipers are in motion. Switching on the windscreen wiper and washer system
– Press the lever fully forwards to position
⇒fig. 87. The wash
function will start immediately and the wiper will start with a
slight delay. The windscreen wash system will function as long as
you hold the lever in this position.
– Return the lever back to the rest position. The wiper then wipes for approximately 4 seconds, and then in intervals again.
– Return the lever back to the rest position. The washer system stops and the wipers function.
WARNING
•
A worn or dirty wiper blade will obstruct visibility and reduce safety.
•
Always note the corresponding warnings on ⇒page 219.Caution
In icy conditions, always check that the wiper blade is not frozen to the glass
before using the wiper for the first time. If you switch on the wiper when the
wiper blade is frozen to the glass, this could damage both the wiper blade
and the wiper motor.
Note
•
The windscreen wiper will only function when the ignition is switched on
and the tailgate is closed.
•
In reverse gear, with the windscreen wipers switched on, the rear wind-
screen wiper will make one wipe.
F i g . 8 7 W i n d o w w a s h a n d
wipe lever: Rear window
wiper
A6
A6
A7
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Lights and visibility
124Headlight washer system
The headlight washers clean the headlight lenses.The headlight washers are activated automatically when the windscreen
washer is used and the windscreen wiper lever is pulled towards the steering
wheel for at least 1.5 seconds – provided the dipped headlights or main
beams are switched on. Clean off stubborn dirt (insects, etc.) from the head-
lights at regular intervals, for in stance when filling the fuel tank.
Note
•
To ensure that the headlight washers work properly in winter, keep the
nozzle holders in the bumper free of snow and remove any ice with a de-icer
spray.
•
To remove water, the windscreen wiper s will be activated from time to
time, the headlight wipers will be activated every three cycles.
MirrorsInterior mirror
It is dangerous to drive if you cannot see clearly through the
rear window.Manual anti-dazzle function for interior mirror
In the basic mirror position, the lever at the bottom edge of the mirror should
be at the front. Pull the lever to the back to select the anti-dazzle function.
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror*
The automatic anti-dazzle function can be switched on and off
as desired.Switching off anti-dazzle function
– Press button ⇒fig. 88 . Warning lamp goes out.
Switching on anti-dazzle function
– Press button ⇒fig. 88 . Warning lamp is lit.Anti-dazzle function
The anti-dazzle function is activated every time the ignition is switched on.
The green indicator lamp ligh ts up in the mirror housing.
When the anti-dazzle function is acti vated the interior mirror will darken auto-
matically according to the amount of light it receives (for example from the
headlights of a vehicle behind). The anti-dazzle function is cancelled if
reverse gear is engaged.
Fig. 88 Automatic anti-
dazzle interior mirror.
AA
AB
AA
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Seats and stowage127
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Seats and stowageThe importance of correct seat adjustmentProper seat adjustment optimi ses the level of protection
offered by seat belts and airbags.Your vehicle has five passenger places, two individual front seats and three
places on the rear seat. Each seat is equipped with a three-point seat belt.
The driver seat and front passenger seat can be adjusted in many ways to suit
the physical requirements of the vehicle occupants. The correct seat position
is very important for:•
fast and easy operation of all controls on the instrument panel,
•
relaxed posture that does not cause drowsiness,
•
safe driving ⇒ page 7,
•
and to ensure that the seat belts and airbag system provide maximum
protection ⇒page 19.
WARNING
•
If the driver and passengers assume improper sitting positions, they
may sustain critical injuries.
•
Never transport more people than there are seats available in the
vehicle.
•
Every occupant in the vehicle must properly fasten and wear the seat
belt belonging to his or her seat. Children must be protected with an appro-
priate child restraint system ⇒page 46, “Child safety”.
•
The front seats and all head restraints must always be adjusted to body
size and the seat belt must always be properly adjusted to provide you and
your passengers with optimum protection.
•
Always keep your feet in the foot well when the vehicle is moving; never
rest them on the dash panel, out of the window or on the seat. This also
applies to passengers. An incorrect sitting position exposes you to an
increased risk of injury in the event of a braking manoeuvre or an accident.
If the airbag is triggered, you could sustain severe injuries due to an incor-
rect sitting position.
•
It is important for the driver and front passenger to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel. Failure to respect
the minimum distance means that the airbag will not protect you. Risk of
fatal injury. The distance between the driver and the steering wheel or
between the front passenger and the dash panel should always be as great
as possible.
•
Adjust the driver or front passenger seat only when the vehicle is
stationary. This also applies to the forwards/backwards adjustment of the
rear seats. Otherwise your seat coul d move unexpectedly while the vehicle
is moving. This could increase the risk of an accident and therefore injury.
In addition, while adjusting your seat, you will assume an incorrect sitting
position. Risk of fatal accidents.
•
Special guidelines apply to installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat. When installing a child seat, observe the warning note in
the ⇒page 46, “Child safety”.WARNING (continued)
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Driving159
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
DrivingSteeringAdjusting the steering wheel position
The height and reach of the steering wheel can be freely
adjusted to suit the driver.
– Adjust the driver seat to the correct position.
– Push the lever under the steering column ⇒fig. 129 down
⇒ .
– Adjust the steering wheel in this way until the correct position is set ⇒fig. 130 .
– Then push the lever up again firmly ⇒.
WARNING
•
Incorrect use of the steering column adjustment function and an incor-
rect seating position can result in serious injury.
•
To avoid accidents, the steering column should be adjusted only when
the vehicle is stationary. Risk of accident.
Fig. 129 Adjusting the
steering wheel position
Fig. 130 Proper sitting
position for driver
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Driving
160•
Adjust the driver seat or steering wheel so that there is a distance of at
least 25 cm between the steering wheel and your chest ⇒ page 159,
fig. 130. If you fail to observe the minimum distance, the airbag will not
protect you. Risk of fatal injury.
•
If your physical constitution prevents you from maintaining the
minimum distance of 25 cm, contact an Authorised Service Centre. The
Authorised Service Centre will help you decide if special specific modifica-
tions are necessary.
•
If you adjust the steering wheel so tha t it points towards 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.
•
When driving, always hold the steer ing wheel with both hands on the
outside of the ring at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Never hold the
steering wheel at the 12 o'clock positi on, or in any other manner (e.g. in
the centre of the steering wheel, or on the inside of the rim). In such cases,
you could receive severe injuries to the arms, hands and head.
SafetyElectronic stabilisation programme (ESP)*
ESP helps make driving safer in certain situations.The Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP ) contains the electronic differential
lock (EDL) and the traction control syst em (TCS). The ESP function works in
conjunction with the ABS. Both warning lamps will light up if the ESP or ABS
systems are faulty.
The ESP is started automatically when the engine is started.
In specific circumstances where you require less traction, you can switch off
the ESP by pressing button ⇒fig. 131 .
For example:•
when driving with snow chains,
•
when driving in deep snow or on loose surfaces,
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 131 Detail of the
centre console: ESP
button

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Driving161
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
•
when rocking the vehicle backwards and forwards to free it from mud, for
example.
You should press the button to switch the ESP back on when you no longer
need wheel spin.
The TCS and EDL are also switched off if the ESP is switched off. That is to say,
these systems are not available while ESP is not activated.
When does the button light up or flash?
•
It lights up when the ignition is switched on and should go out again after
about 2 seconds.
•
It will start flashing to indicate that ESP is counteracting an unstable
driving condition.
•
It will light up continuously if there is a malfunction in the ESP.
•
It will light up continuously if the ESP is switched off.
WARNING
•
The electronic stabilisation program (ESP) cannot defy the laws of
physics. This should be kept in mind, particularly on slippery and wet
roads and when towing a trailer.
•
Always adapt your driving style to suit the condition of the roads and
the traffic situation. Do not let the extra safety afforded by ESP tempt you
into taking any risks when driving, this can cause accidents.
•
Please refer to the corresponding warning notes on ESP in ⇒page 179,
“Intelligent technology”.
Ignition lockPosition of the ignition keyIgnition switched off, steering lock
In the position ⇒fig. 132 the ignition and the engine are OFF and the
steering may be locked.
For the Steering lock to operate without the ignition key, turn the steering
wheel until it locks with an audible sound. You should always lock the
steering wheel when you leave your vehicle. This will help prevent theft of the
vehicle ⇒ .
Switching on the ignition or glow plug system
Tu rn the ignition key to this position and let go of the key. If the key canno t b e
turned or is difficult to turn from position to position , move the
steering wheel (to take the load off the steering lock mechanism) until the key
turns freely.

Fig. 132 Ignition key
positions
A0
A1
A0
A12
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Driving167
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Driving programmes
The automatic gearbox / direct shift gearbox (DSG) has three
programmes.Selecting the economic programme
– This programme selects a higher gear earlier rather than remain
in a lower gear.
– Put the selector lever into position D to drive forwards
– Put the selector lever into position R to reverse. This position is
shared by all programmes for reversing.
Selecting the sport programme
– Move the lever to position S .If you select the sport programme, S, the programme is designed for a sports
mode, that is, a programme which changes up at higher engine speeds to use the full power of the engine. This pr
ogramme is not recommended for use on
the motorway or in the city.
Selecting manual programme (tiptronic)
This programme allows the vehicle to be driven as if with a manual gearbox.
This programme may be accessed us ing the selector lever or from the
steering wheel controls when this option it is fitted ⇒page 170.
Selector lever locking
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.
Fig. 136 programme
selection
Fig. 137 Deactivating the
lock
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Driving
170Using the Tiptronic gear system
The Tiptronic system allows the driver to manually select
gears
General points about the Tiptronic gear system
Changing gear with the selector lever
– Put the lever in the position D and press towards the right to
enter the Tiptronic gate ⇒fig. 139.
– Press the gear lever forwards (+) to select a higher gear.
– Press the gear lever back (-) to select a lower gear.
Changing gear using the steering wheel levers
– Press the right lever (+) towards the steering wheel to change up ⇒fig. 140.
– Press the left lever (-) towards the steering wheel to change down ⇒fig. 140.The manual programme can be selected wi th the levers on the steering wheel
irrespective of the driving mode which has been preselected.
General points about the Tiptronic gear system
When accelerating, the automatic/DSG gearbox automatically shifts up to the
next gear shortly before the maximu m permitted engine speed is reached.
If a lower gear is selected, the automatic gearbox / direct shift gearbox does
not change down until the point is reached where the engine could no longer
overrev.
If the “tiptronic” is selected whilst the vehicle is in motion and the automatic
gearbox / direct shift gearbox is in the 3rd gear in selector lever position D,
the “tiptronic” will then also be in the 3rd gear.
Fig. 139 Changing gear
with TiptronicFig. 140 Steering wheel
with levers for the auto-
matic gearbox
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Driving171
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Note
•
The steering wheel controls may be used in all selector lever positions
while driving.
HandbrakeUsing the handbrake
The handbrake should be applied firmly to prevent the
vehicle from accidentally rolling away.Always apply the handbrake when you leave your vehicle and when
you park. Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly
⇒fig. 141.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the locking knob in the direc- tion of the arrow ⇒fig. 141 and guide the handbrake lever down
fully ⇒ .
Always apply the handbrake firmly; this prevents you driving with the hand-
brake applied ⇒.
The handbrake warning lamp
 lights up when the handbrake is applied
and the ignition switched on. The wa rning lamp goes out when the hand-
brake is released.
If you drive faster than 6 km/h with the handbrake on, the following
message* will appear in the instrument display: HANDBRAKE ON . Also, an
audible warning is given.
WARNING
•
Never use the handbrake to slow down the vehicle when it is in motion.
The braking distance is considerably longer, as braking is only applied to
the rear wheels. Ri sk of accident!
•
If it is only partially released this will cause overheating of the rear
brakes, which can impair the function of the brake system and could lead
to an accident. This also causes premature wear on the rear brake
pads/linings.Caution
Always apply the handbrake before you leave the vehicle. The first gear
should also be selected.
Fig. 141 Handbrake
between the front seats
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Driving
172Parking
The handbrake should always be firmly applied when the
vehicle is parked.Always note the following points when parking the vehicle:
– Use the foot brake to stop the vehicle.
–Apply the handbrake.
– The first gear should also be selected.
– Switch off the engine and remove the key from the ignition lock.
Turn the steering wheel slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Always take you car keys with you when you leave the vehicle ⇒ .Additional notes on parking the vehicle on gradients:
Turn the steering wheel so that the vehicle would roll against the kerb if it did
start to roll.•
If the vehicle is facing downhill, turn the front wheels so that they point
towards the kerb.
•
If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn the front wheels so that they point away
from the kerb .
•
Secure the vehicle as normal by applying the handbrake firmly and
selecting first gear.
WARNING
•
Take measures to reduce the risk of injury when you leave your vehicle
unattended.
•
Never park where the hot exhaust system could ignite inflammable
materials, such as dry grass, low bushes, spilt fuel etc.
•
Never allow vehicle occupants to remain in the vehicle when it is
locked. They would be unable to open the vehicle from the inside, and
could become trapped in the vehicle in an emergency. In the event of an
emergency, locked doors will delay assistance to occupants.
•
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. They could set the
vehicle in motion, for example, by releasing the handbrake or the gear
lever / selector lever.
•
Depending on weather conditions, it may become extremely hot or cold
inside the vehicle. This can be fatal.
Acoustic parking aid system*Rear parking aid
The parking aid system will use an acoustic signal to warn of
the approach of any object towards the rear of the vehicle.Description
The acoustic parking aid system will measure the distance between the rear
of the vehicle and any possible obstacle using four ultrasonic sensors located
on the rear bumper. The measuring range of the sensors starts at approxi-
mately and depending on the nature of the obstacle at a distance of:•
side of the rear bumper: 0.8 m
•
centre of the rear bumper: 1.3 mWARNING (continued)
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