seat adjustment Seat Altea 2013 User Guide

42Airbag system
● the vehicle turns over
● there is a minor side collision
WARNING
If a fault has occurred in the airbag system, have the system checked im-
mediately by a specialised workshop. Otherwise there is a danger that
during a collision, the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.

Operation of curtain airbags
Fully inflated airbags reduce the risk of head or chest injury
in a side collision.
Fig. 25 Deployed curtain
airbags
During some side collisions the curtain airbag is triggered on the impact
side of the vehicle ⇒ Fig. 25.
In certain types of accident the front, side and curtain airbags may be trig-
gered together. When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled with propellant gas. In the
process, the curtain airbag covers the side windows and door pillars.
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within thousandths of a second, to
provide additional protection in the event of an accident. A fine dust may
develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and it is not an indication
of fire in the vehicle.
The fully deployed airbags cushion the movement of the front occupants
and help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper body.
The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag.

Safety notes on the operation of the curtain airbag system
If you use airbags correctly, they can considerably reduce
the risk of injury in many kinds of accident.
WARNING
● In order for the side airbags to provide their maximum protection, the
prescribed sitting position must always be maintained with seat belts
fastened while travelling.
● For safety reasons, the curtain airbag must be disabled in those vehi-
cles fitted with a screen dividing the interior of the vehicle. See a Techni-
cal Service to make this adjustment.
● There must be no other persons, animals or objects between the oc-
cupants of the outer seats and the deployment space of the curtain air-
bags so that the curtain airbag can deploy without restriction and pro-
vide the greatest possible protection. Therefore, sun blinds which have 

47
Child safety
WARNING
● Never install a child seat facing backwards on the front passenger
seat unless the front passenger front airbag has been disabled. Risk of
potentially fatal injuries to the child! However, if it is necessary, in excep-
tional cases, to transport a child in the front passenger seat, the front
passenger front airbag must always be disabled ⇒ page 44, Deactivating
airbags*. If the passenger seat has a height adjustment option, move it
to the highest position.
● For those vehicles that do not include a key lock switch to deactivate
the airbag, the vehicle must be taken to a Technical Service.
● All vehicle occupants, especially children, must assume the proper
sitting position and be properly belted in while travelling.
● Never hold children or babies on your lap, this can result in potential-
ly fatal injuries to the child!
● Never allow a child to be transported in a vehicle without being prop-
erly secured, or to stand up or kneel on a seat while travelling. In an acci-
dent, the child could be flung through the vehicle, causing possibly fatal
injuries to themselves and to the other vehicle occupants.
● If children assume an improper sitting position when the vehicle is
moving, they expose themselves to greater risk of injury in the event of a
sudden braking manoeuvre or in an accident. This is particularly impor-
tant if the child is travelling on the front passenger seat and the airbag
system is triggered in an accident; as this could cause serious injury or
even death.
● A suitable child seat can protect your child!
● Never leave an unsupervised child alone on a child seat or in the vehi-
cle.
● Depending on weather conditions, it may become extremely hot or
cold inside the vehicle. This can be fatal.WARNING (Continued)
● Children who are less than 1.5 metres tall must not wear a normal
seat belt without a child seat, as this could cause injuries to the abdomi-
nal and neck areas during a sudden braking manoeuvre or in an accident.
● Do not allow the seat belt to become twisted or jammed, or to rub on
any sharp edges.
● Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause injuries even in a minor colli-
sion or in sudden braking manoeuvres.
● The seat belt provides maximum protection only when the seat belt is
properly positioned ⇒ page 25, Seat belts.
● Only one child may occupy a child seat ⇒ page 48, Child seats.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

55
Cockpit
Operating Instructions Cockpit
Overview Overview of the dash panel
This overview will help you to familiarise yourself with the
controls and displays. Door release lever
Light switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Light intensity regulator for the instruments and controls . . . .120
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Air vents
Turn signal and main beam lever and cruise control system* 123, 190
Controls on the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Instrument panel:
– Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
– Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
– Control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Horn (works only when the ignition is on)/ Driver front airbag . .30
Windscreen wiper and washer lever and operation of the
multifunction display* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128, 63
Left seat heating button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
1
2345678
910
11
Controls for
–
Heating* and ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
– Climatic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
– Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Radio/Navigator*
Right seat heating button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Control lamp for deactivated front passenger airbag . . . . . . . .44
Front passenger front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Glove compartment lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Cup holder compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Controls on the centre console:
– Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
– ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
– Tyre pressure control* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
– Park Pilot* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
– Cigarette lighter/Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
– Exterior mirror adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
– Start-Stop* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Hazard warning light switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Pedals
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Steering column control lever* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
12
1314151617181920
2122232425
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

135
Seats and storage
Seats and storage The importance of correct seat adjustment
Proper seat adjustment optimises the level of protection of-
fered by seat belts and airbags.
Your vehicle has five seats, two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat
is equipped with a three-point seat belt.
The driver seat and the 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:
● a fast and easy operation of all controls on the instrument panel,
● a relaxed posture which does not cause drowsiness,
● a safe driving ⇒ page 7,
● ensuring that the seat belts and airbag system provide maximum pro-
tection ⇒  page 19.
WARNING
● If the driver and passengers assume improper sitting positions, they
may sustain critical injuries.
● Never transport more than the permitted amount of people in your ve-
hicle.
● Every vehicle occupant 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.
WARNING (Continued)
● Always keep your feet on the footwell when the vehicle is moving;
never rest them on the dash panel, out of the window or on the seat. This
is also applied to passengers. An incorrect sitting position exposes you
to an increased risk of injury in case of a sudden braking or an accident.
If the airbag is triggered, you could sustain severe injuries due to an in-
correct sitting position.
● It is important for the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel and 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 sta-
tionary. This also applies to the forwards/backwards adjustment of the
rear seats. Otherwise, your seat could move unexpectedly while the vehi-
cle is moving. This could increase the risk of an accident and therefore,
injury. In addition, while adjusting your seat, you will assume an incor-
rect sitting position. Risk of fatal accidents.
● Special guidelines apply to installing a child seat on the front passen-
ger seat. When installing a child seat, please observe the warnings de-
scribed in ⇒ page 46, Child safety.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

136Seats and storage
Head restraints
Correct adjustment of head restraints
Properly adjusted head restraints are an important part of
passenger protection and can reduce the risk of injuries in
most accident situations.
Fig. 90 Front view: head
restraints and seat belts
correctly adjusted
Fig. 91 Side view: head
restraints and seat belts
correctly adjusted
– Adjust the head restraint so that the top 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, at least at eye level ⇒ Fig. 90 and
⇒ Fig. 91.
Adjusting the head restraints ⇒ page 137
WARNING
● Travelling with the head restraints removed or improperly adjusted
increases the risk of severe injuries.
● Improperly adjusted head restraints could lead to death in the event
of a collision or accident.
● Incorrectly adjusted head restraints also increase the risk of injury
during sudden or unexpected driving or braking manoeuvres.
● The head restraints must always be adjusted according to the height
of the passenger.


137
Seats and storage
Removing or adjusting head restraints
The head restraints can be adjusted by moving them up and
down.
Fig. 92 Adjusting and re-
moving the head re-
straints
Adjusting height (front seats)
– Press the button on the side and pull upwards to the desired
position.
– To lower the head restraint, press the button and push head re-
straint downwards.
– Make sure that it engages securely into position.
Adjusting height (rear seats)
– Press the button on the side and pull upwards to the desired
position.
– To lower the head restraint, press the button and push head re-
straint downwards. –
Make sure that the head restraint engages securely in one of its
positions. ⇒ page 14
Angle adjustment (front seats)
– Press the head restraint forward or back to the required posi-
tion.
Removing the head restraint
– Push the head restraint up as far as it will go.
– Press the button ⇒ Fig. 92 (arrow).
– Pull head restraint out of fitting without releasing the button.
Fitting the head restraint
– Insert the head restraint into the guides on the backrest.
– Push head restraint down.
– Adjust the head restraint to suit body size ⇒ page 14 and
⇒ page 13.
WARNING
● Never drive if the head restraints have been removed. Risk of injury.
● Never drive if the head restraints are in an unsuitable position, there
is a risk of serious injury.
● After refitting the head restraint, you must always adjust it properly
for height to achieve optimal protection.
● Please observe the safety warnings in ⇒ page 136, Correct adjust-
ment of head restraints.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

138Seats and storage
Front seats
Adjustment of the front seats
Fig. 93 Front left seat
controls
The control elements in ⇒ Fig. 93 are mirrored for the front right-
hand seat.
1
Adjusting the seat forwards and backwards
– Pull up the grip and move the seat forwards or backwards.
– Then release the grip 1
and move the seat further until the
catch engages.
2
Adjusting the seat height*
– Pull the lever up or push down (several times if necessary) from
its home position. This adjusts the seat height in stages. 3
Adjusting the backrest angle
– Take your weight off the backrest and turn the hand wheel.
4
Adjusting the lumbar support*
– Take your weight off the backrest and turn the hand wheel to
adjust the lumbar support.
As you make the adjustments, the curvature of the cushioned area of the
lumbar region becomes more or less acute. In this way, it adapts to the nat-
ural curvature of the spine.
WARNING
● Never adjust the driver or front passenger seat while the vehicle is in
motion. While adjusting your seat, you will assume an incorrect sitting
position. Risk of fatal accidents. Adjust the driver or front passenger seat
only when the vehicle is stationary.
● To reduce the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger in case of
a sudden braking or an accident, never drive with the backrest tilted to-
wards the rear. The maximum protection of the seat belt can be achieved
only when the backrests are in an upright position and the driver and
front passenger have properly adjusted their seat belts. The further the
backrests are tilted to the rear, the greater the risk of injury due to im-
proper positioning of the belt web!
● Exercise caution when securing the seat height into forwards/back-
wards position. Injuries can be caused if the seat height is adjusted with-
out due care and attention.


140Seats and storage
Rear seats
Seat adjustment
Fig. 96 For unlocking
the rear seat
Fig. 97 Rear seat back-
rest angle adjustment The seats may be moved forwards or backwards independently.
The movement can be 1/3 or 2/3 of the seat. There are various
possible positions.
Adjusting reach
–
In the seated position, unlock the lever in the direction of the
arrow ⇒ Fig. 96.
– Move the seat cushion forwards or backwards to the desired po-
sition.
Adjusting the backrest angle
– Hold the backrest at the top. Pull the loop on the side of the
seat ⇒ Fig. 97 1
in the direction of the arrow and hold the loop
in this position. Push the backrest to the required position and
release the loop.
WARNING
● Adjust the seat only when the vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, your
seat could move unexpectedly while the vehicle is moving. This could in-
crease the risk of an accident and therefore, injury.
● Do not push the backrests down when the seat is moved, this is to
avoid damage to the centre console.
● Ensure that the seat, once moved, is fixed in position.
Note
● In order to maintain the maximum luggage compartment space, put the
backrests in position normal, without moving.
● In order to maintain the maximum space without putting the backrests
down, move the seats forward to the desired position. 

169
Driving
Driving SteeringAdjusting the steering wheel position
The height and reach of the steering wheel can be freely ad-
justed to suit the driver.
Fig. 132 Adjusting the
steering wheel position
Fig. 133 Proper sitting
position for driver
– Adjust the driver seat to the correct position.
– Push the lever under the steering column ⇒ Fig. 132 down ⇒ 
.
– Adjust the steering wheel until the correct position is set
⇒ Fig. 133.
– Then push the lever up again firmly ⇒ 
.
WARNING
● Incorrect use of the steering column adjustment function and an in-
correct seating position can result in serious injury.
● To avoid accidents, the steering column should be adjusted only
when the vehicle is stationary. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Correct adjustment of front seat head re-straints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Correct adjustment of rear seat head restraints In-use and non-use positions . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Correct sitting position front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Incorrect sitting position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Cruise control Complete system deactivation . . . . . . . . . 192
Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Cruise speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
D Danger of fitting a child seat on the front pas- senger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Dash panel cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Daytime driving lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Activating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Deactivating front passenger airbag Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Deactivating the airbag Front passenger front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Diesel engine
Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Diesel engine particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Differential lock fault (EDL) control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Dipped beam headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Display (without warning or information texts) 61
Disposal Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Door lock cylinders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Door release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Doors Childproof locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Driver see Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12
Driveshaft differential XDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Drive wheel traction control system (ASR) . . . 195
Driving Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Economical/Environmentally friendly . . . . 204
With a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Driving programmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Driving with automatic gearbox/DSG automatic
gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Duplicate keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Dust filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Dynamic headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . 120
E
Economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
EDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Electrical sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Electric power steering Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Electronic differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90, 172
Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 89, 196 description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Emergency braking warning . . . . . . . . . . 122, 194
Emergency manual locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Emergency opening Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Emission control system control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Engine Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Engine compartment Working in the engine compartment . . . . 233
305
Index