height Seat Altea XL 2011 User Guide

Seats and storage compartments
138Head restraintsCorrect 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.
– 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. 92 and ⇒fig. 93 .Adjusting the head restraints ⇒page 139.
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
passenger’s height.
Fig. 92 Front view: head
restraints and seat belts
correctly adjusted
Fig. 93 Side view: head
restraints and seat belts
correctly adjusted
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 138 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Seats and storage compartments139
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
Removing or adjusting head restraints
The head restraints can be adjusted by moving them up and
down.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
restraint 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
restraint 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 position.
Removing the head restraint
– Push the head restraint up as far as it will go.
– Press the button ⇒fig. 94 (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 138, “Correct adjust-
ment of head restraints”.
Fig. 94 Adjusting and
removing the head
restraints
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 139 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Seats and storage compartments
140 Front seatsAdjustment of the front seats The control elements in ⇒fig. 95 are mirrored for the front right-
hand seat.
Adjusting the seat forwards and backwards
– Pull up the grip and move the seat forwards or backwards.
– Then release the grip and move the seat further until the catch engages.
Adjusting the seat height*
– Pull the lever up or push down (several times if necessary) from its home position. This adjust s the seat height in stages. Adjusting the backrest angle
– Take your weight off the backrest and turn the hand wheel.
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
natural 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
towards 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 back-
rests are tilted to the rear, the greater the risk of injury due to improper
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
without due care and attention.
Fig. 95 Front left seat
controls
A1
A1
A2
A3A4
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 140 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Driving
172DrivingSteeringAdjusting 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. 136 down
⇒ .
– Adjust the steering wheel until the correct position is set ⇒fig. 137 .
– 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.
Fig. 136 Adjusting the
steering wheel position
Fig. 137 Proper sitting
position for driver
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 172 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Trailer towing211
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
Trailer towingInstructions to followYour vehicle may be used to tow a trailer when fitted with the correct equip-
ment.
If the vehicle is supplied with a factory-fitted towing bracket it will already
have the necessary technical modifications and meet the statutory require-
ments for towing a trailer. For the after-market fitting of a trailer towing
bracket see ⇒page 213.
Connectors
Your vehicle is fitted with a 12-pin connector for the electrical connection
between the trailer and the vehicle.
If the trailer has a 7-pin plug you will need to use an adapter cable. This is
available in any SEAT dealer.
Trailer weight / drawbar load
Never exceed the authorised trailer weight. If you do not load the trailer up to
the maximum permitted trailer weight, you can then climb correspondingly
steeper slopes.
The maximum trailer weights listed are only applicable for altitudes up to
1000 m above sea level. With increasing altitude the engine power and there-
fore the vehicle's climbing ability are impaired because of the reduced air
density. The maximum trailer weight has to be reduced accordingly. The
weight of the vehicle and trailer combination must be reduced by 10% for
every 1000 m of height. The gross combination weight is the actual weight of
the laden vehicle plus the actual weight of the laden trailer. When possible,
operate the trailer with the maximum permitted drawbar load on th e ba ll jo int
of the towing bracket, but do not exceed the specified limit. The figures for
trailer weights and drawbar loads that are given on the data
plate of the towing bracket are for certification purposes only. The correct
figures for your specific model, which may be lower than these figures for the
towing bracket, are given in the vehicle documents or in ⇒Section “Tech-
nical Data”.
Distributing the load
Distribute loads in the trailer so that heavy objects are as near to the axle as
possible. Loads carried in the trailer must be secured to prevent them
moving.
Tyre pressure
Set tyre pressure to the maximum permissible pressure shown on the sticker
on the inside of the fuel tank flap. Set the tyre pressure of the trailer tyres in
accordance with the trailer manufacturer's recommendations.
Exterior mirrors
Check whether you can see enough of the road behind the trailer with the
standard mirrors. If this is not the case, you should have additional mirrors
fitted. Both exterior mirrors should be mounted on hinged extension
brackets. Adjust the mirrors to give sufficient vision to the rear.
WARNING
Never transport people in a trailer. This could result in fatal accidents.
Note
•Towing a trailer places additional demands on the vehicle. We recom-
mend additional services between the normal inspection intervals if the
vehicle is used frequently for towing a trailer.
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 211 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Checking and refilling levels235
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
Opening the bonnet
The bonnet is released from inside the vehicle.
Before opening the bonnet ensure that the windscreen wipers are in
rest position.
– To release the bonnet, pull the lever under the dash panel
⇒fig. 164 in the direction indicated (arrow). The bonnet will be
released by a spring action ⇒.
– Lift the bonnet using the release lever (arrow) and open the bonnet.
– Release the bonnet stay and secure it in fixture designed for this
in the bonnet.
WARNING
Hot coolant can scald!•Never open the bonnet if you see steam, smoke or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment.•Wait until no more steam, smoke or coolant is emitted from the bonnet,
then carefully open the bonnet.•When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒page 233.
Closing the bonnet– Raise the bonnet slightly.
– Release the bonnet stay and replace it in its support.
– At a height of about 30 cm let it fall so it is locked.
Fig. 164 Detail of foot-
well area on driver side:
lever for unlocking the
bonnet.Fig. 165 Arrester hook
for bonnet.
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 235 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Wheels and tyres255
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
New tyres and wheels
New tyres and wheels have to be run in.The tyres and wheel rims are an essential part of the vehicle’s design. The
tyres and rims approved by SEAT are specially matched to the characteristics
of the vehicle and make a major contribution to good road holding and safe
handling ⇒.
Tyres should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (i.e. both front
tyres or both rear tyres together). A knowledge of tyre designations makes it
easier to choose the correct tyres. Radial tyres have the tyre designations
marked on the sidewall, for example: 195/65 R15 91T
This contains the following information:
195 Tyre width in mm
65 Height/width ratio in %
RTyre construction: Radial
15 Rim diameter in inches
91 Load rating code
TSpeed rating
The tyres could also have the following information:•A direction of rotation symbol•“Reinforced” denotes heavy-duty tyres.
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tyre sidewall (possibly only
on the inner side of the wheel).
“DOT ... 1103...” means, for example, that the tyre was produced in the 11th
week of 2003.
We recommend that work on tyres and wheels be carried out by an Authorised
Service Centre. They are familiar with the procedure and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as the proper facilities for disposing of
the old tyres.
Any Authorised Service Centre has full information on the technical require-
ments when installing or changing tyres, wheels or wheel trims.
On vehicles with
all-wheel drive, all four tyres must always be fitted with tyres
of the same type, make and tread pattern, as otherwise the driveline can be
damaged by continuous differences in the wheel speeds. For the same
reason, only use a spare wheel with the same tyre dimensions as the normal
road wheels. You may also use the factory-supplied compact temporary spare
wheel.
WARNING
•We recommend that you use only wheels and tyres which have been
approved by SEAT for your model. Failure to do so could impair vehicle
handling. Risk of accident.•Avoid running 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.•Never use old tyres or those with an unknown history of use.•If wheel trims are retrofitted, you must ensure that the flow of air to the
brakes is not restricted. This could cause them to overheat.•All four wheels must be fitted with radial tyres of the same type, size
(rolling circumference) and the same tread pattern.For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of according to the laws in the country concerned.
Note
•For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to use the wheels from
other vehicles. This can also apply to wheels of the same model. The use of
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 255 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Technical Specifications
306Dimensions and capacities
Dimensions
Length, width 4467 mm/ 1768 mm
Height at kerb weight 1575 mm
Front and rear projection 913 mm/ 976 mm
Wheelbase 2578 mm
Turning circle 10.7 m
Track width
a)
a)This data will change depending on the type of wheel rim.
Front Rear
1527 mm 1506 mm
1541 mm 1520 mm
Capacities
Fuel tank 55 l. Reserve 7 l.
Windscreen washer fluid container with headlight washer 3 l/ 5.5 l
Ty re p re ss u re
Summer-grade tyres:
The correct tyre pressure can be seen on the sticker on the inside of the tank flap.
Winter tyres:
The pressure of these tyres is the same as the summer tyre pressure plus 0.2 bar.
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 306 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Index307
Index
AABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Acoustic signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Acoustic warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Adjusting the seat belt height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
AFS (cornering lights) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Air conditioner General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Air conditioner automatic mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Air conditioner* 2C-Climatronic* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Air conditioning* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Air recirculation mode 2C-Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Manual air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Alarm system Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 All-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Alternator
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Anti-freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Anti-theft alarm Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Anti-theft wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Aquaplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Ashtray* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Aspects to note before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror* Activating the anti-dazzle function . . . . . . 134
Deactivating anti-dazzle function . . . . . . . . 134
Automatic car wash tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Automatic gearbox Kick-down feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Automatic gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox . 183
Automatic lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Automatic windscreen wiper/washer . . . . . . . . 130
Auxiliary audio connection: AUX-IN . . . . . . . . . 155
BBall coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Battery
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Winter conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Biodiesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Brake pedal warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197, 205
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Worn brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Braking distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Bulb changes General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Bulb defect warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Buzzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125, 174
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 307 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12

Index313
Roof storage compartment* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Rubber seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Run-flat tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Running in
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205SSafe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Safety equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety instructionsCoolant temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Safety notes Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Deactivating front passenger airbag . . . . . . 45
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Using child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Using seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Safety system - Safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137, 140, 142
Seat belt cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Seat belt position Pregnant women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Seat belt protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seat belt release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Seat belt tensioner
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Seat belt warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Incorrectly fastened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Not worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Selective opening* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Selector lever locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Servotronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Sitting position Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sitting position, occupants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Soot accumulation in the diesel engine particulate filter
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Spare wheel* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Starting Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Starting petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175, 176
After the fuel tank has been run dry . . . . . . 176
Start-Stop Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Switching on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Steam jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Steering lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Steering wheel audio controls Audio + telephone version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Audio version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Steering wheel height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . 172
Storage area Centre armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Other storage areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Storage compartment Front passenger side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Storage in the luggage compartment . . . . . . . 147
Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Sun visor Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Switch Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Light switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Switches Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
AlteaXL_EN.book Seite 313 Donnerstag, 9. September 2010 12:13 12