coolant reservoir Seat Altea XL 2012 Owner's Manual

238Checking and refilling levels
CAUTION
● Other additives may give considerably inferior corrosion protection. The
resulting corrosion in the cooling system can lead to a loss of coolant, caus-
ing serious damage to the engine.
● The coolant additive G12+ (purple) can be mixed with the additive G12
(red) or G11. Never mix G12 (red colour) with G11. 
Checking the coolant level and topping up 
The correct coolant level is important for fault-free function-
ing of the engine cooling system.
Fig. 169 In the engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank cap
Before opening the bonnet, read and observe the warnings ⇒ 
in
Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment on
page 230. Opening the coolant expansion tank
–
Switch off the engine and allow it to cool.
– To prevent scalding, cover the cap on the expansion tank with a
thick cloth and carefully unscrew the cap ⇒ 
.
Checking coolant level
– Look into the open coolant expansion tank and read off the
coolant level.
– If the level is below the “MIN” mark, top up with coolant.
Topping up coolant
– Only use new coolant liquid.
– Do not fill above the “MAX” mark.
Closing the coolant expansion tank
– Screw the cap on again tightly.
The position of the coolant expansion reservoir is shown in the correspond-
ing engine compartment illustration ⇒ page 289.
Make sure that the coolant meets the required specifications ⇒ page 237.
Do not use a different type of additive if additive G12+ is not available. In
this case use only water and bring the coolant concentration back up to the
correct level as soon as possible by putting in the specified additive
⇒  page 237.
Always top up with new coolant.
Do not fill above the “MAX” mark. Otherwise the excess coolant will be
forced out of the cooling system when the engine is hot.
The coolant additive G12+ (dyed purple) may be mixed with G12 (dyed red)
and also with G 11. 

239
Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
Any work carried out in the engine compartment or on the engine must
be carried out cautiously.
● When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 230.
● When the engine is warm or hot, the cooling system is pressurised!
Do not unscrew the cap on the expansion tank when the engine is hot.
This is a burn injury risk.
CAUTION
● When mixed with other additives the colour of G12 will change to brown.
If this occurs you should have the coolant changed immediately. Failure to
do so will result in engine damage!
● If a lot of coolant fluid has been lost, wait for the engine to cool down
before putting in cold coolant. This avoids damaging the engine. Large cool-
ant losses are an indication of leaks in the cooling system. See a special-
ised workshop immediately and have the cooling system checked. Other-
wise, there is a risk of engine damage. Washer fluid and windscreen wiper blades
Topping up washer fluid 
The water for cleaning the windscreen should always be
mixed with washer fluid.
Fig. 170 In the engine
compartment: Cap of
windscreen washer fluid
reservoir.
The windscreen washer and the headlight washers are supplied with fluid
from the windscreen washer fluid container in the engine compartment.
The reservoir is located on the right-hand side of the engine compartment.
Plain water is not enough to clean the windscreen and headlights. We rec-
ommend that you always add a product to the windscreen washer fluid. Ap-
proved windscreen cleaning products exist on the market with high deter-
gent and anti-freeze properties, these may be added all-year-round. Please
follow the dilution instructions on the packaging. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

289
Technical specifications
Technical specifications
Checking fluid levels
From time to time, the levels of the different fluids in the ve-
hicle must be checked. Never fill with incorrect fluids, other-
wise serious damage to the engine may be caused.
Fig. 210 Diagram for the
location of the various el-
ements
Coolant expansion tank
Windscreen washer fluid reservoir
Engine oil filler cap
Engine oil dipstick
Brake fluid reservoir
Vehicle battery (underneath the cover)
The checking and refilling of service fluids are carried out on the compo-
nents mentioned above. These operations are described in the ⇒ page 230.
1
23456
Overview
You will find further explanations, instructions and restrictions on the tech-
nical specifications as of
⇒ page 285. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications