Get Practical tips -> Wheels and tyres Guide for Seat Leon 4 Door Third Generation (2012-2020)

Practical tips

New tyres

can otherwise escape and possibly cause

damage.

Wheels

New tyres do not give maximum grip straight

away and should therefore be “run in” by

driving carefully and at moderate speeds for

about the first 500 km (300 miles). This will

also increase the useful life of the tyres.

●

The battery holder and clamps must al-

Wheels and tyres

ways be correctly secured.

●

Before starting any work on the battery,

General notes

always observe the warnings listed under

page 330, Important safety warnings for

›››

The tread depth of new tyres may vary, ac-

cording to the type and make of tyre and the

tread pattern.

–

When driving with new tyres, be especially

careful during the first 500 km (300 miles).

handling a vehicle battery.

●

Do not forget to replace the battery cov-

–

erings, where applicable. It is a protection

for high temperatures. This in turn extends

the vehicle service life.

If you have to drive over a kerb or similar

obstacle, drive very slowly and as near as

possible at a right angle to the obstacle.

Low profile tyres

Low profile tyres, compared to other rim and

tyre combinations, offer a broader tread and

a greater rim diameter along with a lower

height of the tyre sidewall. This results in a

more agile driving behaviour. However, on

roads that are in poor condition, this might af-

fect comfort and cause more noise.

–

Check from time to time if the tyres are

For the sake of the environment

damaged (punctures, cuts, cracks or

dents). Remove any foreign objects em-

bedded in the treads.

 Batteries contain toxic substances in-

cluding sulphuric acid and lead. They must

be disposed of appropriately and must not

be disposed of with ordinary household

waste. Make sure disconnected batteries

cannot tip over. Sulphuric acid could be

spilt!

–

Damaged wheels and tyres must be re-

placed immediately.

Low profile tyres may deteriorate more quick-

ly than standard tyres, for instance due to

strong knocks, potholes, manhole covers and

kerbs. Therefore, maintaining the correct tyre

pressure is particularly important

–

Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.

–

Replace any missing valve caps as soon as

possible.

–

Mark the wheels before taking them off so

that they rotate in the same direction when

put back.

page 333.

›››

To avoid damage to tyres and wheels, drive

with special care when driving on roads in

poor condition.

–

When removed, the wheels or tyres should

be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark

place.

Visually inspect your tyres every 3,000 km re-

garding damage, e.g. flattening/cracks on

the tyre sidewall or deformations/cracks on

the rims.

332

Wheels

–

If the rims and tyres have received a heavy

impact or have been damaged, have them

checked and, if required, replaced at a speci-

alised workshop.

In vehicles with a tyre pressure indicator,

save the modified tyre pressure

Service life of tyres

page 336.

›››

–

Avoid fast cornering and hard acceleration.

Low profile tyres may deteriorate more quick-

ly than standard tyres.

Inspect the tyres for irregular wear from

time to time.

Concealed damage

The useful life of your tyres depends on the

following factors:

Damage to tyres and rims is often not readily

visible. If you notice unusual vibration or the

car pulling to one side, this may indicate

that one of the tyres is damaged. Reduce

speed immediately if there is any reason to

suspect that damage may have occurred. In-

spect the tyres for damage. If no external

damage is visible, drive slowly and carefully

to the nearest specialised workshop and

have the car inspected.

Tyre pressure

The maximum tyre pressure values are shown

on a sticker stuck to the back of the left front

door frame Fig. 312.

›››

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.

Fig. 312 Location of the tyre pressure sticker.

Tyres with directional tread pattern

Correct inflation pressures and sensible driv-

ing habits will increase the useful life of your

tyres.

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.

An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the di-

rection of rotation on single drive tyres. Al-

ways note the direction of rotation indicated

when mounting the wheel. This guarantees

optimum grip and helps to avoid aquaplan-

ing, excessive noise and wear.

– Check tyre pressure at least once a month,

and also prior to any long trip.

The tyre pressure must be adjusted accord-

ing to the load the vehicle is carrying. If the

vehicle is going to carry the maximum load,

the tyre pressure should be increased to

maximum value indicated on the sticker on

the inside of the fuel tank flap.

–

The tyre pressure should only be checked

when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the

Retrofitting accessories

pressure of warm tyres.

If you wish to change or fit wheels, rims or

wheel trims, we recommend that you consult

with a SEAT Official Service centre for advice

regarding current techniques.

–

Adjust tyre pressure to the load being car-

ried by the vehicle.

333

Practical tips

WARNING

Always adapt the tyre pressure accord-

ingly when the vehicle load changes.

Do not forget the spare wheel when checking

the tyre pressures: Keep this spare wheel in-

flated to the highest pressure required for the

road wheels.

The original tyres on your vehicle have

1.6 mm high “tread wear indicators” running

across the tread. Depending on the manu-

facturer, 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.

●

A tyre with low air pressure has to flex a

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.

lot more when the vehicle is heavily loaded

or at high speeds, therefore causing over-

heating to occur. Under these conditions,

the tyre bead may be released or the tyre

may burst. Risk of accident!

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.)

Driving style

Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard

braking (squealing tyres) all increase tyre

wear.

For the sake of the environment

Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel con-

sumption.

WARNING

The tyres must be replaced at the latest

when the tread is worn down to the tread

wear indicators. Failure to follow this in-

struction could result in an accident.

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.

Wear indicators

●

Particularly in difficult driving conditions

such as 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.

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.

●

The scant driving safety due to insuffi-

cient tread depth is particularly evident in

vehicle handling, when there is a risk of

“aquaplaning” in deep puddles of water

and when driving through corners, and

braking is also adversely affected.

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 Of-

ficial Service.

Fig. 313 Tyre profile: tread wear indicators.

●

The speed has to be adapted according-

Tread wear indicators indicate if a tyre is

worn.

ly, otherwise there is a risk of losing control

over the vehicle.

334

Wheels

–

Do not use tyres whose effective size ex-

ceeds the dimensions of the factory-ap-

proved makes of tyre.

Interchanging tyres

Tyre construction: Radial

Rim diameter in inches

Load rating code

If you wish to fit the vehicle with rims or

tyres different to those installed in manu-

facture, it is advisable to consult a SEAT Of-

ficial Service before purchasing them.

Speed index

The manufacturing date is also indicated on

the tyre sidewall (possibly only on the outer

part):

The tyres and wheel rims are an essential

part of the vehicle's design. The tyres and

rims approved by SEAT are specially match-

ed to the characteristics of the vehicle and

make a major contribution to good roadhold-

DOT ... 2216 ...

it means, for example, that the tyre was man-

ufactured in the 22nd week of 2016.

Fig. 314 Interchanging tyres.

ing and safe handling

›››

But note that with some types of tyre, the

actual tyre size can differ from the nomi-

nal size marked on the tyre (for instance

205/55 R 16 91 W), and there may be sig-

nificant differences in the contours of the

tyres, even though the tyres are marked

with the same nominal size designation.

When replacing the tyres, it is therefore

important to make sure that the actual size

of the new tyres does not exceed the di-

mensions of the factory-approved makes

of tyre.

To ensure that the wear is equal on all tyres

the wheels should be changed round from

time to time according to the system

The sizes of the rims and tyres approved for

your vehicle are listed in the vehicle docu-

mentation (e.g. EC Certificate of Conformity

or COC document¹⁾). The vehicle documen-

tation varies depending on the country of res-

idence.

Fig. 314. The useful life of all the tyres will

›››

then be about the same time.

A knowledge of tyre designations makes it

easier to choose the correct tyres. The fol-

lowing wording can be read on the sides of

the tyre:

New tyres or new wheels

–

All four wheels must be fitted with tyres of

the same type, size (rolling circumference)

and preferably the same tread pattern.

205/55 R16 91V

Failure to observe this requirement can af-

fect the clearance needed for the tyres. If

the tyres rub against the bodywork, in cer-

tain circumstances the tyres, running gear

or bodywork and pipes may be damaged,

–

Tyres should be replaced at least in pairs

and not individually (i.e. both front tyres or

both rear tyres together).

This contains the following information:

205 Tyre width in mm

Height/width ratio in %

COC = certificate of conformity.

335

Practical tips -> Wheels and tyres for Your Seat Leon 4 Door Third Generation (2012-2020)

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