2006 Seat Alhambra steering

Checking and refilling levels227
Safety FirstOperating instructionsTips and MaintenanceTe c h n i c a l D a t a Wear indicators
The original tyres on your vehicle have 1.6 mm high “tread wear indicators”
Ÿpage 226, fig. 150 running across the tread. Depending on the make,
there will be six to eight of them evenly spaced around the tyre. Markings on
the tyre sidewall (for instance the letters “TWI” or other symbols) indicate the
positions of the tread wear indicators. The minimum tread depth required by
law is 1.6 mm (measured in the tread grooves next to the tread wear indica-
tors). Worn tyres must be replaced. Different figures may apply in export
countries Ÿ.
Tyre pressure
Incorrect tyre pressure causes premature wear and could cause tyre blow-out.
For this reason, the tyre pressure should be checked at least once per month
Ÿpage 226.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard braking all increase tyre wear.
Changing wheels around
If the front tyres are worn considerably more than the rear ones it is advisable
to change them around as shown Ÿpage 226, fig. 151. All the tyres will then
last for about the same time.
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various factors encoun-
tered in normal driving can cause them to become unbalanced, which results
in steering vibration.
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.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive tyre wear, impairing the safety of
the vehicle. If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the wheel align-
ment checked by an Authorised Service Centre.
WARNING
There is a serious danger of accidents if a tyre bursts during driving!
•The tyres must be replaced at the latest when the tread is worn down to
the tread wear indicators. Failure to do so could result in an accident. Worn
tyres do not grip well at high speeds on wet roads. There is also a greater
risk of “aquaplaning”.
•At continuously high speeds, a tyre with insufficient pressure flexes
more. This causes it to overheat. This can cause tread separation and tyre
blow-out. Risk of accident. Always observe the recommended tyre pres-
sures.
•If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the running gear checked
by an Authorised Service Centre.
•Keep chemicals such as oil, fuel and brake fluid away from tyres.
•Damaged wheels and tyres must be replaced immediately!
For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel consumption.
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 Ÿ.
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

If and when253
Safety FirstOperating instructionsTips and MaintenanceTe c h n i c a l D a t a
Tow-starting
The use of jump leads is preferable to tow-starting.
We recommend that you do not tow-start your vehicle. Jump-starting
is preferable Ÿpage 250.
However, if your vehicle has to be tow-started:
– Engage 2nd or 3rd gear.
– Keep the clutch pressed down.
– Switch on the ignition and switch on the hazard warning lights.
– Once both vehicles are moving, release the clutch.
– As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch and move the gear
lever into neutral. This helps to prevent driving into the towing
vehicle.
WARNING
The risk of accidents is high when tow-starting. The vehicle being towed
can easily collide with the towing vehicle.
Caution
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it.
Note
•The legal requirements concerning towing should be observed.
•Switch on the hazard warning lights of both vehicles. However, observe
any regulations to the contrary.
•For technical reasons, vehicles with an automatic gearbox must not be
tow-started.
Notes for tow-starting or towing
If a cable is used for towing the vehicle, please observe the
following:
As the driver of the towing vehicle
– Switch on the hazard warning lights. However, observe any regu-
lations to the contrary.
– Drive slowly at first until the tow-rope is taut. Then accelerate
gradually.
– Begin and change gears cautiously. If you are driving an auto-
matic vehicle, accelerate gently.
– Remember that the brake servo and power steering are not
working in the vehicle you are towing. Brake earlier than you
would normally, but with a more gentle pressure on the brake.
As the driver of the vehicle being towed
– Switch on the hazard warning lights. However, observe any regu-
lations to the contrary.
– Place the gear stick in neutral or position N.
– Ensure that the tow-rope remains taut at all times.

If and when 254
Tow-rope or tow-bar
It is easier and safer to tow a vehicle with a tow-bar. You should only use a
tow-rope if you do not have a tow-bar.
A tow-rope should be slightly elastic to reduce the loading on both vehicles.
It is advisable to use a tow-rope made of synthetic fibre or similarly elastic
material.
Attach the tow-rope or the tow-bar only to the towing eyes provided or a
towing bracket.
Driving tips
Towing requires some experience, especially when using a tow-rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the technique required for towing. Inexperi-
enced drivers should not attempt to tow-start or tow away another vehicle.
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle and take care to avoid jerking the
tow-rope. When towing on an unpaved road, there is always a risk of over-
loading and damaging the anchorage points.
The ignition of the vehicle being towed must be switched on to prevent the
steering wheel from locking and also to allow the use of the turn signals,
horn, windscreen wipers and washers.
If the vehicle is towed, with the hazard warning lights on and the ignition
switched on, the turn signal may be used to indicate that you are going to
change direction. Move the turn signal lever accordingly. Meanwhile, the
hazard warning lights will go off. When the turn signal lever is returned to the
rest position, the hazard warning lights will automatically reconnect.
The brake servo works only when the engine is running. In this case the pedal
has to be pressed harder.
As the power assisted steering does not work if the engine is not running, you
will need more strength to steer than you normally would.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
•Move the selector lever to N.
•Do not drive faster than 50 km/h when towing a vehicle.
•Do not tow further than 50 km.
•If a breakdown truck is used, the vehicle must be towed with the front
wheels raised.
WARNING
The braking behaviour and capacity of a vehicle changes when being towed
or when you are trying to start the vehicle by pulling. Please observe the
following notes in order to prevent injury and accident:
•Inexperienced drivers should refrain from trying in order to avoid acci-
dent.
•Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
−The brake must be depressed must harder as the brake servo does
not operate. Take care not to bump into the towing vehicle.
−More strength is required at the steering wheel as the power
steering does not operate when the engine is switched off.
•Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
−Accelerate smoothly and avoid any sudden movement.
−Brake more in advance than usual and brake gently.
Caution
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it
Ÿpage 251
Note
•Observe legal requirements when towing or tow-starting.
•For technical reasons, vehicles with an automatic gearbox must not be
tow-started.

Index 292
Mobile phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Multifunction steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
N
Navigation system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Net bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Number of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
O
Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Octane number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Oil change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
On board computer with multifunction display*
Check working . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Message on display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
One-touch closing and opening
electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Overview
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Multifunction steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
P
Paintwork
Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Waxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Parking distance warning system . . . . . . . . . . 173
Parking lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Parts replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Passenger compartment
Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Trips to foreign countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Petrol additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Physical principles of a frontal collision . . . . . . 19
Plastic key tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Plastic parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Pollen filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Preheating system
indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Puncture repair kit
storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
R
Raising the vehicle with the vehicle tool kit jack . .
239Reading lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Rear door
driving with the tailgate open . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Rear seats
characteristics of seat equipment . . . . . . . 126
moving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Rear window heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Heating element wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Rear window wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Rear-view mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Refilling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Remote control key
Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Synchronising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Repairs
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Replacement keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Replacing the battery
Remote control key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Replacing tyres
Four-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Retractor
SeeAutomatic belt retractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Retrofitting a towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Rev counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Index293
Reverse gear
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Risk of front passenger seat airbag for a rear facing
child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
RME fuel (biodiesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Roll-back function
Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Roof aerial* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Roof carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147, 148
saving fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Roof load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Rubber seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Running in
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Running in tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
S
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Safety equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety instructions
Coolant temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Safety notes
Belt tension devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Disabling front and side passenger airbag . 44Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Using child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Using seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Saving fuel
roof carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Seat belt position
Pregnant women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Seat belt warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Detachable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Incorrectly fastened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Not worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
one buckle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
With two buckles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seat belts protect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Seat layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Folding backrest forwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Lifting seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Removing and fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Securing load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Sitting position
Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Incorrect sitting position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sitting position, occupants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Sliding/tilting sun roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230, 261
Four-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Spare wheel
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Starting
a petrol engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Starting the engine
after the fuel tank has been run dry . . . . . . 164
With the ignition key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Steam cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Steering lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Index 294
Steering wheel audio controls
audio + telephone version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
audio version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Steering wheel height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . 159
Stowage
Other stowage areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Stowage compartment
Front passenger side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Sun visor
front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Sunroof blind
Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Switches
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Switching off the engine
With the ignition key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
T
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Convenience opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Tailgate open display*
warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Tank
Fuel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
TCS (Traction control system)
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
The danger of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . 20
Thermos box
cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188, 260
Towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Towing eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Towline anchorage
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251, 253
Traction control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Trailer turn signals
Indicator lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Trailer weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Trips, checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73, 112Two-way radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Type plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Tyre pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Tyres and wheels
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Tyres service life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Tyres tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Tyres with directional tread pattern . . . . . . . . . 225
U
Underbody sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Unfastening seat belt
(with one buckle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Unfastening seat belts
(with two buckles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Upper right stowage on instrument panel . . . 134
V
Vehicle
Lifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Vehicle data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Vehicle onboard tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Vehicle paint
Car care products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Vehicle tool kit jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239