2009 Seat Alhambra snow chains

Driving
162•
Adjust the driver seat or steering wheel so that there is a distance of at
least 25 cm between the steering wheel and your breast bone ⇒page 161,
fig. 124 . If you fail to observe the minimum distance, the airbag will not
protect you. Risk of fatal injury.
•
If your physical constitution prevents you from maintaining the
minimum distance of 25 cm, contact an Authorised Service Centre. The
Authorised Service Centre will help you decide if special specific modifica-
tions are necessary.
•
If you adjust the steering wheel so that it points towards your face, the
dri ve r ai rba g w ill n ot p rotec t you prope r ly in t he e v en t of a n a ccide n t. M a ke
sure that the steering wheel points towards your chest.
•
When driving, always hold the steering wheel with both hands on the
outside of the ring at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Never hold the
steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, or in any other manner (e.g. in
the centre of the steering wheel, or on the inside of the rim). In such cases,
you could receive severe injuries to the arms, hands and head.
SafetyElectronic stabilisation programme (ESP)
ESP helps make driving safer in certain situations.The Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) contains the electronic differ-
ential lock (EDL) and the traction control system (TCS). The ESP works
together with the anti-locking brake system (ABS). Both warning lamps will
light up if the ESP or ABS systems are faulty.
The ESP is started automatically when the engine is started.
In specific circumstances where you require less traction, you can switch off
the ESP by pressing button ⇒fig. 125 .
For example:•
when driving with snow chains,
•
when driving in deep snow or on loose surfaces,
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 125 Detailed view of
dash panel ESP button

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Intelligent technology
184•
If the brake warning lamp
 should light up together with the ABS
warning lamp
, stop the vehicle immediately and check the brake fluid
level in the reservoir ⇒page 223. If the fluid level has dropped below the
“MIN” mark you must not drive on. Risk of accident. You should obtain
professional assistance.
•
If the brake fluid level is correct, the fault in the brake system may have
been caused by a failure of the ABS control function. This could cause the
rear wheels to lock quickly when you brake. This could cause the tail of the
vehicle to skid sideways. Drive carefully to the nearest qualified workshop
and have the fault corrected.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock helps prevent the loss of trac-
tion caused if one of the driven wheels starts spinning.The electronic differential lock (EDL) only works when the engine is running.
EDL helps the vehicle to start moving, accelerate and climb a gradient in slip-
pery conditions where this may otherwise be difficult or even impossible.
It uses the ABS sensors to monitor the speed of the driven wheels.
At speeds of up to approximately 80 km/h, it is able to balance out differ-
ences in the speed of the driven wheels of approximately 100 rpm caused by
a slippery road surface on one side of the vehicle. It does this by braking the
wheel which has lost traction and distributing more driving force to the other
driven wheel via the differential.
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel from overheating, the EDL cuts
out automatically if subjected to excessive loads. The car remains operational
and will behave in the same way as a car without EDL. For this reason, the
driver is not informed that the EDL has been switched off. The EDL will switch on again automatically when the brake has cooled down.
WARNING
Try to always adapt the speed of the vehicle to weather, road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the extra safety afforded by the system tempt you
into taking any risks when driving. Risk of accident.•
When accelerating on a slippery surface, for example on ice and snow,
press the accelerator carefully. Despite EDL, the driven wheels may other-
wise start to spin. This could impair the car's stability.
•
Always adapt your driving style to suit road conditions and the traffic
situation.WARNING
Modifications to the vehicle or work carried out incorrectly (e.g. to the
engine, the brake system, running gear or any components affecting the
wheels and tyres) could affect the efficiency of the ABS, EDL, ESP and TCS
and lessen their efficiency.Electronic stabilisation programme (ESP)
The electronic stabilisation programme helps to reduce the
danger of skidding.The electronic stabilisation programme (ESP) consists of ABS, EDL and TCS
and only works when the engine is running.
The ESP should generally be left switched on at all times. Only when the
necessary drive can not be obtained should the ESP be disconnected.
For example:•
when driving with snow chains,
WARNING (continued)
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Intelligent technology
186•
The effectiveness of the ESP is also determined by the tyres fitted
⇒ page 227.Caution
I n o rd e r to e nsu r e tha t ES P a n d TCS fu n ct io n cor re c tl y, a ll fou r w h e el s m u st b e
fitted with the same tyres. Any differences in the rolling radius of the tyres can
cause the system to reduce engine power when this is not desired.Power steeringPower steering does not work if the engine is not running or if the power
steering system has developed a fault. In this case the steering wheel is very
hard to turn.
Caution
Do not keep the steering wheel in the full-lock position for longer than
15 seconds when the engine is running. This could cause damage to the
power steering system.Four-wheel drive*
In vehicles with four-wheel drive, the engine power is distrib-
uted to all four wheelsThe four-wheel drive system is fully automatic and does not require interven-
tion by the driver. The engine power is permanently distributed to all four wheels. The engine power is distributed automatically to both axles
according to the road conditions and how you drive.
Winter tyres
Thanks to its four-wheel drive, your car will have plenty of traction in winter
conditions, even with the standard tyres. Nevertheless, we still recommend
that, in keeping with cars with front or rear wheel drive, winter tyres or all-
season tyres should be fitted on
all four wheels when winter road conditions
are expected, mainly because this will give a better braking response.
Snow chains
On roads where snow chains are mandatory, they must be fitted to the front
wheels of cars with four-wheel drive.
Replacing tyres
In vehicles with four-wheel drive, all four tyres should have the same amount
of wear. All four wheels must have the same rolling circumference.
WARNING
Never drive too fast on icy, slippery or wet surfaces. You could lose control
of your vehicle if you drive too fast. This may result in serious injury.•
Therefore, it is essential that you adjust your speed to suit the road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the extra safety afforded by four-wheel drive
tempt you into taking any risks when driving.
•
The four-wheel drive gives the vehicle good acceleration even in winter.
When braking, a four-wheel drive vehicle handles in the same way as a
front drive vehicle.
•
On wet roads the front wheels may start to “aquaplane” and lose
contact with the road if the car is driven too fast. If this should happen,
there will be no sudden increase in engine speed to warn the driver, as with
a front-wheel drive car.
WARNING (continued)
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Checking and refilling levels
232Snow chainsSnow chains may be fitted only to the front wheels, and only to certain tyre
sizes ⇒page 260.
Snow chains must have fine-pitch links which do not protrude more that 15
mm, including tension device.
Remove wheel hub covers and trim rings before fitting snow chains. For safety
reasons cover caps, available in any Authorised Service Centre, must then be
fitted over the wheel bolts.
WARNING
Observe the fitting instructions provided by the snow chain manufacturer.
Caution
You must remove the snow chains to drive on roads which are free of snow.
Otherwise they will impair handling, damage the tyres and wear out very
quickly.
Note
In some countries, the speed limit for using snow chains is 50 km/h. The legal
requirements of the country should be followed.
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General notes on the technical data
260WeightsKerb weight refers to the basic model with a fuel tank filled to 90% capacity
and without optional extras. The figure quoted includes 75 kg to allow for the
weight of the driver.
For special versions and optional equipment fittings or for the addition of
accessories, the weight of the vehicle will increase ⇒.
WARNING
•
Please note that the centre of gravity may shift when transporting
heavy objects; this may affect the vehicle's handling and lead to an acci-
dent. Always adjust your speed and driving style to suit road conditions
and requirements.
•
Never exceed the gross axle weight rating or the gross vehicle weight
rating. If the allowed axle load or the allowed total weight is exceeded, the
driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents,
injuries and damage to the vehicle.
To w i n g a t r a i l e rTra iler weig htsTrailer weigh ts
The trailer weights and drawbar loads approved are selected in intensive
trials according to precisely defined criteria. The approved trailer weights are
valid for vehicles in the EU for maximum speeds of 80 km/h (in certain
circumstances up to 100 km/h). The figures may be different in other coun-
tries. All data in the official vehicle documents take precedence over these
data ⇒ . Drawbar load
The
maximum permitted weight exerted by the trailer drawbar on the ball joint
of the towing bracket must not exceed 85 kg.
In the interest of road safety, we recommend that you always tow
approaching the maximum drawbar load. The response of the trailer on the
road will be poor if the drawbar load is too small.
If the maximum permissible drawbar load cannot be met (e.g. with small,
empty and light-weight single axle trailers or tandem axle trailers with an axle
base of less than 1 metre), at least 4% of the actual trailer weight is a legal
stipulation for a drawbar load.
WARNING
•
For safety reasons, you should not drive at speeds above 80 km/h when
towing a trailer. This also applies to countries where higher speeds are
permitted.
•
Never exceed the maximum trailer weights or the draw bar loading. If
the permissible axle load or the permissible total weight is exceeded, the
driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents,
injuries and damage to the vehicle.
WheelsTyre pressure, snow chains, wheel boltsTyre pressu res
The sticker with the tyre pressure values can be found on the inside of the
tank flap. The tyre pressure values given there are for cold tyres. The slightly
raised pressures of warm tyres must not be reduced ⇒.
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General notes on the technical data261
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the
front wheels.
Consult the chapter “wheels” of this manual.
Wheel bolts
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel bolts
s h ou l d b e ch e cke d as s oo n as p o ssi bl e wit h a to rq u e w re n ch ⇒. The tight-
ening torque for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
WARNING
•
Check the tyre pressure at least once per month. Correct tyre pressure
is very important. If the tyre pressure is too high or too low, there is an
increased danger of accidents, particularly at high speeds.
•
If the torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loosen whilst the
vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening torque is too high,
the wheel bolts and threads could be damaged.Note
We recommend that you ask your Authorised Service Centre for information
about appropriate wheel, tyre and snow chain size.
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Index
276Electric windows
controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
one-touch closing and opening . . . . . . . . . 103
roll-back function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Electrical accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Electrical windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Electronic differential lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Electronic stabilisation program . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Electronic stabilisation programme . . . . . . . . . . 76 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163, 185
Electronic stabilisation programme (ESP) warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Emergency opening Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Engine Running in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Engine compartment Working in the engine compartment . . . . . 211
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Engine fault indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Engine hood See Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Engine management Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Checking level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Engine oil pressure Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Engine oil temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Engine oil temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Environmental friendliness . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Environmentally friendly driving . . . . . . . . . . . 189
ESP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76, 184 warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Exhaust gas indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120, 198
External aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
FFastening rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 145
Fastening seat belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Fault in the exhaust system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Fault messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Faults in operation of air conditioning . . . . . . 159
First-aid kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Foot brake
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Four-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Replacing tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Front passenger airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Front seats adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Fuel Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Fuel level Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 See also Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Fuel tank cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Fuel: save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Fuse box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
GG 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
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Index279
Retrofitting a towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Rev counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Reverse gear
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Risk of front passenger seat airbag for a rear facing child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
RME fuel (biodiesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Roll-back function Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Roof aerial* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Roof carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149, 150 saving fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Roof load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Rubber seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Running in Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Running in tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187SSafe Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Safety equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety Instructions Coolant Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Safety notes
Belt tension devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Disabling front and side passenger airbag . 45
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Using child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Using seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Saving fuel roof carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Seat belt position Pregnant women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Seat belt warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Detachable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Incorrectly fastened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Not worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
one buckle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
With two buckles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Seat belts protect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Seat layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Folding backrest forwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Lifting seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Removing and fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Securing load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Sitting position Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Incorrect sitting position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13
Sitting position, occupants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Sliding/tilting sun roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232, 261 Four-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Spare wheel Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Starting a petrol engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
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