2011 Seat Alhambra child restraint

Table of Contents
Manual structure
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Safety First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Dear SEAT Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tips for driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Adjusting the seat position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Transporting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Why wear seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Child seats (accessories) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Integrated child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Operating instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
SEAT information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Unlocking and locking
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Vehicle key set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Central locking and locking system . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Panorama sliding sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Windscreen wiper and washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Seats and storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . 114
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Seat functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Centre armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Loading luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Roof carrier system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Cup holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Ashtray and cigarette lighter* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning . . . 155
Climate Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Auxiliary heater* (additional heater) . . . . . . . . . . 163
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Stopping and starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Changing gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Braking, stopping and parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Start assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Parking sensor system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Park Assist system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Rear Assist system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Cruise control system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Lane Assist system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Sign Assist* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Practical tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Driving and the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Running-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Ecological driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Engine management and exhaust gas
purific ation sy
stem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . 242
Care and cleaning the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . 242
Caring for and cleaning the vehicle interior . . . . 249
Notes for the user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Accessories, parts replacement and
modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

257
Accessories, replacement of parts and
modifications
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Selective Catalytic Reduction* (AdBlue) . . . . . . . 271
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . 275
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 3
Table of Contents

10
Safe driving
Adjusting the seat position
Introduction Number of seats
Dependin
g on the equipment,
your vehicle has a total of five or seven seats.
Each seat is equipped with a seat belt. Equipment Seats in the
front Seats in the sec-
ond ro w Seats in the
third r o

w 5 seats 2 3 –
7 seats 2 3 2
Additional information and warnings:
●
Seat functions ⇒ page 117
● Se

at belts ⇒ page 21
● Airb

ag system ⇒ page 31
● Chi

ld seats (accessories) ⇒ page 39WARNING
An incorrect sitting position in the vehicle can lead to severe injuries or
death in the ev ent

of sudden braking or manoeuvres, collision or acci-
dents or if the airbag deploys.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the proper sitting position and
maintain it
throughout the trip. This also includes fastening the seat
belt.
● Never transport more people than there are seats with a seat belt
avail
able in the vehicle. WARNING (Continued)
● Children must always be protected with an approved child restraint
sy s

tem suited to their height and weight ⇒ page 39, ⇒ page 31.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion.
Never, f
or example, put your feet on the surface of a seat or on the dash
panel and never put them out of a window. Otherwise the airbag and seat
belt offer insufficient protection and the risk of injury in the event of an
accident is increased. WARNING
Before every trip, adjust the seat, the seat belt and the head restraints
and ins truct

your passengers to fasten their seat belts properly.
● Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible.
● Adjust the driver's seat so that there is a distance of at least 25 cm
(10 inches) betw
een the centre of your chest and the hub of the steering
wheel. Adjust the driver's seat so that you are able to press the accelera-
tor, brake and clutch pedals to the floor with your knees slightly angled
and that the distance between your knees and the dash panel is at least
10 cm (4 inches). If you physical constitution prevents you from meeting
these requirements, contact a Technical Service to make any modifica-
tions required.
● Never drive with the backrest tilted far back. The further the backrests
are tilt
ed to the rear, the greater the risk of injury due to incorrect posi-
tioning of the belt web or to the incorrect sitting position.
● Never drive with the backrest tilted forwards. Should a front airbag
deploy
, it could throw the backrest backwards and injure the passengers
of the rear seats.
● Sit as far away as possible from the steering wheel and the dash pan-
el. 

28
Airbag system
Airbag system
Brief introduction Introduction Front airbags have been installed for both driver and passenger. The front
airbag
s
can also protect the chest and head of driver and passenger if the
seats, seat belts head restraints and, for the driver, the steering wheel are
correctly adjusted and used. Airbags are considered as additional safety
equipment. An airbag cannot replace the safety belt, which must be worn at
all times, even in front seats where front airbags have been installed.
Additional information and warnings:
● Driving tips ⇒ pag
e 7
● Correct sitting positions ⇒ pag
e 10
● Seat belts ⇒ pag
e 21
● Child seats (accessories) ⇒ pag
e 39
● Care and cleaning of the vehicle interior ⇒ pag
e 249
● Accessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ pag
e 257
● Notes for the user ⇒ pag
e 255WARNING
Never exclusively trust the airbag system as a means of protection.
● Even when triggered, airbag protection is only auxiliary. WARNING (Continued)
● The airb ags provide the best protection when the seat belts are prop-
erly f

astened, thus reducing the risk of sustaining injuries ⇒ page 21,
Seat belts.
● Before each trip, every occupant must sit properly, correctly fasten
the seat belt
belonging to his or her seat and keeping it fastened
throughout the trip. This rule is valid for all occupants. WARNING
Occupants sitting in the front of the vehicle must never carry any objects
in the deplo yment

space between them and the airbags, as this increa-
ses the risk of sustaining injuries if the airbag is triggered. This modifies
the airbag deployment space or the objects may fly uncontrollably and
hit your body.
● Never carry objects in your hand or on your lap while the vehicle is in
motion.
● Never transport objects on the front passenger seat. In the event of
sudden br
aking and manoeuvres, the objects may end up in the airbag
deployment space and fly uncontrollably around the vehicle interior if the
airbag is activated.
● Occupants of the front and outer rear seats must never carry any oth-
er people, pet
s or objects in the deployment space between them and
the airbags. Make sure children and other passengers also respect this
recommendation. 

32
Airbag system
● Control units and sensors.
● Height -
adjustable head restraint optimised for rear collisions.
● Adjustable steering column.
● Where applicable, mountings for child seats on the rear seats and on
the front p
assenger's seat.
● Where applicable, mountings for the child seat upper retaining strap.
Situations
in which the frontal, knee, side and curtain airbag does not
deploy:
● If the ignition is switched off during the collision.
● In frontal collisions when the deceleration measured by the control unit
is t

oo low. ●
In minor side co
llisions.
● In rear collisions.
● In the event of the vehicle overturning.
● When the impact speed is lower than the reference value set in the con-
trol

unit. 

35
Airbag system
Deactivating and activating the front passenger airbag
us in
g the key switch Fig. 19 In the glove com-
par
tment

on the front
passenger side: key
switch for disabling and
enabling the front pas-
senger airbag.
The front passenger airbag must be disabled when a rear-facing child seat
is mou
nted.
Disabling the front passenger airbag
● Switch the ignition off.
● Open glove compartment on the front passenger side.
● Unfold the key shaft ⇒ page 71.
● T

urn the key switch to OFF ⇒ fig. 19 usin
g the vehicle key.
● Close the glove compartment on the front passenger side.
● The PASSENGER AIR BAG  
control lamp on the instrument panel will
remain lit while the ignition is switched on ⇒ page 30.
Enabling the front passenger airbag
● Switch the ignition off.
● Open glove compartment on the front passenger side.
● Turn the key switch to ON ⇒ fig. 19 u
sing the vehicle key. ●
Close the glove compartment on the front passenger side.
● Check

that the PASS
ENGER AIR BAG OFF  control lamp on the instru-
ment panel does not light up while the ignition is switched on ⇒ page 30.
How to know whether the front passenger airbag is disabled
Disabling of the front passenger airbag is only indicated by the PASSENGER
AIR BAG   control lamp that remains lit on the instrument panel (  
remains yellow) ⇒ page 30, Warning lamp.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG   control lamp on the centre console does not
remain lit or is lit in combination with the control lamp  on the instrument
panel, a child restraint system cannot be mounted on the front passenger's
seat for safety reasons. The front passenger airbag may deploy during an
accident. WARNING
The front passenger airbag must only be disconnected in special cases.
● Disconnect and connect the front passenger airbag when the ignition
is sw

itched off to avoid damage to the airbag system.
● It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that the key operated switch
is set
to the correct position.
● Only disconnect the front passenger airbag when a child seat is to be
mounted u
nder exceptional circumstances.
● As soon as the child seat is no longer needed on the front passeng-
er's seat, r
econnect the front passenger airbag. 
Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

39
Child safety
Child safety
Child seats (accessories) Introduction Please read the information regarding the airbag system fully before trans-
portin
g b
abies and children in a child seat or other child restraint system
installed on the front passenger seat.
This information is extremely important for driver and passenger safety, par-
ticularly that of babies and children.
SEAT recommends the use of child seats from the SEAT accessory pro-
gramme. These child seats have been designed and tested for use in SEAT
vehicles. You can purchase child seats with different mountings from a
Technical Service.
Using child restraint systems with a base or foot
Some child retention systems are secured to the seat using a base or foot.
For certain equipment the use of an additional accessory will be necessary
(for example, the accessory for the floor compartment) to fit the child reten-
tion system correctly and securely.
Additional information and warnings:
● Airbag system ⇒ page 31
● Int

egrated child seats ⇒ page 46 WARNING
Make sure children are properly belted in and correctly secured to avoid
sever e or f

atal injuries while the vehicle is in motion.
● Never use a rear-facing child seat in the front passenger seat if the
front p
assenger airbag is enabled.
● You should always transport all children up to 12 years of age on the
rear se
at.
● Children must always be protected with an approved child restraint
syst
em suited to their height and weight.
● Children must assume the proper sitting position and be properly bel-
ted in whil
e travelling.
● Ensure the backrest of a seat is upright when a child seat is being
used on it.
● Do not

allow the child's head or other part of his or her body to fall
into the deplo
yment area of the side airbags.
● Make sure the belt webbing is correctly positioned.
● Never hold children or babies on your lap or in your arms.
● Only one child may occupy a child seat.
● If you are using a child seat with a base or foot, always install this
base or f
oot correctly and safely.
● If the vehicle has a storage compartment in the foot well in front of
the las
t row of seats, this compartment cannot be used as designed; on
the contrary: It must be filled using the specially designed accessory so
that the base or foot is correctly supported by the closed compartment
and the child seat is secured properly. If this compartment is not suitably Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

40
Child safety WARNING (Continued)
secured when using a child seat with a base or foot then the compart-
ment c
o
ver could rupture in an accident and the child will be ejected and
suffer serious injury.
● Please read and observe the child seat manufacturer's handling in-
structions. WARNING
An empty or loose child seat could fly uncontrollably around the vehicle
interior and c au

se injuries in the event of an accident or sudden braking.
● When not in use while the vehicle is in motion, always safely secure it
or stor
e it in the luggage compartment. Note
Replace the child seat after an accident, as it may have invisible damage. 
General information on transporting children in the vehicle Legal regulations and provisions will always take priority over the descrip-
tions
of

this instruction manual. There are different regulations and provi-
sions for the use of child seats and their mountings ( ⇒ table on page 41).
In some countries, for example, the use of child seats on certain seats in the
vehicle may be forbidden.
The physical principles and the forces acting on the vehicle in the event of a
collision or other type of accidents also apply to children ⇒ page 21. Howev-
er, unlike adults and youngsters, children do not have fully developed mus-
cle and bone structures. In the event of an accident, children are subject to
a greater risk than adults of sustaining severe injuries.
Given that children's bodies are not yet fully developed, child restraint sys-
tems must be used that are especially adapted to their height, weight and constitution. There are laws in force in many countries that determine the
use of ap

proved seat systems for transporting babies and children.
Only used authorised, approved child seats that are suitable for the vehicle.
Always consult with a SEAT qualified workshop or a specialist workshop
should you have any doubts.
Checklist
To transport children in the vehicle ⇒  :
● Observe the legal requirements specific to each country.
● For safety reasons, SEAT recommends that children under 12 years of
age ar e tr

ansported on the rear seats.
● Only if you have no alternative should a child travel on the front passen-
ger seat
⇒ page 42. The safest place in the vehicle is on the rear seat be-
hind the front passenger seat.
● Child must always use a child restraint system when travelling in the ve-
hicle.
The child restraint system must be suitable for the height, weight and
constitution of the child.
● Only one child may occupy a child seat.
● Follow the user instructions from the child seat manufacturer and always
keep them in the v
ehicle.
● If the child seat is secured using the seat belt, guide the seat belt
through or arou
nd the child seat according to the instructions of the child
seat manufacturer.
● Make sure the belt webbing is correctly positioned and that the child is
sitting pr
operly.
● The child seat should be installed on the rear seat behind the front pas-
senger se
at so that the child can exit the car on the kerb side.
● Do not leave toys or other loose objects on the child seat or on the seat
while the
vehicle is in motion. 

42
Child safety
Different mounting systems Fig. 26 On the rear seats: figure
A shows the basic child restraint system mounting
us in
g lower retaining rings and the upper retaining strap. Figure B shows the child
re s
traint system mounting using the vehicle's seat belt.
Always secure child seats properly and safely in the vehicle according to the
child seat manufacturer's installation instructions.
Mounted child seats must rest correctly on the vehicle's seat and must not
move or rock more than 2.5 cm (1 inch).
Child seats equipped for a Top Tether strap must also be secured using the
Top Tether retaining strap in the vehicle ⇒ page 45. Only secure the re-
taining belt to the rings fitted for this purpose and identified as Top Tether.
Not all rings can be used with the Top Tether system. Always tighten the Top
Tether retaining strap so that the child seat fits snugly against the corre-
sponding seat in the vehicle.
Specific mounting systems for each country
Europe: ISOFIX retaining rings and upper retaining strap ⇒ page 45
and ⇒ page 45.
Three-point seat belt and upper retaining strap ⇒ page 44.
A B The systems include the child restraint system mounting with an upper re-
tainin
g s

trap (Top Tether) and lower anchoring points on the seat. 
Use of the child seat on the front passenger seat Transporting children on the front passenger seat is not permitted in all
cou
ntrie

s. Furthermore, not all child seats are approved for use on the front
passenger seat. Your SEAT qualified workshop has an updated list of all ap-
proved child seats. Only used child seats that are approved for each vehicle.
The frontal airbag on the front passenger side is highly dangerous for a
child. The front passenger seat is life-threatening to a child if he or she is
transported in a rear-facing child seat.
If a rear-facing child seat is secured to the front passenger seat, an inflating
airbag can strike it with such great force that severe or fatal injuries may re-
sult ⇒  . Therefore, rear-facing child seats must
never be u
sed on the front
passenger seat when the front passenger airbag is enabled.
Only use a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat if the front pas-
senger airbag is disabled. When it is disabled, the yellow PASSENGER
AIR BAG   control lamp on the instrument panel will be lit ⇒ page 31. If
you cannot disable the front passenger airbag and it remains enabled, it is
forbidden to transport children on the front passenger seat ⇒  .
Thing s

to note if using a child seat on the front passenger seat:
● The front passenger airbag must
be disabled  if using a rear-facing
child seat ⇒ page 35.
● The backrest of the front passenger seat must be upright.
● The front passenger seat must be moved as far back as possible.
● The backrest of the front passenger seat must be upright.
● The seat belt height adjustment must be as high as possible. 