2011 Seat Alhambra service indicator

272
Checking and refilling levels WARNING
If the warning lamps and messages are ignored, the vehicle may stall in
traffic, or m a
y cause accidents and severe injuries.
● Never ignore the warning lamps or text messages.
● Stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible. CAUTION
Failure to heed the warning lamps and text messages when they appear
ma y

result in faults in the vehicle. 
Information on AdBlue In vehicles with Selective Catalytic Reduction, a special urea solution (AdBl-
ue) is
inj

ected into the exhaust gas system in front of the catalytic converter
to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
The consumption of AdBlue depends on individual driving style, the tem-
perature at which the system operates and the outside temperature where
the vehicle is driven. AdBlue is kept in an independent tank in the vehicle and should be refilled
at an offici

al supplier. The AdBlue tank holds about 17 litres.
A message will be displayed on the instrument panel around 2400 km be-
fore the next service to indicate that AdBlue must be refilled ⇒ page 273. If
you ignore this message and do not refill, you will be unable to start the en-
gine afterwards ⇒ page 271.
SEAT recommends contacting a specialist workshop. If you are unable to
visit a qualified specialist workshop, you should temporarily refill with a
minimum of 10.0 litres of AdBlue. Only refill using AdBlue expressly ap-
proved by SEAT.
When the indicators  and  light simultaneously, there is a fault. SEAT
recommends visiting the closest qualified workshop.
AdBlue ®
is a registered trademark in the US, Germany, the European Union
and other countries belonging to the German automobile industry ("Ver-
band der Automobilindustrie e. V.", VDA). 

279
Checking and refilling levels CAUTION
● To avoid damage to the bonnet and to the windscreen wiper arms, only
open the bonnet when the w
indscreen wipers are in place against the wind-
screen.
● Before driving, always lower the wiper arms. 
Engine oil Introduction Additional information and warnings:
●
⇒ Book l
et Maintenance Programme
● W

orking in the engine compartment ⇒ page 275
● A

ccessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 257WARNING
Incorrectly handling engine oil can cause injury and serious burns.
● Always protect your eyes when handling engine oil.
● Oil is toxic and must be kept out of the reach of children.
● Engine oil must only be kept closed in its original container. The same
app lie

s to use oil until it has been disposed of.
● Never store engine oil in empty food containers or bottles as other
people m
ay accidentally drink it.
● Regular contact with engine oil can be bad for the skin. If you come
into cont
act with engine oil, wash your skin with soap and water.
● With the engine running, the engine oil gets extremely hot and can
cause sev
ere skin burns. Always wait until the engine has fully cooled. For the sake of the environment
Similar to the other service liquids, spilled engine oil can be bad for the en-
vir onment

. Collect any spilt fluids in suitable containers and dispose of in
accordance with legislation and with the utmost respect for the environ-
ment. 
Warning and control lamps lights up Possible cause Solution
 Insufficient engine oil. Switch the engine off. Check the
engine oi
l

level ⇒ page 281. flashes Possible cause Solution
 Engine oil pressure too low. 
Stop the vehicle!
Sw it

ch off the engine. Check the
engine oil level.
- If the warning indicator flashes
although the oil level is correct,
do not continue driving or leave
the engine running. Otherwise,
the engine could be damaged.
You should obtain professional
assistance.  Engine oil sensor faulty. Contact a specialist workshop.
Have the en
gine oi

l sensor
checked. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

284
Checking and refilling levels For the sake of the environment
Coolants and additives can contaminate the environment. Collect any spilt
fluids in s
uitable containers and dispose of in accordance with legislation
and with the utmost respect for the environment. 
Coolant temperature warning lamp and gauge Fig. 170 Engine coolant
temper
at

ure gauge on
the instrument panel: A cold area;
B normal
are a; C warning area.
When driving normally, the needle will remain in the middle area. The tem-
perat ur

e may also rise when the engine is working hard, especially at high
outside temperatures and so the indicator will move quite far to the right-
hand side.
Several warning and control lamps should light up for a few seconds when
the ignition is switched. This signals that the lamp is working properly. They
will switch off after a few seconds. lights up Gauge po-
sition
⇒  fig. 170 Possible cause Solution
 Warning
are a C Excessive engine
coo
l

ant tempera-
ture. 
Stop the vehicle!
St op the

vehicle safely as
soon as possible. Switch off
the engine and wait for it to
cool down and for the needle
to return to the normal area.
Check the engine coolant lev-
el ⇒ page 286. Normal
are a B Insufficient engine
coo
l

ant level. Check the engine coolant
when the engine h
a

s cooled
and, if it is low, refill with en-
gine coolant ⇒ page 286.
Although the coolant level is
correct, there is a fault. -- Engine coolant
sys
t

em faulty. 
Do not drive any further.
O bt
ain professional assis-
tance. -- Cold area
A -- Avoid revving the engine too
much or m
ak

ing it work hard
while it has not reached nor-
mal service temperature. flashes Possible cause Solution
 Engine coolant system faulty. You should obtain professio-
nal
a

ssistance. 

291
Checking and refilling levels WARNING (Continued)
● Battery acid is very corrosive and caustic. It can burn skin and cause
b lindne
ss. When handling the battery, protect yourself from splashes of
acids, above all your hands, arms and face.
● Never tilt the vehicle battery. Battery acid could spill out of the open-
ings
to release gases and cause corrosion damage.
● Never open the vehicle battery.
● If battery acid splashes on you, immediately rinse your eyes and skin
abund
antly with water for several minutes. Then seek medical care imme-
diately.
● If acid is swallowed by mistake, consult a doctor immediately. 
Charging, replacing and connecting or disconnecting the
batt er

y Charging the battery
The v
ehic

le battery should be charged by a specialist workshop only, as bat-
teries using special technology have been installed and they must be charg-
ed in a controlled environment ⇒  . SEAT recommends visiting a Technical
Serv ic

e.
Replacing a vehicle battery
The battery has been developed to suit the conditions of its location and
has special safety features. If the battery must be replaced, consult a quali-
fied SEAT workshop for information on electromagnetic compatibility, the
size and maintenance, performance and safety requirements of the new bat-
tery in your vehicle before you purchase one. SEAT recommends you have
the battery replaced by a qualified SEAT workshop.
Use only maintenance-free genuine batteries conforming to TL 825 06 and
VW 7 50 73 Standards. These standards must be dated April 2008 or later. Start-Stop systems (
⇒ page 196) ar
e equipped with a special battery. There-
fore, it must only be replaced with a battery of the same specifications.
Disconnecting the vehicle's battery
If you must disconnect the battery from the electrical system, please note
the following:
● Switch off the ignition and all electrical equipment.
● The vehicle must be unlocked before disconnecting the battery, other-
wise the al
arm will be triggered.
● First disconnect the negative cable and then the positive ⇒  .
Connectin g the

vehicle's battery
● Before reconnecting the battery, switch off the engine, the ignition and
electric dev
ices.
● First reconnect the positive cable and then the negative ⇒  .
Differ ent

control lamps may light up after connecting the battery and switch-
ing the ignition on. They will be turned off after a short trip at a speed of
between 15 - 20 km/h (10 - 12 mph). If the warning indicators remain lit,
please visit a specialised workshop to have the vehicle checked.
If the battery has been disconnected for a long time, it is possible that the
next service date is not displayed or calculated correctly ⇒ page 57. Respect
the maximum service intervals permitted ⇒ Booklet Maintenance Pro-
gramme.
Automatic consumer disconnection
The intelligent vehicle electrical system automatically implements a range
of measures to prevent the battery from discharging when high demands
are made on it: Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

298
Wheels and tyres
Never deflate a hot tyre in order to obtain the required pressure. This could
re s
ult in very low tyre pressures which may lead to sudden blow-outs.
Checking tyre pressures
Tyre pressures should only be checked when the vehicle has not been driv-
en for more than a few kilometres (miles) at low speeds in the past three
hours.
● The tyre pressures should be checked regularly, and only when the tyres
are co
ld. Always check all the tyres. Tyre pressures should be checked more
often in colder regions, and only when the vehicle has not been driven re-
cently. Always use a correctly-operating tyre gauge.
● Adjust tyre pressures to the loads carried in the vehicle.
● After checking the pressure, always replace the valve caps, and where
applic
able, observe the instructions given for adjusting the tyre control sys-
tem ⇒ page 221. WARNING
If tyre pressures are too high or too low, the tyre may deflate or burst
sud den

ly while driving. This could result in serious accident.
● If the tyre pressure is too low, the tyres could overheat, resulting in
trea
d detachment or even burst tyres.
● When driving at high speeds and/or fully loaded, the tyre could sud-
denly o
verheat, burst or be subject to tread detachment, with the resul-
tant loss of control of the vehicle.
● Tyre pressures which are too high or too low reduce the service life of
the tyre, aff
ecting the vehicle's performance.
● Tyre pressures should be checked regularly, at least once a month
and before lon
g journeys.
● Adjust the pressures of all the tyres to the vehicle load.
● Never deflate excess pressure from hot tyres. CAUTION
● Take care not to tilt the manometer when placing it on the valve. Other-
w i

se, the valve may be damaged.
● To avoid damage to the valves, always replace valve caps correctly.
Check th
at the caps are identical to the standard caps and have been cor-
rectly tightened. For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase the fuel consumption. Note
When checking tyre pressures, please observe the instructions for the tyre
contr o

l system ⇒ page 221. 
Tread depth and wear indicators Fig. 177 Tyre tread:
tre
a

d wear indicators. 

300
Wheels and tyres
Driving style : driving r ound bends fast or sudden acceleration or braking
speed up the wear of tyres. When the driving style is normal, if the tyres
wear too quickly, have the running gear settings checked at a Technical
Service.
Wheel run-out: The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, certain
circumstances may lead to imbalance (run-out), which is detected as vibra-
tions in the steering wheel. Run-out leads to wear of the steering and sus-
pension. In the event of run out, the wheels should be balanced again.
When a new wheel is fitted, it should be balanced again.
Running gear settings : an incorrectly positioned running gear increases the
wear of tyres and affects your safety while driving. If tyres wear too quickly,
have the wheel alignment checked at a specialist workshop. WARNING
If you notice unusual vibration or the car pulls to one side while driving,
this m

ay indicate that one of the tyres is damaged.
● Reduce speed immediately and stop, while observing the highway
code.
● Check

the wheels and tyres for damage.
● Never carry on driving on worn tyres or wheels. Request qualified as-
sis

tance immediately.
● If there is no visible exterior damage, drive slowly and carefully to the
neare
st qualified workshop and have the vehicle checked. 
Winter tyres* In winter conditions winter tyres will considerably improve the vehicles han-
dling.
The de

sign of summer tyres (width, rubber compound, tread pattern)
gives less grip on ice and snow. Winter tyres also improve the vehicle brak-
ing performance, reducing the braking distance in winter weather. SEAT rec- ommend that winter tyres be fitted to the vehicle at temperatures below
+7°C (+45°F).
The perf

ormance of winter tyres is much reduced if the tyre tread is worn be-
low 4 mm (1/16 inch). The age of the tyre is another factor affecting per-
formance, regardless of the depth of the tyre tread.
Please observe the following when using winter tyres:
● Observe legal requirements in each country.
● Winter tyres must be fitted on all four wheels.
● Only use winter tyres in wintery weather conditions.
● Only use winter tyres of the size authorised for the vehicle.
● Only use radial winter tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference)
and trea
d pattern.
● Adjust speeds to within the limits indicated (code letter on tyre) ⇒  .
Speed limit
A c ode l

etter indicating the speed limit is stamped on all winter tyres
⇒ page 303.
In some vehicles, it is possible to set a speed warning in the MFA (multifunc-
tion indicator) menu on the instrument panel ⇒ page 62.
If you use V-rated tyres the speed limits and tyre pressure will be deter-
mined by engine size. Please ask your SEAT qualified workshop for further
information on the maximum permitted speed and the required pressures
for the tyres.
All-wheel drive*
Thanks to its all-wheel drive, your car will have plenty of traction in winter
conditions, even with the standard tyres. Nevertheless, SEAT still recom-
mend that 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. 

326
If and when
Changing bulbs
Introduction Changing bulbs requires a certain amount of manual skill. If you are unsure,
SEA
T r
ecommends that you consult an qualified workshop or request assis-
tance from a specialist. In general, a specialist is required if other vehicle
components must be removed or if the discharge lamps must be replaced.
You should store spare light bulbs in the vehicle for safety-relevant lights.
Spare bulbs may be obtained from the Official dealers and workshops. In
some countries, it is a legal requirement to carry spare bulbs in the vehicle.
Driving with faults and blown bulbs on the vehicle exterior lighting is
against the law.
Additional bulb specifications
The specifications of some headlamp bulbs and bulbs for the tail lamps fit-
ted at the factory may be different to those of conventional bulbs. Bulb in-
formation is displayed on the bulb socket or on the bulb itself.
Additional information and warnings:
● Lights and visibility ⇒ page 95
● W

orking in the engine compartment ⇒ page 275
● V

ehicle tools ⇒ page 320
● F

uses ⇒ page 322 WARNING
If the road is not well-lit and the vehicle is not clearly visible to other
driver s, ther

e is a risk of accident. WARNING
Failure to replace bulbs correctly may cause serious accidents.
● Before carrying out any work in the engine compartment please read
and ob ser

ve the warnings ⇒ page 275. In any vehicle, the engine com-
partment is a hazardous area and could cause severe injury.
● Discharge lamps work with high-voltage and can cause serious or fa-
tal

injury if handled incorrectly.
● H7 and discharge lamps are highly pressurised and could explode
when being ch
anged.
● Only replace the bulbs concerned when they have cooled.
● Never replace bulbs alone if you are not familiar with the operations
neces
sary. If you are not sure about procedures then visit a Technical
Service to carry out the necessary work.
● Never touch the bulb glass directly. Fingerprints will be evaporated by
the heat of
the operating bulb thus “fogging” up the reflector.
● The headlamp frameworks in the engine compartment and the tail
lamps
contain sharp elements. Always protect your hands when chang-
ing bulbs. CAUTION
After changing a bulb, if the rubber covers and plastic caps are not replaced
corr ectly

on the headlamp framework, the electrical installation may be
damaged, especially if water is allowed to enter. 
Indicator lights up Possible cause Solution
 A vehicle exterior lighting
bu
l

b is not working. Replace the faulty bulb.


ASR
See "Brak in
g assist systems" . . . . . . . . . . 191
See "Braking assist" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Turning on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Electronic differential lock system (EDS) . 190
Assisted braking systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Assist systems Anti-lock brake system (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 189
Auto Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Braking assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Electronic stability programme ESC (ESP) 189
Lane Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Lane Assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Park assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Park Assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Rear Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rear assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Sign Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Start-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Start assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Traction control system ASR (TCS) . . . . . . . 191
Traction control when accelerating ASR(TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Tyre monitoring indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Auto Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Automatic belt retainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Automatic car wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Switc hing Auto Hold off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Switching the start assist off . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Automatic consumer disconnection . . . . . . . . 291
Automatic dipped beam control . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Changing gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
DSG automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Ignition key lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Kickdown system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Launch-Control programme . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Manually unlocking the gear selection lev-er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Please also see "Changing gears" . . . . . . 174
See "Automatic gearbox" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
AUX-IN connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163, 269 Automatic off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Operating instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Remote control range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Remote control: Replacing the battery . . . 164
Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Things to note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163, 166
Auxiliary heater remote control Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Axle loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 B
BAS
See "Brak
ing assist systems" . . . . . . . . . . 190
Battery Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Discharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
See Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Battery acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Before starting out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Belt height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Belt tension device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Service and disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Belt tension limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Bicycle carrier Installing a bicycle carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Maximum load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Bonnet Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Bottle capacity Windscreen washer water bottle . . . . . . . . 109
Bottle holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Electronic parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Emergency braking function . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192366
Index