2011 Seat Alhambra recommended oil

227
Driving and the environment
Other factors which increase fuel consumption (examples):
● Fault in engine management.
● Driving on hills.
● Trailer towing. 
Saving fuel while driving Fig. 155 Fuel consump-
tion in litre
s
per 100 km
at different outside tem-
peratures.
By adopting an economical driving style and anticipating the traffic situa-
tion ahead,
you can easily reduce fuel consumption by 10-15%.
A vehicle uses most fuel when accelerating. By anticipating the traffic situa-
tion ahead, you will brake and therefore accelerate less. Wherever possible,
let the car roll slowly to a stop, for instance when you can see that the next
traffic lights are red.
Avoid short journeys
Fuel consumption is much higher when the engine is cold, immediately af-
ter it has been started. It takes a few kilometres of driving for the engine to
warm up and to normalise consumption. The engine and catalytic converter need to reach their proper
workin
g tem-
perature in order to minimise fuel consumption and emissions. The ambient
temperature has a decisive influence.
fig. 155 shows the difference in consumption for the same journey at +20°C
(+68°F) and at -10°C (+14°F).
Unnecessary short journeys should be avoided. Try to combine trips.
The vehicle uses more fuel in winter than in summer, even when other con-
ditions are the same.
“Warming” the engine is not only forbidden in some countries, but in prac-
tice it is technically superfluous as it is a waste of fuel.
Adjusting type pressures.
Having the correct pressure in your tyres helps to reduce rolling resistance
and, as a result reduces fuel consumption. Increasing the tyre pressure
slightly (+ 0.2 bar / + 3 psi) can help to save fuel.
If you are prepared to accept a slight reduction in comfort, the tyres may be
filled to the pressures recommended for a fully-loaded vehicle. This is also
valid when driving alone without luggage.
When you buy new tyres, make sure they are optimised for minimum rolling
resistance.
Use low friction engine oil
The use of low viscosity totally synthetic oils, known as low friction engine
oil, help to reduce fuel consumption. Low friction engine oils reduce the re-
sistance caused by friction in the engine, they flow around the engine more
quickly and efficiently, particularly in cold starts. The effect is particularly
noticeable in vehicles frequently used for short journeys.
Always check the engine oil level and observe service intervals (engine oil
change intervals).
When purchasing engine oil, always observe legal requirements and ensure
that the oil is approved by SEAT. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

242
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Care and cleaning the vehicle exterior
Introduction Regular maintenance and washing help to maint
ain the value of the vehicle.
This may also be one of the requirements for acknowledging warranty
claims in the event of bodywork corrosion or paint defects.
Products suitable for the care of your vehicle are available at any Technical
Service.
Additional information and warnings:
● Care and cleaning of the vehicle interior ⇒ page 249
● W

orking in the engine compartment ⇒ page 275
● A

ccessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 257WARNING
Car care products may be toxic and hazardous. If car care products are
not s uit

able or are used inappropriately, this could result in accident, se-
rious injury, burns or intoxication.
● Car care products must always be stored in the original container
which shoul
d be kept closed.
● Observe information provided by the manufacturer.
● To prevent confusion, never store car care products in empty food
cans, bottl
es or other containers.
● Keep all care products out of reach of children. WARNING (Continued)
● Harmf ul vapours may be produced when using car care products.
Ther ef

ore, care products should only be used in well-ventilated spaces or
in the open air.
● Never use fuel, turpentine, engine oil, acetone or any other volatile
liquid to w
ash, clean or care for the vehicle. These are toxic and highly
flammable. WARNING
Inappropriate care and cleaning of vehicle components may effect the ve-
hicl e s

afety equipment, increasing the risk of severe injury.
● Vehicle components should only be cleaned and maintained in ac-
cord
ance with the manufacturer's instructions.
● Only use approved or recommended care products. CAUTION
Cleaning products which contain solvents will damage the material. For the sake of the environment
● Only wash the vehicle in areas allocated for this purpose, to prevent
dir ty

water which may be contaminated by oil, grease or fuel, from entering
the drains. In some districts, washing vehicles outside wash bays is prohibi-
ted.
● Where possible, always use products which respect the environment.
● The remains of car care products should not be disposed of with ordina-
ry hou
sehold waste. Observe information provided by the manufacturer. 

245
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Cleaning windows and exterior mirrors Cleaning windows and exterior mirrors
Spr
a
y windows and exterior windows with a standard window cleaner con-
taining alcohol.
Dry the windows with a clean chamois leather or a lint-free cloth. The cha-
mois leathers used on painted surfaces are not suitable for cleaning win-
dows because they are soiled with wax deposits which could smear the win-
dows.
Use window cleaner or a silicone remover to clean rubber, oil, grease and
silicone deposits off ⇒  .
Remo v

ing wax deposits
Automatic car washes and certain car care products may leave wax deposits
on the windows. These deposits can only be removed with a special product
or cleaning cloths. Wax deposits on the windscreen could cause the wiper
blades to judder. SEAT recommends you wipe the wax deposits off the wind-
screen with a soft cloth each time after you have washed the vehicle.
A window cleaning detergent which helps to dissolve the wax may be added
to the windscreen washer fluid to prevent the wiper blades from scratching
the windscreen. Please ensure the you add the cleaning product in the cor-
rect proportions. Products for removing grease do not eliminate the wax de-
posits ⇒  .
Spec i

al cleaning products or window cloths are available at any Technical
Service. To remove wax deposits, SEAT recommends the following products:
● For the hottest time of the year: the window cleaner for summer
use G 052 184 A1. Propor
tion 1:100 (1 part detergent, 100 parts water) in
the windscreen washer bottle.
● All year round: the window cleaner G 052 164 A2; proportion 1:2 in
winds
creen washer bottle (1 part concentrate, 2 parts water) in winter, up to
-18°C (-0.4°F), or 1:4, during the rest of the year.
● Window cloths G 052 522 A1 for all windows and exterior mirrors. Removing snow
Use a smal

l brush to remove snow from the windows and exterior mirrors.
Removing ice
If possible, use a de-icing spray to remove ice. If you use an ice scraper,
push it in one direction only without swinging it. If you pull the scraper
backwards, the dirt may scratch the window. WARNING
Dirty or misted windows reduce visibility in all directions and increase
the risk of

accident and serious injury.
● Do not drive unless you have good visibility through all windows!
● Remove ice and snow from the windows and demist inside and out. CAUTION
● Never mix our cleaning products with other products not recommended
b y

SEAT in the windscreen washer bottle. This could lead to flocculation and
may block the windscreen washer jets.
● Do not use hot or warm water to remove ice or snow from the windows
and exterior mirr
ors. The glass could crack!
● The heating element for the rear window is located on the inner side of
the window
. Do not stick adhesive labels over the heating elements and
never clean the inside of the rear window with corrosive or acid products or
other similar chemical cleaning products.
● Aerials on the inside of windows may be damaged if knocked or if
cle

aned with corrosive or acid cleaning products. Do not stick adhesive la-
bels over the heating elements and never clean the inside of the rear win-
dow with corrosive or acid products or other similar chemical cleaning prod-
ucts. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

250
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Additional information and warnings:
● Caring for and cleaning the vehicle exterior ⇒ page 242
● A
ccessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 257WARNING
Car care products may be toxic and hazardous. If car care products are
not s uit

able or are used inappropriately, this could result in accident, se-
rious injury, burns or intoxication.
● Car care products must always be stored in the original container
which shoul
d be kept closed.
● Observe information provided by the manufacturer.
● To prevent confusion, never store car care products in empty food
cans, bottl
es or other containers.
● Keep all care products out of reach of children.
● Harmful vapours may be produced when using car care products.
Therefor
e, care products should only be used in well-ventilated spaces or
in the open air.
● Never use fuel, turpentine, engine oil, acetone or any other volatile
liquid to w
ash, clean or care for the vehicle. These are toxic and highly
flammable. WARNING
Inappropriate care and cleaning of vehicle components may effect the ve-
hicl e s

afety equipment, increasing the risk of severe injury.
● Vehicle components should only be cleaned and maintained in ac-
cord
ance with the manufacturer's instructions.
● Only use approved or recommended care products. CAUTION
● Cleaning products which contain solvents will damage the material.
● To av

oid damage, stubborn stains should be removed by a specialist
cle

aning company. Note
Suitable car care products are available from your Technical Service. 
Treating your upholstery Check list
For inf
orm

ation on how to treat and care for the vehicle upholstery, please
bear the following in mind ⇒  :
● Before entering the vehicle, fasten all Velcro fastenings which could
come int o c

ontact with upholstery and coverings. If the Velcro fastenings on
upholstery and material covers are not securely fastened, this could dam-
age them.
● To prevent damage, do not allow the upholstery or covers to come into
contact
with sharp or decorative objects. Decorative objects such as zips,
rivets and rhinestones on clothing and belts.
● Dust and grit in the pores and seams should be removed regularly to
prevent
them scratching and damaging the surface.
● Always check that the dyes used in clothing are fast to prevent them
from st
aining the upholstery. This is particularly true for clear-coloured up-
holstery. 

Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198, 199
Fault
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
With towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 176
Petrol Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Pollen filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Pollution filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Portable waste bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Pre-heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Preparation Checking the engine coolant level . . . . . . 286
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Work in the engine compartment . . . . . . . 277
Preparations Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . 281
Topping up the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . 281
Preparing for the journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Principles of physics regarding a frontal colli- sion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Protection of vehicle undercarriage . . . . . . . . 248
Pushing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 R
Radio r eception
Aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Operating faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Rails and attachment element system Baggage net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Rails and attachment system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Rain sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Control of function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Raising the vehicle Check list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Raising vehicle Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
With a lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Reading the Fault memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Rear assist Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Mode 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Mode 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Things to note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
User instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Rear Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rear assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Rear shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110, 111
Rear vision mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Recommended gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Refil
ling precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Reflective vest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Reflective vests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Refuelling Mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Remote control Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
See "Keys" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Removing ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Removing snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Removing wax deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257, 258 Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Replacement of parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Reprogramming control units . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Retaining hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Retro-fitting Two-way radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Vehicle telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Rev counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Reversing camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rocker switches Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Rollback anti-trap function Electric sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Roof carrier system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Rubber seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 375
Index