2011 Seat Alhambra seat adjustment

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

6
Content
Content
This manual is structured to provide the information you need in an organ-
ised wa
y. The content of this Manual is divided into sections which belong
to chapters (e.g. “Air conditioning”). The entire manual is divided into five
large parts which are:
1. Safety First Information on the vehicle equipment relating to passive safety such as
seat belts, airbags, seats, etc.
2. Operating instructions
Information about the distribution of controls in the driver position of your
vehicle, about the seat adjustment possibilities, about how to create a suit-
able climate in the passenger compartment, etc.
3. Practical tips
Advice relating to the driving, caring and maintenance of your vehicle and
certain problems you can solve yourself.
4. Technical Data Figures, data, dimensions and measurements (for example fuel consump-
tion) of your vehicle.
5. Alphabetic index
At the end of this manual there is a detailed alphabetical index, this will
help you to rapidly find the information you require. 

11
Safe driving WARNING (Continued)
● Keep your back straight and resting completely against the backrest
and the fr ont
seats correctly adjusted. Never place any part of your body
in the area of the airbag or very close to it.
● If passengers on the rear seats are not sitting in an upright position,
the risk of
severe injury due to incorrect positioning of the belt web in-
creases. WARNING
Incorrect seat adjustment may lead to accidents and severe injuries.
● Only adjust the seats when the vehicle is stationary, as the seats
cou l

d move unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion and you could
lose control of the vehicle. Furthermore, an incorrect position is adopted
when adjusting the seat.
● Only adjust the height, backrest and forwards or backwards position
of the seat
when there is nobody in the seat adjustment area.
● There must be no objects blocking the seat adjustment area.
● Only adjust the height, angle and longitudinal position of the rear
seats
when nobody is in the way.
● The seat adjustment and lock areas must be kept clean. 
Danger of injuries due to an incorrect sitting position If the seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at all, the risk of severe injuries
incr
e

ases. Seat belts can provide optimal protection only if the belt web is
properly worn. The seat belt cannot offer its full protection if the belt web is
not positioned correctly. This could result in severe and even fatal injuries.
The risk of severe or fatal injuries is especially increased when a deploying
airbag strikes an occupant who has assumed an incorrect sitting position.
The driver is responsible for all passengers in the vehicle, particularly chil-
dren. The following list shows just some examples of incorrect sitting positions
which can be d

angerous to all occupants.
Whenever the vehicle is in motion:
● Never stand in the vehicle.
● Never stand on the seats.
● Never kneel on the seats.
● Never tilt your backrest too far to the rear.
● Never lean against the dash panel.
● Never lie on the rear bench.
● Never sit on the front edge of a seat.
● Never sit sideways.
● Never lean out of a window.
● Never put your feet out of a window.
● Never put your feet on the dash panel.
● Never put your feet on the surface of a seat or backrest.
● Never travel in a footwell.
● Never sit on the armrests.
● Never travel on a seat without wearing the seat belt.
● Never carry any person in the luggage compartment. WARNING
Every incorrect sitting position increases the risk of severe or fatal inju-
ries in the ev

ent of accidents or sudden braking or manoeuvres.
● All passengers must assume the proper sitting position and be prop-
erly belted in whi
le travelling.
● Occupants in incorrect sitting positions, not wearing their seat belt or
too clo
se to the airbag run the risk of suffering severe or fatal injuries,
particularly if the airbag deploys and hits an occupant sitting in an incor-
rect position. 
Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

14
Safe driving WARNING
The driving behaviour and braking ability change when transporting
heavy and l
arge objects.
● Adjust your speed and driving style to visibility, road, traffic and
weather c
onditions.
● Accelerate gently and carefully.
● Avoid sudden braking and manoeuvres.
● Brake early. 
Transporting a load Secure all objects in the vehicle
●
Distribute the load throughout the vehicle, on the roof and in a trailer as
unif orm

ly as possible.
● Transport heavy objects as far forward as possible in the luggage com-
partment
and lock the seat backs in the vertical position.
● Secure luggage in the luggage compartment with suitable straps on the
fas

tening rings ⇒ page 125.
● Check the headlight adjustment ⇒ page 95.
● U

se the suitable tyre pressure according to the load being transported.
Rea
d the tire inflation information label ⇒ page 293.
● For vehicles with a tire pressure indicator, change the vehicle load status
⇒ page 221. CAUTION
Objects on the shelf could chafe against the wires of the heating element in
the re ar w

indow and cause damage. Note
Please note the information about loading a trailer ⇒ pag
e 233 and the
roof carrier system ⇒ page 138. 
Driving with the tailgate open Driving with the tailgate open creates an additional risk. Secure all objects
and secur
e the t

ailgate correctly and take all measures possible to reduce
toxic gases from entering the vehicle. WARNING
Driving with the tailgate unlocked or open could cause serious injuries.
● Always drive with the tailgate closed.
● Secure all objects in the vehicle. Loose items could fall out of the ve-
hicl e and injur

e other road users or damage other vehicles.
● Drive particularly carefully and think ahead.
● Avoid sudden manoeuvres and braking given that this could cause an
uncontr
olled movement of the open tailgate.
● When transporting objects that protrude out of the luggage compart-
ment, indicate them s
uitably. Observe legal requirements.
● If objects must project out of the luggage compartment, the tailgate
must
never be used to “secure” or “attach” objects.
● If a baggage rack is fitted on the tailgate, it should be removed before
travel
ling with the tailgate open. 

25
Seat belts Fig. 14 Correct position-
ing of
se
at belts during
pregnancy.
Seat belts offer their maximum protection in the event of an accident and
reduce the ri
sk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries only when they are
properly positioned. Furthermore, if the webbing is correctly positioned, the
seat belt will hold the occupants in the optimum position to ensure the air-
bag provides the utmost protection. The seat belt must therefore always be
worn and the webbing correctly positioned.
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause severe or even fatal injuries
⇒ page 10, Adjusting the seat position.
Correct seat belt position
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie on the centre of the shoulder,
never acr
oss the neck or the arm, under the arm or behind the shoulder.
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across the pelvis, never across the
stom
ach.
● The seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably. Pull the belt tight if neces-
sary
to take up any slack.
In the case of pregnant women , the seat belt must lie evenly across the
chest and as low as possible over the pelvis, never across the stomach and
must be worn properly at all times during the pregnancy ⇒ fig. 14.Adapting the position of the belt webbing to your size
The seat belt

can be adapted using the following equipment:
● Belt height adjustment for the front seats.
● Seat height adjustment (front seats). WARNING
An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause severe injuries in the event
of an ac c

ident or sudden braking or manoeuvre.
● The seat belt cannot provide optimum protection if it is not correctly
worn and the bac
krest is not tilted slightly backwards.
● The seat belt itself or a loose seat belt can cause severe injuries if the
belt mov
es from hard areas of the body to soft areas (e.g. the stomach).
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie on the centre of the shoul-
der, never ac
ross the neck or the arm.
● The seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably on the torso
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across the pelvis, never across
the stom
ach. The seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably on the pelvis
Pull the belt tight if necessary to take up any slack.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the seat belt must lie as low as
poss
ible over the pelvis and always lie flat, “surrounding” the stomach.
● Do not twist the seat belt while it is fastened.
● Never pull the seat belt away from your body using your hand.
● Do not lie the seat belt across rigid or fragile objects, e.g. glasses,
pens or k
eys.
● Never use seat belt clips, retaining rings or similar instruments to al-
ter the pos
ition of the belt webbing. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

26
Seat belts Note
If you physical constitution prevents you from maintaining the correct posi-
tion of the belt w
ebbing, contact a Technical Service for help with any spe-
cial devices to ensure the optimum protection of the seat belt and airbag.
SEAT recommends visiting a Technical Service. 
Belt height adjustment Fig. 15 Next to the front
seat
s: belt

height adjust-
er.
Using the height adjusters for the front seats and the outer seats of the sec-
ond row
, the position of the seat belts can be adjusted in the shoulder area
according to the height of the occupant:
● Keep the guide device pressed down in the direction of the arrow
⇒ fig. 15.
● Move the guide device up or down until the seat belt lies over the centre
of y

our shoulder ⇒ page 24, Seat belt position.
● Release the guide device.
● Pull the belt sharply to check that the device is engaged securely. WARNING
Never adjust the belt height while the vehicle is in motion. 
Seat belt tensioners
Autom atic

belt retainer, belt tension device, belt tension
limiter Seat belts are part of the vehicle safety concept
⇒ page 31 and c
onsist of
the following important functions:
Automatic belt retainer
Every seat belt is equipped with an automatic belt retainer on the shoulder
belt. If the belt is pulled slowly or during normal driving, the system allows
for total freedom of movement on the shoulder belt. However, during sud-
den braking, during travel in mountains or bends and during acceleration,
the automatic belt retainer on the seat belt is locked is pulled quickly.
Belt tension devices
The seat belts on the front seats and the outer seats of the second row are
equipped with belt tension devices.
Sensors will trigger the belt tension devices during severe head-on, lateral
and rear collisions and retract and tighten the seat belts. If the seat belt is
loose, it is retracted to reduce the forwards movement of occupants or
movement in the direction of the collision. The belt tension device works in
combination with the airbag system. The belt tension device will not be trig-
gered in the event of the vehicle overturning if the side airbags are not de-
ployed.
If the belt tension device is triggered, a fine dust is produced. This is normal
and it is not an indication of fire in the vehicle. 

31
Airbag system CAUTION
Always pay attention to any lit lamps and to the corresponding descriptions
and ins truction
s to avoid damage to the vehicle. 
Airbag system Des
cription and function of the airbag The airbag can protect vehicle occupants in the event of an accidents, cush-
ioning the mo
v

ement of the occupants in the direction of the collision in
frontal and side accidents.
Deployed airbags fill with a propellant gas. This causes the airbag covers to
break and the airbags to deploy extremely quickly in their entire deploy-
ment space within fractions of a second. When an occupant with the seat
belt properly fastened puts pressure on the inflated airbag, the propellant
gas escapes to absorb the force of the impact and slow the movement. This
reduces the risk of severe or fatal injuries. Airbag deployment does not
mean that other types of injury such as swelling, bruising, burns and skin
injuries can be ruled out.
Airbags do not protect the arms or the lower part of the body.
The most important factors for triggering the airbag are the type of accident,
the angle of impact, the vehicle speed and the characteristics of the object
the vehicle hits. Therefore, airbags are not triggered every time the vehicle
is visibly damaged.
The airbag system is designed to be triggered in collisions with a severe im-
pact. The front, curtain, side and knee airbags may be triggered under spe-
cial circumstances. The scope of any visible damage to the vehicle is not an
indication of airbag deployment. Airbags act in conjunction with three-point seat belts in the event of certain
accidents, when the

vehicle deceleration rate is severe enough to trigger
the airbags. Airbags only deploy once and only under certain circumstan-
ces. Seat belts remain present to offer protection in situations where air-
bags are not triggered or where they have already deployed. For example,
when a vehicle hits another after an initial collision or is hit by another vehi-
cle.
The airbag system is an integral part of the car's passive safety system. The
airbag system can only work effectively when the occupants are wearing
their seat belts correctly and have adjusted the head restraints properly 
⇒  page 10.
Vehicle safety components
The following safety equipment makes up the vehicle safety design to re-
duce the risk of severe and fatal injuries. Depending on the vehicle equip-
ment, some equipment may not be fitted in the vehicle or may not be avail-
able in some markets.
● Optimised seat belts for all seats.
● Belt tension devices for the driver and front passenger and, where appli-
cabl
e, on the outer seats of the second row of seats in combination with the
side airbags.
● Furthermore, belt tension limiters for the driver's and front passenger's
seat belt
.
● Belt height adjustment for the front seats and, where applicable, the
outer seats
of the second row of seats.
● Seat belt warning lamp
● Frontal airbags for driver and passenger.
● Side airbags for the driver, front passenger and, where applicable, the
outer seats
of the second row of seats.
● Left and right curtain airbags.
● One airbag for the driver's knees.
● Airbag control lamp .
● PASSENGER AIR BAG   contro
l lamp. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

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. 