2012 Seat Alhambra Owner's Manual

15
Safe driving
WARNING
Toxic gases may enter the vehicle interior when the tailgate is open. This
could cause loss of consciousness, carbon monoxide poisoning, serious
injury and accidents.
● To avoid toxic gases entering the vehicle always drive with the tail-
gate closed.
● In exceptional circumstances, if you must drive with the tailgate
open, observe the following to reduce the entry of toxic gases inside the
vehicle:
–Close all windows and the sliding roof.
– Turn off the air recirculation for the heating and air conditioning.
– Open all of the air outlets in the dashboard.
– Turn the heating fan and heater to the highest level.
CAUTION
An open tailgate changes the length and height of the vehicle. 
Driving a loaded vehicle
For the best handling when driving a loaded vehicle, note the following:
● Secure all objects
⇒ page 14.
● Accelerate gently and carefully.
● Avoid sudden braking and manoeuvres.
● Brake early.
● If necessary, read the instructions for driving with a trailer
⇒ page 237.
● If necessary, read the instructions for driving with a roof carrier system
⇒  page 139.
WARNING
A sliding load could considerably affect the stability and safety of the ve-
hicle resulting in an accident with serious consequences.
● Secure loads correctly so they do not move.
● When transporting heavy objects, use suitable ropes or straps.
● Lock the seat backs in vertical position.

Specific vehicle weight information
The instructions in the official vehicle documents take precedence. All the
technical data provided in this documentation is applicable to the basic
model. The vehicle data label in the Maintenance Programme or the vehicle
documents show which engine is installed in your vehicle.
The figures may be different depending on if additional equipment is fitted,
for different models and for special vehicles.
WARNING
Exceeding the maximum authorised weight and the load on the axles
could cause damage to the vehicle, accidents and serious injuries.
● The real load on the axles should never exceed the maximum permit-
ted.
● The load and its distribution in the vehicle have effects on the vehicle
handling and the braking ability. Always drive at a suitable speed.
CAUTION
Distribute the load as uniformly and as low down on the vehicle as possible.
When transporting heavy objects in the trunk/boot, these should be placed
as far forward as possible or over the rear axle to have as little influence on
handling as possible. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

16Seat belts
Seat belts
Brief introduction Introduction
Check the condition of all the seat belts at regular intervals. If you notice
that the belt webbing, fittings, retractor mechanism or buckle of any of the
belts is damaged, the belt must be replaced immediately by a specialised
workshop ⇒ 
. The specialised workshop must use the appropriate spare
parts corresponding to the vehicle, the equipment and the model year. SEAT
recommends visiting a Technical Service.
Additional information and warnings:
● Adjust the seat position ⇒ page 10
● Airbag system ⇒ page 31
● Child seats (accessories) ⇒ page 39
● Integrated child seats ⇒ page 45
● Accessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 261
WARNING
Unbuckled or badly buckled seat belts increase the risk of severe or even
fatal injuries. The seat belt cannot offer its full protection if it is not fas-
tened and used correctly.
● Seats belts are the most effective ways of reducing the risk of sus-
taining severe or fatal injuries In the event of an accident. Seat belts
must be correctly fastened when the vehicle is in motion to protect the
driver and all vehicle occupants.
WARNING (Continued)
● Before each trip, every occupant in the vehicle occupants must sit
properly, correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to his or her seat and
keep it fastened throughout the trip. This also applies to other occupants
when driving in town.
● When travelling, children must be secured in the vehicle with a child
restraint system suitable for their weight and height and with the seat
belts correctly fastened ⇒ page 39.
● Instruct your passengers to fasten their seat belts properly before
driving off.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the appropriate seat and en-
sure it is engaged. Using the latch plate in the buckle of another seat will
not protect you properly and may cause severe injuries.
● Do not allow liquids or foreign bodies to enter the buckle fastenings.
This could damage the buckles and seat belts.
● Never unbuckle your seat belt when the vehicle is moving.
● Never allow more than one passenger to share the same seat belt.
● Never hold children or babies on your lap sharing the same seat belt.
● Loose, bulky clothing (such as a jacket) impairs the proper fit and
function of the seat belt.
WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to drive using damaged seat belts and could re-
sult in serious injury or loss of life.
● Avoid damaging the seat belt by jamming it in the door or the seat
mechanism. 

17
Seat belts
WARNING (Continued)
● If the fabric or other parts of the seat belt are damaged, the seat belts
could break in the event of an accident or sudden braking.
● Always have damaged seatbelts replaced immediately by seat belts
approved for the vehicle in question by SEAT. Seat belts which have been
worn in an accident and stretched must be replaced by a specialised
workshop. Renewal may be necessary even if there is no apparent dam-
age. The belt anchorage should also be checked.
● Never attempt to repair, modify or remove a seat belt yourself. All re-
pairs to seat belts, retractors and buckles must be carried out by a speci-
alised workshop.

Warning lamp
Fig. 3 Warning lamp on
the instrument panel
Fig. 4 Example of seat
belt status display for the
rear seats (here, a 7-seat
vehicle) on the instru-
ment panel. above the
second row and below
the third row of seats.
Lights up or flash- esPossible causeSolution

Driver's seat belt not fas-
tened or front passenger's
seat belt not fastened if the
front passenger's seat is oc-
cupied.
Fasten seat belts!
Objects on the front passeng-
er's seat.Remove any objects from the
front passenger's seat and store
them safely.
Some control and warning lamps on the instrument panel will come on to
check certain functions when the ignition is switched on. They will switch off
after a few seconds.
A signal will be heard for a maximum of 90 seconds if the seat belts are not
fastened as the car drives off and reaches a speed of more then 25 km/h or
if the seat belts are unfastened while the vehicle is in motion. The seat belt
warning lamp  will also flash. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

18Seat belts
The warning lamp  does not switch off until the driver and front passenger
fasten their seat belts while the ignition is switched on.
Seat belt status display for rear seats
The seat belt status display on the instrument panel informs the driver,
when the ignition is switched on, whether any passengers in the rear seats
have fastened their seat belts. The symbol  indicates that the passenger
in this seat has fastened “his or her” seat belt ⇒ fig. 4.
The seat belt status is displayed for around 30 seconds when a seat belt in
the rear seats is fastened or unfastened. You can switch off this display by
pressing the 0.0 / SET
button.
The seat belt status flashes for a maximum of 30 seconds when a seat belt
in the rear seats is unfastened while the vehicle is in motion. A signal will
also be heard if the vehicle is travelling at over 25 km/h.
The rear seat display can be enabled or disabled by a Technical Service.
WARNING
Unbuckled or badly buckled seat belts increase the risk of severe or even
fatal injuries. The optimal protection from seat belts can be achieved only
if you use them properly.


19
Seat belts
Why wear seat belts? Frontal collisions and the laws of physics
Fig. 5 Vehicle about to
hit a wall: the occupants
are not wearing seat
belts.
Fig. 6 The vehicle hits
the wall: the occupants
are not wearing seat
belts. It is easy to explain how the laws of physics work in the case of a head-on
collision: when a vehicle starts moving
⇒ fig. 5, this is a certain amount of
energy known as kinetic energy both in the vehicle and in the occupants.
The higher the speed and the greater the weight of the vehicle, the more
energy there is to be absorbed in an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the speed of the vehicle. If the
speed doubles from 25 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, the kinetic energy is
multiplied by four.
The amount of kinetic energy depends on the speed of the vehicle and the
weight of the vehicle and its passengers. The higher the speed and the
greater the weight of the vehicle and the occupants, the more energy there
is to be absorbed in an accident.
Passengers not wearing seat belts are not “attached” to the vehicle. As a
result, in a frontal collision they will continue to move forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the impact until something stops
them! Because the passengers in our example are not restrained by seat
belts, all of the passengers' kinetic energy has to be absorbed at the point
of impact ⇒ fig. 6.
At speeds of 30 km/h to 50 km/h, the forces acting on bodies in a collision
can easily exceed one tonne (1000 kg). At greater speed these forces are
even higher.
This example applies not only to head-on collisions, but to all accidents and
collisions. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

20Seat belts
Dangers of not using the seat belt
Fig. 7 A driver not wear-
ing a seat belt is thrown
forward violently.
Fig. 8 The unbelted rear
passenger is thrown for-
ward violently, hitting the
driver wearing a seat
belt.
Many people believe that the occupants can protect themselves with their
hands in a minor collision. This is false! Even at low speeds, the forces acting on the body in a collision are so great
that it is not possible to brace oneself with just one's arms and hands. In a
frontal collision, unbelted passengers are thrown forward and will make vio-
lent contact with the steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen or whatever
else is in the way
⇒ fig. 7.
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts. When triggered, airbags
provide only additional protection. Airbags do not deploy in all types of ac-
cident. All occupants (including the driver) must be wearing seat belts prop-
erly during the trip, even if the vehicle is equipped with airbag systems.
This will reduce the risk of critical or fatal injuries in the event of an accident
– regardless of whether an airbag is fitted for the seat.
The airbag is only deployed once. To achieve the best possible protection,
the seat belt must always be worn properly so that you will be protected in
accidents in which no airbag is deployed. Vehicle occupants not wearing
belts could be thrown from the vehicle and sustain even more severe or fa-
tal injuries.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear seat belts properly, as
they could otherwise be thrown forward violently in an accident. Rear pas-
sengers who do not use seat belts endanger not only themselves but also
the driver and other occupants ⇒ fig. 8. 

21
Seat belts
Seat belt protection
Fig. 9 Drivers with prop-
erly worn seat belts will
not be thrown forward in
the event of sudden brak-
ing.
Wearing a correctly fastened seat belt can significantly change the situa-
tion. Properly worn seat belts hold the vehicle occupants in the correct sit-
ting positions and substantially reduce the kinetic energy in the event of an
accident. Seat belts also help to prevent uncontrolled movements that
could lead to severe injuries. In addition, properly worn seat belts reduce
the danger of being thrown from the car ⇒ fig. 9.
Passengers wearing their seat belts correctly benefit greatly from the ability
of the belts to absorb kinetic energy. The front crumple zones and other
passive safety features (such as the airbag system) are also designed to ab-
sorb the kinetic energy generated in a collision. Taken together, all these
features reduce the energy released and decrease the risk of injury.
Our examples describe frontal collisions. Of course, properly worn seat belts
substantially reduce the risk of injury in all other types of accidents. This is
why it is so important to fasten seat belts before every trip, even when just
driving “around the corner”. Ensure that your passengers wear their seat
belts as well. Accident statistics have shown properly worn seat belts to be an effective
means of considerably reducing the risk of severe injury and improving the
chances of survival in a serious accident. Furthermore, properly worn seat
belts improve the protection provided by deployed airbags in the event of
an accident. For this reason, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most
countries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the seat belts must be fas-
tened and worn. The front airbags, for example, are only triggered in some
frontal accidents. The front airbags will not be triggered during minor frontal
collisions, minor side collisions, rear collisions, rolls or accidents in which
the airbag trigger threshold value in the control unit is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat belt and ensure that your pas-
sengers have fastened their seat belts properly before you drive off!

Seat belts Using seat belts
Checklist
Using seat belts ⇒ :
● Check the condition of all the seat belts at regular intervals.
● Keep the seat belts clean.
● Keep the belt web, the latch plate and the buckle free of foreign bodies
and liquids.
● Do not jam or damage the seat belt or the latch plate when closing the
door, for example.
● Never remove, modify or repair the seat belt or belt fastening mecha-
nisms.
● Fasten your seat belt properly before each trip and keep it fastened. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

22Seat belts
Twisted seat belt
If it is difficult to remove the seat belt from the guide, the seat belt may
have become twisted inside the side trim after being wound too quickly on
unfastening:
● Pull out the seat belt completely, carefully pulling on the latch plate.
● Untwist the belt and guide it back, assisting it by hand.
The seat belt must be fastened even if it is impossible to untwist it. In this
case, the twisted area must not be in an area in direct contact with your
body. Have the seat belt untwisted urgently by a Technical Service.
WARNING
An improperly handled seat belt increases the risk of sustaining severe
or fatal injuries.
● Regularly check that the seat belts and their components are in per-
fect condition.
● Always keep your seat belt clean.
● Do not jam or damage the seat belt or rub it with sharp edges.
● Make sure there are no liquids or foreign bodies on the latch plate
and in the buckle.
 Fastening or unfastening a seat belt with one buckle
Fig. 10 Insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
Fig. 11 Release the latch
plate from the buckle.
Properly worn seat belts hold the vehicle occupants in the position that
most protects them in the event of an accident or sudden braking ⇒ 
.