2012 Seat Alhambra roof rack

14Safe driving
WARNING
The driving behaviour and braking ability change when transporting
heavy and large objects.
● Adjust your speed and driving style to visibility, road, traffic and
weather conditions.
● 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
uniformly 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
fastening rings ⇒ page 126.
● Check the headlight adjustment ⇒ page 95.
● Use the suitable tyre pressure according to the load being transported.
Read the tire inflation information label ⇒ page 297.
● For vehicles with a tire pressure indicator, change the vehicle load status
⇒ page 225.
CAUTION
Objects on the shelf could chafe against the wires of the heating element in
the rear window and cause damage.
Note
Please note the information about loading a trailer ⇒ page 237 and the
roof carrier system ⇒ page 139. 
Driving with the tailgate open
Driving with the tailgate open creates an additional risk. Secure all objects
and secure the tailgate 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-
hicle and injure other road users or damage other vehicles.
● Drive particularly carefully and think ahead.
● Avoid sudden manoeuvres and braking given that this could cause an
uncontrolled movement of the open tailgate.
● When transporting objects that protrude out of the luggage compart-
ment, indicate them suitably. 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
travelling with the tailgate open. 

232Driving and the environment
Avoid carrying unnecessary loads
The lighter the vehicle, the more economical and ecological the driving
style. For example, an additional weight of 100 kg will increase fuel con-
sumption up to 0.3 l/100 km.
Remove any unnecessary objects or loads from the vehicle.
Remove optional equipment and unnecessary accessories
The more aerodynamic the vehicle, the lower the fuel consumption. Option-
al equipment and accessories (such as roof racks or bike carriers) reduce
the aerodynamic benefits of the vehicle.
Therefore, we recommend you remove all optional and unnecessary equip-
ment and racks, especially if you intend to drive at high speeds. 
Engine management and exhaust gas
purification system Introduction
Additional information and warnings:
● Changing gear ⇒ page 176
● Refuelling ⇒ page 268
● Fuel ⇒ page 271
● Engine oil ⇒ page 283
● Vehicle battery ⇒ page 292
● Information stored in the control units ⇒ page 261
● Tow-starting and towing away ⇒ page 344
WARNING
The components of the exhaust system reach very high temperatures.
This could cause a fire.
● Always park your vehicle so that no part of the exhaust system can
come in contact with flammable materials (such as dried grass).
● Do not apply additional underseal or anti-corrosion coatings to the
exhaust pipes, catalytic converter, heat shields or the diesel particulate
filter.

Warning lamps
lights upPossible causeSolution
Fault in engine management
(Electronic Power Control).Take the vehicle to a Technical
Service as soon as possible and
have the engine checked.
Pre-heating a diesel engine
before starting the engine.⇒ page 172
Fault in catalytic converter.
You should reduce speed ac-
cordingly. Drive carefully until
you reach the next qualified
workshop. Have the engine
checked there.
Diesel particulate filter
blocked
Drive for 15 minutes in 4th gear
(manual gearbox), or in D (auto-
matic gearbox) at a minimum
speed of 70 km/h (45 mph).
Observe speed limits ⇒ 
.
If the warning lamp remains lit
up, take the vehicle to a Techni-
cal Service ⇒ page 233. 

247
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Washing the vehicle
The longer substances such as insects, bird droppings, resinous tree sap,
road dirt, industrial deposits, tar, soot or road salt and other aggressive ma-
terials remain on the vehicle, the more damage they do to the paintwork.
High temperatures (for instance due to strong sunlight) further intensify the
corrosive effect. The vehicle undercarriage should also be thoroughly wash-
ed at regular intervals.
Automatic car washes
Always observe the instructions provided at the automatic car wash. The
standard precautionary measures prior to entering the car wash should be
taken to avoid damage to the vehicle (close all windows, fold in exterior mir-
rors). If the vehicle is fitted with additional components (spoiler, roof-rack,
aerial...), check with the car wash supervisor whether these can enter the
car wash ⇒ 
.
The vehicle paintwork is so durable that the vehicle can normally be washed
without problems in an automatic car wash tunnel. However, wear and dam-
age to the paintwork will depend on the type of car wash used. SEAT recom-
mends the use of car washed without brushes.
To remove traces of wax on windows and to prevent wiper blades from
scratching, please observe the following ⇒ page 249, Cleaning windows
and exterior mirrors.
Washing the car by hand
When washing the car by hand, use plenty of water to soften the dirt first,
and rinse off as well as possible.
Then clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, glove or brush using only slight
pressure. Start at the roof and work downwards. Special car shampoo
should only be used for very persistent dirt.
Rinse the sponge or glove thoroughly and often.
Wheels, sills and similar should be cleaned last. Use a second sponge for
this.
WARNING
Sharp components on the vehicle may cause injury.
● Protect arms and hands from sharp edges when cleaning the vehicle
undercarriage or the interior of the wheel hubs.
WARNING
After the vehicle has been washed, the braking effect will be reduced
(and the braking distance increased) due to moisture (and ice in winter)
on the brakes.
● Dry the brakes and remove ice by braking carefully. Ensure that you
are not endangering other road-users or breaking traffic regulations in
the process.
CAUTION
● The temperature of the water must not exceed +60 °C (+140 °F).
● To avoid damage to the paintwork, do not wash the vehicle in full sun.
● Do not use rough sponges or similar which could damage the surface to
clean away the traces of insects.
● Never wipe the headlights with a dry cloth or sponge, always moisten
first. It is best to use soapy water.
● Washing the vehicle in low temperatures: When washing the vehicle
with a hose, do not direct water into the lock cylinders or the gaps around
the doors, tailgate, or sunroof. Locks and seals could freeze!
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the vehicle, please observe the following before en-
tering an automatic car wash :
● Compare the distance between the vehicle wheels and the distance be-
tween the guide-rails of the car wash to prevent damage to the wheels and
tyres! 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

318If and when
First aid kit, warning triangle, reflective vests and fire
extinguishers*
Fig. 189 On the boot lid:
Warning triangle bracket.
Reflective vests
Some vehicles will have a driver's door compartment to store a reflective
vest ⇒ page 53.
Warning triangle
With the tailgate open, rotate the lock ⇒ fig. 189 90°. Lower the bracket and
remove the warning triangle.
First-aid kit
There is a first aid kit ⇒ page 142 in the rear left-hand side storage com-
partment of the luggage compartment.
The first aid kit must comply with legal requirements. Check the expiry date
of the contents of the first aid kit.
Fire extinguisher
There is a Fire extinguisher underneath the passenger seat. The fire extinguisher must conform to legal requirements, be ready for use
and be checked regularly. Check the certification seal on the extinguisher.
WARNING
Loose objects in the passenger compartment can be violently thrown in
case of a sudden manoeuvre or braking and especially in accidents caus-
ing serious injury.
● Secure fire extinguishers, first aid kit, reflective vests and warning
triangle securely to their respective supports.

Emergency locking and unlocking Introduction
The doors, tailgate and panoramic sliding roof can be locked manually and
partially opened, for example if the key or the central locking is damaged.
Additional information and warnings:
● Vehicle key set ⇒ page 71
● Central locking and locking system ⇒ page 74
● Doors ⇒ page 80
● Tailgate ⇒  page 84
● Panorama sliding sunroof ⇒ page 92
● In case of emergency ⇒ page 316 

Parking light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200, 201Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
With towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 178
Petrol Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Portable waste bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Pre-heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Preparation Checking the engine coolant level . . . . . . 290
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Work in the engine compartment . . . . . . . 281
Preparations Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . 285
Topping up the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . 285
Preparing for the journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Principles of physics regarding a frontal colli- sion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Protection of vehicle undercarriage . . . . . . . . 252
Pushing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 R
Radio reception Aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Operating faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Rails and attachment element system Baggage net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Rails and attachment system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Rain sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Control of function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Raising the vehicle Check list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Raising vehicle Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
With a lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Reading the Fault memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Rear assist Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Mode 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Mode 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Things to note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
User instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Rear Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Rear assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Rear shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110, 111
Rear vision mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Recommended gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Refilling precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Reflective vest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Reflective vests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Refuelling
Mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Remote control Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
See "Keys" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Removing ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Removing snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Removing wax deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261, 262 Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Replacement of parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Reprogramming control units . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Retaining hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Retro-fitting Two-way radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Vehicle telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Rev counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Reversing camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Rocker switches Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Rollback anti-trap function Electric sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Roof carrier system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Rubber seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
379
Index

Rear assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Sign Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Start-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Start assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Traction control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Traction control when accelerating (ASR) . 192
Tyre monitoring indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
T Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Driving with the tailgate open . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Electronic locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Electronic opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Emergency locking and unlocking . . . . . . 321
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
See "Tailgate" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Warning indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Technical data Axle loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Bottle capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Curb weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Engine oil specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Roof load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Total weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Technical details Type of fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Temperature display Outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Temperature gauge Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
The tailgate Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
See "The tailgate" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Things to note Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165, 168
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Electric sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Fumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Increase in exhaust fumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Rear assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Switching Auto Hold off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Water underneath the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 162
Tightening torque Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . 351
TIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Tips for driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Before starting out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 Total weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tow hitch
Function control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Installing a bicycle carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Driving advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Four-wheel-drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Front tow ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Rear tow ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Special notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Tow bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Towing prohibited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Towing rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
With a tow hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Towing bracket Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Tow starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Traction control system (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Traction control when accelerating (ASR) . . . . 192
Trailer Adjusting the headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Drawbar load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237, 241
Electrically releasing the hitch ball . . . . . . 238
Electric socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Fitting a trailer tow hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Function control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
382 Index