2013 Seat Alhambra oil change

288Checking and refilling levels
WARNING
If the warning lamps and messages are ignored, the vehicle may stall in
traffic, or may cause accidents and severe injuries.
● Always observe any lit warning lamps and text messages.
● Never ignore the warning lamps or text messages.
● Stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible.
CAUTION
Failure to heed the control lamps and text messages when they appear may
result in faults in the vehicle. 
Engine coolant specifications
The engine cooling system is supplied from the factory with a specially trea-
ted mixture of water and, at least, 40 % of the additive G 13 (TLVW 774 J).
The engine coolant additive is recognisable by its purple colour. This mix-
ture of water and additive gives the necessary frost protection down to
-25 °C (-13 °F) and protects the light alloy parts of the cooling system
against corrosion. It also prevents scaling and considerably raises the boil-
ing point of the coolant.
To protect the engine cooling system, the percentage of additive must al-
ways be at least 40 %, even in warm climates where anti-freeze protection is
not required.
If greater frost protection is required in very cold climates, the proportion of
additive can be increased. However, the percentage of additive should not
exceed 60 %, as this would reduce the frost protection and, in turn, de-
crease the cooling capacity.
When the coolant is topped up, use a mixture of distilled water and, at
least, 40 % of the G 13 or G 12 plus-plus (TL-VW 774 G) additive (both are purple) to obtain an optimum anticorrosion protection ⇒ 
. The mixture of
G 13 with G 12 plus (TL-VW 774 F), G 12 (red) or G 11 (green-blue) engine
coolants will significantly reduce the anticorrosion protection and should,
therefore be avoided ⇒ 
.
WARNING
If there is not enough anti-freeze in the coolant system, the engine may
fail leading to serious damage.
● Please make sure that the percentage of additive is correct with re-
spect to the lowest expected ambient temperature in the zone in which
the vehicle is to be used.
● When the outside temperature is very low, the coolant could freeze
and the vehicle would be immobilised. In this case, the heating would
not work either and inadequately dressed passengers could die of cold.
CAUTION
The original additives should never be mixed with coolants which are not
approved by SEAT. Otherwise, you run the risk of causing severe damage to
the engine and the engine cooling system.
● If the fluid in the expansion tank is not purple but is, for example,
brown, this indicates that the G 13 additive has been mixed with an inade-
quate coolant. The coolant must be changed as soon as possible if this is
the case! This could result in serious faults and engine damage.
For the sake of the environment
Coolants and additives can contaminate the environment. If any fluids are
spilled, they should be collected and correctly disposed of, with respect to
the environment. 

298Wheels and tyres
● Replace damaged or worn tyres as soon as possible ⇒ page 302.
● Regularly check tyres for non-visible damage ⇒ page 302.
● Never exceed the maximum permitted speed or loads specified for the
type of tyre fitted on your vehicle ⇒ page 305.
● Do not allow tyres to come into contact with aggressive substances,
grease, oil, fuel or brake fluid ⇒ 
.
● Lost valve caps should be replaced immediately.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
Tyres with directional tread pattern have been designed to operate best
when rotating in only one direction. An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates
the direction of rotation on tyres with directional tread ⇒ page 305. Always
observe the direction of rotation indicated when mounting the wheel. This
guarantees optimum grip and helps to avoid aquaplaning, excessive noise
and wear.
If the tyre is mounted in the opposite direction of rotation, drive with ex-
treme caution, as the tyre is no longer being used correctly. This is of partic-
ular importance when the road surface is wet. Change the tyre as soon as
possible or remount it with the correct direction of rotation.
Interchanging tyres
To ensure that the wear is equal on all tyres the wheels should be changed
round from time to time according to the system ⇒ Fig. 177. The useful life
of all the tyres will then be about the same time.
SEAT recommends you take the vehicle to a specialised workshop to have
the tyres changed.
Tyres that are over 6 years old
Tyres are subject to an ageing process as a result of physical and chemical
processes. This may affect their performance. Tyres which are stored for
long periods of time without being used, harden and become more fragile
than tyres which are in constant use.
SEAT recommends that tyres over six years old are replaced with new tyres.
This also applies to tyres which appear to be in perfect condition on the out- side and which have a tread depth within the values stipulated by the Law
⇒ 
.
The date of manufacture, part of the tyre identification number (TIN), indi-
cates the age of the tyre ⇒ page 305.
Storing tyres
Mark tyres when you remove them to indicate the direction of rotation (left,
right, forwards, backwards). This ensures you will be able to mount them
correctly when you replace them. When removed, the wheels and/or tyres
should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark location. Do not place
tyres mounted on the wheel in a vertical position.
Protect tyres not mounted on wheels from dirt by storing them in suitable
bags and standing them on the ground on their tread.
WARNING
Aggressive fluids or substances could result in visible or invisible dam-
age with the consequent risks.
● Always ensure that tyres do not come into contact with chemical
products, oil, grease, fuel, brake fluid or other aggressive substances.
WARNING
Old tyres, even if they have never been used, may lose air or burst unex-
pectedly while driving, resulting in serious accident or damage.
● If tyres are over six years old, they should only be used in an emer-
gency and with extreme caution.
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of by qualified personnel according to the laws
in the country concerned. 

314Wheels and tyres
Changing a wheel
Fig. 187 Changing a
wheel: loosen wheel
bolts with the socket at
the end of the wheel
brace
Removing the wheel
● Please observe the check list
⇒ page 309.
● Loosen the wheel bolts
⇒ page 310.
● Jacking up the vehicle
⇒ page 312.
● Using the hexagonal socket in the wheel brace
⇒ Fig. 187, unscrew the
slackened wheel bolts and place them on a clean surface.
● Take off the wheel.
Putting on the spare wheel
Check the direction of rotation of the tyre ⇒ page 298.
● Fit the wheel.
● Screw on the anti-theft locking bolt with the adapter in position
⇒  Fig. 184 2
or 3 clockwise and tighten gently.
● Replace the other wheel bolts and tighten slightly using the hexagonal
socket on the end of the wheel brace.
● Lower the car with the jack. ●
Tighten all of the wheel bolts clockwise ⇒ 
. Tighten the bolts in diago-
nal pairs (not in a circle).
● Put the caps, trim or full hubcap back on ⇒ page 307.
WARNING
If the wheel bolts are not treated suitably or not tightened to the correct
torque then this could lead to loss of vehicle control and to a serious ac-
cident.
● All the wheel bolts and hub threads should be clean and free of oil
and grease. The wheel bolts should be easily tightened to the correct tor-
que.
● The hexagonal socket in the wheel brace should be used for turning
wheel bolts only. Do not use it to loosen or tighten the wheel bolts.

After changing the wheel
● Clean the wheel brace, if necessary and put it away in the luggage com-
partment ⇒ page 323.
● Have the tightening torque of the wheel bolts checked as soon as possi-
ble with a torque wrench ⇒ page 311.
Note
If the vehicle is fitted with a tyre monitoring system, this should be “reprog-
rammed” if necessary whenever a tyre is changed ⇒ page 226.

Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Electronic parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Emergency braking function . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Brake assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brake assist system (BAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Brakes Brake assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Brake fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Changing the brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Emergency brake indicator in case of sud-den braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Running-in brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188, 190
Brake system Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Brake systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Braking assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Brake assist system (BAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Breakdown Securing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Bulb fault See changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 C
Card compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Care See "Care of your vehicle" . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Vehicle interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Care of your vehicle Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Caring for paintwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Carrier system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141, 149
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 77 Anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Locking/unlocking the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 76
Central locking system After airbag deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Opening doors individually . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Centre armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Changing Windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Raising the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 Bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 Front bumper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Halogen headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Initial operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Number plate light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Sea changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335, 336
Xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Changing gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Engaging gears (manual gearbox) . . . . . . 178
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Manually unlocking the gear selector lever . .322
Selecting gears (automatic gearbox) . . . . 179
Warning and control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Changing gears Gear recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Changing the battery of the vehicle key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Changing the wheel After changing the wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Checking Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Checking the oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Check list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Checklist Before working in the engine compart-ment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
In case of an emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
369
Index