2013 Seat Alhambra windows

247
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
● Switch off the rain sensor and the Auto Hold function before entering a
car wash.
● Compare the height and width of your vehicle with the available height
and width when entering and driving through the car wash.
● Fold in exterior mirrors Electrically retractable exterior mirrors must NOT
be folded in or out by hand. Always use the electrical power control.
● To avoid damaging the bonnet paintwork, rest the wipers on the wind-
screen after drying them. Do not let them fall!
● Lock the rear lid to prevent it from opening unexpectedly while inside
the car wash. 
Washing the vehicle with high pressure cleaning
equipment
When cleaning the vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, always follow the
operating instructions for the equipment. Pay special attention to the re-
quired pressure of the jet and the distance between the jet and the vehicle
⇒ 
.
Keep a suitable distance from soft materials, such as rubber hoses or insu-
lating material, and from the parking distance warning system sensors. The
parking distance sensors are fitted in the rear bumpers and, where applica-
ble, in the front bumpers ⇒ 
.
Do not use a nozzle that sprays the water out in a direct stream or one that
has a rotating jet for forcing off dirt ⇒ 
.
WARNING
The incorrect use of high pressure cleaning equipment could result in
permanent damage, visible or invisible, to the tyres or other materials.
This could result in a serious accident.
● Ensure there is a suitable distance between the nozzle and the tyres.
● Never wash tyres with a concentrated jet or so-called “dirt blasters”.
Even at large spraying distances and short cleaning times, you may dam-
age the tyres.
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 be above +60 °C (+140 °F).
● To avoid damage to the paintwork, do not wash the vehicle in full sun.
● The sensors on the bumpers should be kept clean and free of ice at all
times to ensure the parking distance warning system and the parking aid
system operate correctly. When cleaning with pressure hoses and steam
cleaners, the sensors should be sprayed only briefly. A distance of 10 cm
between the sensors and the steam / hose nozzle must be observed.
● Do not use a high pressure cleaner to remove ice or snow from windows
● 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, rear lid, or sunroof. Locks and seals could freeze! 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

248Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Cleaning windows and exterior mirrors
Cleaning windows and exterior mirrors
Spray 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 ⇒ 
.
Removing 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 ⇒ 
.
Special 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. Proportion 1:100 (1 part detergent, 100 parts water) in
the windscreen washer reservoir.
● All year round: the window cleaner G 052 164 A2; proportion 1:2 in
windscreen washer reservoir (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 small 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
by SEAT in the windscreen washer reservoir. 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 mirrors. 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
cleaned 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. 

250Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
● Insert a new blade of the same length and type in the wiper arm in the
opposite direction to the arrow B
and hook into place. This feature is op-
erational when the knob is in position (arrow A).
● Replace the wiper arm on the rear window.
WARNING
Worn or dirty wiper blades reduce visibility and increase the risk of acci-
dent and serious injury.
● Always replace damaged or worn blades or blades which do not clean
the windscreen correctly.
CAUTION
● Damaged or dirty windscreen wipers could scratch the glass.
● If products containing solvents, rough sponges or sharp objects are
used to clean the blades, the graphite layer will be damaged.
● Never use fuel, nail varnish remover, paint thinner or similar products to
clean the windows. 
Caring for and polishing the vehicle paintwork
Waxing
Regular waxing protects the paintwork. It is time to apply a good coat of wax
when water no longer forms droplets and rolls off the clean paintwork.
Even if a wax solution is used regularly in the automatic car wash, SEAT rec-
ommends protecting the paint with a hard wax coating at least twice a year.
Polishing
Polishing is only necessary if the paint has lost its shine, and the gloss can-
not be brought back by applying wax. If the polish does not contain wax, a wax product should be applied after
polishing.
CAUTION
● To prevent damage, car polish or hard wax should not be used on com-
ponents painted in matt paint, plastic components and the glass headlamp
and tail light covers.
● Do not polish the paintwork if it is dirty, apply polish in dusty or sandy
zones. 
Cleaning chrome parts
Clean chrome parts with a damp cloth. SEAT recommends the use of a
chrome care product to clean stains and dirt from chrome surfaces. Use a
soft dry cloth to polish chrome parts.
CAUTION
To prevent scratching chrome surfaces:
● Do not use abrasive products.
● Do not clean or polish chrome parts in a sandy or dusty environment.
● Do not polish dirty surfaces. 
Caring for and cleaning anodized surfaces
It is not easy to detect the difference between aluminium and an anodized
surface, for example, a radiator grille. However, anodized surfaces must not
be treated in the same way as aluminium surfaces. Never use rough spong-
es or cloths to wipe away insect remains. 

251
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
● Use a clean, damp, lint-free cloth to clean anodized surfaces.
● If there is a lot of dirt, use a special cleaning product which does not
contain solvents.
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the anodized surfaces:
● Do not use products containing solvents.
● Do not use polish or hard wax.
● Do not use abrasive products.
● Do not polish anodized surfaces in sandy or dusty environments.
● Do not polish dirty surfaces. 
Cleaning wheels
Cleaning steel wheels
Use an industrial cleaner to remove brake dust. Therefore, clean wheels reg-
ularly with a separate sponge.
Any damage to the paint on steel wheels should be touched up before the
metal starts to rust.
Caring for and cleaning alloy wheels
Remove road salt and brake dust by washing the wheels approximately
once a fortnight. Use an acid free detergent to clean the wheel rims. SEAT
recommends treating the wheels thoroughly with a wax compound about
once every three months.
It is important to remove road salt and brake dust by washing the wheels at
regular intervals, otherwise the finish will be impaired.
Always use an acid-free detergent for alloy wheel rims. Car polish or other
abrasive agents should not be used for maintaining the rims. If the protective coating on the paint has been damaged (for example, hit by
a stone), it should be repaired immediately.

Caring for rubber seals
The rubber seals on doors, windows, etc., remain flexible, provide a better
seal and last longer if they are regularly treated with a product specifically
designed for use on rubber.
Before applying the product, use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt from
the rubber seals. 
De-icing the door lock cylinder
To de-ice the lock cylinders, SEAT recommend the use of genuine SEAT spray
with lubricating and anti-corrosive properties.
CAUTION
The use of products containing degreasing agents to de-ice the locks may
rust the lock cylinder. 
Protection of vehicle undercarriage
The vehicle underbody is coated to protect it from chemical and mechanical
damage. The protective coat on the undercarriage may wear through use
while driving. Therefore, SEAT recommends that the protective coating on
the undercarriage and on the running gear should be regularly checked, and
repaired if necessary. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

258Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
Notes for the user
Labels and plates
Some parts in the engine compartment come from the factory with certifi-
cates of safety, labels or plates containing important information regarding
the operation of the vehicle, for example, on the petrol cap, on the passeng-
er's sun visor, on the driver door strut, or on the floor of the luggage com-
partment.
● Never remove these certificates of safety, labels or plates, and ensure
they are kept in good condition and are legible.
● If a vehicle part, bearing a certificate of safety, label or plate, is re-
placed, the specialised workshop should attach the information back in the
same place.
Certificate of safety
A certificate of safety on the door strut states that all the safety standards
and regulations established by the national traffic authorities responsible
for road safety were met at the time of manufacture. It may also give the
month and year of manufacture, together with the chassis number.
Warning of high voltage label*
There is a label close to the bonnet lock which warns of high voltage in the
vehicle electrical installation. The vehicle ignition system complies with sev-
eral standards, including the Canadian standard, ICES-002. 
Using your vehicle in other countries and continents
The vehicle is manufactured at the factory for use in a particular country in
accordance with the national legislation in force at the time of manufacture. If the vehicle is sold in another country or used in another country for an ex-
tended period of time, the applicable legislation of that country should be
observed.
It may be necessary to fit or remove certain pieces of equipment or to deac-
tivate certain functions. Service work may also be affected. This is particu-
larly true if the vehicle is used in a different climate for an extended period
of time.
As there are different types of frequency bands around the world, you may
find that the radio or navigation system supplied at the factory does not
work in another country.
CAUTION
● SEAT does not accept liability for any damage to the vehicle due to the
use of a lower quality fuel, an inadequate service or the non-availability of
genuine spare parts.
● SEAT does not accept liability if the vehicle does not comply in part or in
full with the legal requirements of other countries or continents. 
Radio reception and the aerial
The aerial of radio and navigation systems fitted at the factory may be
mounted in different parts of the vehicle:
● On the inside of the rear window, next to the rear window heating,
● on the inside of the rear side windows,
● on the inside of the windscreen,
● on the roof of the vehicle.
Aerials mounted on the inside of a window can be recognised by the fine
wires. 

259
Vehicle maintenance and cleaning
CAUTION
Aerials on the inside of windows may be damaged if knocked or if cleaned
with corrosive or acid cleaning products. 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.
Note
If electrical equipment is used near an aerial built-into the window, you may
observe interference in the reception of AM stations. 
Notes on SEAT repairs
WARNING
Repairs or modifications which are not performed correctly may result in
damage or errors in the vehicle operation, affecting the effectiveness of
the driver assist and airbag systems. This could result in serious acci-
dent.
● Have any repairs or modifications carried out at a specialised work-
shop.

Collection and scrapping of end-of-life vehicles
Collection of end-of-life vehicles
An extensive network of used car reception centres already exists in much of
Europe. After the vehicle has been delivered, you will receive a certificate of
destruction describing the environmentally friendly scrapping of the vehicle
in accordance with applicable legislation. We will collect the used vehicle free of charge, provided it complies with all
national legislation.
Please see your Technical Service for further information about the collec-
tion and scrapping of end-of-life vehicles.
Scrapping
The relevant safety requirements must be observed when the vehicle or
components of the airbag or belt tensioner systems are scrapped. These re-
quirements are known to specialised workshops.

Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

318If and when
WARNING
Opening and closing doors carelessly can cause serious injury.
● If the vehicle is locked from outside, the doors and windows cannot
be opened from the inside.
● Never leave children or disabled people alone in the car. They could
be trapped in the car in an emergency and will not be able to get them-
selves to safety.
● Depending on the time of the year, temperatures inside a locked and
closed vehicle can be extremely high or extremely low resulting in seri-
ous injuries and illness or even death, particularly for young children.
WARNING
Getting in the way of the doors and the panoramic sliding sunroof is dan-
gerous and can lead to serious injury.
● Open and close the doors and the panoramic sliding sunroof only
when nobody is in the way.
CAUTION
When opening and closing in an emergency, carefully disassemble compo-
nents and then reassemble them carefully to avoid damage to the vehicle. Manually locking and unlocking the driver door
Fig. 190 Driver door
handle: Hidden lock cyl-
inder
As a general rule, when the driver door is locked all other doors are locked.
Unlocking manually only opens the driver door. Please note the instructions
for the anti-theft alarm ⇒ page 74.
● Unfold the key shaft
⇒ page 71.
● Insert the key shaft into the opening in the cover on the driver door han-
dle from below ⇒ Fig. 190 (arrow) then remove the cover upwards.
● Insert the key shaft into the lock cylinder to unlock or lock the vehicle.
Unlocking notes:
● The anti-theft alarm will remain active when vehicles are unlocked. How-
ever, the alarm will not yet be triggered ⇒ page 74.
● If the driver door is opened, the alarm will be triggered.
● Switch the ignition on. When the ignition is switched on, the electronic
immobiliser recognises a valid vehicle key and deactivates the anti-theft
alarm system. 

Anti-theft bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Anti-theft locking bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Anti-theft wheel locking bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Anti-tow system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Anti-trap functionElectric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Armrests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
ASR See "Brake assist systems" . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
See "Brake assist" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Turning on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Electronic differential lock system (EDL andXDS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . 190
Assist systems Anti-lock brake system (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 190
Auto Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Braking assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Lane Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Lane Assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Park Assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Rear Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Rear assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Sign Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Start-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Start assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Traction control system (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . 192
Traction control when accelerating (ASR) . 191
Tyre monitoring indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Auto Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Automatic belt retainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Automatic car wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Switching Auto Hold off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Switching the start assist off . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Automatic consumer disconnection . . . . . . . . 294
Automatic dipped beam control . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Changing gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
DSG automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Ignition key lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Kickdown system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Launch-Control programme . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Manually unlocking the gear selector lever . .322
Please also see "Changing gears" . . . . . . 175
See "Automatic gearbox" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
AUX-IN connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164, 272 Automatic off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Operating instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Remote control range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Remote control: Replacing the battery . . . 165
Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Things to note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164, 167
Auxiliary heater remote control Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Axle loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
B
BAS See "Brake assist systems" . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Battery Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Discharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
See Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Battery acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Before starting out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Belt height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Belt tensioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Service and disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Belt tension limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Bicycle carrier Installing a bicycle carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Maximum load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Bonnet Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Bottle holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
368 Index