2013 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 296.
● For vehicles with a tire pressure indicator, change the vehicle load status
⇒ page 224.
CAUTION
Objects on the shelf could chafe against the wires of the heating element in
the heated rear window and cause damage.
Note
Please note the information about loading a trailer ⇒ page 236 and the
roof carrier system ⇒ page 139. 
Driving with the rear lid open
Driving with the rear lid open creates an additional risk. Secure all objects
and secure the rear lid correctly and take all measures possible to reduce
toxic gases from entering the vehicle.
WARNING
Driving with the rear lid unlocked or open could cause serious injuries.
● Always drive with the rear lid 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 rear lid.
● 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 rear lid
must never be used to “secure” or “attach” objects.
● If a baggage rack is fitted on the rear lid, it should be removed before
travelling with the rear lid open. 

231
Driving 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 175
● Refuelling ⇒ page 267
● Fuel ⇒ page 270
● Engine oil ⇒ page 282
● Vehicle battery ⇒ page 291
● Information stored in the control units ⇒ page 260
● Tow starting and towing away ⇒ page 343
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.

Control lamps
lights upPossible causeSolution
Fault in engine management
(Electronic Power Control).Take the vehicle to a specialised
workshop as soon as possible
and have the engine checked.
Pre-heating a diesel engine
before starting the engine.⇒ page 171
Fault in catalytic converter.
You should reduce speed ac-
cordingly. Drive carefully until
you reach the next specialised
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 special-
ised workshop ⇒ page 232. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

246Vehicle 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 248, 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, rear lid, 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! 

317
If and when
First aid kit, warning triangle, reflective vests and fire
extinguishers*
Fig. 189 On the rear lid:
Warning triangle bracket
Reflective vests
Some vehicles will have a driver door compartment to store a reflective vest
⇒  page 53.
Warning triangle
With the rear lid 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 141 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 front 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 vehicle interior can be violently thrown in case of a
sudden manoeuvre or braking and especially in accidents causing seri-
ous injury.
● Secure fire extinguishers, first aid kit, reflective vests and warning
triangle securely to their respective supports.

Emergency locking and unlocking Introduction
The doors, rear lid and panoramic sliding sunroof can be locked manually
and partially opened, for example if the key or the central locking is dam-
aged.
Additional information and warnings:
● Vehicle key set ⇒ page 71
● Central locking and locking system ⇒ page 74
● Doors ⇒ page 80
● Rear lid ⇒  page 83
● Panoramic sliding sunroof ⇒ page 92
● In case of emergency ⇒ page 315 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

N
Net Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Net partition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
New engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
New tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
New tyres and wheels About your tyres and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Noise Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Noises Brake assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Notes for the user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Number of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
O Octane rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Oil See engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Older tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Onboard diagnostic system (ODB) . . . . . . . . . 264
Opening Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Electric sliding door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 From the inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
See "Unlocking" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Opening doors individually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Operating fault Immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Operating faults Radio reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Overview Dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
P Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Anti-trap function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Convenience closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Convenience opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Emergency locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Brake operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Park assist system Automatic stoppage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Leaving the parking space . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Preparing to park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Switching on or off (leaving the parking
space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Switching on or off (parking) . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Park Assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184, 187
Parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Parking aid system Use of high pressure cleaning equipment 247
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Automatic release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Emergency braking function . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
See "Parking brake" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Parking distance warning system Use of high pressure cleaning equipment 247
Parking indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Parking light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199, 200 Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
With towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 177
Petrol Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
376 Index

Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Traction control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Traction control when accelerating (ASR) . 191
Tyre monitoring indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
T Technical data Axle loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Curb weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Engine oil specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Reservoir capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Roof load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Total weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Technical details Type of fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Temperature display Outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Temperature gauge Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
The rear lid Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
See "The rear lid" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Things to note
Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164, 167
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Electric sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Fumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Increase in exhaust gases . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Rear assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Switching Auto Hold off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Water underneath the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 161
Tightening torque Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . 350
TIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Tips for driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Before starting out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Total weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tow hitch Function control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Installing a bicycle carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Tow hitch ball See "Trailer" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 All-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Front towline anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Rear towline anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Special notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Tow bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Towing prohibited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 Towing rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
With a tow hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Towing bracket Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Tow starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Traction control system (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Traction control when accelerating (ASR) . . . . 191
Trailer Adjusting the headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Drawbar load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236, 240
Electrically releasing the hitch ball . . . . . . 237
Fitting a trailer tow hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Function control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Hitch ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Hitching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Rear LED lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236, 239
Rear lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236, 239
Stabilising the vehicle and trailer combina-tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Trailer cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236, 238
Trailer weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Wing mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Trailer cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236, 238
Trailer tow hitch Electric release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
380 Index