2015 Seat Alhambra towing

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Safety first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Tips for driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sitting position for occupants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The whys and wherefores of seat belts . . . . . . . 10
How to properly adjust your seatbelt . . . . . . . . 14
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
General overview of the airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Deactivating airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Integrated child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
SEAT information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Three button unit in headliner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Vehicle key set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Central locking and locking system . . . . . . . . . 57
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Panoramic sliding sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Lights and visibility
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Windscreen wiper and window wiper systems . 81
Rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Seats and head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Adjusting the seats and head restraints . . . . . . 88
Seat functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Transport and practical equipment . . . . . . . . . 98
Transporting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Loading luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Roof carrier system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Drink holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Ashtray and cigarette lighter* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Power sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Auxiliary heater* (additional heater) . . . . . . . . 128
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Stopping and starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Braking and parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Changing gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Run-in and economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Engine management and exhaust gas
purification system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Driving along flooded roadways . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Driver assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Braking and stability systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Start assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Parking sensor system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Park Assist system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Rear Assist system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Cruise control* (Cruise control system - CCS) . . 169
Lane Assist system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Sign Assist* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Tiredness detection (recommendation to take
a break) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Towing bracket device
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Care and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Accessories, replacement of parts and
modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Care and cleaning the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . 195
Caring for and cleaning the vehicle interior . . . 200
Notes for the user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Selective catalytic reduction* (AdBlue) . . . . . . 212
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . 214
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Checking and topping up the windscreen
washer reservoir with water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Winter service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
In case of emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Vehicle tool kit* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Changing a wheel* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Tyre repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Starting assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Towing and tow starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
3

Table of Contents
Emergency locking and unlocking . . . . . . . . . . 259
Changing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Engine specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
4

Opening and closing
monitoring function (arrow) is not guaran-
teed to work freely.
Use the key to lock the vehicle. If the anti-
theft alarm is turned on, the interior monitor-
ing and the anti-tow systems are also activa-
ted.
Switching off the interior monitoring and the
anti-tow systems
The interior monitoring is switched off by
pressing the remote control lock button twice.
● Lock all doors and rear lid.
● Use the key to lock the vehicle. The interior
monitoring and / or anti-towing alarm are
switched off until the next time the vehicle is
locked.
To turn off the interior monitoring and anti-
tow systems before unlocking the vehicle, for
example in the following situations:
● When leaving animals inside the vehicle 
››› page 57 .
● When the v
ehicle must be loaded.
● When the vehicle is being transported, for
example, by ferry.
● When the vehicle must be towed with the
axle raised. Risk of false alarms
The interior monitoring system will only oper-
ate correctly if the vehicle is completely
closed. Observe legal requirements. The
alarm may be accidentally triggered in the
following cases:
●
When a window is completely or partially
open.
● If the sunglasses storage compartment in
the roof console is open.
● When the panoramic sliding sunroof is
completely or partially open.
● When suspended objects are hung from
the interior mirror (air freshener) or there are
loose papers in the vehicle.
● If the separation net is fitted and moves
(due to heating).
● Due to a vibrating mobile telephone inside
the vehicle. Note
Upon activating the alarm, if any door or the
rear lid is open, only the anti-theft alarm will
be activated. The interior monitoring and an-
ti-tow systems will only be activated when
the doors and rear lid are fully closed. Doors
Introduction WARNING
If a door is not correctly closed, it could open
unexpectedly when driving and cause serious
injuries.
● Always stop immediately and close the
door.
● When closing, ensure that the door has
closed correctly. A closed door should be
flush with the corresponding parts of the
bodywork.
● Open and close doors only when nobody is
in the way of the door. WARNING
A door held open by its retainer could be
blown closed by the wind or close if the vehi-
cle is on a hill, causing injury.
● When opening and closing doors, always
use the door handle. 63
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Opening and closing
CAUTION
Before opening the rear lid, ensure that there
is sufficient free space to open and close it,
for example if you are towing a trailer or in a
garage. Warning lampIt
lights upPossible causeSolution 
The rear lid is open
or not correctly
shut.  Stop driving imme-
diately!
Open the rear lid and
close it again. Several warning and control lamps light up
for a few seconds when the ignition is switch-
ed on, signalling that the function is being
verified. They will switch off after a few sec-
onds.
A warning lamp appears on the dash panel

if the boot hatch is open or not properly
closed.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, a sym-
bol may be displayed on the dash panel
screen instead of the warning lamp. The indi-
cation is also visible when the ignition is
switched off. The indication disappears
around 15 seconds after the vehicle has
been locked. WARNING
If the rear lid is not correctly closed, it could
open unexpectedly when driving and cause
serious injuries.
● Always stop immediately and close the rear
lid.
● Ensure that the rear lid has been locked in-
to place by the element on the lock carrier
when you close it. Opening the rear lid
Fig. 52
Detailed view of the centre console:
button for unlocking the rear lid Fig. 53
Opening the boot hatch from the out-
side Before opening the rear lid, always remove
any load on its luggage rack
››› .
Opening with the ignition key
Press the button  on the vehicle key until
the rear lid opens automatically.
To open using the centre console control
Press the  button on the centre console
››› Fig. 52 . The rear lid will be automatically
opened.
The b utt

on is still operative when the ignition
is switched off.
Opening the rear lid with the button
● Unlock the vehicle or open a door.
● Raise the rear lid using the button
››› Fig. 53 (arrow).
»
67
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Driving
Electromechanical power steering
With the power steering system, the assisted
steering function automatically adjusts ac-
cording to the vehicle speed, the steering tor-
que and the wheel turning angle. The power
steering only works when the engine is run-
ning.
You should remember that you will need con-
siderably more power than normal to steer
the vehicle if the power steering is not work-
ing correctly or not at all.
Counter steering assistance system
The counter steering assistance system helps
the driver in critical situations. Additional
steering power helps the driver when counter
steering. WARNING
The counter steering assistance system com-
bined with ESC helps the driver to steer the
vehicle in critical driving conditions. At all
times, it is the driver who steers the vehicle.
The counter steering system does not steer
the vehicle. Stopping and starting the
engine
Introduction Immobiliser display
When an invalid key is used or in the event of
a system fault, 
or Immobiliser on is dis-
played on the instrument panel. The engine
cannot be started.
Pushing or towing
For technical reasons, the vehicle must not
be push- or tow-started. Jump starting is pref-
erable. WARNING
Turning off the engine while driving will make
stopping the vehicle difficult; this could even
result in the loss of control causing an acci-
dent with serious consequences.
● The assisted braking and steering systems,
the airbag system, seat belts and certain
safety equipment are only active while the
engine is running.
● The engine should only be switched off
when the vehicle is at a standstill. WARNING
While the engine is running or starting it
could help reduce the risk of serious injury. ●
Never start or leave the engine running in
poorly ventilated or closed spaces. Exhaust
gas contains carbon monoxide, a toxic, col-
ourless and odourless gas. Carbon monoxide
can cause people to lose consciousness. It
can also cause death.
● Never leave the vehicle unattended if the
engine is running. The vehicle could move off
suddenly or something unexpected could
happen resulting in damage and serious in-
jury.
● Never use start boosters. Cold start sprays
could explode or increase the engine speed
unexpectedly. WARNING
The components of the exhaust system reach
very high temperatures. This could cause a
fire and considerable damage.
● Always park your vehicle so that no part of
the exhaust system can come in contact with
flammable materials (such as wood, leaves,
dried grass, spilled fuel, etc.).
● Do not apply additional underseal or anti-
corrosion coatings to the exhaust pipes, cata-
lytic converter, heat shields or the diesel par-
ticulate filter. 133
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
and helps to clean it by recommending a spe-
cific gear for driving. It may therefore be nec-
essary to drive with the engine at an
exceptionally high speed ››› page 151. WARNING
The recommended gear display is intended as
a guideline only; it should never replace the
driver's attention to driving carefully.
● Responsibility for selecting the correct gear
for each situation continues to lie with the
driver, for example when overtaking, climb-
ing a hill or towing a trailer. For the sake of the environment
Selecting the most appropriate gear for the
situation will help you to save fuel. Note
The recommended gear display is switched
off when the clutch pedal is pressed. Run-in and economical driving
Running-in Please observe the instructions for running-in
new components. Running-in the engine
The engine needs to be run-in over the first
1500 km (1000 miles). During its first few
hours of running, the internal friction in the
engine is greater than later on when all the
moving parts have bedded down.
How the vehicle is driven for the first
1500 km (1000 miles) influences the future
engine performance. Throughout the life of
the vehicle, it should be driven at a moderate
speed – especially when the engine is cold –
this will reduce engine wear and increase its
useful life. Never drive at extremely low en-
gine speeds. Always engage a lower gear
when the engine works “irregularly”. For the
first 1000 km or 600 miles, please note:
● Do not use full throttle.
● Do not force the engine above two thirds of
its maximum speed.
● Do not tow a trailer.
Between 1000 and 1500 kilometres (600 to
1000 miles) ,
gradually increase power until
reaching the maximum speed and high en-
gine speeds.
Running in new tyres and brake pads
● Replacement of wheel rims and new tyres
››› page 231
● Notes on the brakes ››› page 141 For the sake of the environment
If the engine is run in gently, the life of the
engine will be increased and the engine oil
consumption reduced. Environmental friendliness
Environmental protection is a top priority in
the design, choice of materials and manufac-
ture of your new SEAT.
Constructive measures to encourage
recycling
● Joints and connections designed for easy
dismantling
● Modular construction to facilitate disman-
tling
● Increased use of single-grade materials.
● Plastic parts and elastomers are marked in
accordance with ISO 1043, ISO 11469 and
ISO 1629.
Choice of materials
● Use of recycled materials.
● Use of compatible plastics in the same part
if its components are not easily separated.
● Use of recycled materials and/or materials
originating from renewable sources.
● Reduction of volatile components, includ-
ing odour, in plastic materials.
148

Driving
they flow around the engine more quickly
and efficiently, particularly in cold starts. The
effect is particularly noticeable in vehicles
frequently used for short journeys.
Always check the engine oil level and ob-
serve service intervals (engine oil change in-
tervals).
When purchasing engine oil, always observe
legal requirements and ensure that the oil is
approved by SEAT.
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 consumption 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. Optional equipment
and accessories (such as roof racks or bike
carriers) reduce the aerodynamic benefits of
the vehicle.
Therefore, we recommend you remove all op-
tional and unnecessary equipment and racks,
especially if you intend to drive at high
speeds. Other factors which increase fuel
consumption (examples):
●
Fault in engine management.
● Driving on hills.
● Trailer towing. WARNING
Always adapt your speed and the distance to
the vehicles ahead in line with visibility,
weather conditions, the condition of the road
and the traffic situation. Engine management and
exhaust gas purification
system
Introduction 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, cata-
lytic converter, heat shields or the diesel par-
ticulate filter. Control lampsIt lights
upPossible causeSolution 
Fault in engine
management
(Electronic Power
Control).Take the vehicle to a
specialised work-
shop as soon as
possible and have
the engine checked.

Pre-heating a die-
sel engine before
starting the en-
gine.
›››
page 133 
Fault in catalytic
converter.
You should reduce
speed accordingly.
Drive carefully until
you reach the next
specialised work-
shop. Have the en-
gine checked there.

Diesel particulate
filter blocked
Drive for 15 minutes
in 4th gear (manual
gearbox), or in D (au-
tomatic gearbox) at
a minimum speed of
70 km/h (45 mph).
Observe speed lim-
its
›››
.
If the warning lamp
remains lit up, take
the vehicle to a spe-
cialised workshop
››› page 152.
» 151
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Operation
CAUTION
Before entering an automatic car wash, al-
ways switch the Auto Hold function off, as it
could be damaged when the electronic park-
ing brake automatically engages. Start-Stop Function*
Fig. 136
Detailed view of the centre console:
Start-Stop function button With the Start-Stop system enabled, the en-
gine is automatically stopped when the vehi-
cle is at a standstill. The engine restarts auto-
matically when required.
The function is enabled automatically when-
ever the ignition is switched on. The instru-
ment panel displays information on the cur-
rent status. Vehicles with a manual gearbox
● When the vehicle is at a standstill, leave it
in neutral and take your foot off the clutch.
The engine switches off.
● Simply depress the clutch pedal to move
off again.
Vehicles with an automatic gearbox
● When the vehicle is at a standstill, depress
the brake or keep it pressed down. The en-
gine switches off.
● The engine will start again as soon as you
release the brake pedal.
● With the selector lever set to position P, the
en gine w
ill not start until a range of gears is
selected or the accelerator pedal is de-
pressed.
Important conditions for the engine to
automatically switch off
● The driver seat belt must be buckled.
● The driver door must be closed.
● The bonnet must be closed.
● The factory-fitted towing bracket must not
be electrically connected to a trailer.
● A minimum engine temperature has been
reached.
● The steering wheel must not be turned
more than 270 degrees.
● The vehicle has moved since the last stop. ●
In vehicles with Climatronic: the tempera-
ture inside the vehicle is within the pre-set
temperature range.
● The temperature set is neither very high nor
very low.
● The air conditioning defrost function is not
switched on.
● In vehicles with Climatronic: the blower has
not been manually set to a high speed.
● The power level of the vehicle's battery is
sufficient.
● The vehicle's battery temperature is neither
too high nor too low.
● The vehicle is not on a steep gradient or
slope.
● The front wheels are not overly turned.
● The heated windscreen is not switched on.
● Reverse gear is not engaged.
● The park assist system is not switched on.
Conditions for automatically restarting the
engine
The engine may automatically restart under
the following conditions:
● If the vehicle interior is too hot or too cold.
● If the vehicle moves.
● If the vehicle's battery voltage drops.
158