2016 Seat Alhambra Owner's Manual

Driving
Flashes red
Electronic parking
brake faulty. The
control lamp
 may
light up at the same
time or the control
lamp
 may flash
on the button.
Contact a specialised workshop,
as it may not be possible to park
the vehicle in safety. 
It flashes yellow
ESC or ASR regulat-
ing.Take your foot off the accelera-
tor. Adjust your driving style to
the road conditions.
Several warning and indication lamps light
up f
or a f
ew sec

onds when the ignition is
switched on, signalling that the function is
being verified. They will switch off after a few
seconds. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Warning
and indication l amp
s on page 105. WARNING
Driving with brakes in bad condition could re-
su lt

in a serious accident.
● If the brake warning lamp  does not
go
out, or if it lights up when driving, the brake
fluid level in the reservoir is too low or there
is a fault in the brake system. Obtain profes- sional assistance immediately
›››
page 282,
Checking the brake fluid level.
● If the brake warning lamp  lights up t
o-
gether with the ABS warning lamp , the
regulation function of the ABS could be mal-
functioning. As a result, the rear wheels can
lock relatively easily when braking. If the rear
wheels lock this could result in loss of vehicle
control! If possible, reduce your speed and
drive carefully to a specialised workshop
close by to check the brake system. During
the following journey, avoid sudden braking
and manoeuvres.
● If the ABS warning lamp  does not
go out
or if it lights while driving, the ABS is mal-
functioning. The vehicle can only be stopped
using normal braking without ABS. The pro-
tection provided by the ABS is not available.
Visit a specialised workshop as soon as pos-
sible.
● If  lights, alone or accompanied by a
warnin
g message on the instrument panel
display, please go immediately to a special-
ised workshop to check the brake pads and to
replace them if they are worn. Electronic parking brake
Fig. 202
Detailed view of the centre console:
el ectr
onic

parking brake switch Applying the electronic parking brake
The p
ark
in

g brake can be applied whenever
the vehicle is at a standstill, even when the
ignition is switched off. Always apply the
parking brake when you leave your vehicle
and when you park.
● Pull button  until the control lamp
 on
the b utt
on lights

up.
● The parking brake is applied when the con-
trol
lamp  lights up on the instrument pan-
el ››› page 190.
Disengaging the electronic parking brake ● Switch the ignition on.
● Press button  . At the same time, press
the br ak
e ped

al hard or gently press the ac-
celerator pedal with the engine switched on. »
191
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
● The c ontr
o
l lamps  on the button and 
on the instrument panel go out.
Automatic release of the electronic parking
brake on starting the engine
The electronic parking brake is automatically
released when the vehicle starts moving, if
the driver door is closed and the driver is
wearing his/her seat belt. In addition, in ve-
hicles with a manual gearbox the clutch ped-
al should also be pressed to the floor before
starting the engine so that the system recog-
nises that the parking brake should be re-
leased.
Emergency braking function
Only use the emergency braking function if
the vehicle cannot be stopped with the brake
pedal ››› !
● Pull button  h
ard to stop the vehicle. The
w arnin

g display will be accompanied by the
corresponding audible warning.
● To stop the braking process, release the
button or pr
ess the accelerator. WARNING
The incorrect use of the electronic parking
brak e m

ay result in serious accident.
● Never use the electronic parking brake to
brake the
vehicle except in an emergency.
The braking distance is considerably longer, because braking is only applied to the rear
wheels. A
lw

ays use the foot brake.
● Never accelerate from the engine compart-
ment with the en
gine running and a gear or a
gear range engaged. The vehicle could move,
even if the parking brake is applied. Note
● In vehic

les with a manual gearbox: when
the clutch pedal is released and the accelera-
tor pressed at the same time, the electronic
parking brake is automatically released.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it will not be
poss
ible to disconnect the electronic parking
brake. Use the jump-start ›››
 page 51.
● When the electronic parking brake is ap-
plied or rel
eased, noises may be heard.
● If the electronic parking brake has not been
used for a lon
g while, the system sometimes
performs automatic and audible checks while
the vehicle is at a standstill. Parking
When parking your vehicle, all legal require-
ments
shou
l

d be observed.
To park the vehicle
Complete operations only in the sequence
given. ● Park the vehicle on a suitable surface ›››
.●
Pr e
s

s and hold the brake pedal until the ve-
hicle comes to a standstill.
● Connect the electronic parking brake
›››
page 191.
● For an automatic gearbox, move the selec-
tor lev
er to position P.
● Switch off the engine and release the brake
pedal.
● R

emove the key from the ignition.
● If necessary, turn the steering wheel slight-
ly to loc
k the steering.
● With a manual gearbox, engage 1st gear on
flat gr
ound and slopes, or even reverse gear
on hills, and release the clutch pedal.
● Ensure that all passengers leave the vehi-
cle, e
specially children.
● When leaving the vehicle, take all keys with
you.
● Loc

k the vehicle.
Additiona
l information for steep slopes and
hills
Before switching off the engine, rotate the
steering wheel so that if the vehicle should
move, it will be held by the kerb.
● On slopes, turn the front wheels so that
they are ag
ainst the edge of the kerb.
● Uphill, turn the wheels towards the centre
of the r o

ad.
192

Driving
WARNING
The components of the exhaust system reach
ver y
high temperatures. This could cause a
fire and considerable damage.
● Always park your vehicle so that no part of
the exhau
st system can come in contact with
flammable materials (such as wood,
leaves,dried grass, or spilled fuel). CAUTION
● Spec i

al care should be taken when parking
in areas with high kerbs or fixed barriers. Ob-
jects protruding from the ground may dam-
age the bumper or other parts of the vehicle
during manoeuvres. To avoid damage, stop
before the wheels touch the barrier or kerb.
● Special attention is required when driving
through entranc
es, over ramps, kerbs or oth-
er objects. The vehicle underbody, bumpers,
mudguards and running gear, and the engine
and exhaust system could be damaged as
you drive over these objects. Information on the brakes
For the first 200 to 300 km (100 to 200
mi
l
e

s), new brake pads have not yet reached
their maximum braking capacity, and need to
be “run in” first ››› . The slightly reduced
br ak in

g effect can be compensated for by in-
creasing pressure on the brake pedal. While
running in, the full braking distance or emer- gency braking distance is larger
then when
the brake p
ads have been run in. While run-
ning in, avoid full power braking or situations
requiring braking performance. For example,
in heavy traffic.
The rate of wear of the brake pads depends
to a great extent on the conditions in which
the vehicle is used and the way the vehicle is
driven. If the vehicle is used frequently in city
traffic or for short trips or driven sport style,
visit a specialised workshop regularly, more
frequently than advised in the Maintenance
Programme, to have the brake pads checked.
If you drive with wet brakes, for example, af-
ter crossing areas of water, in heavy rainfall
or even after washing the car, the effect of
the brakes is lessened as the brake discs are
wet or even frozen (in winter). At higher
speed, “dry” the brakes as quickly as possi-
ble by braking gently several times. Only do
this without endangering vehicles behind
you or any other road users ››› .
A l a
y

er of salt on the discs and brake pads
will reduce the effectiveness of the brakes
and increase braking distance. If you drive for
a prolonged period on salted roads without
braking then brake carefully several times to
eliminate the layer of salt on the brakes ››› .
If the
v

ehicle remains parked for considera-
ble lengths of time, is used little, or if the
brakes are not used, there may be corrosion
on the brake discs and a build up of dirt onthe brake pads. If the brakes are not used fre-
quently, or if ru

st has formed on the discs,
SEAT recommends cleaning the pads and
discs by braking firmly a few times at a mod-
erately high speed. Only do this without en-
dangering vehicles behind you or any other
road users ››› .
F au
lt

s in the brake system
During braking, if you notice that the vehicle
does not react as usual (that the braking dis-
tance has increased suddenly) it may be pos-
sible that there is a fault in the braking sys-
tem. The  warning lamp lights up and a
text message displayed. Take the vehicle to a
specialised workshop immediately and have
the fault repaired. Drive at a moderate speed
and be prepared to use more pressure on the
brake pedal, and allow for longer stopping
distances.
Brake servo
The brake servo only operates when the en-
gine is running and the pressure applied by
the driver on the brake pedal increases.
If the brake servo does not operate or the ve-
hicle must be towed, then the brake pedal
will have to be pressed with more force given
that the braking distance will be increased
when the brake servo does not operate ››› .
»
193Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
WARNING
New brake pads do not brake to full efficien-
cy.
● For the fir
st 320 km (200 miles), new brake
pad
s have not yet reached their maximum
braking capacity, and need to be “run in”
first. For this, to compensate for reduced
braking efficiency the brake pedal will have
to be pressed with more force.
● To avoid losing control of the vehicle and
caus
ing serious accidents, always take great
care when driving with new brake pads.
● When running in new brake pads, always
res
pect the safety distances between you and
other vehicles and do not cause situations re-
quiring extreme braking performance. WARNING
When brakes overheat, braking is less effi-
cient and br

aking distances increase.
● When driving on slopes, brakes can be
overlo
aded and overheat quickly.
● Reduce speed or change down a gear when
faced w
ith steep and long slopes. This allows
you to use the engine braking effect and to
reduce the strain on the brake system.
● Non-standard or damaged front spoilers
coul
d restrict the airflow to the brakes and
cause them to overheat. WARNING
Wet, frozen or salt-covered brakes take lon-
ger t o en

gage and this increases braking dis-
tances.
● Test the brakes carefully.
● Dry the brakes, free them of ice and salt by
brakin
g gently several times, when weather,
road and traffic conditions permit. WARNING
Driving without the brake servo may signifi-
cantly inc

rease the braking distance and re-
sult in a severe accident.
● Never allow the vehicle to move forwards
when the engine is
switched off.
● If the brake servo does not operate or the
vehicl
e must be towed, then the brake pedal
will have to be pressed with more force given
that the braking distance will be increased
when the brake servo does not operate. CAUTION
● Never m ak

e the brakes “slip” by pressing
the pedal gently, if it is not really necessary
to brake. Continuously pressing on the brake
pedal will heat the brakes. This could signifi-
cantly reduce braking power, increase brak-
ing distance or even result in the total failure
of the brake system.
● Reduce speed or change down a gear when
faced w
ith steep and long slopes. This allows
you to use the engine braking effect and to reduce the strain on the brake system. Other-
wi
se, the br

akes may overheat and fail. Only
use the brakes to reduce speed or to stop. Note
When checking the front brake pads, take the
time t o al

so check the rear brake pads. The
thickness of the brake pads should be
checked visually and regularly, by looking
through the openings in the wheel rims or
from underneath the vehicle. If necessary, re-
move the wheels to check them thoroughly.
SEAT recommends taking your car in for tech-
nical service. Gearbox
Intr oduction When reverse gear is engaged and the igni-
tion i
s
sw

itched on the following takes place:
● Reverse lights light up.
● When reversing, the air conditioner auto-
matical
ly changes to air recirculation mode.
● The rear window heater switches on when
the winds
creen wiper is activated.
● Also, the parking sensor system, the opti-
cal p
arking sensor and the camera for the re-
verse assist system are connected.
194

Driving
WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause loss of traction
and skid din
g, especially on slippery ground.
This could cause loss of control of the vehicle
resulting in an accident and considerable
damage.
● Only use the kick-down function or rapid
accel
eration if visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions so permit. WARNING
Do not allow the brakes to “rub” for a pro-
long ed period of

time, or brake frequently or
for long periods of time. Continuous braking
heats up the brakes. This could significantly
reduce braking power, increase braking dis-
tance or even result in the total failure of the
brake system. Control and warning lamps

It lights up red
Brake pedal not
pressed!Press brake pedal to the floor.

It lights up green
Brake pedal not
pressed.To select a range of gears, press
the brake pedal.
Please also see "Electronic park-
ing brake"
››› page 189. 
Flashes green
The selector lever
locking button has
not engaged. The
vehicle does not
start to move.
Engage the selector lever lock
››› page 196. Several warning and indication lamps light
up for a f
ew sec

onds when the ignition is
switched on, signalling that the function is
being verified. They will switch off after a few
seconds. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Warning
and indication l amp
s on page 105. Manual gear change
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 34
In some countries, it is necessary to press the
clutch pedal to the floor to start the engine.
Selecting reverse gear
Engage reverse gear only when the vehicle is
stopped. WARNING
When the engine is running, the vehicle will
st ar

t to move as soon as a gear is engaged and the clutch released. This is also the case
with the el
ectr

onic parking brake on.
● Never engage the reverse gear when a vehi-
cle i
s moving forward. CAUTION
To prevent damage and avoid premature
w ear

, please observe the following:
● While driving, do not leave your hand rest-
ing on the ge
ar stick. The pressure applied by
your hand is transmitted to the gearbox se-
lector forks.
● Always ensure that the vehicle is complete-
ly st
opped before engaging the reverse gear.
● When changing gear, always make sure the
clutc
h pedal is pushed right to the floor.
● Never hold the vehicle “on the clutch” on
hill
s with the engine on. 195
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Automatic gear change* Fig. 203
Automatic gearbox selector lever
w ith loc
k
ing button (arrow) Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 34
The selector lever has a lock. When changing
the selector lever from position P to a range
of gears, press the brake pedal and press the
lock on the selector lever, located on the
front part of the knob, in the direction of the
arrow ››› Fig. 203. To move the gear selector
lever from the position N to D or to R, first
press and hold the brake pedal.
When the ignition is on, the current position
of the selector lever is shown on the instru-
ment panel.
 - Parking lock
The driven wheels are mechanically locked. Only change gears when the vehicle is
at a
st
andstill. To change the position of the se-
lector lever, press the brake pedal and switch
on the ignition.
 - Reverse gear
Reverse gear is engaged.
Only put in reverse when the vehicle is at a
standstill. If not it could result in serious
damage.
 - Neutral
The gear box is in neutral. No movement is
transmitted to the wheels and the engine
does not act as a brake.
 - Standard forwards driving position (nor-
mal programme)
The gears are changed (up and down) auto-
matically. The gear shifts are determined by
the engine load, your individual driving style
and the speed of the vehicle.
 - Standard forwards driving position
(sports programme)
The shift up to a higher gear is automatically
delayed and the shift down is faster with re-
spect to the D range of gears, to take full ad-
vantage of the engine power. The gear shifts
are determined by the engine load, your indi-
vidual driving style and the speed of the ve-
hicle. Selector lever locking
The gear sel
ector lever lock prevents, in P or
N, a gear selection from being inadvertently
engaged and the vehicle moving off acciden-
tally.
To release the gear selector lever lock, press
and hold the brake pedal with the ignition
on. Press simultaneously on the selector lev-
er lock.
The selector lever lock is not engaged if it is
moved quickly through position N (e.g. when
shifting from R to D). This makes it possible,
for instance, to “rock the vehicle backwards
and forwards” if it is stuck in snow or mud.
The selector lever lock engages automatically
if the brake pedal is not pressed and the lev-
er is in position N for more than about one
second at a speed of less than 5 km/h
(3 mph).
In vehicles with a DSG ®
automatic gearbox,
on rare occasions the selector lever lock may
not engage. In this case, the transmission is
locked to prevent the vehicle from moving ac-
cidentally. The green control light  flashes
and an information text is displayed. Proceed
as follows to engage the selector lever lock:
● Press the brake pedal and then release.
196

Driving
WARNING
Placing the selector lever in an incorrect posi-
tion ma y
cause loss of control of the vehicle
and a serious accident.
● Do not press the accelerator when engag-
ing a ran
ge of gears.
● With the engine running and a range of
gear
s selected, the vehicle will move off
when the brake pedal is released.
● Never select reverse gear or the parking
lock whi
le driving. WARNING
Unintentional movements of the vehicle
cou l

d cause serious injury.
● As a driver, you should never leave your ve-
hicle if
the engine is running and a gear range
is engaged. If you have to leave your vehicle
while the engine is running, you must apply
the electronic parking brake and engage
parking lock P with the selector lever.
● While the engine is running and with the D,
S or R rang
e of gears selected, keep the brake
pressed to keep the vehicle at a standstill.
Transmission is not totally interrupted either
when the vehicle is idling or when the vehicle
“continues moving forwards”.
● Never engage the R or P gear ranges when
the vehic
le is moving.
● Never leave the vehicle with the gear selec-
tor in N. The
vehicle may move downhill re-
gardless of whether the engine is switched
on or not. CAUTION
If, when the vehicle is at a standstill, the
electr onic

parking brake is not applied and
the brake pedal is released while in position
P, the vehicle may move a few centimetres
forwards or backwards. Note
If, while driving, the selector lever is acciden-
ta l

ly placed in position N, lift your foot off the
accelerator. Wait until the engine is running
at idle speed before selecting a new gear
range. Gear change with Tiptronic*
Fig. 204
Selector lever in Tiptronic position
(l ef t

-hand drive vehicles). The lay-out in right-
hand drive vehicles is symmetrically op-
posed. Fig. 205
Steering wheel with two paddle
shifts f

or Tiptronic The Tiptronic system allows you to manually
c
h
an

ge gears in vehicles with an automatic
gearbox. When you change to the Tiptronic
programme, the vehicle remains in the cur-
rently selected gear. This is possible as long
as the system is not changing gear automati-
cally due to a traffic situation.
Using Tiptronic with the selector lever
● Press the selector lever from position D to
the right int
o the Tiptronic selector gate ››› in Automatic gear change* on page 197.
●
Press the lever forwards + or backwards
– to move up or down a gear
››
›
Fig. 204.
Using the Tiptronic with the steering wheel
paddle shifts
● In D or S, move the s
teering wheel paddle
shifts ››› Fig. 205. »
197
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
● Pu
l
l the right-hand side paddle +›››
Fig. 205 t o
w ards the steering wheel to
step up a gear.
● Pull the left-hand side paddle –
› ››
Fig. 205
t o

wards the steering wheel step down a gear.
If the paddles are not used for a period of
time, the vehicle leaves Tiptronic mode. CAUTION
● When acc el

erating, the gearbox automati-
cally shifts up into the next gear shortly be-
fore the maximum engine speed is reached.
● When reducing speed manually, the gear
box on
ly shifts gear when the engine can no
longer exceed the maximum engine speed. Driving with automatic gearbox
The gearbox changes gear ratios automatical-
ly
a
s

the vehicle moves.
Driving down hills
The steeper the gradient, the lower the gear
you will need. The lowest gears increase the
engine braking work. Never go down hills
with the selector lever in neutral N.
● You should reduce speed accordingly.
● Press the selector lever from position D to
the right int

o the Tiptronic selector gate
››› page 197. ●
Gently p u

ll the selector lever back to
change down a gear.
● OR: reduce using the steering wheel pad-
dle
s ››› Fig. 205 ››› page 197.
Back-up mode
If all the selector lever positions on the in-
strument panel display are shown with a
light-coloured background, this means there
is a fault in the system. The automatic gear-
box will operate in back-up mode. When the
backup programme is activated, it is possible
to drive the vehicle, however, at low speeds
and within a selected range of gears.
For the DSG ®
dual clutch gearbox, in some
cases, this may mean that the reverse gear
does not engage . The gearbox should be
checked by a specialised workshop as soon
as possible.
Protection against overloading the DSG ®
6-
gear automatic gearbox
When the clutch is overloaded, the vehicle
begins to jerk and the selector lever position
indicator begins to flash. To prevent damage
to the clutch, this interrupts the power trans-
mission between the engine and the gear-
box. There is no more traction and it is not
possible to accelerate. If the clutch is opened
automatically due to overloading, press the
brake pedal. Wait a few seconds before start-
ing to move again. Kick-down
The kick

-down system provides maximum ac-
celeration when the gear selector lever is in
the positions D, S or in the Tiptronic position.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right
down, the automatic gearbox will shift down
to a lower gear, depending on road speed
and engine speed. This takes advantage of
the maximum acceleration of the vehicle
››› .
When the ac c
el

erator is pressed to the floor,
the automatic gearbox shifts to the next gear
only after the engine reaches the specified
maximum engine speed.
Launch-Control Programme
The Launch-Control programme enables max-
imum acceleration while at a standstill.
● Switch off the ASR ›››
page 189.
● Press and hold the brake pedal with your
left
foot.
● Place the selector lever in position S or Tip-
tronic
.
● Press the accelerator with the right foot un-
til the
vehicle reaches an engine speed of ap-
proximately 3200 rpm.
● Lift the left foot off the brake ›››
. The ve-
hic l
e s
tarts with maximum acceleration.
● Turn on the ASR after accelerating!
198