2016 Seat Alhambra change time

Operation
Storage compartments Intr oduction Storage compartments must only be used to
st
or
e light or small objects.
In the front centre armrest compartment the
following factory-fitted connections are avail-
able: USB/AUX-IN.
The factory-fitted CD changer is located in the
left-hand storage compartment of the boot. WARNING
In the event of sudden braking movements or
turn s, loo

se objects may be thrown around
the vehicle interior. This could cause serious
injuries to passengers and cause the driver to
lose control of the vehicle.
● Do not transport animals or place hard,
heavy or sh
arp objects inside the vehicle in:
open storage compartments, dash panel, rear
shelf, items of clothing or bags.
● While driving, always keep object compart-
ments c
losed. WARNING
Objects falling into the driver's footwell could
prev ent

use of the pedals. This could lead the
driver to lose control of the vehicle, increas-
ing the risk of a serious accident. ●
Mak e s

ure the pedals can be used at all
times, with no objects rolling underneath
them.
● The floor mat should always be secured to
the floor.
● Never p

lace other mats or rugs on top of
the original
mat supplied by the factory.
● Make sure that no objects can fall into the
driver's f
ootwell while the vehicle is in mo-
tion. CAUTION
● Obj

ects on the shelf could chafe against
the wires of the heating element in the heat-
ed rear window and cause damage.
● Do not keep heat-sensitive objects, food or
medicines
inside the vehicle. Heat and cold
could damage them or render them useless.
● Light-transparent objects placed inside the
vehicl
e, such as lenses, magnifying glasses
or transparent suction caps on the windows,
may concentrate the sun's rays and cause
damage to the vehicle. Note
The ventilating slits between the heated rear
windo w and the shelf

must not be covered so
that used air can escape from the vehicle. Spectacle case in the roof console
Fig. 176
On the roof console: sunglasses
s t
or

age compartment. To open, pr
ess and release the button
› ›

› Fig. 176 (arrow).
To close, press the cover upwards until it
clicks into place.
To ensure the interior monitoring works cor-
rectly, the spectacle case must be closed
when the vehicle is locked ››› page 120.
166

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

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

Driving
Do not wait until the last moment before
c h
an
ging gear. Only use first gear when you
move off and change to second gear quickly.
Avoid the kick-down function in vehicles with
automatic gearbox.
Vehicles with a gear display help to achieve
an economical driving style as the display in-
dicates the best moment to change gear.
Let the vehicle roll
If you take your foot off the accelerator, the
fuel supply is stopped and consumption is
reduced.
Allow the vehicle to roll without accelerating,
for example when approaching a red traffic
light. However, if the vehicle is rolling too
slowly or the distance is too long, the clutch
pedal should be pressed to declutch. The en-
gine will then operate at idle speed.
If the vehicle is going to be at a standstill for
a period of time, switch off the engine; for ex-
ample, while waiting at a level crossing. In
vehicles which have the Start-Stop function
on, the engine switches off automatically
when the vehicle is not moving.
Think ahead and “flow” with the traffic
Frequent acceleration and braking considera-
bly increase fuel consumption. If you think
ahead as you drive and keep a safe distance
from the vehicle in front, it is possible to slow
down by simply lifting your foot off the accel- erator. This eliminates the need for constant
brakin
g and acceleration.
Calm and steady driving
Constancy is more important than speed: The
more you drive at a constant speed, the lower
the fuel consumption.
When driving on the motorway, it is more effi-
cient to drive at a constant and more moder-
ate speed than to be continuously accelerat-
ing and braking. As a general rule, you will
reach your destination just as quickly when
you drive at a constant speed.
The cruise control function helps you to ach-
ieve a constant style of driving.
Moderate use of additional devices
It is important to travel in comfort, but con-
venience systems should be used ecological-
ly.
Some equipment, when connected, increase
fuel consumption considerably, for example:
● Air conditioning cooling system: If the air
conditioning sy
stem is required to cool to
significantly lower temperatures than the true
outside temperature, it will require a large
amount of energy from the engine. Therefore,
we recommend that the selected temperature
for the vehicle is not too different to the out-
side temperature. It is a good idea to air the
vehicle before starting your journey and to drive a short distance with all the windows
open. Only then shou

ld you close all the win-
dows and switch on the air conditioning.
Keep windows closed when travelling at high
speeds. Driving with the windows open in-
creases fuel consumption.
● Switch off the seat heating when the seats
have w
armed up.
● Switch off the heated rear window and the
winds
creen heating when the windows have
demisted and are free of ice.
● Do not leave the auxiliary heater switched
on when the vehic
le is moving ››› page 180.
Avoid short journeys
Fuel consumption is much higher when the
engine is cold, immediately after it has been
started. It takes a few kilometres of driving
for the engine to warm up and to normalise
consumption.
The engine and catalytic converter need to
reach their proper working temperature in or-
der to minimise fuel consumption and emis-
sions. The ambient temperature has a deci-
sive influence.
Therefore, unnecessary short journeys
should be avoided. Try to combine trips.
The vehicle uses more fuel in winter than in
summer, even when other conditions are the
same. »
201
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Driver assistance systems
Permanent Auto Hold connection
The Aut o Ho
l
d function must be switched on
every time the engine is started. However, to
switch the Auto Hold function on permanent-
ly, the mark must be switched on in the Set-
tings menu, “Autohold” submenu
›››  page 26.
Auto Hold works automatically under the fol-
lowing conditions:
All points must be fulfilled simultaneously
››› :
Manual gearboxAutomatic gearbox
1.If the vehicle is stopped using the brake pedal on a
flat or slope.
2.The engine must be “running smoothly”.
3.On a slope, the 1st gear
is engaged uphill or the
reverse gear is engaged
for a downhill. The
clutch must be held
down.A gear for driving is se-
lected from R, D or S.
Upon accelerating and
pressing in the clutch
simultaneously, the
brake releases gradual-
ly.Upon accelerating, the
brake releases gradual-
ly. Auto Hold turns off automatically under the
f
o
l

lowing conditions:
Manual gearboxAutomatic gearbox
1.If one of the conditions mentioned in table on
page 209 changes.
2.If the engine is “not running regularly” or if there is a malfunction.
3.When changing to idle
speed.If the selector lever is
placed in neutral (N).
4.If the engine is turned
off or stalls.If the engine is switch-
ed off.
5.If the driver accelerates
while pressing the
clutch in.If the vehicle is acceler-
ated.
6. When one of the wheels
has minimal contact
with the ground (e.g. on
uneven ground). WARNING
The Auto Hold technology is limited by the
la w

s of physics. The improved comfort provi-
ded by Auto Hold should never prompt you to
take risks.
● Never leave the vehicle running and with
the Auto Hol
d function switched on.
● Auto Hold cannot always stop the vehicle
uphill
and downhill (e.g. if the ground is slip-
pery or frozen). CAUTION
Before entering an automatic car wash, al-
wa y

s switch the Auto Hold function off, as it
could be damaged when the electronic park-
ing brake automatically engages. Start-Stop Function*
Fig. 208
Detailed view of the centre console:
St ar
t

-Stop function button With the Start-Stop system enabled, the en-
gine i
s
aut

omatically 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. »
209
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Parking distance warning system* Fig. 209
Detailed view of the centre console:
b utt
on f
or switching the parking distance
warning system on and off Fig. 210
Parking sensor system sensors on
the fr ont
b

umper The parking distance warning system assists
the driv
er when p
ark

ing. If the vehicle is ap-
proaching an obstacle, an intermittent audi-
ble warning is emitted. The shorter the dis-
tance, the shorter the intervals between tones. If the vehicle is too close to the obsta-
cle, the audib

le warning becomes constant.
Switching the parking distance warning sys-
tem on and off ● Press the  button
›››
Fig. 209
when the
ignition i

s switched on.
● Automatic on: select r
everse gear.
● Automatic off: drive fa
ster than 15 km/h
(9 mph).
The button lights up when the function is
switched on.
Things to note on the parking distance warn-
ing system
● The parking distance warning system
sometimes r
egisters water on the sensors as
an obstacle.
● If the distance does not change, the warn-
ing sign
al will sound less loudly after a few
seconds. If the continuous signal sounds, the
volume will remain constant.
● When the vehicle moves away from the ob-
stac
le, the beeping sound automatically
switches off. On approaching the obstacle
again, the beeping sound will automatically
switch back on.
● If the electronic parking brake is engaged
or the selector l
ever is set to P, no audible
warning will be emitted. ●
Your tec
hnical service centre can adjust the
volume of the warning signals. Note
If the parking distance warning system is
fau lty

, a constant audible warning will be
emitted the first time it is switched on and
the button will flash. Switch the parking dis-
tance warning system off using the button
and take the vehicle to a specialised work-
shop to have the system checked as soon as
possible. 212