2016 Seat Alhambra ignition

The essentials
● Do not t
o
w further than 50 km (30 miles).
● If a breakdown truck is used, the vehicle
must
be towed with the front wheels raised.
Note the following instructions for towing
four all-wheel drive vehicles.
Instructions for towing all-wheel drive vehi-
cles
All-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using a
toolbar or tow rope. If the vehicle is towed
with the front or rear axle raised, the engine
must be turned off to avoid transmission
damage.
For vehicles with a double clutched DSG ®
(di-
rect shift gearbox) the instructions for towing
vehicles with an automatic gearbox apply
››› page 50.
Situations in which a vehicle should not be
towed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not
be towed but transported on a trailer or spe-
cial vehicle: ● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lu-
bricant due t
o a fault.
● If the vehicle battery is flat and, as a result,
the electronic
steering lock and electronic
parking brake cannot be disengaged if ap-
plied. ●
If the v
ehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbox and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles).

››› in Introduction on page 87
››› page 87 Tow-starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
b
y
t

owing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ››› page 51.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
● Vehicles with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition syst
em, since the electronic
steering lock may not unlock.
● Vehicles with an electronic parking brake,
given that
it is possible that the brake will
not be disengaged.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it is possible
that the en
gine control units do not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear. ●
Keep the clut
ch pressed down.
● Switch on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Rel

ease the clutch when both vehicles are
movin
g.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle.
How to jump start
Jump lea
ds If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
c
h
ar

ged battery, the battery of another vehi-
cle can be used to start the engine. Before
starting, check the magic eye on the battery
›››  page 284.
For starting assistance, jump lead cables con-
forming to the standard DIN 72553 are re-
quired (see the cable manufacturer instruc-
tions). The jump lead cable must be at least
25 mm 2
in section (0.038 inches 2
) for petrol
engines, and 35 mm 2
(0.054 inches 2
) for die-
sel engines.
For vehicles whose battery is not in the en-
gine compartment, the jump leads should
only be connected to the starting assistance
connection points in the engine compart-
ment. » 51

The essentials
WARNING
Incorrect use of jump leads and incorrectly
jump st ar
ting could cause the battery to ex-
plode resulting in serious injury. Please ob-
serve the following rules to minimise the risk
of a battery explosion:
● The battery providing current must have
the same v
oltage (12V) and approximately
the same capacity (see markings on battery)
as the flat battery.
● Never charge a frozen or recently thawed
batter
y. A flat battery can also freeze at tem-
peratures close to 0°C (+32°F).
● If a battery is frozen and/or has been frozen
then it mus
t be replaced.
● A highly explosive mixture of gases is re-
lea
sed when the battery is being charged. Al-
ways keep lit cigarettes, flames, sparks and
fire far from the battery. Never use a mobile
telephone when connecting and removing the
jump leads.
● Charge the battery only in well ventilated
area
s given that when the battery is charged
by outside assistance, it creates a mix of
highly explosive gases.
● Jump leads should never enter into contact
with mov
ing parts in the engine compart-
ment.
● Never switch the positive and negative
pole
s or connect the jump leads incorrectly.
● Note the instruction manual provided by
the manufact
urer of the jump leads. CAUTION
To avoid considerable damage to the vehicle
electric a

l system, note the following careful-
ly:
● If the jump leads are incorrectly connected,
this c
ould result in a short circuit.
● The vehicles must not touch each other,
otherwi
se electricity could flow as soon as
the positive terminals are connected. Positive pole on the jump lead con-
nection point
s Fig. 75
In the engine compartment: positive
po l
e f

or starting assistance + .
On some vehicles, there is a starting assis-
t
anc
e t

erminal in the engine compartment,
under a labelled cover. How to jump start: description
Fig. 76
Diagram of connections for vehicles
w ithout


Start-Stop system. Fig. 77
Diagram of connections for vehicles
w ith
St

art-Stop system. Jump lead terminal connections
1. Switch off the ignition of both vehicles
››
›

.
52

The essentials
Note
The vehicles must not touch each other, oth-
erw i
se electricity could flow as soon as the
positive terminals are connected. Changing windscreen wipers
Wind s

creen wipers service position Fig. 78
Wipers in service position The wiper arms can be raised when the wip-
er
s
ar

e in service position ››› Fig. 78.
● Close the bonnet ›››

 page 272.
● Switch the ignition on and off.
● Press the windscreen wiper lever down-
ward
s briefly ››› page 26 4 .
B ef
or
e driving, always lower the wiper arms.
Using the windscreen wiper lever, the wind- screen wiper arms return to their initial posi-
tion.

››› page 87 Changing the front wiper blades
Fig. 79
Changing the front wiper blades Fig. 80
Changing the rear wiper blade Cleaning windscreen wiper blades
● Lifting and unfolding the wiper arms.
● Use a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt
fr om the w iper b
lades.
● If the blades are very dirty, a sponge or
damp cloth m
ay be used ››› in Changing
the w ind
s
creen and rear window wiper
blades on page 87.
Change the windscreen wiper blades
● Lifting and unfolding the wiper arms.
● Press and hold release button ›››
Fig. 79 1 and pull gently on the wiper blade in the di-
r
ection of
the arr
ow.
● Fit a new wiper blade of the same l
ength
and design on to the wiper arm and hook it
into place.
● Rest the wiper arms back onto the wind-
scr
een.
Lifting and unfolding the wiper arms
The wiper arm may only be lifted at the point
where it is fastened to the blade.
Changing the rear wiper blade
● Lift and unfold the wiper arm.
● Pull the wiper blade out of its mounting on
the wiper arm ››

› Fig. 80 (arrow A ).
● Hold down the release button ›
››

Fig. 80 1 while gently pulling the blade in the direction
of
arr
o
w B . This may require some strength.
54

Safety
Warning lamp Fig. 83
Warning lamp on the instrument pan-
el . Fig. 84
Example of seat belt status display for
the r ear se
ats (here, a 7-seat vehicle) on the
instrument panel above, the second row and,
below, the third row of seats. 
Lights up or flashes
Driver's seat belt not
fastened or front pas-
senger seat belt not
fastened if the front
passenger seat is occu-
pied.
Fasten seat belts!
Objects on the front
passenger seat.Remove any objects from the
front passenger seat and
store them safely.
Some control and warning lamps on the in-
strument
p

anel will come on to check certain
functions when the ignition is switched on.
They will switch off after a few seconds.
An audible warning will be heard for a maxi-
mum of 90 seconds if the seat belts are not
fastened as the car drives off and reaches a
speed of more than 25 km/h (15 mph) or if
the seat belts are unfastened while the vehi-
cle is in motion. The seat belt warning lamp
 will also flash.
The warning lamp  does not switch off until
the driver and front passenger fasten their
seat belts while the ignition is switched on.
Seat belt status display for rear seats
The seat belt status display on the instru-
ment panel informs the driver, when the igni-
tion is switched on, whether any passengers
in the rear seats have fastened their seat
belts. The symbol  indicates that the pas- senger in this seat has fastened “his or her”
seat
belt

››› Fig. 84.
The seat belt status is displayed for around
30 seconds when a seat belt in the rear seats
is fastened or unfastened. You can switch off
this display by pressing the 0.0 / SET button.
The se at
belt

status flashes for a maximum of
30 seconds when a seat belt in the rear seats
is unfastened while the vehicle is in motion.
An audible warning will also be heard if the
vehicle is travelling at over 25 km/h
(15 mph).
The rear seat display can be enabled or disa-
bled by a technical service centre.
The protective function of seat belts Fig. 85
Drivers with properly worn seat belts
w i
l

l not be thrown forward in the event of sud-
den braking 62

Safety
The airbag system operation is monitored
el ectr
onic
ally. The airbag control lamp will il-
luminate for a few seconds every time the ig-
nition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the control
lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is
switc
hed on,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is sw
itched on
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is sw
itched on
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
movin
g.
The airbag system is not triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over. WARNING
● The seat belt

s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 57.
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the sy
stem checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise there is a danger that during a collision, the system
ma
y

fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly. Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thous
andths

of a second, to provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
The airbag system is only ready to function
when the ignition is on.
In special accidents instances, several air-
bags may activate at the same time.
In the event of minor head-on and side colli-
sions, rear-end collisions, overturning or roll-
over of the vehicle, airbags do not activate.
Activation factors
The conditions that lead to the airbag system
activating in each situation cannot be gener-
alised. Some factors play an important role,
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
cle hits (hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation.
The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tory and activates the respective restraint
system.
If the deceleration rate is below the prede-
fined reference value in the control unit the airbags will not be triggered, even though
the acc
ident

may cause extensive damage to
the car.
The following airbags are triggered in seri-
ous head-on collisions
● Driver airbag.
● Front passenger front airbag
● Knee airbag for the driver.
The fol
lowing airbags are triggered in seri-
ous side-on collisions
● Front side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Re

ar side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Cur

tain (head) airbag on the side of the ac-
cident.
In an ac

cident with airbag activation:
● the interior lights switch on (if the interior
light swit
ch is in the courtesy light position);
● the hazard warning lights switch on;
● all doors are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut.
70

Safety
●
Gre at
forces must not be exerted on the
seat backrest bolsters because the side air-
bags might not deploy correctly, might not
deploy at all or might deploy unexpectedly.
● Any damage to the original seat upholstery
or around the se
ams of the side airbag units
must be repaired immediately by a special-
ised workshop. Curtain airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 20. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of

a second.
● Always keep the deployment areas of the
head-pr
otection airbags free.
● Do not fix objects to the cover or in the de-
ployment
area of the curtain airbag.
● Vehicle occupants of the front and outer
rear se
ats must never carry any other people,
pets or objects in the deployment space be-
tween them and the airbags.
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Do not mount accessories on the doors. ●
Do not fit c

urtains to the windows other
than those expressly approved for use in the
vehicle.
● Only turn the sun blinds towards the win-
dows
if there is no object, e.g. pens or garage
remote controls, secured to the sun blind. Deactivating airbags
Contr o

l lamp Fig. 92
Control lamp for disabling the front
p a
s

senger front airbag on the dash panel 
It lights up on the combi-in-
strument
Fault in airbag
system and seat
belt tensioners.Have the system checked immedi-
ately by a specialised workshop.  
It lights up on the dash panel
Fault in the air-
bag system.Have the system checked immedi-
ately by a specialised workshop.
Front passenger
front airbag disa-
bled.Check whether the airbag should
remain disabled
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.
If the front passenger airbag is deactivated,
the lamp      does not re-
main lit, or if it is lit together with the control
lamp  on the dash panel, there may be a
fault in the airbag system ››› .
WARNING
In the event of a fault in the airbag system,
the airbag m a

y not trigger correctly, may fail
to trigger or may even trigger unexpectedly,
leading to severe or fatal injuries.
● Have the airbag system checked immedi-
ately b
y a specialised workshop.
● Never mount a child seat in the front pas-
senger se
at ››› page 78 or remove the
mounted child seat! The front passenger front
airbag may deploy during an accident in spite
of the fault. 72

Airbag system
CAUTION
Always pay attention to any lit control lamps
and to the c orr
esponding descriptions and in-
structions to avoid damage to the vehicle. Manual disabling and enabling of the
front
p

assenger front airbag with the
key switch Fig. 93
In the glove compartment on the front
p a
s

senger side: Key switch for enabling and
disabling the front passenger front airbag. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 18.
The front passenger front airbag must be dis-
abled when a rear-facing child seat is moun-
ted.
Activating the front passenger front airbag
● Switch the ignition off. ●
Open the glove c
ompartment on the front
passenger side.
● Insert the key into the slot of the switch for
deactivatin
g the front passenger airbag
››› Fig. 93. About 3/4 of the key should enter,
as far as it will go.
● Then turn the key gently to the ON position.
Do not
force it if you feel resistance, and
make sure you have inserted the key fully.
● Close the glove compartment on the front
pas
senger side.
● Check that, with the ignition switched on,
the contro
l lamp      on the
dash panel is not lit ››› page 72.
How to know whether the front passenger
front airbag is disabled
The only indication of the front passenger air-
bag being disabled is that the   
  control lamp on the dash panel re-
mains lit (   stays yellow) ››› page 72,
Control lamp .
If the      control lamp on
the centre console does not remain lit or is lit
in combination with the control lamp  on
the dash panel, a child restraint system can-
not be mounted on the front passenger seat
for safety reasons. The front passenger front
airbag may deploy during an accident. WARNING
The front passenger front airbag must only be
dis ab

led in special cases.
● Disable and activate the front passenger
front airb
ag when the ignition is switched off
to avoid damage to the airbag system.
● It is the driver's responsibility to ensure
that the k
ey operated switch is set to the cor-
rect position.
● Only disable the front passenger front air-
bag when a chi
ld seat is to be mounted under
exceptional circumstances.
● As soon as the child seat is no longer nee-
ded on the front p
assenger seat, reconnect
the front passenger front airbag.
● Never leave the key in the airbag deactiva-
tion switc
h as it could get damaged or acti-
vate or deactivate the airbag during driving. 73
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Self-help
Changing the windscreen wiper
b l
a
des
Changing the windscreen and rear
window wiper blades Read the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 54.
The windscreen wiper blades are supplied as
standard with a layer of graphite. This layer is
responsible for ensuring that the wipe is si-
lent. If the graphite layer is damaged, the
noise of the water as it is wiped across the
windscreen will be louder.
Check the condition of the wiper blades regu-
larly. If the wipers scrape across the glass
they should be changed if they are damaged,
or cleaned if they are dirty ››› .
Dam ag
ed w

iper blades should be replaced
immediately. These are available from quali-
fied workshops. WARNING
Worn or dirty wiper blades reduce visibility
and incr e

ase the risk of accident and serious
injury.
● Always replace damaged or worn blades or
bla
des which do not clean the windscreen
correctly. CAUTION
● Damag ed or dir

ty windscreen wipers could
scratch the glass.
● If products containing solvents, rough
spong
es or sharp objects are used to clean
the blades, the graphite layer will be dam-
aged.
● Never use fuel, nail varnish remover, paint
thinner or simil
ar products to clean the win-
dows.
● In icy conditions, always check that the
wiper bl
ades are not frozen to the glass be-
fore using the wipers. In cold weather, it may
help to leave the vehicle parked with the wip-
ers in service position ›››
 page 54.
● To prevent damage to the bonnet and the
wiper arms, only
leave them in the service
position.
● Before driving, always lower the wiper
arms. Tow-starting and towing
Intr oduction Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 50
When towing, always respect legal require-
ments.
For technical reasons, it is not possible to
tow a vehicle if the battery is flat. If the vehicle comes with the Keyless Access
syst

em, towing is only allowed with the igni-
tion on!
The vehicle battery drains if the vehicle is
towed with the engine switched off and the
ignition connected. Depending on the battery
charge status, the drop in voltage may be so
large, even after just a few minutes, that no
electrical device in the vehicle may work e.g.
the hazard warning lights. In vehicles with
the Keyless Access system, the steering
wheel could lock ››› .
WARNING
A vehicle with a flat battery should never be
to w

ed.
● Never remove the key from the ignition
lock. Otherw
ise, the steering wheel lock
could suddenly lock. The vehicle would not
be controlled and a serious accident could
ensue. WARNING
When towing the vehicle, the handling and
brak in

g efficiency change considerably.
Please observe the following instructions to
minimise the risk of serious accidents and in-
jury:
● As the driver of the vehicle being towed:
– The brake mu

st be depressed must hard-
er as the brake servo does not operate. » 87
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety