2017 Seat Alhambra engine coolant

Checking and refilling levels
Working incorrectly can cause serious
injuries.
● Nev er open the bonnet
if you see steam or
cool
ant escaping from the engine compart-
ment. This may cause serious burns. Always
wait until you cannot see or hear the sound of
steam or coolant coming from the engine
compartment.
● Always allow the engine to cool down be-
fore openin
g the bonnet.
● Contact with hot elements of the engine
and the exhau
st system can cause burns.
● Once the engine has cooled, follow the in-
structions
below before opening the bonnet:
– Turn on the electronic parking brake and
place the gear selector lever in P or the
gearbox lever in neutral.
– Remove the key from the ignition.
– Keep children away from the engine com-
partment and never leave them unsuper-
vised.
● When the engine is warm or hot, the cool-
ing sys
tem is pressurised. Do not unscrew
the cap on the expansion tank when the en-
gine is hot. Otherwise, coolant may spray out
under pressure causing burns and serious in-
jury.
– Carefully and slowly unscrew the cap an-
ticlockwise, gently pressing down on it.
– Always protect your face, hands and arms
from hot coolant and steam using a large,
thick cloth. ●
When refi l

ling liquids, avoid spilling them
on parts of the engine and the exhaust sys-
tem. Spilled liquids could cause a fire. WARNING
The high voltages of the electrical system can
giv e el ectric

shocks as well as causing burns
and serious injury and possibly even death!
● Never cause short circuits in the electrical
syst
em. The battery could explode.
● To minimise the risk of electric shock and
serious c
onsequences while the engine is
running or starting the engine, note the fol-
lowing:
– Never touch the electrical wiring of the
ignition system.
– Never touch electric cables or the gas dis-
charge lamps. WARNING
In the engine compartment, there are rotat-
ing p ar

ts that could cause serious injury.
● Never place your hands on or near the radi-
ator fan.
Touching the rotor blades could seri-
ously harm you. The ventilator works accord-
ing to the engine temperature and could start
suddenly even when the ignition is turned off
and the key is removed.
● If any work has to be performed when the
engine is
started or with the engine running,
there is an additional, potentially fatal, safety
risk from rotating parts, such as the drive belts, alternator, radiator fan, etc., as well as
from the high-
v

oltage ignition system. Al-
ways work with the utmost caution.
– Always make sure that no parts of your
body, jewellery, ties, loose clothing and
long hair can be trapped by the rotating
parts of the engine. Before any work, re-
move ties and jewellery (necklaces, etc),
tie long hair back and tie all items of
loose clothing to your body to make sure
that they cannot be trapped by engine
components.
– Take extreme caution when operating the
accelerator and remain attentive. The ve-
hicle could move, even with the electron-
ic parking brake activated.
● Always make sure you have not left any ob-
jects, s
uch as cleaning cloths and tools, in
the engine compartment. If any object is left
in the engine compartment, this could cause
malfunctions, engine faults and even a fire. WARNING
Refill liquids and certain materials can catch
fire e a

sily in the engine compartment, caus-
ing a fire and serious injury!
● Never smoke.
● Never work close to places exposed to
flames
or sparks.
● Never pour service fluids over the engine.
These fluid ma
y ignite hot engine parts and
cause injuries. » 269
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Checking and refilling levels
●
Aft er c
losing the bonnet, always check that
it is properly secured by the locking mecha-
nism in the lock carrier. The bonnet must be
flush with the surrounding body panels.
● While driving, if you notice that the bonnet
is not
correctly closed then stop immediately
and close it correctly.
● Only open and close the bonnet when there
is no
body within its range. CAUTION
● To av oid d

amage to the bonnet and to the
windscreen wiper arms, only open it when
the windscreen wipers are in place against
the windscreen.
● Before driving, always lower the wiper
arms. Checking fluid levels
Fig. 240
Diagram for the location of the vari-
ou s
el

ements. From time to time, the levels of the different
fluid
s
in the

vehicle must be checked. Never
fill with incorrect fluids, otherwise serious
damage to the engine may be caused.
Coolant fluid deposit
Engine oil dipstick
Oil filler neck
Brake fluid reservoir
Vehicle battery (underneath a cover)
Windscreen washer fluid reservoir
The checking and refilling of service fluids
are carried out on the components men- 1 2
3
4
5
6 tioned above. These operations are descri-
bed in
››
›

page 268.
Overview
Further explanations, instructions and restric-
tions on the technical data are contained as
of ››› page 294
Engine oil Introduction WARNING
Incorrectly handling engine oil can cause in-
jury and seriou

s burns.
● Always protect your eyes when handling
engine oil
.
● Oil is toxic and must be kept out of the
reac
h of children.
● Engine oil should only be kept in its origi-
nal
packaging; the same goes for used oil un-
til it is disposed of.
● Never store engine oil in empty food con-
tainers
or bottles as other people may acci-
dentally drink it.
● Regular contact with engine oil can be bad
for the skin. If
you come into contact with en-
gine oil, wash your skin with soap and water.
● With the engine running, the engine oil
gets
extremely hot and can cause severe skin » 271
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
●
When refi l
ling or changing service liquids,
ensure that you put the liquids into the right
tank. Making a mistake when refilling could
cause serious malfunctions and damage the
engine! For the sake of the environment
The oil level must never be above area
› ››

Fig. 241 A . Otherwise oil can be drawn in
through the c r
ankcase breather and escape
into the atmosphere via the exhaust system. Engine oil consumption
The consumption of engine oil can be differ-
ent
fr
om one en

gine to another and can vary
during the useful life of the engine.
Depending on driving style and the condi-
tions of use, the consumption of engine oil
can reach 1 litre every 2,000 km (one quarter
of a gallon every 1,200 miles); for new vehi-
cles, this could be higher for the first
5,000 km (3,000 miles). For this reason the
engine oil level must be checked at regular
intervals, preferably when filling the tank and
before a journey.
Topping up engine oil Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 39 The engine oil must be changed regularly ac-
cordin

g to the specifications of the Mainte-
nance Programme.
Due to the problems linked with disposing of
used oil and the need for suitable tools and
special knowledge, always visit a specialised
workshop to have the engine oil and filter
changed. SEAT recommends taking your car
in for technical service.
Detailed information on the service intervals
is shown in the Maintenance Programme. WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
ch an

ge the engine oil yourself, please note
the following:
● Wear eye protection.
● Always wait until the engine has complete-
ly coo
led to avoid being burned.
● Always keep your arms horizontal when un-
scr
ewing the oil drainage bolt so that it does
not run down your arms.
● Use a suitable container large enough to
col
lect all of the used oil in the engine.
● Never collect engine oil in empty food con-
tainers, c
ans, bottles or other containers as
not all people are able to identify engine oil.
● Oil is toxic and must be kept out of the
reac
h of children. CAUTION
No additives should be used with engine oil.
This c

ould result in engine damage. Any dam-
age caused by the use of such additives
would not be covered by the factory warranty. For the sake of the environment
● Bef or

e changing the engine oil, find a suita-
ble location or service for proper disposal.
● Always dispose of engine oil with the ut-
most
respect for the environment. Never dis-
pose of used engine oil in places such as a
garden, woods, drains, roads, paths, rivers
and drainage systems. Engine coolant
Intr oduction WARNING
Engine coolant is toxic!
● Only keep engine coolant in its original
cont ainer

, tightly shut and in a safe place.
● Never store engine coolant in empty food
container
s or bottles as other people may ac-
cidentally drink it.
● Always keep engine coolant out of reach of
chil
dren. 274

Checking and refilling levels
●
Ens ur
e that the proportion of engine cool-
ant additive corresponds to the lowest out-
side temperature to which the vehicle will be
exposed.
● If the outside temperature is extremely low,
the engine coo
lant could freeze causing the vehicle to stop. As this would also cause the
heatin
g t

o stop working, passengers without
warm clothing could freeze. For the sake of the environment
Coolants and additives can contaminate the
en vir

onment. Collect any spilt fluids in suita-
ble containers and dispose of them in accord- ance with legislation and with the utmost re-
spect
f

or the environment. Warning lamp and coolant temperature indicator
Fig. 243
Engine coolant temperature gauge
on the ins trument

panel: A cold area;
B normal area;
C warning area When driving normally, the needle will re-
m
ain in the mid
dl

e area. The temperature
may also rise when the engine is working
hard, especially at high outside temperatures
and so the indicator will move quite far to the
right-hand side.
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. »
275
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

AdviceIt lights upGauge position
››› Fig. 243Possible causeSolution 
Warning area
CExcessive engine coolant temperature. 
Stop the vehicle!
Stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible. Switch off the engine and wait
for it to cool down and for the needle to return to the normal area. Check
the engine coolant level ››› page 277.
Normal area BInsufficient engine coolant level.Check the engine coolant when the engine has cooled and, if it is low, refill
with engine coolant
››› page 277.
Although the coolant level is correct, there is a fault.
--Engine coolant system faulty.  Do not drive any further.
Obtain professional assistance.
--Cold area A--Avoid revving the engine too much or making it work hard while it has not
reached normal service temperature. 
Flashes
Engine coolant
system faulty.Seek specialist assistance.
WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Control
and warnin g l
amps on page 105. Coolant specifications
Read the additional information carefully
› ››

 page 40 WARNING
If there is not enough anti-freeze in the cool-
ant sy s

tem, the engine may fail leading to se-
rious damage.
● Please make sure that the percentage of
additiv
e is correct with respect to the lowest
expected ambient temperature in the zone in
which the vehicle is to be used.
● When the outside temperature is very low,
the cool
ant could freeze and the vehicle
would be immobilised. In this case, the heat-
ing would not work either and inadequately
dressed passengers could die of cold. CAUTION
The original additives should never be mixed
with c oo

lants which are not approved by SEAT. Otherwise, you run the risk of causing
sever
e d

amage to the engine and the engine
cooling system.
● If the fluid in the expansion tank is not pur-
ple b
ut is, for example, brown, this indicates
that the G13 additive has been mixed with an
inadequate coolant. The coolant must be
changed as soon as possible if this is the
case! This could result in serious faults and
engine damage. For the sake of the environment
Coolants and additives can contaminate the
en vir

onment. If any fluids are spilled, they
should be collected and correctly disposed
of, with respect to the environment. 276

Checking and refilling levels
Checking the coolant level and top-
pin g up Fig. 244
In the engine compartment: Marking
on c oo
l
ant expansion tank Fig. 245
In the engine compartment: coolant
e xp
an

sion tank cap If the coolant level is low, the coolant warn-
in
g indic
at

or will light. Preparations
● Park the vehicle on even, flat and firm
ground.
● A

llow the engine to cool ›››
.
● Open the bonnet  › ›
›
page 268.
● The coolant expansion tank is easily recog-
nisab
le because of the symbol  on the cap
››› Fig. 245.
Checking the engine coolant level ● When the engine is cold, check the coolant
level
using the side marking on the expan-
sion tank ››› Fig. 244.
● If the level is below the “MIN” mark, top up
with coo
lant. When the engine is hot it may
be slightly above the marked area.
Topping up the engine coolant level
● Always protect your face, hands and arms
from hot c
oolant and steam using a large,
thick cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap.
● Remove the cap very carefully ›››
.
● Only refill using new engine c
oo
lant ac-
cording to SEAT specifications ( ››› page 276)
››› .
● The engine coolant level should be be-
tw een the m
ark

s on the coolant expansion
tank ››› Fig. 244. Do not exceed the top level
of the marked area ››› .
● Screw on the cap tightly. ●
If, in the ev
ent

of an emergency, you have
no coolant that is compliant to the required
specifications ( ››› page 276), do not use an-
other type of additive. Instead, top up with
distilled water only ››› . Then re-establish
the c orr
ect

proportion of the mixture with the
correct additive as soon as possible
››› page 276. WARNING
Hot vapours and coolant can cause serious
burn s.
● Nev

er open the coolant expansion tank if
ste
am or coolant is coming from the engine
compartment. Wait until you cannot see or
hear any steam or coolant escaping.
● Always wait until the engine has complete-
ly coo
led before very carefully opening the
expansion tank cap. Contact with hot ele-
ments of the engine can cause skin burns.
● When the engine is warm or hot, the cool-
ing sys
tem is pressurised. Do not unscrew
the cap on the expansion tank when the en-
gine is hot. Otherwise, coolant may spray out
under pressure causing burns and serious in-
jury.
– Carefully and slowly unscrew the cap an-
ti-clockwise, gently pressing down on it.
– Always protect your face, hands and arms
from hot coolant and steam using a large,
thick cloth. » 277
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
●
When refi l
ling liquids, avoid spilling them
on parts of the engine and the exhaust sys-
tem. Spilled liquids could cause a fire. Under
specific circumstances, the ethylene glycol
can catch fire. CAUTION
● On ly fi

ll with distilled water. Any other type
of water may lead to considerable rusting in
the engine due to its chemical components.
This could consequently damage the engine.
If you have not used distilled water but an-
other type of water to top up the coolant, a
specialised workshop must immediately re-
place all of the fluid in the engine cooling
system.
● Only top up coolant to the top level of the
marked ar
ea ››› Fig. 244. Otherwise the ex-
cess coolant will be forced out of the cooling
system when the engine is hot, causing dam-
age.
● If a lot of liquid coolant has been lost, wait
for the engine t
o cool down completely before
adding coolant. Extensive coolant loss is an
indication of leaks in the engine cooling sys-
tem. Have the engine cooling system inspec-
ted immediately by a specialised workshop.
Otherwise engine damage may occur.
● When refilling service liquids, ensure that
you put
the liquids into the right tank. Mak-
ing a mistake when refilling could cause seri-
ous malfunctions and damage the engine! Brake fluid
Chec k
in

g the brake fluid level Fig. 246
In the engine compartment: brake
fluid r e
ser

voir cap Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 41
In the course of time, the brake fluid absorbs
water from the ambient air. If there is too
much water in the brake fluid, the brake sys-
tem could be damaged. In addition, the boil-
ing point of the brake fluid is significantly
lowered. When the brake fluid contains too
much water and the brakes are subject to
considerable forces, bubbles of water vapour
can form in the system. These bubbles can
significantly reduce braking power, notably
increasing braking distance, and could even
result in the total failure of the brake system.
Ensuring that the brake system is always
functioning correctly is essential for your own safety and the safety of other road users
›››
.
Br ak
e fluid s
pecifications
SEAT have developed a special brake fluid
optimised for the brake systems of their vehi-
cles. To ensure the optimum working of the
brake system, SEAT recommends the use of
brake fluid in accordance with the VW 501 14
standard. If this brake fluid is not available or
another brake fluid is used for different rea-
sons, use a brake fluid that complies with the
United States standard FMVSS 116 DOT 4 or
the German standard DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4
››› .
Br ak
e fluid

s conforming to the standard
VW 501 14, fulfil the American requirements
of the FMVSS 116 DOT 4 standard and the
German DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4 standard.
However, fluids that comply with the US
FMVSS 116 DOT 4 standard or the German
DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4 standard do not nec-
essarily comply with the VW 501 14 stand-
ard. Always check the information on the
brake fluid container and ensure that you are
using suitable brake fluid.
A suitable brake fluid can be obtained from
technical service centres.
278

Index
Card compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
C arin
g f
or paintwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Caring for the vehicle exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
CCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 see cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163, 168
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
keyless Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
manual locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
opening doors individually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Central locking system after airbag deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
remote control key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Centre armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Cetane number (diesel fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Changing a bulb control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45, 84 subsequent work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
front bumper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
halogen headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
number plate light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
rear lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Changing gear control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Changing the blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Changing windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Chargin
g the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Checking tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 deactivating the passenger front airbag . . . . . . 18
integrated child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
in the passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
mounting systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
on rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 75
securing with seat belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Top Tether system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
transporting children in the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 75
weight categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 disabling the front passenger front airbag . . . . 73
Chrome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
folding the rear view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
natural leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
seatbelts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
stickers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
synthetic leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
textile covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
trims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
washing the vehicle with high pressure clean-ers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
window
s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Cleaning the vehicle high pressure cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 173
Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 123
panoramic sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Clothes hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Code number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45, 83
Combined weight rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Coming Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Compartment for (sun)glasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Compartments centre console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
front central armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Connectors faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Control and warning lamps ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
adBlue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
blind spot detector (BSD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
changing gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
emission control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
engine management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
engine oil sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
305