Operation
●
Alw a
ys correctly load the trailer.
● Always secure loads correctly with suitable
and undam
aged attachment rope or straps. Driving with a trailer
Adjusting the headlights
When to
w
ing a trailer, the front of the vehicle
may rise and so the dipped beam headlights
may blind other drivers. Use the headlight
range control to lower the cone of light. If you
do not have headlight range control, have
the headlights adjusted by a specialised
workshop. Vehicles with high-intensity dis-
charge lamps adapt automatically and do not
require adjustment.
Things to note when towing a trailer or cara-
van
● If the trailer has an overru
n brake, apply
the brakes gently at first and then, firmly.
This will prevent the jerking that can be
caused by the trailer wheels locking.
● As of the combined vehicle and trailer
mas
s, braking distances will be greater.
● Select a low gear before driving down a
steep hi
ll to use the engine braking effect to
slow down the vehicle. Otherwise, the brak-
ing system could overheat and fail.
● The vehicle centre of gravity and handling
chan
ge because of the trailer load and be- cause of the increased combined mass of the
vehicl
e and trailer.
● If the towing vehicle is empty and the trail-
er loaded then the lo
ad distribution is incor-
rect. If you must travel in these conditions,
drive carefully and reduce your speed accord-
ingly.
Hill starts with a trailer
Depending on the hill and the gross com-
bined weight, it is possible that the com-
bined vehicle and trailer move backwards
slightly when starting.
For a hill start with a trailer, proceed as fol-
lows:
● Press and hold the brake pedal.
● Press the button once to turn off the
el ectric
p
arking brake ››› page 187.
● Press and hold the button to hold the
v ehic
l
e and trailer combination using the
parking brake.
● With a manual gearbox: press the clutch
pedal t
o the floor.
● Engage first gear or the gear range D
›››
page 192, Gearbox.
● Release the brake pedal.
● Move off slowly. To do this, gently release
the clutc
h pedal (for manual gearbox). ●
Rele
ase the button only when the en-
gine pr o
v
ides sufficient power to move the
vehicle and trailer combination. WARNING
Jerking the trailer in an unsuitable manner
cou l
d cause loss of vehicle control with the
subsequent serious consequences.
● Driving with a trailer and transporting
heavy or a l
arge objects will change the vehi-
cle handling and braking distances.
● Anticipate traffic and be extremely cau-
tious. Brak
e early.
● Adjust your speed and driving style to visi-
bility
, road, traffic and weather conditions.
Reduce your speed, especially on steep hills.
● Accelerate gently and carefully. Avoid brus-
que manoeuvr
es and sudden braking.
● Always take the following precautions seri-
ously
. Reduce your speed immediately if you
observe the trailer rocking from side to side.
● Never try to stop the “snaking” by increas-
ing speed.
● A
lways take the speed limits for vehicles
with and without
trailers into account.240
Care and maintenance
The optimal reach of the equipment is only
ac hiev
ed w
ith an external aerial.
Check first with a specialised workshop that
understands the technical possibilities of in-
stallation if you wish to use a two-way radio
with a transmitting power of over 10 watts.
SEAT recommends taking your car in for tech-
nical service.
All legal requirements, together with the in-
structions for the use of two-way radios must
be observed. WARNING
If the two-way radio is not securely fastened
in pos ition, it
could be sent flying around the
vehicle in the event of sharp braking, sudden
manoeuvres or accident, causing injury.
● While driving, two-way radios must be se-
curely
fastened in position, outside the radi-
us of action of the airbags, or safely stowed
away. WARNING
When using a two-way radio without a con-
nection to an e xt
erior aerial, the maximum
permitted levels of electromagnetic radiation
may be exceeded. This is also the case if the
aerial has not been correctly installed.
● You should only use a two-way radio inside
the vehic
le if it has first been correctly con-
nected to an exterior aerial. Information stored by the control
u
nit
s Your vehicle is fitted at the factory with a ser-
ies
of
electronic control units responsible for
the engine and gearbox management. In ad-
dition, the control units supervise the per-
formance of the exhaust gas system and the
airbag systems.
Therefore, while the vehicle is being driven,
these electronic control units are continuous-
ly analysing the vehicle data. In the event of
faults or deviations from the theoretical val-
ues, only this data is stored. Normally, the
warning lamps on the instrument panel light
up in the event of faults.
This data can only be read and analysed us-
ing special equipment.
The storing of the data allows specialised
workshops to detect and repair faults. Stored
data may include:
● Data relating to the engine or the gearbox
● Speed
● Direction of travel
● Braking force
● Detection of seat belt
The v ehic
le control units never record conver-
sations held by passengers in the vehicle.
In vehicles equipped with an emergency call
function via the mobile phone or other appli- ances connected in the vehicle, it is possible
to send the v
ehicle position. If the control
unit records an accident with airbag activa-
tion, the system may automatically send a
signal. This will depend on the network oper-
ator. Normally, transmission is only possible
in areas with good coverage.
Event Data Recorder
The vehicle is not fitted with an event data re-
corder.
An event data recorder temporarily stores the
vehicle information. Therefore, in the event of
an accident, it is possible to obtain detailed
information about how the accident occur-
red. For example, in vehicles with airbag sys-
tems, data relating to speed of impact, seat
belt status, seat positions and airbag activa-
tion times may be stored. The volume of data
depends on the manufacturer.
Event data recorders can only be mounted
with authorisation from the vehicle owner
and, in some countries, they are governed by
local legislation.
Reprogramming control units
On the whole, all the data required for the
component management is stored in the con-
trol units. The programming of certain con-
venience functions, such as the turn signals,
individual door opening and instructions on
the display can be modified using special »
247
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Advice
equipment at the workshop. If this is the
c a
se, the inf
ormation and descriptions given
in the Instruction Manual will not match the
original functions. Therefore, SEAT recom-
mends that any modifications be recorded in
the section “Other workshop notes” in the
Maintenance Programme.
The technical service centre must have a re-
cord of any modification to the programming.
Reading the vehicle fault memory
There is a diagnostics connector in the vehi-
cle interior for reading the vehicle fault mem-
ory. The fault memory documents errors and
deviations from the theoretical values of the
electronic control units.
The diagnostics connector is in the driver
side footwell area, next to the lever for open-
ing the bonnet, below a cover.
The fault memory should only be read and re-
set by a specialised workshop.
Using a mobile telephone in a vehicle
without c
onnection to an exterior aer-
ial Mobile telephones transmit and receive radio
w
av
e
s, both when in use and when on stand-
by. Scientific studies state that radio waves
exceeding certain values may be harmful to
the human body. International committees and authorities have established limits and
directive
s in order to ensure electromagnetic
radiation from mobile phones remains within
certain limits that do not endanger health.
Nevertheless, there is no conclusive scientif-
ic evidence that wireless telephones are to-
tally safe.
Therefore, some experts recommend that use
of mobile phone be kept to a minimum until
the results of current research are published.
When a mobile phone not connected to an
exterior aerial is used inside the vehicle, the
electromagnetic radiation may be greater
than if the mobile phone were connected to a
built-in aerial or to another exterior aerial.
If the vehicle is fitted with a suitable hands-
free device, it will comply with the legislation
in many countries which only permits the use
of mobile phones inside vehicles using a
hands-free device.
The hands-free system mounted at the facto-
ry has been designed for use with conven-
tional mobile phones and phones with Blue-
tooth technology. Mobile phones should be
placed on a suitable phone cradle. In addi-
tion, the cradle should always be correctly fit-
ted into the base plate. This ensures that the
mobile phone is securely attached to the
dash panel, it is always within reach of the
driver and is connected to the vehicle exterior
aerial. If the mobile phone is connected to an aerial
incorporat
ed into the vehicle or an exterior
aerial connected to the vehicle, it will help re-
duce the electromagnetic radiation transmit-
ted and the risk to human health. It will also
improve the quality of the connection.
If the phone is used inside the vehicle with-
out the hands-free system, it will not be se-
curely fastened and will not be connected to
the exterior aerial of the vehicle telephone.
Nor will the telephone charge if it is not on
the support. In addition, some calls may
break off and the quality of the connection
will be affected.
Mobile phones should only be used inside
the vehicle if they are connected to a hands-
free system with an exterior aerial. WARNING
If the mobile phone is not securely fastened
in pos ition, it
could be sent flying around the
vehicle in the event of sharp braking, sudden
manoeuvres or accident, causing injury.
● While driving, mobile phones must be se-
curely
fastened in position, outside the radi-
us of action of the airbags, or safely stowed
away. WARNING
When using a mobile phone without a con-
nection to an e xt
erior aerial, the maximum
permitted levels of electromagnetic radiation 248
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
Checking and refilling levelsSymbolMeaning
A highly explosive mixture of gases is re-
leased when the battery is under charge.
Keep children away from acid and batter-
ies!
WARNING
Working on the vehicle battery and the elec-
trica l
system can cause corrosion, fire and
electric shocks. Always read and take into ac-
count the following warnings and safety
standards before carrying out any work:
● Before working on the battery, switch off
the engine, the ignition and al
l electrical de-
vices then disconnect the negative connec-
tion on the battery.
● Keep children away from acid and the bat-
tery
itself!
● Wear eye protection.
● Battery acid is very corrosive and caustic. It
can burn sk
in and cause blindness. When
handling the battery, protect yourself from
splashes of acids, above all your hands, arms
and face.
● Do not smoke and never work close to pla-
ces
exposed to flames or sparks.
● Avoid sparks and electrostatic discharges
when workin
g with cables and electrical devi-
ces.
● Never short the battery terminals. ●
Never u se a d
amaged battery. It can ex-
plode. Replace a damaged battery immedi-
ately.
● Replaced damaged or frozen batteries as
soon as po
ssible. A flat battery can also
freeze at temperatures close to 0°C (+32°F).
● For vehicles with the battery in the luggage
compar
tment: Check that the battery gas
ventilation hose is securely attached. CAUTION
● Nev er di s
connect the battery if the ignition
is switched on or if the engine is running.
This could damage the electrical system or
electronic components.
● Do not expose the battery to direct sunlight
over a lon
g period of time, as the intense ul-
traviolet radiation can damage the battery
housing.
● If the car is left standing for long periods,
protect
the battery from extreme cold temper-
ature so that it does not “freeze up” and be-
come damaged. Warning lamp
It lights up
Faulty generator.
Contact a specialised workshop.
Have the electrical system checked.
Disconnect any unnecessary electri-
cal devices. The generator does not
charge the battery while the vehicle
is in motion.
Several warning and control lamps light up
for a f
ew sec
onds when the ignition is switch-
ed on, signalling that the function is being
verified. They will switch off after a few sec-
onds. WARNING
If the warning lamps and messages are ignor-
ed, the v ehic
le may stall in traffic, or may
cause accidents and severe injuries.
● Never ignore the warning lamps or text
mess
ages.
● Stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible. CAUTION
Failure to heed the control lamps and text
mes s
ages when they appear may result in
faults in the vehicle. 281
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Advice
WARNING
Incorrectly securing the battery or using the
wron g b
attery can cause short-circuits, fire
and serious injuries.
● Always use only maintenance free batteries
that do not
run flat alone and whose proper-
ties, specifications and size correspond to
the standard battery. The specifications are
indicated on the battery case. WARNING
A highly explosive mixture of gases is re-
le a
sed when the battery is under charge.
● The batteries should be charged in a well-
ventil
ated room only.
● Never charge a frozen or recently thawed
batter
y. A flat battery can also freeze at tem-
peratures close to 0°C (+32°F).
● Always replace a battery which has frozen.
● Battery cables not correctly connected may
cause a shor
t circuit. Reconnect first the posi-
tive cable and then the negative cable. CAUTION
● Never di s
connect the battery if the ignition
is switched on or if the engine is running.
This could damage the electrical system or
electronic components.
● Never plug accessories that supply current,
such a
s solar panels or a battery charger, to
the 12-volt power sockets or the cigarette lighter. This could damage the vehicle's elec-
trica
l
system. For the sake of the environment
● Di spo
se of the battery in an environment-
friendly manner. Batteries contain toxic sub-
stances such as sulphuric acid and lead.
● Battery acid can contaminate the environ-
ment. If it
has leaked use adequate care col-
lecting it (gloves and protective glasses), and
dispose of it correctly. Wheels and tyres
T y
r
es
Introduction The SEAT Alhambra is equipped as standard
with anti-p
u
ncture technology tyres (Conti-
Seal). In the event of a puncture or air leak of
up to 5 mm, the tyre seals the hole with a
protective layer inside the tread.
The inclusion of this technology means that
there is no type of spare wheel included in
the vehicle's equipment.
SEAT recommend that all work on tyres and
wheels is carried out by a specialised work-
shop. These workshops have the necessary
special tools and replacement parts, trained
personnel and facilities for disposing of the
old tyres while respecting the environment.
SEAT recommends taking your car in for tech-
nical service. WARNING
The vehicle cannot be totally controlled or
brak ed if
the tyres (new or used) are worn or
damaged.
● Incorrect use of wheels and tyres could
make driv
ing more dangerous and result in
serious accidents and damage. 284
Advice
● Re
gu
larly check tyres for non-visible dam-
age ››› page 290.
● Never exceed the maximum permitted
speed or loa
ds specified for the type of tyre
fitted on your vehicle ››› page 291.
● Do not allow tyres to come into contact with
aggre
ssive substances, grease, oil, fuel or
brake fluid ››› .
● Lost valve caps should be replaced imme-
di at
ely
.
Changing wheels
To ensure that the wear is equal on all tyres
the wheels should be changed round from
time to time according to the system
››› Fig. 250. The useful life of all the tyres will
then be about the same time.
SEAT recommends you take the vehicle to a
specialised workshop to have the tyres
changed.
Tyres over 6 years old
Tyres are subject to an ageing process as a
result of physical and chemical processes.
This may affect their performance. Tyres
which are stored for long periods of time
without being used, harden and become
more fragile than tyres which are in constant
use.
SEAT recommends that tyres over six years
old are replaced with new tyres. This also ap-
plies to tyres which appear to be in perfect condition on the outside and which have a
trea
d depth within the values stipulated by
the Law ››› .
The d at
e of
manufacture, part of the tyre
identification number (TIN), indicates the age
of the tyre ››› page 291.
Storing tyres
Mark tyres when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation (left, right, forwards,
backwards). This ensures you will be able to
mount them correctly when you replace
them. When removed, the wheels and/or
tyres should be stored in a cool, dry and pref-
erably dark location. Do not place tyres
mounted on the wheel in a vertical position.
Protect tyres not mounted on wheels from
dirt by storing them in suitable bags and
standing them on the ground on their tread. WARNING
Aggressive fluids or substances could result
in v i
sible or invisible damage with the conse-
quent risks.
● Always ensure that tyres do not come into
contact
with chemical products, oil, grease,
fuel, brake fluid or other aggressive substan-
ces. WARNING
Old tyres, even if they have never been used,
ma y
lose air or burst unexpectedly while driv-
ing, resulting in serious accident or damage.
● If tyres are over six years old, they should
only be u
sed in an emergency and with ex-
treme caution. For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of by qualified
personnel ac
cording to the laws in the coun-
try concerned. Wheels
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
rims. If
diff
er
ent rims are fitted, the correct
wheel bolts with the right length and correct-
ly shaped bolt heads must be used. This en-
sures that wheels are fitted securely and that
the brake system functions correctly
››› page 84.
For technical reasons, it is not generally pos-
sible to use the wheels from other vehicles.
In some cases, this may also be true for the
same model of wheel.
The tyres and rims approved by SEAT are spe-
cially matched to the characteristics of the
vehicle and are critical to good road holding
and safe handling.
286
Index
Index
A
Abr o
a
d
extended stay abroad with your vehicle . . . . . 260
sale of vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
ABS see Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Acoustic alarm control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
seatbelt unfastened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Adaptive headlights dynamic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
AdBlue control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
minimum quantity for a refill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
refilling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
tank filling capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Additional heater see "Auxiliary heater" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Adjusting folding the backrest of the front passengerseat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
rear head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 142
seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
seat with position memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Adjusting the head restraint rear head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Adjusting the head restraints rear head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Adjusting the seats
front se ats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
AFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Air-conditioning malfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Airbag covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Airbags see Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 68 activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
cleaning dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 71
functioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
head-protection airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
knee airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
locking the vehicle after deployment . . . . . . . 113
repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
use of child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 73
vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 air recirculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
air vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 173, 174
controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 174
electronic manual air conditioning . . . . . . . . . 174
indirect ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
special features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
user instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Air recirculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Air vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 All-wheel drive
snow c hains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Anodized surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246, 260
Anti-freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Anti-lock system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Anti-puncture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 85
Anti-puncture kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 85
Anti-puncture set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 false alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Anti-theft alarm system anti-tow system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
vehicle interior monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Anti-theft security system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Anti-tow system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Anti-trap function panoramic sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, 276
Armrests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
ASR see Brake assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
see Braking assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
switching on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
see also Traction control system . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Assistance call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Assistance systems electronic differential lock system (EDS) . . . . 204
electronic drive torque management (XDS) . . 204
launch-Control programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
303