2017 Seat Alhambra Owner's Manual

Seat belts
Properly worn seat belts hold the occupants
in the pr oper po
s
ition. They also help prevent
uncontrolled movements that may result in
serious injury and reduce the risk of being
thrown out of the vehicle in case of an acci-
dent.
Vehicle occupants wearing their seat belts
correctly benefit greatly from the ability of the
belts to absorb kinetic energy. In addition,
the front part of your vehicle and other pas-
sive safety features (such as the airbag sys-
tem) are designed to absorb the kinetic ener-
gy released in a collision. Taken together, all
these features reduce the releasing kinetic
energy and consequently, the risk of injury.
This is why it is so important to fasten seat
belts before every trip, even when "just driv-
ing around the corner".
Ensure that your passengers wear their seat
belts as well. Accident statistics have shown
that wearing seat belts is an effective means
of substantially reducing the risk of injury
and improving the chances of survival when
involved in a serious accident. Furthermore,
properly worn seat belts improve the protec-
tion provided by airbags in the event of an
accident. For this reason, wearing a seat belt
is required by law in most countries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with air-
bags, the seat belts must be fastened and
worn. The front airbags, for example, are only
triggered in some cases of head-on collision.
The front airbags will not be triggered during minor frontal or side collisions, rear-end colli-
sions, r
ollovers or accidents in which the air-
bag trigger threshold value in the control unit
is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat
belt and ensure that all vehicle occupants
have fastened their seat belts properly before
you drive off!
Head-on collisions and the laws of
phys
ics Fig. 85
A driver not wearing a seat belt is
thr own f

orward violently Fig. 86
The unbelted rear passenger is
thro wn f

orward violently, hitting the driver
wearing a seat belt It is easy to explain how the laws of physics
w
ork
in the c

ase of a head-on collision: when
a vehicle starts moving, a type of energy
called “kinetic energy” is created both in the
passengers and inside the vehicle.
The amount of “kinetic energy” depends on
the speed of the vehicle and the weight of
the vehicle and its passengers. The higher
the speed and the greater the weight, the
more energy there is to be “absorbed” in an
accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the
speed of the vehicle. If the speed doubles
from 25 km/h (15 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph), for example, the corresponding ki-
netic energy is multiplied by four.
Because the vehicle occupants in our exam-
ple are not restrained by seat belts, in the »
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Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
event of crashing against a wall, all of the oc-
c up
ants' k
inetic energy will be absorbed
solely by said impact.
Even at speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph) to
50 km/h (30 mph), the forces acting on bod-
ies in a collision can easily exceed one tonne
(1000 kg). At greater speed these forces are
even higher.
Vehicle occupants not wearing seat belts are
not “attached” to the vehicle. In a head-on
collision, they will move forward at the same
speed their vehicle was travelling just before
the impact. This example applies not only to
head-on collisions, but to all accidents and
collisions.
Even at low speeds the forces acting on the
body in a collision are so great that it is not
possible to brace oneself with one's hands.
In a frontal collision, unbelted passengers
are thrown forward and will make violent con-
tact with the steering wheel, dash panel,
windscreen or whatever else is in the way
››› Fig. 85.
It is also important for rear passengers to
wear seat belts properly, as they could other-
wise be thrown forward violently through the
vehicle interior in an accident. Passengers in
the rear seats who do not use seat belts en-
danger not only themselves but also the front
occupants ››› Fig. 86. Using seat belts Twisted seat belt
If it
i

s difficult to remove the seat belt from
the guide, the seat belt may have become
twisted inside the side trim after being
wound too quickly on unfastening:
● Pull out the seat belt completely, carefully
pul
ling on the latch plate.
● Untwist the belt and guide it back, assist-
ing it b
y hand.
The seat belt must be fastened even if it is
impossible to untwist it. In this case, the
twisted area must not be in an area in direct
contact with your body. Have the seat belt
untwisted urgently by a specialised work-
shop. WARNING
An improperly handled seat belt increases
the risk of

sustaining severe or fatal injuries.
● Regularly check that the seat belts and
their components
are in perfect condition.
● Always keep your seat belt clean.
● Do not jam or damage the seat belt or rub it
with sharp edg
es.
● Make sure there are no liquids or foreign
bodies on the l
atch plate and in the buckle. How to properly adjust your
se
at
belt
F

astening and unfastening your seat
belt Fig. 87
Insert the latch plate into the buckle64

Seat belts
Fig. 88
Position of seat belt during pregnan-
cy . Properly worn seat belts hold the vehicle oc-
c
up
ants
in the position that most protects
them in the event of an accident or sudden
braking ››› .
F a
s

tening the seat belt
Fasten your seat belt before each trip.
● Adjust the front seat and head restraint cor-
rectly ›

›› page 57.
● Engage the seat backrest of the rear seat in
an upright pos
ition ››› .
● Pull the latch plate and place the belt web-
b in
g ev

enly across your chest and lap. Do not
twist the seat belt when doing so ››› .
● Engage the latch plate in the buckle of the
c orr
e

sponding seat ›››
Fig. 87 A. ●
Pul
l the belt to ensure that the latch plate is
securely engaged in the buckle.
Unfastening the seat belt
The seat belt must not be unfastened until
the vehicle has come to a standstill ››› .
● Press the red button on the buckle
› ›
›

Fig. 87 B. The latch plate is released from
the buckle.
● Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls
up eas
ily and the trim will not be damaged.
Correct belt position
Seat belts offer their maximum protection in
the event of an accident and reduce the risk
of sustaining severe or fatal injuries only
when they are properly positioned. Further-
more, if the webbing is correctly positioned,
the seat belt will hold the vehicle occupants
in the optimum position to ensure the airbag
provides the maximum protection. The seat
belt must therefore always be worn and the
webbing correctly positioned.
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause severe
or even fatal injuries ››› page 57, Correct po-
sition of the vehicle occupants .
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie
on the centre of
the shoulder, never across
the neck or the arm, under the arm or behind
the shoulder. ●
The lap par
t of the seat belt must lie across
the pelvis, never across the stomach.
● The seat belt must lie flat and fit comforta-
bly. P
ull the belt tight if necessary to take up
any slack.
In the case of pregnant women , the seat belt
must lie evenly across the chest and as low
as possible over the pelvis, never across the
stomach and must be worn properly at all
times during the pregnancy ››› Fig. 88.
Adapting the position of the belt webbing to
your size
The seat belt can be adapted using the fol-
lowing equipment:
● Belt height adjustment for the front seats.
● Front seat height adjustment. WARNING
An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause
sever e or f

atal injuries in the event of an acci-
dent.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection
unl
ess the seat backrest is in an upright posi-
tion and the seat belt is worn correctly, ac-
cording to your size.
● Unbuckling your seat belt while the vehicle
is in motion c
an cause severe or fatal injuries
in the event of an accident or sudden braking. » 65
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
●
The seat belt
itself, or a loose seat belt, can
cause severe injuries if the belt moves from
hard areas of the body to soft areas (e.g. the
stomach).
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie
on the centre of
the shoulder, never across
the neck or the arm.
● The seat belt must lie flat and fit comforta-
bly on the t
orso
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across
the pelvis, nev
er across the stomach. The
seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably on
the pelvis Pull the belt tight if necessary to
take up any slack.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the
seat belt
must lie as low as possible over the
pelvis and always lie flat, “surrounding” the
stomach ››› Fig. 88.
● Do not twist the seat belt while it is fas-
tened.
● Once the se

at belt is positioned correctly,
don't pu
ll it away from your body with your
hand.
● Do not lie the seat belt across rigid or frag-
ile o
bjects, e.g. glasses, pens or keys.
● Never use seat belt clips, retaining rings or
simil
ar instruments to alter the position of
the belt webbing. Note
If your physical constitution prevents you
from m aint

aining the correct position of the belt webbing, contact a specialised workshop
for help w
ith an

y special devices to ensure
the optimum protection of the seat belt and
airbag. SEAT recommends taking your car in
for technical service. Fastening or unfastening the seat belt
with tw
o b

uckles Fig. 89
Fasten the seat belt on the centre seat
in the sec ond r
o

w of seats Properly worn seat belts hold the vehicle oc-
c
up
ants

in the position that most protects
them in the event of an accident or sudden
braking ››› .
The se at
belts

for the centre seat in the sec-
ond row of seats and for the seats in the third
row of seats are fastened using two buckles.
Fastening the seat belt
Fasten your seat belt before each trip. ●
Adjust
the rear seat and head restraint cor-
rectly ››› page 57.
● Engage the seat backrest of the rear seat in
an upright pos
ition ››› .
● Use latch plate of the belt ››
›
Fig. 89 1 to
p u
l
l the seat belt down. Do not twist the seat
belt when doing so ››› .
● Engage the latch plate 1 in the buckle of
the c orr
e

sponding seat A .
● Use the latch plate ››
›
Fig. 89 2 to pull the
se at
belt
across your lap.
● Engage the latch plate 2 in the buckle of
the c orr
e

sponding seat B .
● Pull the belt to ensure that both lat
c
h
plates are securely engaged in the buckles.
Unfastening the seat belt
The seat belt must not be unfastened until
the vehicle has come to a standstill ››› .
● Press the red button on the buckle
› ›
›

Fig. 89 A . The latch plate is released from
the b uc
k
le.
● Press the red button on the buckle
›››
Fig. 89 B . The latch plate is released from
the b uc
k
le.
● Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls
up eas
ily and the trim will not be damaged.
66

Seat belts
WARNING
An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause
sever e or f
atal injuries in the event of an acci-
dent.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection
unl
ess the seat backrests are in an upright
position and the seat belt is worn correctly,
according to your size.
● Unbuckling your seat belt while the vehicle
is in motion c
an cause severe or fatal injuries
in the event of an accident or sudden braking. Note
Seat belts with two buckles include a dia-
gram t o sho

w how to fasten the seat belt.Belt height adjustment
Fig. 90
Next to the front seats: belt height ad-
ju s
t

er Using the height adjusters for the front seats
and the out
er se
ats

of the second row, the
position of the seat belts can be adjusted in
the shoulder area according to the height of
the occupant:
● Keep the guide device pressed down in the
direction of the arr
ow ››› Fig. 90.
● Move the guide device up or down until the
seat belt
lies over the centre of your shoulder
››› page 64.
● Release the guide device.
● Pull the belt sharply to check that the de-
vice i
s engaged securely. WARNING
Never adjust the belt height while the vehicle
is in motion. Seat belt tensioners
Aut omatic

belt retractor, belt tension-
er, belt tension limiter Seat belts are part of the vehicle’s safety fea-
t
ur
e

s and consist of the following important
functions:
Automatic belt retainer
Every seat belt is equipped with an automatic
belt retainer on the shoulder belt. If the belt is pulled slowly or during normal driving, the
syst

em allows for total freedom of movement
on the shoulder belt. However, during sud-
den braking, during travel in mountains or
bends and during acceleration, the automat-
ic belt retainer on the seat belt is locked is
pulled quickly.
Belt tensioners
The seat belts on the front seats and the out-
er seats of the second row are equipped with
belt tensioners.
Sensors trigger the belt tensioners during se-
vere head-on, lateral and rear collisions and
retract and tighten the seat belts. If the seat
belt is loose, it is retracted to reduce the for-
wards movement of vehicle occupants or
movement in the direction of the collision.
The belt tensioner works in combination with
the airbag system. The belt tensioner will not
be triggered in the event of the vehicle over-
turning if the side airbags are not deployed.
If the belt tensioner is triggered, a fine dust is
produced. This is normal and it is not an indi-
cation of fire in the vehicle.
Belt tension limiter
The belt tension limiter reduces the force of
the seat belt on the body in the event of an
accident. »
67
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
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Safety
Note
The relevant safety requirements must be ob-
serv ed when the
vehicle is dismantled or sys-
tem components are removed. These require-
ments are known to specialised workshops
››› page 68. Service and disposal of belt tension
devic
e

s If you work on the belt tensioners or remove
and ins
t

all other parts of the vehicle when
performing other repair work, the seat belt
may be damaged. The consequence may be
that, in the event of an accident, the belt ten-
sioners function incorrectly or not at all.
So that the effectiveness of the belt tensioner
is not reduced and that removed parts do not
cause any injuries or environmental pollu-
tion, regulations must be observed. These re-
quirements are known to specialised work-
shops. WARNING
Improper handling and homemade repairs of
seat belt

s, automatic belt retainers and ten-
sion devices increase the risk of sustaining
severe or fatal injuries. The belt tensioner
may fail to trigger or may trigger in the wrong
circumstances. ●
Never att empt

to repair, adjust or remove or
install parts of the belt tensioners or seat
belts. Any work must be performed by a spe-
cialised workshop only ››› page 244.
● Belt tensioners and automatic belt retain-
ers c
annot be repaired and must be replaced. For the sake of the environment
Airbag modules and belt tensioners may con-
t ain per c

hlorate. Observe the legal require-
ments for their disposal. Airbag system
Brief intr
oduction
Intr

oduction Front airbags have been installed for both
driver and p
a

ssenger. The front airbags can
also protect the chest and head of driver and
passenger if the seats, seat belts head re-
straints and, for the driver, the steering
wheel are correctly adjusted and used. Air-
bags are considered as additional safety
equipment. An airbag cannot replace the
seat belt, which must be worn at all times,
even in front seats where front airbags have
been installed. WARNING
Never exclusively trust the airbag system as a
mean s

of protection.
● Even when triggered, airbag protection is
only aux
iliary.
● The airbags provide the best protection
when the seat belt
s are properly fastened,
thus reducing the risk of sustaining injuries
››› page 64, How to properly adjust your seat-
belt.
● Before each trip, every occupant must sit
properly, c
orrectly fasten the seat belt be-
longing to his or her seat and keeping it fas-
tened throughout the trip. This rule is valid
for all vehicle occupants. 68

Airbag system
WARNING
Vehicle occupants sitting in the front of the
vehic l
e must never carry any objects in the
deployment space between them and the air-
bags, as this increases the risk of sustaining
injuries if the airbag is triggered. This modi-
fies the airbag deployment space or the ob-
jects may fly uncontrollably and hit your
body.
● Never carry objects in your hand or on your
lap whil
e the vehicle is in motion.
● Never transport objects on the front pas-
senger se
at. In the event of sudden braking
and manoeuvres, the objects may end up in
the airbag deployment space and fly uncon-
trollably around the vehicle interior if the air-
bag is activated.
● 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. Make sure chil-
dren and other passengers also respect this
recommendation. WARNING
The airbag system provides protection for
one acc ident

only. If they have been de-
ployed, they must be replaced.
● Ensure deployed airbags and the system
components
involved are immediately re-
placed with new, SEAT-approved components
for the vehicle. ●
Have an y

repairs or modifications carried
out at a specialised workshop. Specialised
workshops have the necessary tools, diag-
nostics equipment, repair information and
qualified personnel.
● Never fit recycled or reused airbag compo-
nents in
your vehicle.
● Never modify the airbag system compo-
nents. WARNING
If the airbags are triggered, a fine dust is pro-
duc ed. Thi

s is normal and it is not an indica-
tion of fire in the vehicle.
● This fine dust may irritate the skin and eyes
and cause br
eathing difficulties, particularly
in people suffering from or who have suffered
from asthma or other illnesses of the respira-
tory tract. To reduce breathing difficulties,
get out of the vehicle and open and doors and
windows to breath in fresh air.
● Should you touch the dust, wash your
hands
and face using a mild soap and water
before you eat.
● Prevent the dust from affecting the eyes or
open wound
s.
● Rinse your eyes with water if you have dust
in them. WARNING
Solvents cause the surfaces of the airbag
modul e

s to become porous. If an airbag is ac- cidentally triggered, the detachment of plas-
tic p
ar

ts could cause serious injury.
● Never clean the dash panel and the surfa-
ces
of the airbag modules with cleaners con-
taining solvents. Description of the airbag system
The airbag system is not a substitute for the
seat
belts.

The airbag system offers addition-
al protection for the driver and passenger in
combination with the seat belts.
The airbag system comprises the following
modules (as per vehicle equipment):
● Electronic control unit.
● Front airbags for driver and passenger
● Knee airbag for the driver
● Side airbags
● Head airbag
● Airbag control lamp  on the instrument
p

anel
● Key-operated switch for front passenger air-
bag
● Contr

ol lamp to disconnect/connect the
front airb
ag. »
69
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

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