2018 Seat Alhambra ESP

Safe driving
Safety
Saf e driv
in
g
Safety first! This chapter contains important information,
tips, s
ug

gestions and warnings that you
should read and consider for both your own
safety and for your passengers' safety. WARNING
● This m

anual contains important informa-
tion about the operation of the vehicle, both
for the driver and the passengers. The other
sections of the on-board documentation also
contain further information that you should
be aware of for your own safety and for the
safety of your passengers.
● Ensure that the on-board documentation is
kept in the
vehicle at all times. This is espe-
cially important when lending or selling the
vehicle to another person. Advice about driving
Intr oduction Depending upon how you expect to use your
v
ehic
l

e, it may a good idea to protect the en-
gine from below. An undercarriage may help to reduce the risk of damage to the lower part
of the v

ehicle and the oil sump when driving
over kerbs, or along dirt tracks or unsurfaced
roads, etc. SEAT recommends you have the
guard fitted by a technical service centre. WARNING
Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs,
medication or n ar

cotics may result in severe
accidents and even loss of life.
● Alcohol, drugs, medication and narcotics
may
significantly alter perception, affect re-
action times and safety while driving, which
could result in the loss of control of the vehi-
cle. Before setting off
For your own safety and the safety of your
p
a
s

sengers, always note the following points
before every trip:
– Make sure that the vehicle's lights and turn
signal

s are working properly.
– Check tyre pressure.
– Ensure that all windows provide a clear and
good v

iew of the surroundings.
– Make sure all luggage is secured
›››
page 152.
– Make sure that no objects can interfere
with the pedal

s. –
Adjust
front seat, head restraint and mir-
rors properly according to your size.
– Ensure that the passengers in the rear
seats alw

ays have the head restraints in
the in-use position ››› page 144.
– Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints

according to their height.
– Protect children with appropriate child
seats and pr

operly applied seat belts
››› page 75.
– Assume the correct sitting position. Instruct
your pa

ssengers also to assume a proper
sitting position ››› page 58.
– Fasten your seat belt securely. Instruct your
pas

sengers also to fasten their seat belts
properly ››› page 65.
What affects driving safety? As a driver, you are responsible for yourself
and
y
our p

assengers. When your concentra-
tion or driving safety is affected by any cir-
cumstance, you endanger yourself as well as
others on the road ››› , for this reason:
– Always pay attention to traffic and do not
g et
di

stracted by passengers or telephone
calls.
– Never drive when your driving ability is im-
paired (e.

g. by medication, alcohol, drugs). »
57
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
Danger of injuries due to an incorrect
s ittin
g po
sitionNumber of seats
Dependin
g on the equipment,

your vehicle
has a total of five or seven seats. Each seat is
equipped with a seat belt.
5 seats
Seats in the frontSeats in thesecond rowSeats in the third row
23–
7 seats
Seats in the frontSeats in thesecond rowSeats in the third row
232 If the seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at
al
l, the ri
sk

of severe injuries increases. Seat
belts can provide optimal protection only if
the belt web is properly worn. Being seated
in an incorrect position means the seat belt
cannot offer its full protection. This could re-
sult in severe and even fatal injuries. The risk
of severe or fatal injuries is especially height-
ened when a deploying airbag strikes a vehi-
cle occupant who has assumed an incorrect
sitting position. The driver is responsible for
all passengers in the vehicle, particularly
children. The following list shows just some examples
of incorr

ect sitting positions which can be
dangerous to all vehicle occupants.
Whenever the vehicle is in motion:
● Never stand in the vehicle.
● Never stand on the seats.
● Never kneel on the seats.
● Never tilt your seat backrest too far to the
rear
.
● Never lean against the dash panel.
● Never lie on the rear bench.
● Never sit on the front edge of a seat.
● Never sit sideways.
● Never lean out of a window.
● Never put your feet out of a window.
● Never put your feet on the dash panel.
● Never put your feet on the surface of a seat
or seat b
ackrest.
● Never travel in a footwell.
● Never sit on the armrests.
● Never travel on a seat without wearing the
seat belt
.
● Never carry any person in the luggage com-
partment
. WARNING
An incorrect sitting position in the vehicle
can l e

ad to severe injuries or death in the event of sudden braking or manoeuvres, colli-
sion or ac
c

idents or if the airbag deploys.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the prop-
er sitting po
sition and maintain it throughout
the trip. This also includes fastening the seat
belt.
● Never transport more people than there are
seats
with a seat belt available in the vehicle.
● Children must always be protected with an
appro
ved child restraint system suited to
their height and weight ››› page 75.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell while
the vehic
le is in motion. Never, for example,
put your feet on the surface of a seat or on
the dash panel and never put them out of a
window. Otherwise the airbag and seat belt
offer insufficient protection and the risk of in-
jury in the event of an accident is increased. WARNING
Before every trip, adjust the seat, the seat
belt and the he a

d restraints and instruct your
passengers to fasten their seat belts proper-
ly.
● Move the front passenger seat back as far
as po
ssible.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is a dis-
tance of
at least 25 cm (10 inches) between
the centre of your chest and the hub of the
steering wheel. Adjust the driver seat so that
you are able to press the accelerator, brake
and clutch pedals to the floor with your knees
slightly angled and that the distance 60

Safety
Seat belts
Wh y
w
ear a seat belt
Introduction Check the condition of all the seat belts at
re
gu

lar intervals. If you notice that the belt
webbing, fittings, retractor mechanism or
buckle of any of the belts is damaged, the
belt must be replaced immediately by a spe-
cialised workshop ››› . The specialised
w ork
shop mu

st use the appropriate spare
parts corresponding to the vehicle, the
equipment and the model year. SEAT recom-
mends taking your car in for technical serv-
ice. WARNING
Unbuckled or badly buckled seat belts in-
cr e

ase the risk of severe or even fatal inju-
ries. The seat belt cannot offer its full protec-
tion if it is not fastened and used correctly.
● Seat belts are the most effective way of re-
ducing the ri
sk of sustaining severe or fatal
injuries in the event of an accident. Seat belts
must be correctly fastened when the vehicle
is in motion to protect the driver and all vehi-
cle occupants.
● Before each trip, every occupant in the ve-
hicle oc
cupants must sit properly, correctly
fasten the seat belt belonging to his or her
seat and keep it fastened throughout the trip. This also applies to other vehicle occupants
when drivin
g in t

own.
● When travelling, children must be secured
in the vehic
le with a child restraint system
suitable for their weight and height and with
the seat belts correctly fastened
››› page 75.
● Instruct your passengers to fasten their
seat belt
s properly before driving off.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the
appropri
ate seat and ensure it is engaged.
Using the latch plate in the buckle of another
seat will not protect you properly and may
cause severe injuries.
● Do not allow liquids or foreign bodies to en-
ter the buc
kle fastenings. This could damage
the buckles and seat belts.
● Never unbuckle your seat belt when the ve-
hicle i
s moving.
● Never allow more than one passenger to
share the s
ame seat belt.
● Never hold children or babies on your lap
sharing the s
ame seat belt.
● Bulky and unbuttoned clothing, such as a
coat
worn over a sweatshirt, impairs the
proper fit and function of the seat belt. WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to drive using dam-
aged se at

belts and could result in serious in-
jury or loss of life. ●
Av oid d

amaging the seat belt by jamming it
in the door or the seat mechanism.
● If the fabric or other parts of the seat belt
are dam
aged, the seat belts could break in
the event of an accident or sudden braking.
● Always have damaged seatbelts replaced
immediately
by seat belts approved for the
vehicle in question by SEAT. Seat belts which
have been worn in an accident and have been
stretched must be replaced by a specialised
workshop. Renewal may be necessary even if
there is no apparent damage. The belt an-
chorage should also be checked.
● Never attempt to repair, modify or remove a
seat belt
yourself. All repairs to seat belts, re-
tractors and buckles must be carried out by a
specialised workshop. 62

Safety
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. 84
A driver not wearing a seat belt is
thr own f

orward violently. Fig. 85
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 on the weight of
the vehicle and of 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
64

Safety
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.
70

Airbag system
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 58.
● 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.
71
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
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. 91
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 20.
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. 91. About 3/4 of the key should enter,
as far as it will go.
● Then turn the key gently to the  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 73.
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 73,
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. 74

Safety
WARNING
An empty or loose child seat could fly uncon-
tro l
lably around the vehicle interior and
cause injuries in the event of an accident or
sudden braking.
● When not in use while the vehicle is in mo-
tion, alwa
ys safely secure the child seat or
store it in the luggage compartment. Note
Replace the child seat after an accident, as it
ma y

have invisible damage. Important information regarding the
fr
ont
p

assenger's airbag Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 22.
Read and always observe the safety informa-
tion included in the following chapters:
● Child seats and passenger side airbag
›››
page 77, Use of the child seat on the
front passenger seat .
● Safety distance with respect to the passen-
ger airbag ›

›› in Introduction on page 69.
● Objects between the passenger and the
p a
s

senger side airbag ››› in Front airbags
on p age 72
. Child seats
Safety in
structions Read the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 22. WARNING
The lower anchor points for child seats are
not anc hor

s meant to support cargo. Only se-
cure booster seats to lower anchor points. WARNING
Child seats with lower anchor points and with
an upper r et

aining strap must be installed in
line with the manufacturer's instructions.
Failure to comply could result in severe inju-
ries.
● Always secure just one r
etaining strap from
a child seat to a retaining ring (for Top Tether)
on the seat backrest on the rear seat in the
boot.
● Never fix child seats to the cargo anchors in
the luggag
e compartment.
● Never secure a child seat to the movable at-
tachment
elements for vehicles with an at-
tachment element and rail system . WARNING
In general, the rear seat is always the safest
pl ac

e for correctly belted in children in the
event of an accident. ●
A suit ab

le child seat that is correctly instal-
led and used on one of the rear seats offer
the most protection possible for babies and
small children in most accidents. WARNING
Unbuckling the seat belt while the vehicle is
in motion c an cau

se severe or fatal injuries in
the event of an accident or sudden braking.
● The seat belt must not be unfastened until
the vehic
le has come to a standstill. Note
Other accessories may be required to fit the
chi l

d retention system with a base or foot se-
curity and safely. Contact a technical service
centre or specialised workshop. General information on transporting
c
hi
l

dren in the vehicle Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 23.
Legal regulations and provisions will always
take priority over the descriptions of this in-
struction manual. There are different regula-
tions and provisions for the use of child seats
and their mountings ( ›››
table on page 77).
In some countries, for example, the use of
child seats on certain seats in the vehicle
may be forbidden.
76