2018 Seat Alhambra stop start

Operation
display, please go immediately to a
spec
i
alised workshop to check the brake
pads and to replace them if they are worn. Electronic parking brake
Fig. 200
Detailed view of the centre console:
el ectr
onic

parking brake switch Applying the electronic parking brake
The p
ark
in

g brake can be applied whenever
the vehicle is at a standstill, even when the
ignition is switched off. Always apply the
parking brake when you leave your vehicle
and when you park.
● Pull the  button u
ntil the control lamp 
on the button lights up.
● The parking brake is applied when the 
contro
l lamp lights up on the instrument pan-
el ››› page 188. Disengaging the electronic parking brake
● Switch the ignition on.
● Press the  button. At
the same time,
press the brake pedal hard or gently press
the accelerator pedal with the engine switch-
ed on.
● The control lamps  on the button and

on the instrument panel go off.
Automatic release of the electronic parking
brake on starting the engine
The electronic parking brake is automatically
released when the vehicle starts moving, if
the driver door is closed and the driver is
wearing his/her seat belt. In addition, in ve-
hicles with a manual gearbox the clutch ped-
al should also be pressed to the floor before
starting the engine so that the system recog-
nises that the parking brake should be re-
leased.
Emergency braking function
Only use the emergency braking function if
the vehicle cannot be stopped with the brake
pedal ››› !
● Pull the  butt
on f
or a longer duration to
brake the vehicle hard. The warning display
will be accompanied by the corresponding
audible warning.
● To stop the braking process, release the
button or pr
ess the accelerator. WARNING
The incorrect use of the electronic parking
brak e m

ay result in serious accident.
● Never use the electronic parking brake to
brake the
vehicle except in an emergency.
The braking distance is considerably longer,
because braking is only applied to the rear
wheels. Always use the foot brake.
● Never accelerate from the engine compart-
ment with the en
gine running and a gear or a
gear range engaged. The vehicle could move,
even if the parking brake is applied. Note
● In v ehic

les with a manual gearbox: when
the clutch pedal is released and the accelera-
tor pressed at the same time, the electronic
parking brake is automatically released.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it will not be
poss
ible to disconnect the electronic parking
brake. Use the jump-start ›››
 page 52.
● When the electronic parking brake is ap-
plied or rel
eased, noises may be heard.
● If the electronic parking brake has not been
used for a lon
g while, the system sometimes
performs automatic and audible checks while
the vehicle is at a standstill. Parking
When parking your vehicle, all legal require-
ments
shou
l

d be observed.
190

Driving
reduce the strain on the brake system. Other-
wi
se, the br
akes may overheat and fail. Only
use the brakes to reduce speed or to stop. Note
When checking the front brake pads, take the
time t o al

so check the rear brake pads. The
thickness of the brake pads should be
checked visually and regularly, by looking
through the openings in the wheel rims or
from underneath the vehicle. If necessary, re-
move the wheels to check them thoroughly.
SEAT recommends taking your car in for tech-
nical service. Gearbox
Intr oduction When reverse gear is engaged and the igni-
tion i
s
sw

itched on the following takes place:
● Reverse lights light up.
● When reversing, the air conditioner auto-
matical
ly changes to air recirculation mode.
● The rear window heater switches on when
the winds
creen wiper is activated.
● Also, the parking sensor system, the opti-
cal p
arking sensor and the camera for the re-
verse assist system are connected. WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause loss of traction
and skid din

g, especially on slippery ground.
This could cause loss of control of the vehicle
resulting in an accident and considerable
damage.
● Only use the kick-down function or rapid
accel
eration if visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions so permit. WARNING
Do not allow the brakes to “rub” for a pro-
long ed period of

time, or brake frequently or
for long periods of time. Continuous braking
heats up the brakes. This could significantly
reduce braking power, increase braking dis-
tance or even result in the total failure of the
brake system. Control and warning lamps

It lights up red
Brake pedal not press-
ed!Press brake pedal to the floor.

It lights up green
Brake pedal not press-
ed.To select a range of gears,
press the brake pedal.
Please also see “Electronic
parking brake”
››› page 188. 
Flashes green
The selector lever
locking button has not
engaged. The vehicle
does not start to
move.
Engage the selector lever lock
››› page 195. 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
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Control
and warnin g l
amps on page 107. Manual gear change
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 35
In some countries, it is necessary to press the
clutch pedal to the floor to start the engine.
Selecting reverse gear
Engage reverse gear only when the vehicle is
stopped. »
193
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Driving
checked by a specialised workshop as soon
a s
po
ssible.
Protection against overloading the DSG ®
6-
gear automatic gearbox
When the clutch is overloaded, the vehicle
begins to jerk and the selector lever position
indicator begins to flash. To prevent damage
to the clutch, this interrupts the power trans-
mission between the engine and the gear-
box. There is no more traction and it is not
possible to accelerate. If the clutch is opened
automatically due to overloading, press the
brake pedal. Wait a few seconds before start-
ing to move again.
Kick-down
The kick-down system provides maximum ac-
celeration when the gear selector lever is in
the positions D, S or in the Tiptronic position.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right
down, the automatic gearbox will shift down
to a lower gear, depending on road speed
and engine speed. This takes advantage of
the maximum acceleration of the vehicle
››› .
When the ac c
el

erator is pressed to the floor,
the automatic gearbox shifts to the next gear
only after the engine reaches the specified
maximum engine speed. Launch-Control Programme
The Launch-C

ontrol programme enables max-
imum acceleration while at a standstill.
● Switch off the ASR ›››
page 188.
● Press and hold the brake pedal with your
left
foot.
● Place the selector lever in position S or Tip-
tronic
.
● Press the accelerator with the right foot un-
til the
vehicle reaches an engine speed of ap-
proximately 3200 rpm.
● Lift the left foot off the brake ›››
. The ve-
hic l
e s
tarts with maximum acceleration.
● Turn on the ASR after accelerating! WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause loss of traction
and skid din

g, especially on slippery ground.
This could cause loss of control of the vehicle
resulting in an accident and considerable
damage.
● Only use kick-down and rapid acceleration
when weather c
onditions, surface conditions
and traffic conditions permit; accelerate and
drive in a manner that does not endanger
other road users.
● Please remember that the driven wheels
can slip and the
vehicle can skid if the ASR is
turned off, especially on slippery ground.
● Turn on the ASR after accelerating! CAUTION
● If y

ou stop on a hill with a gear range en-
gaged, do not try to prevent the vehicle from
rolling back by pressing on the accelerator.
This could cause overheating and damage the
automatic gearbox.
● Never allow the vehicle to move with the
gear sel
ector lever in N, especially with the
engine turned off. The automatic gearbox will
not be lubricated and could be damaged. Recommended gear display
In some vehicles, the recommended gear for
r
educ
in

g fuel consumption is displayed on
the instrument panel:
DisplayMeaning 
Optimum gear.

Recommendation to change up a
gear.

Recommendation to change down a
gear.
Information for “cleaning” the diesel partic-
u
l
at

e filter
The exhaust gas system control recognises
when the diesel particulate filter is blocked,
and helps to clean it by recommending a spe-
cific gear for driving. It may therefore be »
197
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Driving
In addition, “skipping” gears when shifting
up help s
t
o save fuel, weather and traffic
conditions permitting.
Do not wait until the last moment before
changing gear. Only use first gear when you
move off and change to second gear quickly.
Avoid the kick-down function in vehicles with
automatic gearbox.
Vehicles with a gear display help to achieve
an economical driving style as the display in-
dicates the best moment to change gear.
Let the vehicle roll
If you take your foot off the accelerator, the
fuel supply is stopped and consumption is
reduced.
Allow the vehicle to roll without accelerating,
for example when approaching a red traffic
light. However, if the vehicle is rolling too
slowly or the distance is too long, the clutch
pedal should be pressed to declutch. The en-
gine will then operate at idle speed.
If the vehicle is going to be at a standstill for
a period of time, switch off the engine; for ex-
ample, while waiting at a level crossing. In
vehicles which have the Start-Stop function
on, the engine switches off automatically
when the vehicle is not moving. Think ahead and “flow” with the traffic
Frequent ac
celeration and braking considera-
bly increase fuel consumption. If you think
ahead as you drive and keep a safe distance
from the vehicle in front, it is possible to slow
down by simply lifting your foot off the accel-
erator. This eliminates the need for constant
braking and acceleration.
Calm and steady driving
Constancy is more important than speed: The
more you drive at a constant speed, the lower
the fuel consumption.
When driving on the motorway, it is more effi-
cient to drive at a constant and more moder-
ate speed than to be continuously accelerat-
ing and braking. As a general rule, you will
reach your destination just as quickly when
you drive at a constant speed.
The cruise control function helps you to ach-
ieve a constant style of driving.
Moderate use of additional devices
It is important to travel in comfort, but con-
venience systems should be used ecological-
ly.
Some equipment, when connected, increase
fuel consumption considerably, for example:
● Air conditioning cooling system: If the air
conditionin g sy

stem is required to cool to
significantly lower temperatures than the true outside temperature, it will require a large
amount
of

energy from the engine. Therefore,
we recommend that the selected temperature
for the vehicle is not too different to the out-
side temperature. It is a good idea to air the
vehicle before starting your journey and to
drive a short distance with all the windows
open. Only then should you close all the win-
dows and switch on the air conditioning.
Keep windows closed when travelling at high
speeds. Driving with the windows open in-
creases fuel consumption.
● Switch off the seat heating when the seats
have w
armed up.
● Switch off the heated rear window and the
winds
creen heating when the windows have
demisted and are free of ice.
● Do not leave the auxiliary heater switched
on when the vehic
le is moving ››› page 180.
Avoid short journeys
Fuel consumption is much higher when the
engine is cold, immediately after it has been
started. It takes a few kilometres of driving
for the engine to warm up and to normalise
consumption.
The engine and catalytic converter need to
reach their proper working temperature in or-
der to minimise fuel consumption and emis-
sions. The ambient temperature has a deci-
sive influence. »
201
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Driver assistance systems
● Do not driv
e f
aster than a pedestrian.
● Do not stop in the water, use reverse gear
or switc
h off the engine.
● Oncoming traffic will cause waves which
raise the l
evel of the water, making it difficult
to cross the water.
The Start/Stop system must be deactivated
when driving through flooded areas WARNING
When driving through water, mud, melted
sno w

, etc., please remember that due to
damp or frozen brake discs and shoes in win-
ter, the braking effect may be delayed, there-
fore the required braking distance is greater.
● “Dry the brakes and remove ice” by braking
caref
ully. Ensure that you are not endanger-
ing other road-users or breaking traffic regu-
lations in the process.
● After driving through water, avoid sudden
sharp manoeu
vres. CAUTION
● Drivin g thr

ough flooded areas may severely
damage vehicle components such as the en-
gine, transmission, drive train or electrical
system.
● Never drive through salt water as salt cau-
ses c
orrosion. Always rinse any parts of the
vehicle which have been in contact with salt
water. Driver assistance systems
Br ak
in

g and stability systems
Brake assist systems The brake assist systems ESC, ABS, BAS, ASR
and EDL on
ly

operate when the ignition is
switched on. They contribute significantly to
increasing active safety.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
ESC reduces the risk of skidding and increa-
ses the vehicle stability by braking individual
wheels under specific driving conditions. ESC
detects critical handling situations, such as
understeer, oversteer and wheelspin on the
driven wheels. The system stabilises the ve-
hicle by braking individual wheels or by re-
ducing the engine torque.
The ESC has limits. It is important to realise
that the ESC is also subject to the laws of
physics. ESC will not be able to deal with all
situations with which drivers may be faced.
For example, if the road surface changes sud-
denly then ESC will not be useful in all cases.
If the vehicle suddenly enters a section cov-
ered by water, mud or snow then ESC will not
provide assistance in the same way as on dry
ground. If the vehicle loses its grip on the
ground and moves on a film of water (“aqua-
planing”), the ESC will not be able to assist the driver to control the vehicle as the loss of
adher
enc

e with the road surface will prevent-
ing braking and steering. If the vehicle is
driven through series of bends at high
speed, the ESC will not always be as effec-
tive: the vehicle reaction to aggressive driv-
ing is not the same as at reduced speeds.
When driving with a trailer, ESC does not pro-
vide the same amount of vehicle control as
without a trailer.
Adjust your speed and driving style to road,
traffic and weather conditions. ESC cannot
push the limits of the laws of physics; im-
prove the transmission available or maintain
the vehicle on the road if a lack of driver at-
tention creates an inevitable situation. Other-
wise, ESC assists in maintaining vehicle con-
trol in extreme situations and uses the move-
ments of the steering made by the driver to
maintain the vehicle moving in the desired
direction. If the vehicle is driven at such a
speed that it will leave the road before ESC
can intervene then the system cannot pro-
vide assistance.
The ABS, BAS, ASR and EDL systems are in-
corporated into the ESC. The ESC is always
on. The ESC should only be turned off using
the ASR button ›››
Fig. 204 when traction is
insufficient. Always remember to turn on the
ASR once more when the vehicle has traction
again. »
205
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Anti-lock system (ABS)
ABS c
an pr
event the wheels from locking dur-
ing braking until just before the vehicle stops
thus helping the driver to steer the vehicle
and maintain control. This means that, even
during full braking, the risk of skidding is re-
duced:
● Press and hold the brake pedal fully. Do not
remov
e your foot from the brake pedal or re-
duce braking force!
● Do not “pump” the brake pedal, or reduce
brakin
g force!
● Maintain vehicle direction when braking
ful
ly.
● When the brake pedal is released or when
the brake f
orce is reduced, ABS is turned off.
ABS control can be observed by vibration of
the brake pedal and noise. You should never
expect the ABS to reduce the braking dis-
tance under any circumstances. This distance
will increase when driving on gravel, recent
snow or on icy and slippery ground.
When driving on loose ground, the all-terrain
configuration of the ABS is automatically
turned on. When ABS is activated, the front
wheels may lock briefly. This shortens the
braking distance in off-road situations as the
wheels are prevented from digging into loose
surfaces. All-terrain ABS only intervenes
when driving in a straight line. When the front wheels are turned, the normal ABS is
activated.
Br

ake assist system (BAS)
The brake assist system may reduce the re-
quired braking distance. The brake assist
system boosts the braking force if you press
the brake pedal quickly in an emergency. As
a result, the braking pressure increases rap-
idly, the braking force is multiplied and the
braking distance is reduced. This enables the
ABS to be activated more quickly and effec-
tively.
¡Do not lift your foot off the brake pedal!
When the brake pedal is released or when
the brake force is reduced, braking assist au-
tomatically turns off the brake servo.
Traction control when accelerating (ASR)
In the event of wheelspin, the traction control
system reduces the engine torque to match
the amount of grip available. The ASR makes
some situations easier, for example, when
starting, accelerating or going uphill, even in
unfavourable road conditions.
The ASR can be switched on or off manually
››› page 207.
Electronic differential lock system (EDS)
EDL is available when driving in straight lines
under normal conditions. When the EDL de-
tects wheelspin, it brakes the spinning wheel and directs the power to the other drive
wheels. T
o prevent the disc brake of the
braked wheel from overheating, the EDL cuts
out automatically if subjected to excessive
loads. The EDL will switch on again automati-
cally when the brake has cooled down.
Electronic drive torque management (XDS)
When taking a curve, the driveshaft differen-
tial mechanism allows the outer wheel to turn
at a higher speed than the inner wheel. In
this way, the wheel that is turning faster (out-
er wheel) receives less drive torque than the
inner wheel. This may mean that in certain
situations the torque delivered to the inner
wheel is too high, causing the wheels to
spin. On the other hand, the outer wheel is
receiving a lower drive torque than it could
transmit. This causes an overall loss of lateral
grip on the front axle, resulting in understeer
or “lengthening” of the trajectory.
The XDS system can detect and correct this
effect via the sensors and signals of the ESC.
Via the ESC, the XDS will brake the inside
wheel and counter the excess driving torque
of that wheel. This means that the driver's
desired trajectory is much more precise.
The XDS system works in combination with
the ESC and is always active, even when ASR
traction control is disconnected.
206

Operation
Start assist systems Intr oduction WARNING
The intelligent technology in the start assist
sys t
ems cannot change the laws of physics.
The improved comfort provided by start as-
sist systems should not prompt you to take
risks.
● Unintentional movements of the vehicle
coul
d cause serious injury.
● The start assist systems are not a replace-
ment for driv
er awareness.
● Always try to adapt the speed of the vehi-
cle and
your style of driving to the condition
of the ground or the road and to weather and
traffic conditions.
● The start assist system cannot keep the ve-
hicle s
tationary in all conditions on a gradi-
ent or cause it to brake on steep downhill
gradients, e.g. if the road is slippery or icy. Auto Hold function*
Fig. 205
Detailed view of the centre console:
Aut o Ho
l

d button The control lamp on the button switches on
when the Aut
o Ho
l

d function is on.
When the Auto Hold function is on, this helps
the driver if they must regularly stop the vehi-
cle or if they must stop with the engine run-
ning for prolonged periods, for example, on
hills, before a traffic light or in traffic jams
with continuous stopping and starting.
The Auto Hold function automatically pre-
vents the vehicle from rolling away acciden-
tally when at a standstill, without the driver
having to keep his/her foot on the brake ped-
al.
When the system that detects that the vehi-
cle has stopped, the Auto Hold keeps the ve-
hicle at a standstill. The brake pedal can be
released. If the driver presses the brake pedal briefly or
the accel

erator to start off, the Auto Hold
function releases the brake once more. The
vehicle moves according to the gradient.
If any of the conditions necessary for the Au-
to Hold function change while the vehicle
stopped, the system is turned off as is the in-
dicator on the button ››› Fig. 205. The elec-
tronic parking brake engages where necessa-
ry to park the vehicle safely ››› .
C ondition
s

for keeping the vehicle at a
standstill with Auto Hold:
● The driver door must be closed.
● The driver seat belt must be buckled.
● The engine must be running.
● The ASR system is switched on
›››
page 188.
Automatically engaging and disengaging the
Auto Hold function
If the Auto Hold function was engaged with
the AUTO HOLD button before disengaging the
ignition, the f u
nction w

ill automatically re-
main engaged after the ignition is re-engag-
ed.
If the Auto Hold function was not engaged, it
will automatically remain disengaged after
the ignition is engaged.
208

Driver assistance systems
Permanent Auto Hold connection
The Aut o Ho
l
d function must be switched on
every time the engine is started. However, to
switch the Auto Hold function on permanent-
ly, the mark must be switched on in the Set-
tings menu, “Autohold” submenu
›››  page 27.
Auto Hold works automatically under the fol-
lowing conditions:
All points must be fulfilled simultaneously
››› :
Manual gearboxAutomatic gearbox
1.If the vehicle is kept at a standstill using the brake
pedal on a flat or a slope.
2.The engine must be “running smoothly”.
3.On a slope, the 1st gear
is engaged uphill or the
reverse gear is engaged
for a downhill. The
clutch must be held
down.A gear for driving is se-
lected from R, D or S.
Upon accelerating and
pressing in the clutch
simultaneously, the
brake releases gradual-
ly.Upon accelerating, the
brake releases gradual-
ly. Auto Hold turns off automatically under the
f
o
l

lowing conditions:
Manual gearboxAutomatic gearbox
1.If one of the conditions mentioned in table on
page 209 changes.
2.If the engine is “not running regularly” or if there is a malfunction.
3.When changing to idle
speed.If the selector lever is
placed in neutral (N).
4.If the engine is turned
off or stalls.If the engine is switch-
ed off.
5.If the driver accelerates
while pressing the
clutch in.If the vehicle is acceler-
ated.
6. When one of the wheels
has minimal contact
with the ground (e.g. on
uneven ground). WARNING
The Auto Hold technology is limited by the
la w

s of physics. The improved comfort provi-
ded by Auto Hold should never prompt you to
take risks.
● Never leave the vehicle running and with
the Auto Hol
d function switched on.
● Auto Hold cannot always stop the vehicle
uphill
and downhill (e.g. if the ground is slip-
pery or frozen). CAUTION
Before entering an automatic car wash, al-
wa y

s switch the Auto Hold function off, as it
could be damaged when the electronic park-
ing brake automatically engages. Start-Stop Function*
Fig. 206
Detailed view of the centre console:
St ar
t

-Stop function button With the Start-Stop system enabled, the en-
gine i
s
aut

omatically stopped when the vehi-
cle is at a standstill. The engine restarts auto-
matically when required.
The function is enabled automatically when-
ever the ignition is switched on. The instru-
ment panel displays information on the cur-
rent status. »
209
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety