2018 Seat Alhambra maintenance

Foreword
Thi s
In
struction Manual and its correspond-
ing supplements should be read carefully to
familiarise yourself with your vehicle.
Besides the regular care and maintenance of
the vehicle, its correct handling will help pre-
serve its value.
For safety reasons, always note the informa-
tion concerning accessories, modifications
and part replacements.
If selling the vehicle, give all of the on-board
documentation to the new owner, as it
should be kept with the vehicle.
You can access the information in this man-
ual using:
● Thematic table of contents that follows the
manual’s g
eneral chapter structure.
● Visual table of contents that uses graphics
to indicat
e the pages containing “essential”
information, which is detailed in the corre-
sponding chapters.
● Alphabetical index with many terms and
synonyms
to help you find information. WARNING
Read and always observe safety informa-
tion conc ernin

g the passenger's front air-
bag ››› page 76, Important information
regarding the front passenger's airbag .

Thank you for trusting in us.
We wish you safe and enjoya-
ble motoring.
SEAT, S.A.

Table of Contents
Park Assist system* (Park Assist) . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Rear assist* (Rear View Camera) . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Cruise control* (Cruise control system -
C C
S)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Lane Assist system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Blind spot detector (BSD) with rear cross traffic
alert
(RCTA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Traffic signal detection (Sign Assist)* . . . . . . . . 230
Tiredness detection (recommendation to take
a break)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Dynamic Chassis control (DCC)* . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Towing bracket device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Care and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Accessories, replacement of parts and modifi-
cations
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Caring for and cleaning the vehicle exterior . . . 253
Caring for and cleaning the vehicle interior . . . 259
Notes for the user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Selective catalytic reduction* (AdBlue) . . . . . . 268
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . 271
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Windscreen washer reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Winter service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Technical data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Technical features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Engine data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
6

The essentials
Brake fluid Fig. 56
Engine compartment: brake fluid res-
er v
oir c
ap. The brake fluid reservoir is located in the en-
gine c
omp
ar

tment ›››
 page 274
.
The level should be between the  and 
marks. If it is below , please visit a Techni-
cal Service.

››› in Checking the brake fluid level on
page 282
››› page 281 Windscreen washer
Fig. 57
In the engine compartment: wind-
s c
r

een washer reservoir top. The windscreen washer reservoir is located in
the en
gine c
omp

artment ›››
 page 274.
To top up, mix water with a product recom-
mended by SEAT.
In cold temperatures, add anti-freeze.

››› in Checking and topping up the
windscreen washer reservoir on
page 283
››› page 283 Battery
The battery is located in the engine compart-
ment
›
›

›  page 274. It does not require maintenance. It is checked as part of the In-
spection Ser

vice.

››› in Checking the electrolyte level of
the vehicle battery on page 285
››› page 283 42

Operation
other services (e.g. the next Inspection Serv-
ic e or c
h
ange of brake fluid) are listed on the
label attached to the door strut, or in the
Maintenance Programme.
In vehicles with Services established by time
or mileage, the service intervals are already
pre-defined.
In vehicles with LongLife Service , the inter-
vals are determined individually. Technical
progress has made it possible to considera-
bly reduce servicing requirements. The tech-
nology used by SEAT ensures that your vehi-
cle only has an Interval Service when it is
necessary. To establish when the Interval
Service is due (max. 2 years), the vehicle's
conditions of use and individual driving
styles are considered. The service pre-warn-
ing first appears 20 days before the date es-
tablished for the corresponding service. The
kilometres (miles) remaining until the next
service are always rounded up to the nearest
100 km (miles) and the time is given in com-
plete days. The current service message can-
not be viewed until 500 km after the last
service. Prior to this only lines are visible on
the display.
Inspection reminder
When the Service date is approaching, when
the ignition is switched on a Service remind-
er is displayed. In vehicles without text messages
, a sp anner
symbol  is displayed on the instrument
panel and a figure given in km. The number
of kilometres shown is the maximum number
that may be driven until the next service. Af-
ter a few seconds, the display mode changes.
A clock symbol appears and the number of
days until the next service appointment is
due.
In vehicles with text messages , Service in
--- km (miles) or --- days is dis-
played on the instrument panel.
Service due
After the service date, an audible warning is
given when the ignition is switched on and
the spanner displayed on the screen 
flashes for a few seconds. In vehicles with
text messages , Service in --- km or
--- days is displayed on the instrument
panel.
Reading a service notification
With the ignition switched on, the engine off
and the vehicle at a standstill, the current
service notification can be read:
● Press the  button on the in
strument pan-
el several times until the spanner symbol 
is displayed.
● OR: select the Settings menu.
● From the

Service submenu, select
the op-
tion Info . When the servic

e date has past, a minus sign
is displayed in front of the number of kilome-
tres or days. In vehicles with text messages
the following is displayed: Service ---
km (miles) or --- days ago .
Resetting service interval display
If the service was not carried out by a techni-
cal service centre, the display can be reset as
follows:
In vehicles with text messages:
Select the Settings menu.
In the submenu Service , select the option Reset.
Confirm with OK when requested to do so by the sys-
tem.
In vehicles without text messages:
Switch the ignition off.
Press and hold the 0.0 / SET button.
Switch the ignition back on.
Release the 0.0 / SET button and press  for the next
20 seconds. Do not r
eset the indicator to zero between
tw o int

ervals, otherwise the display will be
incorrect.
If you reset the display manually, the next
service interval will be indicated as in vehi-
cles with fixed service intervals. For this
106

General instrument panel
reason we recommend that the service inter-
v al
di
splay be reset by a SEAT authorised
service ››› Booklet Maintenance schedule. Note
● The serv ic

e message disappears after a few
seconds, when the engine is started or when OK is pressed.
● In vehicles with the LongLife system in
which the b att

ery has been disconnected for
a long period of time, it is not possible to cal-
culate the date of the next service. Therefore
the service interval display may not be cor-
rect. In this case, bear in mind the maximum
service intervals permitted in the ››› Booklet
Maintenance Programme. Control lamps
C ontr
o

l and warning lamps Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 34
The control and warning lamps are indicators
of warnings, ››› , faults
››
›
or certain func-
tion s.
Some c
ontrol and warning lamps come
on when the ignition is switched on, and
switch off when the engine starts running, or
while driving.
Depending on the model, additional text
messages may be viewed on the instrument panel display. These may be purely informa-
tive or they m

ay be advising of the need for
action ››› page 102, Instruments.
Depending upon the equipment fitted in the
vehicle, instead of a warning lamp, some-
times a symbol may be displayed on the in-
strument panel.
When certain control and warning lamps are
lit, an audible warning is also heard. 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.
● Park the vehicle away from traffic and en-
sure th
at there are no highly flammable ma-
terials under the vehicle that could come into
contact with the exhaust system (e.g. dry
grass, fuel).
● A faulty vehicle represents a risk of acci-
dent for the driv
er and for other road users. If
necessary, switch on the hazard warning
lamps and put out the warning triangle to ad-
vise other drivers.
● Before opening the bonnet, switch off the
engine and al
low it to cool.
● In any vehicle, the engine compartment is a
hazar
dous area and could cause severe inju-
ries ››› page 271. CAUTION
Failure to heed the control lamps and text
mes s

ages when they appear may result in
faults in the vehicle. 107
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Driving
To park the vehicle
C omp
l
ete operations only in the sequence
given.
● Park the vehicle on a suitable surface ›››
.
● Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve-
hic l
e c

omes to a standstill.
● Connect the electronic parking brake
›››
page 190.
● For an automatic gearbox, move the selec-
tor lev
er to position P.
● Switch off the engine and release the brake
pedal.
● R

emove the key from the ignition.
● If necessary, turn the steering wheel slight-
ly to loc
k the steering.
● With a manual gearbox, engage 1st gear on
flat gr
ound and slopes, or even reverse gear
on hills, and release the clutch pedal.
● Ensure that all passengers leave the vehi-
cle, e
specially children.
● When leaving the vehicle, take all keys with
you.
● Loc

k the vehicle.
Additiona
l information for steep ascents and
descents
Before switching off the engine, rotate the
steering wheel so that if the vehicle should
move, it will be held by the kerb. ●
On slopes, t
urn the front wheels so that
they are against the edge of the kerb.
● Uphill, turn the wheels towards the centre
of the ro
ad. WARNING
The components of the exhaust system reach
ver y

high temperatures. This could cause a
fire and considerable damage.
● Always park your vehicle so that no part of
the exhau
st system can come in contact with
flammable materials (such as wood,
leaves,dried grass, or spilled fuel). CAUTION
● Spec i

al care should be taken when parking
in areas with high kerbs or fixed barriers. Ob-
jects protruding from the ground may dam-
age the bumper or other parts of the vehicle
during manoeuvres. To avoid damage, stop
before the wheels touch the barrier or kerb.
● Special attention is required when driving
through entranc
es, over ramps, kerbs or oth-
er objects. The vehicle underbody, bumpers,
mudguards and running gear, and the engine
and exhaust system could be damaged as
you drive over these objects. Information on the brakes
For the first 200 to 300 km (100 to 200
mi
l
e

s), new brake pads have not yet reached their maximum braking capacity, and need to
be “run in” firs

t ››› . The slightly reduced
br ak
in
g effect can be compensated for by in-
creasing pressure on the brake pedal. While
running in, the full braking distance or emer-
gency braking distance is larger then when
the brake pads have been run in. While run-
ning in, avoid full power braking or situations
requiring braking performance. For example,
in heavy traffic.
The rate of wear of the brake pads depends
to a great extent on the conditions in which
the vehicle is used and the way the vehicle is
driven. If the vehicle is used frequently in city
traffic or for short trips or driven sport style,
visit a specialised workshop regularly, more
frequently than advised in the Maintenance
Programme, to have the brake pads checked.
If you drive with wet brakes, for example, af-
ter crossing areas of water, in heavy rainfall
or even after washing the car, the effect of
the brakes is lessened as the brake discs are
wet or even frozen (in winter). At higher
speed, “dry” the brakes as quickly as possi-
ble by braking gently several times. Only do
this without endangering vehicles behind
you or any other road users ››› .
A l a
y

er of salt on the discs and brake pads
will reduce the effectiveness of the brakes
and increase braking distance. If you drive for
a prolonged period on salted roads without
braking then brake carefully several times to
eliminate the layer of salt on the brakes ››› .
»
191
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Towing bracket device
it may be necessary to adjust the cooling sys-
t em or t
o inc
lude thermal plates. SEAT recom-
mends taking your car in for technical serv-
ice.
In any case, the separation distances must
be observed when fitting a tow hitch. The dis-
tance between the centre of the tow hitch ball
and the road surface ››› Fig. 232 D must nev-
er be lo w
er th

an that indicated. This also ap-
plies when the vehicle is fully laden, includ-
ing maximum drawbar load.
Separation distances ››› Fig. 232:
Attachment points.
1,040 mm (41 inches)
74 mm (3 inches)
364 mm (14 inches)
247 mm (10 inches)
596 mm (23 inches)
1,097 mm (43 inches)
1,102 mm (43 inches) WARNING
Erroneous or unsuitable connection of elec-
tric c ab

les may cause anomalies in the vehi-
cle electronics that could result in an acci-
dent with serious consequences.
● Never connect the trailer's electric system
to the electric
al connections of the rear lights
or any other unsuitable power sources. Only
use suitable connectors to connect a trailer. A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H ●
Vis

it a specialised workshop if you wish to
retrofit a tow hitch to the vehicle. WARNING
If the tow hitch is badly fitted or unsuitable,
the tr ail

er may separate from the vehicle
while driving. This could result in a serious
accident. Note
Use only tow hitches approved by SEAT for
the v ehic

le. Maximum permitted trailer weights
The instructions in the official vehicle docu-
ments
t
ak

e precedence. All the technical data
provided in this documentation is applicable
to the basic model. The vehicle data label in
the Maintenance Programme or the vehicle
documentation shows which engine is instal-
led in your vehicle.
The figures may be different depending
whether additional equipment is fitted, for
different models and for special vehicles. WARNING
Exceeding the maximum trailer weight indica-
ted c ou

ld cause a serious accident.
● Never exceed the indicated trailer weight. CAUTION
Exceeding the maximum trailer weight indica-
ted c ou

ld cause damage to the vehicle.
● Never exceed the indicated trailer weight. Gross combined vehicle weight rating
The instructions in the official vehicle docu-
ments t
ak

e precedence. All the technical data
provided in this documentation is applicable
to the basic model. The vehicle data label in
the Maintenance Programme or the vehicle
documentation shows which engine is instal-
led in your vehicle.
The figures may be different depending
whether additional equipment is fitted, for
different models and for special vehicles.
The maximum combined weights listed are
only applicable for altitudes up to 1000 m
above sea level. The weight of the car and
trailer must be reduced by about 10% for ev-
ery further 1000 m (or part thereof). WARNING
Exceeding the maximum weight indicated
cou l

d cause a serious accident.
● Never exceed the gross combined weight
rating. » 245
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Care and maintenance
Advice
C ar
e and m
aintenance
Accessories, replacement of
parts and modifications Introduction WARNING
The use of spare parts and accessories, or in-
corr ectly

performed modifications or repairs
may result in damage to the vehicle, acci-
dents and serious injury.
● SEAT strongly recommends you to only use
SEAT ap
proved accessories and SEAT ®
origi-
nal spare parts. These parts and accessories
have been specially tested by SEAT for suita-
bility, reliability and safety.
● Have any repairs or modifications carried
out at a s
pecialised workshop. These work-
shops have the necessary tools, diagnostics
equipment, repair information and qualified
personnel.
● Only mount parts with the same specifica-
tions a
s the parts fitted at factory.
● Never mount, fasten or fit objects such as
drink hol
ders or telephone cradles over the
covers of the airbag modules or within their
radius of action. ●
Only u

se wheels and tyre combinations
which have been approved by SEAT for your
vehicle type. Accessories and spare parts
SEAT recommends you consult an Official
Serv
ic

e before purchasing accessories and
spare parts or consumables. For example,
when fitting accessories at a later date, or
when replacing a component. A technical
service centre will advise you as to the legal
requirements and manufacturer's recommen-
dations regarding accessories, spare parts
and other components.
SEAT recommend you use only approved
SEAT accessories and genuine SEAT spare
parts ®
. These parts and accessories have
been specially tested by SEAT for suitability,
reliability and safety. In addition the techni-
cal service centre will guarantee that the as-
sembly is carried out professionally.
Although we continually monitor the market,
SEAT cannot guarantee that products not ap-
proved by SEAT are reliable, safe and suita-
ble for the vehicle. Therefore, SEAT cannot ac-
cept liability, even in those cases authorised
by an officially recognised technical inspec-
tion office or other official body.
Any retro-fitted equipment which has a direct
effect on the vehicle and/or the way it is driv- en must be approved by SEAT for use in your
vehic
l

e and bear the e mark (the European
Union's authorisation symbol). This includes
cruise control systems or electronically con-
trolled suspension.
If any additional electrical devices are fitted
which do not serve to control the vehicle it-
self, these must bear the  mark (European
Union manufacturer conformity declaration).
This includes refrigerator boxes, laptops or
ventilator fans. WARNING
Unprofessional repairs or modifications to
the v ehic

le may affect the performance of the
airbags, and may cause operating faults or fa-
tal accidents.
● Never mount, fasten or fit objects such as
drink hol
ders or telephone cradles over the
covers of the airbag modules or within their
radius of action.
● Objects placed over the airbag covers, or
within their ra
dius of action, could lead to se-
rious injury or loss of life if the airbags are
triggered. Service fluids and components
All vehicle fluids and consumables
, s
uc h a

s
notched belts, tyres, coolant fluids, engine
oils, spark plugs and batteries are continual-
ly being developed. Therefore all fluids and »
247
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety