2018 Seat Alhambra towing

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The e s
senti
als . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Exterior view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Exterior view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Interior view (left-hand drive) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Unlocking and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Before driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Starting the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
SEAT information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Gearbox lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Fluid Level control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Action in the event of a puncture . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Emergency towing of the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 51
How to jump start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Changing windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Safety first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Advice about driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Correct position of the vehicle occupants . . . . 58
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Seat belts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Why wear a seat belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
How to properly adjust your seatbelt . . . . . . . . 65
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Airbag safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Deactivating airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Safety for children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Integrated child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
In case of emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Vehicle tool kit* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Changing a wheel* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Tyre repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Changing the windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . 88
Tow-starting and towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Emergency locking and unlocking . . . . . . . . . . 90
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
General instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Communications and multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Steering wheel controls* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Three button unit in headliner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Vehicle key set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Central locking and locking system . . . . . . . . . 114 Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Controls for the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Panoramic sliding sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Lights and visibility
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Windscreen wiper and window wiper sys-
tems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
R

ear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Seats and head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Adjusting the seats and headrests . . . . . . . . . . 143
Seat functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Transport and practical equipment . . . . . . . . . 152
Transporting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Roof carrier* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Drink holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Ashtray and cigarette lighter* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Power sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Auxiliary heater* (additional heater) . . . . . . . . 180
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Stopping and starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Braking and parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Run-in and economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Engine management and exhaust gas purifica-
tion syst
em . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Driver assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Braking and stability systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Start assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Parking distance warning system* . . . . . . . . . . 211 5

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 When the ignition
is switched offWhen the ignition
is on

Fog lights, dipped
beam and side lights
off.Lights off or daytime
driving light on.

The guidance lights
may be switched on.Automatic dipped
beam control or day-
time driving light on.

Side light on.

Dipped beam off; if
necessary, the side
light comes on for a
time.Dipped beam switch-
ed on.
 Front
fog lights: mo
ve the switch to the
first position, from positions ,  or  .
 Rear fog light: move the switch completely
from positions ,  or  .
Switching off fog lights: Push the switch or
turn it to the  position.

››› in Switching lights on and off on
page 131
››› page 130 Turn signal and main beam lever
Fig. 41
Turn signal and main beam lever. More the lever to the required position:
Right t
urn s

ignal: Right-hand parking
light (ignition switched off).
Left turn signal: Left-hand parking light
(ignition switched off).
Main beam switched on: control lamp 
lit up on the instrument panel.
Headlight flasher: lit up when the lever is
pushed. Control lamp  lit up.
Lever all the way down to switch it off.

››› in Switching lights on and off on
page 131
››› page 131 1
2
3
4 Hazard warning lights
Fig. 42
Dash panel: switch for hazard warn-
in g lights. Switched on, for example:
●
When approaching a traffic jam
● In an emergency
● The vehicle has broken down
● When towing or being towed

››› in Hazard warning lights on
page 135
››› page 134 26

The essentials
● Tak
e the c
over off by passing it over the
gear selector lever ››› .
M anua
l
release of the selector lever
● Press the release lever ›››
Fig. 50 in the di-
rection of the arrow and hold it in this posi-
tion.
● Press the lock button ›››
Fig. 49 1 on the
g e
ar sel
ector lever knob and place the gear
selector lever in the N position. WARNING
Never move the gear selector lever from the
pos ition P whi

le the electronic parking brake
is deactivated. Otherwise, the vehicle may
accidentally move off on hills or steep slopes
causing serious accidents. CAUTION
If the vehicle is moved on its wheels with the
engine s t

opped and the selector lever in posi-
tion N for a prolonged period of time and at high speed, for example for towing, then the
autom
atic

gearbox will be damaged. Air conditioning
Ho w doe
s

the air conditioning work?Fig. 51
Detailed view of the centre console:  El
ectronic

manual air conditioning controls;  Climatronic controls. » 37

The essentials
Action in the event of a punc-
t ur
e
Wh
at to do first 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.
● Park the vehicle on a horizontal surface
and in a saf e p

lace as far away from traffic as
possible.
● Apply the handbrake.
● Switch on the hazard warning lights.
● Manual gearbox: select the 1s
t gear.
● Automatic gearbox: Move the sel
ector lever
to position P.
● If you are towing a trailer, unhitch it from
your v
ehicle.
● Keep the vehicle tool kit ready*
›››
 page 83.
● Observe the applicable legislation for each
countr
y (reflective vest, warning triangles,
etc.). ●
All
occupants should leave the vehicle and
wait in a safe place (for instance behind the
roadside crash barrier). WARNING
● Alw a

ys observe the above steps and pro-
tect yourself and other road users.
● If you change the wheel on a slope, block
the wheel on the oppo
site side of the car with
a stone or similar to prevent the vehicle from
moving. Repairing a tyre with the anti-punc-
t
ur
e k

it* Fig. 62
Standard representation: contents of
the anti-p u
nct

ure kit. The anti-puncture kit is located under the
floor p
anel
in the lug

gage compartment. Sealing the tyre
● Unscrew the tyre valve cap and insert. Use
the ›››

Fig. 62 1 tool to remove the insert.
Pl ac
e it
on a clean surface.
● Shake the tyre sealant bottle vigorously
›››
Fig. 62 10 .
● Screw the inflator tube ››
›
Fig. 62 3 into
the se al
ant
bottle. The bottle's seal will break
automatically.
● Remove the lid from the filling tube
›››
Fig. 62 3 and screw the open end of the
t ube int
o the ty
re valve.
● With the tyre sealant bottle upside down,
fill
the tyre with the contents of the sealant
bottle.
● Remove the bottle from the valve.
● Place the insert back into the tyre valve us-
ing the too
l ››› Fig. 62 1 .
Infl atin
g the ty
re
● Screw the compressor tyre inflator tube
›››
Fig. 62 5 into the tyre valve.
● Check that the air bleed screw is closed
› ›
›

Fig. 62 7 .
● Start the engine and leave it running.
● Insert the connector ››
›
Fig. 62 9 into the
v ehic
l
e's 12-volt socket ›››
 page 174.
● Turn the air compressor on with the ON/OFF
swit c

h ››› Fig. 62 8 .
» 45

The essentials
The jack may be applied only at the jacking
points sho
wn (m
arks on chassis) ››› Fig. 68.
The mark indicates the jacking points below
the vehicle. The jacking points are on the ribs
behind the front edges ››› Fig. 69. Always the
relevant jacking point for the wheel to be
changed ››› .
R ai
se the

vehicle using only the designated
jacking points.
For your own safety and that of other passen-
gers, the following points should be ob-
served in the order given:
Select a suitable flat and firm surface for
raising the vehicle.
Switch off the engine, engage a gear
(manual gearbox) or place the selector
lever in position P ›››
 page 193 and
turn on the electronic parking brake
›››  page 188.
Block the wheel diagonally opposite the
wheel being changed with folding wheel
chocks* or other suitable objects.
When towing a trailer: unhook the trailer
from the towing vehicle and park it cor-
rectly.
Loosen the wheel bolts on the wheel to
be changed ››› page 47.
Look below the vehicle for the jacking
point ››› Fig. 68 closest to the tyre which
has to be changed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Raise the jack with the handle until it
can be inser

ted below the jacking point.
Ensure that the foot of the jack is firmly
on the ground and that it is placed im-
mediately below the lifting point on the
vehicle ››› Fig. 69.
Straighten the jack and continue raising
it using the handle until the claw holds
the vertical reinforcement beneath the
vehicle ››› Fig. 69.
Raise the vehicle until the wheel is clear
of the ground. WARNING
If the vehicle is not correctly raised, it could
fa l

l off the jack causing serious injury. Please
observe the following rules to minimise the
risk of injury:
● You should only use a jack approved by
SEAT f
or your vehicle. Other jacks, even those
approved for other SEAT models, might slip
out of place.
● The ground should be firm and flat. If the
ground i
s sloped or soft then the vehicle
could slip and fall off the jack. If necessary,
support the jack on a wide solid base.
● If the ground is slippery, such as tiles,
plac
e a non-slip surface (a floor mat, for in-
stance) beneath the jack to avoid slipping.
● Only fit the jack at the prescribed jacking
points. The c
law of the jack should grip the
reinforcement nerve on the underbody
››› Fig. 69. 7.
8.
9.
10.
●
You shou l

d never place a body limb such as
an arm or leg under a raised vehicle that is
solely supported by the jack.
● If you have to work underneath the vehicle,
you mus
t use suitable stands additionally to
support the vehicle, there is a risk of acci-
dent!.
● Never raise the vehicle if it is tilting to one
side or the engine i
s running.
● Never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
The vehicle may come loose from the
jack due to the engine vibrations. Removing and fitting the wheel
Fig. 70
Changing a wheel: loosen wheel bolts
w ith the soc
k

et at the end of the wheel brace Removing the wheel
● Slacken the wheel bolts ››
›
page 47.
● Raise the vehicle ›››
page 48. » 49

The essentials
SEAT recommends you ask a technical serv-
ic e f
or f
urther information on wheel, tyre and
chain sizes.
Wherever possible use fine-link chains meas-
uring less than 15 mm (37/64 inch) includ-
ing the lock.
Remove wheel hub covers and trim rings be-
fore fitting snow chains ››› . The wheel bolts
shou l
d be c

overed with caps for safety rea-
sons. These are available from technical serv-
ices. WARNING
The use of unsuitable or incorrectly fitted
ch ain

s could lead to serious accidents and
damage.
● Always the appropriate snow chains.
● Observe the fitting instructions provided by
the snow c
hain manufacturer.
● Never exceed the maximum permitted
speeds
when driving with snow chains. CAUTION
● Remo v

e the snow chains to drive on roads
without snow. Otherwise they will impair
handling, damage the tyres and wear out very
quickly.
● Wheel rims may be damaged or scratched if
the chain
s come into direct contact with
them. SEAT recommends the use of covered
snow chains. Note
Snow chains are available in different sizes
acc or

ding to the vehicle type. Emergency towing of the vehi-
cl
e
T

owing Fig. 71
On the right-hand side of the front
b umper:
Sc

rew in the towline anchorage. Fig. 72
On the rear bumper, to the right hand
side: T

owline anchorage in position Towline anchorages
Att
ac
h the b

ar or rope to the towline ancho-
rages.
They are located with the vehicle's tools
›››  page 83.
Screw the towline anchorage into the screw
connection ››› Fig. 71 o ››› Fig. 72 and tighten
it with the wheel brace.
Tow rope or tow bar
When towing, the tow bar is the safest and
vehicle friendly way. You should only use a
tow rope if you do not have a tow bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to avoid
damage to both vehicles. It is advisable to
use a tow rope made of synthetic fibre or sim-
ilarly elastic material. » 51

The essentials
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar to the
t o
wline anc
horage or specially designed fit-
ting.
Vehicles with a factory fitted towing device ,
can only be used for towing with a tow bar,
specially designed to fit on a tow hitch ball
›››  page 237.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
Note the following for a towed vehicle: ● Make sure the gear selector lever is in the N
position.
● Do not

drive faster than 50 km/h (30 mph).
● Do not tow further than 50 km (30 miles).
● If a breakdown truck is used, the vehicle
must
be towed with the front wheels raised.
Note the following instructions for towing
four all-wheel drive vehicles.
Instructions for towing all-wheel drive vehi-
cles
All-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using a
toolbar or tow rope. If the vehicle is towed
with the front or rear axle raised, the engine
must be turned off to avoid transmission
damage.
For vehicles with a double clutched DSG ®
(di-
rect shift gearbox) the instructions for towing
vehicles with an automatic gearbox apply
››› page 52. Situations in which a vehicle should not be
tow

ed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not
be towed but transported on a trailer or spe-
cial vehicle:
● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lu-
bricant due t
o a fault.
● If the vehicle battery is flat and, as a result,
the electronic
steering lock and electronic
parking brake cannot be disengaged if ap-
plied.
● If the vehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbo
x and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles).

››› in Introduction on page 88
››› page 88 Tow-starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
b
y
t

owing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ›››
page 52.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox. ●
Vehicl
es with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition system, since the electronic
steering lock may not unlock.
● Vehicles with an electronic parking brake,
given that
it is possible that the brake will
not be disengaged.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it is possible
that the en
gine control units do not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear.
● Keep the clutch pressed down.
● Switch on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Rel

ease the clutch when both vehicles are
movin
g.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle.
How to jump start
Jump lea
ds If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
c
h
ar

ged battery, the battery of another vehi-
cle can be used to start the engine. Before 52