warning Seat Alhambra 2007 Owner's Manual

Cleaning and caring for your vehicle
198
WARNING
•
Never wash tyres with a cylindrical jet. Even at large spraying distances
and short cleaning times, visible and invisible damage can occur to the
tyres. This may cause an accident.
•
Moisture, ice and salt on the brakes may affect braking efficiency. Risk
of accident. If possible, avoid sudden braking immediately after washing
the vehicle. “Dry” the brakes by braking several times.
Cleaning alloy wheelsEvery two weeks
– Wash salt and brake dust from alloy wheels.
– Use an acid free detergent to clean the wheels.
Every three months
– Apply a hard wax compound to the wheels.Alloy wheels require regular attention to preserve their appearance. It is
important to remove road salt and brake dust by washing the wheels at
regular intervals, otherwise the finish will be impaired.
Always use an acid-free detergent for alloy wheels.
Car polish or other abrasive agents should not be used. If the protective
coating is damaged, e.g. by stone impact, the damaged area should be
repaired immediately.
WARNING
•
Never wash tyres with a cylindrical jet. Even at large spraying distances
and short cleaning times, visible and invisible damage can occur to the
tyres. This may cause an accident.
•
Moisture, ice and salt on the brakes may affect braking efficiency. Risk
of accident. If possible, avoid sudden braking immediately after washing
the vehicle. “Dry” the brakes by braking several times.
Underbody sealant
The underside of the vehicle is coated to protect it from corro-
sion and damage.The protective coating could be dama ged when driving. We recommend that
the protective coating under the body and on the running gear should be
checked, and reinstated if necessary, before and after the winter season.
We recommend that repair work and addi tional anti-corrosion work is carried
out by your Authorised Service Centre.
WARNING
Do not apply underseal or anti-corros ion coatings to the exhaust pipes,
catalytic converter or the heat shields on the exhaust system. The heat of
the exhaust system or the engine could cause them to ignite! This is a fire
hazard.
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Cleaning and caring for your vehicle199
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Cleaning the engine compartment
Take special care when cleaning the engine compartment.Anti-corrosion treatment
The engine compartment and the surface of the power unit are given anti-
corrosion treatment at the factory.
Good corrosion protection is particularly important in winter when the car is
frequently driven on salted roads. To prevent the salt corroding the vehicle,
the entire engine compartment should be thoroughly cleaned before and
after the salting period.
Your Authorised Service Centre is able to provide the correct cleaning and
preserving products and has the necessary equipment. For this reason, we
recommend having this work performed by them.
The anti-corrosion protection is usua lly removed if the engine compartment
is cleaned with grease removing solution s, or if you have the engine cleaned.
If this job is carried out, you should ensure that all surfaces, seams, joints and
components in the engine compartmen t are given anti-corrosion treatment
afterwards.
WARNING
•
When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 209
•
Switch off the engine, apply the parking brake firmly and always
remove the key from the ignition before you open the bonnet.
•
Allow the engine to cool before you clean the engine compartment.
•
Do not clean the underside of vehicle, wheel arches without protecting
your hands and arms. You may cut your self on sharp-edged metal parts.
Failure to comply could result in injury.
•
Moisture, ice and salt on the brakes may affect braking efficiency. Risk
of accident. If possible, avoid sudden braking immediately after washing
the vehicle.
•
Never touch the radiator fan. It is temperature-controlled and could
start automatically, even when the key is removed from the ignition!For the sake of the environment
Fuel, grease and oil deposits could be removed when the engine is washed.
The polluted water must be cleaned in an oil separator. For this reason,
engine washing should be carried out only by a qualified workshop or a suit-
able filling station.Care of the vehicle interiorCleaning plastic parts and the dash panel– Use a clean, damp cloth to clean plastic parts and the dash panel.
– If this does not provide satisfactory results, use a special solvent-free plastic cleaning product.
WARNING
Never clean the dash panel and surface of the airbag module with cleansers
containing solvents. Solvents cause the surface to become porous. If the
airbag inflates, disintegrating plastic parts can cause substantial injuries.
WARNING (continued)
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Cleaning and caring for your vehicle201
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
•
To avoid damage, stubborn stains should be removed by a qualified
workshop.
Cleaning seat belts
A dirty belt may stop the seat belt working properly.Keep the seat belts clean and check all seat belts regularly.
Cleaning seat belts
– Carefully pull the dirty seat belt right out and leave it out.
– Clean the dirty seat belts with a gentle soap solution.
– Allow the seat belt fabric to dry.
– Do not roll up the seat belt until it is dry.If large stains form on the belts the belt will not retract correctly into the auto-
matic belt retractor.
WARNING
•
Do not use chemical cleaning agents on the seat belts, as this can
impair the strength of the webbing. Ensure that the belts do not come into
contact with corrosive fluids.
•
Check the condition of all seat belts at regular 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 by a specialist workshop.
•
Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat belt yourself. The seat belts
must not be removed or modified in any way.
Caution
After cleaning, allow seat belts to dr y completely before rolling them up.
Otherwise the belt retracto rs could become damaged.Cleaning the cool/thermos box –Before using the insulated box for the first time, you should clean
it, using a household detergent.
– Always clean the inside of the insulated box when it is soiled.If you do not plan to use the insulated box for a long period, disconnect the
power supply and clean the inside and outside of the box. Place a folded
towel between the box and its lid. This prevents mould and damp stains
forming in the cooling and heating box.
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Accessories, parts replacement and modifications
202Accessories, parts replacement and modificationsAccessories and partsAlways consult an Authorised Service Centre before
purchasing accessories and parts.Your vehicle is designed to offer a high standard of active and passive safety.
Before purchasing accessories and parts, and before making technical
changes to your car, we recommend that you consult your Authorised Service
Centre.
SEAT dealerships will be happy to provide you with the latest information
about the use, legal requirements and recommendations from the manufac-
turer regarding accessories and parts.
We recommend you use only SEAT Approved Accessories
® and SEAT
Approved Spare Parts
®. This way, SEAT can guarantee that the product in
question is suitable, reliable and safe. Authorised Service Centres have the
necessary experience and facilities to ensure that parts are installed correctly
and professionally.
Despite continuous observation of the market, SEAT is not able to assess the
reliability, safety and suitability of parts not approved by SEAT. For this reason
SEAT cannot assume responsibility for any non-genuine parts used, even if
these parts have been approved by an official testing agency or are covered
by an official approval certificate.
Any equipment subsequently installed which has a direct effect on the
vehicle and/or the way it is driven (e.g. cruise control system or electronically-
controlled suspension) must be approved by SEAT for use in your vehicle and
bear the e mark (the European Union's authorisation symbol).
If any additional electrical components are fitted which do not serve to
control the vehicle itself (for instance a refrigerator box, laptop or ventilator fan, etc.), these must bear the
CE mark (European Union manufacturer
conformity declaration).
WARNING
Accessories, for example telephone holders or drink holders, should never
be fitted on the covers of, or within the working range of, the airbags. If
they are, there is a danger of resulting injury if the airbag is triggered in an
accident.ModificationsModifications must always be carried out according to our
specifications.Unauthorised modifications to the electr onic components or software in the
vehicle may cause malfunctions. Due to the way the electronic components
are linked together in networks, other systems may be affected by the faults.
This can seriously impair safety, lead to excessive wear of components, and
also invalidate your vehic le registration documents.
SEAT Authorised Service Centres cannot be held liable for any damage
caused by modifications and/or work performed incorrectly.
For this reason, we reco mmend that all work should be performed by an
Authorised Service Centre using Genuine SEAT
® approved parts and accesso-
ries.
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Accessories, parts replacement and modifications203
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
WARNING
Incorrectly performed modifications or other work on your vehicle can lead
to malfunctions and cause accidents.Roof aerial*The vehicle may be fitted with a collapsible roof aerial* with antitheft
system*, which can be folded backwards, when, for example, going through
an automatic carwash.
To f o l d
Unscrew the aerial rod, tilting it backwards into a horizontal position and then
screw in again.
To return to working position
Proceed in reverse order.Mobile telephones and two-way radiosYou will require an external aerial for mobile phones and two-
way radios. SEAT has approved your vehicle for use with mobile telephones and two-way
radios providing the following conditions are observed:•
The correct installation of an external aerial,
•
transmitting power of maximum 10 watts.
An external aerial is needed to give the equipment its optimal range. First consult your Authorised Service Centre if you wish to use a mobile tele-
phone or a two-way radio with a transmitting power in excess of 10 watts.
Here you will receive information concerning the technical possibilities for
retrofitting this equipment.
Mobile telephones and two-way radios
should be fitted only by a qualified
workshop, for example an Authorised Service Centre.
WARNING
•
Always concentrate primarily on driving. If you are distracted while
driving you could have an accident.
•
Never attach the telephone mountings to the surfaces covering the
airbag units or within the range of the airbags, danger of injury if the airbag
is triggered.
•
If you use mobile telephones or two-way radios in the vehicle without
an external aerial, electromagnetic ra diation in the vehicle could exceed
authorised limits. This also applies to external aerials that have not been
correctly installed.Caution
Failure to observe the above conditions could cause the electronics to
malfunction. The most common causes of faults are:•
no external aerial,
•
external aerial incorrectly installed,
•
transmitting power in excess of 10 watts.Note
Please observe the operating instructions of your mobile telephone / two-way
radio.
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Accessories, parts replacement and modifications205
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
If a towing bracket is to be retro-fitted to
the car, it must be done according to
the instructions of the towing bracket manufacturer.
The attachment points for the towing bracket ⇒page 204, fig. 137 are
underneath the vehicle.
Always observe the minimum distance from the middle of the ball coupling to
the ground (350 to 420 mm). This also appl ies when the vehicle is fully laden,
including maximum drawbar load.
Fitting a towing bracket
•
Driving with a trailer implies additional work for the vehicle. Therefore,
before fitting a towing bracket, please contact an Authorised Service Centre
to check whether your cooling system needs modification.
•
Observe the legal requirements in your country (e. g. the fitting of a sepa-
rate pilot lamp).
•
Certain vehicle componen ts, e.g. the rear bumper must be removed and
reinstalled. The towing bracket securing bolts have to be tightened using a
torque wrench, and a socket connected to the vehicle's electrical system. This
requires specialist knowledge and tools.
•
The figures in the illustration show the dimensions and attachment points
which must be observed if you are retrofitting a towing bracket.
WARNING
If a towing bracket is retrofitted, it should be done by a qualified dealer.•
If the towing bracket is incorrectly fi tted, this could cause a safety risk.
•
For your own safety, please observe the instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the towing bracket.Caution
If the connector socket is not fitted correctly, this could cause damage to the
vehicle's electrical system.
AA
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Checking and refilling levels
206Checking and refilling levelsRefillingThe tank filler neck is located at the rear right-hand side of the vehicle.
The tank flap is locked and unlocked automatically by the central locking
system.
The fuel tank holds about 70 litres.
The tank cap can, once unscrewed, be hung on the tank flap ⇒fig. 138 .
After filling up, screw the tank cap back in firmly and close the tank flap until
it engages.
WARNING
All legal stipulations must be observed when transporting a reserve
supply. For safety reasons, we do not recommend carrying a spare fuel
canister in the vehicle. The canister could be damaged in an accident and
leak.
Caution
•
Never run the fuel tank empty on vehicles equipped with a catalytic
converter. An irregular fuel supply could cause misfiring. In this way the fuel
can arrive without burning the exhaust system, which could cause the cata-
lyser to overheat resulting in damage.
•
Spilt fuel should be removed from the vehicle paint finish as quickly as
possible as the paint could otherwise be damaged. Especially if biodiesel
fuel is being used ⇒page 207.For the sake of the environment
If the automatic filler nozzle is operated correctly, it will switch itself off as
soon as the tank is “full”. Never attempt to fill beyond this point, as this will
fill the expansion chamber. Fuel may leak out if ambient conditions are
warm.
Fig. 138 Tank filler neck
and tank flap
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Checking and refilling levels
210
WARNING
All work on the engine or in the engine compartment, e.g. checking and
refilling fluids, involves the danger of injury and scalding as well as the risk
of accident or fire.•
Never open the bonnet if you see steam, smoke or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment. Otherwise, there is a risk of sustaining
burns. Wait until no more steam or coolant is emitted, then allow the
engine to cool before carefully opening the bonnet.
•
Switch off the engine and remove the key from the ignition.
•
Apply the handbrake and move the gea r stick to neutral or selector
lever to position P.
•
Keep children away from the vehicle.
•
Never touch hot engine parts. There is a risk of burns.
•
Never spill liquids on a hot engine or on a hot exhaust gas system. This
is a fire hazard.
•
Avoid causing short-circuits in the electrical system, particularly at the
points where the jump leads are attached ⇒page 250. The battery could
explode.
•
Never touch the radiator fan. It is temperature controlled and could
start automatically, even when the engine has been switched off and the
key removed from the ignition!
•
Do not unscrew the cap on the expansion tank when the engine is hot.
If the coolant is hot, the cooling system will be pressurised!
•
Protect face, hands and arms by covering the cap with a large, thick
cloth to protect against escaping coolant and steam.
•
Always make sure you have not left any objects, such as cleaning cloths
and tools, in the engine compartment.
•
If you have to work underneath the vehicle, you must use suitable
stands additionally to support the vehicle, there is a risk of accident!. A
hydraulic jack is insufficient for securing the vehicle and there is a risk of
injury.
•
If any work has to be performed when the engine is started or with the
engine running, there is an additional, potentially fatal, safety risk from the
rotating parts, such as the drive belt s, alternator, radiator fan, etc., and
from the high-voltage ignition system. You should also observe the
following points:
−Never touch the electrical wiring of the ignition system.
− Ensure that jewellery, loose clothing and long hair do not get
trapped in rotating engine parts. Danger of death. Before starting any
work remove jewellery, tie back and cover hair, and wear tight-fitting
clothes.
− Always think carefully about pressing the accelerator if a gear is
engaged in either an automatic or manual gearbox. The vehicle could
move, even if the handbrake is applied. Danger of death.
•
If work has to be carried out on the fuel system or on electrical compo-
nents, you must observe the following safety notes in addition to the above
warnings:
−Always disconnect the battery. The vehicle must be unlocked when
this is done, otherwise the alarm will be triggered.
− Do not smoke.
− Never work near naked flames.
− Always have a fire extinguisher on hand.Caution
When changing or topping up service fluids, make absolutely certain that you
fill the fluids into the correct reservoirs. Failure to observe this point will result
in serious malfunctions and engine damage!
WARNING (continued)
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Checking and refilling levels211
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
For the sake of the environment
Service fluids leaks are harmful to the environment. For this reason you
should make regular checks on the ground underneath your vehicle. If you
find spots of oil or other fluids, have your vehicle inspected in a qualified
workshop.Opening the bonnet
The bonnet is released from inside the vehicle.
Before you open the bonnet, make sure that the windscreen wiper
arms are in contact with the windscreen. Failure to do so could
damage the paintwork.
Opening the bonnet
– To release the bonnet, pull the lever under the dashboard ⇒fig. 139 in the direction indicated (arrow). The bonnet is
unlocked by a spring ⇒.
– Gently lift the bonnet and press the unlock button ⇒fig. 140 in
the direction of the arrow.
– Open the bonnet to the point where it is held open by the gas struts.
WARNING
Hot coolant can scald!
Fig. 139 Detail of the
footwell: The release lever
for the bonnet is located
in the driver side footwell
Fig. 140 Detail of the
radiator grille: opening
the bonnet
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Checking and refilling levels
212•
Never open the bonnet if you see steam, smoke or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment.
•
Wait until no more steam, smoke or coolant is emitted from the bonnet,
then carefully open the bonnet.
•
Make sure that the support rod is inserted securely and properly in the
holder in the open bonnet.
•
When working in the engine compartment, always observe the safety
warnings ⇒ page 209
Closing the bonnetClosing the bonnet
1. To close the bonnet, pull it down to overcome the gas strut pres-
sure.
2. Make sure that the bonnet catches onto its clasp. Do not press
down ⇒ .If the bonnet does not close properly, open it again and close it properly.
WARNING
If the bonnet is not closed properly, it could open while you are driving and
completely obscure your view of the road. Risk of accident.•
After closing the bonnet, always check that it is properly secured. The
bonnet must be flush with the surrounding body panels.
•
If you notice that the bonnet latch is not secured when the vehicle is
moving, stop the vehicle immediately and close the bonnet properly. Risk
of accident.
Engine oilEngine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform with exact specifications.Specifications
The engine comes with a special, high quality, multi grade oil that can be
used in all seasons of the year except for those regions affected by extreme
cold.
As the use of good quality oil is nec essary for the correct operation and long
service life of the engine, when it becomes necessary to replenish or change
the oil, always use an oil that complies to the VW standards.
If it is not possible to find oil conforming to the VW standards then oil
conforming to the ACEA or API standards with an appropriate viscosity at
atmospheric temperature should be used in stead. The use of this type of oil
may have some repercussions on the performance of the engine for example,
long starting time, increased consumption and a higher emission level.
If a top up is required then different oils may be mixed as long as they all
conform to the VW standards.
The specifications (VW standards) set out in the following page should
appear on the container of the service oil; the container will display together
the different standards for petrol and diesel engines, the oil can be used for
both types of engines.
WARNING (continued)
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