Seat Alhambra 2011 Owner's Manual

159
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning Control
butt on Additional information. Climatic
⇒ fig. 121; Climatr onic
⇒ fig. 122.  Climatronic: tran
sf
erring the driver's seat temperature set-
tings to the other seats. If the  button is not lit up, the set
temper at
ure in the driver's seat will also apply to the other
seats.
Press the button or the temperature control for the front pas-
senger's seat or the rear seats to set them to a different tem-
perature. The button lights with an indicator.
Vehicles with auxiliary heating: observe the description of the AUTO button.
AUTO Automatic temperature, fan, and air distribution control.
WARNING
Never turn off the air fan for a long time or the air in the passenger com-
par tment

will not be refreshed.
● Stuffy or used air will increase fatigue and reduce driver and passen-
ger conc
entration possibly resulting in a serious accident. Note
● Not all Climatronic buttons are operational in REAR mode.
● The REAR button is locked in defrost mode.
Rear operation Fig. 123 Details of the
re
ar oper

ation. Rotary
contr o

l
⇒ fig. 123 Description
A
Temperature selector
B
Air flow regulator 
Climate control user instructions The cooling system only works when the engine is running and fan is
swit
c

hed on.
The climate control system operates most effectively with the windows and
the sliding panoramic roof closed. However, if the vehicle has heated up af-
ter standing in the sun for some time, the air inside can be cooled more
quickly by opening the windows briefly. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

160
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
Keep the air vents in front of the windscreen free of snow, ice and leaves to
ens ur
e heating and cooling are not impaired and to prevent the windows
from misting over.
Adjustment for safer driving
When the air conditioning is switched on, the temperature and the air hu-
midity in the vehicle interior drop. Hence, when the outside air humidity is
high, the windows do not mist over and comfort for the vehicle occupants is
improved:
With Climatic
● Disable air recirculation mode ⇒  pag
e 161.
● Set the fan to setting 1 or 2.
● Turn the temperature control to the centre position.
● Open the air outlets in the dash panel ⇒ pag
e 161.
● Turn the air distribution control to the required position.
● Press the AC button to turn on cooling. The button will light up.
With C lim

atronic
● Press the AUTO button.
● Set the temperature to +22°C (+72°F).
● Open the air outlets in the dash panel ⇒ pag
e 161.
Switching the Climatronic temperature measuring unit
Press and hold the AC and
AUT
O buttons to switch the temperature display
between C el

sius and Fahrenheit.
Heat
The maximum heat output required to defrost windows quickly is only avail-
able when the engine has reached its normal running temperature.
The air conditioning system does not switch on
If the air conditioning system cannot be switched on, this may be caused by
the following: ●
The engine is not running.
● The fan i

s switched off.
● The climate control fuse has blown.
● The outside temperature is lower than approximately +3°C (+38°F).
● The climate control system compressor has been temporarily switched
off becau
se the engine coolant temperature is too high.
● Another fault in the vehicle. Have the climate control system checked by
a Tec
hnical Service.
Things to note
If the humidity and temperature outside the vehicle are high, condensation
can drip off the evaporator in the cooling system and form a pool under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and does not indicate a leak!
Dust and pollen filter
The dust and pollen filter with its activated charcoal cartridge serves as a
barrier against impurities in the ambient air.
For the climate control system to work with maximum efficiency, the dust
and pollen filter must be replaced at the intervals specified in the Mainte-
nance Programme.
If the filter loses efficiency prematurely due to use in areas with very high
levels of air pollution, the filter must be changed more frequently than sta-
ted in the Service Schedule. Note
● The climate control system must left running for a few minutes to reach
the set t

emperature in the vehicle interior.
● After starting it, any residual humidity in the climate control system
coul
d mist over the windscreen.
● The air from the vents flows through the passenger compartment and
out through the outl
ets below the rear window. Do not cover these outlets
with items of clothing or other objects. 

161
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
Air vents Fig. 124 Air vents in the instrument panel.
Air vents
Never c lo
se the air vents ⇒ fig. 124 A completely to ensure heating, cool-
ing and v

entilation inside the vehicle.
● Turn the thumbwheel in the required direction to open and close the air
vents.
● Chan

ge the air direction using the ventilation grille lever.
There are a
dditional vents in the footwell areas and in the rear of the pas-
senger compartment. CAUTION
Never place food, medicines or other heat-sensitive objects close to the air
vents. F ood, medic

ines and other heat-sensitive objects may be damaged
or made unsuitable for use by the air coming from the air vents. Air recirculation mode Important
Air rec
ir

culation works in two ways:  Manual air recirculation mode.
 Automatic air recirculation mode.
Air recirculation mode  prev
ents
the ambient air from entering the vehicle
interior.
When the outside temperature is very high or very low, selecting manual air
recirculation mode for a short period refreshes or heats the vehicle interior
more quickly.
For safety reasons, air recirculation mode is switched off when the  but-
ton i s

pressed or the air distributor turned to  ⇒  .
Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

162
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
Switching air recirculation mode on and off manually 
Swit c
hing on: press the corresponding button until the light under the sym-
bol  comes on.
Switching off: press the button until no indicator remains lit.
Automatic air recirculation mode 
Fresh air enters the vehicle interior in position . If the system detects a
high concentration of hazardous substances in the ambient air, air recircu-
lation mode is switched on automatically. When the level of impurities
drops to within a normal range, recirculation mode is switched off.
The system is unable to detect unpleasant smells.
Air recirculation mode is not automatically switched on in the following ca-
ses of outside temperatures and conditions:
● The cooling system is switched on (the AC button is lit up) and the out-
side t emper

ature is below +3°C (+38°F).
● The cooling system and the windscreen wipers are switched off and the
outside temper
ature is below +10°C (+50°F).
● The cooling system is switched on, the outside temperature is below
+15°C (+59°F) and the wind
screen wipers are switched on.
Switching the automatic air recirculation mode on and off
Switching on: press the   button until the light under the symbol

come s

on.
Switching off: press the   button until no button remains lit.
Swit c

hing the automatic air recirculation mode off temporarily
● Press the   button once to temporarily switch to manual air recircula-
tion mode in the event of

unpleasant smells from outside. The control light
under the symbol  comes on.
● After more than two seconds, press the 
 button again to restart au-
tom atic

air recirculation. The control light under the symbol  comes on. WARNING
Stuffy or used air will increase fatigue and reduce driver concentration
pos s

ibly resulting in a serious accident.
● Never use recirculation mode for long periods as it does not refresh
the air inside the
vehicle.
● If the cooling mode is switched off and air recirculation mode switch-
ed on, the window
s can mist over very quickly, considerably limiting visi-
bility.
● Switch air recirculation mode off when it is not required. CAUTION
Do not smoke when air recirculation is switched on in vehicles with a cli-
mat e c

ontrol system. The smoke taken in could lie on the cooling system va-
poriser and on the activated charcoal cartridge of the dust and pollen filter,
leading to a permanently unpleasant smell. Note
Air recirculation mode switches on to prevent exhaust gas from entering the
vehic l

e interior when it is in reverse and while the automatic windscreen
wash and wipe is working. 

163
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
Auxiliary heater* (additional heater) Introduction The auxiliary heater is powered by fuel from the vehicle's fuel tank and can
be used whi
l
e the vehicle is in motion and at a standstill. Select the mode
required (heat or fan) ⇒  page 165 on the instrument panel.
In winter, the auxiliary heater can be used in heat mode before switching on
the ignition to remove any ice, mist or snow from the windscreen (thin lay-
ers only).
Additional information and warnings:
● SEAT information system ⇒  pag
e 62
● Refuelling ⇒  pag
e 264 WARNING
The auxiliary heater fumes contain carbon dioxide, an odourless and col-
ourle s

s toxic gas. Carbon monoxide can cause people to lose conscious-
ness. It can also cause death.
● Never switch on the auxiliary heater or leave it running in places that
are enclo
sed or unventilated.
● Never program the independent heating system to be activated and
operated in c
losed, unventilated areas. WARNING
The components of the auxiliary heater exhaust system heat up a great
dea l

. This could cause a fire.
● Always park your vehicle so that no part of the exhaust system can
come in cont
act with flammable materials (such as dried grass). CAUTION
Never place food, medicines or other heat-sensitive objects close to the air
vents. F ood, medic

ines and other heat-sensitive objects may be damaged
or made unsuitable for use by the air coming from the air vents. 
Switching the auxiliary heater on and off Switching the auxiliary heater on:

Manually using the instant on/off button. ⇒ page 157
ON
Manually using the remote control. ⇒ page 164
Automatically at the programmed and enabled on
time. ⇒ page 165
Switching the auxiliary heater off:
 Manually using the instant on/off button for the
clim
at

e control system. ⇒ page 157
OFF
Manually using the remote control. ⇒ page 164
Automatically after the programmed time. ⇒ page 165
Automatically when the light comes on
 (fuel r
e-
serve). ⇒ page 264
Automatically when the battery power drops to a
ver
y

low level. ⇒ page 288
Things to note
Aft
er sw

itching the auxiliary heater off, it continues to run for a short period
to completely burn any fuel remaining in the auxiliary heater. The exhaust
fumes are also extracted from the system. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

164
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
Remote control Fig. 125 Auxiliary heat-
er: remot
e c
ontrol. fig. 125 Meaning
ON
Switch the auxiliary heater on.
OFF
Switch the auxiliary heater off:
A
Aerial.
B
Light.
The auxiliary heater may accidentally switch on if a button is pressed on the
remot
e c

ontrol by mistake. This may also occur outside the range of the re-
mote control or if the light flashes.
Remote control light
The remote control light provides users with different information at the
push of a button: Battery light
fig. 125 B Meaning
Lights up green for around two
second
s. The auxiliary heater has been switched on
us
in

g the ON button.
Lights up red for around two
second
s. The auxiliary heater has been switched off
us
in

g the OFF button.
Slowly flashes green for
arou
nd tw

o seconds. No on
a)
signal has been received. Quickly flashes green for
arou
nd tw

o seconds. The auxiliary heater is locked.
Po
s
sible causes: the fuel tank is almost
empty, the battery charge is very low or
there is a fault. Flashes red for around two
second
s. No off
a)
signal has been received. Lights up orange for around
two sec
ond

s, then green or
red. The remote control battery is almost flat.
How
ev
er, the on or off signal has been re-
ceived, respectively. Lights up orange for around
two sec
ond

s, then flashes
green or red. The remote control battery is almost flat.
The on or off s
ign
al has not been received,
respectively. Flashes orange for around five
second
s. The remote control battery is flat. The on
or off s
ign

al has not been received, re-
spectively. a)
Within its range, the remote control might not receive the signal sent by the vehicle receiv-
er. In thi s

case, the remote control will send an error message despite the auxiliary heater
being on or off. Come closer to the vehicle and press the corresponding button on the re-
mote control once again.
Replacing the remote control battery
When the light B on the remote control does not come on when the button
is pr

essed, the remote control battery should soon be replaced.
The battery is located beneath a cover on the back of the remote control.
Turn the slot to the left using a flat, blunt object (e.g. a coin). When chang-
ing the battery, use another battery of the same model and observe the po-
larity when fitting it ⇒  .


165
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
Range
The rec eiv
er is in the interior of the vehicle. The remote control, when fitted
with new batteries, has a range of several hundred metres. Obstacles be-
tween the remote control and the vehicle, bad weather conditions and dis-
charged batteries can considerably reduce the range of the remote control.
An optimum range is obtained by keeping the remote control vertical, with
the aerial A pointing upwards. When doing so, do not cover the aerial with
your fin g

ers or with the palm of your hand.
There must be a minimum distance of two metres between the remote con-
trol and the vehicle. CAUTION
● The radiofrequency remote control contains electronic components.
Ther ef

ore, avoid getting the remote control wet and from being knocked
and protect it from direct sunlight.
● Use of inappropriate batteries may damage the remote control. For this
rea

son, always replace the dead battery with another of the same voltage,
size and specifications. For the sake of the environment
● Please dispose of old batteries so that they do not harm the environ-
ment .
● The r

emote control battery may contain perchlorate. Observe the legal
requirements
for their disposal. 
Programming the auxiliary heater The heater or ventilation inside the vehicle can be programmed for a certain
period. Before programming, check that the day is correctly set in the
Auxi
liary heat-
er - day of the week menu ⇒  .
Enab lin
g the Auxiliary heater menu on the instrument panel
● From the main menu, select the Auxili
ary heater submenu and press the
OK button on the windscreen wiper lever.
● ALTERNATIVELY: pre s
s the  or
 arrow buttons on the multi-function
st eerin
g wheel until the Auxiliary heater menu is displayed. Menu options Description
Switching on
Swit
c

hing off The auxiliary heater can be set to come on automati-
cal
ly

if required. To do so, select a timer:
– The timer is displayed marked with a .
– Only one timer can be selected. If a timer has been
selected, Prog. ON will be displayed on the screen. If
no timer has been selected, the instrument panel
screen will display Prog. OFF.
– To modify the programmed timer, select another tim-
er or select the Off option. Timer 1
Timer 2
Timer 3 Three different timers (hh.mm) can later be selected
us
in

g the On option. If the auxiliary heater is to be
switched on for just a certain day of the week, select
the day of the week and the time for the auxiliary heat-
er to come on. Duration The operating time may vary between 10 and 60 mi-
nute
s

and can be set to 5-minute intervals. Operating mode Set to heat or ventilate the vehicle interior when the
auxi
li

ary heater is switched on. Day Set the current day of the week.
Manufacturer's
setting
s The predefined factory values for the functions of this
menu are r
e

stored. Back This returns to the main menu
Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

166
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
Checking programming
If the timer h
as been switched on after switching the ignition off, the instant
on button  will remain lit for around ten seconds.
WARNING
Never program the independent heating system to be activated and oper-
ated in c lo

sed, unventilated areas. The auxiliary heater fumes contain
carbon dioxide, an odourless and colourless toxic gas. Carbon monoxide
can cause people to lose consciousness. It can also cause death. 
Operating instructions The auxiliary heater exhaust system located below the vehicle must be kept
cl
e

ar of snow, mud and other objects. The exhaust fumes must not be ob-
structed in any way. The exhaust fumes generated by the auxiliary heater
are removed via an exhaust pipe fitted underneath the vehicle.
On heating the vehicle interior, depending on the outside temperature the
warm air is first directed at the windscreen and then to the rest of the pas-
senger compartment through the air vents. If the air vents are turned to-
wards the windows, for example, the form of air distribution may be affec-
ted.
Depending on the outside temperature, the temperature at which the auxili-
ary heater warms the vehicle interior may be somewhat higher if the heating
or climate control temperature control is set to maximum before switching
the heating on.
Depending on the engine, vehicles with auxiliary heater may be fitted with a
second battery in the luggage compartment that is responsible for powering
the auxiliary heater. Cases in which the auxiliary heater will not switch on
●
The auxiliary heater requires about as much power as the dipped head-
lights. If the batt
ery charge is low, the auxiliary heater will switch off auto-
matically or will not even switch on. This avoids problems when starting the
engine.
● The heater will switch just once each time. The timer will also have to be
switc
hed back on every time it is required. Note
● Noise will be heard while the auxiliary heater is running.
● When the air humidity i

s high and the outside temperature low, the
heating sy
stem may evaporate condensation from the auxiliary heater. In
this case, steam may be released from underneath the vehicle. This is com-
pletely normal and there is no need to suspect a fault!
● If the auxiliary heater runs several times over a prolonged period, the ve-
hicle b
attery may run flat. To re-charge the battery, drive the vehicle for a
long distance. In general: drive for as much time as the auxiliary heating
was working. 

167
Driving
Driving SteeringIntroduction The power steering is not hydraulic but electromechanical. The advantage
of thi
s
steering system is that it disposes of hydraulic tubes, hydraulic oil,
the pump, filter and other components. The electromechanical system
saves fuel. While a hydraulic system requires oil pressure to be maintained,
electromechanical steering only requires energy when the steering wheel is
turned.
With the power steering system, the assisted steering function automatical-
ly adjusts according to the vehicle speed, the steering torque and the wheel
turning angle. The power steering only works when the engine is running.
Additional information and warnings:
● Start and stop the engine ⇒ page 170
● V

ehicle battery ⇒ page 288
● T

ow-starting and towing away ⇒ page 340WARNING
If the power steering is not working then the steering wheel is much
more diffic u

lt to turn and the vehicle more difficult to control.
● The power steering only works when the engine is running.
● Never allow the vehicle to move when the engine is switched off.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if the vehicle is in motion. The
steerin
g may lock and it will not be possible to turn the steering wheel. Control and warning lamps lights up Possible cause Solution
 (red) Power steering faulty. The steering system should be
chec
k

ed by a Technical Service
as soon as possible. 
(yel-
lo w) Power steering operation re-
duced. The steering system should be
chec
k

ed by a Technical Service
as soon as possible.
If, after restarting the engine
and driving for a short distance,
the yellow warning light no lon-
ger comes on, it will not be nec-
essary to take the vehicle to a
specialised workshop. The vehicle battery was dis-
connect
ed and h

as been re-
connected. Drive for a short distance at 15 –
20 km/h.
Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

168
Driving flashes Possible cause Solution
 (red) Fault in the steering column
electr
onic
lock. 
Do not drive on!
Seek pr
ofessional advice. 
(yel-
lo w) Steering column deviation. Gently turn the steering wheel to
and fro
. Steering wheel not unlocked
or lock
ed. Remove the key from the igni-
tion and then swit
c

h the ignition
back on. Check the messages
displayed on the instrument
panel at the same time.
Do not drive on, if the steering
column remains locked after the
ignition has been switched on.
You should obtain professional
assistance. Several warning and control lamps should light up for a few seconds when
the ignition is
sw

itched. This signals that the lamp is working properly. They
will switch off after a few seconds. WARNING
If the warning lamps and messages are ignored, the vehicle may stall in
traffic, or m a

y cause accidents and severe injuries.
● Never ignore the warning lamps or text messages.
● Stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible. CAUTION
Failure to heed the warning lamps and text messages when they appear
ma y

result in faults in the vehicle. Information on the steering Steering column electronic lock
If the driv
er's

door is opened before the ignition is switched off, the steering
column electronic lock is activated via the ignition key or the sensor built
into the door handle.
Mechanical steering lock
To prevent theft, we recommend you lock the steering before leaving the ve-
hicle. Please engage steering lock Unlocking the steering
Parking the vehicle
⇒ page 183. Turn the steering wheel slightly to
rel
e

ase the steering lock. Remove the key from the ignition. Insert the key in the ignition lock.
Turn the steering wheel slightly until
you he
ar the s

teering lock. Hold the steering wheel in this posi-
tion and swit
c
h on the ignition. Electromechanical power steering
With the po
w

er steering system, the assisted steering function automatical-
ly adjusts according to the vehicle speed, the steering torque and the wheel
turning angle. The power steering only works when the engine is running.
You should remember that you will need considerably more power than nor-
mal to steer the vehicle if the power steering is not working correctly or not
at all.
Counter steering assistance system
The counter steering assistance system helps the driver in critical situa-
tions. Additional steering power helps the driver when counter steering. 