ECO mode Seat Alhambra 2011 Owner's Guide

283
Checking and refilling levels
Engine oil additives make new oil darker after the engine has been running
for a shor t
period. This is normal and does not mean more frequent oil
changes are required. WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must change the engine oil yourself,
pl e

ase note the following:
● Wear eye protection.
● Always wait until the engine has completely cooled to avoid being
burned.
● Alw

ays keep your arms horizontal when unscrewing the oil drainage
bolt so th
at the oil does not run down your arms when it begins to drain.
● Use a suitable and large enough container to collect all of the used oil
in the engine.
● Never c

ollect engine oil in empty food containers, cans, bottles and
other container
s as not all people are able to identify engine oil.
● Oil is toxic and must be kept out of the reach of children. For the sake of the environment
Before changing the engine oil, find a suitable location or service for proper
dis po

sal. For the sake of the environment
Always dispose of engine oil with the utmost respect for the environment.
Never di s

pose of used engine oil in places such as a garden, woods, drains,
roads, paths, rivers and drainage systems. Engine coolant
Introduction Never work on the engine cooling system or if you are not familiar with the
operation
s

to be carried out, the applicable safety standards and especially
if you do not have the instruments, liquids and tools necessary ⇒  ! Have
the work c

arried out by a Technical Service if you are uncertain. SEAT recom-
mends visiting a Technical Service.
Negligent work can cause serious injury.
Additional information and warnings:
● Towing mode ⇒ page 233
● W

orking in the engine compartment ⇒ page 275
● A

ccessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 257 WARNING
Engine coolant is toxic!
● Only keep engine coolant in its original container, tightly shut and in
a saf e p

lace.
● Never store engine coolant in empty food containers or bottles as
other people m
ay accidentally drink it.
● Always keep engine coolant out of reach of children.
● Ensure that the proportion of engine coolant additive corresponds to
the lowe
st outside temperature to which the vehicle will be exposed.
● If the outside temperature is extremely low, the engine coolant could
freeze c
ausing the vehicle to stop. As this would also cause the heating
to stop working, passengers without sufficient clothing could freeze. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

293
Wheels and tyres
Wheels and tyres
Wheels
Introduction The SEAT Alhambra is equipped as standard with anti-puncture technology
tyr
e
s (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.
SEAT recommend that all work on tyres and wheels is carried out by a Tech-
nical Service. They have the necessary special tools and replacement parts,
trained personnel and facilities for disposing of the old tyres. SEAT recom-
mends visiting a Technical Service.
Additional information and warnings:
● Transporting ⇒ page 13
● T

owing mode ⇒ page 233
● Br

aking, stopping and parking ⇒ page 183
● P

ark assist system ⇒ page 202
● T

yre control systems ⇒ page 221
● C

aring for and cleaning the vehicle exterior ⇒ page 242
● Wheel

trims ⇒ page 304
● Ch

ange wheel ⇒ page 305
● Not

es for the user ⇒ page 255 WARNING
The vehicle cannot be totally controlled or braked if the tyres (new or
used) ar e w

orn or damaged.
● Incorrect use of wheels and tyres could make driving more dangerous
and res
ult in serious accidents and damage.
● All four wheels must be fitted with radial tyres of the same type, size
(rol

ling circumference) and the same tread pattern.
● New tyres do not give maximum grip and will not have reached their
maximum br
aking capacity to start with, and therefore need running in.
To prevent accidents and major damage, extreme caution should be tak-
en for the first 600 km (370 miles).
● Check tyre pressures regularly and ensure they are maintained at the
pres
sures indicated. If the tyre pressure is too low, the tyres could over-
heat, resulting in tread detachment or even burst tyres.
● Never drive on damaged (punctured, cut, cracked or dented) or worn
tyre
s. Driving on damaged or worn tyres could result in burst tyres, seri-
ous accidents or damage. Worn or damaged tyres must be replaced im-
mediately.
● Never exceed the maximum permitted speed or loads specified for the
type of ty
re fitted on your vehicle.
● The efficiency of driver and brake assist systems also depends on the
grip of the tyr
es.
● If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side when
driving, s
top the car immediately and check the tyres and wheels for
damage.
● To minimise the risk of losing control of the vehicle or causing a seri-
ous ac
cident, never undo the bolted joints of beadlock wheels. Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

296
Wheels and tyres
Wheel rims The design of wheel bolts is matched to the rims. If different rims are fitted,
the corr
ect
wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt
heads must be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted securely and that
the brake system functions correctly ⇒ page 305.
For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to use the wheels from
other vehicles. In some cases, this may also be true for the same model of
wheel.
The tyres and rims approved by SEAT are specially matched to the character-
istics of the vehicle and are critical to good road holding and safe handling.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be tightened to the correct torque ⇒ page 305.
Beadlock wheel rims
Beadlock wheel rims have various components. These are joined together
by special bolts using a special procedure. This ensures good performance,
a better seal, improved safety and wheel run out. Therefore, worn rims
should always be replaced and must only be repaired in a Technical Service.
SEAT recommends visiting a Technical Service ⇒  .
Wheel rims w

ith bolted trims
Wheel rims may be fitted with interchangeable trim parts which are attach-
ed to the rim using self-locking bolts. Worn trims should only be replaced at
a Technical Service. SEAT recommends visiting a Technical Service ⇒  .
WARNING
The use of worn or damaged wheel rims could make driving more danger-
ous and r

esult in serious accidents and damage.
● Only wheel rims which have been approved for use with your vehicle
should be u
sed.
● Inspect wheel rims regularly for damage and replace as required. WARNING
If the bolted joints of wheel rims with bolted ring trims are not correctly
tightened or loo sened, thi

s could result in serious accident.
● Never loosen the bolted joints of wheel rims with bolted ring trims.
● Any work relating to wheel rims with bolted rims should be carried
out at qua
lified workshop. SEAT recommends visiting a Technical Service. 
Replacement of new tyres and wheel rims New tyres
●
When tyres are new, drive with extreme caution for the first 500 km
(310 mil e

s), as all tyres need to be run-in. Tyres which have not been run-in
do not have such good grip ⇒  or braking capacity
⇒  .
● All four wheels must be fitted with radial tyres of the same type, size
(ro l

ling circumference) and the same tread pattern.
● The tread depth of new tyres may vary, according to the type and make
of tyr
e and the tread pattern.
Replacing tyres
● Where possible, always replace both wheels on an axle (both wheels on
the front ax
le or both wheels on the rear axle) ⇒  .
● Old tyres should only be replaced by SEAT approved tyres for the vehicle
in ques tion, and in ac

cordance with the maximum permitted size, diameter,
load and speed capacity.
● Never use tyres which are larger than SEAT approved tyres. If the tyres
are too b
ig, they may knock or rub against the chassis or other components,
resulting in damage. 

327
If and when
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.
Checking the bulbs of a trailer
For vehicles with the factory fitted trailer system, certain trailer lights are al-
so controlled if the socket is correctly connected.
A fault on a trailer turn indicator is indicated on the instrument panel by the
indicator blinking twice as fast (  or ) ⇒ page 95.
● General fault of all indicators on one side.
● Fault in one tail light (on some models, also the registration light).
● Fault in two brake lights. 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. Note
A fault in the LED on the tail lights will not be indicated. However, if the fault
affects al

l the LEDs then this will be indicated by the indicator . Information for replacing bulbs Checklist
To r
ep

lace a bulb, carry out the following operations always in the order giv-
en ⇒  :
Park the

vehicle a safe distance from traffic and on suitable ground.
Connect the electronic parking brake ⇒ page 183.
Turn the light switch to position 0 ⇒ page 95.
Move the gear lever into the neutral position ⇒ page 95.
Automatic gearbox: Move selector lever to position P ⇒ page 174.
Stop the engine and remove the key from the ignition ⇒ page 170.
Manual gearbox: Select a gear ⇒ page 174.
Wait until all of the passenger compartment lights are turned off
⇒ page 95.
Allow the corresponding bulb to cool. Visually inspect fuses to see if any are blown ⇒ page 322.
Replace the bulb according to the instructions ⇒  . Bulbs should only
be rep l

aced by new identical models. Bulb information is displayed on
the bulb socket or on the bulb itself.
In general, never touch the bulb glass directly. The heat of the bulb
would cause the fingerprint to evaporate and condense on the reflector.
This will impair the brightness of the headlight.
Check if the new bulb is working. If the bulb is not working, it may not
have been correctly fitted, it could be damaged or the connector may
not be correctly connected.
Every time a bulb for the headlights is replaced, visit a specialised
workshop to check the headlights. 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

Control of function
Rain sen sor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Control units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 Reprogramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Convenience closing Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Panorama sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Convenience functions Reprogramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Convenience opening Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Panorama sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Convenient entry function for the third row of seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Coolant Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
See engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Counter steering assistance system . . . . . . . . 168
Crossing a river Salt water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Cup holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Cup holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148, 150
Curb weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Curtain airbags See "Airbag system" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 D
Damaged ty res . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Dangers of not using the seat belt . . . . . . . . . . 20
Dash panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Data link connector (DLC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Data plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 Model identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Vehicle identification number . . . . . . . . . . 345
Data registry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Data storage during the journey . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Data stored by the control units . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Daytime driving light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
De-icing the door lock cylinder . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
De-icing the locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Details Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Diagnostics connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Filter pre-heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Winter-grade diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Recommended gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Things to note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Differential lock
See "Brakin g assist systems" . . . . . . . . . . 190
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Dipped beam headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57, 58
Disposal Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Belt tension device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
End-of-life vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Door release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Emergency locking and unlocking . . . . . . 315
Warning indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Drawbar load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Loading the trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Drawers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Driving Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Check list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Cross country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Data storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Driving through water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Ecological . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Economic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Fuel level to low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Parking downhill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Parking uphill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 369
Index

Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198, 199
Fault
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
With towing bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 176
Petrol Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Pollen filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Pollution filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Portable waste bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Pre-heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Preparation Checking the engine coolant level . . . . . . 286
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Work in the engine compartment . . . . . . . 277
Preparations Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . 281
Topping up the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . 281
Preparing for the journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Principles of physics regarding a frontal colli- sion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Protection of vehicle undercarriage . . . . . . . . 248
Pushing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 R
Radio r eception
Aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Operating faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Rails and attachment element system Baggage net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Rails and attachment system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Rain sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Control of function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Raising the vehicle Check list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Raising vehicle Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
With a lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Reading the Fault memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Rear assist Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Mode 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Mode 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Things to note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
User instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Rear Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rear assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Rear shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Rear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110, 111
Rear vision mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Recommended gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Refil
ling precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Reflective vest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Reflective vests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Refuelling Mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Remote control Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
See "Keys" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Removing ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Removing snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Removing wax deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257, 258 Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Replacement of parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Reprogramming control units . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Retaining hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Retro-fitting Two-way radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Vehicle telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Rev counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Reversing camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rocker switches Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Rollback anti-trap function Electric sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Roof carrier system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Rubber seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 375
Index