tow bar Seat Alhambra 2014 User Guide

310Wheels and tyres
Changing a wheel*
Introduction
The tyres mounted on the vehicle are anti-puncture. The wheels should only
be changed when switching from summer to winter tyres or vice-versa. See
⇒ page 303
You should only change the wheels yourself if the vehicle is parked in a safe
place, you are familiar with the procedure and you have all the necessary
tools! Otherwise, you should seek professional assistance.
Additional information and warnings:
● Vehicle key set ⇒ page 72
● Wheels and tyres ⇒ page 297
● Wheel trims ⇒ page 308
● Vehicle tools ⇒ page 324
WARNING
Changing a wheel can be dangerous, especially on the hard shoulder.
Please observe the following rules to minimise the risk of injury:
● Stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible. Park your vehicle as safe
distance from surrounding traffic to change a wheel.
● When changing a wheel, keep all passengers and particularly chil-
dren a safe distance away from the work area.
● Turn on the hazard warning lights to warn other road users.
● Ensure the ground on which you park is flat and solid. If necessary,
support the jack on a wide solid base.
● If you are changing a wheel yourself, you should be familiar with the
required procedure. Otherwise, you should seek professional assistance.
WARNING (Continued)
● Only use suitable tools that are not damaged when changing a wheel.
● Always stop the engine, turn on the electronic parking brake and
place the gear selector lever in position P, for an automatic gearbox, or
engage a gear for a manual gearbox to reduce the risk of the vehicle mov-
ing accidentally.
● Have the tightening torque of the wheel bolts checked as soon as
possible with a reliable torque wrench.

Preparations for changing a wheel
Check list
Before changing a wheel, complete the following operations in the order
given ⇒ 
:
Park the vehicle on an even and solid surface.
Connect the electronic parking brake ⇒ page 185.
Automatic gearbox: move the selector lever to position P ⇒ page 176.
Stop the engine and remove the key from the ignition ⇒ page 172.
Manual gearbox: Select a gear ⇒ page 176.
Have all vehicle occupants get out of the vehicle and wait in a safe
place (for example, behind the safety barrier).
Block the opposite wheel with wedges or a similar object.
When towing a trailer: unhook the trailer from the towing vehicle and
park it correctly.
If the luggage compartment is full: take the baggage out of the vehicle. Take the vehicle tool kit out of the luggage compartment.
Remove the wheel trims ⇒ page 308. 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

345
If and when
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
● 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 engine control units do
not operate correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Engage the 2nd or 3rd gear.
● Keep the clutch pressed down.
● Switch on the ignition and the hazard warning lights.
● Release the clutch when both vehicles are moving.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch and move the gear lever
into neutral. This helps to prevent a collision with the towing vehicle.
CAUTION
When tow-starting, fuel could enter the catalytic converter and damage it. 
Towing instructions
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 similarly elastic mate-
rial.
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar to the towline anchorage or specially
designed fitting.
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 vehicles
All-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using a toolbar or tow rope. If the ve-
hicle 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 ®
(direct shift gearbox) the instruc-
tions for towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox apply ⇒ page 345.
Situations in which the vehicle should not be towed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not be towed but transported on a
trailer or special vehicle:
● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lubricant due to a fault.
● If the vehicle battery is flat and, as a result, the electronic steering lock
and electronic parking brake cannot be disengaged if applied.
● If the vehicle to be towed has an automatic gearbox and the distance to
be covered is greater than 50 km (30 miles).
Note
The vehicle can only be towed if the electronic parking brake and steering
lock are deactivated. If the vehicle has no power supply or there is an elec-
tric system fault, the engine must be started using jump leads to deactivate
the electronic parking brake and electronic steering lock. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

347
If and when
● Screw in the towline anchorage into its position anticlockwise as far as
it will go ⇒ 
. Use a suitable tool to firmly tighten the towline anchorage in
its location.
● After towing, remove the towline anchorage by turning it clockwise and
put the cover back in place.
CAUTION
● The towline anchorage must always be completely and firmly tightened.
Otherwise, it could be released while towing and tow-starting.
● Vehicles with a factory fitted towing bracket, can only be used for towing
with a tow bar, specially designed to fit on a tow hitch ball. Otherwise, the
tow hitch ball and the vehicle may be damaged. Otherwise, a tow rope
should be used. 
Towing advice
Towing requires some experience, especially when using a tow rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the technique required for towing. For this
reason, inexperienced drivers should abstain.
While driving, avoid excessive traction forces and jerking. When towing on
an unpaved road, there is always a risk of overloading and damaging the
anchorage points.
If the vehicle is towed, with the hazard warning lights on and the ignition
switched on, the turn signal may be used to indicate changes of direction.
Simply operate the turn signal lever as usual. Meanwhile, the hazard warn-
ing lights will go off. When the turn signal lever is returned to the rest posi-
tion, the hazard warning lights will be turned on automatically. Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
●
Leave the ignition on to avoid locking the steering wheel, to release the
electronic parking brake and to activate the turn signals, the horn as well as
the window wipers and window washers.
● As the power assisted steering does not work if the engine is not run-
ning, you will need more strength to steer than normally.
● The brake must be depressed must harder as the brake servo does not
operate. Avoid hitting the towing vehicle.
● Note the instructions and information contained in the Instruction Man-
ual for the vehicle to be towed.
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
● Accelerate gently and carefully. Avoid sudden manoeuvres.
● Brake well in advance than usual and brake gently.
● Note the instructions and information contained in the Instruction Man-
ual for the vehicle to be towed. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

351
Description of specifications
Towing a trailer Trailer weights
Trailer weight
The trailer weights and drawbar loads approved are selected in intensive tri-
als according to precisely defined criteria. The approved trailer weights are
valid for vehicles in the UE for maximum speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) (in
certain circumstances up to 100 km/h (62 mph)). The figures may be differ-
ent in other countries. All data in the official vehicle documentation takes
precedence over these data at all times ⇒ 
.
Drawbar loads
The maximum permitted drawbar load on the ball joint of the towing bracket
must not exceed 100 kg.
In the interest of road safety, we recommend that you always tow approach-
ing the maximum drawbar load. The response of the trailer on the road will
be poor if the drawbar load is too small.
If the maximum permissible drawbar load cannot be met (e.g. with small,
empty and light-weight single axle trailers or tandem axle trailers with a
wheelbase of less than 1 metre), a minimum of 4% of the actual trailer
weight is legally required for the drawbar load.
WARNING
● For safety reasons, you should not drive at speeds above 80 km/h (50
mph) when towing a trailer. This also applies to countries where higher
speeds are permitted.
● Never exceed the maximum trailer weights or the drawbar load. If the
permissible axle load or the permissible total weight is exceeded, the
driving characteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents,
injuries and damage to the vehicle.
 Wheels
Tyre pressure, snow chains, wheel bolts
Tyre pressures
The sticker with the tyre pressure values can be found on the inside of the
fuel tank flap. The tyre pressure values given there are for cold tyres. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tyres must not be reduced. ⇒ 
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front wheels.
Consult the section “wheels” of this manual.
Wheel bolts
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel
bolts should be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench ⇒ 
.
The tightening torque for steel and alloy wheels is 140 Nm.
WARNING
● Check the tyre pressure at least once per month. Checking the tyre
pressure is very important. If the tyre pressure is too high or too low,
there is an increased danger of accidents, particularly at high speeds.
● If the tightening torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loos-
en while the vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening tor-
que is too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged.
Note
We recommend that you ask your Technical Service for information about
appropriate wheel, tyre and snow chain size. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

Sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Childproof lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Opening and closing electrically . . . . . . . . . 82
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305, 351 All-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Spanner symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Spare fuel canister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Special features Automatic car wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Folding exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
High pressure cleaning equipment . . . . . . 248
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185, 189, 359
Pushing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Radio reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Special notes High-pressure cleaning system . . . . . . . . . 239
Long parking times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344, 345
Tow starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Specifications Combined weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Drawbar load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Trailer weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Specific notes Electric sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Spectacle case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Speed rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Stabilising the vehicle and trailer combina- tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Start-Stop function
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Start-Stop Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Start assist See "Start assist systems" . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Starting assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Jump leads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Positive pole on the starting assistancepoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Starting using an external battery See Starting assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Steering Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Counter steering assistance system . . . . . 170
Electromechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Steering column lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Tendency to pull to one side . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Steering wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Rocker switches (Tiptronic) . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Storage compartment on the roof console . . . 144
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Glove compartment lighting . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Sudden braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Anti-trap function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Sun blinds Rear side windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Sun visor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Symbols
See "Lamps" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
System Automatic dipped beam control . . . . . . . . . 99
Systems ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Adaptive headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 191
ASR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192, 193
Auto Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
BAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Brake assist system (BAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Braking assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
EDL and XDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Electronic differential lock system (EDL andXDS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . 191
ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Lane Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Lane Assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Launch-Control Programme . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Park Assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Rear Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Rear assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Sign Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Start-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Start assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
373
Index

Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Traction control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Traction control when accelerating (ASR) . 192
Tyre monitoring indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
T Technical data Axle loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Curb weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Engine oil specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Reservoir capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Roof load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Total weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Technical details Type of fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Technical modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Lifting platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Temperature display Outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Temperature gauge Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
The rear lid Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
See "The rear lid" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Things to note
Auxiliary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165, 168
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Electric sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Fumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Increase in exhaust gases . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Rear assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Removing the key from the vehicle . . . . . . 174
Switching Auto Hold off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Water underneath the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 162
Tightening torque Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . 351
TIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Tips for driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Before starting out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Total weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tow hitch Function control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Installing a bicycle carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Tow hitch ball See "Trailer" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 All-wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Front towline anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Rear towline anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Special notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Tow bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 Towing prohibited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Towing rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
With a tow hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Towing bracket Optical parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Parking sensor system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Tow starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Traction control system (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Traction control when accelerating (ASR) . . . . 192
Trailer Adjusting the headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Drawbar load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237, 241
Electrically releasing the hitch ball . . . . . . 238
Fitting a trailer tow hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Function control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Hitch ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Hitching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Rear LED lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237, 240
Rear lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237, 240
Stabilising the vehicle and trailer combina-tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Trailer cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237, 239
Trailer weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Wing mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Trailer cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237, 239
374 Index