ECU Seat Alhambra 2015 Owner's Manual

Safe driving
Safety
Safe driving Safety first! This chapter contains important information,
tips, suggestions and warnings that you
should read and consider for both your own
safety and for your passengers' safety.
WARNING
● This manual contains important informa-
tion about the operation of the vehicle, both
for the driver and the passengers. The other
sections of the on-board documentation also
contain further information that you should
be aware of for your own safety and for the
safety of your passengers.
● Ensure that the on-board documentation is
kept in the vehicle at all times. This is espe-
cially important when lending or selling the
vehicle to another person. Tips for driving
Introduction Depending upon how you expect to use your
vehicle, it may a good idea to protect the en-
gine from below. An undercarriage may help to reduce the risk of damage to the lower part
of the vehicle and the oil sump when driving
over kerbs, or along dirt tracks or unsurfaced
roads, etc. SEAT recommends you have the
guard fitted by a technical service centre.
WARNING
Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs,
medication or narcotics may result in severe
accidents and even loss of life.
● Alcohol, drugs, medication and narcotics
may significantly alter perception, affect re-
action times and safety while driving, which
could result in the loss of control of the vehi-
cle. Before starting every trip
For your own safety and the safety of your
passengers, always note the following points
before every trip:
– Make sure that the vehicle's lights and turn
signals are working properly.
– Check tyre pressure.
– Ensure that all windows provide a clear and
good view of the surroundings.
– Make sure all luggage is secured
››› page 98.
– Make sure that no objects can interfere
with the pedals. –
Adjust front seat, head restraint and rear vi-
sion mirrors properly according to your
size.
– Ensure that the passengers in the rear
seats always have the head restraints in
the in-use position ››› page 90.
– Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints according to their height.
– Protect children with appropriate child
seats and properly applied seat belts
››› page 26 .
– As s
ume the correct sitting position. Instruct
your passengers also to assume a proper
sitting position. ››› page 6.
– Fasten your seat belt securely. Instruct your
passengers also to fasten their seat belts
properly. ››› page 14.
What

affects driving safety? As a driver, you are responsible for yourself
and your passengers. When your concentra-
tion or driving safety is affected by any cir-
cumstance, you endanger yourself as well as
others on the road
››› , for this reason:
– Always pay attention to traffic and do not
get distracted by passengers or telephone calls.
– Never drive when your driving ability is im-
paired (e.g. by medication, alcohol, drugs).
»
5
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Safe driving
●
Always keep your feet in the footwell while
the vehicle is in motion. Never, for example,
put your feet on the surface of a seat or on
the dash panel and never put them out of a
window. Otherwise the airbag and seat belt
offer insufficient protection and the risk of in-
jury in the event of an accident is increased. WARNING
Before every trip, adjust the seat, the seat
belt and the head restraints and instruct your
passengers to fasten their seat belts proper-
ly.
● Move the front passenger seat back as far
as possible.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is a dis-
tance of at least 25 cm (10 inches) between
the centre of your chest and the hub of the
steering wheel. Adjust the driver seat so that
you are able to press the accelerator, brake
and clutch pedals to the floor with your knees
slightly angled and that the distance be-
tween your knees and the dash panel is at
least 10 cm (4 inches). If your physical consti-
tution prevents you from meeting these re-
quirements, contact a specialised workshop
to make any modifications required.
● Never drive with the seat backrest tilted far
back. The further the seat backrests are tilted
to the rear, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the belt web or to
the incorrect sitting position!
● Never drive with the seat backrest tilted
forwards. Should a front airbag deploy, it could throw the seat backrest backwards and
injure the passengers of the rear seats.
●
Sit as far away as possible from the steer-
ing wheel and the dash panel.
● Keep your back straight and resting com-
pletely against the seat backrest and the
front seats correctly adjusted. Never place
any part of your body in the area of the airbag
or very close to it.
● If passengers on the rear seats are not sit-
ting in an upright position, the risk of severe
injury due to incorrect positioning of the belt
web increases. WARNING
Incorrect seat adjustment may lead to acci-
dents and severe injuries.
● Only adjust the seats when the vehicle is
stationary, as the seats could move unex-
pectedly while the vehicle is in motion and
you could lose control of the vehicle. Further-
more, an incorrect position is adopted when
adjusting the seat.
● Only adjust the height, seat backrest and
forwards or backwards position of the seat
when there is nobody in the seat adjustment
area.
● There must be no objects blocking the seat
adjustment area.
● Only adjust the height, angle and longitu-
dinal position of the rear seats when nobody
is in the way. ●
The seat adjustment and lock areas must
be kept clean. Pedal area
Pedals Do not allow floor mats or other objects to
obstruct the free passage of the pedals.
Floor mats should leave the pedal area free
and unobstructed and be correctly secured in
the footwell zone.
In the event of failure of a brake circuit, the
brake pedal must be pressed harder than
normal to brake the vehicle.
WARNING
Objects falling into the driver's footwell could
prevent use of the pedals. This could lead the
driver to lose control of the vehicle, increas-
ing the risk of a serious accident.
● Make sure the pedals can be used at all
times, with no objects rolling underneath
them.
● Always secure the mat in the footwell.
● Never place other mats or rugs on top of
the original mat supplied by the factory.
● Ensure that no objects can fall into the driv-
er's footwell while the vehicle is in motion. » 9Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Safety
CAUTION
The pedals must always have free and unob-
structed passage to the floor. For example, in
case of a fault in the brake circuit, the brake
pedal will need to be pressed further to stop
the vehicle. To press the brake pedal down
further will require more force than usual. Seat belts
The whys and wherefores of
seat belts Introduction Check the condition of all the 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 immediately by a spe-
cialised workshop
››› . The specialised
workshop must use the appropriate spare
parts corresponding to the vehicle, the
equipment and the model year. SEAT recom-
mends taking your car in for technical serv-
ice. WARNING
Unbuckled or badly buckled seat belts in-
crease the risk of severe or even fatal inju-
ries. The seat belt cannot offer its full protec-
tion if it is not fastened and used correctly.
● Seat belts are the most effective way of re-
ducing the risk of sustaining severe or fatal
injuries in the event of an accident. Seat belts
must be correctly fastened when the vehicle
is in motion to protect the driver and all vehi-
cle occupants.
● Before each trip, every occupant in the ve-
hicle occupants must sit properly, correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to his or her
seat and keep it fastened throughout the trip.
This also applies to other vehicle occupants
when driving in town.
●
When travelling, children must be secured
in the vehicle with a child restraint system
suitable for their weight and height and with
the seat belts correctly fastened
››› page 26.
● Ins
truct your passengers to fasten their
seat belts properly before driving off.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the
appropriate seat and ensure it is engaged.
Using the latch plate in the buckle of another
seat will not protect you properly and may
cause severe injuries.
● Do not allow liquids or foreign bodies to en-
ter the buckle fastenings. This could damage
the buckles and seat belts.
● Never unbuckle your seat belt when the ve-
hicle is moving.
● Never allow more than one passenger to
share the same seat belt.
● Never hold children or babies on your lap
sharing the same seat belt.
● Loose, bulky clothing (such as a jacket) im-
pairs the proper fit and function of the seat
belt. 10

Seat belts
● Pull the belt to ensure that the latch plate is
securely engaged in the buckle.
Unfastening the seat belt
The seat belt must not be unfastened until
the vehicle has come to a standstill ››› .
● Press the red button on the buckle ››› Fig. 9
B . The latch plate is released from the buckle.
● Guide the belt b
ack by hand so that it rolls
up easily and the trim will not be damaged.
Correct belt position
Seat belts offer their maximum protection in
the event of an accident and reduce the risk
of sustaining severe or fatal injuries only
when they are properly positioned. Further-
more, if the webbing is correctly positioned,
the seat belt will hold the vehicle occupants
in the optimum position to ensure the airbag
provides the maximum protection. The seat
belt must therefore always be worn and the
webbing correctly positioned.
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause severe
or even fatal injuries ››› page 6, Sitting posi-
tion for occupants.
● The shoul

der part of the seat belt must lie
on the centre of the shoulder, never across
the neck or the arm, under the arm or behind
the shoulder.
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across
the pelvis, never across the stomach. ●
The seat belt must lie flat and fit comforta-
bly. Pull the belt tight if necessary to take up
any slack.
In the case of pregnant women , the seat belt
must lie evenly across the chest and as low
as possible over the pelvis, never across the
stomach and must be worn properly at all
times during the pregnancy ››› Fig. 10.
Adaptin

g the position of the belt webbing to
your size
The seat belt can be adapted using the fol-
lowing equipment:
● Belt height adjustment for the front seats.
● Front seat height adjustment. WARNING
An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause
severe or fatal injuries in the event of an acci-
dent.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection
unless the seat backrest is in an upright posi-
tion and the seat belt is worn correctly, ac-
cording to your size.
● Unbuckling your seat belt while the vehicle
is in motion can cause severe or fatal injuries
in the event of an accident or sudden braking.
● The seat belt itself, or a loose seat belt, can
cause severe injuries if the belt moves from
hard areas of the body to soft areas (e.g. the
stomach). ●
The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie
on the centre of the shoulder, never across
the neck or the arm.
● The seat belt must lie flat and fit comforta-
bly on the torso
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across
the pelvis, never across the stomach. The
seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably on
the pelvis Pull the belt tight if necessary to
take up any slack.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the
seat belt must lie as low as possible over the
pelvis and always lie flat, “surrounding” the
stomach.
● Do not twist the seat belt while it is fas-
tened.
● Never pull the seat belt away from your
body using your hand.
● Do not lie the seat belt across rigid or frag-
ile objects, e.g. glasses, pens or keys.
● Never use seat belt clips, retaining rings or
similar instruments to alter the position of
the belt webbing. Note
If your physical constitution prevents you
from maintaining the correct position of the
belt webbing, contact a specialised workshop
for help with any special devices to ensure
the optimum protection of the seat belt and
airbag. SEAT recommends taking your car in
for technical service. 15Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Safety
Fastening or unfastening the seat belt
with two buckles Fig. 11
Fasten the seat belt on the centre seat
in the second row of seats Properly worn seat belts hold the vehicle oc-
cupants in the position that most protects
them in the event of an accident or sudden
braking
››› .
The seat belts for the centre seat in the sec-
ond row of seats and for the seats in the third
row of seats are fastened using two buckles.
Fastening the seat belt
Fasten your seat belt before each trip.
● Adjust the rear seat and head restraint cor-
rectly ››› page 6 .
● En g
age the seat backrest of the rear seat in
an upright position ››› .●
Use latch plate of the belt ››› Fig. 11 1 to
pull the seat belt down. Do not twist the seat
belt when doin

g so ››› .
● Engage the latch plate 1 in the buckle of
the corresponding seat A .
● Use the latch plate ››› Fig. 11 2 to pull the
seat belt across your lap.
● Engage the latch plate 2 in the buckle of
the corresponding seat B .
● Pull the belt to ensure that both latch
p l

ates are securely engaged in the buckles.
Unfastening the seat belt
The seat belt must not be unfastened until
the vehicle has come to a standstill ››› .
● Press the red button on the buckle
››› Fig. 11 A . The latch plate is released from
the buckle.
● Press the red button on the buckle
››› Fig. 11 B . The latch plate is released from
the buckle.
● Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls
up easily and the trim will not be damaged. WARNING
An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause
severe or fatal injuries in the event of an acci-
dent.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection
unless the seat backrests are in an upright position and the seat belt is worn correctly,
according to your size.
●
Unbuckling your seat belt while the vehicle
is in motion can cause severe or fatal injuries
in the event of an accident or sudden braking. Note
Seat belts with two buckles include a dia-
gram to show how to fasten the seat belt. Belt height adjustment
Fig. 12
Next to the front seats: belt height ad-
juster Using the height adjusters for the front seats
and the outer seats of the second row, the
position of the seat belts can be adjusted in
the shoulder area according to the height of
the occupant:
16

Seat belts
● Keep the guide device pressed down in the
direction of the arrow ››› Fig. 12 .
● Mo v
e the guide device up or down until the
seat belt lies over the centre of your shoulder
››› page 14.
● Rel

ease the guide device.
● Pull the belt sharply to check that the de-
vice is engaged securely. WARNING
Never adjust the belt height while the vehicle
is in motion. Seat belt tensioners
Automatic belt retainer, belt
tensioner, belt tension limiter Seat belts are part of the vehicle’s safety fea-
tures and consist of the following important
functions:
Automatic belt retainer
Every seat belt is equipped with an automatic
belt retainer on the shoulder belt. If the belt
is pulled slowly or during normal driving, the
system allows for total freedom of movement
on the shoulder belt. However, during sud-
den braking, during travel in mountains or
bends and during acceleration, the automat- ic belt retainer on the seat belt is locked is
pulled quickly.
Belt tensioners
The seat belts on the front seats and the out-
er seats of the second row are equipped with
belt tensioners.
Sensors trigger the belt tensioners during se-
vere head-on, lateral and rear collisions and
retract and tighten the seat belts. If the seat
belt is loose, it is retracted to reduce the for-
wards movement of vehicle occupants or
movement in the direction of the collision.
The belt tensioner works in combination with
the airbag system. The belt tensioner will not
be triggered in the event of the vehicle over-
turning if the side airbags are not deployed.
If the belt tensioner is triggered, a fine dust is
produced. This is normal and it is not an indi-
cation of fire in the vehicle.
Belt tension limiter
The belt tension limiter reduces the force of
the seat belt on the body in the event of an
accident.
Note
The relevant safety requirements must be ob-
served when the vehicle is dismantled or sys-
tem components are removed. These require-
ments are known to specialised workshops
››› page 17. Service and disposal of belt
tensioners
If you work on the belt tensioners or remove
and install other parts of the vehicle when
performing other repair work, the seat belt
may be damaged. The consequence may be
that, in the event of an accident, the belt ten-
sioners function incorrectly or not at all.
So that the effectiveness of the belt tensioner
is not reduced and that removed parts do not
cause any injuries or environmental pollu-
tion, regulations must be observed. These re-
quirements are known to specialised work-
shops.
WARNING
Improper handling and homemade repairs of
seat belts, automatic belt retainers and ten-
sion devices increase the risk of sustaining
severe or fatal injuries. The belt tensioner
may fail to trigger or may trigger in the wrong
circumstances.
● Never attempt to repair, adjust or remove or
install parts of the belt tensioners or seat
belts. Any work must be performed by a spe-
cialised workshop only ››› page 189.
● Belt tensioners and automatic belt retain-
ers cannot be repaired and must be replaced. » 17
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Airbag system
Fig. 14
Location and deployment area of the
front airbag for the front passenger In conjunction with the seat belts, the front
airbag system gives the driver and the front
passenger additional protection for the head
and chest in the event of a severe frontal col-
lision. Always remains as far away as possi-
ble from the front airbag. This way, in the
event of an accident, the front airbags can deploy fully when triggered, providing maxi-
mum protection.
The front airbag for the driver is located in
the steering wheel
››› Fig. 13 and the airbag
f or the fr
ont passenger is located in the dash
panel ››› Fig. 14. Airbags are identified by the
wor

d “AIRBAG”.
When the front airbags are triggered they fill
the zones marked in red (deployment area)
››› Fig. 13. Therefore, objects should never be
pl

aced or mounted in these areas ››› , Fac-
tory-fitted accessories are outside the range
of the front airbag for the driver and the front
passenger, e.g. the baseplate for the mobile
phone support.
The airbag covers fold out of the steering
wheel or dash panel when the driver and
front passenger front airbags are triggered
››› Fig. 14 . The airbag covers remain connec-
t ed t

o the steering wheel or the dash panel. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of a second.
● Always keep the deployment areas of the
front airbags free.
● Never secure objects to the covers or in the
deployment area of the airbag modules, e.g.
drink holders or phone supports.
● The deployment space between the front
passengers and the airbags must not in any case be occupied by other passenger, pets
and objects.
●
Never fix any object to the windscreen
above the front airbag on the front passenger
side.
● Do not alter, cover or stick anything to the
steering wheel hub or the surface of the air-
bag module on the passenger side of the
dash panel. WARNING
Front airbags are deployed in front of the
steering wheel ››› Fig. 13
and the dash panel
› ›

› Fig. 14.
● When drivin
g, always hold the steering
wheel on the outer edge of the ring with both
hands: 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is at
least 25 cm distance between your chest and
the hub of the steering wheel. If your physi-
cal constitution prevents you from meeting
these requirements, make sure you contact a
specialised workshop.
● Adjust the front passenger seat so there is
as much distance as possible between the
front passenger and the dash panel. Types of front passenger front airbag
systems
There are two different SEAT front passenger
front airbag systems:
»
21
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety

Safety
Head-protection airbags Fig. 19
On the left side of the vehicle: location and deployment area of the cur-
tain airbag Fig. 20
Deployed head-protection airbags. The curtain airbags are located on the driver
and front passenger side above the doors
››› Fig. 19 . Airbags are identified by the word
“AIRB AG”.
The ar
ea framed red ››› Fig. 19
is covered by
the curtain airbag when it is deployed (de-
ployment area). Therefore, objects should
never be placed or mounted in these areas. In a side collision, the curtain airbag on the
side affected will be deployed. The airbag
covers the windows and pillars.
In a side collision, the head-protection air-
bags for the front and outer rear seats reduce
the risk of injury to the areas of the body fac-
ing the impact.
WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of a second.
● Always keep the deployment areas of the
head-protection airbags free.
● Do not fix objects to the cover or in the de-
ployment area of the curtain airbag.
● Vehicle occupants of the front and outer
rear seats must never carry any other people,
pets or objects in the deployment space be-
tween them and the airbags. ●
The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Do not mount accessories on the doors.
● Do not fit curtains to the windows other
than those expressly approved for use in the
vehicle.
● Only turn the sun blinds towards the win-
dows if there is no object, e.g. pens or garage
remote controls, secured to the sun blind. 24

Safety
● Then turn the key gently to the OFF posi-
tion. Do not f
orce it if you feel resistance, and
make sure you have inserted the key fully.
● Close the glove compartment on the front
passenger side.
● The 
    control lamp on
the dash panel will remain lit while the igni-
tion is switched on ››› page 25.
Activating the front passenger front airbag ● Switch the ignition off.
● Open the glove compartment on the front
passenger side.
● Insert the key into the slot of the switch for
deactivating the front passenger airbag
››› Fig. 22
. About 3/4 of the key should enter,
as far as it will go.
● Then turn the key gently to the ON
position.
Do not force it if you feel resistance, and
make sure you have inserted the key fully.
● Close the glove compartment on the front
passenger side.
● Check that, with the ignition switched on,
the control lamp      on the
dash panel is not
lit ››› page 25.
How to know whether the front passenger
front airbag is disabled
The only indication of the front passenger air-
b

ag being disabled is that the   
  control lamp on the dash panel re- mains lit (

 stays yellow) ››› page 25,
Control lamp .
If the  
   control lamp on
the centre console does not remain lit or is lit
in combination with the control lamp  on
the da
sh panel, a child restraint system can-
not be mounted on the front passenger seat
for safety reasons. The front passenger front
airbag may deploy during an accident. WARNING
The front passenger front airbag must only be
disabled in special cases.
● Disable and activate the front passenger
front airbag when the ignition is switched off
to avoid damage to the airbag system.
● It is the driver's responsibility to ensure
that the key operated switch is set to the cor-
rect position.
● Only disable the front passenger front air-
bag when a child seat is to be mounted under
exceptional circumstances.
● As soon as the child seat is no longer nee-
ded on the front passenger seat, reconnect
the front passenger front airbag.
● Never leave the key in the airbag deactiva-
tion switch as it could get damaged or acti-
vate or deactivate the airbag during driving. Transporting children safely
Child safety Introduction Please read the information regarding the air-
bag system fully before transporting babies
and children in a child seat or other child re-
straint system installed on the front passen-
ger seat.
This information is extremely important for
driver and passenger safety, particularly that
of babies and children.
SEAT recommends the use of child seats from
the SEAT accessory programme. These child
seats have been designed and tested for use
in SEAT vehicles. You can purchase child
seats with different mountings from a techni-
cal service centre.
Using child restraint systems with a base or
foot
Some child retention systems are secured to
the seat using a base or support leg. For cer-
tain kinds of equipment the use of an addi-
tional accessory will be necessary (e.g. an ac-
cessory for the footwell) to fit the child reten-
tion system correctly and securely.
26

Transporting children safely
WARNING
Make sure children are properly belted in and
correctly secured to avoid severe or fatal inju-
ries while the vehicle is in motion.
● Never use a rear-facing child seat in the
front passenger seat if the front passenger
front airbag is enabled.
● Children up to 12 years old should always
travel on the rear seat.
● Children must always be protected with an
approved child restraint system suited to
their height and weight.
● Children must assume the proper sitting
position and be properly belted in while trav-
elling.
● Ensure the seat backrest is upright when a
child seat is being used on it.
● Do not allow the child's head or other part
of his or her body to fall into the deployment
area of the side airbags.
● Make sure the belt webbing is correctly
positioned.
● Never hold children or babies on your lap or
in your arms.
● Only one child may occupy a child seat.
● If you are using a child seat with a base or
foot, always install this base or foot correctly
and safely.
● If the vehicle has a storage compartment in
the footwell in front of the last row of seats,
this compartment cannot be used as de-
signed; on the contrary: It must be filled us- ing the specially designed accessory so that
the base or foot is correctly supported by the
closed compartment and the child seat is se-
cured properly. If this compartment is not
suitably secured when using a child seat with
a base or foot then the compartment cover
could rupture in an accident and the child will
be ejected and suffer serious injury.
●
Please read and observe the child seat
manufacturer's handling instructions. WARNING
An empty or loose child seat could fly uncon-
trollably around the vehicle interior and
cause injuries in the event of an accident or
sudden braking.
● When not in use while the vehicle is in mo-
tion, always safely secure the child seat or
store it in the luggage compartment. Note
Replace the child seat after an accident, as it
may have invisible damage. Important information regarding the
front passenger's airbag
Fig. 23
Passenger's side sun visor: airbag
sticker. Fig. 24
On the rear frame of the passenger
side door: airbag sticker. A sticker with important information about
the passenger airbag is located on the pas-
senger's sun visor and/or on the passenger
side door frame. Read and always observe
»
27Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety