tow Seat Alhambra 2016 Owner's Manual

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The e s
senti
als . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Exterior view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Exterior view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Interior view (left guide) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Unlocking and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Before driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Starting the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
SEAT information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Gearbox lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Level control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Action in the event of a puncture . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Emergency towing of the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How to jump start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Changing windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Safety first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Advice about driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Correct position of the vehicle occupants . . . . 57
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Seat belts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Why wear a seat belt? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
How to properly adjust your seatbelt . . . . . . . . 64
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Airbag safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Deactivating airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Safety for children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Integrated child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
In case of emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Vehicle tool kit* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Changing a wheel* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Tyre repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Changing the windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . 87
Tow-starting and towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Emergency locking and unlocking . . . . . . . . . . 89
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
General instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Communications and multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Steering wheel controls* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Three button unit in headliner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Vehicle key set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Central locking and locking system . . . . . . . . . 114 Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Sliding doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Panoramic sliding sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Lights and visibility
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Windscreen wiper and window wiper sys-
tems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
R

ear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Seats and head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Adjusting the seats and head restraints . . . . . . 142
Seat functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Transport and practical equipment . . . . . . . . . 152
Transporting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Roof carrier* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Drink holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Ashtray and cigarette lighter* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Power sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Auxiliary heater* (additional heater) . . . . . . . . 180
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Stopping and starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Braking and parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Run-in and economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Engine management and exhaust gas purifica-
tion syst
em . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Driving along flooded roadways . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Driver assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Braking and stability systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Start assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 3

Table of Contents
Parking distance warning system* . . . . . . . . . . 211
Park Assist system* (Park Assist) . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Rear assist* (Rear View Camera) . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Cruise control* (Cruise control system -
C C
S)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Lane Assist system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Blind spot detector (BSD) with parking assis-
tant (R
TA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Traffic signal detection (Sign Assist)* . . . . . . . . 230
Tiredness detection (recommendation to take
a break)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Dynamic Chassis control (DCC)* . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Towing bracket device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Care and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Accessories, replacement of parts and modifi-
cations
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Caring for and cleaning the vehicle interior . . . 253
Caring for and cleaning the vehicle interior . . . 258
Notes for the user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Selective catalytic reduction* (AdBlue) . . . . . . 270
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . . . . 272
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Windscreen washer reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Vehicle battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Winter service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 Technical data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Technical features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Engine data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
4

The essentials
Turn signal and main beam lever Fig. 42
See position on page 7 More the lever to the required position:
Right t
urn s
ignal: Right-hand parking
light (ignition switched off).
Left turn signal: Left-hand parking light
(ignition switched off).
Main beam switched on: Control lamp 
lit up on the instrument panel.
Headlight flasher: lit up when the lever is
pushed. Control lamp  lit up.
Lever all the way down to switch it off.

››› in Switching lights on and off on
page 131
››› page 131 1
2
3
4 Hazard warning lights
Fig. 43
See position on page 7 Switched on, for example:
● When approaching a traffic jam
● In an emergency
● The vehicle has broken down
● When towing or being towed

››› in Hazard warning lights on
page 134
››› page 134 Interior lights
Button/Position: Function

Switches interior lights off.
Button/Position: Function 
Switches interior lights on.

Switches door contact control on (central
position).
The interior lights come on automatically
when the vehicle is unlocked, a door is
opened or the key is removed from the igni-
tion.
The lights go off a few seconds after all the
doors are closed, the vehicle is locked or
the ignition is switched on.

Turning the reading light on and off
Ambient light: in the door panel, it changes
c
o
lour (whit

e or red) depending on the driv-
ing mode.

››› page 136 25

The essentials
Cruise control Oper atin
g the c
ruise control system
(CCS)* Fig. 47
See position on page 7 ●
Switching on the CCS: move the lever to 
1
› ›
› Fig. 47
. The system switches on but it
does not control the speed as no speed has
been programmed.
● Activating the CCS: press the  A ›››
Fig. 47 butt on. It
memorises and main-
tains the current speed.
● Temporarily switching off the CCS: move
the lev er t

o  2
› ›
› Fig. 47 and release it
or press the brake or clutch pedal. The cruise
control system is switched off temporarily.
● Reactivating the CCS: move the lever to
 1
›
› ›
Fig. 47
and release it. The memo-
rised speed is saved and controlled again. ●
Incre
asing stored speed during CCS regula-
tion: briefly move the lever toward   + to increase the speed by 10 km/h intervals.
B
y
ho

lding it down, the vehicle will accelerate
to the desired speed. Release the button to
store the current speed.
● Reducing stored speed during CCS regula-
tion: briefly mov
e the lever toward   – to decrease the speed by 10 km/h intervals.
B
y
ho

lding it down the vehicle will slow
down, ceasing to accelerate but not applying
the brakes. Release the button to store the
current speed.
● Switching off the CCS: move the lever to po-
sition  2
› ›
› Fig. 47
. The system is discon-
nected and the memorised speed is deleted.

››› in Cruise control system operation
on page 222
››› page 221 Warning lamps
W arnin
g and indic

ation lamps Red warning lamps
 
Do not continue driving!
The electronic parking brake is
on, the brake fluid level is too
low or the brake system is faulty.››› page
189  
Do not continue driving!
Fault in the engine cooling sys-
tem.››› page
279  
Do not continue driving!
Engine oil pressure too low.››› page
276  
Do not continue driving!
At least one of the vehicles doors
is open, or is not correctly
closed.››› page
121  
Do not continue driving!
The rear lid is open or is incor-
rectly closed.››› page
124  
Do not continue driving!
Fault in the steering.››› page
183 
Engine cannot be started again!
"AdBlue" level too low.›››
page
270 
Driver or passenger has not fas-
tened seat belt.›››
page
64 
Use the foot brake!
Change
››› page
194
Brake
››› page
189 
Faulty generator.›››
page
284 32

The essentials
Manual release of the selector lever Fig. 50
Remove the lining from the area of
the g e
ar indic
ation Fig. 51
Manual release of gear selector lever If the vehicle power supply should ever fail
(e.
g. di
s

charged battery) and the vehicle has
to be pushed or towed, the selector lever
must first be moved to position N using the
manual release mechanism.
The emergency release mechanism is located
underneath the gearbox cover panel to the
right-hand side. To release the gear selector
lever mechanism, a suitable tool is required,
(e.g. a screwdriver).
Preparations
● Apply the parking brake. If the brake can-
not be activat
ed, the vehicle must be alterna-
tively secured so that it cannot move.
● Switch the ignition off.
To remo
ve the gearbox cover panel
● Pull the cover up around the dust guard on
the gear sel
ector lever ››› Fig. 50.
● Take the cover off by passing it over the
gear sel
ector lever ››› .Manual release of the selector lever
●
Press the release lever ››
›
Fig. 51 in the di-
rection of the arrow and hold it in this posi-
tion.
● Press the lock button ›››
Fig. 50 1 on the
g e
ar sel
ector lever knob and place the gear
selector lever in the N position. WARNING
Never move the gear selector lever from the
pos ition P whi

le the electronic parking brake
is deactivated. Otherwise, the vehicle may
accidentally move off on hills or steep slopes
causing serious accidents. CAUTION
If the vehicle is moved on its wheels with the
engine s t

opped and the selector lever in posi-
tion N for a prolonged period of time and at
high speed, for example for towing, then the
automatic gearbox will be damaged. 35

The essentialsControl buttonAdditional information. Electronic manual air conditioning
››› Fig. 52; Climatronic ››› Fig. 53.
2 Fan

Electronic manual air conditioning : Setting 0: air fan and air conditioning system (manual) switched off, setting 4: maximum setting of fan.
Climatronic: the power of the fan is automatically adjusted. Rotate the control to manually adjust the fan.
3 Air distributionElectronic manual air conditioning : rotate the continuous control to direct the airflow to the desired area.
Climatronic: the airflow will be automatically adjusted to a comfortable flow. It can also be switched on manually with the buttons 3.
4Climatronic: display of the selected interior temperature for the left and right sides.
Electronic manual air conditioning
: defrost function. The airflow is directed at the windscreen. In this position, air recirculation is automatically switch-
ed off or is not switched on. Increase the fan power to clear the windscreen of condensation as soon as possible. to dry the air, the cooling system will
automatically switch on. 
Climatronic: defrost function. The air drawn in from outside the vehicle is directed at the windscreen and air recirculation is automatically switched off.
To defrost the windscreen more quickly, the air is dehumidified at temperatures over approximately +3°C (+38°F) and the fan runs at maximum output.

The air is directed at the chest of driver and passengers by the dash panel air vents.

Air distribution towards the footwell.

Electronic manual air conditioning
: air distribution towards the windscreen and the footwell.
Climatronic: upward air distribution.

Heated rear window: only works when the engine is running and switches off automatically after a 10 minutes.

Electronic manual air conditioning
: air recirculation ››› page 179. 
Climatronic: manual and automatic air recirculation
››› page 179. 
Instant auxiliary heating on/off button
››› page 180.  
Buttons for the seat heating
››› page 146. 
Climatronic: depending on the vehicle equipment there may be a button for the windscreen heating on the air conditioner control panel. The wind-
screen heating only works when the engine is running and switches off automatically after a few minutes.»
37

The essentials
Action in the event of a punc-
t ur
e
Wh
at to do first ●
Park the vehicle on a horizontal surface
and in a saf e p

lace as far away from traffic as
possible.
● Apply the handbrake.
● Switch on the hazard warning lights.
● Manual gearbox: select the 1s
t gear.
● Automatic gearbox: Move the sel
ector lever
to position P.
● If you are towing a trailer, unhitch it from
your v
ehicle.
● Keep the vehicle tool kit ready*
›››
 page 82.
● Observe the applicable legislation for each
countr
y (reflective vest, warning triangles,
etc.).
● All occupants should leave the vehicle and
wait in a s
afe place (for instance behind the
roadside crash barrier). WARNING
● Alw a

ys observe the above steps and pro-
tect yourself and other road users.
● If you change the wheel on a slope, block
the wheel on the oppo
site side of the car with
a stone or similar to prevent the vehicle from
moving. Repairing a tyre with the anti-punc-
t
ur
e k

it Fig. 64
Standard representation: Contents of
the ty r
e mo

bility system. The anti-puncture kit is located under the
floor p
anel
in the lug

gage compartment.
Sealing the tyre
● Unscrew the tyre valve cap and insert. Use
the ›››

Fig. 64 1 tool to remove the insert.
Pl ac
e it
on a clean surface.
● Shake the tyre sealant bottle vigorously
›››
Fig. 64 10 .
● Screw the inflator tube ››
›
Fig. 64 3 into
the se al
ant
bottle. The bottle's seal will break
automatically. ●
Remov
e the lid from the filling tube
››› Fig. 64 3 and screw the open end of the
t ube int
o the ty
re valve.
● With the tyre sealant bottle upside down,
fill
the tyre with the contents of the sealant
bottle.
● Remove the bottle from the valve.
● Place the insert back into the tyre valve us-
ing the too
l ››› Fig. 64 1 .
Infl atin
g the ty
re
● Screw the compressor tyre inflator tube
›››
Fig. 64 5 into the tyre valve.
● Check that the air bleed screw is closed
› ›
›

Fig. 64 7 .
● Start the engine and leave it running.
● Insert the connector ››
›
Fig. 64 9 into the
v ehic
l
e's 12-volt socket ›››
 page 174.
● Turn the air compressor on with the ON/OFF
switc
h ››› Fig. 64 8 .
● Keep the air compressor running until it
r e
ac

hes 2.0 to 2.5 bar
(29-36 psi/200-250 kPa). a maximum of 8
minutes.
● Disconnect the air compressor.
● If it does not reach the pressure indicated,
uns
crew the tyre inflator tube from the valve.
● Move the vehicle 10m so that the sealant is
dis trib

uted throughout the tyre.44

The essentials
Raise the vehicle using only the designated
j ac
k
ing points.
For your own safety and that of other passen-
gers, the following points should be ob-
served in the order given:
Select a suitable flat and firm surface for
raising the vehicle.
Switch off the engine, engage a gear
(manual gearbox) or place the selector
lever in position P ›››
 page 194 and
turn on the electronic parking brake
›››  page 189.
Block the wheel diagonally opposite the
wheel being changed with folding wheel
chocks* or other suitable objects.
When towing a trailer: unhook the trailer
from the towing vehicle and park it cor-
rectly.
Loosen the wheel bolts on the wheel to
be changed ››› page 46.
Look below the vehicle for the jacking
point ››› Fig. 70 closest to the tyre which
has to be changed.
Raise the jack with the handle until it
can be inserted below the jacking point.
Ensure that the foot of the jack is firmly
on the ground and that it is placed im-
mediately below the lifting point on the
vehicle ››› Fig. 71.
Straighten the jack and continue raising
it using the handle until the claw holds
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. the vertical reinforcement beneath the
vehicl
e ››› Fig. 71.
Raise the vehicle until the wheel is clear
of the ground. WARNING
If the vehicle is not correctly raised, it could
fa l

l off the jack causing serious injury. Please
observe the following rules to minimise the
risk of injury:
● You should only use a jack approved by
SEAT f
or your vehicle. Other jacks, even those
approved for other SEAT models, might slip
out of place.
● The ground should be firm and flat. If the
ground i
s sloped or soft then the vehicle
could slip and fall off the jack. If necessary,
support the jack on a wide solid base.
● If the ground is slippery, such as tiles,
plac
e a non-slip surface (a floor mat, for in-
stance) beneath the jack to avoid slipping.
● Only fit the jack at the prescribed jacking
points. The c
law of the jack should grip the
reinforcement nerve on the underbody
››› Fig. 71.
● You should never place a body limb such as
an arm or leg u
nder a raised vehicle that is
solely supported by the jack.
● If you have to work underneath the vehicle,
you mus
t use suitable stands additionally to
support the vehicle, there is a risk of acci-
dent!. 10. ●
Never r ai

se the vehicle if it is tilting to one
side or the engine is running.
● Never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
The vehicle may come loose from the
jack due to the engine vibrations. Removing and fitting the wheel
Fig. 72
Changing a wheel: loosen wheel bolts
w ith the soc
k

et at the end of the wheel brace Removing the wheel
● Slacken the wheel bolts ››
›
page 46.
● Raise the vehicle ›››
page 47.
● Using the hexagonal socket in the wheel
brace ›

›› Fig. 72, unscrew the slackened
wheel bolts and place them on a clean sur-
face.
● Take off the wheel. 48

The essentials
Wherever possible use fine-link chains meas-
urin g l
e
ss than 15 mm (37/64 inch) includ-
ing the lock.
Remove wheel hub covers and trim rings be-
fore fitting snow chains ››› . The wheel bolts
shou l
d be c

overed with caps for safety rea-
sons. These are available from technical serv-
ices. WARNING
The use of unsuitable or incorrectly fitted
ch ain

s could lead to serious accidents and
damage.
● Always the appropriate snow chains.
● Observe the fitting instructions provided by
the snow c
hain manufacturer.
● Never exceed the maximum permitted
speeds
when driving with snow chains. CAUTION
● Remo v

e the snow chains to drive on roads
without snow. Otherwise they will impair
handling, damage the tyres and wear out very
quickly.
● Wheel rims may be damaged or scratched if
the chain
s come into direct contact with
them. SEAT recommends the use of covered
snow chains. Note
Snow chains are available in different sizes
acc or

ding to the vehicle type. Emergency towing of the vehi-
c
l
e
T

owing Fig. 73
On the right-hand side of the front
b umper:
Sc

rew in the towline anchorage. Fig. 74
On the rear bumper, to the right hand
s ide:
T

owline anchorage in position Towline anchorages
Att
ac
h the b

ar or rope to the towline ancho-
rages.
They are located with the vehicle's tools
›››  page 82.
Screw the towline anchorage into the screw
connection ››› Fig. 73 o ››› Fig. 74 and tighten
it with the wheel brace.
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 sim-
ilarly elastic material.
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar to the
towline anchorage or specially designed fit-
ting.
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).50

The essentials
● Do not t
o
w 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 vehi-
cles
All-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using a
toolbar or tow rope. If the vehicle 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 ®
(di-
rect shift gearbox) the instructions for towing
vehicles with an automatic gearbox apply
››› page 50.
Situations in which a vehicle should not be
towed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not
be towed but transported on a trailer or spe-
cial vehicle: ● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lu-
bricant due t
o a fault.
● If the vehicle battery is flat and, as a result,
the electronic
steering lock and electronic
parking brake cannot be disengaged if ap-
plied. ●
If the v
ehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbox and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles).

››› in Introduction on page 87
››› page 87 Tow-starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
b
y
t

owing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ››› page 51.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
● Vehicles with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition syst
em, since the electronic
steering lock may not unlock.
● 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 en
gine control units do not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear. ●
Keep the clut
ch pressed down.
● Switch on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Rel

ease the clutch when both vehicles are
movin
g.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle.
How to jump start
Jump lea
ds If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
c
h
ar

ged battery, the battery of another vehi-
cle can be used to start the engine. Before
starting, check the magic eye on the battery
›››  page 284.
For starting assistance, jump lead cables con-
forming to the standard DIN 72553 are re-
quired (see the cable manufacturer instruc-
tions). The jump lead cable must be at least
25 mm 2
in section (0.038 inches 2
) for petrol
engines, and 35 mm 2
(0.054 inches 2
) for die-
sel engines.
For vehicles whose battery is not in the en-
gine compartment, the jump leads should
only be connected to the starting assistance
connection points in the engine compart-
ment. » 51