light Seat Alhambra 2018 Owner's Guide

The essentials
SEAT recommends you ask a technical serv-
ic e f
or f
urther information on wheel, tyre and
chain sizes.
Wherever possible use fine-link chains meas-
uring less 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-
cl
e
T

owing Fig. 71
On the right-hand side of the front
b umper:
Sc

rew in the towline anchorage. Fig. 72
On the rear bumper, to the right hand
side: 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 83.
Screw the towline anchorage into the screw
connection ››› Fig. 71 o ››› Fig. 72 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. » 51

The essentials
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar to the
t o
wline anc
horage 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).
● 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 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 52. Situations in which a vehicle should not be
tow

ed
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 vehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbo
x and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles).

››› in Introduction on page 88
››› page 88 Tow-starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
b
y
t

owing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ›››
page 52.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox. ●
Vehicl
es with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition system, 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 clutch 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 52

The essentials
How to jump start: description Fig. 74
Diagram of connections for vehicles
w ithout

Start-Stop system. Fig. 75
Diagram of connections for vehicles
w ith
St

art-Stop system. Jump lead terminal connections
Swit
c

h off the ignition of both vehicles
››› .
1. Connect one end of the
re
d
jump lead to
the positive + terminal of the vehicle
w ith the fl
at
battery A
› ››
Fig. 74
.
C
onnect the other end of the red jump
lead to the positive terminal + in the
v ehic
l

e providing assistance B .
F or

vehicles without Start-Stop system:
connect one end of the black jump lead
to the negative terminal – of the vehi-
c l
e pr

oviding the current B
› ››
Fig. 74
.
F
or vehicles with Start-Stop system: con-
nect one end of the black jump lead X to a suitable ground terminal, to a solid
piec
e of
met

al in the engine block, or to
the engine block itself ››› Fig. 75.
Connect the other end of the black jump
lead X to a solid metal component bol-
t ed t
o the en

gine block or to the engine
block itself of the vehicle with the flat
battery. Do not connect it to a point near
the battery A .
P o
s

ition the leads in such a way that
they cannot come into contact with any
moving parts in the engine compart-
ment.
Starting Start the engine of the vehicle with the
boosting battery and let it run at idling
speed.
2.
3.
4a.
4b.
5.
6.
7.
Start the engine of the vehicle with the
flat b

attery and wait for 2 or 3 minutes
until the engine is running.
Removing the jump leads Before you remove the jump leads,
switch off the dipped beam headlights if
they are switched on.
Turn on the heater blower and heated
rear window in the vehicle with the flat
battery. This helps minimise voltage
peaks which are generated when the
leads are disconnected.
When the engine is running, disconnect
the leads in reverse order to the details
given above.
Make sure the battery clamps have sufficient
metal-to-metal contact with the battery termi-
nals.
If the engine fails to start after about 10 sec-
onds, switch off the starter and try again after
about 1 minute. WARNING
● Ple a

se note the safety warnings referring to
working in the engine compartment
›››  page 271.
● The battery providing assistance must have
the same v
oltage as the flat battery (12V) and
approximately the same capacity (see imprint
on battery). Failure to comply could result in
an explosion. 8.
9.
10.
11.
54

The essentials
●
Never u se jump l
eads when one of the bat-
teries is frozen. Danger of explosion! Even af-
ter the battery has thawed, battery acid could
leak and cause chemical burns. If a battery
freezes, it should be replaced.
● Keep sparks, flames and lighted cigarettes
awa
y from batteries, danger of explosion.
Failure to comply could result in an explo-
sion.
● Observe the instructions provided by the
manufact
urer of the jump leads.
● Do not connect the negative cable from the
other vehic
le directly to the negative terminal
of the flat battery. The gas emitted from the
battery could be ignited by sparks. Danger of
explosion.
● Never attach the negative cable to fuel sys-
tem component
s or the brake lines in the oth-
er vehicle.
● The non-insulated parts of the battery
clamp
s must not be allowed to touch. The
jump lead attached to the positive battery
terminal must not touch metal parts of the ve-
hicle, this can cause a short circuit.
● Position the leads in such a way that they
cannot c
ome into contact with any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
● Do not lean on the batteries. This could re-
sult
in chemical burns. Note
The vehicles must not touch each other, oth-
erw i

se electricity could flow as soon as the
positive terminals are connected. Changing windscreen wipers
Wind s

creen wipers service position Fig. 76
Wipers in service position. The wiper arms can be raised when the wip-
er
s
ar

e in service position ››› Fig. 76.
● Close the bonnet ›››

 page 271.
● Switch the ignition on and off.
● Press the windscreen wiper lever down-
ward
s briefly ››› page 27 4 .
B ef
or
e driving, always lower the wiper arms.
Using the windscreen wiper lever, the wind- screen wiper arms return to their initial posi-
tion.

››› page 88 Changing the front wiper blades
Fig. 77
Changing the front wiper blades Fig. 78
Changing the rear wiper blade » 55

Safe driving
Safety
Saf e driv
in
g
Safety first! This chapter contains important information,
tips, s
ug

gestions and warnings that you
should read and consider for both your own
safety and for your passengers' safety. WARNING
● This m

anual 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. Advice about driving
Intr oduction Depending upon how you expect to use your
v
ehic
l

e, 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 v

ehicle 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 n ar

cotics 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 setting off
For your own safety and the safety of your
p
a
s

sengers, always note the following points
before every trip:
– Make sure that the vehicle's lights and turn
signal

s are working properly.
– Check tyre pressure.
– Ensure that all windows provide a clear and
good v

iew of the surroundings.
– Make sure all luggage is secured
›››
page 152.
– Make sure that no objects can interfere
with the pedal

s. –
Adjust
front seat, head restraint and mir-
rors properly according to your size.
– Ensure that the passengers in the rear
seats alw

ays have the head restraints in
the in-use position ››› page 144.
– Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints

according to their height.
– Protect children with appropriate child
seats and pr

operly applied seat belts
››› page 75.
– Assume the correct sitting position. Instruct
your pa

ssengers also to assume a proper
sitting position ››› page 58.
– Fasten your seat belt securely. Instruct your
pas

sengers also to fasten their seat belts
properly ››› page 65.
What affects driving safety? As a driver, you are responsible for yourself
and
y
our p

assengers. 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
g et
di

stracted by passengers or telephone
calls.
– Never drive when your driving ability is im-
paired (e.

g. by medication, alcohol, drugs). »
57
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safe driving
The correct sitting positions for the driver and
p a
s
sengers are shown below.
If your physical constitution prevents you
from maintaining the correct sitting position,
contact a specialised workshop for help with
any special devices. The seat belt and airbag
can only provide optimum protection if a cor-
rect sitting position is adopted. SEAT recom-
mends taking your car in for technical serv-
ice.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident or sudden
braking or manoeuvre, SEAT recommend the
following positions:
Valid for all vehicle occupants:
● Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is
at the same level as the top of your
head, or as close as possible to the same lev-
el as the top of your head and under no cir-
cumstances below eye level. Keep the back
of your neck as close as possible to the head
restraint ››› Fig. 79 and ››› Fig. 80.
● Short people must lower the head restraint
compl
etely, even if your head is below its up-
per edge.
● Tall people must raise the head restraint
compl
etely.
● Adjust the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that
your back rests completely
against it. ●
Alwa
ys keep your feet in the footwell while
the vehicle is in motion.
● Adjust and fasten your seat belt correctly
›››
page 65.
Also valid for the driver:
● Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
dist
ance of at least 25 cm (10 inches) be-
tween it and your chest ››› Fig. 79 and so that
you can hold the steering wheel with both
hands on the outside of the ring at the 9
o'clock and 3 o'clock positions with your
arms slightly bent.
● The adjusted steering wheel must face your
ches
t and not your face.
● Adjust the driver seat forwards or back-
ward
s so that you are able to press the accel-
erator, brake and clutch pedals to the floor
with your knees slightly angled and the dis-
tance between your knees and the dash pan-
el is at least 10 cm (4 inches) ››› Fig. 79.
● Adjust the height of the driver seat so that
you can e
asily reach the top of the steering
wheel.
● Keep both feet in the footwell so that you
have the
vehicle under control at all times.
Also valid for the front passenger:
● Move the front passenger seat back as far
as po
ssible for optimum protection should
the airbag deploy. Adjusting the steering wheel position Read the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 18. WARNING
Incorrect use of the steering wheel adjust-
ment f u

nction and an incorrect adjustment of
the steering wheel can result in severe or fa-
tal injury.
● After adjusting the steering column, push
the lever ›

››  Fig. 24
1 firmly upwards to
ens ur
e the steering wheel does not acciden-
tally change position while driving.
● Never adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicl
e is in motion. If you need to adjust the
steering wheel while the vehicle is in motion,
stop safely and make the proper adjustment.
● The adjusted steering wheel should be fac-
ing y
our chest and not your face so as not to
hinder the driver's front airbag protection in
the event of an accident.
● When driving, always hold the steering
wheel with both h
ands on the outside of the
ring at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to reduce injuries when the driver's front air-
bag deploys.
● Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock
position or in any other manner (e.g.
in the centre of the steering wheel). In such
cases, if the driver's airbag deploys, you may
sustain injuries to your arms, hands and
head. 59
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
Danger of injuries due to an incorrect
s ittin
g po
sitionNumber of seats
Dependin
g on the equipment,

your vehicle
has a total of five or seven seats. Each seat is
equipped with a seat belt.
5 seats
Seats in the frontSeats in thesecond rowSeats in the third row
23–
7 seats
Seats in the frontSeats in thesecond rowSeats in the third row
232 If the seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at
al
l, the ri
sk

of severe injuries increases. Seat
belts can provide optimal protection only if
the belt web is properly worn. Being seated
in an incorrect position means the seat belt
cannot offer its full protection. This could re-
sult in severe and even fatal injuries. The risk
of severe or fatal injuries is especially height-
ened when a deploying airbag strikes a vehi-
cle occupant who has assumed an incorrect
sitting position. The driver is responsible for
all passengers in the vehicle, particularly
children. The following list shows just some examples
of incorr

ect sitting positions which can be
dangerous to all vehicle occupants.
Whenever the vehicle is in motion:
● Never stand in the vehicle.
● Never stand on the seats.
● Never kneel on the seats.
● Never tilt your seat backrest too far to the
rear
.
● Never lean against the dash panel.
● Never lie on the rear bench.
● Never sit on the front edge of a seat.
● Never sit sideways.
● Never lean out of a window.
● Never put your feet out of a window.
● Never put your feet on the dash panel.
● Never put your feet on the surface of a seat
or seat b
ackrest.
● Never travel in a footwell.
● Never sit on the armrests.
● Never travel on a seat without wearing the
seat belt
.
● Never carry any person in the luggage com-
partment
. WARNING
An incorrect sitting position in the vehicle
can l e

ad to severe injuries or death in the event of sudden braking or manoeuvres, colli-
sion or ac
c

idents or if the airbag deploys.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the prop-
er sitting po
sition and maintain it throughout
the trip. This also includes fastening the seat
belt.
● Never transport more people than there are
seats
with a seat belt available in the vehicle.
● Children must always be protected with an
appro
ved child restraint system suited to
their height and weight ››› page 75.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell while
the vehic
le 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 he a

d restraints and instruct your
passengers to fasten their seat belts proper-
ly.
● Move the front passenger seat back as far
as po
ssible.
● 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 60

Seat belts
Warning lamp Fig. 81
Warning lamp on the instrument pan-
el . Fig. 82
Example of seat belt status display for
the r ear se
ats (here, a 7-seat vehicle) on the
instrument panel above, the second row and,
below, the third row of seats. 
Lights up or flashes
Driver's seat belt not
fastened or front pas-
senger seat belt not
fastened if the front
passenger seat is occu-
pied.
Fasten seat belts!
Objects on the front
passenger seat.Remove any objects from the
front passenger seat and
store them safely.
Some control and warning lamps on the in-
strument
p

anel will come on to check certain
functions when the ignition is switched on.
They will switch off after a few seconds.
An audible warning will be heard for a maxi-
mum of 90 seconds if the seat belts are not
fastened as the car drives off and reaches a
speed of more than 25 km/h (15 mph) or if
the seat belts are unfastened while the vehi-
cle is in motion. The seat belt warning lamp
 will also flash.
The warning lamp  does not switch off until
the driver and front passenger fasten their
seat belts while the ignition is switched on.
Seat belt status display for rear seats
The seat belt status display on the instru-
ment panel informs the driver, when the igni-
tion is switched on, whether any passengers
in the rear seats have fastened their seat
belts. The  symbol indicates that the pas- senger in this seat has fastened “his or her”
seat
belt

››› Fig. 82.
The seat belt status is displayed for around
30 seconds when a seat belt in the rear seats
is fastened or unfastened. You can switch off
this display by pressing the 0.0 / SET button.
The se at
belt

status flashes for a maximum of
30 seconds when a seat belt in the rear seats
is unfastened while the vehicle is in motion.
An audible warning will also be heard if the
vehicle is travelling at over 25 km/h
(15 mph).
The rear seat display can be enabled or disa-
bled by a technical service centre.
The protective function of seat belts Fig. 83
Drivers with properly worn seat belts
w i
l

l not be thrown forward in the event of sud-
den braking » 63
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Airbag system
The airbag system operation is monitored
el ectr
onic
ally. The airbag control lamp will il-
luminate for a few seconds every time the ig-
nition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the  control
lamp:
● does not light up when the ignition is
switc
hed on,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is sw
itched on,
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is sw
itched on,
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
movin
g.
The airbag system is not triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over. WARNING
● The seat belt

s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 58.
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the sy
stem checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise there is a danger that during a collision, the system
ma
y

fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly. Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thous
andths

of a second, to provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
The airbag system is only ready to function
when the ignition is on.
In special accidents instances, several air-
bags may activate at the same time.
In the event of minor head-on and side colli-
sions, rear-end collisions, overturning or roll-
over of the vehicle, airbags do not activate.
Activation factors
The conditions that lead to the airbag system
activating in each situation cannot be gener-
alised. Some factors play an important role,
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
cle hits (hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation.
The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tory and activates the respective restraint
system.
If the deceleration rate is below the prede-
fined reference value in the control unit the airbags will not be triggered, even though
the acc
ident

may cause extensive damage to
the car.
The following airbags are triggered in seri-
ous head-on collisions:
● Driver airbag.
● Front passenger front airbag
● Knee airbag for the driver.
The fol
lowing airbags are triggered in seri-
ous side-on collisions:
● Front side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Re

ar side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Cur

tain (head) airbag on the side of the ac-
cident.
In an ac

cident with airbag activation:
● the interior lights switch on (if the interior
light swit
ch is in the courtesy light position);
● the hazard warning lights switch on;
● all doors are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut.
71
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Safety
Airbag safety instructions Fr ont
airb
agsRead the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 19. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of

a second.
● Always keep the deployment areas of the
front airb
ags 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
pas
sengers 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 fr
ont airbag on the front passenger
side.
● Do not alter, cover or stick anything to the
steerin
g 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
st eerin

g wheel ›››
 Fig. 25 and the dash
panel ›››
 Fig. 26. ●
When drivin g, a

lways 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
lea
st 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 muc
h distance as possible between the
front passenger and the dash panel. Knee airbag*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 20. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of

a second.
● The knee airbag is deployed in front of the
driver's knee
s. Always keep the deployment
areas of the knee airbags free.
● Never not fix objects to the cover or in the
deployment
area of the knee airbag.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is a dis-
tance of
at least 10 cm (4 inches) between
your knees and the location of the knee air-
bag. If your physical constitution prevents
you from meeting these requirements, make
sure you contact a specialised workshop. Side airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 21. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of

a second.
● Always keep the deployment areas of the
side airbag
s free.
● Vehicle occupants of the front and outer
rear se
ats 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.
● Only used protective covers for the seats
that ar
e approved for the vehicle. Otherwise,
the side airbag would be obstructed when de-
ployed. WARNING
Incorrect handling of the driver's and front
pa s

senger seat could prevent the side airbag
from deploying properly and cause severe in-
juries.
● Never remove the front seats of the vehicle
or modify an
y of their components.72