tow Seat Alhambra 2018 Owner's Guide

Opening and closing
Switching off the interior monitoring and the
anti-t o
w sy
stems
The vehicle interior monitoring is switched off
by pressing the remote control lock button 
twice.
● Lock all doors and rear lid.
● Use the key to lock the vehicle. The interior
monitoring and / or anti-t
owing alarm are
switched off until the next time the vehicle is
locked.
To turn off the interior monitoring and anti-
tow systems before unlocking the vehicle, for
example in the following situations:
● When leaving animals inside the vehicle 
›››
page 114.
● When the vehicle must be loaded.
● When the vehicle is being transported, for
examp
le, by ferry.
● When the vehicle must be towed with the
axle r
aised.
Risk of false alarms
The interior monitoring system will only oper-
ate correctly if the vehicle is completely
closed. Observe legal requirements. The
alarm may be accidentally triggered in the
following cases:
● When a window is completely or partially
open. ●
If the su
nglasses storage compartment in
the roof console is open.
● When the panoramic sliding sunroof is
compl
etely or partially open.
● When suspended objects are hung from
the interior mirror (air fr
eshener) or there are
loose papers in the vehicle.
● If the separation net is fitted and moves
(due to heatin
g).
● Due to a vibrating mobile telephone inside
the vehic
le. Note
Upon activating the alarm, if any door or the
re ar lid i

s open, only the anti-theft alarm will
be activated. The interior monitoring and an-
ti-tow systems will only be activated when
the doors and rear lid are fully closed. Doors
Intr oduction WARNING
If a door is not correctly closed, it could open
une xpect

edly when driving and cause serious
injuries.
● Always stop immediately and close the
door. ●
When clo s

ing, ensure that the door has
closed correctly. A closed door should be
flush with the corresponding parts of the
bodywork.
● Open and close doors only when nobody is
in the way
of the door. WARNING
A door held open by its retainer could be
b lo wn c

losed by the wind or close if the vehi-
cle is on a hill, causing injury.
● When opening and closing doors, always
use the door handl
e. Warning lamp

It lights up
At least one vehicle
door is open or not
correctly shut.
 Stop driving immediately!
Open the corresponding door
and close it immediately. Several warning and control lamps light up
f
or a f
ew sec

onds when the ignition is switch-
ed on, signalling that the function is being
verified. They will switch off after a few sec-
onds.
If a door is open or not properly closed, the
warning lamp  or  will light up on the in-
strument panel.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, a sym-
bol may be displayed on the dash panel »
121
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Turning on and off the electric child safetyFunctionNecessary operations
To switch sys-
tem on:Press the button ››› Fig. 135 1 or
2.
To switch sys-
tem off:Press the button again. The yellow control lamp
 indicate
s that the
feature is on for the corresponding button. WARNING
When the electric child safety function is acti-
vat ed, the s

liding door can be opened from
the outside only.
● Never leave children or disabled people
alone in the v
ehicle if the doors are to be
locked. Therefore, passengers will be locked
inside the vehicle. They could be trapped in
the car in an emergency and will not be able
to get themselves to safety. Individuals
locked in the vehicle can be exposed to very
high or very low temperatures.
● Depending on the time of the year, temper-
ature
s inside a locked and closed vehicle can
be extremely high or extremely low resulting
in serious injuries and illness or even death,
particularly for young children. Rear lid
Intr oduction Read the additional information carefully
›› ›

 page 12 WARNING
Careless and unsuitable locking, opening and
clo s

ing of the rear lid can cause accidents
and serious injury.
● Open and close the rear lid only when no-
body is
in the way.
● Do not close the rear lid by pushing it down
with y
our hand on the rear window. This
could break and cause injury.
● Ensure the rear lid is locked after closing,
otherwi
se, it may open unexpectedly while
driving. A closed rear lid should be flush with
the corresponding parts of the bodywork.
● Always keep the rear lid closed while driv-
ing to av
oid toxic gases entering the vehicle
interior.
● Do not open the rear lid when there is a
load c
arrier installed. Likewise, the boot
hatch cannot be opened when a load is at-
tached to it, for example bicycles. An open
rear lid could close itself if there is an addi-
tional weight on it. If necessary, press down
on the rear lid and remove the load.
● Close and lock both the rear lid and all the
other doors when
you are not using the vehi- cle. Ensure that nobody remains inside the
vehic
l

e.
● Never allow children to play inside or
around the
vehicle without supervision, espe-
cially if the rear lid is open. Children could
enter the luggage compartment, close the
rear lid and become trapped. Depending on
the time of the year, temperatures inside a
locked and closed vehicle can be extremely
high or extremely low resulting in serious in-
juries and illness or even death, particularly
for young children.
● Never leave children or disabled people
alone in the v
ehicle. If the vehicle key or the
central locking button is used, they may be
locked in the vehicle. WARNING
Unsuitable or careless unlocking and opening
of the r e

ar lid could cause serious injuries.
● If there is a loaded luggage carrier on the
rear lid, it
could be unlocked or open but not
recognised as such. An unlocked or open rear
lid could open unexpectedly while driving. CAUTION
Before opening the rear lid, ensure that there
is s

ufficient free space to open and close it,
for example if you are towing a trailer or in a
garage. 124

Operation
Opening the rear lid electronically Fig. 137
Button with rear lid open Opening the rear lid
● Press and hold the  butt
on on the vehi-
cle key until the rear lid opens automatically.
● OR: press and hold the  butt
on on the
centre console for approximately 1 second
›››  Fig. 6.
● OR: press the ››
›
 Fig. 7 boot hatch but-
ton (arrow).
In case of difficulty or obstruction, automatic
opening of the rear lid is interrupted.
Electronically opening the rear lid does not
work when a trailer is electrically connected
and hitched to a factory fitted tow hitch
››› page 237.
The rear lid can be opened manually by ap-
plying more force. Closing the rear lid
● Press and hold the  button on the
vehi-
cle key for approximately 1 second.
● OR: press and hold the  b
utton on the
centre console for approximately 1 second
›››  Fig. 6.
● OR: press the ››
›
 Fig. 7 boot hatch but-
ton (arrow).
● Press the  button on the open r
ear lid
››› Fig. 137 ››› .
● Manually push the rear lid down to close it.
The r e
ar lid w

ill move down to the closed po-
sition to close and lock itself automatically
using the power-close feature ››› .
In c a
se of

difficulty or obstruction, automatic
closing of the rear lid is interrupted and it will
open slightly.
Check why the rear lid could not close.
Attempt to close it once more.
Interrupting the opening and closing process
Rear lid opening and closing can be stopped
by pressing one of the  buttons. Each time
one of the  buttons is pressed, the rear lid
moves to its initial position.
Then, it can be opened or closed by hand. To
do this, apply a little more force. Memorising the opening angle
The rear lid mu

st be at least half open to
memorise an opening angle.
● Stop automatic opening in the opening po-
sition requir
ed ››› page 126.
● Hold down the button ›››
Fig. 137 with the
rear lid open for at least three seconds. The
opening angle is memorised.
Memorisation is confirmed by blinking of the
hazard warning lights and an audible warn-
ing.
To fully open the boot hatch again, the open-
ing angle must be memorised once more.
● Release the rear lid and open it to the
memorised height.
● P

ush the rear lid all the way up. To do this,
apply
a little more force.
● Hold down the button ›››
Fig. 137 with the
rear lid open for at least three seconds.
● The opening angle is reset to the original
factor
y setting. WARNING
Unsuitable or careless closing and locking of
the re ar lid c

ould cause serious injuries.
● Never leave the vehicle unattended, or al-
low chi
ldren to play inside or around the vehi-
cle without supervision, especially if the rear
lid is open. Children could enter the luggage 126

Lights and visibility
It lights up
Left or right turn sig-
nal.
The control lamp flash-
es twice as fast when a
vehicle or trailer turn
signal is faulty.
If necessary, check the vehicle
and trailer lighting.

It lights up
Main beam on or flash-
er on.›››
page 131. 
It lights up
Headlight adjustment
(Light Assist) on.›››
page 132. Several warning and control lamps light up
f
or a f
ew sec

onds when the ignition is switch-
ed on, signalling that the function is being
verified. They will switch off after a few sec-
onds. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ›››
in Control
and warnin g l
amps on page 107. Switching lights on and off
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 25 The driver is personally responsible for the
correct

use and adjustment of the lights in all
situations.
In vehicles with tow hitch fitted as standard:
if the trailer is connected electrically and is
fitted with a rear fog light, the vehicle’s fog
light is automatically switched off.
Audible warnings to advise the driver that
the lights have not been switched off
If the key is not in the ignition and the driver
door is open, an audible warning signal is
heard in the following cases: this is a remind-
er to turn off the lights.
● When the parking light is on ›››
page 131.
● When the light switch is in position . WARNING
The side lights or daytime driving lights are
not bright enough t

o illuminate the road
ahead and to ensure that other road users are
able to see you.
● Always use your dipped beam head lights if
it is
raining or if visibility is poor. WARNING
If the headlights are set too high and the
main be am i

s not used correctly, there is a
risk of dazzling or distracting other road
users. This could result in a serious accident. ●
Alw a

ys make sure that the headlights are
correctly adjusted.
● Never use the main beam or headlight
flasher when it
can dazzle others on the road. Note
The legal requirements regarding the use of
v ehic l

e lights in each country must be ob-
served. Turn signal and main beam lever
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 26
Convenience turn signals
For the one-touch signalling, when the igni-
tion is switched on, move the lever as far as
possible upwards or downwards and release
the lever. The turn signal will flash three
times.
The control turn signals are switched on and
off from the menu Lights & Visibility
on the instrument panel display
›››  page 27. This function can be discon-
nected at a specialised workshop for those
vehicles which do not have the menu
Lights & Visibility .»
131
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation“Coming home”: necessary operations
To switch
system on:
– Switch off the ignition.
– Briefly flash the headlights
for approxi-
mately one second ››› page 131.
The “Coming home” lighting comes on
when the driver door is opened. The de-
lay in switching off the headlights is
counted from when the last door or boot
hatch is closed.
To switch
system off:
– Automatically at the end of the delay
period.
– Automatically, if 30 seconds after com-
ing on, a vehicle door or the boot hatch
remains open.
– When the light switch is turned to posi-
tion
.
– When the ignition is switched on.
“Leaving home”: necessary operations
To switch
system on:– Unlock the vehicle when the light
switch is in position  and the photo
sensor detects darkness.
To switch
system off:
– Automatically, at the end of the delay
period.
– When the vehicle is locked.
– When the light switch is turned to posi-
tion
.
– When the ignition is switched on. Lighting around the exterior mirrors
The lightin
g ar
ou

nd the exterior mirrors illu-
minates the door area on entering and leav-
ing the vehicles. It comes on when the vehi-
cle is unlocked, when the vehicle door is opened and when the “Coming home” or
“Leav

ing home” function is switched on. If
the equipment includes the light sensor, the
lighting around the exterior mirrors only
comes when it is dark. Note
● The time tak en f

or the headlights to go off
can be changed in the Lights & Visibil- ity menu and the function can be switched
on or off ›››
 page 27.
● When the “Coming home” function is on, if
the vehic
le door is opened there is no audible
warning signal to advise that the light is still
on. Hazard warning lights
Fig. 139
In the centre of the dash panel: push
b utt
on f

or hazard warning lights. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 26 Always fulfil legal requirements for securing a
broken do

wn vehicle. In a number of coun-
tries it is now obligatory, for example, to turn
on the hazard warning lights and use a re-
flective safety vest ››› page 83.
When being towed with the hazard warning
lights on, a change in direction or traffic lane
can be indicated as usual using the turn sig-
nal lever. The hazard lights will be interrup-
ted temporarily.
If your vehicle breaks down:
Park the vehicle a safe distance from
traffic and on suitable ground ››› .
T urn on the h
az

ard warning lights with
the  button ››› Fig. 139.
Connect the electronic parking brake
››› page 188.
Move the selector lever to its intermedi-
ate position or to P ››› page 193.
Stop the engine and remove the key
from the ignition ››› page 183.
Have all occupants leave the vehicle and
move to safety, for example behind a
guard rail.
When leaving the vehicle, take all keys
with you.
Place an emergency warning triangle to
indicate the position of your vehicle to
other road users.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
134

Operation
1 Instrument and switch lighting
When the he a
dlights
are switched on, the
brightness of the instruments and switch
lighting can be regulated by turning the
switch ››› Fig. 140 1 .
2 Headlight range control
The he a
dlight

range control ››› Fig. 140 2 is
modified ac c
or

ding to the value of the head-
light beam and the vehicle load status. This
offers the driver optimum visibility and the
headlights do not dazzle oncoming drivers
››› .
The he a
dlights

can only be adjusted when
the dipped beam is switched on.
To reset, turn switch ››› Fig. 140 2 :
ValueVehicle load status
a)
Two front occupants, luggage compart-
ment empty

All seats occupied, luggage compartment
empty

All seats occupied, luggage compartment
full. With trailer and minimum drawbar
load.

Driver only, luggage compartment full With
trailer and maximum drawbar load.
a)
If the vehicle load does not correspond to those shown in the
table, it is possible to select intermediary positions.
Dynamic headlight range control
The control 2 is not mounted in vehicles
w ith dy
n

amic headlight range control. The
headlight range is automatically adjusted ac-
cording to the vehicle load status when they
are switched on. WARNING
Heavy objects in the back of vehicle may
cau se he

adlight dazzle and distract other
drivers. This could result in a serious acci-
dent.
● Adjust the light beam to the vehicle load
stat
us so that it does not blind other drivers. Interior and reading lights
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 27
Storage and luggage compartment lighting
When the glove compartment and the rear lid
are opened and closed, a light automatically
switches on or off.
Ambient lighting
The ambient lighting in the front covering of
the ceiling lights up the controls on the cen-
tre console from above when the side light or
dipped beam lights are on. In addition, the lever on the door moulding
can also be i

lluminated. Note
The reading lights go out when the vehicle is
lock ed, or a f

ew minutes after the key is re-
moved from the ignition. This prevents the
vehicle's battery from discharging. Visibility
Su n

visors Fig. 141
Sun visor Options for adjusting driver and front pas-
sen
g
er s

un visors:
● Lower the sun visor towards the wind-
scr
een.
136

Lights and visibility
● The s u
n
visor can be pulled out of its
mounting and turned towards the door
››› Fig. 141 1 .
● Swing the sun visor towards the door, lon-
git udin
al

ly backwards.
Vanity mirror light
There may be a vanity mirror, with a cover, on
the rear of the sun visor. When the cover is
opened ››› Fig. 141 2 a light comes on.
The l amp g
oe

s out when the vanity mirror
cover is closed or the sun visor is pushed
back up. WARNING
Sun visors and sun blinds may reduce visibili-
ty when open. ● Alw

ays roll or fold sun blinds and visors
awa
y when not in use. Note
The light above the sun visor automatically
swit c

hes off after a few minutes in certain
conditions. This prevents the battery from
discharging. Rear side window sun blinds
Fig. 142
On the rear right-hand window: sun
b lind The sun blinds for the vehicle interior are fit-
t
ed in the s
ide p

anels of the windows.
● Pull the sun blind by the handle ›››

Fig. 142
A up to the top.
● Hook both rings of the fastening rod in the
s p
ac

es provided B . Check that the sun blind
i s
sec
urely hooked into the spaces provided
when it has been lowered B .
● To put the sun blind away, unhook it at the
t op and lo
w

er by hand ››› .
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the blind or the interior
trim, do not lo w

er the sun blind “quickly”. Windscreen wiper and window
w
iper sy
s

tems
Control lamp 
It lights up
Windscreen wiper
fluid level too lowTop up the windscreen wiper res-
ervoir as soon as possible
››› page 283. Several warning and control lamps light up
for a f
ew sec

onds when the ignition is switch-
ed on, signalling that the function is being
verified. They will switch off after a few sec-
onds.
Window wiper lever Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 27 WARNING
Water from the windscreen washer water bot-
tle m a

y freeze on the windscreen if it does
not contain enough anti-freeze, reducing for-
ward visibility.
● In winter, ensure the windscreen washer
contain
s enough anti-freeze.
● In cold conditions, you should not use the
wash/w
ipe system unless you have warmed » 137
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
the windscreen with the ventilation system.
The antifreez
e c
ould freeze on the windscreen
and reduce visibility. WARNING
Worn or dirty wiper blades reduce visibility
and inc re

ase the risk of accident and serious
injury.
● Always replace damaged or worn blades or
bla
des which do not clean the windscreen
correctly. CAUTION
In icy conditions, always check that the wiper
bl a

des are not frozen to the glass before us-
ing the wipers for the first time. In cold
weather, it may help to leave the vehicle
parked with the wipers in service position
›››  page 55. CAUTION
If the ignition is switched off while the wind-
sc r

een wipers are on, the windscreen wipers
carry on wiping at the same level when the
ignition is switched back on. Ice, snow and
other obstacles may damage the windscreen
wiper and the respective motor. Note
● The wind s

creen wipers will only function
when the ignition is switched on and the re-
spective bonnet or rear lid are closed. ●
The inter v

al wipe speed varies according to
the vehicle speed. The faster the vehicle is
moving, the more often the windscreen is
cleaned.
● The rear wiper is automatically switched on
when the winds
creen wiper is on and the car
is in reverse gear. Windscreen wiper functions
Windscreen wiper performance in different sit-
uations
If the vehicle
is at a stand-
stillThe activated position provisionally
changes to the previous position.
During auto-
matic wipe
The air conditioner comes on for ap-
proximately 30 seconds in air recircula-
tion mode to prevent the smell of the
windscreen washer fluid entering the
inside the vehicle.
For the inter-
val wipeIntervals between wipes depend on the
vehicle's speed. The higher the vehicle
speed the shorter the intervals.
Heated windscreen washer jets
The he
atin
g on

ly thaws the frozen jets, it
does not thaw the water in the washer hoses.
The heated windscreen washer jets automati-
cally adjust the heat depending on the ambi-
ent temperature when the ignition is switch-
ed on. Headlight wash/wipe system
The headlight

washers/wipers clean the
headlight lenses.
After the ignition is switched on, the first and
every fifth time the windscreen washer is
switched on, the headlights are also washed.
Therefore, the windscreen wiper lever should
be pulled towards the steering wheel when
the dipped beam or main beam are on. Any
incrusted dirt (such as insects) should be
cleaned regularly (e.g. when refuelling).
To ensure the headlight washers work cor-
rectly in winter, any snow which has got into
the bumper jet supports should be cleaned
away. If necessary, remove snow with an anti-
icing spray. Note
The wiper will try to wipe away any obstacles
that ar

e on the windscreen. The wiper will
stop moving if the obstacle blocks its path.
Remove the obstacle and switch the wiper
back on again. 138

Driving
Operating instructions The auxiliary heater exhaust system located
below the
v
ehicle must be kept clear of snow,
mud and other objects. The exhaust gases
must not be obstructed in any way. The ex-
haust gases generated by the auxiliary heater
are removed via an exhaust pipe fitted under-
neath the vehicle.
On heating the vehicle interior, depending on
the outside temperature the warm air is first
directed at the windscreen and then to the
rest of the vehicle interior through the air
vents. If the air vents are turned towards the
windows, for example, the form of air distri-
bution may be affected.
Depending on the outside temperature, the
temperature at which the auxiliary heater
warms the vehicle interior may be somewhat
higher if the heating or air conditioner tem-
perature control is set to maximum before
switching the heating on.
Depending on the engine, vehicles with aux-
iliary heater may be fitted with a second bat-
tery in the luggage compartment that is re-
sponsible for powering the auxiliary heater.
When will the auxiliary heater will not switch
on?
● The auxiliary heater requires about as
much po w

er as the dipped beam headlights.
If the battery charge is low, the auxiliary heat- er will switch off automatically or will not
even swit

ch on. This avoids problems when
starting the engine.
● The heater will switch on just once each
time. The timer wi
ll also have to be switched
back on every time it is required. Note
● Noise w i

ll be heard while the auxiliary
heater is running.
● When the air humidity is high and the out-
side temper
ature low, the heating system
may evaporate condensation from the auxili-
ary heater. In this case, steam may be re-
leased from underneath the vehicle. This is
completely normal and there is no need to
suspect a fault!
● If the auxiliary heater runs several times
over a pr
olonged period, the vehicle battery
may run flat. To re-charge the battery, drive
the vehicle for a long distance. As a general
rule, drive for as much time as the auxiliary
heating was working. Driving
St op
pin

g and starting the en-
gine
Introduction Immobiliser display
When an inv
alid k

ey is used or in the event of
a system fault,  or Immobiliser on is
displayed on the instrument panel. The en-
gine cannot be started.
Pushing or towing
For technical reasons, the vehicle must not
be push- or tow-started. Jump starting is pref-
erable. WARNING
Turning off the engine while driving will make
st op

ping the vehicle difficult; this could even
result in the loss of control causing an acci-
dent with serious consequences.
● The assisted braking and steering systems,
the airbag sys
tem, seat belts and certain
safety equipment are only active while the
engine is running.
● The engine should only be switched off
when the vehic
le is at a standstill. » 183
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
WARNING
If vehicle keys are used negligently or with-
out due c ar
e, this may cause accidents and
serious injury.
● Never leave any key inside the vehicle
when exitin
g. Otherwise, a child or unauthor-
ised person could lock the vehicle, start the
engine or connect the ignition and, in this
way, operate electronic equipment (e.g. the
windows). Note
In diesel vehicles with the Keyless Access
sys t

em, there may be a delay in the engine
starting if it requires preheating. Starting the engine
Complete operations only in the sequence
giv
en:
Vehicles without
Keyless AccessVehicles with
Keyless Access
1.Press and hold the brake pedal until step 5 is per- formed.
1a.In vehicles with a manual gearbox: press and
hold the clutch down until the engine starts.
2.Put the gearbox lever in neutral or the selector lever in position P or N.
Vehicles without
Keyless AccessVehicles with
Keyless Access
3.
Only in vehicles with
diesel engines: for pre-
heating, turn the key in the ignition lock to po-
sition ››› Fig. 197 2
. A
control lamp lights up
on the dash panel
.

4.
Turn the key in the igni- tion lock to position
››› Fig. 197 3
; do not
press the accelerator.
Press the starter button ››› Fig. 198; do not
press the accelerator. There needs to be a
valid key inside the ve- hicle for the engine to start.
5.Once the engine starts,release the key in the ignition lock.Once the engine starts,release the start-up button.
6.
If the engine does not
start, stop and wait for around 1 minute to try again.If the engine does not
start, stop and wait for around 1 minute to try again. If necessary,
perform an emergency start ››› page 185.
7.Disconnect the electronic parking brake when you
are about to start driving ››› page 188. WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended if the en-
gine is ru

nning. The vehicle could move off
suddenly, especially if it is in gear, resulting
in an accident and serious injury. WARNING
Cold start sprays could explode or cause a
sud den inc

rease in the engine speed.
● Never use start boosters. CAUTION
● An attempt t

o start the engine while driving
or starting the engine immediately after turn-
ing it off can cause damage to the engine or
starter motor.
● When the engine is cold, avoid high revs
and heavy ac
celeration and do not make the
engine work hard.
● Do not push or tow start the engine. Un-
burnt f
uel could damage the catalytic con-
verter. For the sake of the environment
Do not warm the engine at idle speed; start
drivin g immedi

ately if the visibility is OK.
This helps the engine reach operating tem-
perature faster and reduces emissions. Note
● For e x

ample, if the key battery is very worn
or flat, the engine cannot be started with the
starter button. In this case, remove the igni-
tion button from the lock and insert the key.
● Electrical devices with a high power con-
sumption are sw
itched off temporarily when
the engine starts. 186