power steering Seat Alhambra 2018 Owner's Manual

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The e s
senti
als . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Exterior view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Exterior view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Interior view (left-hand drive) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Unlocking and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Before driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Starting the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Lights and visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
SEAT information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Gearbox lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Fluid Level control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Action in the event of a puncture . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Emergency towing of the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 51
How to jump start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Changing windscreen wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Safety first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Advice about driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Correct position of the vehicle occupants . . . . 58
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Seat belts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Why wear a seat belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
How to properly adjust your seatbelt . . . . . . . . 65
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Airbag safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Deactivating airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Safety for children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Integrated child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
In case of emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Vehicle tool kit* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Changing a wheel* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Tyre repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Changing the windscreen wiper blades . . . . . . 88
Tow-starting and towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Emergency locking and unlocking . . . . . . . . . . 90
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
General instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Communications and multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Steering wheel controls* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Controls for the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Panoramic sliding sunroof* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Lights and visibility
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Windscreen wiper and window wiper sys-
tems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
R

ear vision mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Seats and head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Adjusting the seats and headrests . . . . . . . . . . 143
Seat functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
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
Stopping and starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Braking and parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Run-in and economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Engine management and exhaust gas purifica-
tion syst
em . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Driver assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Braking and stability systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Start assist systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Parking distance warning system* . . . . . . . . . . 211 5

Self-help
Always remain aware to avoid collision
with the t
o
wing vehicle.
– More strength is required at the steering
wheel as the power steering does not op-
erate when the engine is switched off.
● As the driver of the towing vehicle:
– Acc

elerate gently and carefully.
– Avoid sudden braking and manoeuvres.
– Brake well in advance than usual and
brake gently. CAUTION
● Car ef

ully fit and remove the towline anchor-
age and its cover to avoid damage to the ve-
hicle (e.g. paintwork).
● When towing, fuel could enter the catalytic
conv
erter and cause damage! Note
● The v ehic

le can only be towed if the elec-
tronic parking brake and steering lock are de-
activated. If the vehicle has no power supply
or there is an electric system fault, the en-
gine must be started using jump leads to de-
activate the electronic parking brake and
electronic steering lock.
● Vehicles with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition syst
em should only be towed
with the ignition connected since, otherwise,
the electronic steering lock will not unlock. Fitting the front towline anchorage
Fig. 102
On the right-hand side of the front
b umper:
Sc

rew in the towline anchorage. The location for the removable towline an-
c
hor
ag

e is on the right-hand side of the front
bumper ››› Fig. 102.
The towline anchorage should always be kept
in the vehicle.
Note the instructions for towing
›››  page 51.
To fit the towline anchorage
● Take the towline anchorage from the vehi-
cle t
ool kit ››› page 83.
● Press on the upper cover and carefully re-
move it
forwards. Allow the cover to hang.
● Screw in the towline anchorage into its po-
sition antic
lockwise as far as it will go
››› Fig. 102 ››› . Use a suitable tool to firmly
tight en the t o

wline anchorage in its location. ●
After t
owing, remove the towline anchorage
by turning it clockwise and put the cover
back in place. CAUTION
The towline anchorage must always be com-
pl et

ely and firmly tightened. Otherwise, it
could be released while towing and tow-start-
ing. Fitting the rear towline anchorage
Fig. 103
On the rear bumper, to the right
h and s ide:

Towline anchorage in position The location for the removable towline an-
c
hor
ag

e is on the right-hand side of the rear
bumper ››› Fig. 103. For vehicles with a facto-
ry fitted towing bracket , there is no fitting be-
hind the cover to insert the towline anchor-
age. For towing, fit and use the tow hitch
››› page 237, ››› .
»
89
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Emergencies
Note the instructions for towing
› ›
›
 page 51.
Fitting the towline anchorage to the rear for
vehicles without factory fitted tow hitch
● Take the towline anchorage from the vehi-
cle t
ool kit in the luggage compartment
››› page 83.
● Press on the upper cover and carefully re-
move it
back. This may require some
strength. Allow the cover to hang.
● Screw in the towline anchorage into its po-
sition antic
lockwise as far as it will go ››› .
U se a s
uit
able tool to firmly tighten the tow-
line anchorage in its location.
● After towing, remove the towline anchorage
by t
urning it clockwise and put the cover
back in place. CAUTION
● The to wline anc

horage must always be
completely and firmly tightened. Otherwise,
it could be released while towing and tow-
starting.
● Vehicles with a factory fitted towing brack-
et, can only
be used for towing with a tow
bar, specially designed to fit on a tow hitch
ball. Otherwise, the tow hitch ball and the ve-
hicle may be damaged. Otherwise, a tow rope
should be used. Towing advice
Towing requires some expertise and experi-
ence, e
s

pecially when using a tow rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the technique
required for towing. For this reason, inexper-
ienced drivers should abstain.
While driving, avoid excessive traction forces
and jerking. When towing on an unpaved
road, there is always a risk of overloading
and damaging the anchorage points.
If the vehicle is towed, with the hazard warn-
ing lights on and the ignition switched on,
the turn signal may be used to indicate
changes of direction. Simply operate the turn
signal lever as usual. Meanwhile, the hazard
warning lights will go off. When the turn sig-
nal lever is returned to the rest position, the
hazard warning lights will be turned on auto-
matically.
Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
● Leave the ignition on to avoid locking the
st eerin

g wheel, to release the electronic
parking brake and to activate the turn sig-
nals, the horn as well as the window wipers
and window washers.
● As the power assisted steering does not
work if
the engine is not running, you will
need more strength to steer than normally. ●
The brake mu
st be depressed must harder
as the brake servo does not operate. Avoid
hitting the towing vehicle.
● Note the instructions and information con-
tained in the Ins
truction Manual for the vehi-
cle to be towed.
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
● Accelerate gently and carefully. Avoid sud-
den manoeuvr
es.
● Brake well in advance than usual and brake
gently.
● Not

e the instructions and information con-
tained in the Ins
truction Manual for the vehi-
cle to be towed.
Emergency locking and unlock-
ing
Introduction Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›

 page 10,
›››
 page 12,
›››  page 15
The doors, rear lid and panoramic sliding
sunroof can be locked manually and partially
opened, for example if the key or the central
locking is damaged.
90

Operation
Lever for:
– Manual
g
earbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
– Automatic
gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
12 volt power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Auto Hold switch  
 . . . . . . . . 208
Electronic parking brake switch
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Start-up push button (Keyless Ac-
ces
s closing and start-up system)
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
22 23
24
25
26
27 Pedals
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Steering column adjustment lev-
er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Fuse box cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Lever for: – Crui
se C

ontrol System (CCS)  –
 –  –  –  –  . .221
Open bonnet lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Controls for: – Electric w

indows  . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
28 29
30
31
32
33 –
Chi l
d

proof locks  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Note
● Some of the it ems

of equipment listed here
are fitted only on certain model versions or
are optional extras.
● In versions with the steering wheel on the
right, the lay
out of the control elements is
somewhat different. But the symbols as-
signed to the controls correspond to the sym-
bols used in the versions with the steering
wheel on the left Instruments
V iew of
in

strument panel Fig. 117
Instrument panel, on dash panel. Details of the instruments
››
›
Fig. 117: Clock set button1)
.
1 –
Pr e
s
s the  button to select the hour
or minute display.
102

Operation
steering wheel buttons and select Conven-
ience .
● Select the Rear vision mirror ad-
justment fu
nction (if
it is already checked,
uncheck it and check the option again).
● Select reverse gear.
● Adjust the front passenger side exterior
mirror so that
you can see, for example, the
kerb area.
● The new position of the mirror will be stor-
ed automatic
ally and allocated to the vehicle
key that was used to unlock the vehicle. For
vehicles with seat memory, please see
››› page 147.
Activating the passenger exterior mirror set-
tings
● Turn the exterior mirror knob to position R.
● With the ignition switched on, select re-
verse g
ear.
● The stored position of the passenger exteri-
or mirror for r
everse gear is deleted when
driving forwards at 15 km/h (9 mph), or if the
knob is turned from position R to another po-
sition. WARNING
Fold and unfold the exterior mirror, taking
car e t

o avoid injuries.
● Only fold or unfold the exterior mirror when
there is
no-one in the way of the mirror. ●
When mov in

g the mirror, take care not to
trap fingers between the mirror and the mir-
ror bracket. WARNING
Failure to correctly estimate the distance of
the vehic

le behind could lead to serious acci-
dent.
● Rear-view convex or aspheric mirrors in-
cre
ase the field of vision, however objects ap-
pear smaller and further away in the mirrors.
● The use of these mirrors to estimate the
dist
ance to the next vehicle when changing
lane is imprecise and could result in serious
accident.
● If possible, use the rear vision mirror to es-
timate di
stances to vehicles behind you or in
other circumstances.
● Make sure that the rear visibility is ade-
quate. CAUTION
● Bef or

e entering a car wash, always ensure
that the exterior mirrors are correctly folded
in.
● Electrically-folding exterior mirrors should
not be fo
lded and unfolded mechanically as
this may damage the electrical operation. For the sake of the environment
The exterior mirror heating should be switch-
ed off when it i

s no longer needed. Other-
wise, it is an unnecessary fuel waste. Note
● The ext erior mirr

or heating initially heats
up with a high power, after two minutes the
heat will depend upon the ambient tempera-
ture.
● In the event of a fault, the electric exterior
mirrors
can be adjusted manually by pressing
the edge of the mirror surface. 142

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

Driving
●
When the engine i s
started cold, there may
be strong vibrations for a few moments for
technical reasons. This is quite normal, and
no cause for concern.
● At temperatures below +5°C (+41°F),
smoke ma
y be given off below the vehicle
when the additional heater is turned on. Stopping the engine
Complete operations only in the sequence
given:
Vehicles without
Keyless AccessVehicles with
Keyless Access
1.Bring the vehicle to a full stop ››› .
2.Press and hold the brake pedal until the step 4 is
performed.
3.If the vehicle has an automatic gearbox, place theselector lever in position P.
4.Connect the electronic parking brake ››› page 188.
5.Turn the vehicle key in
the ignition lock to po-
sition ››› Fig. 197 1
.
Briefly press the start-
up button
››› Fig. 198. If
the engine fails to
switch off, perform an
emergency disconnect
››› page 185.
6.If the vehicle is equipped with a manual gearbox,
put it into 1st or reverse. WARNING
Never switch off the engine while the vehicle
is mo

ving. You may lose control of the vehicle
and there is a risk of serious accident.
● The airbags and belt tensioners do not
work when the ignition i
s switched off.
● The brake servo does not work with the en-
gine off. T
o stop, the brake pedal must be
pressed with more force.
● As the power steering does not work if the
engine is
not running, you will need more
strength to steer than normally.
● If the key is removed from the ignition, the
steerin
g may lock and it will not be possible
to steer the vehicle. CAUTION
● If the v

ehicle is stopped and the Start-Stop
system* switches off the engine, the ignition
remains switched on. Make sure that the igni-
tion is switched off before leaving the vehi-
cle, otherwise the battery could discharge.
● If the engine has been driven at high speed
for a pro
longed period of time, it may over-
heat when turned off. To avoid engine dam-
age, allow the engine to run for approximate-
ly two minutes in neutral before switching it
off. Note
● In v ehic

les with automatic gearbox, the key
can only be removed when the selector lever
is in position P.
● After stopping the engine, the engine com-
partment
fan may continue running for a few
minutes, even when the ignition has been
switched off or the key removed. The radiator
fan is automatically switched off. Electronic immobiliser
The gear lock prevents the engine from being
s
t
ar

ted with an unauthorised key and the ve-
hicle being moved.
The vehicle key has a chip that automatically
disables the immobilizer when the key is
placed in the ignition lock.
The electronic immobiliser will be activated
again automatically as soon as you pull the
key out of the ignition lock. For vehicles with
the Keyless Access system, the key has to be
outside the vehicle ›››
page 117.
For this reason, the vehicle can only be used
with a genuine SEAT key with the correct
code. Coded keys can be purchased from
your technical service centre ›››
page 112.
If an unauthorised key is used, the message SAFE or Immobiliser active is displayed
on the instrument panel. The vehicle cannot
be started in this case »
187
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Driving
To park the vehicle
C omp
l
ete operations only in the sequence
given.
● Park the vehicle on a suitable surface ›››
.
● Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve-
hic l
e c

omes to a standstill.
● Connect the electronic parking brake
›››
page 190.
● For an automatic gearbox, move the selec-
tor lev
er to position P.
● Switch off the engine and release the brake
pedal.
● R

emove the key from the ignition.
● If necessary, turn the steering wheel slight-
ly to loc
k the steering.
● With a manual gearbox, engage 1st gear on
flat gr
ound and slopes, or even reverse gear
on hills, and release the clutch pedal.
● Ensure that all passengers leave the vehi-
cle, e
specially children.
● When leaving the vehicle, take all keys with
you.
● Loc

k the vehicle.
Additiona
l information for steep ascents and
descents
Before switching off the engine, rotate the
steering wheel so that if the vehicle should
move, it will be held by the kerb. ●
On slopes, t
urn the front wheels so that
they are against the edge of the kerb.
● Uphill, turn the wheels towards the centre
of the ro
ad. WARNING
The components of the exhaust system reach
ver y

high temperatures. This could cause a
fire and considerable damage.
● Always park your vehicle so that no part of
the exhau
st system can come in contact with
flammable materials (such as wood,
leaves,dried grass, or spilled fuel). CAUTION
● Spec i

al care should be taken when parking
in areas with high kerbs or fixed barriers. Ob-
jects protruding from the ground may dam-
age the bumper or other parts of the vehicle
during manoeuvres. To avoid damage, stop
before the wheels touch the barrier or kerb.
● Special attention is required when driving
through entranc
es, over ramps, kerbs or oth-
er objects. The vehicle underbody, bumpers,
mudguards and running gear, and the engine
and exhaust system could be damaged as
you drive over these objects. Information on the brakes
For the first 200 to 300 km (100 to 200
mi
l
e

s), new brake pads have not yet reached their maximum braking capacity, and need to
be “run in” firs

t ››› . The slightly reduced
br ak
in
g effect can be compensated for by in-
creasing pressure on the brake pedal. While
running in, the full braking distance or emer-
gency braking distance is larger then when
the brake pads have been run in. While run-
ning in, avoid full power braking or situations
requiring braking performance. For example,
in heavy traffic.
The rate of wear of the brake pads depends
to a great extent on the conditions in which
the vehicle is used and the way the vehicle is
driven. If the vehicle is used frequently in city
traffic or for short trips or driven sport style,
visit a specialised workshop regularly, more
frequently than advised in the Maintenance
Programme, to have the brake pads checked.
If you drive with wet brakes, for example, af-
ter crossing areas of water, in heavy rainfall
or even after washing the car, the effect of
the brakes is lessened as the brake discs are
wet or even frozen (in winter). At higher
speed, “dry” the brakes as quickly as possi-
ble by braking gently several times. Only do
this without endangering vehicles behind
you or any other road users ››› .
A l a
y

er of salt on the discs and brake pads
will reduce the effectiveness of the brakes
and increase braking distance. If you drive for
a prolonged period on salted roads without
braking then brake carefully several times to
eliminate the layer of salt on the brakes ››› .
»
191
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
necessary to drive with the engine at an ex-
c eption
al
ly high speed ››› page 202. WARNING
The recommended gear display is intended as
a guideline only; it shou

ld never replace the
driver's attention to driving carefully.
● Responsibility for selecting the correct gear
for eac
h situation continues to lie with the
driver, for example when overtaking, climb-
ing a hill or towing a trailer. For the sake of the environment
Selecting the most appropriate gear for the
sit uation w

ill help you to save fuel. Note
The recommended gear display is switched
off when the c lut

ch pedal is pressed.Address
Intr oduction The power steering is not hydraulic but elec-
tr
omec
h

anical. The advantage of this steer-
ing system is that it disposes of hydraulic
tubes, hydraulic oil, the pump, filter and oth-
er components. The electromechanical sys-
tem saves fuel. While a hydraulic system re-
quires oil pressure to be maintained, electro- mechanical steering only requires energy
when the steerin

g wheel is turned.
With the power steering system, the assisted
steering function automatically adjusts ac-
cording to the vehicle speed, the steering tor-
que and the wheel turning angle. The power
steering only works when the engine is run-
ning. WARNING
If the power steering is not working then the
st eerin

g wheel is much more difficult to turn
and the vehicle more difficult to control.
● The power steering only works when the
engine is
running.
● Never allow the vehicle to move when the
engine is
switched off.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if
the vehic
le is in motion. The steering may
lock and it will not be possible to turn the
steering wheel. Control and warning lamps

It lights up red
Power steering faulty.The steering system should be
checked by a specialised work-
shop as soon as possible. 
It lights up yellow
Power steering opera-
tion reduced.The steering system should be
checked by a specialised work-
shop as soon as possible.
If, after restarting the engine
and driving for a short dis-
tance, the yellow warning lamp
no longer comes on, it will
not
be necessary to take the vehi-
cle to a specialised workshop.
The vehicle battery
was disconnected and
has been reconnec-
ted.Drive for a short distance at
15-20 km/h (9-12 mph). 
Flashes red
Fault in the steering
column electronic
lock.
 Do not drive on!
Seek professional advice. 
It flashes yellow
Steering column devi-
ation.Gently turn the steering wheel
to and fro.
Steering wheel not
unlocked or locked.Remove the key from the igni-
tion and then switch the igni-
tion back on. Check the mes-
sages displayed on the instru-
ment panel at the same time.
Do not drive on, if
the steering
column remains locked after
the ignition has been switched
on. Seek specialist assistance. 198

Driving
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. Information on the steering
Steering column electronic lock
V
ehic
l

es with Keyless Access: the steering
column locks when the driver's door is
opened and the ignition is switched off.
Therefore, the vehicle should be at a stand-
still and, where applicable, the selector lever
in position P.
If the driver door is opened before the igni-
tion is switched off, the steering column elec-
tronic lock is activated via the ignition key or
the sensor built into the door handle.
Steering column mechanical lock
To prevent theft, we recommend you lock the
steering before leaving the vehicle.
Please engage steer-
ing lockUnlocking the steering
Parking the vehicle
››› page 188.Turn the steering wheel
slightly to release the
steering lock.
Remove the key from the
ignition.Insert the key in the igni-
tion lock.
Turn the steering wheel
slightly until you hear the
steering lock.Hold the steering wheel in
this position and switch
on the ignition. Electromechanical power steering
W
ith the po
w

er steering system, the assisted
steering function automatically adjusts ac-
cording to the vehicle speed, the steering tor-
que and the wheel turning angle. The power
steering only works when the engine is run-
ning.
You should remember that you will need con-
siderably more power than normal to steer
the vehicle if the power steering is not work-
ing correctly or not at all.
Counter steering assistance system
The counter steering assistance system helps
the driver in critical situations. Additional
steering power helps the driver when counter
steering. WARNING
The counter steering assistance system com-
bined w ith E

SC helps the driver to steer the
vehicle in critical driving conditions. At all
times, it is the driver who steers the vehicle.
The counter steering system does not steer
the vehicle. Run-in and economical driving
Ru nnin

g in Please observe the instructions for running-in
new c
omponents.
R u

nning-in the engine
The engine needs to be run-in over the first
1500 km (1000 miles). During its first few
hours of running, the internal friction in the
engine is greater than later on when all the
moving parts have bedded down.
How the vehicle is driven for the first
1500 km (1000 miles) influences the future
engine performance. Throughout the life of
the vehicle, it should be driven at a moderate
speed – especially when the engine is cold –
this will reduce engine wear and increase its
useful life. Never drive at extremely low en-
gine speeds. Always engage a lower gear
when the engine works “irregularly”. For the
first 1000 km or 600 miles, please note: »
199
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety