SEAT Alhambra 2.0 TDI CR SE Lux [184] 5dr DSG Diesel Estate

Under emergency braking conditions or slippery road surfaces, the anti-lock brake system (ABS) prevents the wheels from locking and maintains the car's steerability. Locked wheels can no longer transmit cornering forces, the car does not respond to steering commands. To prevent this from happening, the ABS control unit monitors the rotational speed of all wheels of the car by means of wheel speed sensors. If one of them threatens to lock, a solenoid valve in the control unit of the ABS reduces brake pressure for the respective wheel until it runs freely again, then the pressure is again increased up to the locking limit. The car remains stable and steerability is maintained. In modern ABS systems such as those employed in all SEAT models, this process takes place several times a second. The driver perceives the action of the ABS as a slight vibration of the brake pedal. In the ABS control range, despite maximum deceleration, the car can be steered easily to avoid obstacles and prevent a collision.

Diesel particulate filters reduce the number of soot particles contained in the exhaust gas, thus ensuring a further reduction in emissions and even better environmental performance of diesel engines.

At SEAT, the only system we install is maintenance-free without any additive. However, the soot deposited in the filter still needs to be disposed of so that the filter does not become clogged. For this purpose, the ceramic filter element is fitted with a noble metal-containing coating that acts in two ways.

During passive regeneration, the soot laid down in the filter is converted to CO2 in a slow, non-destructive manner. This process occurs in a temperature range of 350 - 500°C and takes place continuously, especially in motorway driving, without special measures.

Only in the event of prolonged operation at low load, for example in city traffic, approximately every 1,000 to 1,200 kilometres, does an active increase in the exhaust temperature to around 600°C take care of additional filter regeneration. At this temperature the particles accumulated in the filter burn away.