2003 SKODA FABIA air condition

Heating and air conditioning system89
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
The control dial can be set to other positions as required.
Recirculated air mode
In recirculated air mode air is sucked out of the interior of
the vehicle and then fed back into the interior.
Recirculated air mode prevents po
lluted air outside the vehicle
from getting into the vehicle, for example when driving through a
tunnel or when standing in a traffic jam.
Switching recirculated air mode on
– Press button , the button symbol
 lights up ⇒page 87,
fig. 78 .
Switching recirculated air mode off
– Press button again, the button symbol
 goes out.
Recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution
control is in position ⇒ page 87, fig. 78 ⇒page 87, fig. 78 .
Air outlet vents
Fig. 79 Air outlet vents
Warmed or unwarmed air will flow out of the air outlet vents according to
the setting of control dial ⇒page 87, fig. 78.
You can set the air supply to the individual air outlet vents using the control
dial .
Air outlet vents 3 and 4 can also be opened or closed individually:
•Air outlet vent fully open - knurled wheel vertically in position F
⇒ fig. 79
•Air outlet vent fully closed - knurled wheel vertically in position F or
G .
Turning the horizontal and vertical knurled wheels on the air outlet vents
3 and 4 allows one to change the direction of the inlet air flow .WARNING
•You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer
period of time. “Stale air” may result in fatigue in the driver and
passengers, reduce attention levels and also cause the windows to
mist up. The risk of having an accident increases. Switch recircu-
lated air mode off as soon as the windows begin misting up.
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The air conditioning system*
Description
The air conditioning system is a combined cooling and
heating system. It makes it possible to optimally control
the air temperature at any season of the year.
Description of the air conditioning system
It is important for your safety and for your driving comfort that the air condi-
tioning system is operating properly.
The air conditioning system operates when button ⇒page 91, fig. 80
is pressed and the following conditions are met:
•engine running,
•outside temperature above +5°C and
•blower switch switched on (positions 1 to 4).
If the air conditioning system is switched on, the temperature and air
humidity drops in the vehicle. The wellbeing of the occupants of the car is
enhanced as a result of this particularly at high outside temperatures and
a high air humidity. The system prevents the windows misting up during
the cold season of the year.
The heating effect is dependent upon the coolant temperature, thus full
heat output only occurs when the engine has reached its operating
temperature.
It is possible to briefly activate recirculated air mode in order to enhance
the cooling effect ⇒.
Air at a temperature of about 5°C may flow out of the vents under certain
circumstances when the air conditioning system is operating. Lengthy and
uneven distribution of the air flow out of the vents (in particular at the leg area) and large differences in temperature, for example when getting out
of the vehicle, can result in chills in sensitive persons.
The air inlet in front of the windscreen must be free of ice, snow or leaves
in order to ensure that the heating and ventilation systems operate prop-
erly.
Condensation from the evaporator of the air conditioning may drip down
and form a puddle below the vehicle. This is quite normal and not an indi-
cation of a leak!
Note
•We recommend that you do not smoke in the vehicle when the recir-
culating air mode is operating since the smoke which is drawn into the
evaporator from the interior of the vehicle forms deposits in the evapo-
rator of the air conditioning system. This produces a permanent odour
when the air conditioning system is operating which can only be elimi-
nated through considerable effort and expense (replacement of
compressor).
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WARNING
•For your own safety and that of other road users, ensure that all
the windows are free of ice, snow and misting. Please familiarize
yourself about how to correctly operate the heating and ventilation
systems, how to demist and defrost the windows, as well as with
the cooling mode.
•You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer
period of time. “Stale air” may result in fatigue in the driver and
passengers, reduce attention levels and also cause the windows to
mist up. The risk of having an accident increases. Switch recircu-
lated air mode off as soon as the windows begin misting up.

Heating and air conditioning system91
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
Using the system
Setting temperature
– Turn the control dial ⇒fig. 80 to the right in order to
increase the temperature.
– Turn the control dial to the left in order to increase the temperature.
Controlling blower
– Turn the blower switch into one of the positions, 1 to 4, in order to switch the blower on.
– Turn the blower switch into position 0 in order to switch the blower off.
– Pressing button causes the recirculating air system ⇒page 93 to be switched on. Control for air distribution
– You can adjust the direction of the inlet air flow using air distri-
bution regulator ⇒page 93.
Switching air conditioning on/off
– Press the button . The symbol
 in the button comes
on.
– When you again press the button , the air conditioning system is switched off. The symbol
 in the button is no
longer illuminated.
The set temperature will be automatically maintained other than
when the control dial is on the extreme right or extreme left position:
Extreme right position - full heating
Extreme left position - full cooling
All controls apart from the control dial and buttons and can be
set to any desired intermediate position.
The blower should aways be on to prevent the windows from misting up.
Note
•The whole heat output will be needed to unfrost the windscreen and
side windows. No warm air will be fed to the footwell. This can lead to
restriction of the heating comfort.
•The used air streams out through the air removal openings in the
luggage compartment.
•If the air conditioning system has not been switched on for a lengthy
period, odours may be produced at the evaporator because of deposits.
Switch the air conditioning system on at least once a month for approxi-
mately 5 minutes at the highest blower stage - also during the cold season
Fig. 80 The air condi-
tioning system:
Controls
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Heating and air conditioning system
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of the year - in order to remove such odours. Also open a window for a
short time.
•Please refer to the information regarding recirculated air mode
⇒ page 93.
Setting air conditioning system
Recommended settings of air conditioning controls for individual opera-
tions:
Defrosting the windscreen and side windows
•Turn control dial ⇒page 91, fig. 80 to the right up to the stop
•Control dial in the position 4
•Control dial in the position 
•Open air outlet vents 4 ⇒ page 93, fig. 81 and point towards the side
window.
Warming up the inside of the vehicle as rapidly as possible
•Turn control dial to the right up to the stop
•Control dial in the position 4
•Control dial in the position 
•Open the air outlet vents 4
•We recommend pressing button air recirculation mode. The
windows can steam up in this position however.
Heating the vehicle to a comfortable temperature
We recommend the following setting once the windows are no longer
misted up and the desired teperature has been reached:
•Control dial at the desired heat temperature
•Control dial in position 2 or 3
•Control dial in the position 
•Open the air outlet vents 4
•Set the air distribution regulator as required between positions 
and , if the windscreen gets misted up again.
Maximum cooling
•Close all windows and the sliding/tilting roof.
•Turn the control dial to the left up to the stop
•Control dial in the position 4
•Control dial in the position 
•Open air outlet vents 3 and 4
•Switch on the air conditioning system by pressing button
•Switch on recirculated air mode by pressing button .
In this operating mode the air will be sucked out of the inside of the vehicle
and cooled (recirculated air mode). The recirculated air mode should only
be used for a short time since no fresh air from outside is being brought in.
Do not smoke in the vehicle when in recirculated air mode.
Optimum cooling
•Control dial at the desired heat temperature. This temperature will
be maintained automatically.
•Control dial in position 1 , 2, or 3
•Control dial in the position 
•Open air outlet vents 3 and 4
•Switch on the air conditioning system by pressing button
•We recommend setting the air outlet vents 3 and 4 in such a way that
the air flows to the rear over the heads of the occupants. Do not press
button - recirculated air mode.
In this operating mode fresh air is drawn from outside and cooled.
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Heating and air conditioning system93
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
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Fresh air mode - ventilation
Non- pre-warmed fresh air streams through the air inlet nozzles
3 and 4
for the following settings.
•Turn the control dial ⇒page 91, fig. 80 to the left up to the stop
•Control dial into the desired position
•Control dial in the position 
•Open air outlet vents 3 and 4 ⇒ fig. 81
•Switch off the recirculated air mode by pressing button .
•Switch off the cooling by pressing button
The control dial can be set to other positions as required.
Recirculated air mode
In recirculated air mode air is sucked out of the interior of
the vehicle and then fed back into the interior.
Recirculated air mode prevents po lluted air outside the vehicle
from getting into the vehicle, for example when driving through a
tunnel or when standing in a traffic jam.
Switching recirculated air mode on
– Press button ⇒page 91, fig. 80 , the button symbol

lights up.
Switching recirculated air mode off
– Press button again, the button symbol
 goes out.
Recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution
control is in position  ⇒ page 91, fig. 80 . You can also switch recir- culated air mode on again from this setting by repeatedly pressing button
.
Air outlet vents
Fig. 81 Air outlet vents
Unwarmed or cooled air will flow out of the air outlet vents according to the
setting of control dial ⇒page 91, fig. 80 and the atmospheric condi-
tions.
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WARNING
You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period
of time. “Stale air” may result in fatigue in the driver and passen-
gers, reduce attention levels and also cause the windows to mist
up. The risk of having an accident increases. Switch recirculated
air mode off as soon as the windows begin misting up.
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You can set the air supply to the individual air outlet vents using the control
dial .
Air outlet vents 3 and 4 can also be opened or closed individually:
•Air outlet vent fully open - knurled wheel vertically in position F
•Air outlet vent fully closed - knurled wheel vertically in position F or
G.
Turning the horizontal and vertical knurled wheels on the air outlet vents
3 and 4 allows one to change the direction of the inlet air flow .
Using the air conditioning system economically
The compressor on the air conditioning system uses power from the
engine when in cooling mode which will effect the fuel consumption.
It recommended to open the windows or the doors of a vehicle for which
the interior has been strongly heated through the effect of direct sunlight
in order to allow the heated air to escape.
The air conditioning system should not be switched on while travelling
when the window is open.
The desired interior temperature can also be achieved without switching
in the air conditioning system just by switching to fresh air mode.
For the sake of the environment
When you economize on fuel, you also reduce pollutant emissions.
Operational problems
If the cooling system does not operate at outside temperatures higher
than +5°C, there is a problem in the system. The reasons for this may be:
•The fuse on the air conditioning system has blown. Check the fuse,
replace it if necessary ⇒page 209.
•The cooling system has switched off automatically for a short time
because the coolant temperature of the engine is too hot ⇒page 13.
If you are not able to rectify the operational problem yourself, or if the
cooling capacity decreases, switch the air conditioning system off. Please
contact your Škoda dealer.
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Airbag system121
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
When are the airbags deployed?
The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver and the front
passenger airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of
major severity.
In the case of a violent side crash the side airbags* on the front seat of
the vehicle on the side on which the collision occurs are deployed.
It is also possible under certain special accident situations that the front
as well as the side airbags are deployed.
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side colli-
sions, in the case of rear-end collisions and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to state globally which deployment conditions apply to the
airbag system in every situation as the circumstances which exist in the
case of accidents vary greatly. An important role in this case, for example, is played by factors such as the type of object against which the vehicle
impacts (hard, soft), the angle of impact, the vehicle speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration
which occurs during a collision. The control unit analyses the nature of the
collision and activates the relevant restraint system. If the vehicle decel-
eration which occurs and is measured during the collision remains below
the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the airbags
are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe damage to
the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The airbags are not deployed if:
•ignition off
•a minor frontal collision
•a minor side collision
•a rear-end collision
•rollover
Note
•A fine dust is produced when airbag inflated. This is perfectly normal
and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
•The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has
been deployed.
WARNING (continued)
•The service life of the airbag system is 15 years from the date of
manufacture of the vehicle. Have the airbag system replaced by a
Škoda Dealer after this period.
•If you sell your car, please hand over the complete vehicle
documentation to the new owener. Please note that the documents
relating to the possibility of deactivating the front passenger
airbag are also part of the vehicle documents!
•If the vehicle or individual parts of the airbag system are
scrapped, it is essential to observe the relevant safety precautions.
Škoda dealers are familiar with these regulations.
•When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is
important to comply with the national legal requirements.

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Heating up of the brakes
The EDL switches off automatically if unusually severe stresses exist in
order to avoid excessive heat generation in the disc brake on the wheel
which is being braked. The vehicle can continue to be driven and has the
same characteristics as a vehicle not fitted with EDL.
The EDL switches on again automatically as soon as the brake has cooled
down.
Note
•If the ABS or TCS or ESP warning light comes on, this may also indi-
cate a fault in the EDL. Please have the vehicle inspected as soon as
possible by a Škoda dealer.
•Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or other
assignment of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the EDL
⇒ page 194.
Brakes
What has a negative effect on braking efficiency?
Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pads is greatly dependent on the operating
conditions of the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive
a great deal in towns and over short distances or if you adopt a sporty style
of driving, it may be necessary to have the thickness of the brake pads
inspected at a Škoda Dealer between the service inspections.
Wet roads or road salt
There may be a certain delay before the brakes take full effect under
certain conditions such as when driving through water, during heavy rain
showers or after the vehicle has been washed in an automatic vehicle
wash, since the brake discs and brake pads may be moist or even have a
coating of ice on them in winter. You should dry the brakes as soon as
possible (by applying and releasing the brakes several times, if the road
conditions and the traffic situation allows it).
There also may be a certain delay before the full braking efficiency is
available when driving on roads which have been treated with road salt if
you have not used the brakes for some considerable time beforehand.
The layer of salt on the brake discs and brake pads must first be rubbed
off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firmly applying the brakes at
a fairly high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or
if surface corrosion is present ⇒.
Faults in the brake surface
The brake booster operates using vacuum which is only generated
when the engine is running. This is why you should not drive off with
engine switched off!
WARNING
•Depress the accelerator carefully when accelerating on
uniformly slippery road surfaces, such as ice and snow. The driven
wheels might still spin despite the EDL and affect the stability of
the vehicle - risk of an accident!
•You should always adapt your style of driving to the condition
of road surface and to the traffic situation even when your vehicle
is fitted with EDL. The increased safety offered must not tempt you
to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!