2003 SKODA FABIA heating

Care and cleaning
162
The paint number of the original paintwork of your vehicle is indicated on
the vehicle data sticker ⇒page 223.
Any corrosion which has already have formed must be removed thor-
oughly. Apply a corrosion protection primer and then the paint to the
affected point. You can of course have this work carried out by a Škoda
dealer.
Plastic parts
External plastic parts are cleaned by normal washing. Plastic parts and
synthetic leather can also be treated with special solvent-free plastic
cleaning agents if a damp cloth is not sufficient. Paint care products are
not suitable for plastic parts.
Windows
Only use a plastic ice scraper for removing snow and ice from the
windows and mirrors. You should not move the ice scraper forward and
backward but in one direction on the window which you are cleaning in
order to avoid any damage to the surface of the glass.
You can best remove residues of rubber, oil, grease, wax or silicone by
using a special window cleaner or a special silicone remover.
You should also clean the windows regularly from the inside.
Do not use window leathers which you have used to polish the vehicle
body to dry off the windows. Residues of preservatives in the window
leather can dirty the window and reduce visibility.
Do not affix any stickers over the inside of the rear window to avoid
damage to the heating elements of the rear window heater .We recommend using a preservative from the range of accessories
offered by your Skoda dealer.
The headlight lenses
Please do not use any aggressive cleaning or chemical solvent products
- risk of damage to the plastic lenses
Please use soap and clean warm
water.
Caution
Never wipe the headlights dry and do not use any sharp objects for
cleaning the plastic lenses, this may result in damage to the protective
paintwork and consequently in formation of cracks on the headlight
lenses, e.g through effect of chemical products.
Door and window seals
The rubber seals on the doors, boot lid, bonnet, sliding roof and windows
remain supple and last longer if you treat them from time to time with a
rubber care product (e.g. silicone spray). You also avoid premature wear
of the seals and prevent leakages in this way. It is also easier to open the
doors. Rubber seals which are well cared for also do not stick together in
cold winter weather.
Locks
We recommend that you use Genuine Škoda Spray with regreasing and
anticorrosive effect for de-icing locks.

Care and cleaning
164
Protection of hollow spaces
All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are
protected for life by a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not require to be inspected or re-treated. Please
remove any small amount of wax which flows out of the cavities at high
temperatures with a plastic scraper and clean the spot using petroleum
cleaner.
Care of the interior of vehicle
Plastic parts, artificial leather and cloths
You can clean plastic parts and artificial leather with a moist cloth. You
should only treat such parts with special solvent-free plastic cleaning
and care products it does prove to be adequate.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the doors, boot lid, headliner etc. are
best treated with special cleaning products, including, where, necessary
dry foam and a soft sponge or brush.
Fabric covers of electrically heated seats*
Do not clean the seat covers moist as this may result in damage to the
seat heating system.
Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam.
Natural leather
Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.
Leather should be treated from time to time according the
following guidelines depending on how much it is used.
Normal cleaning
– Clean soiled areas of the leather with slightly moistened cotton or woollen cloth.
Severe soiling
– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solution (2 spoonfuls of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
– Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point and that no water gets into the stitching of the seams.
– Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
Removing stains
– Remove fresh stains which are water-based (e.g. coffee, tea,
juices, blood etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household paper
or use the cleaner from the care set for a stain which has
already dried in.
WARNING
Safety and environmental protection regulations should observed
when using petroleum cleaner to remove wax - a risk of fire!

Fuel
170
– The fuel filler cap on the fuel filler tube must be locked to the right using the vehicle key and the key then removed (only
valid for vehicles which do not have remote unlocking of the
fuel filler flap next to the driver's seat).
– Press the fuel tank flap closed.
The correct grade of fuel for your vehicle as well as the tyre size and infla-
tion pressures are stated on a sticker affixed to the inside of the fuel filler
flap. Further information on fuel ⇒page 167.
The fuel tank has a capacity of about 45 litres.
Caution
•Remove any fuel which has spilled onto the paintwork of your vehicle
immediately. This particularly applies to biodiesel - risk of paint damage!
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter should never be allowed to let
the fuel tank to run completely empty. An irregular supply of fuel to the
engine can result in misfiring and unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust
system, which may result in overheating and damage to the catalytic
converter.
For the sake of the environment
The fuel tank is full just as soon as the pump nozzle switches off for the
first time, provided the nozzle has been operated properly. You should not continue refuelling - otherwise the expansion chamber in the fuel tank will
also be filled with fuel. Fuel might flow out of the tank when it heats up.
WARNING
Pay attention to any legal requirements if you do carry a spare
canister in the vehicle. We do not recommend carrying any fuel
canisters in your vehicle for safety reasons. The canister can be
damaged in the event of an accident and fuel may leak out.

Inspecting and Replenishing177
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
Note
You must not pour any additives into the oil - risk of engine damage!
Cooling system
Coolant
The job of the coolant is to cool the engine.
The cooling system does not require any maintenance under normal oper-
ating conditions. The coolant consists of water with a concentration of
antifreeze agent of 40 %. This mixture not only provides antifreeze protec-
tion down to - 25 °C but also protects the cooling and heating system from
corrosion. It also prevents the formation of scale and significantly
increases the boiling point of the coolant.
You must therefore not reduce the concentration of antifreeze agent in the
coolant by adding water, also not during the summer months or in coun-
tries with a warm climate. The concentration of antifreeze agent in the
coolant must be at least 40%.
You can increase the amount of antifreeze in the coolant iIf a higher
concentration of antifreeze is necessary for climatic reasons but only up
to 60% (antifreeze protection down to approx. -40°C). The antifreeze
protection tails off above that concentration.
Vehicles exported to countries with a cold climate (e.g. Sweden, Norway,
Finland) are already factory-filled with a coolant which offers antifreeze
protection down to about -35°C.
Coolant
The cooling system is factory-filled with TL 774-F (G12 PLUS) coolant,
which is purple in colour. We recommend that you use the same antifreeze agent - G12 PLUS
(purple in colour).
Please contact your Škoda dealer if you have any questions regarding the
coolant or if you wish to fill up with a different coolant.
Your Škoda dealer can also supply you with the correct coolant additives.
Caution
•Other coolant additives may cause operational problems which,
in particular, involves significantly reducing the anticorrosion effect.
•Any faults or problems resulting from corrosion may cause a loss
of coolant and, as a consequence of this, result in major engine
damage.
Inspecting the coolant level
Fig. 129 Engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion bottle

Inspecting and Replenishing
178
The coolant expansion bottle is located in the engine compart-
ment on the right.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 172.
– Check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒page 177, fig. 129 . The coolant level when the engine is
cold must lie between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings. The
level may also rise slightly above the “MAX” marking when the
engine is warm.
A drop in coolant level in the bottle to too low will be indicated by the
warning light in the instrument cluster  ⇒ page 31. We nevertheless
recommend inspecting the coolant level directly at the reservoir from time
to time.
Loss of coolant
A loss of coolant is first and foremost an indication of a leak in the
system. Pne should not merely top up the coolant in the reservoir. It is also
important to have the cooling system inspected without delay by a Škoda
dealer.
Losses can only occur through the pressure relief in the cap of the coolant
expansion bottle which is completely free of leaks if the coolant boils as a
result of overheating and is forced out of the cooling system.
One should contact a Skoda dealer as soon as possible if the source of
overheating itself cannot be determined and removed, since there may be
grave damage to the engine.
Replenishing the coolant
– Switch the engine off.
– Allow the engine to cool down.
– Place a cloth over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir ⇒page 177, fig. 129 and unscrew the cap carefully by
turning it to the left ⇒.
– Top up the coolant.
– Screw the cap on tight.
The coolant which you use for replenishing the system, must comply with
certain specifications ⇒page 177, “Coolant”. Do not use an alternative
additive if the coolant additive G12PLUS is not available in exceptional
cases. Just top up the system with water and as soon as possible arrange
adjustment to correct the mixing ratio of water and coolant additive again
by a Škoda dealer.
Only use fresh coolant for topping up the system.
Do not fill up over the “MAX” mark! Excess coolant which is heated up is
forced out of the cooling system through the pressure relief valve in the
cap of the coolant compensation bottle.
Wait until the engine has cooled down for a system which has suffered a
major loss of coolant before pouring in coolant. This is necessary to avoid
engine damage.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under
the conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Switch off the engine
and obtain professional assistance from a Škoda dealer.

Inspecting and Replenishing
186
ated spirits must not be more than 15 %. Please note, however, that the
antifreeze protection at this concentration is only adequate down to -5°C.
Caution
•On no account should you add radiator antifreeze or other additives to
the windscreen washer fluid.
•If the vehicle is fitted with headlight cleaning system, you should only
add cleaning products which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of
the headlights to the windscreen washer fluid. Please contact a Škoda
dealer, he will tell you, which cleaning product you can use.
Note
Do not take the filter out of the windscreen wash container when filling it
up again with liquid otherwise dirt can get into the liquid transportation
system and can lead to faults in operation of the windscreen wash
system.
Spark plugs
The spark plugs will also be checked as part of the Inspection Service.
Please observe the following if spark plugs have to be renewed inbetween
inspection services.
•Spark plugs and the ignition system are matched to the engine and
therefore contribute to lower emissions in the exhaust gases.
•Only use the spark plugs foreseen for the engine concerned if you wish
to avoid operational faults, engine damage and loss of approval and
licensing of the vehicle due to false exhaust gas values or unshielded
spark plugs. Particularly important parameters include the number of elec- trodes, the thermal value and possibly also the radio frequency suppres-
sion level.
Spark plugs are constantly being further developed. It is therefore advis-
able to just obtain spark plugs from Skoda dealers since they are informed
about latest developments.
V-ribbed belts
The V-ribbed is one of the most highly loaded components on a vehicle.
This is why there are high demands on quality made on the V-ribbed belt.
It not sufficient when replacing the V-ribbed belt to choose just any one of
the same size.
One should only use the V-ribbed belt foreseen for use
on that vehicle for safety reason.
V-ribbed belts are constantly being further developed. It is therefore advis-
able to just obtain them from Skoda dealers since they are informed about
latest developments.
The dust and pollen filter*
The dust and pollen filter for the heating and ventilation system is located
in the heater. The filter is replaced according to directions given in the
Service Plan. The filter should be replaced even earlier when the air flow
is reduced significantly.
Changing of the filter is undertaken by a Skoda dealer as part of the
inspection service.

Fuses and light bulbs211
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
No.Power consumerAmperes
1Instrument cluster, ESP5
2Brake lights10
3Power supply for the diagnostics, air-conditioning
system5
4Interior lighting10
5Door warning light5
6Lights and Visibility5
7Engine electronics, power-assisted steering5
8Not assigned
9Lambda probe10
10S-contact a)5
11Electrically adjustable rear mirror b)5
12Ventilation system, air-conditioning system, Xenon
headlight5
13Reversing light10
14Diesel engine control unit10
15Headlight cleaning system, window wiper10
16Instrument cluster5
17Petrol engine - control unit c)5
18Telephone5
19Automatic gearbox10
20Control unit for lamp failure5
21Heated windscreen washer nozzles5
22Not assigned
23Right main beam10
24Engine electronics10
25Control unit for ABS, TCS
control unit for ESP5
10
26Not assigned
27Not assigned
28Cruise control, switch for the brake and clutch pedal5
29Not assigned
30Main beam on the left and indicator light10
31Central locking system - door lock for the boot lid10
32Rear window wiper10
33Parking light on the right5
34Parking light on the left5
35Injector - petrol engine10
36Licence plate light5
37Rear fog light and indicator light5
38Heating of the external mirror5
39Rear window heater20
40Horn20
41Front window wiper20
42Cigarette lighter, power socket15
43Central control unit, selector lever lock for the auto-
matic gearbox20
44Turn signals15
No.Power consumerAmperes

Index
228
Direction indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Drinks can holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Driving in an economical and environmentally conscious manner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Dynamo Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
E
EDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Electric sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Electronic Differential Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Electronic immobiliser Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Electronic stability programme . . . . . . . . . . 141
Engine compartment Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Engine electronics Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 33
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Engine revolutions counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Environmental compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Environmental note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
ESP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
F
First-aid box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 30
For the first 1500 kilometres . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Fuel reserve Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
G
Glow plug system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
H
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Hazard warning light system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Head restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Headlight cleaning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Headlight flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Heating of the external mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Heating the front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
I
Identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Information display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Instrument lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Interior light
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Interior lighting at the front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
at the rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Intermittent wipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Isofix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
J
Jacking points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203, 204
K
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37