2003 SKODA FABIA Light

Lights and Visibility
56
Interior lighting
Front interior lighting and storage compartment on
front passenger side
Door contact switching mechanism (on the front and rear*
door)
– Press the switch ⇒fig. 34 to the right into position
.
Switching the interior light on
– Press the switch to the left into position
.
Switching the interior light off
– Press the switch into the middle position O.Reading lights
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– Press on one of the switches in order to switch the right or
left reading light on or off.
Lighting of storage compartment on the front passenger
side
– Open the flap of the storage compartment on the front passenger side.
– The light switches on automatically when the parking light is switched on and goes out when the flap is closed.
The interior light is switched on for about 20 seconds when a vehicle with
a central locking system is unlocked, when a door is opened or when the
ignition key is removed. The requirement for this is that the switch is in the
door contact position. The inner light goes out out immediately after the
ignition is switched on.
A time delay switch* causes the inner lighting on vehicles without a central
locking system stays on for a few seconds after the doors have been
closed. The inner light goes out out immediately after the ignition is
switched on.
The interior lighting is switched off after about 30 minutes when a door has
been left open in order to avoid discharging the battery of the vehicle.
Fig. 34 Detail of the
headliner: front interior
lighting
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Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
Interior lighting at the rear* (estate vehicle, sedan)
The lights ⇒fig. 35 are actuated by pressing the glass on the symbol ,
O or by switching to the middle position .
The same principles apply for the interior lighting at the rear as for the for
the interior lighting at the front ⇒page 56.
Note
We recommend having these bulbs replaced by a Škoda dealer.
Front door warning light*
The light is located in the door trim panel below ⇒fig. 36 .
The warning light goes on every time the door is opened.
If a door remains open, the battery will discharge.
There is a reflector installed on some vehicles instead of the warning light.
Luggage compartment light*
The lighting comes on automatically when the boot lid is opened. The
luggage compartment lighting will switch off again automatically if the boot
lid remains open for more than about 30 minutes.
Fig. 35 Roof liner light
at the rearFig. 36 Front door
warning light

Lights and Visibility
58
Visibility
Rear window heater
– Press switch  to switch on the rear window heater ⇒fig. 37 .
The rear window heater only operates when the engine is running. An indi-
cator light in the switch is illuminated when the rear window heater is
switched on.
The rear window heater switches off automatically after 20 minutes.
For the sake of the environment
You should switch off the rear window heater as soon as the rear window
is clear. The reduced current consumption will have a favourable effect on
fuel economy ⇒ page 153.
Sun visors
You can pull the sun visors for the driver and front passenger out of their
fixture and swivel them toward the doors in the direction of the arrow
⇒fig. 38. The visor above the interior mirror* can only be folded down.
The vanity mirrors* in the sun visors are provided with covers.Fig. 37 Switch for rear
window heater
Fig. 38 Sun visor:
swivelling out

Lights and Visibility59
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
The windscreen wiper and washing
system
Windscreen wipers
You can operate the windscreen wipers and automatic
wipe/wash using the windscreen wiper lever.
The windscreen wiper lever ⇒fig. 39 has the following positions:
Finger-operated wiping
– Move the lever down into position if you wish to wipe the windscreen only for a single wipe.
Intermittent wipe
– Move the lever up into notch position . – Set with the switch the desired break between the indi-
vidual wiper strokes
Slow wipe
– Move the lever up into notch position .
Fast wipe
– Move the lever up into notch position .
Automatic wipe/wash for windscreen
– Pull the lever towards the steering wheel into position and the widescreen wiper and wash system will operate - in the
sprung position.
– Release the lever. The windscreen wash system stops and the wiper continues for another 1 - 3 wiper strokes (depending
on the period of spraying of the windscreen).
Wiping the rear window pane*
– Push the lever away from the steering wheel into position - the widescreen wiper will operate every 6 seconds.
Automatic wipe/wash for the rear window pane*
– Push the lever away from the steering wheel into position - the widescreen wiper and wash system will operate - in the
sprung position.
– Letting go of the lever will cause the windscreen wash system to stop and the wiper to continue for another 1 - 3 wiper
strokes (depending on the period of spraying of the wind-
screen). The lever will stay in position after releasing it .
Fig. 39 Windscreen
wiper lever
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Lights and Visibility
60
Switching windscreen wipers off
– Move the lever back into its home position .
The windscreen wipers and the windscreen washer system only operate
if the ignition is switched on.
The rear window will be wiped again if the window wipers are on when
reverse gear is selected.
The windscreen washer nozzles are heated* when the ignition is switched
on.
Top up with wash liquid ⇒page 185.
Caution
In frosty weather, please first of all check whether the windscreen wiper
blades are not frozen to the windscreen before switching them on.
Switching on windscreen wipers when the blades are frozen to the wind-
screen may result in damage both to the blades and the motor of the wind-
screen wipers!
Headlight cleaning system*
Washing of the headlights lenses occurs for approximately 1 second
about 3 seconds after movement of the lever into position ⇒page 59,
fig. 39. You should remove stubborn dirt (such as insect residues) from the head-
light lenses at regular intervals, for example when refuelling. Please refer
to the notes
⇒page 162.
You should remove any snow from the fixtures of the washer nozzles and
clear ice in winter with a de-icing spray in order to ensure proper operation
of the cleaning system.
Replacing wiper blades on the windscreen wipers
Taking off the wiper blade
– Fold windscreen wiper arm away from the windscreen and position the wiper blade at right angles to the wiper arm
⇒fig. 40 .
– Press the securing spring in the direction of arrow and press the wiper blade at the same time in the direction of arrow ⇒ .
WARNING
Properly maintained windscreen wiper blades are essential for
clear visibility and safe driving ⇒page 60.
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Fig. 40 Wiper blades
for the windscreen
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Lights and Visibility61
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
Attaching a wiper blade
– Push the wiper blade over the wiper arm. The securing spring
must click into place audibly.
Windscreen wiper blades in proper condition are essential to obtain good
visibility. Wiper blades should not be allowed to become dirtied by dust,
insect remains and preserving wax.
Juddering or smearing of the wiper blades could be due to wax residues
left on the windscreen by vehicle washing in automatic vehicle wash
systems. It is therefore important to degrease the lips of the winscreen
wiper blades after every pass through an automatic vehicle wash
system .
Replacing the wiper blade on the rear window wiper
Taking off the wiper blade
– Fold the window wiper arm away ⇒fig. 41 .
– Hold the window wiper arm at the top end with one hand.
– Take hold of the wiper blade with the other hand and pull the wiper blade in the direction of arrow .
Attaching a wiper blade
– Interlock the wiper blade into the window wiper arm - see arrow .
The same remarks apply here as for ⇒page 60, “Replacing wiper blades
on the windscreen wipers”.
WARNING
•There is a risk of damage to the windscreen if the windscreen
wiper is used carelessly.
•You should clean the wiper blades regularly with a windscreen
cleaner in order to avoid any smears. Clean a wiper blade with a
sponge or cloth if it is very dirty, for example from insect residues.
•Replace the windscreen wiper blades once or twice a year for
safety reasons. Windscreen wiper blades are available from Škoda
dealers.
Fig. 41 Wiper blade for
the rear window
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62
Rear-view mirror
You can adjust the exterior mirrors electrically*.
Adjust the reverse view mirror before commencing to drive so
that there is a clear view to the rear.
Dimming the interior mirror
– Pull the lever on the bottom edge of the mirror toward rear (the
lever on the interior mirror must point forwards in it home posi-
tion).
Heating of the external mirror*
– Turn the rotary knob to position
 ⇒ fig. 42 . Adjusting left and right exterior mirrors*
– Turn the rotary knob to position
. The movement of the mirror
surface is identical to the movement of the rotary knob. The
right hand exterior mirror is adjusted at the same time on vehi-
cles with electrically operated power windows.
Adjusting the right-hand exterior mirror*
– Turn the rotary knob to position
. The movement of the mirror
surface is identical to the movement of the rotary knob.
The exterior mirror heater only operates when the engine is running.
Note
•Do not touch the surface of the exterior mirrors if the exterior mirror
heater is switched on.
•Contact your Škoda dealer if a fault exists with the power setting of the
exterior mirrors.
•You can set the exterior mirrors by hand, if the power setting function
fails at any time, by pressing on the edge of the mirror surface.
Fig. 42 Inner part of
door: Rotary knob
WARNING
Convex (curved outward) or aspherical exterior mirrors increase
the vision field. They do, however, make objects appear smaller in
the mirror. These mirrors are only of limited use, therefore, for esti-
mating distances to the following vehicles.

Seats and Stowage
64
– Release the lever and push the seat further until the lock is heard to engage.
Adjusting height of seat*
– Lift the seat if required by pulling or pumping lever upwards.
– Lower the seat if required by pushing or pumping lever downwards.
Adjusting angle of backrest
– Relieve any pressure on the backrest (do not lean on it) and turn the handwheel to adjust the angle of the backrest.
The driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the pedals can be
pressed to the floor with slightly bent legs.
The backrest on the driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that
the upper point of the steering wheel can be easily reached with slightly
bent arms.
Caution
Vehicles in the Praktik version should not experience contact between the
backrest and the partition wall after adjusting the angle of the backrest
since there is danger of damage to the seat cover through rubbing when
driving.
WARNING
•Only adjust the driver seat when the vehicle is stationary - risk
of injury!
•Take care when adjusting the seat! Adjusting the seat without
care can lead to bruises or injuries.
•The backrests must not be angled too far back when driving
otherwise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of
the airbag system - risk of injury!
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