2003 SKODA FABIA height

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!
A1
A2
A2
A3

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Head restraintsAdjusting the height of a head restraint
– Grasp the side of the head restraint with both hands and push
it up or down in direction of arrow ⇒fig. 44 . Best protection
is achieved if the top edge of the head restraint is at least at
eye level or higher.
Adjusting the angle of a head restraint*
– The head restraint can be matched to the head of the occu- pant by adjusting the angle in the direction of the arrow
⇒fig. 44 . Adjusting the angle of the head restraint provides
enhanced comfort for the user.
Removing and installing a head restraint
– Pull the head restraint up out of the backrest of the seat as far as the stop (on the rear head restraints fold down the seat
backrest).
– Press the locking button in direction of arrow ⇒fig. 45 and
pull the head restraint out.
– To re-insert the head restraint, push it down into the backrest of the seat far enough until you hear the locking button
engage.
The head restraints on the front seats can be adjusted for tipping angle*
and height. The outer head restraints are not adjustable for height. The
middle head restraints* can be adjusted to two settings ⇒page 66.
The head restraints must be adjusted to match the size of the seat occu-
pant. Correctly adjusted head restraints together with the seat belts offer
effective protection for the occupants.
Fig. 44 Adjusting head
restraint
Fig. 45 Removing a
head restraint
AA
AB

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Starting-off and Driving
Setting steering wheel position*
You can set the height and the forward/back position of the
steering wheel to the desired position.
– Adjust the driver seat ⇒page 63.
– Pull the lever below the steering column ⇒fig. 82 down
⇒ .
– Set the steering wheel to the desired position (concerning height and forward/back position).
– Then push the lever up against the steering column until it locks into place.
Ignition lock
Petrol engines
- ignition switched off, engine off
- ignition switched on
Fig. 82 Adjustable
steering wheel: Lever
below steering column
WARNING
•Only adjust the steering wheel when the car is stationary!
•For safety reasons the lever must always be firmly pushed up
to avoid the steering wheel altering its position unintentionally
when driving - risk of accident!
Fig. 83 Ignition lock
positions
A1
A2

Seat belts
116
Seat belt height adjuster
The seat belt height adjuster makes it possible for you to adapt
the routing of the three-point seat belt in the area of the shoulder
to match your body size.
– To adjust the belt height press the height adjuster and move it
up or down ⇒fig. 95 . – Then pull firmly on the belt to ensure that the seat belt height
adjuster has correctly locked in place.
Note
It is also possible to adapt the routing of the belt webbing on the front seats
by adjusting the height of the seat*.
Taking seat belts off
WARNING (continued)
•A seat belt which is hanging too loose can result in injuries as
your body is moved forward by the kinetic energy produced in an
accident and is then suddenly held firm by the belt.
•Only insert the lock tongue into the lock which is the correct
one for your seat. This will affect the protection which the belt
offers and increase the risk of an injury.
Fig. 95 Front seat:
Seat belt height
adjuster
WARNING
Adjust the height of the belt in such a way that the shoulder part of
the belt is positioned approximately across the middle of your
shoulder - on no account across your neck.
Fig. 96 Releasing lock
tongue from belt lock

Transporting children safely131
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Use of child safety seats on the front passenger seat
Child safety seats should always be attached to the rear
seats.
We recommend, for safety reasons, that you always mount a child
restraint systems on the rear seats whenever possible. If you still decide,
however, to use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat then you
WARNING (continued)
•Children less than 1.50 metres in height or younger than 12
years must not use a normal seat belt without a child safety seat
otherwise this may result in injuries to the stomach and neck
areas.
•One should never carry children, and also not babies! - on one's
lap.
•You can transport a child safely in a suitable child safety seat
⇒ page 134, “Child seat”!
•Only one child may be fastened with a seat belt into a child
safety seat.
•Never leave the child sitting unattended in the seat.
•Never allow your child to be transported in a vehicle without the
use of a suitable restraint system.
•Children should also never stand up in a vehicle or kneel on the
seats when the vehicle is moving. In the event of an accident the
child will be thrown through the vehicle and may as a result suffer
fatal injuries, and also injure other occupants.
•Children are exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event
of an accident if they lean forward or adopt an incorrect seated
position when the vehicle is moving. This particularly applies to
children who are transported on the front passenger seat if the
airbag system deploys in the event of an accident. This can result
in severe or even fatal injuries.
•It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat
belts are to offer their maximum protection ⇒page 115. Pay partic-
ular attention to the information provided by the manufacturer of
the child safety seat regarding correct routing of the belt. Seat
belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause inju-
ries even in minor accidents.
WARNING (continued)
•Safety belts must be checked to ensure that they are running
properly. One should also ensure that the belt is not damaged by
sharp-edged fittings.
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 127 the front
passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in
direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing
the direction of travel). Children transported on the front
passenger seat may suffer severe, or even fatal, injuries if the front
passenger airbag or airbags are deployed. In certain countries
national legal provisions also require that the side passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regu-
lations regarding the use of child safety seats.
•Always comply with national legal provisions and instructions
from the relevant child safety seat manufacturer when installing
and using a child seat.
•Particular care is required if use is made of child restraint
systems which are attached together with the seat belts fitted to
the vehicle. It is important to ensure that the bolts are inserted into
the threaded hole over their entire length and are tightened to a
torque of 35 Nm.

Transporting children safely
134
Child seat
Classification of child seats into groups
Only child safety seats which are officially approved and
suitable for the child may be used.
ECE-R 44 standard applies to child safety seats. ECE-R means:
Economic Commission of Europe - Regulation.
Child restraint systems which have been tested for conformity with ECE-
R 44 have a non-detachable test seal (a large E within a circle and below
this the test number) attached to the seat.
Child safety seats are classified in 5 groups:
Children of more than 150 cm in height may use the seat belts fitted to the
vehicle without a seat bolster.
Use of child seats
An overview of the usefulness of child seats on each of the seats:
U - universal category - seat is suitable for all approved types of child
safety seats.
Child seats of group 0/0+
WARNING (continued)
•Do not place any objects within the deployment area of the side
airbag. Risk of injury!
GroupWeight
00 -10 kg⇒ page 134
0+up to 13 kg⇒page 134
19 -18 kg⇒page 135
215 -25 kg⇒page 136
322 -36 kg⇒page 137
Child seat
according to
groupFront passenger seatRear seat
on the sideRear seat middle
0UUU
0+UUU
1UUU
2 and 3UUU
Fig. 109 Child seats of
group 0/0+

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Child safety seats in Group 3
For children of about 7 years of age weighing between 22 and 36 kg and
of a height of less than 150 cm, the optimal solution is a child safety seat
(seat bolster) in combination with the three-point seat belt ⇒fig. 112.
Children of more than 150 cm in height may use the seat belts fitted to the
vehicle without a seat bolster.
WARNING (continued)
•The shoulder part of the seat belt must run approximately
across the middle of the shoulder and fit snugly against the chest.
It must on no account run across the neck. The lap part of the seat
belt must run across the pelvis and fits snugly; it must not run over
the belly. Tighten the belt webbing over your hip if necessary.
•Please comply with any difffering national legal regulations
regarding the use of child safety seats.
Fig. 112 Child seat in
Group 3 installed on
the rear seat bench
facing the direction of
travel
WARNING
•When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please
comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use
of child safety seats. Switch off the front passenger airbag if
necessary
−by allowing a Skoda dealer to do this
− or by using the switch for the front passenger airbag*
⇒ page 128.
•The shoulder part of the seat belt must run approximately
across the middle of the shoulder and fit snugly against the chest.
It must on no account run across the neck. The lap part of the seat
belt must run across the pelvis and fits snugly; it must not run over
the belly. Tighten the belt webbing over your hip if necessary.
•Please comply with any difffering national legal regulations
regarding the use of child safety seats.

Towing a trailer155
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Towing a trailer
Towing a trailer
Technical requirements
The towing device must satisfy certain technical require-
ments.
Your vehicle is designed primarily for transporting persons and luggage.
It can, however, also be used for towing a trailer, provided certain tech-
nical equipment is fitted.
If your vehicle has already been supplied with a factory-fitted towing
device then everything that is necessary for towing a trailer in technical
terms, and in terms of the law, has already been taken into account.
Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power socket for the electrical connec-
tion between the vehicle and trailer. If the trailer which you wish to tow has
a 7-pin connector , you can use a suitable adapter cable.You can obtain
such an adapter from a Škoda dealer.
This work must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's
specifications if a towing device is retrofitted.
Škoda dealers are familiar with details relating to retrofitting a towing
device and for any necessary modifications to the cooling system.
General Maintenance
There are a number of points to pay attention to when
towing a trailer.
Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appropriately steeper inclines and descents if you do
not make full use of the permissible trailer load.
The trailer loads specified only apply for altitudes up to 1 000 metres
above mean sea level. The fact that the engine power output drops with
increasing height due to a lowering of air pressure and thus the ability to
climb, means that the towed weight must be reduced by 10% for every
further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea level. One should
take this into account before driving up to higher altitudes. The towed
weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle and the (laden) trailer together.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the
towing device are merely test data for the towing device The data
relating to your vehicle, which is often less than this test data, can
be found in your vehicle registration documents or in the brochure -
Technical Data .
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that any heavy items are
located as close as possible to the axle. Secure the items to prevent them
slipping.
You can make full use of the permissible drawbar load indicated on the
ball head of the towing device, but you must not exceed this.
WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device installed by a
Škoda dealer. He is familiar with all the relevant details relating to
retrofitting such equipment. There is a risk of an accident if the
towing device is not properly fitted.