2003 SKODA FABIA oil temperature

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
28
Note
•Arrangement of the indicator lights depends on the model and model
version. The symbols shown in the following functional description are to
be found as indicator lights in the instrument cluster.
•Operational faults are shown in the instrument cluster as red symbols
(priority 1 - danger) or yellow symbols (priority 2 - warning).
Turn signal system 
Either the left  or right  indicator light flashes depending on the posi-
tion of the turn signal lever.
The indicator light flashes at twice its normal rate if a turn signal light fails.
This does not apply when towing a trailer.
Switching off the hazard warning light system is switched on will cause all
of the turn signal lights as well as both indicator lights to flash.
Further information about the turn signal system ⇒page 54.
!Power steering*⇒page 30
EPC fault light (petrol engine)⇒page 30
Glow plug system (diesel engine)⇒page 30
Turn signal system for vehicles towing
a trailer*⇒page 30
Coolant temperature/coolant level⇒page 31
Electronic immobiliser*⇒page 31
Fuel reserve⇒page 31
Engine oil⇒page 32
Brake pad wear*⇒page 32
Bulbs*⇒page 33
Open door*⇒page 33
Fluid level in windshield washer sys-
tem*⇒page 33
Luggage compartment door*⇒page 33
EPC fault light⇒page 33
Traction control system (TCS)*⇒page 33
Electronic stability programme (ESP)*⇒page 34
Antilock brake system (ABS)*⇒page 34
Brake system⇒page 35
Airbag system⇒page 35
Seat belt warning light*⇒page 36

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
30
Fog lights* 
The warning light  comes on when the fog lights are operating
⇒ page 53.
Power steering* !
The warning light ! comes on for 2 seconds after the ignition is switched
on. There is a fault in the electronics for the power-assisted steering if the
warning light lights up while driving or does not go out 2 seconds after
switching on the ignition. Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain assistance.
The warning light does not come on when there is a lack of oil.
Further information ⇒page 146, “Power steering*”.
Note
There is no power-assisted steering support when the vehicle is being
towed without the engine running or when the power-assisted steering is
defect. The vehicle is fully steerable however. There is simply increased
force required to turn the steering wheel.
EPC fault light \b (petrol engine)
The \b (Electronic Power Control) warning light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched on.
There is a system fault in the engine control system if the warning light
\b
does not go out or comes on or flashes while driving. The engine manage-
ment system selects an emergency programme which enables you to
drive to the nearest Škoda dealer while adopting a gentle style of driving. The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
ENGINE WORKSHOP!
Glow plug system  (diesel engine)
The indicator light  lights up for a cold engine when switching on the
igntion (pre-heat position) 2 ⇒page 95. Start the engine just as soon as
the indicator light goes out.
The glow plug indicator light will come on for about 1 second if the engine
is at a normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature is
above +5°C. This means that you can start the engine right away.
There is a fault in the glow plug system if the indicator light
 does not
come on at all or lights up continuously. Contact as soon as possible a
Škoda Dealer to obtain professional assistance.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
ENGINE WORKSHOP!
Turn signal system for vehicles towing a trailer* 
The indicator light  on vehicles towing a trailer flashes together with the
respective indicator light for the turn signal system.
The indicator light
 does not flash if a turn signal light on the trailer or
on the vehicle is not operating.

Starting-off and Driving97
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
•The clutch pedal should be fully depressed when starting the engine
which means that the starter only has to crank the engine.
•Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts otherwise there may be
damage to the starter.
The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time
after starting the cold engine until oil pressure can be built up in the
hydraulic valve clearance compensation. This is quite normal and is not
an operating problem.
If the engine does not start ...
You can use the battery of another vehicle as a jump-start aid
⇒ page 203.
It is only possible to tow-start vehicles fitted with a manual gearbox. The
tow-starting distance must not be more than 50 metres ⇒page 207.
Caution
•Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as
long as the engine has not yet reached its normal operating temperature
- risk of damaging the engine!
•Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaust gas catalytic converter
should not be tow-started over a distance of more than 50 metres.
For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle is standing. Drive off right
away. This enables you to avoid unnecessary pollutant emissions.
Petrol engines
These engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct
fuel/air mixture for every external air temperature.
•Do not operate the accelerator before and when starting engine if the
engine is cold or at normal operating temperature.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not
start right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the
attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the electrical fuel pump is defect if the
engine still does not start ⇒page 209.
Contact the nearest Škoda dealer to obtain professional assistance.
•It may be necessary, if the engine is very hot, to slightly depress the
accelerator after the engine has started.
Diesel engines
Glow plug system
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period
being controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and
outside temperature.
The preglow indicator light
 comes on after the ignition has been
switched on.
You should not switch on any major electrical components during
the heating period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained
unnecessarily.
•You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning
light  has gone out.
WARNING
There is the danger of poisoning if the engine is left running in an
enclosed space!

Driving and the Environment
148
New brake pads
Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking effi-
ciency until after the first 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first
“run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however,
compensate for this slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pres-
sure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future
date.
During the running-in period, you should avoid excessive stresses on the
brakes. This includes, for example, violent braking, particularly from very
high speeds or when crossing mountain passes.
Catalytic converter
Proper operation of the emission control system (catalytic
converter) is of major significance for driving your vehicle
in an environmentally conscious way.
Please refer to the following guidelines:
– Always fill the fuel tank with unleaded petrol ⇒page 167,
“Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty.
– Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.
– Do not pour too much oil into the engine ⇒page 176,
“Replenishing engine oil”. – Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50
metres ⇒page 207, “Tow-starting a vehicle”.
If you drive your vehicle in a country in which unleaded petrol is not avail-
able, you must have the catalytic converter replaced later when driving the
vehicle into a country in which use of a catalytic converter is mandatory.
Caution
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter should never be allowed to let
the fuel tank to run completely empty. An irregular fuel supply can result
in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system
and damage the catalytic converter.
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the cata-
lytic converter being destroyed.
•If you detect misfiring, a drop in performance or irregular engine
running when driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the
vehicle inspected by the nearest Škoda dealer. The symptoms described
may be caused by a fault in the ignition system. Unburnt fuel may get into
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.
WARNING
•In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the
catalytic converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way
that the catalytic converter cannot come into contact with easily
flammable materials below the vehicle - a risk of fire!
•Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-
protection agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or
heat shields. Such substances might ignite when driving - risk of
fire!

Driving and the Environment151
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
You should avoid fully exploiting the top speed of your vehicle wherever
possible. Fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises
increase disproportionally at high speeds.
The ⇒
page 150, fig. 118 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the
speed of your vehicle. You will cut your fuel consumption by half if you
only make use three-quarters of the possible top speed of your vehicle.
Reducing idling
Idling also costs fuel.
It is worthwhile switching off the engine in a traffic jam or when waiting at
a level crossing or at traffic lights with a lengthy red phase. Even after just
30 - 40 seconds you will have saved more fuel than the extra that is
needed when you start the engine up again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal
operating temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though,
are particularly high in the warming-up phase. This is why you should
drive off right after starting the engine. Do avoid high engine revolutions
at this time, however.
Regular servicing
A poorly tuned engine consumes an unnecessarily high
amount of fuel.
Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a Škoda Dealer enables you to
satisfy one of the requirements for economical motoring even before you
set off on your journey. Keeping your vehicle properly serviced not only
has a positive effect on the safety of your vehicle and maintaining its
value, but also saves on fuel. A poorly tuned engine can result in a fuel consumption which is 10%
higher than normal.
The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according
to the service plan by a Škoda dealer.
Also check the
oil level after refueling. Oil consumption is dependent to
a considerable extent on the load and speed of the engine. Oil consump-
tion could be as high as 0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of
driving.
It is quite normal that a new engine has a higher oil consumption at first,
and reaches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is there-
fore not possible to correctly assess the oil consumption of a new vehicle
until after you have driven about 5.000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•You can achieve additional improvements in your fuel economy by
using high-lubricity oils.
•Check the ground below your car at regular intervals to detect any
leakages in good time. Please have your vehicle inspected by a Škoda
dealer if you find any stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.

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
168
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and
similar products) in diesel fuel.
It is then necessary to have the fuel filter drained of water by a Škoda
dealer more often than stated in the service schedule if the quality of the
diesel fuel used is poor.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒page 169, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Use a fuel complying with the standard. Filling the tank even only once,
which does not comply with the standard, can result in damage to the fuel
system.
•Water which has collected in the fuel filter can result in engine
problems.
Biofuel
Biofuel (methyl ester from rape oil) is manufactured from vegetable oil by
means of a chemical process.
Biofuel does not contain sulphur. This means that no sulphur dioxide
(SO
2) is produced when it is burnt.
The exhaust gases contain less
•carbon monoxide (CO)
•hydrocarbons (HC)
•particles (soot)
than when operating with conventional diesel fuel.
The Biofuel is more biodegradable. When using biofuel pay attention to the following points:
•The
Performance may be reduced slightly if you switch to driving with
biofuel.
•The Fuel consumption may increase slightly if you switch to driving
with biofuel.
Biodiesel conforming to the standard E 51 606 can be mixed in any
desired ratio with diesel fuel conforming to the standard EN 590.
We recommend refuelling with diesel fuel at temperatures below -10°C.
Caution
Filling the tank even only once with biofuel, which does not comply with
the standard standard E 51 606 , can result in damage to the fuel
system.
Operation in winter
Winter-grade diesel fuel
A different grade of diesel fuel is available at filling stations in winter than
during the summer. Using “summer-grade diesel fuel” at temperatures
below 0°C can result in operational problems because the diesel becomes
viscous as a result of paraffin separation.
It is therefore the case that DIN EN 590 prescribes diesel fuel class for
certain periods of the year which can also be purchased at the corre-
sponding time during the year. “Winter-grade diesel fuel” will still operate
properly even at a temperature of -20°C.
It is often the case in countries with different climatic conditions that diesel
fuels available have a different temperature characteristic. Škoda dealers
and filling stations in the country concerned will be able to provide you with
information regarding the diesel fuels available.

Index227
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Antilock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Antilock brake system (ABS) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . 160
B
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Brake
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Buttons on the driver's door Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196, 201
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Changing oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Changing wheels around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Child safety locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Child safety seats
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Child seat on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . 131
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Convenience operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Coolant temperature/coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
D
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88, 92
De-icing windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Detachable towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175