2003 SKODA SUPERB brakes

Intelligent Technology173
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
fied. Drive at a reduced speed while on your way to the dealer and adapt
your style of driving to the higher brake pedal pressure required.
Low brake fluid level
An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake
system. The level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically
⇒page 35.
Caution
•Never allow the brakes to rub by applying slight pressure if you do not
wish to brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also
result in a longer braking distance and excessive wear.
•Before negotiating a steep downhill section, please reduce your
speed, shift down into the next lower gear (manual gearbox) or select a
lower driving stage (automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use
of the braking power of the vehicle and reduces the strain on the brakes.
Any additional braking should be done intermittently, not continuously.
Antiblock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels locking when braking.
General
The ABS contributes significantly to enhancing the active safety of your
vehicle. Compared to a car not fitted with the ABS brake system, you are
able to retain optimal steering ability even during a full brake application
on a slippery road surface because the wheels do not lock up.
You must not expect, however, that the braking distance will be shorter
under all circumstances as a result of the ABS The braking distance for
example on gravel and fresh snow, when you should anyway be driving
slowly and cautiously, will be longer.
Operating principle
As soon as the vehicle speed has increased to about 6 km/hour an auto-
matic test procedure is conducted during which you will be able to hear a
pumping noise for about 1 second.
The brake pressure will be reduced on a wheel which is rotating at a speed
which is too low for the speed of the vehicle and tending to lock. This
control cycle is noticeable from a pulsating movement of the brake
pedal which is accompanied by noises. This is consciously intended to
provide the driver with the information that the wheels are tending to lock
(ABS control range). You must always keep the brake pedal depressed to
enable the ABS to optimally control the brake application in this braking
range. Never interrupt the application of the brakes!
WARNING
•Only apply the brakes for the purpose of drying and cleaning
the brake discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place
any other road users in jeopardy.
•When retrospectively mounting a front spoiler, solid wheel
hubs etc. one must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel
brakes is not reduced otherwise the braking system could run too
hot.
•Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full
braking efficiency until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake
pads must be first “run in” before they develop their optimal fric-
tion force. You can, however, compensate for this slightly reduced
braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal. This
guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future
date.

Intelligent Technology
174
Note
•A warning light comes on if a fault occurs in the ABS system
⇒ page 34.
•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 ABS
⇒ page 226.
Brake Assist*
During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake
Assist increases the braking force and thus makes it possible to rapidly
produce the pressure required in the brake system.
The majority of drivers do apply the brakes in good time in dangerous situ-
ations, but do not depress the brake pedal with sufficient pressure. Conse-
quently, it is not possible for the car to achieve its maximum deceleration
and the car covers a greater distance than necessary. The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake
pedal. In such cases, a much greater braking pressure exists than during
a normal brake application. This makes it possible, even with a relatively
low resistance of the brake pedal, to produce an adequate pressure in the
brake system in the shortest possible time, which is required for maximum
deceleration of the car. You must apply the brake pedal firmly and hold it
in this position in order to achieve the shortest possible braking distance.
The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in
emergency situations by rapidly producing the pressure required in the
brake system. It fully exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release
the brake pedal, the function of the Brake Assist is automatically switched
off and the brakes operate in the normal way.
The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If a fault occurs in the ESP,
the Brake Assist function is also not available. Further information on the
ESP
⇒page 169.
Power steering
Power steering assists the driver in steering the vehicle and reduces the
physical force needed for steering.
WARNING
•The ABS can also not overcome the physical limits of your
vehicle. Please do not forget this, particularly when driving on icy
or wet road surfaces. If the ABS is operating within the control
range, adapt your speed immediately to the conditions of the road
surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered by
the ABS must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise -
risk of an accident!
•The normal braking system is still fully functional if there is an
ABS fault. Visit a Skoda dealer as quickly as possible and adjust
your style of driving to take account of the ABS fault in the mean-
time since you will not know how great the damage is.
WARNING
•The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical
limits of your car in terms of the braking distance required.
•Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to
the traffic situation.
•The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not
tempt you to take a greater safety risk than otherwise.

Driving and the Environment177
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
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, and also 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 198,
“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 207,
“Replenishing engine oil”. – Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50
metres ⇒page 239, “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 Environment179
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Driving in an economical and
environmentally conscious manner
General
Your personal style of driving is a major factor.
Your fuel consumption, any pollution of the environmental and the wear-
and-tear to the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three
factors:
•your personal style of driving
•the conditions under which your vehicle is operated
•technical aspects.
You can easily improve your fuel economy by 0 - 15 percent by driving in
an economical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you
with a number of tips on how to protect the environment and at the same
time save money.
The fuel consumption can naturally also be influenced by factors which
are beyond the driver'scontrol. It is, for example, normal for the fuel
consumption to increase in winter and under worsened conditions such as
poor road conditions, towing a trailer, etc.
The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of
the vehicle have already been built into the vehicle at the works. Special
attention has been given to minimising negative effects on the environ-
ment. It is necessary to take note of the guidelines given in this chapter in
order to make best use of these characteristics and to maintain their
effectiveness.
Looking ahead when driving
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.
Avoid accelerating and braking unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight
you will not need to brake so often and will also then not have to accel-
erate so much. Let your vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this is
possible, when you see that the next set of traffic lights is at red.
Shifting gears and saving energy
Shifting up early saves on fuel.
Manual gearbox
– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear. Shift up into the next higher gear at about 2 000 revs.
Fig. 147 Fuel
consumption in
litres/100 km. and
speed in km/h.

Towing a trailer185
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Tyre inflation pressure
Select the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for that of “fully laden”,
⇒
page 220. The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to the trailer adjust
in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation.
Exterior mirrors
You have to have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see
the traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exte-
rior mirrors should be attached to folding arms. Adjust the mirrors so that
they provide you with an adequate field of view to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the head-
lights. Alter the setting as necessary with the aid of the headlight beam
adjuster ⇒page 58.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing
device. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare
wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Further information on the towing device ⇒page 186.
Note
•We recommend that you also have your vehicle inspected between
service intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.
•The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling
and decoupling the trailer.
Driving Tips
Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.
– Do not, as far as possible, drive with your vehicle unladen and the trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.
– Keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if the outside temperature is high.
Distribution of weight
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and
the trailer is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid
driving with this combination.
Driving speed
Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies
for countries in which higher speeds are allowed.
The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination
reduces with increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed
should not be used when there are unfavourable road, weather or wind
conditions, particularly near accident black spots.
You must always reduce your speed immediately as soon as you detect
even just the slightest swaying of the trailer. On no account attempt to
stop the trailer from “swaying” by accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake,
apply the brakes gently at first, then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts
resulting from the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time

Inspecting and Replenishing211
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 203.
– Pull off the rubber seal ⇒fig. 158 partially away and lift the
cover slightly.
– Inspect the brake fluid level at the reservoir . The level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings. The markings are
indicated on the side of the reservoir.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-
tear and automatic adjustment of the brake pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the
fluid level drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the
“MIN” marking. A situation where the brake fluid level is too low is indi-
cated by the warning light
 lighting up in the instrument cluster
⇒ page 35. You should drive carefully and immediately to the nearest
Škoda Dealer and have the brake system inspected.
Replacing brake fluid
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. This causes the fluid to absorb moisture
from the surrounding air over a period of time. Excessive water in the
brake fluid may be the cause of corrosion in the brake system. The water
content also lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid. This is why brake
fluid must be replaced every two years.
One may only use new genuine brake fluid from Skoda Auto. The specifi-
cation for the brake fluid is “FMVSS 116 DOT 4”.
We recommend that you have the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda Dealer
as part of an Inspection Service.
Caution
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
In view of the problems involved with proper disposal of brake fluid, the
special tools and the professional knowledge required, you should have
the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda dealer.
AB
AC
AA
WARNING
•Using old brake fluid can result in severe stress on the brakes
because of the formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system.
This greatly impairs the braking efficiency and thus also the safety
of your vehicle.
•Brake fluid is toxic! It must therefore be kept safely in closed
original containers and well away from children and unauthorized
persons.