Wheels and Tyres
220
Tyre life
The life of your tyres very much depends on the following points: Tyre inflation pressure
The working life of tyres will be shortened considerably if the tyres are
insufficiently or over-inflated and this will have an adverse effect on the
handling of your vehicle.
Check the inflation pressure of the tyres at least once a month. The tyre
inflation pressures for
summer tyres are indicated on the inside of the
fuel filler flap ⇒fig. 164 . The inflation pressures for winter tyres are 0.2
bar higher than those for summer tyres ⇒page 224.
Correctly inflated tyres are of particular importance when travelling at high
speeds. It is therefore good to check the pressure at least once a month
and also before setting off on a long trip. Please do not forget the spare
wheel when checking the tyres.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your
vehicle at all times.
On cars with full wheel trim, valve extensions are fitted in place of dust
caps ⇒fig. 165 . It is not necessary to unscrew the valve extensions in
order to check and alter the inflation pressure of the tyre.
Driving style
Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking (squealing tyres) increase
wear-and-tear on your tyres.
Balancing wheels
The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. There are a wide range of influ-
ences when driving which may result in an imbalance and which makes
themselves felt through vibration in the steering.
You should have the wheels rebalanced since any imbalance increases
wear-and-tear on the steering, the suspension and tyres. A wheel must
also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted and each time a tyre is
repaired.
Fig. 164 An opened
fuel filler flap with the
tyre inflation pressure
table
Fig. 165 Wheel with
full trim and extended
valve
Wheels and Tyres221
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Wheel alignment errors
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front and rear will not only increase wear-
and-tear on the tyres but will also has an adverse effect on vehicle safety.
Contact your Škoda dealer if you notice any unusual tyre wear.
For the sake of
the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Wear indicators
The base of the tread of the original tyres has wear indicators 1.6 mm
high, installed at right angles to the direction of travel. These wear indica-
tors are located at 6 to 8 points depending on the make and are evenly
spaced around the circumference of the tyre ⇒fig. 166 . Markings on the
walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI” or triangular symbols identify
the position of the wear indicators.
A remaining tread of just 1.6 mm, measured in the grooves of the tread
next to the wear indicators, means that your tyres have reached their
legally permissible minimum tread depth.
WARNING
If the inflation pressure is too low, the tyre must perform a greater
flexing work. At higher speeds the tyre will warm up as a result of
this. This can result in tread separation and even a tyre blowout.
Fig. 166 Tyre tread
with wear indicators
WARNING
•You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest
when the wear indicators have been worn down. The legally
permissible minimum tread de pth should be observed.
•Worn tyres do not provide the necessary adhesion to the road
surface at high speeds on wet roads. One could experience “aqua-
planing” (uncontrolled movements of the vehicle - “swimming” on
a wet road surface).
Breakdown assistance229
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Spare wheel
The spare wheel is stowed in the spare wheel well in the
luggage compartment below the floor covering.
The spare wheel lies in a well under the luggage compartment floor and
is fixed in place using special screws ⇒fig. 172 . One should check the air pressure in the spare wheel (at best when
generally checking the tyre air pressures - see sign on the fuel filler flap)
to ensure that the spare wheel is always ready to use.
Unidirectional tyres*
If you have such tyres on your vehicle, please refer to the notes below:
•The spare wheel provided with a car fitted with unidirectional tyres has
different dimensions. The wheel is provided with a warning sticker.
•After fitting on the wheel, the warning sticker must not be concealed
(e.g. by the wheel trim).
•Do not drive with this spare wheel at more than 80 km/h - risk of acci-
dent. Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
•The inflation pressure for this spare wheel is identical to the inflation
pressure of the standard tyres.
•Use this spare wheel only to reach the nearest service station as it is
not intended for continuous use.
Changing a wheel
Preliminary work
The following steps should be carried out before actually
changing the wheel.
– If it is necessary to change a wheel, park the vehicle as far away as possible from the traffic flow. The place you choose
should be level.
WARNING
•The hexagon socket in the handle of the screwdriver is used for
fitting on the wheel bolts. Neve r use it for tightening the wheel
bolts because you will not be able to achieve the necessary tight-
ening torque with this tool - risk of accident!
•The factory-supplied lifting jack is only intended for your model
of vehicle. On no account attempt to lift a heavier vehicle or other
loads - risk of injury!
Fig. 172 Luggage
compartment: Spare
wheel
General249
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Technical Data
General
Vehicle identification data
Vehicle data sticker
The vehicle data sticker ⇒fig. 192 is located on the floor of the luggage
compartment and is also stated in the Service Schedule.
The vehicle data sticker contains the following vehicle data:
Vehicle identification number
Vehicle type
Gearbox code, paint number, interior equipment number, engine
output, engine code
Optional equipment Vehicle identification number (vehicle body number)
The vehicle identification number is stamped in the rear cross panel of the
engine compartment and is also indicated below the windscreen on the
left in the driver area.
Engine number
The engine number is stamped into the engine block.
Ty p e p l a t e
The type plate is affixed to the rear cross panel in the engine compartment
on the right looking in the direction of travel.
Vehicles for certain export countries do not have a type plate.
Stickers on inside of fuel filler flap
The stickers are affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap and contain the
following data:•The prescribed types of fuel
•Tyre size
•Tyre pressure
Note
•You will find the technical data of your vehicle in the separate brochure
"Technical Data".
•Please note that the information stated in the official vehicle regis-
tration documents always takes priority.
Fig. 192 Vehicle data
sticker
A1
A2
A3
A4
Index255
Starting engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
after fuel tank has run empty . . . . . . . . . 117
Diesel engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Petrol engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Storage compartment Door trim panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Storage drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Stowage compartment below steering wheel 98
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Switch on the driver's door Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Switching the engine off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
T
Taking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
TCS Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
The air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
The armrest at the rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
The automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . 64 The battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
disconnecting and connecting . . . . . . . . 216
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . . 214
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
The electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 39
The radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Thickness of brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Through-loading bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Towing a vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Towing eye at the front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
at the rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Tow-starting a vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Tow-starting and towing vehicle Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Traction Control System Operating principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Driving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
technical aspects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Transporting children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Trip counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Turn signal system for vehicles towing a trailer
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Turn signals Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Two-way radio sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Two-way radio systems mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Type plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
U
Underbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
V
Vanity mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Vehicle electrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
W
Warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Warning symbols on the instrument cluster . . 28
Warning triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
WashingWash systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
with high-pressure cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 191