2003 SKODA SUPERB ESP

Intelligent Technology
170
The ESP warning light ⇒page 34 lights up in the instrument cluster when
there is a fault on the ESP.
Switching off
You can switch the ESP off and on again as you wish, by pressing the
button ⇒page 169, fig. 145 . The ESP warning light ⇒page 34 lights up
in the instrument cluster when the ESP is switched off.
The ESP should normally always be switched on. It may be good practice
to switch the system off only in particular exceptional situations if you
desire wheel slip.
Examples:
•when driving with snow chains
•when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface
•when it is necessary to rock a car free when it has become stuck
then you should switch on the ESP again.
Note
•All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve
problem-free operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circumferences of the
tyres can lead to an undesirable reduction in the engine output.
•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 ESP
⇒ page 226.
Traction control system (TCS)*
The traction control system prevents the driven wheels
from spinning when accelerating.
General
The TCS makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off,
accelerate and climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface
are unfavourable.
Operating principle
The TCS switches on automatically when the engine is started and then
conducts a self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels
with the aid of the ABS sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force trans-
WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits
of the vehicle. Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still
always adapt your style of driving to the condition of the road
surface and the traffic situation. This particularly applies when
driving on slippery and wet roads. The increased safety offered
must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an
accident!
Fig. 146 TCS switch

Intelligent Technology
172
The EDL switches on again automatically as soon as the brake has cooled
down.
Note
•If the ABS warning light comes on, this may also indicate a fault in the
EDL. Please have the vehicle inspected as soon as possible by a Škoda
dealer.
•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 EDL
⇒ page 226.
Brakes
What has a negative effect on braking efficiency?
Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pads is greatly dependent on the operating
conditions of the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive
a great deal in towns and over short distances or if you adopt a sporty style of driving, it may be necessary to have the thickness of the brake pads
inspected at a Škoda Dealer between the service inspections.
Wet roads or road salt
There may be a certain delay before the brakes take full effect under
certain conditions such as when driving through water, during heavy rain
showers or after the vehicle has been washed in an automatic vehicle
wash, since the brake discs and brake pads may be moist or even have a
coating of ice on them in winter. You should dry the brakes as soon as
possible (by applying and releasing the brakes several times, if the road
conditions and the traffic situation allows it).
There also may be a certain delay before the full braking efficiency is
available when driving on roads which have been treated with road salt if
you have not used the brakes for some considerable time beforehand.
The layer of salt on the brake discs and brake pads must first be rubbed
off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firmly applying the brakes at
a fairly high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or
if surface corrosion is present
⇒.
Faults in the brake surface
The brake booster operates using vacuum which is only generated
when the engine is running. This is why you should not drive off with
engine switched off!
The brake pedal has to be depressed with a significantly greater force if
the brake booster is not operating because the vehicle has to be towed or
because there is damage to the brake booster, in order to balance out the
missing brake boosting effect.
If you notice that the braking distance has suddenly become longer and
that the brake pedal can be depressed further, it is possible that a brake
circuit of the dual-circuit brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to
the nearest Škoda dealer without delay in order to have the problem recti-
WARNING
•Depress the accelerator carefully when accelerating on
uniformly slippery road surfaces, such as ice and snow. The driven
wheels might still spin despite the EDL and affect the stability of
the vehicle - risk of an accident!
•You should always adapt your style of driving to the condition
of road surface and to the traffic situation even when your vehicle
is fitted with EDL. The increased safety offered must not tempt you
to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!

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.

Accessories, changes and replacement of parts
226
Accessories, changes an d replacement of parts
General
Škoda vehicles have been built according to the latest discoveries in
safety engineering. Thus one should not change the condition in which the
vehicle was delivered from the manufacturer without some thought.
The following guidelines should be observed when a vehicle is to be retro-
fitted with accessories, have technical changes made to it or a part has to
be replaced at some time in the future.
•Advise should always be obtained from a Škoda dealer before buying
any accessories and before making any technical changes ⇒.
•This is particularly the case when accessories are bought in a foreign
country.
•Skoda accessories which have been released for use and original
Škoda parts can be obtained from Škoda dealers. They will install them
professionally and correctly.
•All original accessories which are listed in the catalogue such as tilting
roofs, spoilers, wheels etc. must have an official stamp of approval.
•Radios, aerials and other electrical accessories should only be
installed by an authorised workshop.
•The guidelines issued by Škoda Auto must be observed when making
technical changes.
•This is to ensure that no technical damage occurs to the vehicle, that
travelling and operating safety are maintained and that the chnages are
permissible. Škoda dealers undertake this work professionally or refer it
to an specialist company in special cases.
Any damage which is done caused by technical changes made
without consulting a Škoda Auto is excluded from the warranty.
WARNING
•We advise you, in your own interest, to only use Škoda acces-
sories and original Skoda parts which have been expressly
approved for use on your Škoda. Reliability, safety and suitabiliity
have been established for these parts.
•We cannot guarantee suitability of installation into your vehicle
of other products despite keeping a constant eye on market devel-
opments (also not in the case where there is an attestation or
permission can be produced).

Fuses and light bulbs
242
Caution
•Never attempt to “repair” fuses and also do not replace them with a
fuse of a higher amperage - risk of fire! This may also cause damage at
another part of the electrical system.
•Have the electrical system checked as quickly as possible by a Škoda
dealer if a newly inserted fuse blows again after a short time.
Fuse assignment
Certain electrical components are only standard on certain vehicle model
versions or only suppliable as optional equipment for certain models.
Fig. 183 Schematic
representation of fuse
carrier
No.Amperes
1Heatable windscreen washing nozzles5
2Turn signals10
3Not assigned
4Licence plate light5
5
Instrument cluster - warning lights, seat heaters, cruise
control system, exterior mirror adjustment, lighting of
controls and switches, outside temperature display, air
conditioning, audible parking aid, navigation system,
multifunction steering wheel
10
6Heating of the external mirror5
7ABS, EDS, ASR, ESP, cruise control system, engine
electronics10
8Automatic headlight beam adjustment5
9Parking aid5
10CD changer, mobile phone, multifunction steering
wheel5
11Electrically adjustable seats5
12Power supply for diagnostic socket10
13Brake lights10
14Central locking control unit, interior lighting10
15Instrument cluster, air conditioning, automatic gearbox,
exterior mirror adjustment memory and navigation sys-
tem10
16ESP5
17Two-way radio system, special vehicles (police etc.)10

Fuses and light bulbs243
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The power windows and the power seats are protected by
automatic
circuit breakers which switch on again automatically after a few seconds
after the overload has been eliminated - e.g. frozen windows.
Bulbs
Changing bulbs
The relevant lamp must always be switched off before a light bulb is
replaced.
Do not take hold of the glass bulb with naked fingers (even the smallest
amount of dirt reduces the working life of the light bulb). Use a clean cloth,
serviette or something similar.
Defect light bulbs should only be replaced with light bulbs of the same
type. The designation is located on the light socket or the glass bulb.
Changing certain bulbs is not something which you can do yourself, but
requires to be done by a specialist. Other parts of the vehcle must be
18Right main beam10
19Left main beam10
20Low beam on the right15
21Low beam on the left15
22Parking light on the right5
23Parking light on the left5
24Windscreen washer system, windscreen wiper pump
and intermittent switch25
25Fan for fresh air, the air conditioning unit, Climatronic30
26Rear window heating, recirculated air mode30
27Not assigned
28Fuel pump, diesel additional pump20
29Engine control20
30Electric sliding/tilting roof20
31Reversing lights, cruise control system, automatic
gearbox, automatic dimming interior mirror15
32Engine control, cruise control system20
33Cigarette lighter15
34Engine control15
35Trailer socket30
36Fog lights15
37Radio, navigation 20
38Central locking system15
No.Amperes
39Hazard warning light system15
40Horn25
41Not assigned
42ESP25
43Engine control15
44Seat heaters30
No.Amperes

Index
252
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Attaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Child seat protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Classification into groups . . . . . . . . . . . 161
on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . 158
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Use of child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Climatronic Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Blower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
economic use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Keeping windows demisted . . . . . . . . . . 109
Operational problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Recirculated air mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Setting temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Climatronic (automatic air conditioning) . . . 107
Clothes hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Cockpit An overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Coming Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Convenience operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Converting/masking over headlights . . . . . . 178
Cool box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 208 replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Coolant temperature/coolant level
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
D
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Defrosting windows The air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . 104
De-icing windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Detachable towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Direction indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Doors Child safety locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Drinks can holder at the front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
at the rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Driving economically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Dynamo Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
E
EDLSee Electronic Differential Lock . . . . . . . . 34 Electric sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Electronic Differential Lock
Operating principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Electronic stability programme Operating principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Electronic stability programme (ESP) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Emergency key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Emergency operation Fuel filler flap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Engine compartment Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine electronics EPC warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Engine revolutions counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Environmental compatibility . . . . . . . . . 179, 183
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
F
First-aid box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 31
For the first 1 500 kilometres . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Front armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Škoda Auto is constantly working on the further development of all types and models. Please understand that, for this reason, chan-
ges to the scope of supply in terms of shape, equipment and engineering may be introduced at any time. It is therefore not possible
to derive any claims from the information, illustrations and descriptions contained in this Owner ´s Manual .
Reprinting, reproduction, translation or any other use of this document, in whole or in parts, is not permitted without the written
consent of Škoda Auto.
Škoda Auto expressly reserves all rights in respect of copyright.
Subject to modification.
Published by
ŠKODA AUTO a.s.
© ŠKODA AUTO a.s. 2003