2003 SKODA SUPERB winter tyres

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!

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.

Driving and the Environment
182
Avoid driving short distances
Short distances result in an above-average high fuel
consumption.
– Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is
cold.
The engine and catalytic converter must first have reached their optimal
operating temperature in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption
and pollutant emissions.
The cold engine of a mid-range vehicle consumes 30 - 40 litres/100 km.
of fuel immediately after starting. Fuel consumption drops to 20 litres/100
km. after just 1 kilometre. The engine reaches its operating temperature
only after about four kilometres and the fuel consumption then stabilizes.
You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible.
An important factor in this connection is also the ambient temperature.
The ⇒fig. 149 shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the one hand at +20°C and on the other hand at -10°C. Your
vehicle has a higher fuel consumption in winter than in summer.
Checking tyre inflation pressures
Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.
Always ensure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure at all
times. The rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is
too low. This will not only increase fuel consumption but also tyre wear
and the driving behaviour will worsen.
Always check the inflation pressure of the tyres when
cold.
Do not drive with winter tyres all year round for this costs about 10 %
more fuel. Winter tyres are also louder.
No unnecessary ballast
Transporting ballast costs fuel.
The fact that every kilogram of extra weight increases your fuel consump-
tion means that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to
avoid transporting any unnecessary ballast.
It is particularly in town trafffic, when one is accelerating quite often, that
the vehicle weight will have a significant effect upon the fuel consumption.
A rule of thumb here is that an increase in weight of 100 kilograms will
cause an increase in fuel consumption of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.
You may frequently also leave a roof rack fitted on just out of conven-
ience, although you no longer need it. The increased aerodynamic drag of
your vehicle causes it to use about 1 litre more fuel than normal at a speed
of 100 - 120 km/h, even when you are not carrying a load on the roof.
Fig. 149 Fuel
consumption in
litres/100 km at
different temperatures

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 Tyres223
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The following
speed restrictions apply to tyres.
The date of manufacture is also stated on the tyre wall (possibly only on
the inside of wheel):
DOT ... 30 01...
means, for example, that the tyre was manufactured in the 30th week of
the year 2001.
Any spare wheel which differs from the tyres fitted to the vehicle (e.g.
winter tyres or low-profile tyres) should only be used only for a short time
in the event of a puncture and when adopting an appropriately cautious
style of driving. It should be replaced as quickly as possible by a normal
wheel.
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of in conformity with the appropriate regula-
tions.
Note
It is not normally possible to fit wheels from other models of cars for tech-
nical reasons. This may also apply in certain circumstances to the wheels
of the same type of vehicle.
Wheel bolts
Wheels and wheel bolts are matched to each other in terms of design.
Each time you fit other wheels - e.g. light alloy wheels or wheels with
winter tyres - you must therefore also use the matching wheel bolts of the
Speed symbolPermissible maximum speed
S180 km/h
T190 km/h
H210 km/h
V240 km/h
W270 km/h
Y300 km/h
WARNING
•Only use those tyres or wheel rims which have been approved
for your model of Škoda Auto vehicle. Failure to observe this
instruction will adversely affect the road safety of your vehicle -
risk of accident! Approval and licencing of your vehicle on public
roads may also become void as a result.
WARNING (continued)
•You must on no account drive at a higher speed than is permis-
sible for your tyres - risk of an accident resulting from tyre damage
and loss of control over your vehicle.
•Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in
exceptional cases and when adopting an appropriately cautious
style of driving.
•Never fit tyres which have already been used without having
adequate knowledge of their previous history. Tyres age even if
they have not been used at all or only very little. A spare tyre must
only be used in exceptional cases and only then when adopting an
appropriately cautious style of driving.
•Do not, where possible, replace individual tyres but at least
replace them on both wheels of a given axle at the same time.
Always fit the tyres with the deeper tread depth to the front wheels.

Wheels and Tyres
224
correct length and shape of spherical cap. This is essential to ensure that
the wheels are tightly fitted and that the brake system operates properly.
If you retrofit wheel trims (or have this done), please also ensure that an
adequate flow of air remains assured for cooling the brake system.
Škoda dealers are instructed in the technical possibilities which exist
regarding converting or retrofitting wheels, tyres and wheel trim.
The wheel bolts must be clean and must turn easily.
Winter tyres
The handling of your vehicle will be significantly improved when driving on
wintry roads and at temperatures below 7 °C if you fit winter tyres.
Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice and snow because of their
construction (width, rubber blend, tread pattern). This applies in particular
to vehicles which are equipped with low-profile tyres or high-speed
tyres (code index V, W or Y on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four wheels to obtain the best
handling characteristics.
Only use radial winter tyres.
You must only fit those types of winter tyre which are approved for your
vehicle. The permissible sizes of winter tyres are stated in your vehicle
documents. Approvals may differ because of national legislation.
Please remember that the tyres should be inflated to 0.2 bar more than is
the case for summer tyres ⇒page 220.
Winter tyres no longer offer the same winter performance once the tyre
tread has worn down to a depth of about 4 mm.
Ageing also causes winter tyres to lose most of their winter performance
properties - even in cases where the remaining tread depth is still clearly
more than 4 mm. Speed restrictions
apply to winter tyres as well as to summer tyres
⇒ .
You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed category to your vehicle provided
that you also do not drive faster than the permissible maximum speed for
such tyres, even if the possible maximum speed of your vehicle is higher.
Exceeding the speed category of the tyre can lead to damage occurring.
Please pay attention to the notes if you decide to fit winter tyres
⇒ page 219.
You can also fit so-called “all-weather tyres” instead of winter tyres.
Please contact your Škoda dealer If there are any points which are not
clear who will be able to provide you with information regarding the
maximum speed fo r your tyres.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres on again in good time since summer tyres offer you
better grip and handling on roads which are free of snow and ice - the
braking distance is shorter, there is less tyre noise, tyre wear is reduced
and fuel consumption is reduced.
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.
WARNING
You must on no account drive your car at more than the permis-
sible maximum speed for your winter tyres - risk of an accident
resulting from tyre damage and loss of control over your car.

Index
254
Multifunction steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Operating cruise control system . . . . . . 130
Operation of radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Multi-functional indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
N
Natural leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Navigation system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 135
O
Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Onboard computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Open door Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Opening a single door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Operation in winter Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
De-icing windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
The battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Overview of the engine compartment . . . . . 204
P
Paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Paint damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Parking light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Parking lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93, 94
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Power windows
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Operational problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Switch on the driver's door . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Switches in front passenger door and in rear doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
R
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Rear window heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Rear-view mirror Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Interior rear-view mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Recirculated air mode Heating and ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Emergency release of fuel filler flap . . . 201
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Synchronisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Replacing fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Roof aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Running in the car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
S
Safety instructions Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Safety wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Saving energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Seat belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138, 143 Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Blocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fasten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Seat heaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Service Interval Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Service key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Setting temperature The air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . 103
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Shifting gears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Ski bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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