2004 SKODA FABIA engine

Inspecting and Replenishing193
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The battery
Working on the battery
The battery is located in the engine compartment below a cover*.
– Pull off the catch on the side of the battery cover , place the
battery cover at about 45° and remove the battery cover in
direction ⇒fig. 142.
– Pull off the catch on the side of the battery cover and swing the battery cover in the direction ⇒fig. 143 .
– The installtion of the battery cover takes place in the reverse order.
Removal and installation of the battery is not recommended since it can,
under certain circumstances, lead to major damage to the battery and
fuse boxes. Please contact your Škoda dealer.
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and burns when carrying out
any work on the battery and on the electrical system. It is essential to
comply with the warning instructions stated below ⇒ and with the
general applicable rules of safety.
WARNING
•The battery acid is strongly corrosive and must, therefore, be
handled with the greatest of care. Always wear protective gloves,
eye and skin protection when handling batteries. Corrosive fumes
in the air irritate the air passages and lead to conjunctivitis and
inflammation of the air passages in the lungs. Battery acid
corrodes dental enamel and creates deep wounds after contact
with the skin which take a long time to heal. Repeated contact with
diluted acids causes skin diseases (inflammations, ulcers, slin
cracks). Acids coming into contact with water are diluted accompa-
nied by significant development of heat.
•Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out
of the battery vent openings. Protect the eyes with safety glasses
Fig. 142 Engine
compartment: The
battery
Fig. 143 The battery:
Open up the cover
A1
AA
A2
AB

Inspecting and Replenishing
194
or a shield! There is the danger of suffering blindness! If any
battery electrolyte gets into your eye, rinse out your eye immedi-
ately with clear water for severa l minutes. Contact a doctor without
delay.
•Splashes of acid on your skin or clothes should be neutralised
as soon as possible using soap suds and then rinsed with plenty
of water. Contact a doctor immediately if you swallow battery elec-
trolyte.
•Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
•Hydrogen is released when you charge a battery and a highly
explosive gas mixture is produced. An explosion can be caused
through sparkling over during unclamping or loosening of the
cable plug while the ignition is on.
•Bridging of the poles will create a short circuit (e.g. through
metal objects, cables). Possible consequences of a short circuit:
Melting of lead struts, explosion and burning of the battery, jets of
acid spurting out.
•It is prohibited to work with a naked flame and light, to smoke or
to carry out any activities which produce sparks. Avoid creating
sparks when working with cables and electrical devices. Strong
sparking represents a risk of injury.
•Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch
off the engine, the ignition as well as all electrical components and
disconnect the negative cable (-) on the battery (please pay atten-
tion to the following instructions ⇒page 196). If you wish to
replace a bulb it is sufficient to switch off the appropriate light.
•Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and
caustic burns. Replace a frozen battery.
•Never use a battery which is damaged - risk of explosion! Imme-
diately replace a damaged battery.
Caution
•You must only disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched on,
otherwise the electrical system (electronic components) of the vehicle
may be damaged. When disconnecting the battery from the electrical
system of the vehicle, first disconnect the negative terminal (-) of the
battery. Then disconnect the positive terminal (+).
•When reconnecting the battery, first connect the positive terminal (+)
and only then the negative terminal (-) of the battery. You must on no
account connect the cables wrongly - risk of a cable fire.
•Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the vehicle
body otherwise damage could occur to the paintwork.
•Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the battery
housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
For the sake of the environment
A removed battery is a special type of waste which is harmful to the envi-
ronment - contact your Škoda dealer regarding disposing of the battery.
Note
Please also refer to the guidelines ⇒page 196, “Disconnecting and
reconnecting the battery”, also after connecting the battery.
WARNING (continued)

Inspecting and Replenishing
196
Charging the battery
A properly charged battery is essential for reliably starting
the engine.
– Read the warning notes ⇒ in “Working on the battery” on
page 193 and ⇒.
– Switch the ignition and all electrical components off.
– Only for “quick-charging”: Disconnect both battery cables (first of all “negative”, then “positive”).
– Carefully attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals (red = “positive”, black = “negative”).
– You can now plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket and switch on the charger.
– When charging is completed: switch the charger off and unplug the mains cable from the power socket.
– Only then should you disconnect the terminal clamps of the charger.
– Reconnect the cables to the battery (first of all “positive”, then “negative”).
It is not normally necessary to disconnect the cables of the battery if you
recharge the battery using low amperages (as for example from a mini-
charger ). Please also refer to the instructions from the charger manufac-
turer.
A charging current of 0.1 of the total battery capacity (or lower) is that
which should be used until full charging is achieved. It is, however, necessary to disconnect both cables before charging the
battery with high amperages, so-called “
quick-charging”.
“Quick-charging” a battery is dangerous ⇒ in “Working on the battery”
on page 193. It requires a special charger and appropriate knowledge. We
therefore recommend that you have your battery quick-charged only by
your Škoda dealer.
A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0°C.
If a battery is frozen, it is essential that it is first of all thawed out before
being charged ⇒. We recommend that you no longer use a battery
which has thawed out because the casing of the battery may be cracked
through the formation of ice and this would allow battery electrolyte to flow
out.
The vent plugs of the battery should not be opened for charging.
WARNING
Never charge a battery which is frozen - risk of explosion!
Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery
On disconnecting and reconnecting the battery the following functions are
initially deactivated or are no longer able to operate fault-free.

Inspecting and Replenishing197
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
We recommend having the vehicle checked by a Škoda dealer to ensure
full functionality of all electrical systems.
Replacing the battery
You should only replace a battery with a new battery of the same capacity,
voltage (12 V), amperage and of the same size. Škoda dealers have a
range of suitable batteries available.
We recommend that you only have an old battery disposed of by your
Škoda dealer since it does require special disposal.
For the sake of
the environment
Batteries contain poisonous substances such as sulphuric acid and lead.
They must be disposed of in accordance with local environmental protec-
tion regulations and on no account as domestic waste.
Windscreen Wiper and Washer System
The windshield washer reservoir contains the cleaning fluid for the wind-
screen or rear window and for the headlamp cleaning system*. The reser-
voir is located at the front left of the engine compartment ⇒fig. 145 .
The filling level of the container is 2 litres, 5.5 litres on vehicles which also
have a headlight washing system.
Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and head-
lights. We therefore recommend using clean washing water together with
the screen cleaner from Škoda genuine accessories (in winter additionally
with antifreeze) which is capable of removing stubborn dirt. Follow the
instructions for use on the packaging when using screen cleaning prod-
ucts.
You should always add antifreeze to the cleaning water in winter even if
your vehicle is fitted with heated windscreen washer nozzles*.
It is also possible in exceptional cases to use methylated spirits when no
screen cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methyl-
OperationOperating measure
Electrical power window (operational faults) ⇒ page 50
Enter radio code numbersee Radio Operating
Instructions
Setting clock⇒page 16
Data in the multi-functional indicator* are
deleted.⇒page 17
Fig. 145 Engine
compartment: Wind-
shield washer fluid
reservoir

Inspecting and Replenishing
198
ated spirits must not be more than 15 %. Please note, however, that the
antifreeze protection at this concentration is only adequate down to -5°C.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 183 before working in
the engine compartment.
Caution
•On no account should you add radiator antifreeze or other additives to
the windscreen washer fluid.
•If the vehicle is fitted with headlight cleaning system, you should only
add cleaning products which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of
the headlights to the windscreen washer fluid. Please contact your Škoda
dealer, who will tell you which cleaning agent you can use.
Note
Do not take the filter out of the windscreen wash container when filling it
up again with liquid otherwise dirt can get into the liquid transportation
system and can lead to faults in operation of the windscreen wash
system.

Accessories, changes and replacement of parts
206
Accessories, changes an d replacement of parts
Accessories and replacement parts
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.
•Škoda accessories which have been released for use and original
Skoda parts can be obtained from Škoda dealers. They will install them
professionally and correctly.
•All Škoda 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 Genuine
Accessories and Škoda original parts which have been expressly
approved for use on your Škoda. Reliability, safety and suitabiliity
have been established for these Škoda original 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).
Technical changes
Interference on the electronic components and their software can lead to
operational faults. This interference can also impair not directly affected
systems because of the networking of the electronic components. This
means that the operating safety of your vehicle can be considerably jeop-
ardized, a greater wear of vehicle parts can occur and finally the vehicle
registration documents expire.
We trust that you will understand that your Škoda dealer cannot be liable
for damage resulting from unprofessional work.
We therefore recommend that you have all work carried out with Škoda
original parts at your authorised Škoda dealer.

Breakdown assistance213
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
– If a trailer is coupled, uncouple it.
– Take the vehicle tool kit and the spare wheel ⇒ page 210
out of the luggage compartment.
WARNING
•If you find yourself in flowing traffic switch on the hazard
warning lights system and place the warning triangle on the side of
the road at the prescribed distance from your vehicle while
observing all national legal provisions. In this way you are
protecting not only yourself but also other road users.
•Never start the engine with the vehicle sitting on the raised jack
- danger of suffering injury!
Caution
If you have to change a wheel on a slope first block the opposite wheel
with a stone or similar object in order to secure the vehicle from unexpect-
edly rolling away.
Note
Comply with the national legal regulations.
Changing a wheel
Always change a wheel on a level surface as far as possible.
– Take off the full wheel trim* ⇒page 214 or the caps
⇒ page 215. – In the case of light alloy wheels remove the wheel trim cap
⇒page 215.
– Slacken the wheel bolts ⇒page 216.
– Jack up the vehicle until the wheel to be changed is clear of the ground ⇒page 216.
– Unscrew the wheel bolts and place them on a clean surface (cloth, paper etc.).
– Take off the wheel.
– Fit on the spare wheel and tighten the wheel bolts slightly.
– Lower the car.
– Tighten the wheel bolts firmly, alternately and diagonally using the wheel wrench ⇒page 216.
– Mount the full wheel trim/wheel trim cap or the caps.
Note
•All bolts must be clean and must turn easily.
•You must never grease or oil the wheel bolts!
•When fitting on unidirectional tyres, ensure that the tyres rotate in the
correct direction ⇒page 199.
Subsequent steps
After changing the wheel, you must perform the following steps.

Breakdown assistance217
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
– Position the lifting jack by selecting the jacking point - lower sill
- which is closest to the wheel to be removed ⇒page 216,
fig. 157.
– Position the lifting jack below the jacking point and move it up until its claw is positioned directly below the vertical web of the
lower sill.
– Align the lifting jack so that its claw grasps the web of the lower sill and the moving base plate of the jack is resting flat
against firm ground.
– Turn the lifting jack up further until the wheel is just clear of the ground.
Ground below the lifting jack which is soft and slippery can cause the
vehicle to slip off the jack. It is therefore always necessary to place the
lifting jack on a solid surface or use a wide and stable base. Use a non-
slip base (e.g. a rubber foot mat) if the surface is smooth, such as
cobbled stones, a tiled floor,etc.
WARNING
•Always raise the vehicle with th e doors closed - risk of injury.
•Take suitable measures to prevent the base of the lifting jack
from slipping off - risk of injury!
•Place the lifting jack only on a solid and even surface.
•Not positioning the lifting jack at the specified points can result
in damage to the vehicle. The jack can also slip off if it does not
have sufficient grip - risk of injury!
•Never start the engine if the vehicle is lifted - risk of accident.
•Never lie under the vehicle if the vehicle is only lifted with the
vehicle lifting jack.
•It is important to support the vehicle with suitable supporting
blocks if you wish to work under the lifted vehicle - risk of injury!
Securing wheels against being stolen*
You need a special adapter for slackening the safety
wheel bolts.
– Pull off the full wheel trim/cap from the wheel hub or cap from the safety wheel bolt.
– Push the adapter with its toothed side into the inner toothing of the safety wheel bolt right down in such a way
that only the outer hexagon is jutting out ⇒fig. 158 .
– Push the wheel wrench fully onto the adapter .
AAAB
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 158 Safety wheel
bolt with adapter
AB
AA
AB