2004 SKODA FABIA coolant temperature

Starting-off and Driving103
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle is standing. Drive off right
away. Through this the engine reaches its operating temperature more
rapidly and the pollutant emissions are lower.
Petrol engines
These engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct
fuel/air mixture for every external air temperature.
•Do not operate accelerator before and when starting engine.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not
start right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the
attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the electrical fuel pump is defect if the
engine still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary
⇒ page 224.
•Contact the nearest Škoda dealer to obtain professional assistance.
It may be necessary, if the engine is very hot, to slightly depress the
accelerator after the engine has started.
Diesel engines
Glow plug system
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period
being controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and
outside temperature.
The preglow indicator light
 comes on after the ignition has been
switched on. You should not switch on any major electrical components during
the heating period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained
unnecessarily.
•You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning
light  has gone out.
•The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the
engine is at a normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature
is above +5°C. This means that you can start the engine right away.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not
start right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the
attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the diesel preglow system is defect if the
engine still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary
⇒ page 224.
•Contact the nearest Škoda dealer to obtain professional assistance.
Starting the engine after fuel tank has run dry
It may take longer than normal to start the engine after refuelling if the fuel
tank has run completely dry - up to one minute. This is because the fuel
system must first of all be filled while the attempting to start the engine.
Switching the engine off
– The engine can be switched off by turning the ignition key from position ⇒page 101, fig. 90 into position .
WARNING
•Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary - risk
of accident!
A1

Towing a trailer
166
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that any heavy items are
located as close as possible to the axle. Secure the items to prevent them
slipping.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for that of “fully laden”,
⇒ page 200. 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 56.
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 167.
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

Towing a trailer167
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
before negotiating a downhill section to allow the engine to also act as a
brake.
Engine overheating
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to
negotiate a lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the
outside temperature is very high
⇒page 13.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand
area or even the red area of the scale, reduce your speed immediately.
Stop and switch off the engine if the warning light
 in the instrument
cluster begins flashing. Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant
in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒page 189, “Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒page 31, “Coolant tempera-
ture/coolant level ”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down
a gear and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan
speed is independent of the engine speed. One should also not drop a
gear for this reason when towing a trailer as long as the engine can
manage the slope without any drop in speed.
Detachable towing device*
The detachable ball head of the towing device is stowed in the spare
wheel well in the luggage compartment.
An instruction for correct installation and removal of the ball head of the
towing device is supplied with the ball head
Inspect the ball head to ensure that it is properly locked each time before
setting off. The inspection is performed by turning the closed locking lever
downwards. If the locking lever can only be turned approx. 5°, the locking
mechanism is O.K. After the inspection pull the locking lever back again
to its stop. The towing device must not be used, if it does not wish to close
or the locking lever turns slightly in the closed position.
WARNING
Do not use any aids or tools for installing or removing the ball head.
This might result in damage to the locking mechanism to the extent
Fig. 131 Detachable
ball head

Inspecting and Replenishing191
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•The coolant additive and thus all of the coolant is harmful to
your health. Avoid contact with the coolant. Coolant vapours are
also harmful to the health. It is important, therefore, to always
safely store any coolant additive in its original container out of the
reach of children - risk of poisoning!
•If any splashes of coolant get into your eyes, rinse out your eyes
immediately with clear water and contact a doctor as soon as
possible.
•You should also consult a doctor without delay if you have inad-
vertently swallowed coolant.
Caution
Do not continue your journey if fo r some reason it is not possible
under the conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Switch off the
engine and obtain professional assistance from a Škoda dealer.
For the sake of the environment
Do not re-use coolant if it is necessary to drain the coolant in the system.
It should be collected and disposed of in compliance with environmental
protection regulations.
The radiator fan
The radiator fan may switch on suddenly.
The radiator fan is driven by an electric motor and controlled by a thermo-
stat according to the coolant temperature. The radiator fan may continue running for up to 10 minutes after the
engine has been switched off - even if the ignition is also off. It may also
switch on suddenly after a certain time, if
•the coolant temperature has risen because of an accumulation of heat
or
•the warm engine compartment is heated up additionally by strong
sunlight.
WARNING
You must therefore be aware when working in the engine compart-
ment that the fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury!
Brake fluid
Inspecting the brake fluid level
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 141 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir

Index
240
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Clothes hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Cockpit
An overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Convenience operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Converting/masking over headlights . . . . . . 164
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Coolant temperature/coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Correct seated position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
D
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Defrosting rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Defrosting the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
De-icing the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Detachable towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Diesel engines
Starting engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Direction indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Door Child safety locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Door open Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Drinks can holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Driving economically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Driving time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Dynamo Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
E
EDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Electric sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Electrically adjustable rear mirror . . . . . . . . . 65
Electronic Differential Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) . . . . . . . . 153
Electronic immobiliser Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Electronic stability programme (ESP) . . . . . 151
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Emergency locking of the door . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Engine Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
switch off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Engine compartment Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Engine electronics Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Engine revolutions counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Environmental compatibility . . . . . . . . . 159, 163
ESP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Exhaust gas inspection Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Exhaust gases Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Explanations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
F
First-aid box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209