2004 SKODA SUPERB brake pads

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
32
Do not continue driving if the warning light does not go off although the
fluid is at the correct level and also the fuse of the fan is in proper order.
Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain assistance.
Please also refer to the additional instructions ⇒page 216, “Replenishing
the coolant”.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
STOP CHECK COOLANT SERVICE MANUAL (STOP! CHECK
COOLANT! OWNER'S MANUAL)
WARNING
•Take care when opening the coolant expansion bottle. If the
engine is hot, the cooling system is pressurized - risk of scalding!
It is best to allow the engine to cool down before removing the cap.
•Do not touch the coolant fan! The coolant fan may switch on
automatically even if the ignition is off.
Brake pad wear 
If the warning light  comes on, contact a Škoda Dealer and have the
brake pads of all the wheels inspected.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*: CHECK BRAKE PADS
Bonnet 
The warning light  comes on when the ignition is switched on if the
bonnet is unlocked.
Fuel reserve 
The warning light  comes on if the fuel level in the tank has dropped to
about 8 litres.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
PLEASE REFUEL
Engine oil 
The warning light  lights up red (low oil pressure)
The warning light comes on for a few seconds 2) when the ignition is
switched on.
Stop the vehicle and switch the engine off if the warning light does not
go off after the engine has started or flashes while driving. Check the oil
level and top up with oil as necessary ⇒page 213.
3 peeps sound as an additional warning signal.
2)The warning light  on vehicles fitted with information display does not come on
after switching the ignition on, but only if a fault exists or the engine oil level is too
low.

Starting-off and Driving
122
The handbrake warning is activated if you drive at a speed of more than 5
km/h for more than 3 seconds.
WARNING
•Please note that the handbrake must be fully released. A hand-
brake which is only partially released can result in the rear brakes
overheating which will have a negative effect on the operation of
the brake system - risk of accident! In addition this can result in
premature wear of the rear brake pads.
•Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. The children
might, for example, release the handbrake or take the vehicle out of
gear. The vehicle might then move off - risk of accident!
Caution
After the car has come to a stop, always first of all apply the handbrake
firmly before then additionally engaging a gear (manual gearbox) or
moving the selector lever into position P (automatic gearbox).
Parking aid*
The parking aid provides a warning of obstacles behind
the vehicle.
The audible parking aid determines the distance between the rear bumper
and an obstacle located behind the vehicle with the aid of ultrasound
sensors. The sensors are integrated in the rear bumper.
The parking aid is activated automatically when reverse gear is engaged
and the ignition is turned on. This is confirmed by a brief signal. The clearance warning begins at a distance of about 160 cm from the
obstacle. The interval between the warning signals becomes shorter as
the clearance is reduced.
A continuous tone sounds from a clearance of just 30 cm - danger area.
You should not reverse any further after this signal sounds.
WARNING
•The parking aid is not a substitute for the driver paying proper
attention. It is always the driver's responsibility to take care when
parking the vehicle or carrying out similar manoeuvres.
•You should therefore satisfy yourself, before reversing, that
there is no small obstacle, such as a rock, thin post, trailer drawbar
etc., behind your vehicle. Such an obstacle might not be within the
range detected by the sensors.
Note
•The parking aid does not operate if you are towing a trailer (applies to
models which feature a factory-fitted towing device*).
•A system fault is indicated if a warning signal sounds for about 5
seconds after switching the ignition on and engaging reverse gear and
there is no obstacle close to your vehicle. Have the fault rectified by a
Škoda dealer.
•The sensors must be kept clean and free of ice to enable the parking
aid to operate properly.

Intelligent Technology
178
The EDL switches on again automatically as soon as the brake has cooled
down.
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!
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 233, “Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
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
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on the bake pads occur if the vehicle
has been parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the
braking system.
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
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-
fied. Drive at a reduced speed while on your way to the dealer and adapt
your style of driving to the higher brake pedal pressure required.

Intelligent Technology179
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Low brake fluid level
An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake
system. The level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically
⇒page 35,
“Brake system ”.
WARNING
•Only apply the brakes for the purpose of drying and cleaning the
brake discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place any
other road users in jeopardy.
•When retrospectively mounting a front spoiler, solid wheel hubs
etc. one must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel brakes
is not reduced otherwise the braking system could run too hot.
•Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full
braking efficiency until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake
pads must be first “run in” before they develop their optimal fric-
tion force. You can, however, compensate for this slightly reduced
braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal. This
guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future
date.
Caution
•Never allow the brakes to rub by applying slight pressure if you do not
wish to brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also
result in a longer braking distance and excessive wear.
•Before negotiating a steep downhill section, please reduce your
speed, shift down into the next lower gear (manual gearbox) or select a
lower driving stage (automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use
of the braking power of the vehicle and reduces the strain on the brakes.
Any additional braking should be done intermittently, not continuously.
Brake booster
The braking force boosts the pressure which you generate with the brake
pedal. The necessary pressure is only generated when the engine is
running.
WARNING
•Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary.
•The brake booster only operates when the engine is running.
Greater physical effort for braking is required when engine is
switched off. Because if you do not stop as normal, this can cause
an accident and severe injuries.
Antilock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels locking when braking.
General
The ABS contributes significantly to enhancing the active safety of your
vehicle. Compared to a car not fitted with the ABS brake system, you are
able to retain optimal steering ability even during a full brake application
on a slippery road surface because the wheels do not lock up.
You must not expect, however, that the braking distance will be shorter
under all circumstances as a result of the ABS The braking distance for
example on gravel and fresh snow, when you should anyway be driving
slowly and cautiously, will be longer.

Driving and the Environment183
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
New brake pads
Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking effi-
ciency until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first
“run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however,
compensate for this slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pres-
sure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future
date.
During the running-in period, you should avoid excessive stresses on the
brakes. This includes, for example, violent braking, particularly from very
high speeds, and also when crossing mountain passes.
Catalytic converter
Proper operation of the emission control system (catalytic
converter) is of major significance for driving your vehicle
in an environmentally conscious way.
Please refer to the following guidelines:
– For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol
⇒page 204, “Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty.
– Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.
– Do not pour too much oil into the engine ⇒page 213,
“Replenishing engine oil”. – Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50
metres ⇒page 248, “Tow-starting a vehicle”.
If you drive your vehicle in a country in which unleaded petrol is not avail-
able, you must have the catalytic converter replaced later when driving the
vehicle into a country in which use of a catalytic converter is mandatory.
WARNING
•In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the
catalytic converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way
that the catalytic converter cannot come into contact with easily
flammable materials below the vehicle - a risk of fire!
•Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protec-
tion agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or heat
shields. Such substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter should never be allowed to let
the fuel tank to run completely empty. An irregular fuel supply can result
in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system
and damage the catalytic converter.
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the cata-
lytic converter being destroyed.
•If you detect misfiring, a drop in performance or irregular engine
running when driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the
vehicle inspected by the nearest Škoda dealer. The symptoms described
may be caused by a fault in the ignition system. Unburnt fuel may get into
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.

Inspecting and Replenishing217
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•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
You can also see the location of the brake fluid reservoir in the
engine compartment from the general view of the engine
compartment ⇒page 210. The brake fluid reservoir on right- hand steering models is positioned on the other side of the
engine compartment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet
⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 209.
– Pull off the rubber seal ⇒fig. 163 partially away and lift the
cover slightly.
– Inspect the brake fluid level at the reservoir . The level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings. The markings are
indicated on the side of the reservoir.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-
tear and automatic adjustment of the brake pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the
fluid level drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the
“MIN” marking. A situation where the brake fluid level is too low is indi-
cated by the warning light
 lighting up in the instrument cluster
⇒ page 35. In this case stop the car immediately and do not drive any
further! Contact a Škoda Dealer to obtain professional assistance.
WARNING
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 209, “Working in
the engine compartment” before working in the engine compart-
ment.
•If the fluid level has dropped below the MIN marking, do not
drive any further - risk of accident! Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain
professional assistance.
Fig. 163 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
AB
AC
AA

Index261
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Adjusting front seats manually . . . . . . . . . 70
electrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Head airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
An overview Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Antilock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Antilock brake system - ABS Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Emergency programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Automatic seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . 196
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . 184
B
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Brake Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Brake system
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Button on the driver's door Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
CargoFlex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
CargoFlex folding box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Changing oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Changing wheels around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Child safety locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Index
266
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Stability programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Starting engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Steering booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Storage compartment Armrest with stowage compartment . . . 102
Centre console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Door trim panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Drawer compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Spectacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Storage drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Stowage compartment below steering wheel . . . 100
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Switch on the driver's door Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Switching lights on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Switching the engine off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Symbol explanation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
T
Taking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Temperature
Outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The air conditioning system Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
The air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . 104
The armrest at the rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
The automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . 64
The battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 218 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Disconnecting and connecting . . . . . . . . 223
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . 220
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
The electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 40
The outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Thickness of brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Through-loading bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Towing a vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Towing eye at the front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
at the rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Tow-starting a vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Traction control system (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Transporting children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Turn signal system for vehicles towing a trailer Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Two-way radio sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Two-way radio systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Type plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
U
Underbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Unidirectional tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Unlocking Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
V
Vanity mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Vehicle condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Vehicle data sticker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Vehicle identification data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259