2004 SKODA SUPERB tyre pressure

Seats and Stowage
80
deployed airbag. In this case, the objects which are thrown back
can injure the occupants - hazard!
•Please note that the handling properties of your vehicle may be
affected when transporting heavy objects as a result of the
displacement of the centre of gravity. The speed and style of
driving must be adjusted accordingly.
•The items carried in the luggage compartment should be stored
in such a way that no objects are able to slip forward if there are any
sudden driving or braking manoeuvres undertaken - risk of injury!
•Never drive with the boot lid slightly ajar or even fully opened
otherwise exhaust gases may get into the interior of the vehicle -
risk of poisoning!
•On no account exceed the permissible axle loads and the
permissible gross weight of the vehicle - risk of accident!
•Never transport occupants in the luggage compartment!
Note
•Tyre pressure must be adjusted to the load ⇒page 226, fig. 169 .
•The air circulation in the interior of the car helps to prevent the
windows from misting up. Stale air is diverted via the outlet nozzles into
the lateral trim panels of the luggage compartment. Check for yourself that
the outlet nozzles are not covered.
•On vehicles fitted without foldable backrest but with fixed backrest, the
luggage compartment cannot be enlarged.
Lashing eyes
Eyes are located on the sides of the loading area for lashing the goods to
be loaded ⇒fig. 61 .
You can also attach a securing net* to these eyes for lashing small objects.
The securing net* and the fixing instruction is located in the well under the
floor covering of the lugagge compartment behind the spare wheel.
WARNING
•The load to be transported must be fixed in place in such a way
that it cannot move during the journey and when braking.
•If the items of luggage or objects are attached to the lashing
eyes with unsuitable or damaged lashing straps, injuries can occur
in the event of braking manoeuvres or accidents. In order to
prevent the items of luggage being thrown forward, always use
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 61 Position of
lashing eyes in luggage
compartment

Passive Safety
140
For this reason you will be provided with information on why this equip-
ment is very important, how it protects you and the occupants, what
should be observed when using the equipment and how you and the
people travelling with you can make full use of the existing safety equip-
ment. This Owner's Manual contains important warning notes, which you
and those travelling with you should pay attention to in order to reduce a
risk of injury.
Safety concerns everybody!
Before setting off
The driver is always fully responsible for his occupants
and for the operating safety of the vehicle.
For your own safety and the safety of the people travelling with you,
please pay attention to the following points before setting off.
•Ensure that the lighting and the turn signal system are functioning
properly.
•Inspect the tyre inflation pressure.
•Ensure that all the windows offer a good visibility to the outside.
•Safely attach the items of luggage ⇒page 79, “Loading the luggage
compartment”.
•Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedal.
•Adjust the mirror, the front seat and the head restraint to match your
body size.
•Point out to your occupants that the head restraints must be adjusted
to match their body size.
•Protect the children in suitable child seats with correctly fastened seat
belts ⇒page 164, “Transporting children safely”.
•Adopt the correct seated position ⇒page 141. Also inform your occu-
pants to adopt the correct seated position.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly. Also inform your occupants to properly
fasten the seat belts ⇒page 148, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
What influences the driving safety?
The driving safety is primarily determined by the style of
driving and the personal behaviour of all the occupants.
The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occupants. If your driving
safety is effected, you place yourself and the oncoming traffic at risk.
Please refer to the following guidelines.
•Do not get distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by
your occupants or mobile phone calls.
•Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, e.g. through medica-
tion, alcohol, drugs.
•Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
•Adjust the driving speed at all times to the road condition as well as to
the traffic and weather conditions.
•Take regular breaks on long journeys - at the latest every two hours.

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 Technology
180
Operating principle
As soon as the vehicle speed has increased to about 6 km/hour an auto-
matic test procedure is conducted during which you will be able to hear a
pumping noise for about 1 second.
The brake pressure will be reduced on a wheel which is rotating at a speed
which is too low for the speed of the vehicle and tending to lock. This
control cycle is noticeable from a pulsating movement of the brake
pedal which is accompanied by noises. This is consciously intended to
provide the driver with the information that the wheels are tending to lock
(ABS control range). You must always keep the brake pedal depressed to
enable the ABS to optimally control the brake application in this braking
range. Never interrupt the application of the brakes!
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 Škoda 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.
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 233, “Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
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.
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.

Driving and the Environment
188
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 vehicle consumes approx. 20 - 30 litres/100 km of fuel
immediately after starting. Fuel consumption drops to 15 litres/100 km
after just 1 kilometre. The engine reaches its operating temperature
(outside temperature and engine dependent) only after about 4 to 10 kilo-
metres 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. 154 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
Fig. 154 Fuel
consumption in
litres/100 km at
different temperatures

Towing a trailer191
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Tyre pressure
Select the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for that of “fully laden”,
⇒
page 226. 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 58.
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 192.
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

Care and cleaning197
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
For the sake of the environment
Only wash your vehicle at washing bays specifically reserved for this
purpose. This ensures that no water which may be contaminated by oil
flows into the sewage system. It is not even permitted to wash your vehicle
in certain areas except at such specific washing bays.
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
When you wash your vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, it is essential
to comply with the instructions for use of the cleaning equipment. This
applies in particular to the pressure used and to the spraying distance .
Maintain a sufficiently large distance to soft materials such as rubber
hoses or insulation material.
On no account use circular spray nozzles or so-called dirt cutters !
WARNING
It is particularly important that you do not clean tyres with circular
spray jets. Damage may occur even at a relatively large spraying
distance and if sprayed only for a short time!
Caution
The water must be no hotter than 60°C, otherwise the vehicle can be
damaged.
Wax treatment
Good wax treatment is an effective way of protecting the paintwork from
harmful environmental influences and minor mechanical damage.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-quality hard wax polish at the
latest, when no more drops form on the clean paintwork.
A new layer of a high-quality hard wax polish can be applied to the clean
bodywork after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver
regularly we still recommend that you treat the paintwork of the vehicle at
least twice a year with hard wax.
Caution
Never apply wax to the windows.
Polishing
Polishing is only necessary if the paintwork of your vehicle has become
unattractive and if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax
preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax preserver if the polish you use
does not contain any preserving elements ⇒page 197, “Wax treatment”.
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories
offered by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
•You must not treat mat painted parts or plastic with polishing products
or hard wax.
•Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicle in a dusty environment,
otherwise the paintwork can be scratched.

Fuel
206
Prewarming fuel
The vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter prewarming system. This secures
operation of a vehicle using diesel fuel down to an environmental temper-
ature of -25°C.
Biofuel
We recommend refuelling with diesel fuel at temperatures below -10°C.
Caution
It is not permitted to add the various fuel additives on the market, including
petrol, to diesel fuel in order to improve its flow properties.
Refuelling
Refuelling procedure
Opening the fuel filler cap
– Unlock the fuel filler flap with the switch in the driver door
⇒page 44.
– Open the fuel filler flap fully.
– Unscrew the cap by turning it to the left.
– Place the cap onto the top of the fuel filler flap ⇒fig. 156 .
Closing fuel filler cap
– Screw on the cap by turning it to the right until it is heard to lock.
– Press the fuel tank flap closed.
The correct grade of fuel for your vehicle as well as the tyre size and infla-
tion pressures are stated on a sticker affixed to the inside of the fuel filler
flap. Further information on fuel ⇒page 204.
The fuel tank has a capacity of about 62 litres.
WARNING
Pay attention to any legal requirements if you do carry a spare
canister in the vehicle. We do not recommend carrying any fuel
canisters in your vehicle for safety reasons. The canister can be
damaged in the event of an accident and fuel may leak out.
Caution
•Remove any fuel which has spilled onto the paintwork of your vehicle
immediately. This particularly applies to biodiesel - risk of paint damage!
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter should never be allowed to let
the fuel tank to run completely empty. An irregular supply of fuel to the
Fig. 156 Filler flap with
cap unscrewed