
Towing a trailer
172
Towing a trailer
Towing a trailer
Technical requirements
The towing device must satisfy certain technical require-
ments.
Your vehicle is designed primarily for transporting persons and luggage. It
can, however, also be used for towing a trailer - provided certain technical
equipment is fitted.
If your vehicle has already been supplied with a factory-fitted towing
device then everything that is necessary for towing a trailer in technical
terms, and in terms of the law, has already been taken into account.
Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power socket for the electrical connec-
tion between the vehicle and trailer. If the trailer which you wish to tow has
a 7-pin connector , you can use a suitable adapter
4) from Škoda original
accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's
specifications if a towing device is retrofitted.
Škoda dealers are familiar with details relating to retrofitting a towing
device and for any necessary modifications to the cooling system.
WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device from Škoda orig-
inal accessories installed by a Škoda dealer. He is familiar with all
the relevant details relating to retrofitting such equipment. There is
a risk of an accident if the towing device is not properly fitted!
General Maintenance
There are a number of points to pay attention to when
towing a trailer.
Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appropriately steeper inclines and descents if you do
not make full use of the permissible trailer load.
The trailer loads specified only apply for altitudes up to 1 000 metres
above mean sea level. The fact that the engine power output drops with
increasing height due to a lowering of air pressure and thus the ability to
climb, means that the towed weight must be reduced by 10% for every
further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea level. The towed
weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle and the (laden) trailer together.
One should take this into account before driving up to higher altitudes.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the
towing device are merely test data for the towing device The data
relating to your vehicle, which is often less than this test data, can
be found in your vehicle registration documents or in the brochure -
Technical Data.
4)In some countires the adapter is supplied with the towing device.
sqc.1.book Seite 172 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Inspecting and Replenishing191
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
Opening the bonnet
– Unlock the bonnet ⇒page 190, fig. 138 .
– Ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are correctly in place against the windscreen before opening the bonnet
otherwise damage could occur to the paintwork.
– Pulling on the handle ⇒page 190, fig. 139 will lock the bonnet
fully.
– Grip with the hand under the radiator grille and lift up the bonnet.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening designed for it ⇒page 190, fig. 140.
Closing the bonnet
– Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the bonnet support into the holder designed to hold it.
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 30 cm into the lock - bonnet do not press down on it!
WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is
flowing out of the engine compartmen t - risk of scalding! Wait long
enough until the steam or coolant has stopped escaping.
•For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed
when driving. One should therefore check that the lock has in fact
engaged properly after closing the bonnet.
•Stop your vehicle immediately wh ile driving if you notice that
the lock is not properly engaged and close the bonnet properly -
risk of an accident!
Caution
•Never open the bonnet using the handle - danger of causing damage.
•Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen
wipers are correctly in place against the windscreen. Otherwise, there is
a risk of damage to the paintwork.
Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in
the engine compartment!
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working
in the engine compartment, e.g. inspecting and re plenishing oil and
other fluids. For this reason, it is essential to comply with the
warning instructions stated below and with the general applicable
rules of safety. The engine compartment of your car is a hazardous
area ⇒
WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is
flowing out of the engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long
enough until the steam or coolant has stopped escaping.
•Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
•Apply the handbrake firmly.
WARNING (continued)
sqc.1.book Seite 191 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Wheels and Tyres211
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
New tyres and wheels
Tyres and wheel rims are important design elements. One should there-
fore use the tyres and wheel rims which have been released for use by
Škoda Auto. They are exactly matched to the vehicle type and therefore
contribute significantly to good road holding and safe driving characteris-
tics ⇒ .
Only fit radial tyres of the same type on all 4 wheels, size (rolling circum-
ference) and, if possible, the same tread pattern on one axle.
Škoda dealers have access to the most current information about which
tyres we have released for use.
We recommend that you have any work relating to tyres or wheels carried
out by your Škoda dealer . Your dealer has all of the necessary special
tools and replacement parts available plus the required specialist knowl-
edge and is also in a position to properly dispose of the old tyres. A large
number of Škoda dealers also have an attractive range of tyres and
wheels available.
The tyre/wheel combinations which are approved for your vehicle are indi-
cated in your vehicle documents. Approval and licensing may differ
according to the legislation prevailing in individual countries.
Proper knowledge of the tyre data makes it easier for you to select the
correct type of tyre. Tyres do, for example, have the following inscription
on their walls:
185 / 60 R 14 82 T
What this means is: 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 ... 20 04...
means, for example, that the tyre was manufactured in the 20th week of
the year 2004.
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.
185Ty r e w i dt h i n m m
60Height/width ratio in %
RCode letter for the type of tyre - Radial
14Diameter of wheel in inches
82Load index
TSpeed symbol
Speed symbolPermissible maximum speed
Q160 km/h
R170 km/h
S180 km/h
T190 km/h
H210 km/h
V240 km/h
W270 km/h
sqc.1.book Seite 211 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Index255
S
Safe securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Safety instructions
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Safety wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Saving electrical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Seat belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
fasten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Service Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Service Interval Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Setting temperature Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
The air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Shifting of gears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Starting engine
Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Steering force assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Storage compartment Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Switch on the driver's door Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Switching lights on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
T
Taking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Temperature Outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
The automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . 63
The battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 201 changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . . 204
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 The CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
The electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 40
The outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Thickness of brake pads
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Towing a vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Towing eye at the front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
at the rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Tow-starting a vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Traction control system (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Transporting children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Turn signal system for vehicles towing a trailer Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Two-way radio systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Type plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
sqc.1.book Seite 255 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13