2005 SKODA FABIA service

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights33
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
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 194.
3 peeps sound as an additional warning signal.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under
the conditions prevailing to top up with oil. Keep the engine switched off
and obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it
could lead to severe engine damage.
Do not drive any further if the warning light flashes even if the oil is at
the correct level. Do not run the engine not at idling speed either. Contact
the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
STOP! OIL PRESS. STOP MOTOR! SERVICE MANUAL (STOP! OIL
PRESSURE STOP ENGINE! OWNER'S MANUAL)
The warning light
 lights up yellow* (oil quantity too low)
If the warning light lights up yellow, the quantity of oil in the engine is prob-
ably too low. Check as soon as possible the oil level or top up ⇒page 194
with engine oil.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
CHECK OIL LEVEL
The warning light will go out if the bonnet is left open for more than 30
seconds. If no engine oil has been replenished, the warning light will come
on again after driving about 100 km.
The warning light
 flashes yellow* (engine oil level sensor faulty)
A fault on the engine oil level sensor is indicated additionally by an audible
signal and the warning light coming on several times after the ignition has
been switched on. In this case have the engine inspected without delay by a specialist
garage.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
OIL SENSOR WORKSHOP! (OIL SENSOR WORKSHOP)
WARNING
•If you must stop for technical reasons, then park the vehicle at
a safe distance from the traffic and switch off the engine and switch
on the hazard warning light system ⇒page 58.
•The red oil pressure light  is not an oil le vel indicator! One
should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably
after every refueling stop.
Thickness of the brake pads* 
If the warning light  comes on, contact a specialist garage immediately
and have the brake pads on all of the wheels inspected.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*: CHECK BRAKE PADS
Light bulbs* 
The warning light  comes on if a light bulb is damaged:
•brakes applied (brake light),
•in lighting (low beam and/or rear light).
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Communication121
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
•TR01, TR02 etc. - title of the selected CD.
Note
For more details see Radio Owners Manual.
Fault displays
On the radio display the following fault displays can be displayed:
•NO CD CHANGER - CD-changer is not connected to the magazine.
•NO CD MAGAZINE - no magazine in the CD-changer.
•NO CD - the selected compartment in the magazine of the CD-changer
is empty.
•SURFACE - in the selected compartment the CD with playback side is
inserted upwards.
Tips for operating the CD-changer and CD-player
Please pay attention to the following notes for operating the CD-
changer and the CD-player.
•Only clean CDs without scratches and damages should be used, in
order to guarantee a proper, high-quality CD-playback.
•Affix no labels to the CDs.
•Always store non-used CDs in the CD-storage from the Škoda
genuine accessories provided for this as well as in the original folding box.
•Never expose CDs to direct sun rays.
•Use a soft, non-fluffy cloth to clean the CDs. Wipe the CD straight-lined
from the middle to the outside. Strong dirt must be eliminated with usual
CD-cleaner.
•Please never use liquids such as gasoline, paint thinner or disk
cleaner, otherwise the surface of the CD could get damaged.
Precaution measures for laser equipment
Laser equipment is classified according to DIN IEC 76 (CO) 6/VDE 0837
in the safety categories 1 - 4.
The Škoda CD-changer corresponds to the safety category 1.
The laser used for equipment of category 1 is to such an extent energy-
poor and/or shielded that there is no risk of danger when used in accord-
ance with the regulation.
WARNING
Please always pay full attention to the traffic situation around you!
Note
Do not remove the equipment cover. The equipment does not contain any
parts, which can be serviced by the user.
Warranty
The same guarantee conditions apply for our factory-fitted radio system
as for new vehicles.
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Seat belts135
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
WARNING
•The pelvic belt must always sit firmly across the pelvis; tighten
the belt webbing if necessary.
•An unused pelvic belt should be stowed away together with the
lock for safety reasons.
Note
The vehicles of the group N1 are not equipped with the third seat belt on
the rear seats. The vehicle is only approved for four persons!
Three-point safety belt for the middle rear seat*
It is used in the same way as the normal three-point seat belts on the left
and right (at front and rear). The three-point seat belt for the rear middle
seat must be put on first to allow the pelvic part of the belt to run between
the belt lock for the right three-point seat belt and the backrest, while
avoiding crossing the belt webbing of the right and middle seat belts.
WARNING
The three-point safety belt for the rear middle seat can only fulfil its
function reliably when the backrests are correctly locked into posi-
tion ⇒page 71.
Note
The vehicles of the group N1 are not equipped with the third seat belt on
the rear seats. The vehicle is only approved for four persons!
Belt tensioners
Safety for the driver and front passenger wearing their seat belts is
enhanced by the belt tensioners fitted to the inertia reels of the front three-
point seat belts.
The fastened three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the
event of a frontal collision of a certain severity. On vehicles fitted with side
airbags, a seat belt which is not fastened is also tensioned.
The belt tensioner is deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major
severity. A powder charge is ignited in the inertia reels during deployment.
The belt webbing is pulled into the inertia reels by a mechanical system
and the belt is tensioned.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the event of minor frontal collisions,
side and rear-end collisions, in the case of a rollover and also not in acci-
dents in which no major forces are produced from the front.
WARNING
•The service life of seat belts and belt tensioners is 15 years from
the date of manufacture of the vehicle. It is then necessary to have
the seat belts replaced by a specialist garage.
•Any work on the belt tightener system, including removal and
installation of system components because of other repair work,
must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
•The protective function of the system is only adequate for a
single accident. If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then
necessary to replace the entire system.
•The Owner's Manual must also be handed over to the new
owner if the vehicle is sold.
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Airbag system
138
•The service life of the airbag system is 15 years from the date of
manufacture of the vehicle. Have the airbag system replaced by a
specialist garage after this period. If the modules of the system are
replaced before the expiry of the term (e.g. because of an accident),
the new change interval has to be entered in the service brochure.
•If you sell your car, please hand over the complete vehicle docu-
mentation to the new owener. Please note that the documents
relating to the possibility of deactivating the front passenger airbag
are also part of the vehicle documents!
•If the vehicle or individual parts of the airbag system are
scrapped, it is essential to observe the relevant safety precautions.
Škoda dealers are familiar with these regulations.
•When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is
important to comply with the national legal requirements.
When are the airbags deployed?
The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver and the front
passenger airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of
major severity.
In the case of a violent side crash the side airbags* on the front seat of
the vehicle on the side on which the collision occurs are deployed.
It is also possible under certain special accident situations that the front
as well as the side airbags are deployed.
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side colli-
sions, in the case of rear-end collisions and vehicle rollover. Deployment factors
It is not possible to state globally which deployment conditions apply to the
airbag system in every situation as the circumstances which exist in the
case of accidents vary greatly. An important role in this case, for example,
is played by factors such as the type of object against which the vehicle
impacts (hard, soft), the angle of impact, the vehicle speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration
which occurs during a collision. The control unit analyses the nature of the
collision and activates the relevant restraint system. If the vehicle decel-
eration which occurs and is measured during the collision remains below
the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the airbags
are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe damage to
the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The airbags are not deployed if:
•ignition off,
•a minor frontal collision,
•a minor side collision,
•a rear-end collision,
•rollover.
Note
•A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This
is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
•The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has
been deployed.
•In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:
− The interior lighting comes on (if the switch for the interior light is in
the door contact position),
− The hazard warning light is switched on,
− All the doors are unlocked.
WARNING (continued)
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Intelligent Technology
160
which is being braked. The vehicle can continue to be driven and has the
same characteristics as a vehicle not fitted with EDL.
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 or TCS or ESP warning li ght comes on, this may also indi-
cate a fault in the EDL. Please have the car inspected as soon as possible
by a specialist garage.
•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 215, “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 specialist garage 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 avail-
able 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 specialist garage without delay in order to have the problem
rectified. 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.
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Driving and the Environment
168
Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel
consumption but also positively influence environmental pollution and
wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid fully exploiting the top speed of your vehicle wherever
possible. Fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises
increase disproportionally at high speeds.
The ⇒page 167, fig. 133 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the
speed of your vehicle. You will cut your fuel consumption by half if you only
make use three-quarters of the possible top speed of your vehicle.
Reducing idling
Idling also costs fuel.
It is worthwhile switching off the engine in a traffic jam or when waiting at
a level crossing or at traffic lights with a lengthy red phase. Even after just
30 - 40 seconds you will have saved more fuel than that is needed when
you start the engine up again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal
operating temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though,
are particularly high in the warming-up phase. This is why you should
drive off right after starting the engine. Do avoid high engine revolutions at
this time, however.
Regular servicing
A poorly tuned engine consumes an unnecessarily high
amount of fuel.
Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a specialist garge enables you
to satisfy one of the requirements for economical motoring even before
you set off on your journey. Keeping your vehicle properly serviced not
only has a positive effect on the safety of your vehicle and maintaining its
value, but also saves on fuel.
A poorly tuned engine can result in a fuel consumption which is 10%
higher than normal.
The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according
to the Service schedule by a specialist garage.
Also check the oil level after refueling. Oil consumption is dependent to
a considerable extent on the load and speed of the engine. Oil consump-
tion could be as high as 0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of
driving.
It is quite normal that a new engine has a higher oil consumption at first,
and reaches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is there-
fore not possible to correctly assess the oil consumption of a new vehicle
until after you have driven about 5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•You can achieve additional improvements in your fuel economy by
using high-lubricity oils.
•Check the ground below your car at regular intervals to detect any
leakages in good time. Please have your vehicle inspected by a specialist
garge if you find any stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.
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Towing a trailer173
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
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 209. 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 57.
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 174.
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
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Fuel187
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
„Diesel fuel mixture according to standard CSN 65 6508 from
02/2003 contains diesel fuel according to standard DIN EN 590 and a
concentration of biofuel (rape oil methyl ester) according to standard
DINEN14214 in the following two concentrations:
„5% share of biofuel RME according to the standard DINEN14214
- Denomination SMN 5,
„30% share of biofuel RME according to the standard
DINEN14214 - Denomination SMN 30.
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and
similar products) in diesel fuel.
It is then necessary to have the fuel filter drained of water by a Škoda
dealer more often than stated in the Service schedule if the quality of the
diesel fuel used is poor.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒page 188, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Use a fuel complying with the standard. Filling the tank even only once,
which does not comply with the standard, can result in damage to the fuel
system.
•Water which has collected in the fuel filter can result in engine
problems.
Biofuel*
Biofuel (methyl ester from rape oil) is manufactured from vegetable oil by
means of a chemical process.
Biofuel does not contain sulphur. This means that no sulphur dioxide
(SO
2) is produced when it is burnt. The exhaust gases contain less
•carbon monoxide (CO),
•hydrocarbons (HC),
•particles (soot)
than when operating with conventional diesel fuel.
The Biofuel is more biodegradable.
When using biofuel pay attention to the following points:
•The Performance may be reduced slightly if you switch to driving with
biofuel.
•The fuel consumption may increase slightly if you switch to driving
with biofuel.
Biofuel conforming to EN 14 214 can be mixed in any desired ratio with
diesel fuel conforming to the standard DIN EN 590.
We recommend refuelling with diesel fuel at temperatures below -10°C.
Caution
•Filling the tank even only once with biofuel, which does not comply with
the standard EN 14 214, can result in damage to the fuel system.
•It is prohibited to use biofuel for engine 1.4 l/59 kW TDI PD EU4 which
corresponds to the standard DINEN14 214.
Operation in winter
Winter-grade diesel fuel
A different grade of diesel fuel is available at filling stations in winter than
during the summer. Using “summer-grade diesel fuel” at temperatures
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