2005 SKODA FABIA ignition

Inspecting and Replenishing
192
•If your vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gear-
shift lever into Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox, move
the selector leve r into position P.
•Allow the engine to cool down.
•Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
•Do not touch any hot engine parts - risk of burns!
•Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids
(e.g. the antifreeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!
•Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the
battery.
•Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the
engine is still warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
•Never open the cap of the coolant expansion bottle as long as
the engine is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
•Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a
large cloth when opening it as protection for your face, hands and
arms from hot steam or hot coolant.
•Do not let objects, such as e.g cl eaning cloth or tools lie in the
engine compartment.
•If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the
vehicle from rolling away and support it with suitable supporting
blocks: the car jack is not sufficient for this - risk of injury!
•In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work
when the engine is running there is an additional risk from rotating
parts (e.g. the V-ribbed belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the
high-voltage ignition system. Pl ease observe in addition the
following:
−Never touch the electrical cables of the ignition system.
− Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose items of clothing or
long hair from getting into the rotating parts of the engine - Hazard! Therefore remove any jewellery beforehand, tie up your
hair and wear tight fitting clothing.
•Please also comply with the warning instructions stated below
when carrying out any essential work on the fuel system or on the
electrical system:
−Always separate the car battery from the electrical system.
− Do not smoke.
− Never carry out any work close to naked flames.
− Always keep a working fire extinguisher at hand.
Caution
When replenishing fluids in the engine, always ensure that the fluids are
on no account mixed up. This may result in major operating problems and
also vehicle damage!
WARNING (continued)WARNING (continued)
sqc.1.book Seite 192 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Inspecting and Replenishing199
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
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 the
engine off and obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage,
otherwise it could lead to severe engine damage.
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
The brake fluid reservoir is located on the left of the engine
compartment. The brake fluid reservoir on right-hand steering
models is positioned on the other side of the engine compart-
ment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 191.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir ⇒fig. 144. The
level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
Fig. 144 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
sqc.1.book Seite 199 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Inspecting and Replenishing201
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
The battery
Working on the battery
The battery is located in the engine compartment below a plastic
box.
– Unlock the interlock on the positive terminal side of the battery
⇒fig. 145 .
– Open the cover in direction of arrow.
– The installation of the battery cover on the positive terminal side takes place in the reverse order.
Removal and installation of the battery is not recommended since it can,
under certain circumstances, lead to major damage to the battery and
fuse boxes. Contact a specialist garage. There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and burns when carrying out
any work on the battery and on the electrical system. It is essential to
comply with the warning instructions stated below ⇒
and with the
general applicable rules of safety.
WARNING
•The battery acid is strongly corrosive and must, therefore, be
handled with the greatest of care. Always wear protective gloves,
eye and skin protection when handling batteries. Corrosive fumes
in the air irritate the air passages and lead to conjunctivitis and
inflammation of the air passages in the lungs. Battery acid
corrodes dental enamel and creates deep wounds after contact
with the skin which take a long time to heal. Repeated contact with
diluted acids causes skin diseases (inflammations, ulcers, slin
cracks). Acids coming into contact with water are diluted accompa-
nied by significant development of heat.
•Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out
of the battery vent openings. Protect the eyes with safety glasses
or a shield! There is the danger of suffering blindness! If any
battery electrolyte gets into your eye, rinse out your eye immedi-
ately with clear water for several minutes. Contact a doctor without
delay.
•Splashes of acid on your skin or clothes should be neutralised
as soon as possible using soap suds and then rinsed with plenty
of water. Contact a doctor immediately if you swallow battery elec-
trolyte.
•Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
•Hydrogen is released when you charge a battery and a highly
explosive gas mixture is produced . An explosion can be caused
through sparkling over during unclamping or loosening of the
cable plug while the ignition is on.
•Bridging of the poles will create a short circuit (e.g. through
metal objects, cables). Possible consequences of a short circuit:
Fig. 145 The battery:
Open up the cover
sqc.1.book Seite 201 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Inspecting and Replenishing
202
Melting of lead struts, explosion and burning of the battery, jets of
acid spurting out.
•It is prohibited to work with a naked flame and light, to smoke or
to carry out any activities which produce sparks. Avoid creating
sparks when working with cables and electrical devices. Strong
sparking represents a risk of injury.
•Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch
off the engine, the ignition as well as all electrical components and
disconnect the negative cable (-) on the battery. If you wish to
replace a bulb it is sufficient to switch off the appropriate light.
•Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and
caustic burns! Replace a frozen battery.
•Never use a battery which is damaged - risk of explosion! Imme-
diately replace a damaged battery.
Caution
•You must only disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched off,
otherwise the electrical system (electronic components) of the vehicle
may be damaged. When disconnecting the battery from the electrical
system of the vehicle, first disconnect the negative terminal (-) of the
battery. Then disconnect the positive terminal (+).
•When reconnecting the battery, first connect the positive terminal (+)
and only then the negative terminal (-) of the battery. You must on no
account connect the cables wrongly - risk of a cable fire.
•Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the vehicle
body otherwise damage could occur to the paintwork.
•Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the battery
housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
For the sake of the environment
A removed battery is a special type of waste which is harmful to the envi-
ronment - we recommend that you contact your Škoda dealer regarding
disposing of the battery.
Note
•Some vehicles are fitted with another battery cover ⇒ page 203,
“Opening the battery cover*”.
•Please also refer to the guidelines ⇒page 205, “Disconnecting and
reconnecting the battery”, also after connecting the battery.
WARNING (continued)
sqc.1.book Seite 202 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Inspecting and Replenishing205
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
Charging the battery
A properly charged battery is essential for reliably starting
the engine.
– Read the warning notes ⇒ in “Working on the battery” on
page 201 and ⇒.
– Switch the ignition and all electrical components off.
– Only for “quick-charging”: Disconnect both battery cables (first of all “negative”, then “positive”).
– Carefully attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals (red = “positive”, black = “negative”).
– You can now plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket and switch on the charger.
– When charging is completed: switch the charger off and unplug the mains cable from the power socket.
– Only then should you disconnect the terminal clamps of the charger.
– Reconnect the cables to the battery (first of all “positive”, then “negative”).
It is not normally necessary to disconnect the cables of the battery if you
recharge the battery using low amperages (as for example from a mini-
charger ). Please also refer to the instructions from the charger manufac-
turer.
A charging current of 0.1 of the total battery capacity (or lower) is that
which should be used until full charging is achieved. It is, however, necessary to disconnect both cables before charging the
battery with high amperages, so-called “
quick-charging”.
“Quick-charging” a battery is dangerous ⇒ in “Working on the battery”
on page 201. It requires a special charger and appropriate knowledge. We
therefore recommend that you have your battery quick-charged only by
your Škoda dealer.
A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0°C
⇒ . We recommend that you no longer use a battery which has thawed
out because the casing of the battery may be cracked through the forma-
tion of ice and this would allow battery electrolyte to flow out.
The vent plugs of the battery should not be opened for charging.
WARNING
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and
caustic burns! Replace a frozen battery.
Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery
On disconnecting and reconnecting the battery the following functions are
initially deactivated or are no longer able to operate fault-free.
sqc.1.book Seite 205 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Breakdown assistance
228
out the battery being ignited by the strong spark which results from
the engine being started.
•Do not affix the cable end to parts of the fuel and brake
system.
•Run the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any
rotating parts in the engine compartment.
•Do not bend over the batteries - risk of caustic burns!
•The vent screws of the battery cells must be tightened firmly.
•Keep any sources of ignition (naked flame, smouldering ciga-
rettes etc.) away from the battery - risk of an explosion!
Tow-starting and towing vehicle
General
Please pay attention to the following instructions if you are going
to use a tow rope:
Driver of the towing vehicle
– Do not drive off until the tow rope is taught.
– Release the clutch particularly gently when starting off or depress the accelerator particularly gently if your vehicle is
fitted with an automatic gearbox. Driver of the towed vehicle
– Switch the ignition on so that the steering wheel is not blocked
and you can also operate the turn signal lights, the headlight
flasher, the windscreen wipers and windscreen washer
system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
– Note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is running. You will require significantly greater
physical force to depress the brake pedal and to steer the
vehicle if the engine is not running.
– Ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught.
Tow rope or tow bar
A tow bar is safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimizes any
shocks. You can use a tow rope only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The tow rope must be elastic to protect the vehicle. Thus one should only
use plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a similarly elastic material.
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the towing eyes provided for
this purpose ⇒page 229, “Front towing eye” and ⇒ page 230, “Rear
towing eye”.
Driving style
Towing another vehicle requires a certain amount of practice. Both drivers
should be familiar with the particular points about towing a vehicle.
Unskilled drivers should not attempt to tow in another vehicle or to be
towed in.
One should be constantly vigilant not to allow impermissibly high towing
forces or jerky loadings. There is always a risk of excessive stresses and
WARNING (continued)
A4
sqc.1.book Seite 228 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Breakdown assistance231
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
– Switch on the ignition.
– Wait until both vehicles are moving then release the clutch
pedal slowly.
– Depress the clutch pedal fully when the engine fires and take the vehicle out of gear.
For technical reasons it is not possible to tow-start a car fitted with an
automatic gearbox .
WARNING
There is high risk of having an accident when tow-starting a
vehicle, when for example the towed vehicle runs into the towing
vehicle.
Caution
Vehicles which are fitted with a catalytic converter should not be tow-
started over a distance of more than 50 metres. Unburnt fuel may get into
the catalytic converter and damage it.
Towing in a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox
Please refer to the notes ⇒page 228.
The car can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope or with the front or
rear wheels raised. The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
Towing of a vehicle with an automatic gearbox
Please refer to the notes ⇒page 228.
The car can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope. Refer at the same
time to the following guidelines:
•Move selector lever into N .
•The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h .
•The maximum permissible towing distance is 50 km. The gear oil
pump does not operate when the engine is not running and the gear would
not be adequately lubricated at higher speeds and over longer towing
distance.
Caution
If the vehicle is towed in by a recovery vehicle, it should only be towed in
with the front wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised at rear, the automatic
gearbox is damaged!
Note
The vehicle must be transported on a special vehicle or trailer if it is not
possible to tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance
is greater than 50 km.
sqc.1.book Seite 231 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Fuses and light bulbs
232
Fuses and light bulbs
Electric fuses
Replacing fuses in the dash panel
Defect fuses must be replaced.
Individual electrical circuits are protected by fuses. The fuses are
located on the left side of the dash panel behind the safety cover.
– Switch the ignition off and also the electrical component
affected.
– Set the screwdriver under the safety cover (on the recess in the safety cover), lever it up carefully in the direction of the
arrow and take it out in the direction of the arrow
⇒fig. 167. – Find out which fuse belongs to the component which is not
operating ⇒page 233, “Fuse assignment in the dash panel”.
– Take the plastic clip out of its fixture in the fuse cover, insert it onto the respective fuse and pull out this fuse.
– Defect fuses can be detected by their melted metal strips. Replace the defect fuse by a new fuse of the same ampere
number.
– First shift the safety cover into the dash panel in the direction of arrow then press the safety cover in the direction of the
arrow in such a way that the guide lug locks into the
opening of the dash panel.
We recommend that you carry the box of replacement fuses with you
which was delivered in your vehicle. Replacement fuses 6) are available
at Škoda dealers.
Colour coding of fuses
Fig. 167 Left side of
the dash panel: fuse
cover
AAAB6)Replacement fuses are, on the other hand, part of the basic equipping of the ve-
hicle in some countries.
ColourMaximum amperage
light brown5
brown7,5
red10
blue15
AB
AA
sqc.1.book Seite 232 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13