2005 SKODA FABIA brake pads

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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Starting-off and Driving107
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
•Depress the clutch pedal fully when changing gears, in order to avoid
unnecessary wear and damage.
Handbrake
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up fully.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and at the same time
press in the locking button ⇒fig. 93 .
– Hold the button pressed and push the handbrake lever down fully ⇒ .
The handbrake warning light  lights up when the handbrake is applied,
provided the ignition is on.
A warning signal sounds and the following text appears in the display* if
you have inadvertently driven off with the handbrake applied:
"Handbrake on"
The handbrake warning is activated if you drive at a speed of more than 6
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 nega tive 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 the first gear (manual gearbox) or
moving the selector lever into position P (automatic gearbox).
Fig. 93 Centre
console: Handbrake
sqc.1.book Seite 107 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

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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Intelligent Technology161
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
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 36,
“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.
sqc.1.book Seite 161 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Driving and the Environment165
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assist-
anceTechnical DataFabia Praktik
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 186, “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 195,
“Replenishing engine oil”. – Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50
metres ⇒page 230, “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 specialist garage. 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.
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Inspecting and Replenishing
200
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 36. 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 191, “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.
Replacing brake fluid
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. This causes the fluid to absorb moisture
from the surrounding air over a period of time. Excessive water in the
brake fluid may be the cause of corrosion in the brake system. The water
content also lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid. This is why brake
fluid must be replaced every two years.
One may only use new genuine brake fluid from Škoda Auto. The specifi-
cation for the brake fluid is “FMVSS 116 DOT 4”.
We recommend that you have the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda dealer
as part of an Inspection Service.
WARNING
•Using old brake fluid can result in severe stress on the brakes
because of the formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system.
This greatly impairs the braking efficiency and thus also the safety
of your vehicle.
•Brake fluid is toxic! It must therefore be kept safely in closed
original containers and well away from children and unauthorized
persons.
Caution
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
In view of the problems involved with proper disposal of brake fluid, the
special tools and the professional knowledge required, we recommend
you have the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda dealer.
sqc.1.book Seite 200 Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 1:09 13

Index251
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68, 125
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
An overview Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Antilock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Antilock brake system - ABS Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Emergency programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . 178
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . 171
B
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Brake Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Brake system Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Button on the driver's door
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Changing the engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Changing wheels around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Child safety locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Child safety seats ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Classification into groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . 149
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Children and safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Chrome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
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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
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