
Driving and the Environment
222
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 242, “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 252, “Replen-
ishing engine oil”. – Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50
metres ⇒page 286, “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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Driving and the Environment225
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
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 224, fig. 184 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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Driving and the Environment
228
Motoring abroad
General
Other circumstances may exist abroad.
It is also possible, in certain countries, that the Škoda dealership network
has not been established yet. This is the reason why obtaining certain
spare parts may be somewhat complicated and specialist garage
personnel may only be able to make limited repairs. Škoda Auto in the
Czech Republic and relevant importers are happy to provide information
about technical aspects of the vehicle, required maintenance work and
possibilities for getting repairs done.
Unleaded petrol
A vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with
unleaded petrol ⇒page 222. The automobile associations can provide you
with information regarding the locations of filling stations which offer
unleaded petrol.
Headlights
The low beam of your headlights is set asymmetrically. It illuminates the
side of the road on which you are driving to a greater extent. If you drive
abroad on the other side of the road, you will dazzle oncoming traffic.
It is necessary in order to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic to stick a sticker
over a certain part of the headlights.
Windscreen wiper stickers are available at Škoda dealers. Headlights with Xenon lamps are designed for driving in countries with
traffic on the right or on the left. Have this done always at a Škoda dealer.
Note
You can obtain further information regarding masking over or converting
the headlights from your Škoda dealer.
Avoiding damage to your vehicle
When driving on poor roads and lanes or when driving over kerbstones,
steep ramps etc., you must pay particular attention to ensuring that any
low-slung parts of the vehicle, such as spoiler and exhaust, do not touch
the ground and get damaged.
This particularly applies to models with a lowered suspension (sport
suspension) and also when your vehicle is fully laden.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle 239
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Caution
•Engine cleaning may only be undertaken when the ignition is off.
•It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine
compartment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by washing the engine has washed away petrol,
and residues of grease and oil and should therefore be cleaned by an oil
separator. This is why engine washing should only be undertaken in a
specialist garage or at a fueling station (when these are fitted with the
required equipment).
Care of the interior of vehicle
Plastic parts, artificial leather and cloths
You can clean plastic parts and artificial leather with a moist cloth. You
should only treat such parts with special solvent-free plastic cleaning
and care products it does prove to be adequate.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the doors, luggage compartment cover,
headliner etc. are best treated with special cleaning products, using if
necessary a dry foam and a soft sponge or brush.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accesso-
ries offered by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.
Fabric covers of electrically heated seats
Do not clean the seat covers wet as this may result in damage to the seat
heating system.
Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam.
Natural leather
Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.
Leather should be treated from time to time according the
following guidelines depending on how much it is used.
Normal cleaning
– Clean soiled areas of the leather with slightly moistened cotton or woollen cloth.
Severe soiling
– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solution (2 spoonfuls of pH-neutral soap to 1 litre of
water).
– Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point and that no water gets into the stitching of the seams.
– Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
s24s.book Page 239 Thursday, November 24, 2005 12:27 PM

Fuel
242
Fuel
Petrol
Grades of petrol
There are various grades of petrol. Please read the brochure “Technical
Data” in order to know which grade of petrol your vehicle requires. You will
also find the same information affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap of
your vehicle ⇒page 245, fig. 188 .
A distinction is made between unleaded and leaded petrol. All Škoda vehi-
cles with petrol engines are equipped with a catalytic converter and must
therefore be only driven with unleaded petrol. Unleaded petrol complies
with the standard EN 228 .
The individual grades of petrol are distinguished by their octane number
(RON). Please adopt the following procedure if the grade of petrol which
you normally use is not be available in exceptional circumstances:
•Engines which need unleaded premium petrol 95 RON can also be
run on unleaded petrol 91 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss
in performance.
•Engines which need unleaded premium plus petrol 98 RON can
also be run on unleaded regular petrol 95 RON. This does, however,
result in a slight loss in performance. You can in exceptional circum-
stances also use unleaded petrol of 91 RON in the event that no
unleaded premium plus petrol of 98 RON or premium plus petrol of 95
RON is available. Refuel as soon as possible with unleaded premium plus
of 98 RON or unleaded premium petrol of 95 RON.
If, in an emergency, the only fuel available is one which has a lower octane
number than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine
speeds and lower engine loadings. You can make unlimited use of fuel which has a higher octane number
than that required by the engine. There will, however, be no advantages
gained by this in terms of engine performance and fuel consumption!
The handling, performance and life of your engine are determined to a
significant extent by the quality of the fuel. Do not use any petrol additives.
Use a fuel complying with the standard.
You can find further information on refuelling
⇒page 245, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the cata-
lytic converter being destroyed.
•Operating the engine with petrol of a low octane number can result in
engine damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.
Diesel
Diesel fuel
Grades of diesel fuel
Your vehicle can be driven with the following grades of diesel fuel:
„Diesel fuel with a cetane number of at least CN 49. (The cetane
number CN is a measure of the ignition performance of the diesel fuel.)
Diesel fuel must comply with the DIN EN 590.
„Biofuel (RME rape oil methyl ester fuel) must comply with the DIN
EN 14 214 . Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒page 243.
s24s.book Page 242 Thursday, November 24, 2005 12:27 PM