Communication
166
Optimum understanding of the voice commands depends on the
following factors:
•Speak with a normal tone of voice without intonation and excessive
voice pauses.
•Avoid insufficient articulation.
•Close the doors, windows and sliding roof, in order to reduce or stop
disturbing exterior noise.
•It is recommended to speak louder at higher speeds, so that the tone
of your voice is louder than the increased surrounding noise.
•During the dialogue avoid additional noise in the vehicle, e.g. simulta-
neously talking occupants.
•Do not speak, if the system makes an announcement.
•The hands-free microphone is directed to the driver position, therefore
the system should only be operated by the driver.
WARNING
Pay attention primarily to the traffic situation! As the driver you are
fully responsible for the traffic safety. Use the telephone system
only to such an extent, so that you are in full control of your vehicle
at any time.
Caution
Taking the mobile phone out of the adapter during the call can lead to
interruption of the connection. When taking out the mobile phone, the
connection to the factory-fitted antenna is interrupted, this reduces the
quality of the transmitting and receiving signal. This might result addition-
ally in harmful radiation from the mobile phone in the interior of the vehicle
and the charging of the telephone battery is interrupted.
Note
•Please also refer to the additional instructions ⇒page 175, “Mobile
phones and two-way radio systems”.
•Please contact your Škoda dealer If there are any points which are not
clear.
•The voice control of the telephone is only possible for adapters with
PTT button. Suitable adapters are available at your Škoda dealer.
Inserting the mobile phone and adapter
A telephone mount is factory-fitted. The mount is attached to the
centre console. The adapter “Cullmann” and the mobile phone is
supplied within the scope of delivery of the vehicle.
Fig. 149 Universal
preparation for the
mobile phone
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Passive Safety
178
For this reason you will be provided with information on why this equip-
ment is very important, how it protects you and the occupants, what
should be observed when using the equipment and how you and the
people travelling with you can make full use of the existing safety equip-
ment. This Owner's Manual contains important warning notes, which you
and those travelling with you should pay attention to in order to reduce a
risk of injury.
Safety concerns everybody!
Before setting off
The driver is always fully responsible for his occupants
and for the operating safety of the vehicle.
For your own safety and the safety of the people travelling with you,
please pay attention to the following points before setting off:
•Ensure that the lighting and the turn signal system are functioning
properly.
•Inspect the tyre inflation pressure.
•Ensure that all the windows offer a good visibility to the outside.
•Safely attach the items of luggage ⇒page 92, “Loading the luggage
compartment”.
•Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedal.
•Adjust the mirror, the front seat and the head restraint to match your
body size.
•Point out to your occupants that the head restraints must be adjusted
to match their body size.
•Protect the children in suitable child seats with correctly fastened seat
belts ⇒page 202, “Transporting children safely”.
•Adopt the correct seated position ⇒page 179, “Correct seated posi-
tion”. Also inform your occupants to adopt the correct seated position.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly. Also inform your occupants to properly
fasten the seat belts ⇒page 186, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
What influences the driving safety?
The driving safety is primarily determined by the style of
driving and the personal behaviour of all the occupants.
The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occupants. If your driving
safety is effected, you place yourself and the oncoming traffic at risk.
Please refer to the following guidelines.
•Do not get distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by
your occupants or mobile phone calls.
•Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, e.g. through medica-
tion, alcohol, drugs.
•Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
•Adjust the driving speed at all times to the road condition as well as to
the traffic and weather conditions.
•Take regular breaks on long journeys - at the latest every two hours.
s24s.book Page 178 Thursday, November 24, 2005 12:27 PM
Passive Safety
180
WARNING
•The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted
to match the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts
must always be correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal
protection for you and your occupants.
•The driver must maintain a distan ce of at least 25 cm to the
steering wheel ⇒page 179, fig. 152 . Not maintaining this minimum
distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to prop-
erly protect you - hazard!
•When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on
the outer edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold
the steering wheel firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another
way (e.g. in the middle of the steering wheel or at the inner steering
wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to the arms, the hands and the
head can occur when the driver airbag is deployed.
•The backrests must not be angled too far back when driving
otherwise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of
the airbag system - risk of injury!
•Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects
may get behind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre.
You would then no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or
accelerate.
Correct seated position for the front passenger
The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least
25 cm from the dash panel so that the airbag offers the
greatest possible safety when an airbag is deployed.
For the safety of the front passenger and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend the following setting:
•Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible to the rear.
•Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is
at the same level as the upper part of your head ⇒page 179, fig. 153 .
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 186, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated
⇒ page 199, “Deactivating an airbag”.
Manual front passenger adjustment ⇒page 83, “Adjusting the front seats”.
Electrical front passenger seat adjustment ⇒page 84, “Adjusting front
seats electrically*”.
WARNING
•The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted
to match the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts
must always be correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal
protection for you and your occupants.
•The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm
to the dash panel. Not maintaining this minimum distance will
mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you
- hazard!
•Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being
driven - never place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the
window or on the surfaces of the seats. You will be exposed to
increased risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the brake
or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is deployed, you may
suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated position!
•The backrests must not be angled too far back when driving
otherwise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of
the airbag system - risk of injury!
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Passive Safety181
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Correct seated position for th e occupants on the rear
seats
Occupants on the rear seats must sit upright, keep the feet
in the footwell and must have their seat belts correctly
fastened.
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or
an accident, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following:
•Adjust the head restraints so that the top edge of the head restraints
are at the same level as the upper part of your head ⇒page 179, fig. 153 .
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 186, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
•If you are transporting ⇒page 202, “Transporting children safely” chil-
dren in the vehicle, please use a suitable child restraint system.
WARNING
•The head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body
size, in order to offer an optimal protection for you and your occu-
pants.
•Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being
driven - never put your feet out of the window or on the surfaces of
the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it
becomes necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an acci-
dent. If an airbag is deployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when
adopting an incorrect seated position!
•If the occupants on the rear seats are not sitting upright, the risk
of injury is increased due to in correct routing of the seat belt.
Examples of an incorrect seated position
An incorrect seated position can lead to severe injuries or
death for the occupants.
Seat belts offer their optimum protection only if the webbing of the seat
belts is properly routed. Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce
the protective functions of the seat belts and therefore increase the risk of
injury due to an incorrect routing of the seat belt. The driver is fully respon-
sible for himself and the occupants, in particular for the children. Do not
permit an occupant to adopt an incorrect seated position when the car is
moving.
The following list contains the examples of seated positions which are
dangerous for the occupants. This list is not complete, however we would
like you to get interested in this subject.
Therefore, while the car is moving never:
•stand up in the vehicle,
•stand up on the seats,
•kneel onto the seats,
•tilt the backrest fully to the back,
•lean against the dash panel,
•lie on the rear seats,
•only sit on the front area of the seat,
•sit to the side,
•lean out of the window,
•put the feet out of the window,
•put the feet on the dash panel,
•put the feet on the seat upholstery,
•occupy the footwell,
•have the seat belt not fastened,
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Airbag system
198
the event of a side collision so as to enable the head airbags to offer the
maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten ⇒page 183, “Why seat belts?” the
seat belts, not only because this is required by law, but also for safety
reasons and for your own protection.
Together with other elements (such as cross bars in the seats, stable
vehicle structure) the head airbags are the consequent further develop-
ment of occupant protection in the case of side collisions.
Function of the head airbags
The risk of injury to the head and neck area is reduced in
the event of a side collision by fully inflated head airbags.
In the case of a side collision the head airbag is deployed together with
the relevant side airbag on the side of the car on which the accident occurs
⇒ fig. 168 . If the head airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with propellant gas and
extends over the entire area of the side window including the door pillars
⇒
fig. 168 .
The protection offered by the head airbags is thus available simultane-
ously both to the front occupants of the car seated on the side on which
the accident occurs, as well as to the rear occupants. Any impact of the
head against parts of the interior or objects outside of the car, is cushioned
by the inflated head airbag. The reduction in any impact to the head and
the resultant minimizing of any movements of the head additionally reduce
the risk of injuries to the neck area. The head airbag also offers additional
protection in the case of an offset impact by covering the front door pillar.
In certain accident situations both the front airbags as well as the side and
head airbags may be deployed together.
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to
be able to offer that additional protection in the event of an accident. 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.
Important safety informat ion on the head airbag
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the
risk of injury!
WARNING
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 199, “Deactivating an
airbag” the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety
seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated with its
back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the
child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a
risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front
passenger airbag is deployed. In certain countries national legal Fig. 168 Inflated head
airbag
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Airbag system199
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be
deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat,
please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding
the use of child safety seats.
•There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the
head airbags which might prevent the airbags from inflating prop-
erly.
•Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the
vehicle. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets of the items of clothing. In addition, it is not permitted to
use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing.
•The airbag control unit operates together with the sensors,
which are attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjust-
ments must be carried out at the doors as well as at the door panels
(for example additional installation of loudspeakers). Resulting
damages can have a negative affect on the operation of the airbag
system. All work on the front doors and their panels must only be
carried out by a specialist garage.
•There must not be any other persons (e.g. children) or animals
between the car occupant and the deployment area of the head
airbag. In addition, none of the occupants should lean their head
out of the window when driving, or extend their arms and hands out
of the window.
•The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into
the deployment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as
ball-point pens etc. are attached to them. This might result in inju-
ries to the occupants if the head airbag is deployed.
•Installing impermissible accessories in the area of the head
airbags may considerably impair the protection offered by the head
airbag in the event of it being deployed. When the deployed head
airbag is inflated, parts of the accessories fitted may in certain
circumstances be thrown into the interior of the car and cause inju- ries to the occupants
⇒page 270, “Accessories, changes and
replacement of parts”.
•Any work on the head airbag system including installing and
removing system components because of other repair work (e.g.
removing headliner) must only be carried out by a specialist
garage.
Deactivating an airbag
Deactivating airbags
If any airbags have been deactivated, switch them on
again as soon as possible so that they are able to again
provide their proper protection.
There is the technical means installed within your vehicle to switch off the
front, side* or head airbag* (take out of commission).
This is why you should have the deactivation of the airbags carried out by
a specialist garage.
On vehicles equipped with the switch for deactivation of the airbags, you
can deactivate the front and side passenger airbag by means of this
switch ⇒page 200.
Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only for particular instances,
such as if:
•you must in exceptional cases use a child seat on the front
passenger seat where the child has its back to the direction of travel of the
vehicle (in some countries this must be in the direction of travel due to
WARNING (continued)WARNING (continued)
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
234
WARNING
When washing your vehicle in the winter: Water and ice in the brake
system can affect the braking efficiency - risk of accident.
Automatic vehicle wash systems
The paintwork of the vehicle is sufficiently resistant that the vehicle can be
washed normally in automatic vehicle wash plants without any problem.
The actual stress to which the paintwork is subjected, however, depends
greatly on the design of the vehicle wash system, the filtering of the water
and the type of washing and care products used. If the paintwork of your
vehicle appears mat after being washed or even has scratches, point this
out to the operator of the vehicle wash plant. Use a different vehicle wash
plant, if necessary.
There are no particular points to note before washing your vehicle in such
a plant other than the usual precautionary measures (closing windows
and sliding/tilting roof, moving any factory-fitted aerials down flat against
the bodywork, etc.).
If you have any particular attached parts fitted to your car - such as spoiler,
roof rack system, two-way radio aerial - it is best to first of all consult the
operator of the car wash plant.
It is important to degrease the lips of the windscreen wiper rubbers after
passing through the automatic vehicle wash system.
Caution
Do not screw the swivelling down roof aerial tight before washing the
vehicle in an automatic vehicle wash system - risk of damage!
Washing vehicle by hand
It is important to first soften the dirt with plenty of water and rinse it off as
thoroughly as possible before washing your vehicle by hand.
One should then clean the vehicle using a soft washing sponge,
washing glove or a washing brush and only slight pressure. Work from
the top to the bottom - beginning with the roof. Only place slight pressure
on the vehicle paintwork during cleaning Only use a shampoo for stub-
born dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.
Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for
such areas.
Rinse off the vehicle well after giving it a wash and dry it off using a
chamois leather.
WARNING
•The ignition should always be switched off when you wash your
vehicle - risk of accident!
•Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts
when you are cleaning the underfloor, the inside of the wheel hous-
ings or the wheel trims - risk of cuts.
Caution
•Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight - risk of paint damage.
•Ensure that the jet of water is not aimed directly at the locks or at the
door and panel joints if you spray your vehicle in winter down with a hose
- risk of freezing.
•Do not use any insect sponges, rough kitchen sponges or similar
cleaning products - risk of damage to the surface of paintwork.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle 235
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
For the sake of the environment
Only wash your vehicle at washing bays specifically reserved for this
purpose. This ensures that no water which may be contaminated by oil
flows into the sewage system. It is not even permitted to wash your vehicle
in certain areas except at such specific washing bays.
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
When you wash your vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, it is essential
to comply with the instructions for use of the cleaning equipment. This
applies in particular to the pressure used and to the spraying distance .
Maintain a sufficiently large distance to soft materials such as rubber
hoses or insulation material.
On no account use circular spray nozzles or so-called dirt cutters!
WARNING
It is particularly important that you do not clean tyres with circular
spray jets. Visible but also invisible damage to tyres may occur
even at a relatively large spraying distance and if sprayed only for
a short time - risk of accident!
Caution
The water must be no hotter than 60°C, otherwise the vehicle can be
damaged.
Wax treatment
Good wax treatment is an effective way of protecting the paintwork from
harmful environmental influences and minor mechanical damage.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-quality hard wax polish at the
latest, when no more drops form on the clean paintwork.
A new layer of a high-quality hard wax polish can be applied to the clean
bodywork after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver
regularly we still recommend that you treat the paintwork of the vehicle at
least twice a year with hard wax.
Caution
Never apply wax to the windows.
Polishing
Polishing is only necessary if the paintwork of your vehicle has become
unattractive and if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax
preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax preserver if the polish you use
does not contain any preserving elements ⇒page 235, “Wax treatment”.
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories
offered by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
•You must not treat mat painted parts or plastic with polishing products
or hard wax.
•Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicle in a dusty environment,
otherwise the paintwork can be scratched.
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