Lights and Visibility66
You should remove stubborn dirt (such as insect residues) from the headlight lenses at regular intervals, for example when refuelling. Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒page 189, “The headlight lenses”.
You should remove any snow from the fixtures of the washer nozzles and clear ice in winter with a de-icing spray in order to ensure proper operation of the cleaning system.
Replacing wiper blades for the windscreen wipers
Taking off the wiper blade
– Fold windscreen wiper arm away from the windscreen.
– Press the locking button, in order to unlock the wiper blade and
pull off in the direction of arrow.
Attaching a wiper blade
– Push the wiper blade until it locks up to the stop.
– Check whether the wiper blade is correctly attached.
– Fold the windscreen wiper arm back onto the windscreen.
Wiper blades in proper condition are esse ntial to obtain good visibility. Wiper blades should not be allowed to become dirtied by dust, insect remains and preserving wax.
Juddering or smearing of the wiper blad es could then be due to wax residues left on the windscreen by vehicle washing in automatic vehicle wash systems. It is therefore important to degrease the lips of the wiper blades after every pass through an automatic vehicle wash system.
WARNING
•If the windscreen wipers are handled carelessly, there is a risk of damage to the windscreen.
•You should clean the wiper blades regularly with a windscreen cleaner in order to avoid any smears . Clean a wiper blade with a sponge or cloth if it is very dirty, for example from insect residues.
•Replace the wiper blades once or twice a year for safety reasons. The wiper blades are available from Škoda Service Partners.
Fig. 46 Wiper blade for the windscreen wiper
NKO A05Fabia 20.book Page 66 Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:38 AM
Driving and the Environment177
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
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 le ngthy red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds you will have saved more fuel th an 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 engi ne revolutions at this time, however.
Regular servicing
A poorly tuned engine consum es 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 prop erly 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 consumption 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 ha s a higher oil consumption at first, and reaches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is therefore not possible to correctly assess the oil cons umption of a new vehicle until after you have driven about 5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•You can achieve addi tional 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.
Avoid driving short distances
Short distances result in an above-average high fuel
consumption.
Fig. 138 Fuel consump- tion in litres/100 km at different temperatures
NKO A05Fabia 20.book Page 177 Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:38 AM
Towing a trailer182
Exterior mirrors
You have to have addi tional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exterior 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 headlights. Alter the setting as necessary with th e aid of the headlight beam adjuster ⇒ page 59.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles with towing device and suppliable from Škoda original accessories. It is stowed together with separate fitting instruc- tions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Note
•We recommend that you also have yo ur 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.
•Keep the mechanism of the ball head of the towing device clean and take proper care of it with a suitable preservative.
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 lega l 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, weat her or wind conditions, particularly near accident black spots.
You must always reduce your speed imme diately 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 and then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time before negotiating a downhill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake.
Engine overheating
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temper- ature is very high ⇒page 14.
NKO A05Fabia 20.book Page 182 Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:38 AM
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle190
Underbody protection
The underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and mechanical influences.
One cannot, however, complete ly rule out damage to the protective layer when driving so we recommend that you inspect the protective layer on the underside of your ve hicle and on the chassis at certain intervals - this is best done at the beginning and end of the winter - and to touch up any damaged areas.
Škoda Service Partne rs have suitable spray products available as well as the necessary equipment and are familiar with the instructions for use. We there- fore recommend to have repairs and addi tional corrosion protection measures preferably carried out by a Škoda Service Partner.
WARNING
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or heat shields. Such substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Protection of hollow spaces
All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protected for life by a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not require to be inspected or re-treated. Please remove any small amount of wax which flow s out of the cavities at high temper- atures with a plastic scraper and cl ean the spot using petroleum cleaner.
WARNING
Safety and environmental protection regulations should observed when using petroleum cleaner to remove wax - a risk of fire!
Engine compartment
Good corrosion protection is very import ant, particularly in winter when one often drives over its salt-strewn roads. One should therefore clean the entire engine compartment before and after the salt spreading period, in order to prevent the salt from being destructive.
Škoda Service Partners have the cleani ng agents recommended by the manu- facturer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•It is necessary to observe the guid elines given in the chapter before working on the engine compartment ⇒page 198.
•Let the engine cool down before cleaning the engine compartment.
Caution
•Engine cleaning may be 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 garage or at a fueling station (when these are fitted with the required equipment).
NKO A05Fabia 20.book Page 190 Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:38 AM
Inspecting and Replenishing200
Coolant expansion bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windshield washer fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil filler opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Battery (below a cover) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Note
The location of the inspection points in the engine compartment of petrol and diesel engines is practically identical.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The grade of engine oil should be selected in accordance with
precise specifications.
The engine of your vehicle has been fact ory-filled with a high-grade oil which you can use throughout the year - except in extreme climatic regions.
You can mix various oils together with ea ch other when refilling with oil. This does not, however, apply for models with flexible service intervals (QG1).
Engine oils are, of course, undergoing continuous further development. Thus the information stated in this Owner's Manual is only correct at the time of publication.
Škoda Service Partners are informed by Škoda Auto a.s. about current changes. We recommend having this oil change undertaken by a Škoda Service Partner.
Engine oil specifications for vehicles with fixed service intervals (QG0, QG2)
Engine oil specifications for models with flexible service intervals (QG1)
Caution
Only the above-mentioned oils may be used on vehicles with flexible service intervals (QG1). We recommend always re filling with oil of the same specifica- tion since this will maintain the properti es of the oil. In exceptional cases, you must top up only once engine oil complying with Specification VW 502 00 (only for petrol engines) or Specification VW 505 01 (only for diesel engines) to maximum 0.5 litres. You must not use other engine oils - risk of engine damage!
A1204A2211
A3202
A4201
A5206
A6207
Engine oil specifications
Petrol engines
VW 501 01 VW 502 00 VW 504 00
ACEA A2 a) or A3 a)
a)Only to be used in exceptional cases if the oils specified above are not available.
Diesel enginesVW 505 01b)
VW 507 00 c)
b)Only for engines without diesel particle filter ⇒page 36.c)Only for engines with diesel particle filter ⇒page 36.
Engine oil specifications
Petrol enginesVW 504 00 alternative VW 503 00
Diesel enginesVW 507 00
alternative VW 506 01 a)
a)Only for engines without diesel particle filter ⇒page 36.
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Inspecting and Replenishing201
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Note
•Before a long drive we recommend that you purchase and carry with you engine oil which complies with the specif ication for your vehicle. Consequently, you will always have the correct engine oil for refilling.
•We recommend using a preservative fr om the Škoda original accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
•For further information - see Service shedule.
Check engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the level of oil in the engine.
Checking the oil level
– Park the vehicle on a horizontal surface.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compartment”
on page 198.
– Wait a few minutes and pull out the oil dipstick ⇒.
– Wipe off the dipstick with a clean cloth and insert it again fully.
– Then withdraw the dipstick again and read off the oil level.
Oil level within range
– You must not top up the oil.
Oil level within range
– You may top up the oil. It is possible that the oil level may then be
within range after doing this.
Oil level within range
– You must top up the oil. It is sufficient, once this is done, to keep
the oil level is within range .
It is normal for the engine to consume oil. The oil consumption may be as much as 0.5 l/1 000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which you operate your vehicle. The oi l consumption may be slightly higher than this during the first 5 000 kilometres.
One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every time after the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches.
We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range if the engine has been operating at high loads, for ex ample during a lengthy motorway trip during the summer months, towing a tr ailer or negotiating a high mountain pass, but not above this.
Fig. 145 Dipstick
Aa
Ab
Aa
Ac
Ab
Ab
NKO A05Fabia 20.book Page 201 Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:38 AM
Inspecting and Replenishing202
The warning light in the instrument cluster* will indicate ⇒page 31 whether the oil level is too low. In this case, check the oil level as soon as possible. Top up with an appropriate quantity of oil.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 198, “Working in the engine compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
•Always check the oil level on vehicles with engine 1.2 l/47 kW when the engine is warm. Otherwise the measuring result is incorrect und oil could be incorrectly replenished - risk of engine damage!
•The oil level must on no account ex tend beyond the range . Danger of damaging the catalytic converter.
•Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the conditions prevailing to top up with oil. Switch the engine off and obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe engine damage.
Replenishing engine oil
– Inspect the oil level ⇒page 201.
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening.
– Pour in a suitable grade of oil in portions of 0.5 litres ⇒page 200,
“Engine oil specifications”.
– Inspect the oil level ⇒page 201.
– Carefully screw on the cap of the filler opening and push the
dipstick in fully.
WARNING
•Avoid dripping oil onto hot parts of the engine when topping up will oil - a risk of fire!
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 198, “Working in the engine compartment” before work ing in the engine compartment.
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must on no account be above the range ⇒page 201. Oil will otherwise be drawn in through the cran kcase ventilation and may pass through the exhaust system to atmosphere. The oil may combust in the catalytic converter and damage it.
Changing engine oil
The engine oil must be changed at the intervals stated in the Service schedule or according to the service interval indicator ⇒page 16.
WARNING
•Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required profes- sional knowledge!
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 198, “Working in the engine compartment” before work ing in the engine compartment.
•Let the engine cool down - risk of burning from hot oil.
•Wear an eye protection - risk of caustic burns due to oil splashes.
Aa
Aa
NKO A05Fabia 20.book Page 202 Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:38 AM
Index253
R
Radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Radio
Operating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Radio systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Raise vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Rear mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Rear window heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Recharge battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Recirculated air mode
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Synchronisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Replacing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Replacing fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Replacing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Roof aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Running in the car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
S
Safe securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Safety information
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Saving electrical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Seat belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
fastening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Service Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Service Interval Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Setting temperature
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Steering force assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Storage compartment
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Switch in the driver door
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Switching lights on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
T
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Taking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Temperature
outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
the first 1 500 kilometres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Thickness of brake pads
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
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