
Driving and the Environment189
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
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 188, fig. 149 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
192
Motoring abroad
General
Other circumstances may exist abroad.
It is also possible, in certain countries, that the Škoda Service Partner
network is limited or 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 a.s. 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 186. 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. Headlight stickers can be obtained as a spare part from the Skoda Service
Partners.
Headlights with module are designed for driving in countries with traffic on
the right or on the left. Have this done always at a Škoda Service Partner.
Note
You can obtain further information regarding masking over or converting
the headlights from your Škoda Service Partner.
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
202
Underbody protection
The underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and
mechanical influences.
One cannot, however, completely rule out damage to the protective layer
when driving so we recommend that you inspect the protective layer on
the underside of your vehicle 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 Partners have suitable spray products available as well
as the necessary equipment and are familiar with the instructions for use.
We therefore recommend to have repairs and additional corrosion protec-
tion 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 flows out of the cavities at high
temperatures with a plastic scraper and clean 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 important, 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 cleaning agents recommended by the
manufacturer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter
before working on the engine compartment ⇒page 210.
•Let the engine cool down before cleaning the engine compart-
ment.
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
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