
Towing a trailer201
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
be found in your vehicle registrati
on documents or in the brochure -
Technical Data .
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that any heavy items are
located as close as possible to the axle. Secure the items to prevent them
slipping.
Tyre pressure
Select the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for that of “fully laden”,
⇒ page 236. The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to the trailer adjust
in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation.
Exterior mirrors
You have to have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see
the traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exte-
rior 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 head-
lights. Alter the setting as necessary with the aid of the headlight beam
adjuster ⇒page 58.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing
device. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare
wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Further information on the towing device ⇒page 202.
Note
•We recommend that you also have your 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.
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 legal 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, weather or wind
conditions, particularly near accident black spots.
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Towing a trailer
202
You must always reduce your speed immediately 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 temperature is very high ⇒page 14.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand
area or even the red area of the scale, reduce your speed immediately.
Stop and switch off the engine if the warning light
in the instrument
cluster begins flashing. Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant
in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒page 225, “Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒page 32, “Coolant temperature,
Coolant quantity ”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down
a gear and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan
speed is independent of the engine speed. One should also not drop a
gear for this reason when towing a trailer as long as the engine can
manage the slope without any drop in speed.
Detachable towing device*
The detachable ball head of the towing device is stowed in the spare
wheel well in the luggage compartment.
An instruction for correct installation and removal of the ball head of the
towing device is supplied with the ball head
Inspect the ball head to ensure that it is properly locked each time before
setting off. The inspection is performed by turning the closed locking lever
downwards. If the locking lever can only be turned around a small angle
(approx. 5°), the locking mechanism is O.K. After the inspection pull the
locking lever back again to its stop. The towing device must not be used,
if it does not wish to close or the locking lever turns slightly in the closed
position.
Fig. 169 Detachable
ball head
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Inspecting and Replenishing
226
Replenishing the coolant
– Switch the engine off.
– Allow the engine to cool down.
– Place a cloth over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir
⇒page 225, fig. 176 and unscrew the cap carefully by
turning it to the left ⇒.
– Top up the coolant.
– Screw the cap tight until it is heard to lock.
The coolant which you use for replenishing the system, must comply with
one specific specification ⇒page 224, “Coolant”. Do not use an alterna-
tive additive if the coolant additive G12 PLUS is not available in excep-
tional cases. Just top up the system with water and as soon as possible
arrange adjustment to correct the mixing ratio of water and coolant addi-
tive again by a specialist garage.
Only use fresh coolant for topping up the system.
Do not fill up over the “MAX” marking! Excess coolant which is heated up
is forced out of the cooling system through the pressure relief valve in the
cap of the coolant compensation bottle.
Wait until the engine has cooled down for a system which has suffered a
major loss of coolant before pouring in coolant. This is necessary to avoid
engine damage.
WARNING
•The cooling system is pressurized! Do not open the cap of the
coolant expansion bottle if the engine is still hot - risk of scalding!
•The coolant additive and thus all of the coolant is harmful to
your health. Avoid contact with the coolant. Coolant vapours are
also harmful to the health. It is important, therefore, to always
safely store any coolant additive in its original container out of the
reach of children - risk of poisoning!
•If any splashes of coolant get into your eyes, rinse out your eyes
immediately with clear water and contact a doctor as soon as
possible.
•You should also consult a doctor without delay if you have inad-
vertently swallowed coolant.
Caution
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible
under the conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Switch the
engine off and obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage,
otherwise it could lead to severe engine damage.
For the sake of the environment
Do not re-use coolant if it is necessary to drain the coolant in the system.
It should be collected and disposed of in compliance with environmental
protection regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan may switch on suddenly.
The radiator fan is driven by an electric motor and controlled by a thermo-
stat according to the coolant temperature.
WARNING (continued)
NKO B5 20.book Page 226 Monday, July 3, 2006 2:09 PM

Inspecting and Replenishing227
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The radiator fan may continue running for up to 10 minutes after the
engine has been switched off - even if the ignition is also off. It may also
switch on suddenly after a certain time, if
•the coolant temperature has risen because of an accumulation of heat
or
•the warm engine compartment is heated up additionally by strong
sunlight.
WARNING
You must therefore be aware when working in the engine compart-
ment that the fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury!
Brake fluid
Inspecting the brake fluid level
You can also see the location of the brake fluid reservoir in the
engine compartment from the general view of the engine
compartment ⇒page 220. The brake fluid reservoir on right-
hand steering models is positioned on the other side of the
engine compartment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 219.
– Pull off the rubber seal ⇒fig. 177 partially away and lift the
cover slightly.
– Inspect the brake fluid level at the reservoir . The level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings. The markings are
indicated on the side of the reservoir.
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 219, “Working in
the engine compartment” before working in the engine compart-
ment.
Fig. 177 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
AB
AC
AA
NKO B5 20.book Page 227 Monday, July 3, 2006 2:09 PM

Index
272
CargoFlex folding box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
unlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Changing Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Changing oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Changing wheels around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Check engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Child safety seat on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . 176
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Use of child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Child seat protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Classification into groups . . . . . . . . . . . 178
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Children and safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Chrome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Climatronic
Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Blower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
economic use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Keeping windows demisted . . . . . . . . . . 115
Operational faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Recirculated air mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Setting temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Climatronic (automatic air conditioning) . . . 113
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Clothes hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cockpit General view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Coming Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Convenience operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Converting/masking over headlights . . . . . . 199
Cool box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Coolant quantity Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Coolant temperature/coolant level
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Cooling Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Correct seated position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
D
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Defrosting rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Defrosting windows Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Defrosting windscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
De-icing the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Detachable towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Diesel engines Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Diesel particle filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Direction indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
NKO B5 20.book Page 272 Monday, July 3, 2006 2:09 PM