2007 SKODA FABIA length

Driving and the Environment153
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The fuel consumption can naturally also be influenced by factors which are beyond the driver's control. It is, for example, normal for the fuel consumption to increase in winter and under worsened conditions such as poor road conditions, towing a trailer, etc.
The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the vehicle have already been built into the ve hicle at the works. Special attention has been given to minimising ne gative effects on the environment. It is necessary to take note of the guidelines given in this chapter in order to make best use of these characteristics and to maintain their effectiveness.
Looking ahead when driving
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.
Avoid accelerating and brakin g unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight you will not need to brake so often and will also then not have to accelerate so much. Let your vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this is possible, when you see that the next set of traffic lights is at red.
Shifting gears and saving energy
Shifting up early saves on fuel.
Manual gearbox
– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.
Always shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs.
Automatic gearbox
– Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Do not depress it beyond the
kickdown position, however.
An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up early. You will consume more fuel if you drive at unnecessa rily high revolutions in any given gear.
The ⇒fig. 139 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in the relevant gears. Fuel consumption in 1st gear is the highest and in 5th gear is the lowest.
Note
•The optimal engine speed should be obtained when accelerating, in order to avoid a high fuel consumption and resonance of the vehicle.
•Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator* ⇒ page 13.
Avoiding full throttle
Driving more slowly means saving fuel.
Fig. 139 Fuel consump- tion in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
Fig. 140 Fuel consump-tion in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
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Driving and the Environment154
Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption but also positively influence environmen tal pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid fully exploi ting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportion- ally at high speeds.
The ⇒page 153, fig. 140 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-quar- ters 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 length y 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 em issions, 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 servic ed 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 fu el 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 consid- erable 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 additional improvements in your fuel economy by using high- lubricity oils.
•Check the ground below your car at regula r 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.
– Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is cold.
The engine and catalytic converter mu st first have reached their optimal operating temperature in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emis- sions.
Fig. 141 Fuel consump- tion in litres/100 km at different temperatures
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Towing a trailer159
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
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 47.
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 instructions 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 legal maximum speeds. This applies in
particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.
– Keep a check on the coolant temper ature gauge if the outside temper-
ature 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 coun- tries 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.
You must always reduce your speed immedi ately 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 down- hill 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 10.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or even the red area of the scale, reduce yo ur speed immediately. Stop and switch off the engine if the warning light  in the instrument cluste r begins flashing. Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒ page 178, “Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒page 24, “Coolant temperature/coolant level ”.
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
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle167
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– 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.
Removing stains
– Remove fresh stains which are water-based (e.g. coffee, tea, juices,
blood etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household paper or use the
cleaner from the care set for a stain which has already dried in.
– Remove fresh stains on a fat base (e.g. butter, mayonnaise, chocolate
etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household cleaning paper or with the
cleaner from the care set if the stain has not yet penetrated into the
surface.
– Use a grease dissolver for grease stains which have dried in.
–Eliminate special stains (e.g. ball-point pens, felt pen, nail varnish,
dispersion paint, shoe cream etc.) with a special stain remover suit-
able for leather.
Leather care
– Treat the leather every six months with the leather care product avail-
able from Škoda Service Partners.
– Apply only a small amount of the care product.
– Dry the leather off with a soft cloth.
We recommend that you consul t your Škoda Service Partner, if you have any ques- tions regarding cleaning and ca re of the leather interior.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
•You must on no account treat the leathe r with solvents (e.g. gasoline, turpen- tine), floor wax, shoe cream or such like.
•Avoid leaving your vehicle for lengthy pe riods in bright sunlight in order to avoid bleaching the leather. If you leave yo ur vehicle parked in the open for lengthy periods, protect the leather from the direct rays of the sun by covering it over.
•Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp- edged belts may leave permanent scratches or signs of rubbing on the surface.
Note
•Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect regularly and each time after cleaning the leather. The cream no urishes the leather, allows it to breathe and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also creates surface protection.
•Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove fresh soiling each time this occurs.
•Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe cream etc., as quickly as possible.
•Care also for the leather dye. Refreshen areas which have lost their colour with a special coloured leather cream as required.
Seat belts
– Keep the seat belts clean!
– Wash seat belts which have become soiled using a mild soapy solu-
tion.
– Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition.
Belt webbing which has become severely soiled may prevent the inertia reel from reeling up the belt properly.
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Inspecting and Replenishing176
Check engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the le vel 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 173.
– 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 oi l. 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 oil 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 example during a lengthy motorway trip during the summer months, towing a trailer or negotiating a high mountain pass, but not above this .
The warning light in the instrument cluster* will indicate ⇒page 25 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 173, “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 extend 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 profes- sional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe engine damage.
Fig. 148 Dipstick
Aa
Ab
Aa
Ac
Ab
Ab
Aa
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Wheels and Tyres189
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WARNING
•Only use those tyres or wheel rims which have been approved for your model of Škoda Auto a.s. vehicle. Failure to observe this instruction will adversely affect the road safety of your vehicle - risk of accident! Approval and licencing of your vehicle on publ ic roads may also become void as a result.
•You must on no account drive at a hi gher speed than is permissible for your tyres - risk of an accident resulting from tyre damage and loss of control over your vehicle.
•Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional cases and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.
•Never fit tyres which have already be en used without having adequate knowledge of their previous history. Tyres age even if they have not been used at all or only very little. A spare tyre must only be used in exceptional cases and only then when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.
•Do not, where possible, replace indivi dual tyres but at least replace them on both wheels of a given axle at the same time. Always fit the tyres with the deeper tread depth to the front wheels.
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of in conf ormity with the appropriate regulations.
Note
It is not normally possible to fit wheels from other models of cars for technical reasons. This may also apply in certain circumstances to the wheels of the same type of vehicle.
Wheel bolts
Wheels and wheel bolts are matched to each other in terms of design. Each time you fit other wheels - e.g. light alloy wheels or wheels with winter tyres - you must
therefore also use the matching wheel bolts of the correct length and shape of spherical cap. This is essent ial to ensure that the wheels are tightly fitted and that the brake system operates properly.
If you retrofit wheel trims (or have this done), please also ensure that an adequate flow of air remains assured for cooling the brake system.
The Škoda Service Partners are instructed in the technical possibilities which exist regarding converting or retrofitting wheels, tyres and wheel trim.
WARNING
•In case of incorrect treatment of th e wheel bolts, the wheel can loosen when the car is moving - risk of accident!
•The wheel bolts must be clean and must turn easily. However, they must never be treated with grease or oil.
•If the wheel bolts are tightened to a too low tightening torque, the rim can lossen when the car is moving - risk of accident! A tightening torque which is too high can damage the bolts and threads and this can result in permanent deformation of the contact surfaces on the rims.
Caution
The prescribed tightening torque of the wheel bolts for steel and light alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
Winter tyres
The handling of your vehicle will be significantly improved when driving on wintry roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice, snow and at temperatures below 7 °C because of their construction (width, rubber blend, tread pattern). This applies in particul ar to vehicles which are equipped with low- profile tyres or high-speed tyres (code index H, V or W on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four wheels to obtain the best handling char- acteristics.
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Technical Data217
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Dimensions
Dimensions (mm)
Length3992
Width1642
Width including exterior mirror1886
Height1498/1513a)
a)The value is valid for vehicles with rough road package.
Wheel base2462
Tr a c k g a u g e f r o n t / r e a r1436/1426
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