2007 SKODA FABIA engine

Driving and the Environment155
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately after starting. Fuel co nsumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The engine reaches its operating temperat ure (outside temperature and engine dependent) only after about 4 to 10 kilometres and the fuel consumption then stabilizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible.
An important factor in this connection is also the ambient temperature. The ⇒ page 154, fig. 141 shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the one hand at +20°C and on the other hand at -10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel consumption in winter than in summer.
Checking tyre inflation pressures
Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.
Always ensure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure at all times. The rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is too low. This will not only increase fuel consumpt ion but also tyre wear and the driving behaviour will worsen.
Always check the inflation pressure of the tyres when cold.
Do not drive with winter tyres all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel. Winter tyres are also louder.
No unnecessary ballast
Transporting balla st costs fuel.
The fact that every kilogram of extra weight increases your fuel consumption means that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid trans- porting any unnecessary ballast.
It is par ticularly i n town tra ffi c, whe n one is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle weight will have a significant effect upon the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb here is that an increase in weight of 100 kilograms will cause an increase in fuel consumption of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.
You may frequently also leave a roof rack fitted on just out of convenience, although you no longer need it. The incr eased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle
causes it to use about 1 litre more fuel than normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, even when you are not carr ying a load on the roof.
Saving electricity
Generating electricity costs fuel.
– Switch off electrical components as soon as you no longer need them.
When the engine is running, the alternator generates and supplies electrical power. If more electrical components are switched on, more fuel is needed to operate the alternator.
Keeping a log of your fuel consumption
If you really wish to keep a close check on your fuel consumption, it is best to enter the figures in a logbook. This does not take much time but is a very worthwhile exer- cise. It enables you to detect any change (positive and negative) at an early stage and to take any appropriate action.
If you find that your fuel consumption is too high, you should reflect on how, where and in what conditions yo u have driven the vehicle since you last refuelled.
Environmental compatibility
Environmental protection has played a major role in the design, selection of mate- rials and manufacture of your new Škoda. Particular emphasis has been paid to a number of aspects, including:
Design measures
•joints designed to be easily detached
•simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system
•improved purity of different classes of materials
•identification of all plastic parts in accordance with VDA Recommendation 260
•reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission CO2
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Driving and the Environment156
•minimum fuel leakage during accidents
•reduced noise
Choice of materials
•extensive use of recyclable material
•air conditioning filled wi th CFC-free refrigerant
•no cadmium
•no asbestos
•reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics
Manufacture
•solvent-free cavity protection
•solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the production plant to the customer
•the use of solvent-free adhesives
•no CFCs used in the production process
•without use of mercury
•use of water-soluble paints
Trade-in and recycling of old cars
Škoda Auto meets the requirements of the brand and its products regarding envi- ronment and ressource protection. All new Škoda vehicles can be utilized up to 95 % and always 4) be returned. In a lot of countries sufficient trade-in networks have been created, where you can trade-in your vehicle. After you trade-in your vehicle, you will receive a confirmation stating the recycling in accordance with environmental regulations.
Vehicles with special built-on types
Technical documents regarding changes carried out on the vehicle must be kept by the vehicle user, in or der to hand over later to the old car user. This ensures the recycling in accordance with environmental regulations.
Note
Detailed information about the trade-in and recycling of old cars is available from your Škoda Service Partner.
Motoring abroad
General
Other circumstances may exist abroad.
It is also possible, in ce rtain 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 complicate d and specialist garage personnel may only be able to ma ke li mite d re pa irs. Škoda Auto a.s. i n the Czech Republic and rele - vant importers are happy to provide info rmation 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 152. 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 asym metrically. 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 wi ll 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.4)subject to fulfilment of the national legal regulations
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Towing a trailer158
Towing a trailer
To w i n g a t r a i l e r
Technical requirements
The towing device must satisfy certain technical requirements.
Your vehicle is designed primarily for transporting persons and luggage. It can, however, also be used for towing a traile r - provided certain technical equipment is fitted.
If your vehicle has been eq uipped with a towing device from Škoda Original Acces- sories, then the towing device satisfies all technical and legal requirements.
Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin po wer socket for the electrical connection between the vehicle and trailer. If th e trailer which you wish to tow has a 7-pin connector , you can use a suitable adapter 5) from Škoda original accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordan ce with the manufacturer's specifications if a towing device is retrofitted.
Škoda Service Partners are familiar with de tails relating to retrofitting a towing device and for any necessary modi fications to the cooling system.
WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device from Škoda original acces- sories installed by a Škoda Service Partner. He is familiar with all the relevant details relating to retrofitting such equi pment. There is a risk of an accident if the towing device is not properly fitted!
General Maintenance
There are a number of points to pay attention to when towing a
trailer.
Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appr opriately steeper inclines and descents if you do not make full use of the perm issible trailer load.
The trailer loads specified only apply for altitudes up to 1 000 metres above mean sea level. The fact that the engine power ou tput drops with increasing height due to a lowering of air pressure and thus the abil ity to climb, means that the towed weight must be reduced by 10% for every further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea level. The towed weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle and the (laden) trailer together. One should take this into account before driving up to higher alti- tudes.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device are merely test data for the tow ing device The data relating to your vehicle, which is often less than this test data, can be found in your vehicle registration 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
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on yo ur vehicle for that of “fully laden”, ⇒ page 186. The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to the trailer adjust in accord- ance 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 exterior mirrors 5)In some countries the adapter is supplied with the towing device.
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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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Towing a trailer160
of the engine speed. One should also not drop a gear for this reason when towing a trailer as long as the en gine can manage the slope without any drop in speed.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle166
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 cleani ng agents recommended by the manufac- turer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter before working on the engine compartment ⇒page 173.
•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 compart- ment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by washing the engine has washed away petrol, and resi- dues of grease and oil and should therefor e 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).
Care of the interior of vehicle
Plastic parts, artificial leather and cloths
You can clean plastic parts and artificial leather with a moist cloth. You should only treat such parts with special solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products it does prove to be adequate.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the doors, luggage compartment cover, head- liner etc. are best treated with special cleaning products, using if necessary a dry foam and a soft sponge or brush.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.
Fabric covers of electrically heated seats
Do not clean the seat covers moist as this may result in damage to the seat heating system.
Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
Natural leather
Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.
Leather should be treated from time to time according the following
guidelines depending on how much it is used.
Normal cleaning
– Clean soiled areas of the leather with slightly moistened cotton or
woollen cloth.
Severe soiling
– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solu-
tion (2 spoonfuls of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
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Fuel169
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Fuel
Petrol
Grades of petrol
There are various grades of petrol. Please read the chapter Technical Data in order to know which grade of petrol your vehi cle requires. You will also find the same information affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap of your vehicle ⇒page 170, fig. 143 .
A distinction is made between unleaded an d leaded petrol. All Škoda vehicles with petrol engines are equipped with a catalyti c converter and must therefore be only driven with unleaded petrol. Unleaded petrol complies with the standard EN 228.
The individual grades of petr ol are distinguished by their octane number (RON). Please adopt the following procedure if th e grade of petrol which you normally use is not be available in exceptional circumstances:
•Engines which need unleaded premium petrol 95 RON can also be run on unleaded regular petrol 91 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss in performance.
•Engines which need unleaded premium plus petrol 98 RON can also be run on unleaded regular petrol 95 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss in performance. You can in exceptional circumstances also use unleaded regular petrol of 91 RON in the event that neithe r unleaded premium petrol of 98 RON nor 95 RON is available. Refuel as soon as possible with unleaded premium plus of 98 RON or unleaded premium petrol of 95 RON.
If, in an emergency, the only fuel availa ble is one which has a lower octane number than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine speeds and lower engine loadings.
You can make unlimited use of fuel which has a higher octane number than that required by the engine. There will, howeve r, be no advantages gained by this in terms of engine performa nce and fuel consumption!
The handling, performance and life of your engine are determined to a significant extent by the quality of the fuel. Do not use any petrol additives. Use a fuel complying with the standard.
You can find further information on refuelling ⇒page 170.
Caution
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic converter being destroyed.
•Operating the engine with petrol of a low octane number than that required can result in engine damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.
Diesel
Diesel fuel
Your vehicle can be operated with diesel fuel, which complies with the standard EN 590 .
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar products) in diesel fuel.
If the quality of the diesel fuel is poor, it is then necessary to drain the fuel filter more often than stated in the Service schedule.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒page 170, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Use a fuel which complies with the standard EN 590. Filling the tank even only once, which does not comply with this standard, can result in damage to the fuel system.
•Water which has collected in the fuel fi lter can result in engine problems.
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Fuel170
•Your vehicle is not adapted for use of biofuel (RME), therefore this fuel must not be refuelled and driven. Using this fuel (R ME) can lead to damage to the engine or the fuel system.
Operation in winter
Winter-grade diesel fuel
A different grade of diesel fuel is available at filling stations in winter than during the summer. Using “summer-grade diesel fuel” at temperatures below 0°C can result in operational problems because the diesel be comes viscous as a result of paraffin separation.
It is therefore the case that EN 590 prescribes diesel fuel class for certain periods of the year which can also be purchased at the corresponding time during the year. “Winter-grade diesel fuel” will still operate properly even at a temperature of -20°C.
It is often the case in countries with diff erent climatic conditions that diesel fuels available have a different temperature characteristic. Škoda Service Partners and filling stations in the country concerned wi ll be able to provide you with informa- tion regarding the diesel fuels available.
Prewarming fuel
The vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter prewarming system. This secures operation of a vehicle using diesel fuel down to an environmental temperature of -25°C.
Caution
It is not permitted to add the various fuel additives on the market, including petrol, to diesel fuel in order to improve its flow properties.
Refuelling
Opening the fuel filler cap
– Open the fuel filler flap with the hand ⇒fig. 142.
– Unlock the fuel filler cap on the fuel filler tube to the left using the
vehicle key.
– Unscrew the fuel filler cap anti-clo ckwise and place the fuel filler cap
from above on the fuel filler flap ⇒fig. 143.
Closing fuel filler cap
– Screw on the cap by turning it to the right until it is heard to lock.
Fig. 142 Right rear side of the vehicle: Fuel filler flap
Fig. 143 Filler flap with cap unscrewed
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