27
CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
Luggage compartmentTo ensure proper handling of your car, al-
ways distribute any load which you carry
(passengers and luggage).
Heavy objects should be transported as
close as possible to the rear suspension,
or even better between the front and rear.
In addition, please ensure that the heater
elements of the rear window are not dam-
aged by objects rubbing against them.
In the event of an accident, there is such a
high kinetic energy, which is produced by
small and light objects that they can cause
severe injuries.
The magnitude of the kinetic energy de-
pends on the speed at which the vehicle is
travelling and on the weight of the object.
The speed at which the vehicle is travel-
ling is in this case the more significant fac-
tor.
Example: In the event of a frontal collision
at a speed of 50 km/h, an unsecured ob-
ject with a weight of 4.5 kg produces an
energy, which corresponds to 20 times its
own weight.
This means that it results in a weight of
approx. 90 kg.
You can imagine the injuries that can oc-
cur, if this „bullet“ is flying through the inte-
rior compartment and hits an occupant.Warning
Store the objects in the luggage
compartment and attach them to the
lashing eyes.
Loose objects in the passenger
compartment can be thrown forward
during a sudden manoeuvre or in case
of an accident and they can injure the
occupants or other oncoming traffic.
This risk is still increased, if the ob-
jects, which are flying around, are hit
by a deployed airbag.
In this case, the objects, which are
thrown back, can injure the occu-
pants - hazard!
Never drive with the tailgate ajar
or even open otherwise exhaust
gases will be drawn into the interior!
Please note that when you trans-
port heavy items, this results in a
change in the centre of gravity of the
vehicle and thus affects the handling.
You should therefore adjust your
style of driving and speed to match,
and also alter the setting of the head-
lights, if necessary.
154GENERAL MAINTENANCE
If the tyres are not adequately in-flated, your fuel consumption will
be higher and you will be unnecessarily polluting the environment.
Driving style
Driving fast through curves, sharp accelera-
tion and sharp braking increase tyre wear.
Balancing wheels
The wheels of a new car are balanced. Va-
rious factors when driving may, however,
produce an imbalance which makes it felt
by steering wobble.
In such a case, the wheels should then be
re-balanced as any imbalance in the
wheels also results in increased wear and
tear to the steering, suspension and tyres.
In addition, a wheel has to be re-balanced
after fitting a new tyre and each time any
repairs are carried out.
Wheel alignment errors
Faulty alignment of the wheels and suspen-
sion not only increases tyre wear, often on
only one side, but also affects the handling
of the car. If any unusual tyre wear exists,
contact a Škoda Dealer.
Wear indicators
The base of the tread of the original tyres
contains 1.6 mm high „wear indicators“ at
right angles to the direction of running - see
illustration. These wear indicators are
spaced evenly around the circumference of
the tyre 6 to 8 times - depending on the
make. Markings on the tyre walls, for ex-
ample the letters „TWI“ or triangle symbols,
indicate the position of the wear indicators. Warning
New tyres during the first 500 km
do not offer optimal grip and should
therefore be run appropriately - risk
of accident!
The tyres should be renewed with-
out delay no later than when they are
worn down to the wear indicators.
Worn tyres are detrimental to
road-holding particularly at high
speeds on wet roads. In addition, the
vehicle tends to aquaplane sooner.
Never drive with damaged tyres -
risk of accident!
Immediately replace the damaged
rims or tyres.
