2007 SKODA SUPERB brakes

Intelligent Technology
158
Brakes
What has a negative effect on braking efficiency?
Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pads is greatly dependent on the operating conditions
of the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns
and over short distances or if you adopt a sporty style of driving, it may be neces-
sary to have the thickness of the brake pads inspected at a specialist garage
between the service inspections.
Wet roads or road salt
There may be a certain delay before the brakes take full effect under certain condi-
tions such as when driving through water, during heavy rain showers or after the
vehicle has been washed in an automatic vehicle wash, since the brake discs and
brake pads may be moist or even have a coating of ice on them in winter. You
should dry the brakes as soon as possib le (by applying and releasing the brakes
several times, if the road conditions and the traffic situation allows it).
There also may be a certain delay before the full braking efficiency is available when
driving on roads which have been treated wi th road salt if you have not used the
brakes for some considerable time beforeha nd. The layer of salt on the brake discs
and brake pads must first be rubb ed off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on th e bake pads occur if the vehicle has been
parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firmly applying the brakes at a fairly
high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corro-
sion is present ⇒.
Faults in the brake surface
If you notice that the braking distance has suddenly become longer and that the
brake pedal can be depressed further, it is possible that a brake circuit of the dual-
circuit brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist garage
without delay in order to have the problem rectified. Drive at a reduced speed while
on your way to the dealer and adapt your style of driving to the higher brake pedal
pressure required. Low brake fluid level
An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake system. The
level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically
⇒page 29, “Brake system ”.
WARNING
•Only apply the brakes for the purpos e of drying and cleaning the brake
discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place any other road users
in jeopardy.
•When retrospectively mounting a front spoiler, solid wheel hubs etc. one
must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel brakes is not reduced
otherwise the braking sy stem could run too hot.
•Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking
efficiency until approximately 200 kilo metres. New brake pads must be first
“run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however,
compensate for this slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pres-
sure on the brake pedal. This guidelin e also applies to any new brake pads
installed at a future date.
Caution
•Never allow the brakes to ru b by applying slight pressure if you do not wish to
brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also result in a longer
braking distance and excessive wear.
•Before negotiating a steep downhill sect ion, please reduce your speed, shift
down into the next lower gear (manual ge arbox) or select a lower driving stage
(automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use of the braking power of the
vehicle and reduces the strain on the brakes . Any additional braking should be done
intermittently, not continuously.
Brake booster
The brake booster boosts the pressure which you generate with the brake pedal.
The necessary pressure is only gene rated when the engine is running.
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Intelligent Technology159
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
WARNING
•Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary.
•The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater
physical effort for braking is required when engine is switched off. Because
if you do not stop as normal, this can cause an accident and severe injuries.
Antilock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels locking when braking.
General
The ABS contributes significan tly to enhancing the active safety of your vehicle.
Compared to a car not fitted with the ABS brake system, you are able to retain
optimal steering ability even during a fu ll brake application on a slippery road
surface because the wheels do not lock up.
You must not expect, however, that the br aking distance will be shorter under all
circumstances as a result of the ABS. Th e braking distance for example on gravel
and fresh snow, when you should anyway be driving slowly and cautiously, will be
longer.
Operating principle
As soon as the vehicle speed has increa sed to about 6 km/h an automatic test
procedure is conducted during which you wi ll be able to hear a pumping noise for
about 1 second.
The brake pressure will be reduced on a wheel which is rotating at a speed which is
too low for the speed of the vehicle and tend ing to lock. This control cycle is notice-
able from a pulsating movement of the brake pedal which is accompanied by
noises. This is consciously intended to pr ovide the driver with the information that
the wheels are tending to lock (ABS control range). You must always keep the brake
pedal depressed to enable the ABS to optima lly control the brake application in this
braking range. Never interrupt the application of the brakes!
WARNING
•The ABS can also not overcome the physic al limits of your vehicle. Please
do not forget this, particularly when driv ing on icy or wet road surfaces. If the
ABS is operating within the control ra nge, adapt your speed immediately to
the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased
safety offered by the ABS must not tempt you to take greater risks than
otherwise - risk of an accident!
•The normal braking system is still fully functional if there is an ABS fault.
Visit a specialist garage as quickly as po ssible and adjust your style of driving
to take account of the ABS fault in the meantime since you will not know how
great the damage is.
Note
•A warning light comes on if a fault occurs in the ABS system ⇒page 29.
•Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or other assign-
ment of tyres and wheels) can in fluence the function of the ABS ⇒page 205,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
Brake Assist*
During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake Assist increases
the braking force and thus makes it possible to rapidly produce the pressure
required in the brake system.
The majority of drivers do apply the brakes in good time in dangerous situations,
but do not depress the brake pedal with suff icient pressure. Consequently, it is not
possible for the car to achieve its maxi mum deceleration and the car covers a
greater distance than necessary.
The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake pedal. In such
cases, a much greater braking pressure ex ists than during a normal brake applica-
tion. This makes it possible, even with a relatively low resistance of the brake pedal,
to produce an adequate pressure in the brake system in the shortest possible time,
which is required for maximum deceleration of the car. You must apply the brake
NKO B5 20.book Page 159 Friday, March 2, 2007 1:46 PM

Intelligent Technology
160
pedal firmly and hold it in this position in order to achieve the shortest possible
braking distance.
The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emergency
situations by rapidly producing the pressure required in the brake system. It fully
exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of
the Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate in the normal
way.
WARNING
•The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your
car in terms of the braking distance required.
•Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.
•The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to
take a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Power steering
Power steering assists the driver in steering the vehicle and reduces the physical
force needed for steering.
The steering characteristics can be changed by a specialist garage.
It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine
is not running (vehicle being towed in). The only difference is that greater physical
effort is required.
If the steering is turned to full lock when the car is stationary, you will place great
stresses on the power steering system. Turning the steering to full lock in such a
situation will be accompanied by noises. In addition, the idling speed of the engine
will drop briefly.
Caution
Do not leave the steering at full lock for more than 15 seconds when the engine is
running - risk of damagi ng the power steering!
Note
•Have the steering inspected as soon as po ssible by a specialist garage if there is
a leak or fault in the system.
•The power steering requires a special hydraulic oil. The oil reservoir is located
at the front left of the engine compartment ⇒page 186. The correct hydraulic oil
level is important for proper oper ation of the power steering system.
Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)
In the diesel particle filter the resulting soot particles are collected
and burnt during the combustion of diesel fuel.
Code 7GG on the vehicle data sticker ⇒fig. 165 indicates that your
vehicle is equipped with a diesel particle filter. The vehicle data sticker is
located on the floor of the luggage com partment and is also stated in the
Service schedule.
The diesel particle filter filters the soot particles completely from the exhaust. The
soot is collected in the diesel particle filter and burnt regularly. To assist this proce-
dure, we recommend not to drive regularly over short distances.
Fig. 165 Vehicle data
sticker
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Driving and the Environment
162
Driving and the Environment
The first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwards
A new engine
The engine has to be run in du ring the first 1 500 kilometres.
Up to 1 000 kilometres
– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the mamimum speed of the gear in use,
that is 3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.
From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres
– Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full
speed of the gear enga ged, that is up to the maximum permissible
engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine has higher internal friction than later
until all of the moving parts have harm onized. The driving style which you adopt
during the first 1 500 kilometres plays a de cisive part in the success of running in
your car.
You should not drive at unnecessarily high engine revolutions even after the
running-in period is comple te. The maximum permissible engine speed is marked
by the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up
into the next higher gear on a vehicle fitted with manual gearbox before the red
zone is reached. Extremely high engine revolutions are automatically governed, by
the way.
For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox the converse situation also applies: Do
not drive at engine revolutions which are too low. Shift down as soon as the engine
is no longer running smoothly.
Caution
All the speed and engine revolution figures apply only when the engine is at its
normal operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when
the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.
For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear as
early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise levels
and protects the environment.
New tyres
New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. You should
take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly carefully.
New brake pads
Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking efficiency
until approximately 200 kilometres. New brak e pads must be first “run in” before
they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compensate for this
slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future date.
During the running-in period , you should avoid excessive stresses on the brakes.
This includes, for example, violent braking, particularly from very high speeds, and
also when crossing mountain passes.
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Driving and the Environment163
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Catalytic converter
Proper operation of the emission co ntrol system (catalytic converter)
is of major significance for drivin g your vehicle in an environmen-
tally conscious way.
Please refer to the following guidelines:
– For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol
⇒ page 181, “Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty.
– Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.
– Do not pour too much oil into the engine ⇒page 188, “Replenishing
engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50 metres ⇒page 218, “Tow-starting a vehicle”.
If you drive your vehicle in a country in which unleaded petrol is not available, you
must have the catalytic converter replaced later when driving the vehicle into a
country in which use of a cata lytic converter is mandatory.
WARNING
•In view of the high temperatures wh ich may be produced in the catalytic
converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way that the catalytic
converter cannot come into contact with easily flammable materials below
the vehicle - a risk of fire!
•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!
Caution
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter sh ould never be allowed to let the fuel
tank to run completely empty. An irregular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the
exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converter.
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.
•If you detect misfiring, a drop in perf ormance or irregular engine running when
driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the
nearest specialist garage. The symptoms described may be caused by a fault in the
ignition system. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even if the exhaust system is operating properly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may
be produced under certain op erating conditions of the engine. This depends on the
sulphur content of the fuel. It is often sufficient to refuel with unleaded premium-
grade petrol of a different brand or at a different filling station.
Driving in an economical and environmentally
conscious manner
General
Your personal style of driving is a major factor.
Your fuel consumption, any pollution of the environmental and the wear-and-tear
to the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:
•your personal style of driving,
•the conditions under which your vehicle is operated,
•technical aspects.
You can easily improve your fuel economy by 10 - 15 percent by driving in an
economical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a
number of tips on how to protect the en vironment and at the same time save
money.
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Towing a trailer
170
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 the aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 48.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles wh ich 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 171.
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.
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/h 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.
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 engi ne speed when the outside temperature is
very high ⇒page 12.
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 190, “Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒page 26, “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
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Inspecting and Replenishing
192
⇒page 186. 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 compartment” on
page 185.
– Pull off the rubber seal ⇒page 191, 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 br ake pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in th e brake system, however, if the fluid level
drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” marking. A situ-
ation where the brake fluid level is too low is indicated by the warning light

lighting up in the instrument cluster ⇒page 29. In this case stop the car immedi-
ately and do not drive any further! Cont act a Škoda Dealer to obtain profes-
sional assistance.
WARNING
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 185, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
•If the fluid level has dropped below the MIN marking, do not drive any
further - risk of accident! Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain professional
assistance.
Replacing brake fluid
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. This causes the fluid to absorb moisture from the
surrounding air over a period of time. Excessive water in the brake fluid may be the
cause of corrosion in the brake system. Th e water content also lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid.
This is why brake fluid mu st be replaced every two
years.
One may only use new genuine brake fluid from Škoda Auto a.s. The specification
for the brake fluid is “FMVSS 116 DOT 4”.
We recommend that you have the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda Service Partner
as part of an Inspection Service.
WARNING
•Using old brake fluid can result in seve re stress on the brakes because of
the formation of vapour bubbles in th e brake system. This greatly impairs
the braking efficiency and thus al so the safety of your vehicle.
•Brake fluid is toxic! It must therefore be kept safely in closed original
containers and well away from children and unauthorized persons.
Caution
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
In view of the problems involved with prop er disposal of brake fluid, the special
tools and the professional knowledge required, you should have the brake fluid
replaced by a Škoda Service Partner.
AB
AC
AA
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Index249
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Adjusting front seats manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Air conditioning system Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Climatronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Head airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Alternator Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Antilock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Antilock brake system - ABS
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Attaching child safety seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Emergency programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Automatic seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 193 change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
battery charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Belt Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Blocking
seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Brake Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Brake system Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Button on the driver's door Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Buttons on the driver's door Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Car state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
CargoFlex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
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