2008 SKODA FABIA check engine

Lights and Visibility55
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Adjusting the left-hand exterior mirror*
– Turn the rotary knob to position . The movement of the mirror surface
is identical to the movement of the rotary knob.
Adjusting the right-hand exterior mirror*
– Turn the rotary knob to position . The movement of the mirror
surface is identical to the movement of the rotary knob.
The vehicle can also be equipped with a second rear mirror*, which is attached above the inner main rear mirror. The second rear mirror* enables an extensive look into the area of the rear seats, e.g. to check on the seated passengers. You can adjust it in the horizontal as well as vertical direction regardless of the inner main rear mirror.
The exterior mirror heater only operates when the engine is running.
WARNING
•Convex (curved outward) or a spherical exterior mirrors increase the vision field. They do, however, make objects appear smaller in the mirror. These mirrors are only of limited use, therefore, for estimating distances to the following vehicles.
•Use whenever possible the interior rear mirror, for estimating the distances to the following vehicles.
Note
•Do not touch the surfaces of the exterior mirrors if the exterior mirror heater is switched on.
•You can set the exterior mirrors by hand, if the power setting function fails at any time, by pressing on the edge of the mirror surface.
•Contact your specialist garage if a fault exists with the power setting of the exte-rior mirrors.
NKO A05F 20.book Page 55 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Heating and air conditioning system89
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Close air outlet vents
– Turn the rotary knob into the lower position.
Redirecting air flow
– The horizontal as well as the vertical direction of the air flow is set with
the handle in the middle of the air outlet vents.
You can set the air supply to the individual vents with the air distribution control ⇒page 86, fig. 107. Air outlet vents 3 and 4 can also be opened or closed individ-ually:
Unwarmed or cooled air will flow out of the air outlet vents according to the setting of control dial ⇒page 86, fig. 107 and the atmospheric conditions.
Using the air conditioning system economically
The compressor on the Climatic uses power from the engine when in cooling mode which will effect the fuel consumption.
It recommended to open the windows or the doors of a vehicle for which the inte-rior has been strongly heated through the effect of direct sunlight in order to allow the heated air to escape.
The cooling system should not be switched on while travelling when the window is open.
The desired interior temperature can also be achieved without switching in the cooling system just by switching to fresh air mode.
For the sake of the environment
When you economize on fuel, you also reduce pollutant emissions.
Operational problems
If the cooling system does not operate at outside temperatures higher than +2 °C, there is a problem in the system. The reasons for this may be:
•The fuse of the Climatic is defective. Check the fuse, replace it if necessary ⇒page 213.
•The cooling system has switched off automatically for a short time because the coolant temperature of the engine is too hot ⇒page 10.
If you are not able to rectify the operational problem yourself, or if the cooling capacity decreases, switch the cooling system off. Contact a specialist garage.
If there is a fault at the Climatronic, all symbols on the display flash after switching on the ignition for 15 seconds. Contact a specialist garage.
Climatronic (automatic air conditioning)*
Description
The Climatronic system is a combination of an automatic heating,
fresh air and cooling system which provides optimal comfort for the
occupants of the car.
The Climatronic maintains a constant temperature fully automatically, once it has been set. This is achieved by automatically varying the temperature of the outflowing air, the blower stages and the air distribution. The system also takes into account sunlight which eliminates the need to alter the settings manually. The automatic mode ⇒page 91 ensures maximum wellbeing of the occupants at all times of the year.
Description of Climatronic system
The cooling operates only if the following conditions are met:
•engine running,
•outside temperature above +2°C,
•the button is not pressed.
If the cooling system is switched on, the temperature and air humidity drops in the vehicle. The wellbeing of the occupants of the car is enhanced as a result of this particularly at high outside temperatures and a high air humidity. The system prevents the windows misting up during the cold season of the year.
AC
AA
ECON
NKO A05F 20.book Page 89 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Starting-off and Driving96
•Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts otherwise there may be damage to the starter.
The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time after starting the cold engine until oil pressure can be built up in the hydraulic valve clearance compensation. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.
If the engine does not start ...
You can use the battery of another vehicle as a jump-start aid ⇒page 208.
It is only possible to tow-start vehicles fitted with a manual gearbox. The tow-starting distance must not be more than 50 metres ⇒page 211.
WARNING
•Never run the engine in non ventilated or enclosed areas. The exhaust gases of the engine contain besides the odorless and colourless carbon monoxide a poisonous gas - hazard! Carbon monoxide can cause uncon-sciousness and death.
•Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.
Caution
•The starter may only be operated (ignition key position ), if the engine is not running. If the starter is immediately operated after switching off the engine, the starter or the engine can be damaged.
•Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as the engine has not yet reached its normal operating temperature - risk of damaging the engine!
•Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaust gas catalytic converter should not be tow-started over a distance of more than 50 metres.
For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle is standing. Drive off right away. When driving the engine reaches its operating temperature more rapidly and the pollutant emissions are lower.
Petrol engines
These engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel/air mixture for every external air temperature.
•Do not operate accelerator before and when starting engine.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the electrical fuel pump is defect if the engine still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary ⇒page 213.
•If the engine does not start, contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
It may be necessary, if the engine is very hot, to slightly depress the accelerator after the engine has started.
Diesel engines
Glow plug system
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period being controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and outside temper-ature.
The preglow indicator light  comes on after the ignition has been switched on.
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
•You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning light  has gone out.
•The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is at a normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature is above +5°C. This means that you can start the engine right away.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the diesel preglow system is defect if the engine still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary ⇒page 213.
A3
NKO A05F 20.book Page 96 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Driving and the Environment162
Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption but also positively influence environmental pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid fully exploiting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportion-ally at high speeds.
The ⇒page 161, fig. 163 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 lengthy 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 emissions, 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 serviced 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 fuel 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 has 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 consumption 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 regular 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 must first have reached their optimal operating temperature in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emis-sions.
Fig. 164 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km at different temperatures
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Driving and the Environment163
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately after starting. Fuel consumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The engine reaches its operating temperature (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 162, fig. 164 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 consumption 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 ballast 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 increased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle
causes it to use about 1 l more fuel than normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, even when you are not carrying 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 you 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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Towing a trailer167
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 the 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 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.
•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 temperature 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 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 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 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 186, “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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Inspecting and Replenishing181
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
– Grip the bonnet and lift it up.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening
designed for it ⇒page 180, fig. 169.
Closing the bonnet
– Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the
bonnet support into the holder designed to hold it.
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 30 cm into the lock -
bonnet do not press down on it!
WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of the engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam or coolant has stopped escaping.
•For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed when driving. One should therefore check that the lock has in fact engaged prop-erly after closing the bonnet.
•Stop your vehicle immediately while driving if you notice that the lock is not properly engaged and close the bonnet properly - risk of an accident!
Caution
•Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are correctly in place against the windscreen. Otherwise, there is a risk of damage to the paintwork.
Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment!
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working in the engine compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. For
this reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated below and with the general applicable rules of safety. The engine compart-ment of your car is a hazardous area ⇒.
WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of the engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam or coolant has stopped escaping.
•Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
•Apply the handbrake firmly.
•If your vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever into Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox, move the selector lever into position P.
•Allow the engine to cool down.
•Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
•Do not touch any hot engine parts - risk of burns!
•Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the antifreeze contained in the wash liquid) may ignite!
•Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
•Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
•Never open the cap of the coolant expansion bottle as long as the engine is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
•Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a large cloth when opening it as protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam or hot coolant.
•Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine compartment.
•If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the vehicle from rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is not sufficient for this - risk of injury!
•In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the engine is running there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. the V-
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Inspecting and Replenishing184
Check engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the level 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 181.
– 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 ideal, once this is done, to keep the oil
level within range .
It is normal for the engine to consume oil. 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 181, “Working in the engine compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
•Always check the oil level on vehicles with engine 1.2 l/44 kW when the engine is cold. On other vehicles 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. 171 Dipstick
Aa
Ab
Aa
Ac
Ab
Ab
Aa
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