2008 SKODA FABIA height

Towing a trailer166
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 trailer - provided certain technical equipment is fitted.
If your vehicle has been equipped 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 power socket for the electrical connection between the vehicle and trailer. If the trailer which you wish to tow has a 7-pin connector, you can use a suitable adapter 6) from Škoda original accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications if a towing device is retrofitted.
Škoda Service Partners are familiar with details relating to retrofitting a towing device and for any necessary modifications 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 equipment. 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 appropriately steeper inclines and descents if you do not make full use of the permissible 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 output drops with increasing height due to a lowering of air pressure and thus the ability to climb, means that the trailer load 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 towing 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 your vehicle for that of “fully laden”, ⇒page 194. 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 6)In some countries the adapter is supplied with the towing device.
NKO A05F 20.book Page 166 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

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-
NKO A05F 20.book Page 181 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Wheels and Tyres196
WARNING
•You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the wear indicators have been worn down. The legally permissible minimum tread depth should be observed.
•Worn tyres do not provide the necessary adhesion to the road surface at high speeds on wet roads. One could experience “aquaplaning” (uncon-trolled movements of the vehicle - “swimming” on a wet road surface).
Changing wheels around
If significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend changing the front wheels around with the rear wheels. You will then obtain approximately the same life for all the tyres.
It may be advantageous to swap the tyres over “crosswise” when certain types of wear characteristic arise on the running surface of the tyres (but not in the case of unidirectional tyres). Škoda Service Partners can provide you with details.
We recommend that you change the wheels around every 10 000 km in order to achieve even wear on all wheels and to obtain optimal tyre life.
New tyres and wheels
Tyres and wheel rims are important design elements. One should therefore use the tyres and wheel rims which have been released for use by Škoda Auto. They are exactly matched to the vehicle type and therefore contribute significantly to good road holding and safe driving characteristics ⇒.
Only fit radial tyres of the same type on all 4 wheels, size (rolling circumference) and, if possible, the same tread pattern on one axle.
Škoda Service Partners have access to the most current information about which tyres we have released for use on your vehicle.
We recommend that you have any work relating to tyres or wheels carried out by your Škoda Service Partner. Your dealer has all of the necessary special tools and replacement parts available plus the required specialist knowledge and is also in a
position to properly dispose of the old tyres. A large number of Škoda Service Part-ners also have an attractive range of tyres and wheels available.
The tyre/wheel combinations which are approved for your vehicle are indicated in your vehicle documents. Approval and licensing may differ according to the legis-lation prevailing in individual countries.
Proper knowledge of the tyre data makes it easier for you to select the correct type of tyre. Tyres do, for example, have the following inscription on their walls:
185 / 65 R 14 86 T
What this means is:
The following speed restrictions apply to tyres.
185Tyre w idt h in mm
65Height/width ratio in %
RCode letter for the type of tyre - R adial
14Diameter of wheel in inches
86Load index
TSpeed symbol
Speed symbolPermissible maximum speed
Q160 km/h
R170 km/h
S180 km/h
T190 km/h
H210 km/h
V240 km/h
W270 km/h
NKO A05F 20.book Page 196 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Technical Data225
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Dimensions
Dimensions (mm)
FA B I ACOMBI
Length39924239
Width16421642
Width including exterior mirror18861886
Height1498/1513a)
a)The value is valid for vehicles with rough road package.
1498/1513a)
Wheel base24622462
Tr a c k g a u g e f r o n t / r e a r1436/14261436/1426
NKO A05F 20.book Page 225 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Index247
Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Rear mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rear window heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Recharge battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Recirculated air mode
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Synchronisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Replacing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Replacing fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Replacing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Roof aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Running in the car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
S
Safe securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Safety information
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Saving electrical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Seat belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
fastening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Service Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Service Interval Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Setting temperature
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Steering force assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Storage compartment
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Switch in the driver door
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Switching lights on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
T
Tailgate
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Taking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Temperature
outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
the first 1 500 kilometres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Thickness of brake pads
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Towing eye
front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Towing protection monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
towing vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Tow-starting and towing vehicle
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Traction control system (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
NKO A05F 20.book Page 247 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM