2008 SKODA FABIA temperature

Starting-off and Driving97
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•Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
Starting the engine after fuel tank has run dry
It may take longer than normal to start the engine after refuelling if the fuel tank has run completely dry - up to one minute. This is because the fuel system must first of all be filled while the attempting to start the engine.
Switching off the engine
– The engine can be switched off by turning the ignition key from posi-
tion into ⇒page 95, fig. 113.
WARNING
•Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary - risk of acci-dent!
•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.
Caution
you should not switch the engine off right away at the end of your journey after the engine has been operated for a lengthy period at high loads but should be allowed it to run at idling speed for about 2 minutes. This prevents any accumulation of heat when the engine is switched off.
Note
•The radiator fan may continue running for a further 10 minutes or so after the engine and the ignition have been switched off. The coolant fan may, however, also switch on again after some time if the coolant temperature rises because of an accumulation of heat in the engine or if the engine is warm and the engine compartment is additionally heated by strong sunlight.
•This is why particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine compartment ⇒page 181, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Shifting (manual gearbox)
Shift into reverse only when the car is stationary. Depress the clutch pedal and hold it fully depressed. Wait a moment before engaging reverse gear in order to avoid any shift noises.
The reversing light will come on once reverse gear is engaged, provided the ignition is on.
WARNING
Never engage the reverse gear when driving - risk of accident!
Note
•One should not lay the hand on the shift lever while driving the vehicle. The pressure of the hand will be transferred to the gearshift forks in the gearbox. This can, over a period of time, lead to early wear of the gearshift forks.
•Depress the clutch pedal fully when changing gears, in order to avoid unneces-sary wear and damage.
A1
Fig. 114 Shift pattern on models fitted with 5-speed manual gearbox
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Intelligent Technology158
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. 161 indicates that your
vehicle is equipped with a diesel particle filter. The vehicle data sticker is
located on the floor of the luggage compartment 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.
If the diesel particle filter is clogged or there is a fault, it is indicated by the warning light  ⇒page 29, “Diesel particle filter*  (diesel engine)”.
WARNING
•The diesel particle filter achieves very high temperatures. Therefore do not park at points where the hot filter comes into direct contact with dry grass or other combustible materials - risk of fire!
•Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters, heat shields or diesel particle filter. When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances might ignite - risk of fire!
Note
•When using diesel fuel with high sulphur content the life of the diesel particle filter is clearly reduced. A specialist garage will be able to tell you which countries use only diesel fuel with high sulphur content.
Fig. 161 Vehicle data sticker
WARNING (continued)
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Driving and the Environment159
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Driving and the Environment
The first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwards
A new engine
The engine has to be run in during 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 engaged, 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 harmonized. The driving style which you adopt during the first approx.1 500 kilometres plays a decisive 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 complete. 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. During acceleration (depressing the accelerator) exceptionally high engine speeds are automatically reduced, yet the engine is not protected against too high engine speeds which are caused by incorrectly shifting down the gears resulting in a sudden increase of the engine speeds above the permitted maximum revolutions which can lead to engine damage.
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, operating noise levels as well as protects the environment and contributes to a longer life and reliability of the engine.
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 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 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 Environment160
Catalytic converter
Proper operation of the emission control system (catalytic converter)
is of major significance for driving 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 177, “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 185, “Replenishing
engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50 metres
⇒page 211, “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 catalytic converter is mandatory.
WARNING
•In view of the high temperatures which 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 should 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 performance 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 operating 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 environment and at the same time save money.
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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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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle169
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
General Maintenance
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
General
Proper care retains the value of your vehicle.
Regular and proper care retains the value of your vehicle. It may also be one of the requirements for the acceptance of warranty claims relating to corrosion damage and paint defects on the bodywork.
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer. Please follow the instructions for use on the package.
WARNING
•Care products may be harmful to your health if not used according to the instructions.
•Always store care products in a safe place, out of the reach of children - risk of poisoning!
For the sake of the environment
•Always select environmentally-friendly products when purchasing vehicle care products.
•Do not dispose of residues of care products in domestic waste.
Care of the exterior of vehicle
Washing the vehicle
Frequent washing protects your vehicle.
The best protection for your vehicle against harmful environmental influences is frequent washing and wax treatment. How often you should wash your vehicle depends on a wide range of factors, such as:
•Frequency of use,
•The parking situation (garage, below trees etc.),
•Season of the year,
•Weather conditions,
•Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust, tar, soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to the paint-work of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect can be. High temperatures, such as those caused by intensive sun's rays, accentuate this caustic effect.
It may therefore be necessary, in certain circumstances, to wash the car once a week. It may also be sufficient, however, to wash the car once a month followed by appropriate wax treatment.
It is essential to also thoroughly wash the underside of your vehicle at the end of the winter road salting and gritting period.
WARNING
When washing your vehicle in the winter: Water and ice in the brake system can affect the braking efficiency - risk of accident!
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