2008 SKODA FABIA service

Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle171
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
WARNING
It is particularly important that you do not clean tyres with circular spray jets. Damage may occur even at a relatively large spraying distance and if sprayed only for a short time.
Caution
The water containing wax must be no hotter than 60°C, otherwise the vehicle can be damaged.
Wax treatment
Good wax treatment is an effective way of protecting the paintwork from harmful environmental influences and minor mechanical damage.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-quality hard wax polish at the latest, when no more drops form on the clean paintwork.
A new layer of a high-quality hard wax polish can be applied to the clean bodywork after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver regularly we still recommend that you treat the paintwork of the vehicle at least twice a year with hard wax.
Caution
Never apply wax to the windows.
Polishing
Polishing is only necessary if the paintwork of your vehicle has become unattractive and if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax preserver if the polish you use does not contain any preserving elements ⇒page 171, “Wax treatment”.
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
•You must not treat mat painted parts or plastic with polishing products or hard wax.
•Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicle in a dusty environment, otherwise the paintwork can be scratched.
Chrome parts
First clean the chrome parts with a damp clotch and then polish them with a soft, dry cloth. If it does not prove to be adequate, use a chrome care product from Škoda original accessories.
Caution
Do not polish the chrome parts in a dusty environment, otherwise they can be scratched.
Paint damage
Slight damage to paintwork such as scratches, scuffs or traces of chip damage must be treated immediately before any corrosion can result. You can of course have this work carried out by a Škoda Service Partner.
Škoda Service Partners have a range of matching touch-up pens or spray cans available in the colour of your vehicle.
The paint number of the original paintwork of your vehicle is indicated on the vehicle data sticker ⇒page 223.
Any corrosion which has already have formed must be removed thoroughly. Apply a corrosion protection primer and then the paint to the affected point. You can of course have this work carried out by a Škoda Service Partner.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle173
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Wheels
Steel wheels
You should also thoroughly wash the wheels and wheel trims when giving your vehicle its regular wash. This prevents any brake dust, dirt and road salt from sticking to the wheel hubs. You can remove stubborn brake abrasion adhering to t h e w h e e l s w i t h a n i n d u s tr i a l c l e a n e r. To u c h u p a n y d a m a g e to t h e p a i n tw o r k o n th e wheels before rust is able to form.
Light alloy wheels
Regular care of light alloy wheels is necessary in order to retain their decorative appearance over long periods. It is particularly important to remove any road salt and brake abrasion from light alloy wheels every two weeks, otherwise the surface will suffer. Wash thoroughly and then treat the wheels with a protective product for light alloy wheels which does not contain any acidic components. You should provide the wheel hubs with a hard wax layer every three months. You must not use any products which cause abrasion when treating the wheel hubs. Any damage to the paint layer on the wheel hubs must be touched up immediately.
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
WARNING
One should remember when cleaning the wheels that moisture, ice and road salt may adversely affect braking efficiency - risk of an accident!
Note
Severe layers of dirt on the wheels can also result in wheel imbalance. This may show itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the steering wheel which, in certain circumstances, can cause premature wear of the steering. This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
Underbody protection
The underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and mechanical influences.
One cannot, however, completely rule out damage to the protective layer when driving so we recommend that you inspect the protective layer on the underside of your vehicle and on the chassis at certain intervals - this is best done at the begin-ning and end of the winter - and to touch up any damaged areas.
Škoda Service Partners have suitable spray products available as well as the neces-sary equipment and are familiar with the instructions for use. We therefore recom-mend to have repairs and additional corrosion protection measures preferably carried out by a Škoda Service Partner.
WARNING
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!
Protection of hollow spaces
All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protected for life by a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not require to be inspected or re-treated. Please remove any small amount of wax which flows out of the cavities at high temperatures with a plastic scraper and clean the spot using petroleum cleaner.
WARNING
Safety and environmental protection regulations should observed when using petroleum cleaner to remove wax - a risk of fire!
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle174
Engine compartment
Good corrosion protection is very important, particularly in winter when one often drives over its salt-strewn roads. One should therefore clean the entire engine compartment before and after the salt spreading period, in order to prevent the salt from being destructive.
Škoda Service Partners have the cleaning agents recommended by the manufac-turer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter before working on the engine compartment ⇒page 181.
•Let the engine cool down before cleaning the engine compartment.
Caution
•Engine cleaning may be only be undertaken when the ignition is off.
•It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine compart-ment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by washing the engine has washed away petrol, and resi-dues of grease and oil and should therefore be cleaned by an oil separator. This is why engine washing should only be undertaken in a garage or at a fueling station (when these are fitted with the required equipment).
Care of the interior of vehicle
Plastic parts, artificial leather and cloths
You can clean plastic parts and artificial leather with a moist cloth. You should only treat such parts with special solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products it does prove to be adequate.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the doors, luggage compartment cover, head-liner etc. are best treated with special cleaning products, using if necessary a dry foam and a soft sponge or brush.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.
Fabric covers of electrically heated seats
Do not clean the seat covers moist as this may result in damage to the seat heating system.
Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
Natural leather
Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.
Leather should be treated from time to time according the following
guidelines depending on how much it is used.
Normal cleaning
– Clean soiled areas of the leather with slightly moistened cotton or
woollen cloth.
Severe soiling
– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solu-
tion (2 spoonfuls of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle175
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
– Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point and that no
water gets into the stitching of the seams.
– Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
Removing stains
– Remove fresh stains which are water-based (e.g. coffee, tea, juices,
blood etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household paper or use the
cleaner from the care set for a stain which has already dried in.
– Remove fresh stains on a fat base (e.g. butter, mayonnaise, chocolate
etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household cleaning paper or with the
cleaner from the care set if the stain has not yet penetrated into the
surface.
– Use a grease dissolver for grease stains which have dried in.
–Eliminate special stains (e.g. ball-point pens, felt pen, nail varnish,
dispersion paint, shoe cream etc.) with a special stain remover suit-
able for leather.
Leather care
– Treat the leather every six months with the leather care product avail-
able from Škoda Service Partners.
– Apply only a small amount of the care product.
– Dry the leather off with a soft cloth
We recommend that you consult your Škoda Service Partner, if you have any ques-tions regarding cleaning and care of the leather interior.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
•You must on no account treat the leather with solvents (e.g. gasoline, turpen-tine), floor wax, shoe cream or such like.
•Avoid leaving your vehicle for lengthy periods in bright sunlight in order to avoid bleaching the leather. If you leave your vehicle parked in the open for lengthy periods, protect the leather from the direct rays of the sun by covering it over.
•Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-edged belts may leave permanent scratches or signs of rubbing on the surface.
Note
•Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect regularly and each time after cleaning the leather. The cream nourishes the leather, allows it to breathe and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also creates surface protection.
•Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove fresh soiling each time this occurs.
•Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe cream etc., as quickly as possible.
•Care also for the leather dye. Refreshen areas which have lost their colour with a special coloured leather cream as required.
•The leather is a natural material with specific properties. During the use of the vehicle, minor optical changes can occur on the leather parts of the covers (e. g wrinkles or creases as a result of the stress of the covers).
Seat belts
– Keep the seat belts clean!
– Wash seat belts which have become soiled using a mild soapy solu-
tion.
– Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition.
Belt webbing which has become severely soiled may prevent the inertia reel from reeling up the belt properly.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle176
WARNING
•The seat belts must not be removed for cleaning.
•Never clean the seat belts chemically as dry cleaning may destroy the fabric. The seat belts must also not be allowed to come into contact with corrosive liquids (such as acids etc.).
•Seat belts which have damage to the webbing, the connections, the inertia reel or the lock should be replaced by a Škoda Service Partner.
•Inertia reel belts must be completely dried before being reeled up.
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Fuel177
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Fuel
Petrol
Grades of petrol
There are various grades of petrol. Please read the chapter Technical Data in order to know which grade of petrol your vehicle requires. You will also find the same information affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap of your vehicle ⇒page 178, fig. 166.
A distinction is made between unleaded and leaded petrol. All Škoda vehicles with petrol engines are equipped with a catalytic converter and must therefore be only driven with unleaded petrol. Unleaded petrol complies with the standard EN 228.
The individual grades of petrol are distinguished by their octane number (RON). Please adopt the following procedure if the grade of petrol which you normally use is not be available in exceptional circumstances:
•Engines which need unleaded premium petrol 95 RON can also be run on unleaded regular petrol 91 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss in performance.
If, in an emergency, the only fuel available is one which has a lower octane number than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine speeds and lower engine loadings.
You can make unlimited use of fuel which has a higher octane number than that required by the engine. There will, however, be no advantages gained by this in terms of engine performance and fuel consumption!
The handling, performance and life of your engine are determined to a significant extent by the quality of the fuel. Do not use any petrol additives. Use a fuel complying with the standard.
You can find further information on refuelling ⇒page 178.
Caution
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic converter being destroyed.
•Operating the engine with petrol of a low octane number than that required can result in engine damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.
Diesel
Diesel fuel
Your vehicle can be operated with diesel fuel, which complies with the standard EN 590.
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar products) in diesel fuel.
If the quality of the diesel fuel is poor, it is then necessary to drain the fuel filter more often than stated in the Service schedule.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒page 178, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Use a fuel which complies with the standard EN 590. Filling the tank even only once, which does not comply with this standard, can result in damage to the fuel system.
•Water which has collected in the fuel filter can result in engine problems.
•Your vehicle is not adapted for use of biofuel (RME), therefore this fuel must not be refuelled and driven. Using this fuel (RME) can lead to damage to the engine or the fuel system.
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Fuel178
Operation in winter
Winter-grade diesel fuel
A different grade of diesel fuel is available at filling stations in winter than during the summer. Using “summer-grade diesel fuel” at temperatures below 0°C can result in operational problems because the diesel becomes viscous as a result of paraffin separation.
It is therefore the case that EN 590 prescribes diesel fuel class for certain periods of the year which can also be purchased at the corresponding time during the year. “Winter-grade diesel fuel” will still operate properly even at a temperature of -20°C.
It is often the case in countries with different climatic conditions that diesel fuels available have a different temperature characteristic. Škoda Service Partners and filling stations in the country concerned will be able to provide you with informa-tion regarding the diesel fuels available.
Prewarming fuel
The vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter prewarming system. This secures operation of a vehicle using diesel fuel down to an environmental temperature of -25°C.
Caution
It is not permitted to add the various fuel additives on the market, including petrol, to diesel fuel in order to improve its flow properties.
Refuelling
Opening the fuel filler cap
– Open the fuel filler flap with the hand ⇒fig. 165.
– Unlock the fuel filler cap on the fuel filler tube to the left using the
vehicle key.
– Unscrew the fuel filler cap anti-clockwise and place the fuel filler cap
from above on the fuel filler flap ⇒fig. 166.
Closing fuel filler cap
– Screw on the cap by turning it to the right until it is heard to lock.
Fig. 165 Right rear side of the vehicle: Fuel filler flap
Fig. 166 Filler flap with cap unscrewed
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Inspecting and Replenishing183
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The grade of engine oil should be selected in accordance with
precise specifications.
The engine of your vehicle has been factory-filled with a high-grade oil which you can use throughout the year - except in extreme climatic regions.
You can mix various oils together with each other when refilling with oil. This does not, however, apply for models with flexible service intervals (QG1).
Engine oils are, of course, undergoing continuous further development. Thus the information stated in this Owner's Manual is only correct at the time of publication.
Škoda Service Partners are informed by Škoda Auto a.s. about current changes. We recommend having this oil change undertaken by a Škoda Service Partner.
Engine oil specifications for vehicles with fixed service intervals (QG0, QG2)
Engine oil specifications for models with flexible service intervals (QG1)
Caution
Only the above-mentioned oils may be used on vehicles with flexible service inter-vals (QG1). We recommend always refilling with oil of the same specification since this will maintain the properties of the oil. In exceptional cases, you must top up only once engine oil complying with Specification VW 502 00 (only for petrol engines) or Specification VW 505 01 (only for diesel engines) to maximum 0.5 litres. You must not use other engine oils - risk of engine damage!
Note
•Before a long drive we recommend that you purchase and carry with you engine oil which complies with the specification for your vehicle. Consequently, you will always have the correct engine oil for refilling.
•We recommend using a preservative from the Škoda original accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.
•For further information - see Service shedule.
Engine oil specifications
Petrol engines
VW 501 01 VW 502 00 VW 504 00
ACEA A2 a) or A3 a)
a)Only to be used in exceptional cases if the oils specified above are not available.
Diesel enginesVW 505 01b)
VW 507 00 c)
b)Only for engines without diesel particle filter ⇒page 29.c)Only for engines with diesel particle filter ⇒page 29.
Engine oil specifications
Petrol enginesVW 504 00 alternative VW 503 00
Diesel enginesVW 507 00
alternative VW 506 01 a)
a)Only for engines without diesel particle filter ⇒page 29.
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