Starting-off and Driving97
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•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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Automatic gearbox102
Automatic gearbox
6-speed automatic gearbox*
Introduction
Your car is equipped with an electronically controlled 6-speed automatic gearbox. Shifting up and also down through the gears is performed automatically.
At the same time this is a conventional automatic gearbox. The maximum speed is reached in the 5th gear. The 6th gear serves as an economic driving programme, which is intended to reduce the fuel consumption.
Information for driving with an automatic gearbox
Shifting up and down through the gears is performed automatically.
You can also, however, switch the gearbox over into the Tiptronic mode.
This mode makes it possible for you to also shift gears manually
⇒page 105.
Starting-off and Driving
– Depress the brake pedal and hold it depressed.
– Press the Shiftlock button (button in handle of the selector lever),
move the selector lever into the desired position, e.g. D ⇒page 103,
and then release the Shiftlock button.
– Wait a moment until the gearbox has shifted (a slight engagement
nudge can be felt).
– Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator ⇒.
Stopping for a short time
– The selector lever position N does not have to be selected when stop-
ping just for a short time, such as at a cross roads. It is sufficient to hold
the vehicle stationary using the foot brake. The engine can, however,
be allowed just to idle.
Parking
– Depress the brake pedal and hold it depressed.
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Press and Shiftlock button in the selector lever, move the selector
lever to P and then release the Shiftlock button.
The engine can only be started when the selector lever is in position P or N ⇒page 95.
It is sufficient to engage selector lever position P when parking on a flat surface. When parking on a slope you should first apply the handbrake firmly and then move the selector lever into position P. This is to ensure that there is no excessive pressure acting on the lock mechanism and that it is easier to subsequently move the selector lever out of position P.
If the selector lever position N is selected by accident while driving it is first neces-sary to release pressure on the accelerator pedal and wait for idling speed of the engine to be reached before engaging a drive position in the selector lever.
WARNING
•Do not depress the accelerator when changing the position of the selector lever if the car is stationary and the engine is running - risk of acci-dent!
•Never move the selector lever into position R or P when driving - risk of an accident!
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Automatic gearbox103
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•When the engine is running and the vehicle is stationary, it is necessary to hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever (except P and N) since the power transmission is never completely inter-rupted, also not when the engine is idling - the vehicle "creeps".
Selector lever positions
The selector lever position you have engaged is shown in the information display of the instrument cluster with the corresponding gear symbol highlighted
⇒fig. 119. In the positions D and S the gear you have already engaged will be addi-tionally displayed on the display.
P - Parklock
The driven wheels are locked mechanically in this position.
The Parklock must only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary ⇒.
If you wish to move the selector lever into or out of this position, you must press the Shiftlock button in the handle of the selector lever and at the same time depress the brake pedal.
R - Reverse
Reverse gear must only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary and the engine idling ⇒.
The brake pedal must be depressed and at the same time the Shiftlock must be pressed, if you wish to obtain the selector lever positions R, P or N.
When the ignition is switched on and the selector lever is in position R, the reverse lights will come on.
N - Neutral
The transmission is in Neutral in this position.
The brake pedal must be depressed (if the lever is in its position for longer than 2 seconds) in order to move the selector lever out of the position N into the position D, with the ignition switched on, on a vehicle travelling at less than 5 km/hour or on a stationary vehicle.
The brake pedal must be depressed (if the lever is in its position for longer than 2 seconds) in order to move the selector lever out of the position N into the position R, with the ignition switched on, on a vehicle travelling at less than 5 km/hour or on a stationary vehicle.
D - Drive, position for driving forward
When the selector lever is in this position, the forward gears are shifted up and down automatically in line with engine load, vehicle speed and the dynamic shift programme.
You must depress the brake pedal if you wise to move into position D from N when the vehicle is travelling at less than 5 km/hour or is stationary ⇒.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 118 Selector lever
Fig. 119 Information display: Selector lever posi-tions
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Automatic gearbox104
In certain circumstances (e.g. when driving in mountainous regions or when towing a trailer) it may be beneficial to select the manual shift programme ⇒page 105 for a short time in order to adapt the gearbox ratios manually to the driving situations.
S - Position for sporty style of driving
Shifting up later into a higher gear makes it possible to fully exploit the power potential of the engine. The gearbox also then shifts down at higher engine speeds as in the position D.
The gearbox does not shift into the 6th gear in the position S, because the maximum speed is achieved with the 5th gear.
The Shiftlock on the selector lever grip must be pressed when moving the selector lever out of the position D into the position S.
WARNING
•Never move the selector lever into position R or P when driving - risk of an accident!
•When the engine is running and the vehicle is stationary, it is necessary to hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever (except P and N) since the power transmission is never completely inter-rupted, also not when the engine is idling - the vehicle "creeps".
•You must on no account unintentionally operate the throttle (e.g. by hand from the engine compartment) if a drive position is engaged when the car is stationary. The vehicle would otherwise immediately start off - also when the handbrake is firmly applied - risk of an accident!
•You must move the selector lever into position P and firmly apply the handbrake first before you or any other person opens the bonnet and starts working on the engine when it is running - risk of accident! It is also essential to observe all warnings ⇒page 181, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Selector lever lock
Automatic selector lever lock
With the ignition on, the selector lever is locked when it is in the positions P and N. You must first of all depress the brake pedal in order to move the selector lever out of this position. The warning light ⇒page 27 lights up in the instrument cluster as a reminder for the driver when the selector lever is in position P and N:
A time delay element ensures that the selector lever is not blocked when rapidly switching over the position N (e.g. from R to D). This does, for example, allow one to seesaw out a stuck vehicle. The selector lever lock will click into place if the lever is in the N position for more than 2 seconds without the brake pedal being pressed.
The selector lever lock is only active if the vehicle is stationary or moving at speed of less than 5 km/hour. The lock is switched off automatically into position N when the car is travelling at a higher speed.
Shiftlock button
The Shiftlock button in the handle of selector lever prevents certain selector lever positions being engaged inadvertently. The selector lever lock is cancelled when you press the Shiftlock button.
Keylock - Ignition key withdrawal lock
You can only withdraw the ignition key after switching off the ignition if the selector lever is in position P. If the ignition key is withdrawn, the selector lever is blocked in position P.
This function is only valid for some countries.
Kickdown function
The kickdown function provides you with maximum acceleration
power.
Depressing the accelerator pedal allows the kickdown function to be activated in the desired driving program. This function has precedence over the driving programme and serves for maximum acceleration of the vehicle when exploiting the maximum power potential of the engine without taking into account the current selector lever position (D, S or Tiptronic). The gearbox shifts down to one
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Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
or several gears in line with the driving state and the vehicle accelerates. The gearbox does not shift up into the highest gear until the engine has reached its maximum revolutions for this gear range.
WARNING
Please note that using the kickdown function can result in the driven wheels spinning on a smooth or slippery road surface - risk of skidding!
Dynamic shift programme
The automatic gearbox of your vehicle is controlled electronically. Shifting up and down through the gears is performed automatically on the basis of pre-defined driving programmes.
Adopting a moderate style of driving will cause the gearbox to select the most economical driving programme. Shifting up into a higher gear as soon as possible and shifting down as late as possible will have a favourable effect on your fuel consumption.
Adopting a sporty style of driving with rapid movements of the accelerator pedal combined with sharp acceleration and frequent changes in speed, exploiting the top speed of the car or depressing the accelerator pedal (kickdown function), will cause the gearbox to switch over to this style of driving and shift down earlier with frequent changes in gears in comparison to the moderate style of driving.
Selecting the most appropriate driving programme for the particular style of driving is a continuous process. Irrespective of this it is, however, possible to switch or shift down into a dynamic shift programme by depressing the accelerator rapidly. The gearbox shifts down into a lower gear matching the speed of the car and this allows you to accelerate rapidly (e.g. when overtaking) without having to depress the accelerator pedal fully into the kickdown range. The original programme will be reactivated to match your particular style of driving once the gearbox has shifted up again.
When driving in hilly regions, the gears are selected to match uphill and downhill sections. This avoids the gearbox frequently shifting up and down when negotiating an uphill stretch. When driving downhill, it is possible to shift down into the Tiptronic position, in order to exploit the engine brake torque.
Tiptronic
The Tiptronic allows the driver to also shift gears manually.
Switching over to manual shifting
– Push the selector lever to the right out of position D. As soon as the
gearbox has switched over, 6 5 4 3 2 1 appears in the display, with the
gear engaged being highlighted.
Shifting up gears
– One-touch forward of the selector lever (in the Tiptronic position)
⇒fig. 120 .
Fig. 120 Selector lever: Manual shifting of gears
Fig. 121 Information display: Manual shifting of gears
A+
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Automatic gearbox106
Shifting down gears
– One-touch back of the selector lever (in the Tiptronic position) .
It is possible to switch over to manual both when the car is stationary and also when driving.
When you accelerate, the gearbox shifts up automatically in gears 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 into the next higher gear just before the maximum permissible engine speed is reached.
If you select a lower gear, the automatic gearbox does not shift down until there is no risk of the engine overrevving.
If you operate the kickdown function, the gearbox shifts into a lower gear in line with the vehicle speed and engine speed.
Emergency programme
An emergency programme exists in the event of a fault in the system.
The gearbox operates in a corresponding emergency programme if there are func-tional faults in the gearbox electronics. This is indicated by all of the segments in the display lighting up or going out.
It is possible to continue to move the selector lever into all the positions. In the positions D and S the gearbox remains engaged in the 3rd gear. It is also possible to continue to engage reverse gear in the position R.
The manual shift programme (Tiptronic) is switched off in the emergency mode.
If the gearbox has switched over to emergency mode, drive to the nearest specialist garage in order to have the fault rectified.
Tow-starting and towing vehicle
Tow-starting a vehicle
It is not possible to tow-start or push-start vehicles fitted with automatic gearbox.
you can use jump-start cables connected to the battery of another vehicle for starting your car if the vehicle battery is flat ⇒page 208.
Towing a vehicle
Please pay attention to the following information if it comes necessary to tow-in your car ⇒page 209.A-
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Airbag system132
Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
General information on the airbag system
The front airbag system is complementary to the three-point seat belts and offers additional protection in the head and chest area of the driver and passenger in the event of a frontal collision.
In the event of a side collision, the side airbags reduce the risk of injury to the occu-pants to the part of their body facing the side of the accident.
The airbag system is only functional after the ignition has been switched on.
The operational readiness of the airbag system is monitored electronically. The airbag warning light comes on for a few seconds each time the ignition is switched on.
The airbag system (according to vehicle equipment) essentially consists of:
•an electronic control unit,
•the front airbags for the driver and front passenger ⇒page 133,
•the side airbags ⇒page 136,
•Head airbags ⇒page 138,
•an airbag warning light in the instrument cluster ⇒page 28,
•a front passenger airbag switch* ⇒page 140,
•an indicator light for a switched off front seat passenger airbag* in the middle of the dash panel ⇒page 140.
A fault in the airbag system exists if:
•the airbag indicator light does not light up when the ignition is switched on,
•the airbag indicator light does not go out after about 3 seconds after the ignition is switched on,
•the airbag indicator light goes out and comes on again after the ignition is switched on,
•the airbag indicator light comes on or flickers when driving,
•an airbag indicator light showing a switched-off front passenger airbag* in the middle of the dash panel flashes.
WARNING
•To enable the occupants of a car to be protected with the greatest possible effect when the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be ⇒page 122, “Correct seated position” correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
•If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased risk of injury in the event of an accident.
•Have the airbag system checked immediately by a specialist garage if a fault exists. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activated in the event of an accident.
•No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
•It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system as this might result in the airbag being deployed.
•The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one accident. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been deployed.
•The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.
•If you sell your car, please hand over the complete vehicle documenta-tion to the new owener. Please note that the documents relating to the possibility of deactivating the front passenger airbag are also part of the vehicle documents!
•If the vehicle or individual parts of the airbag system are scrapped, it is essential to observe the relevant safety precautions. Škoda Service Partners are familiar with these regulations.
•When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to comply with the national legal requirements.
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Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
When are the airbags deployed?
The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver and the front passenger airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major severity.
In the case of a violent side crash, the side airbag* in the front seat and the head airbag* on the side of the car at which the collision occurs are deployed.
It is also possible under certain special accident situations that the front as well as the side airbags and head airbags* are deployed.
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions, in the case of rear-end collisions and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to state globally which deployment conditions apply to the airbag system in every situation as the circumstances which exist in the case of accidents vary greatly. An important role in this case, for example, is played by factors such as the type of object against which the vehicle impacts (hard, soft), the angle of impact, the vehicle speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which occurs during a collision. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and activates the relevant restraint system. If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is meas-ured during the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The airbags are not deployed if:
•ignition off,
•a minor frontal collision,
•a minor side collision,
•a rear-end collision,
•rollover.
Caution
The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has been deployed.
Note
•A grey white or red, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
•In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:
−The interior lighting comes on (if the switch for the interior light is in the door contact position),
−The hazard warning light is switched on,
−All the doors are unlocked.
Front airbags
Description of the front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belt!
Fig. 137 Driver airbag in the steering wheel
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