2008 SKODA FABIA traction control

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights21
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
WARNING
•If you do not pay attention to the warning lights coming on and the corre-sponding descriptions and warning notes, this may result in severe body injuries or major vehicle damage.
•The engine compartment of your car is a hazardous area. There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working in the engine
Turn signal lights (to the left)⇒page 22
Turn signal lights (to the right)⇒page 22
Main beam⇒page 22
Low beam⇒page 22
Rear fog light⇒page 22
Dynamo⇒page 22
Fog lights*⇒page 22
Cornering lights*⇒page 22
Electrohydraulic power steering⇒page 23
EPC fault light (petrol engine)⇒page 23
Glow plug system (diesel engine)⇒page 23
Turn signal system for vehicles towing a trailer*⇒page 23
Coolant temperature/coolant level⇒page 24
Electronic immobiliser⇒page 24
Fuel reserve⇒page 24
Engine oil⇒page 25
Brake pad wear*⇒page 25
Open door*⇒page 25
Fluid level in windshield washer system*⇒page 26
Control system for exhaust⇒page 26
Traction control system (TCS)*⇒page 26
Tyre pres su re*⇒page 26
Selector lever lock* (automatic gearbox)⇒page 27
Electronic stability programme (ESP)*⇒page 27
Antilock brake system (ABS)*⇒page 27
Brake system⇒page 28
Airbag system⇒page 28
Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)⇒page 29
Seat belt warning light*⇒page 29
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Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights26
The warning light comes on even when the ignition is switched off. The warning light goes out 5 minutes after switching off the ignition if one or several doors, the bonnet or boot lid is opened. The warning light goes out after closing the doors.
Windshield washer fluid level*
The warning light  comes on when the ignition is switched on if there is insuffi-cient fluid in the windshield washer system. Top up with liquid ⇒page 193.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
REFILL WASHER LIQUID
Control system for exhaust 
The warning light  comes on after the ignition has been switched on.
If the warning light does not go out after starting the engine or it lights up or flashes when driving, a fault exists in an exhaust relevant component. The engine manage-ment system selects an emergency programme which enables you to drive to the nearest specialist garage by adopting a gentle style of driving.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
EXHAUST WORKSHOP!
Traction control system (TCS) *
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
The warning light comes on when driving when a control cycle is activated.
The warning light will come on and remains on if the TCS is switched off or if there is a fault in the system.
The fact that the TCS system operates together with the ABS means that the TCS warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly.
If the warning light  comes on immediately after starting the engine, the TCS system can be switched off for technical reasons. In this case, the TCS system can be switched on again by switching the ignition on and off. If the warning light goes out, the TCS system is fully functional again.
Further information about the TCS ⇒page 152.
Note
If the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the warning light  comes on after switching on the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a short distance.
Tyre inflation pressure*
The warning light  lights up, if there is a substantial drop in inflation pressure in one of the tyres. Reduce the speed and check or correct as soon as possible the inflation pressure in the tyres ⇒page 194.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
If the warning light flashes, there is a system fault. Visit the nearest specialist garage and have the fault rectified.
Further information about tyre pressure-control system ⇒page 156.
WARNING
•When the warning light  lights up, immediately reduce the speed and avoid sudden steering and brake manoeuvres. Please stop the vehicle without delay at the nearest possible stop and inspect the tyres and their inflation pressures.
•Under certain circumstances (e.g. sporty style of driving, wintry or unpaved roads) the warning light  can be delayed or does not light up at all.
•The tyre inflation pressure-control system does not take away the responsability from the driver for the correct tyre inflation pressure.
NKO A05F 20.book Page 26 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights27
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Note
If the battery has been disconnected, the warning light  comes on after switching on the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a short distance.
Selector lever lock*  (automatic gearbox)
If the warning light  lights up, operate the brake pedal. This is necessary, in order to be able to move the selector lever out of the position P or N.
Electronic stability programme (ESP)*
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
Components of the ESP system also include the Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), and the Antilock Brake System ABS (ABS).
The warning light comes on when driving when a control cycle is activated.
The warning light will come on and remains on if the ESP is switched off or if there is a fault in the system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that the ESP warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly.
Further information on the ESP ⇒page 151, “Electronic stability programme (ESP)*”.
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)*
The EDL is a part of the ESP. A fault in the EDL is indicated by the ESP warning light  in the instrument cluster. Have the vehicle inspected immediately by your specialist garage. Further information on the EDL ⇒page 153.
Antilock brake system (ABS)* 
The warning light  shows the functionality of the ABS.
The warning light comes on for a few seconds after the ignition has been switched on or when starting the engine. The warning light goes out after an automatic check sequence has been completed.
A fault in the ABS
The system is not functioning properly if the ABS warning light  does not go out within a few seconds after switching on the ignition, does not light up at all or lights up while driving. The vehicle will only be braked by the normal brake system. Visit a specialist garage as quickly as possible and adjust your style of driving in the meantime since you will not know how great the damage is.
Three additional warning tones will sound if there is a major fault in the ABS.
Further information about ABS ⇒page 155, “Antilock brake system (ABS)*”.
A fault in the entire brake system
If the ABS warning light  comes on together with the brake system warning light  (handbrake must be released), there is a fault not only in the ABS but also in another part of the brake system ⇒.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
STOP BRAKE FAULT OWNER'S MANUAL!
WARNING
•If the brake system warning light  comes on together with the ABS warning light  stop the vehicle immediately and check the brake fluid level in the reservoir ⇒page 188, “Brake fluid”. If the fluid level has dropped below the MIN marking, do not drive any further - risk of accident! Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain professional assistance.
•Pay attention to the following instructions ⇒page 181, “Working in the engine compartment” before checking the brake fluid level and opening the bonnet.
•If the brake fluid is at the correct level, the ABS control function has failed. The rear wheels may then block very rapidly when braking. In certain circumstances, this can result in the rear end of the car breaking away - risk of skidding! Drive carefully to the nearest specialist garage and have the fault rectified.
NKO A05F 20.book Page 27 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Intelligent Technology151
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Driving Tips
Intelligent Technology
Electronic stability programme (ESP)*
General
General
The ESP aids you maintain control of your vehicle in situations in borderline driving situations such as when negotiating a curve too fast. The risk of skidding is reduced and your car thus offers greater driving stability depending on the conditions of the road surface. This occurs at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
•Electronic Differential Lock (EDL),
•Traction control system (TCS),
•Antilock brake system (ABS),
•Brake Assist.
Operating principle
The ESP switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts a self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also processes additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehicle about its vertical axis, the lateral accel-eration of the vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering angle and the speed of the vehicle and is constantly compared with the actual behaviour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the car beginning to skid, the ESP will automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces which take effect when the wheel is braked. Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of a vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency for the rear of the vehicle to break away) while occurs this is on the inner rear wheel of a vehicle which tends to under-steer (tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by noises.
The ESP operates in combination with the ABS ⇒page 155, “Antilock brake system (ABS)*”. If there is a fault in the ABS system, the ESP also does not operate.
The ESP warning light ⇒page 27 lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the ESP.
Switching off
You can switch the ESP off and on again as you wish, by pressing the button ⇒fig. 158. The ESP warning light ⇒page 27 lights up in the instrument cluster when the ESP is switched off.
The ESP should normally always be switched on. It may be good practice in certain exceptional cases, such as when you wish to have wheel slip, to switch off the system.
Examples:
Fig. 158 ESP switch
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Intelligent Technology152
•when driving with snow chains,
•when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface,
•when it is necessary to rock a car free when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the ESP again.
WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehicle. Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of driving to the condition of the road surface and the traffic situation. This particularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than other-wise - risk of an accident!
Note
•All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circumferences of the tyres can lead to an undesirable reduction in the engine output.
•Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or other assign-ment of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP ⇒page 200, “Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
Traction control system (TCS)*
The traction control system prevents the driven wheels from spinning
when accelerating.
General
The TCS makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate and climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle
The TCS switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts a self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force transmitted to the road surface is automatically adapted by reducing the engine speed. This occurs at all speeds.
The TCS operates in combination with the ABS ⇒page 155, “Antilock brake system (ABS)*”. The TCS will not function if a fault exists in the ABS system.
The TCS warning light ⇒page 26 lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the TCS.
Switching off
You can switch the TCS off and on again as you wish by pressing the button ⇒fig. 159. The TCS warning light ⇒page 26 lights up in the instrument cluster when the TCS is switched off.
Fig. 159 TCS switch
NKO A05F 20.book Page 152 Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Wheels and Tyres199
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
When driving on wintry roads, snow chains improve not only traction, but also the braking performance.
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the following wheel/tyre combinations:
Only use fine-link snow chains. They must not project more than 9 mm - including the chain lock.
Remove the full wheel trims before installing the snow chains.
Observe the national legal requirements relating to the use of snow chains and the maximum vehicle speed with snow chains.
WARNING
Please pay attention to the information in the supplied fitting instructions of the snow chain manufacturer.
Caution
You must take the chains off as soon as you drive on roads which are free of snow. They adversely affect the handling of your vehicle, damage the tyres and are rapidly destroyed.
Note
•Only fit snow chains from the range of Škoda genuine accessories.
•When driving with snow chains, switch off the traction control system (TCS).
Wheel sizeDepth (D)Tyre s iz e
5J x 1335 mm155/80
5J x 1435 mm165/70
6J x 1437 mm185/60
6J x 1543 mm185/55
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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
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