Wheels and Tyres241
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•The wheel bolts must be clean and must turn easily. However, they must
never be treated with grease or oil.
•If the wheel bolts are tightened to a too low tightening torque, the rim
can lossen when the car is moving - risk of accident! A tightening torque
which is too high can damage the bolts and threads and this can result in
permanent deformation of the contact surfaces on the rims.
Caution
The prescribed tightening torque of the wheel bolts for steel and light alloy wheels
is 120 Nm.
Winter tyres
The handling of your vehicle will be significantly improved when driving on wintry
roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice, snow
and at temperatures below 7 °C because of their construction (width, rubber blend,
tread pattern). This partic ularly applies to vehicles which are equipped with low-
profile tyres or high-speed tyres (code index H or V on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four wheels to obtain the best handling char-
acteristics.
You must only fit those types of winter tyre which are approved for your vehicle. The
permissible sizes of winter tyres are stated in your vehicle documents. Approvals
may differ because of national legislation.
Please remember that the tyres should be in flated to 20 kPa (0.2 bar) more than is
the case for summer tyres ⇒page 237.
Winter tyres no longer offer the same winter performance once the tyre tread has
worn down to a depth of about 4 mm.
Ageing also causes winter tyres to lose most of their winter performance properties
- even in cases where the remaining tread depth is still clearly more than 4 mm.
Speed restrictions apply to winter tyres as well as to summer tyres ⇒page 239,
⇒ . You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed ca
tegory to your vehicle provided that you
also do not drive faster than the permissible maximum speed for such tyres, even
if the possible maximum speed of your vehicle is higher. The corresponding tyre
category can damage the tyres when exceeding the permissible maximum speed.
Please pay attention to the notes if you decide to fit winter tyres ⇒page 237.
You can also fit so-called “all-year tyres” instead of winter tyres.
Please contact your specialist garage if there are any points which are not clear who
will be able to provide you with information regarding the maximum speed for your
tyres.
WARNING
You must on no account drive your car at more than the permissible
maximum speed for your winter tyres - risk of an accident resulting from
tyre damage and loss of control over your car.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres on again in good ti me since summer tyres offer you better
grip and handling on roads which are free of snow and ice as well as ar tempera-
tures below 7 °C - the braking distance is shorter, there is less tyre noise, tyre wear
is reduced and fuel consumption is reduced.
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.
Unidirectional tyres*
The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the tyre.
This indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre, and it is essential that the tyres
are fitted on to run in this direction. Only then are the tyres able to provide the
optimal properties in terms of grip, lo w noise, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Should it be necessary to fit on a spare wheel in exceptional cases with a tyre not
dedicated to the running dire ction or in opposite running direction, please adopt a
WARNING (continued)
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Wheels and Tyres
242
cautious style of driving as the tyre is no longer able to provide optimal grip and
handling in such a situation. This particul arly important on wet roads. Please refer
to the notes ⇒page 247, “Spare wheel*”.
You should have the defective tyre replac ed as soon as possible and restore the
correct direction of rotation on all tyres
Snow chains
Snow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
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:
Remove the full wheel trims if you wish to fit snow chains to the wheels.
Observe the national legal requirements relating to 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
We recommend that you use snow chains from the Škoda genuine accessories.
Wheel sizeDepth (D)Tyre si z e
6J x 15a)
a)Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 15 mm.
47 mm195/65
6,5J x 15a)50 mm195/65
6J x 16a)50 mm205/55
6J x 17b)
b)Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 9 mm.
45 mm205/50
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Breakdown assistance
248
provisions. In this way you are protecting not only yourself but also other
road users.
•Never start the engine with the vehicle sitting on the raised jack - danger
of suffering injury.
Caution
If you have to change a wheel on a slope first block the opposite wheel with a stone
or similar object in order to secure th e vehicle from unexpectedly rolling away.
Note
Comply with the national legal regulations.
Changing a wheel
Always change a wheel on a level surface as far as possible.
– Take off the full wheel trim* ⇒page 249 or the caps ⇒page 249.
– In the case of light alloy wheels remove the wheel trim cap ⇒page 250.
– First of all slacken the safety wh eel bolt * and afterwards the other
wheel bolts ⇒page 250.
– Jack up the vehicle until the wheel to be changed is clear of the ground
⇒ page 251.
– Unscrew the wheel bolts and place them on a clean surface (cloth, paper etc.).
– Take off the wheel.
– Fit on the spare wheel and tighten the wheel bolts slightly.
–Lower the car. – Tighten the wheel bolts firmly, al
ternately and diagonally using the
wheel wrench (crosswise) and last the safety wheel bolt* ⇒page 250.
– Mount the full wheel trim/w heel trim cap or the caps.
Note
•All bolts must be clean and must turn easily.
•You must never grease or oil the wheel bolts!
•When fitting on unidirectional tyres, ensure that the tyres rotate in the correct
direction ⇒page 237.
Subsequent steps
After changing the wheel, you must perform the following steps.
– Stow and attach the replaced wheel in the spare wheel well.
– Stow the vehicle tool kit in the space provided.
– Check the tyre pressure on the spare wheel just mounted as soon as
possible.
– Have the tightening torque of the wheel bolts checked with a torque
wrench as soon as possible. Steel and light alloy wheels must be tight-
ened to a tightening torque of 120 Nm.
– Have the defective tyre repaired as soon as possible.
WARNING
It is necessary to observe the guidelines given on ⇒page 239 if the vehicle is
subsequently fitted with tyres which are different to those it was fitted with
at the works.
WARNING (continued)
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Breakdown assistance
250
Wheel trim caps*
Pulling off
– Carefully remove the wheel tr im cap using the removal hook
⇒ fig. 226 .
Slackening and tightening wheel bolts
Slacken the wheel bolts before jacking up the vehicle.
Slackening wheel bolts
– Insert the wheel wrench fully onto the wheel bolt
21).
– Grasp the end of the wrench and turn the bolt about one turn to the
left ⇒fig. 227 .
Tightening wheel bolts
– Insert the wheel wrench fully onto the wheel bolt
21).
– Grasp the end of the wrench and turn the bolt to the right until it is tight.
WARNING
Slacken the wheel bolts only a little (about one turn) as long as the vehicle
has not yet been jacked up - risk of an accident!.
Note
apply pressure carefully with your foot to the end of the wheel wrench if it proves
difficult to slacken the wheel bolts. Hold tight on the vehicle when doing this and
ensure that you have a steady position.
Fig. 226 Pulling off wheel
trim cap on light alloy wheels
Fig. 227 Changing a wheel:
Slackening wheel bolts
21)Use the appropriate adapter for slackening and tightening the safety wheel bolts
⇒ page 251.
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Breakdown assistance251
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Raise vehicle
You have to raise the vehicle with a lifting jack in order to be able to
take off the wheel.
Position the lifting jack by selecting the jacking point which is closest to
the wheel to be removed ⇒fig. 228 . The jacking point is located directly
below the engraving in the lower sill. The engraving is only visible after
opening the door.
– Position the lifting jack below the jacking point and move it up until its claw is positioned directly below the vertical web of the lower sill.
– Align the car jack so that its claw grasps the web of the lower sill and the base plate is resting flat on the floor.
– Turn the lifting jack up further until the wheel is just clear of the ground.
Ground below the lifting jack which is soft and slippery can cause the vehicle to
slip off the jack. It is therefore always ne cessary to place the lifting jack on a solid
surface or use a wide and stable base. Use a non-slip base (e.g. a rubber foot mat)
if the surface is smooth , such as cobbled stones, a tiled floor, etc.
WARNING
•Always raise the vehicle with the doors closed - risk of injury!
•Take suitable measures to prevent the base of the lifting jack from slip-
ping off - risk of injury!
•Not positioning the lifting jack at the specified points can result in
damage to the vehicle. The jack can also sl ip off if it does not have sufficient
grip - risk of injury!
•It is important to support the vehicle with suitable supporting blocks if
you wish to work under the lifted vehicle - risk of injury!
Securing wheels against being stolen*
You need a special adapter for slackening the safety wheel bolts.
– Pull off the full wheel trim/cap from the wheel hub or cap from the safety wheel bolt.
– Insert the adapter with its toothed side fully into the inner toothing of the safety wheel bolt right down in such a way that only the
outer hexagon is jutting out ⇒fig. 229 .
– Insert the wheel wrench fully onto the adapter .
– Slacken the wheel bolt, or tighten it firmly ⇒page 250.
Fig. 228 Changing a wheel:
Points for positioning car jack
AA
ABFig. 229 Safety wheel bolt
with adapter
AB
AA
AB
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Breakdown assistance
252
– Reinstall the full wheel trim/wheel cap after removing the adapter or place the cap onto the safety wheel bolt.
– Have the tightening torque checked w i t h a t o rq u e w re n c h a s s o o n a s
possible. Steel and light alloy wheels must be tightened to a tightening
torque of 120 Nm.
The safety wheel bolts on vehicles fitted with them (one safety wheel bolt per
wheel) can only be loosened or tigh ten up by using the adapter provided.
It is meaningful to note the code numbe r hammered into the rear side of the
adapter or the rear side of the safety wheel bolts. You can obtain a replacement
adapter from a Škoda Service Partner, if necessary, by quoting this number.
We recommend that you always carry the adapter for the wheel bolts with you in
the vehicle. It should be st owed in the vehicle tool kit.
Caution
Damage can occur to the adapter and safety wheel bolt if the safety wheel bolt is
tightened up too much.
Note
The set of safety wheel bolts can be obtained from a Škoda Service Partner.
Jump-starting
Initial steps
You can use the battery of another vehicl e for jump-starting yours if the engine
does not start because the battery on your vehicle is flat. You will require jump-start
cables for this purpose.
Both batteries must have a rated voltage of 12 V. The capacity (Ah) of the battery
supplying the power must not be significa ntly less than the capacity of the
discharged battery in your vehicle. Jump-start cables
Only use jump-start cables which have an
adequately large cross-section and insu-
lated terminal clamps. Please pay attent ion to the manufacturer's instructions.
Positive cable - colour coding in the majority of cases red.
Negative cable - colour coding in the majority of cases black.
WARNING
•A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0°C.
In case of frozen battery carry out no jump-starting - risk of explosion!
•Please pay attention to the warning instructions relating to working in
the engine compartment ⇒page 225, “Working in the engine compart-
ment”.
Note
•There must not be any contact between the two vehicles otherwise current may
flow as soon as the negative terminals are connected.
•The discharged battery must be properly connected to the system of the
vehicle.
•Switch off any mobile phone, pay attent ion to the instructions for use of the
mobile phone in such a situation.
•We recommend purchasing jump-start cabl es from Škoda Service Partners as a
Škoda original accessory or from retailers who sell branded batteries.
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Breakdown assistance
254
– Release the clutch particularly gent ly when starting off or depress the
accelerator particularly gently if yo ur vehicle is fitted with an auto-
matic gearbox.
Driver of the towed vehicle
– Switch the ignition on so that the steering wheel is not blocked and you can also operate the turn signal lights, the headlight flasher, the
windscreen wipers and wi ndscreen washer system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N
if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
– Note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is running. You will require si gnificantly greater physical force
to depress the brake pedal and to steer the vehicle if the engine is not
running.
– Ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught.
Tow rope or tow bar
A tow bar is safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimizes any shocks. You can
use a tow rope only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The tow rope must be elastic to protect the vehicle. Thus one should only use
plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a similarly elastic material.
Only attach the tow rope to the towing eyes provided for this purpose ⇒page 254
and ⇒page 255.
Driving style
Towing another vehicle requires a certain amount of practice. Both drivers should
be familiar with the particular points about towing a vehicle. Unskilled drivers
should not attempt to tow in another vehicle or to be towed in.
One should be constantly vigilant not to allow impermissibly high towing forces or
jerky loadings. There is always a risk of excessive stresses and damage resulting at
the points to which you attach the tow ro pe or tow bar when you attempt to tow a
vehicle which is not standing on a paved road.
Caution
If the gearbox of your vehicle no longer contains any oil because of a defect, your
vehicle must only be towed in with the driven wheels raised clear of the ground, or
on a special vehicle transporter or trailer.
Note
•Please comply with any legal requirements particularly regarding the switched
on signal systems, when towing in or tow-starting another vehicle.
•The tow rope must not be twisted as it may in certain circumstances result in the
front towing eye being unscrewed out of your vehicle.
Front towing eye
The towing eye is stored in the box for the vehicle tool kit.
Fig. 231 Front bumper:
Protective grille
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256
Towing in a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox
Please refer to the notes ⇒page 253.
The car can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope or with the front or rear wheels
raised. The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
Towing of a vehicle with an automatic gearbox
Please refer to the notes ⇒page 253.
The car can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope. Refer at the same time to the
following guidelines:
•Move selector lever into N .
•The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
•The maximum permissible towing distance is 50 km. The gear oil pump does
not operate when the engine is not runni ng; the gearbox would not be adequately
lubricated at higher speeds an d over longer towing distance.
Caution
If the vehicle is towed in by a recovery vehi cle, it should only be towed in with the
front wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised at rear, the automatic gearbox is
damaged! (Does not apply to the automatic gearbox DSG).
Note
The vehicle must be transported on a special ve hicle or trailer if it is not possible to
tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance is greater than
50 km.
Towing with four-wheel drive
Please refer to the notes ⇒page 253.
The car can be towed in using a tow bar or a tow rope or with the front axle raised. The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h
, the maximum permissible towing
distance is 50 km.
Note
The vehicle must be transported on a special vehicle or trailer if it is not possible to
tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance is greater than
50 km.
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