2009 SKODA FABIA radiator

The brief instruction 14Opening the bonnet– Pull on the locking lever ⇒fig. 15, the bonnet is then unlocked.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening
designed for it ⇒fig. 16.Further information ⇒page 184, “Opening and closing the bonnet.”.
Inspecting the engine oil level Engine oil must not be refilled.
Engine oil can be refilled.
Engine oil must be refilled.
Further information ⇒page 187.
Fig. 15 Radiator grille:
Locking leverFig. 16 Securing the bonnet
with the bonnet support
Fig. 17 Dipstick
AaAbAc
s3f4.1.book Page 14 Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:07 AM

Starting-off and Driving 102•
The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is
at a normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature is above +5°C. This
means that you can start the engine right away.
•
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start
right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
•
It is possible that the fuse on the diesel preglow system is defect if the engine
still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary ⇒page 216.
•
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 100, fig. 124.
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 185, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Shifting (manual gearbox)Shift into reverse only when the vehicle 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!
A1
Fig. 125 Shift pattern on
models fitted with 5-speed
manual gearbox
s3f4.1.book Page 102 Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:07 AM

Inspecting and replenishing 184Inspecting and replenishingEngine compartmentBonnet remote releaseBonnet remote release
– Pull the unlocking lever on the left below the dash panel ⇒fig. 179.The bonnet jumps out of its lock as a result of the spring force.
Opening and closing the bonnet.Opening the bonnet
– Unlock the bonnet ⇒fig. 179.
– Ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are correctly in place
against the windscreen before opening the bonnet otherwise
damage could occur to the paintwork.
Fig. 179 Bonnet release
lever
Fig. 180 Radiator grille:
Locking leverFig. 181 Securing the bonnet
with the bonnet support
s3f4.1.book Page 184 Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:07 AM

Inspecting and replenishing185
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
– Pull on the locking lever ⇒page 184, fig. 180, the bonnet is then
unlocked.
– Grip the bonnet and lift it up.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening
designed for it ⇒page 184, fig. 181.
Closing the bonnet
– Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the
bonnet support into the holder designed to hold it.
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 30 cm into the lock -
bonnet do not press down on it!
WARNING
•
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
•
For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed when
driving. One should therefore check that the lock has in fact engaged prop-
erly after closing the bonnet.
•
Stop your vehicle immediately while driving if you notice that the lock is
not properly engaged and close the bonnet properly - risk of an accident!Caution
•
Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are
correctly in place against the windscreen. Otherwise, there is a risk of damage to the
paintwork.
Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment!There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working in the
engine compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. For
this reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated
below and with the general applicable rules of safety. The engine compart-
ment of your car is a hazardous area ⇒.
WARNING
•
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
•
Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
•
Apply the handbrake firmly.
•
If your vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever
into Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox, move the selector lever
into position P.
•
Allow the engine to cool down.
•
Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
•
Do not touch any hot engine parts - risk of burns!
•
Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the
antifreeze contained in the wash liquid) may ignite!
•
Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
•
Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
•
Never open the cap of the coolant expansion bottle as long as the engine
is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
•
Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a large cloth
when opening it as protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam
or hot coolant.
s3f4.1.book Page 185 Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:07 AM

Inspecting and replenishing 186•
Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine
compartment.
•
If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is
not sufficient for this - risk of injury!
•
In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the
engine is running there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. the V-
ribbed belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition
system. Please observe in addition the following:
−Never touch the electrical cables of the ignition system.
−Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose items of clothing or long hair
from getting into the rotating parts of the engine - Hazard! Therefore
remove any jewellery beforehand, tie up your hair and wear tight fitting
clothing.
•
Please also comply with the warning instructions stated below when
carrying out any essential work on the fuel system or on the electrical
system:
−Always separate the car battery from the electrical system.
−Do not smoke.
−Never carry out any work close to naked flames.
−Always keep a working fire extinguisher at hand.Caution
When replenishing fluids in the engine, always ensure that the fluids are on no
account mixed up. This may result in major operating problems and also vehicle
damage!
Overview of the engine compartment
The main inspection points.Fig. 182 Diesel engine 1.9 litre/77 kW
Coolant expansion bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windshield washer fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil filler opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Battery (below a cover) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Note
The location of the inspection points in the engine compartment of petrol and
diesel engines is practically identical.
WARNING (continued)
A1
189
A2
197
A3
188
A4
187
A5
191
A6
192
s3f4.1.book Page 186 Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:07 AM

Inspecting and replenishing191
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
For the sake of the environment
Do not re-use coolant if it is necessary to drain the coolant in the system. It should
be collected and disposed of in compliance with environmental protection
regulations.Radiator fan
The radiator fan may switch on suddenly.The radiator fan is driven by an electric motor and controlled by a thermostat
according to the coolant temperature.
The radiator fan may continue running for up to 10 minutes after the engine has
been switched off - even if the ignition is also off. It may also switch on suddenly
after a certain time, if•
the coolant temperature has risen because of an accumulation of heat or
•
the warm engine compartment is heated up additionally by strong sunlight.
WARNING
You must therefore be aware when working in the engine compartment that
the fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury!
Brake fluidInspecting the brake fluid levelThe brake fluid reservoir is located on the left of the engine compartment.
The brake fluid reservoir on right-hand steering models is positioned on
the other side of the engine compartment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compartment” on
page 185.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir ⇒fig. 185. The level must
be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-tear
and automatic adjustment of the brake pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the fluid level
drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” marking. A situ-
ation where the brake fluid level is too low is indicated by the warning light

lighting up in the instrument cluster ⇒page 33. In this case stop immediately and
do not drive any further! Obtain professional assistance.
Fig. 185 Engine compart-
ment: Brake fluid reservoir
s3f4.1.book Page 191 Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:07 AM

Inspecting and replenishing197
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Windshield washer systemThe windshield washer reservoir contains the cleaning fluid for the windscreen or
rear window and for the headlamp cleaning system*. The reservoir is located in the
front left of the engine compartment ⇒fig. 189.
The filling level of the container is 2 litres, 5.5 litres on vehicles which also have a
headlight washing system.
Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and headlights. We
therefore recommend using clean washing water together with the screen cleaner
from Škoda genuine accessories (in winter additionally with antifreeze) which is
capable of removing stubborn dirt. Follow the instructions for use on the packaging
when using screen cleaning products.
You should always add antifreeze to the cleaning water in winter even if your
vehicle is fitted with heated windscreen washer nozzles*.
It is also possible in exceptional cases to use methylated spirits when no screen
cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methylated spirits must
not be more than 15 %. Please note, however, that the antifreeze protection at this
concentration is only adequate down to -5°C.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 185, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
•
On no account should you add radiator antifreeze or other additives to the
windscreen washer fluid.
•
If the vehicle is fitted with headlight cleaning system, you should only add
cleaning products which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the headlights
to the windscreen washer fluid. Please contact your specialist garage, who will tell
you which cleaning agent you can use.Note
Do not take the filter out of the windscreen wash container when filling it up again
with liquid otherwise dirt can get into the liquid transportation system and can lead
to faults in operation of the windscreen wash system.
Fig. 189 Engine compart-
ment: Windshield washer
fluid reservoir
s3f4.1.book Page 197 Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:07 AM

Fuses and light bulbs219
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Replace fuses at the battery (manual gearbox)– Press together ⇒fig. 207 the interlocks of the fuse cover simultane-
ously in direction of arrow and push out the cover in direction of
arrow .
– Find out which fuse belongs to the component which is not operating.
– Defect fuses can be detected by their melted metal strips. Replace the
defect fuse by a new fuse of the same ampere number.
Caution•
Never attempt to “repair” fuses and also do not replace them with a fuse of a
higher amperage - risk of fire! This may also cause damage at another part of the
electrical system.
•
Have the electrical system checked as quickly as possible by a specialist garage
if a newly inserted fuse blows again after a short time.Note
We recommend that you have these fuses replaced by a specialist garage.
Fuse assignment at the battery (manual gearbox)Certain electrical components are only standard on certain vehicle model versions
or only suppliable as optional equipment for certain models.
Fig. 207 The battery: fuse
cover
AA
AB
No.
Power consumer
Amperes
1
Dynamo
175
2
Not assigned
3
Interior
80
4
Electrical auxiliary heating system
60
5
Interior
40
6
Glow plugs, coolant fan
50
7
Electrohydraulic power steering
50
8
ABS or TCS or ESP
25
9
The radiator fan
30
10
The radiator fan
5
Fig. 208 Schematic repre-
sentation of fuse assignment
at battery
s3f4.1.book Page 219 Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:07 AM