Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
151
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WheelsSteel wheels You should also thoroughly wash the wheels and wheel trims when giving your vehicle its regular wash. This prevents an
y 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 partic
ularly useful to remove any road salt and
brake abrasion from the light alloy wheels every two weeks, otherwise the paint- work of the wheel rim will suffer damage
. 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 produc
ts 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 th
e wheels that moisture, ice and road
salt may adversely affect braking ef
ficiency - risk of an accident!
Note
Severe layers of dirt on th
e 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, ca
n cause premature wear
of the steering.
This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
Underbody protectionThe underside of your vehicl
e 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 in
tervals - this is best done at the begin-
ning and end of the winter - and to touch up any damaged areas. Specialist garages have suitable
spray products
available as well as the necessary
equipment and are familiar with the instructions for use. It is therefore best to have such touch-up work or additional corros
ion protection measures carried out by a
specialist garage.
WARNING
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converte
rs, diesel particle
filter or heat
shields. When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances might ignite - risk of fire!Protection of hollow spacesAll 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 re
move wax - a risk of fire!
s2g8.b.book Page 151 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Inspecting and replenishing
165
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Check hydraulic oil The hydraulic system of the power steering is filled with the hydraulic oil designated in the catalogue as G 002 000. Perform the inspection of the hydraulic oil level when the engine is cold and not running. The hydraulic oil level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings ⇒ page 164, fig. 153
. If the level drops below the mark
ing “MIN”, it is necessary that
the power steering is checked by a specialist
garage. It is not sufficient to solely refill
with hydraulic oil.
Note
If the engine is not running (when towing) or
if the V-ribbed belt is torn, the power
steering does not operate. The vehicle is fully steerable however. There is however increased force required to turn the steering wheel.Cooling systemCoolant The job of the coolant is to cool the engine.The cooling system does not require an
y maintenance under normal operating
conditions. The coolant consists of water
with a concentration of coolant additive
of 40 %. This mixture not only provides
antifreeze protection down to -25°C but
also protects the cooling and heating system from corrosion. It also prevents the formation of scale and significantly increases the boiling point of the coolant. You must therefore not reduce the concentr
ation of antifreeze agent in the coolant
by adding water, also not during the summ
er months or in countries with a warm
climate.
The concentration of coolant additive in the coolant must be at least
40%. You can increase the amount of antifreeze
in the coolant if a higher concentration
of antifreeze is necessary for climatic
reasons but only up to 60% (antifreeze
protection down to approx. -40°C). The an
tifreeze protection tails off above that
concentration.
Vehicles exported to countries with a co
ld climate (e.g. Sweden, Norway, Finland)
are already factory-filled with a coolant which offers antifreeze protection down to about -35°C. In these countries the concentr
ation of coolant additive should be at
least 50 %. Coolant The cooling system is factory-filled with
coolant (purple in colour), which complies
with the specification TL-VW 774 G. We recommend that you use the same c
oolant additive - G12 PLUS-PLUS (purple
in colour) for topping up the system. Please contact a specialist garage if you have any questions regarding the coolant or if you wish to fill up with a different coolant. A specialist garage can also supply
you with the correct coolant additives.
Caution
•
Other coolant additives may cause operational problems which, in partic-
ular, involves significantly reducing the anticorrosion effect.•
Any faults or problems resulting from corrosion may cause a loss of
coolant and, as a consequence of th
is, result in major engine damage.
Inspecting the coolant level
Fig. 154 Engine compart- ment: Coolant expansion bottle
s2g8.b.book Page 165 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Wheels and Tyres
173
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Wheels and TyresWheelsGeneral information•
New tyres do not offer optimal grip at first and should therefore be run in for
about 500 km at a moderate speed and an
appropriately cautious style of driving.
You will also profit from longer tyre life.•
The tread depth of new tyres may differ
because of design features and the
configuration of the tread (depending on
the type of tyre and the manufacturer).
•
Drive over curbs on the side of the road
and other such obstacles slowly and,
where possible, at a right angle in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.•
Inspect your tyres from time to time
for damage (punctures, cuts, splits and
bulges). Remove foreign bodies from the tyre profile.•
Damage to tyres and wheels is frequent
ly not visible. Unus
ual vibrations or
pulling of the vehicle to one side
could be a sign of tyre damage.
Please reduce
your speed immediately and stop if
you suspect that a wheel is damaged.
Inspect the tyres for signs of damage (bulges,
splits, etc.). If no
visible damage is
present, please drive at an appropriatel
y slow speed and carefully to the nearest
specialist garage in order to have your vehicle inspected.•
Also protect your tyres from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
•
Immediately replace any dust caps of the valves which have got lost.
•
Mark wheels before removing them so th
at their previous direction of running
can be maintained when mounted them again.•
Always store wheels or tyres which been removed in a cool, dry and, where
possible, dark place. Tyres which are not fixed to a wheel trim should be stored upright.
WARNING
•
New tyres during the first 500 km do not offer optimal grip and should
therefore be run appropriately - risk of accident!•
Never drive with damaged tyres - risk of accident!
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.Tyre lifeThe life of your tyres very much depends on the following points: Tyre pressure The working life of tyres will be shortened considerably if the tyres are insufficiently or over-inflated and this will have an advers
e effect on the handli
ng of your vehicle.
Correctly inflated tyres are of partic
ular importance when travelling at
high speeds
.
It is therefore good to check the pressure at least once a month and also before setting off on a long trip. Please do not
forget the spare wheel* when checking the
tyres. The tyre inflation pressures for
summer tyres
are indicated on the inside of the fuel
filler flap
⇒fig. 159
. The inflation pressures for
winter tyres
are 20 kPa (0.2 bar)
higher than those for summer tyres
⇒page 177.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest
pressure specified for your vehicle at all
times.
Fig. 159 An opened fuel filler flap with a tyre size and tyre inflation pressure table
s2g8.b.book Page 173 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Wheels and Tyres
174
Always check the inflation pressure of ty
res when cold. Do not reduce the higher
pressure of warm tyres. Adapt the inflation pressure of the tyres accordingly if your vehicle is carrying a significantly higher payload. Driving style Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking (squealing tyres) increase wear-and- tear on your tyres. Balancing wheels The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. There are a wide range of influences when driving which may result in an imbalance and which makes themselves felt through vibration in the steering. You should have the wheels rebalanced
since any imbalance increases wear-and-
tear on the steering, the suspension and
tyres. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tyre is fitted and each time a tyre is repaired. Wheel alignment errors Incorrect wheel alignment at the front and re
ar will not only increase wear-and-tear
on the tyres but will also has an adverse
effect on vehicle safety. Contact your
specialist garage if you notice any unusual tyre wear.
WARNING
•
If the inflation pressure is too low,
the tyre must perform a greater flexing
work. At higher speeds the tyre will warm up as a result of this. This can result in tread separation and even a tyre blowout.•
Immediately replace the damaged rims or tyres.For the sake of the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Wear indicatorsThe base of the tread of the original tyres has wear indicators 1.6 mm high, installed at right angles to the direction of travel. These wear indicators are located at 6 - 8 points depending on the make and are evenly spaced around the circumference of the tyre
⇒fig. 160
. Markings on the walls of the
tyres through the letters “TWI”,
triangular symbols or other symbols identi
fy the position of the wear indicators.
A remaining tread of just 1.6 mm, measured in the grooves of the tread next to the wear indicators, means that your tyres
have reached their legally permissible
minimum tread depth.
WARNING
•
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn do
wn. The legally permissible minimum
tread depth should be observed.•
Worn tyres do not provide the necessar
y adhesion to the road surface at
high speeds on wet roads. One coul
d experience “aquaplaning” (uncon-
trolled movements of the vehicle - “swimming” on a wet road surface).
Fig. 160 Tyre tread with wear indicators
s2g8.b.book Page 174 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Wheels and Tyres
175
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Changing wheels aroundIf significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend changing the front wheels around with the rear wheels as shown in the diagram
⇒fig. 161
.
You will then obtain approximately the same life for all the tyres. It may be advantageous to swap the tyre
s over “crosswise” when certain types of
wear characteristic arise on
the running surface of the tyres (but not in the case of
unidirectional tyres). Specialist garages are familiar with details. We recommend that you change the wheels around every 10 000 km in order to achieve even wear on all wheels and to obtain optimal tyre life.New tyres and wheelsTyres and wheel rims are important design
elements. One should therefore use the
tyres and wheel rims which have been released for use by Škoda Auto. They are exactly matched to the vehicle type and th
erefore contribute significantly to good
road holding and safe driving characteristics
⇒
.
Only fit radial tyres of the same type on
all 4 wheels, size (rolling circumference)
and, if possible, the same tread pattern on one axle. The specialist garages have access to the most current information about which tyres we have released
for use on your vehicle.
We recommend that you have any work rela
ting to tyres or wheels carried out by a
specialist garage
. Specialist garages have all of the necessary special tools and
replacement parts available plus the requir
ed specialist knowledge and are also in
a position to properly dispose of the old tyres. A large number of specialist garages also have an attractive range of tyres and wheels available. The tyre/wheel combinations which are appr
oved for your vehicle are indicated in
your vehicle documents. Approval and lice
nsing may differ according to the legis-
lation prevailing in individual countries. Proper knowledge of the tyre data makes it easier for you to select the correct type of tyre. Tyres do, for example, have the following
inscription
on their walls:
195 / 65 R 15 91 T
What this means is: The following
speed restrictions
apply to tyres.
Fig. 161 Changing wheels around
195
Tyre wid th i n m m
65
Height/width ratio in %
R
Code letter for the type of tyre -
R adial
15
Diameter of wheel in inches
91
Load index
T
Speed symbol
Speed symbol
Permissible maximum speed
R
170 km/h
S
180 km/h
T
190 km/h
H
210 km/h
V
240 km/h
W
270 km/h
s2g8.b.book Page 175 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Wheels and Tyres
176
The date of manufacture
is a lso s tated on the tyre wal l (poss ibly o nl y on the
inside
of wheel):
DOT ... 50 08...
means, for example, that the tyre was manufactured in the 50th week of the year 2008. If the
spare wheel*
differs from the tyres fitted to the vehicle (e.g. winter tyres or
low-profile tyres), the spare wheel* should only be used for a short time in the event of a puncture and when adopting an
appropriately cautious style of driving.
It should be replaced as quickl
y as possible by a normal wheel.
WARNING
•
Only use those tyres or wheel rims
which have been approved for your
model of Škoda Auto vehicle. Failure to observe this instruction will adversely affect the road safety of your vehicle - risk of accident! Approval and licencing of your vehicle on public roads may also become void as a result.•
You must on no account drive at a higher speed than is permissible for
y our t yre s - ris k of a n ac cid e n t re su lti ng fro m ty re d a m ag e a nd lo ss o f c ont rol over your vehicle.•
Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional
cases and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.•
Never fit tyres which have already been used without having adequate
knowledge of their previous history. Ty
res age even if they have not been
used at all or only very little. A spare tyre must only be used in exceptional cases and only then when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.•
Do not, where possible, replace indivi
dual tyres but at least replace them
on both wheels of a given axle at the same time. Always fit the tyres with the deeper tread depth to the front wheels.
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed
of in conformity with the appropriate regulations.
Note
It is not normally possible to fit wheels
from other models of cars for technical
reasons. This may also apply in certain
circumstances to the wheels of the same
type of vehicle.Wheel boltsWheels and
wheel bolts
are matched to each other in
terms of design. Each time
you fit other wheels - e.g. light alloy wheels
or wheels with winter tyres - you must
therefore also use the matching wheel bolts of the correct length and shape of spherical cap. This is essent
ial to ensure that the wheels are tightly fitted and that
the brake system operates properly. If you retrofit
wheel trims
(or have this done), please also ensure that an adequate
flow of air remains assured for cooling the brake system. The specialist garages are informed abou
t the technical possibilities which exist
regarding converting or retrofitti
ng wheels, tyres and wheel trims.
WARNING
•
In case of incorrect treatment of th
e wheel bolts, the
wheel can loosen
when the car is moving - risk of accident!•
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 wh
eel bolts for steel and light alloy wheels
is 120 Nm.
s2g8.b.book Page 176 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Wheels and Tyres
177
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Winter tyresThe 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 173, fig. 159
.
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 175,
⇒
.
You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed ca
tegory to your vehicle provided that you
also do not drive faster than the permis
sible maximum speed fo
r such tyres, even
if the possible maximum speed of your ve
hicle is higher. The corresponding tyre
category can damage the tyres when ex
ceeding the permissi
ble maximum speed.
Please pay attention to the notes if
you decide to fit winter tyres
⇒page 173.
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.Snow chainsSnow 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 permissi
ble to fit snow chains with the following
wheel/tyre combinations: Only use
fine-link snow chains
. They must not project more than 15 mm -
including the chain lock. Remove the
full wheel trims
if you wish to fit snow
chains to the wheels.
Wheel size
Depth (D)
Ty re s i z e
6J x 14
38 mm
175/80
6J x 15
38 mm
195/65
5.5J x 16
36 mm
205/55
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Wheels and Tyres
178
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.
s2g8.b.book Page 178 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM