2009 SKODA ROOMSTER fuel consumption

Driving and the Environment 166Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption
but also positively influence environmental pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid exploiting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel
consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at
high speeds.
The ⇒page 165, fig. 170 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your
vehicle. You will cut your fuel consumption by half if you only make use three-quar-
ters of the possible top speed of your vehicle.Reducing idling
Idling also costs fuel.It is worthwhile switching off the engine in a traffic jam or when waiting at a level
crossing or at traffic lights with a lengthy red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds
you will have saved more fuel than that is needed when you start the engine up
again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal operating
temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though, are particularly high
in the warming-up phase. This is why you should drive off right after starting the
engine. Do avoid high engine revolutions at this time, however.Regular servicing
A poorly tuned engine consumes an unnecessarily high amount of
fuel.Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a specialist garge enables you to satisfy
one of the requirements for economical motoring even before you set off on your
journey. Keeping your vehicle properly serviced not only has a positive effect on the
safety of your vehicle and maintaining its value, but also saves on fuel.
A poorly tuned engine can result in a fuel consumption which is 10% higher than
normal.
The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according to the
Service schedule by a specialist garage.Also check the oil level after refueling. Oil consumption is dependent to a consid-
erable extent on the load and speed of the engine. Oil consumption could be as
high as 0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving.
It is quite normal that a new engine has a higher oil consumption at first, and
reaches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is therefore not
possible to correctly assess the oil consumption of a new vehicle until after you
have driven about 5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•
You can achieve additional improvements in your fuel economy by using high-
lubricity oils.
•
Check the ground below your vehicle at regular intervals to detect any leakages
in good time. Please have your vehicle inspected by a specialist garge if you find any
stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.
Avoid driving short distances
Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption.– Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is cold.
Fig. 171 Fuel consumption
in litres/100 km at different
temperatures
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Driving and the Environment167
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Technical Data The engine and catalytic converter must first have reached their optimal operating
temperature in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emis-
sions.
The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately
after starting. Fuel consumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The
engine reaches its operating temperature (outside temperature and engine
dependent) only after about 4 to 10 kilometres and the fuel consumption then
stabilizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible.
An important factor in this connection is also the ambient temperature. The
⇒page 166, fig. 171 shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance,
on the one hand at +20°C and on the other hand at -10°C. Your vehicle has a higher
fuel consumption in winter than in summer.
Checking tyre inflation pressures
Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.Always ensure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure at all times. The
rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is too low. This will not
only increase fuel consumption but also tyre wear and the driving behaviour will
worsen.
Always check the inflation pressure of the tyres when cold.
Do not drive with winter tyres all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel.
Winter tyres are also louder.No unnecessary ballast
Transporting ballast costs fuel.The fact that every kilogram of extra weight increases your fuel consumption
means that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid trans-
porting any unnecessary ballast.
It is par ticularly i n town tra ffi c, whe n one is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle
weight will have a significant effect upon the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb here is that an increase in weight of 100 kilograms will cause an increase in fuel
consumption of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.
You may frequently also leave a roof rack fitted on just out of convenience,
although you no longer need it. The increased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle
causes it to use about 1 l more fuel than normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, even
when you are not carrying a load on the roof.
Saving electricity
Generating electricity costs fuel.– Switch off electrical components as soon as you no longer need them.When the engine is running, the alternator generates and supplies electrical power.
The greater the load on the alternator as a result of having a large number of elec-
trical components switched on, the more fuel will be consumed for operating the
alternator.Keeping a log of your fuel consumptionIf you really wish to keep a close check on your fuel consumption, it is best to enter
the figures in a logbook. This does not take much time but is a very worthwhile exer-
cise. It enables you to detect any change (positive and negative) at an early stage
and to take any appropriate action.
If you find that your fuel consumption is too high, you should reflect on how, where
and in what conditions you have driven the vehicle since you last refuelled.Environmental compatibilityEnvironmental protection has played a major role in the design, selection of mate-
rials and manufacture of your new Škoda. Particular emphasis has been paid to a
number of aspects, including:
s29g.4.book Page 167 Wednesday, June 17, 2009 9:54 AM

Driving and the Environment 168Design measures•
Joints designed to be easily detached
•
Simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system
•
Improved purity of different classes of materials
•
Identification of all plastic parts in accordance with VDA Recommendation 260
•
Reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission CO
2
•
Minimum fuel leakage during accidents
•
Reduced noise
Choice of materials
•
Extensive use of recyclable material
•
Air conditioning filled with CFC-free refrigerant
•
No cadmium
•
No asbestos
•
Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics
Manufacture
•
Solvent-free cavity protection
•
Solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the production
plant to the customer
•
The use of solvent-free adhesives
•
No CFCs used in the production process
•
Without use of mercury
•
Use of water-soluble paints
•
No use of hexavalent chromium
Trade-in and recycling of old cars
Škoda Auto meets the requirements of the brand and its products regarding envi-
ronment and ressource protection. All new Škoda vehicles can be utilized up to
95 % and always
7) be returned. In a lot of countries sufficient trade-in networks
have been created, where you can trade-in your vehicle. After you trade-in your vehicle, you will receive a confirmation stating the recycling in accordance with
environmental regulations.
Vehicles with special built-on types
Technical documents regarding changes carried out on the vehicle must be kept by
the vehicle user, in order to hand over later to the old car user. This ensures the
recycling in accordance with environmental regulations.
Note
Detailed information about the trade-in and recycling of old cars is available from
your Škoda Service Partner.Motoring abroadGeneral
Other circumstances may exist abroad.It is also possible, in certain countries, that the Škoda Service Partner network is
limited or has not been established yet. This is the reason why obtaining certain
spare parts may be somewhat complicated and specialist garage personnel may
o n l y b e a b l e t o m a ke l i m i te d re p a i rs . Š ko d a A u to i n t h e C z e c h R e pu b l i c a n d re l e v a n t
importers are happy to provide information about technical aspects of the vehicle,
required maintenance work and possibilities for getting repairs done.Unleaded petrolA vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with unleaded petrol
⇒page 164. The automobile associations can provide you with information
regarding the locations of filling stations which offer unleaded petrol.
7)Subject to fulfilment of the national legal regulations.
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Fuel181
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Technical Data
FuelPetrolGrades of petrolThere are various grades of petrol. Please read the chapter ⇒page 233, “Technical
Data” in order to know which grade of petrol your vehicle requires. You will also find
the same information affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap of your vehicle
⇒page 182, fig. 173.
A distinction is made between unleaded and leaded petrol. All Škoda vehicles with
petrol engines are equipped with a catalytic converter and must therefore be only
driven with unleaded petrol. Unleaded petrol complies with the standard EN 228.
The individual grades of petrol are distinguished by their octane number (RON).
Please adopt the following procedure if the grade of petrol which you normally use
is not be available in exceptional circumstances.
Engines which need unleaded premium petrol 95 RON can also be run on
unleaded regular petrol 91 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss in
performance.
If, in an emergency, the only fuel available is one which has a lower octane number
than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine speeds and
lower engine loadings.
You can make unlimited use of fuel which has a higher octane number than that
required by the engine. There will, however, be no advantages gained by this in
terms of engine performance and fuel consumption!
The handling, performance and life of your engine are determined to a significant
extent by the quality of the fuel. Do not use any petrol additives. Use fuel which
complies with the standard EN 228.
You can find further information on refuelling ⇒page 182.
Caution
•
Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.
•
Operating the engine with petrol of a lower octane number than that prescribed
can result in engine damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.
DieselDiesel fuelYour vehicle can be operated with diesel fuel, which complies with the standard
EN 590.
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar
products) in diesel fuel.
If the quality of the diesel fuel is poor, it is then necessary to drain the fuel filter
more often than stated in the Service schedule.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒page 182, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•
Use fuel which complies with the standard EN 590. Filling the tank even only
once, which does not comply with the standard, can result in damage to the fuel
system.
•
Water which has collected in the fuel filter can result in engine problems.
•
Your vehicle is not adapted for use of biofuel (RME), therefore this fuel must not
be refuelled and driven. Using this fuel (RME) can lead to damage to the engine or
the fuel system.
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Inspecting and replenishing187
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Technical Data
Engine oilCheck engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the level of oil in the engine.Checking the oil level
– Ensure that the vehicle is positioned on a level surface and the engine
has reached its operating temperature.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compartment” on
page 185.
– Wait a few minutes and pull out the oil dipstick ⇒.
– Wipe off the dipstick with a clean cloth and insert it again fully.
– Then withdraw the dipstick again and read off the oil level.
Oil level within range
– You must not top up the oil.Oil level within range
–You may top up the oil. It is possible that the oil level may then be
within range after doing this. The optimum lies in the middle of the
range .
Oil level within range
–You must top up the oil. It is sufficient, once this is done, to keep the
oil level within range .
It is normal for the engine to consume oil. The oil consumption may be as much as
0.5 l/1 000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which
you operate your vehicle. The oil consumption may be slightly higher than this
during the first 5 000 kilometres.
One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every time
after the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches.
We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range if the engine has been
operating at high loads, for example during a lengthy motorway trip during the
summer months, towing a trailer or negotiating a high mountain pass, but not
above this.
The warning light in the instrument cluster* will indicate ⇒page 33 whether the oil
level is too low. In this case, check the oil level as soon as possible. Top up with an
appropriate quantity of oil.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 185, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
•
The oil level must on no account extend beyond the range . Danger of
damaging the catalytic converter.
•
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prevailing to top up with oil. Switch the engine off and obtain profes-
Fig. 178 Dipstick
Aa
Ab
Aa
Ab
AcAb
Ab
Aa
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Wheels and Tyres199
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Technical Data 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 ⇒page 198, fig. 185. The inflation pressures for winter tyres are 20 kPa
(0.2 bar) higher than those for summer tyres ⇒page 202.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle at all
times.
Always check the inflation pressure of tyres 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 rear 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.
•
Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional
cases and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.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. 186. Markings on the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”,
triangular symbols or other symbols identify 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 (continued)
Fig. 186 Tyre tread with wear
indicators
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Wheels and Tyres 202Winter 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 applies in particular to vehicles which are equipped with low-
profile tyres or high-speed tyres (code index H, V or W 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 inflated to 20 kPa (0.2 bar) more than is
the case for summer tyres ⇒page 198.
Winter tyres no longer offer the same winter performance once the tyre tread has
worn down to a depth of about 4 mm.
Ageing a l s o c a u s e s w i n t e r t y re s t o l o s e m o s t 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 200,
⇒.
You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed category 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 198.
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 time 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, low 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 direction or in opposite running direction, please adopt a
cautious style of driving as the tyre is no longer able to provide optimal grip and
handling in such a situation. This particularly important on wet roads. Please refer
to the notes ⇒page 208, “Spare wheel*”.
You should have the defective tyre replaced as soon as possible and restore the
correct direction of rotation on all tyresSnow chainsSnow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
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Technical Data 234Partial description of the vehicle
7GG, 7MB, 7MG - vehicles with DPF ⇒page 162
Vehicle identification number (VIN)
The vehicle identification number - VIN (vehicle body number) is stamped into the
engine compartment on the right hand shock absorber dome. This number is also
located on a sign on the lower left hand edge below the windscreen (together with
a VIN bar code).
Engine number
The engine number is stamped into the engine block.
Type plate (production plate)
The type plate is located in the engine compartment at the front on the left hand
shock absorber dome.
Homologation sign
The homologation sign is located on the lock carrier. Vehicles for certain countries
do not have an homologation sign.
Sticker on inside of fuel filler flap
The sticker is affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap. They contain the following
data:
•
the prescribed type of fuel;
•
tyre size;
•
Tyre pressure.
Fuel consumption according to the regulations (99/100/EU)Depending on the range of the special equipment, style of driving, traffic situation,
weather influences and vehicle condition, the consumption values which in prac-
tice result when using the vehicle can deviate from the indicated values.Urban traffic
The consumption measurement in urban traffic begins with starting of the cold
engine. Afterwards the normal urban traffic is simulated.
Non-urban traffic
For the consumption measurement in non-urban traffic the vehicle, as in daily
motoring, is accelerated and braked several times in all gears. The vehicle speed
changes within the range from 0 to 120 km/h.
Combined traffic
The consumption value in the combined traffic consists of 37% from the value for
the urban traffic and of 63% from the value for the non-urban traffic.A4A5s29g.4.book Page 234 Wednesday, June 17, 2009 9:54 AM