2009 SKODA SUPERB lights

Intelligent Technology
193
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralGeneral 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),
•
Active driver-steering recommendation (DSR),
•
Antilock brake system (ABS),
•
Brake Assist,
•
Uphill-Start off-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 vehi
cle about its vertical axis, the lateral accel-
eration of the vehicle, the brakin
g pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to ta
ke 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 exis
t, 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 re
ar 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 197. If there is a fault in the
ABS system, the ESP also does not operate. The ESP warning light lights up in the instru
ment cluster when there is a fault on the
ESP
 ⇒page 39.
Switching off You can switch the ESP off and on again
as you wish, by pressing the button
⇒ fig. 190
. The ESP warning light lights up in th
e instrument cluster when the ESP is
switched off
 ⇒page 39.
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. 190 ESP switch
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Intelligent Technology
195
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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 conditio
ns of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle The TCS switches on automatically when th
e 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 redu
cing the engine speed. Th
is occurs at all speeds.
The TCS operates in combination with the ABS
⇒page 197. The TCS will not func-
tion if a fault exists in the ABS system. The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the TCS
 ⇒page 38.
Switching off You can switch the TCS off and on again
as you wish by pressing the button
⇒ fig. 191
. The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when the TCS is
switched off
 ⇒page 38.
The TCS 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:•
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 TCS again.
WARNING
You should always adjust your style of driving to the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note
•
All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-
free operation of the TCS. 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 in
fluence the function of the TCS
⇒page 241,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.Active driver-steering recommendation (DSR)*Vehicles with ESP are equi
pped with active driver-steering recommendation (DSR).
This function indicates to the driver in critical situations a steering recommendation in order to stabilise the vehicle. The active driver-steering recommendation is acti- vated, for example, on the right and left
vehicle side when
braking sharply on
different road surfaces.
Fig. 191 TCS switch
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Intelligent Technology
198
Brake Assist*During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake Assist increases the braking force and thus makes it possible to rapidly produce the pressure required in the brake system. The majority of drivers do
apply the brakes in good time in dangerous situations,
but do not depress the brake pedal with su
fficient pressure. Consequently, it is not
possible for the car to achieve its maxi
mum deceleration and the car covers a
greater distance than necessary. The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake pedal. In such cases, a much greater braking pressure ex
ists than during a normal brake applica-
tion. This makes it possible, even with a relatively low resistance of the brake pedal, to produce an adequate pressure in the brake system in the shortest possible time, which is required for maximum deceleration of the car. You must apply the brake pedal firmly and hold it in
this position in order to achieve the shortest possible
braking distance. The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emergency situations by rapidly producing the pressure
required in the brake system. It fully
exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of the Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate in the normal way. The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If a fault occurs in the ESP, the Brake Assist function is also not available.
Further information on the ESP
⇒page 193.
WARNING
•
The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your
car in terms of the braking distance required.•
Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.•
The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to
take a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Uphill-Start
off-Assist*
The uphill-start off-assist makes it much easier to start off on steep hills. The system assists a start off by holding the brake pr
essure produced by the brake pedal actu-
ation for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore move his foot from the brake pedal to th
e accelerator pedal and start off on the
slope, without having to actuate the hand
brake. The brake pressure drops gradually
the more you operate the accelerator pedal. If the vehicle does not start off within 2 seconds, it starts to roll back. The uphill-start off-assist is active in the ev
ent of a 5% slope, if the vehicle door is
closed. It is alwa
ys active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When
driving downhill, it is inactive.Electromechanical power steeringThe power steering enables you to steer
the vehicle with le
ss physical force.
With the electromechanical power steering, the steering assist is automatically adapted to the speed and to the steering angle. It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine is not running (vehicle being towed in). The
only difference is that greater physical
effort is required. If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light
 or  lights up in the
instrument cluster
⇒page 36.
WARNING
Contact your specialist
garage if the power steering is defective.
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Intelligent Technology
199
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Tyre inflation pressu
re-control system*
The tyre inflation pressure-control system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors the speed and also the rolling circumference
of the individual wheels. If the rolling
circumference of a wheel is changed, the warning light°
 lights up in the instru-
ment cluster
⇒page 39. The rolling circumference of the tyre can change if:
•
the tyre inflation pressure is too low,
•
the structure of the tyre is damaged,
•
the vehicle is loaded on one side,
•
the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when
driving uphill or downhill),•
snow chains are mounted,
•
the temporary spare wheel is mounted,
•
one wheel per axle was changed.
Basic setting of tyre inflation pressure-control system After changing the tyre inflation pressures or after changing one or several wheels, a basic setting of the system must be carried out as follows.•
Inflate all tyres to the specified inflation pressure
⇒page 235.
•
Switch on the ignition.
•
Press button
⇒fig. 192
for more than 2 seconds. While pressing the
button, the warning light
 lights up. At the same time the memory of the system
is erased and the new calibration is star
ted, which is confirmed with an audible
signal and then the warning light
 goes out.
•
If the warning light
 does not go out after the basic setting, there is a fault in
the system. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage. Warning light
 lights up
If the tyre inflation pressure of at least on
e wheel is insufficiently inflated in compar-
ison to the stored basic value, the warning light
 ⇒
lights up.
Warning light
 flashes
If the warning light flashes, there is a system fault. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage.
WARNING
•
When the warning light
 lights up, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake mano
euvres. Please stop the vehicle
without delay at the nearest possible stop and inspect the tyres and their inflation pressures.•
The driver is responsible for the correc
t tyre inflation pressures. For this
reason, the tyre inflation pressures must be checked regularly.•
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.
Note
The tyre inflation pressure-control system:•
does not replace the regular tyre inflatio
n pressure control, because the system
cannot detect an even pressure loss,•
cannot warn in case of very rapid tyre inflation pressure loss, e.g. in case of
sudden tyre damage. In this
case carefully bring the vehi
cle to a standstill without
sudden steering movements and without sharp braking.
Fig. 192 Button for setting the tyre inflation pressure control value
 
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Driving and the Environment
203
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The fuel consumption can naturally also be
influenced by factors which are beyond
the driver's control. It is,
for example, normal for the fu
el consumption to increase
in winter and under worsened
conditions such as poor road conditions, towing a
trailer, etc. The technical requirements for low fuel
usage and economic efficiency of the
vehicle have already been built into the ve
hicle at the works.
Special attention has
been given to minimising ne
gative effects on the environment. It is necessary to
take note of the guidelines given in this
chapter in order to make best use of these
characteristics and to maintain their effectiveness. The optimal engine speed should be obtained when accelerating, in order to avoid a high fuel consumption an
d resonance of the vehicle.
Looking ahead when driving A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.Avoid accelerating and brakin
g unnecessarily. If you drive
with forsight you will not
need to brake so often and will also then
not have to accelerate so much. Let your
vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this
is possible, when you see that the next
set of traffic lights is at red.Shifting gears and saving energy Shifting up early saves on fuel.
Manual gearbox – Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear. – Always shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs. Automatic gearbox – Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly
. Do not depress it beyond the
kickdown position, however.
An effective way of achieving good
fuel economy is to shift up
early
. You will
consume more fuel if you drive at unnecessa
rily high revolutions in any given gear.
The
⇒fig. 194
shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in
the relevant gears. Fuel consumption in 1st
gear is the highest, while that in 5th or
the 6th gear is the lowest. Only depress the accelerator pedal slowly if
your vehicle is fitted with an automatic
gearbox in order to automatically select an economic driving programme. You will achieve good fuel economy by shifting
up early and shifting down late.
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator*
⇒page 21.
Fig. 194 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
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Driving and the Environment
204
Avoiding full throttle Driving more slowly means saving fuel.Sensitive use of the accelera
tor will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption
but also positively influence environmen
tal pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid fully exploi
ting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible.
Fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportion- ally at high speeds. The
⇒fig. 195
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-quarters 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 length
y 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 em
issions, 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 re
volutions 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 moto
ring even before you set off on your
journey. Keeping your vehicle properly servic
ed 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 fu
el 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 consum
ption 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 ha
s 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 cons
umption 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 car at regula
r 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.
Fig. 195 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
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Driving and the Environment
206
Keeping a log of your fuel consumptionIf you really wish to ke
ep 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 sh
ould reflect on how, where
and in what conditions you have driven
the vehicle since you last refuelled.
Environmental compatibilityEnvironmental protection has played a majo
r 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: Design 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 wi
th 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.
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 complicate
d 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 202. The automobile associations can provide you with information regarding the locations of filling stations which offer unleaded petrol.HeadlightThe low beam of your headlights is set asym
metrically. It illuminates the side of the
road on which you are driving to a greater
extent. If you drive abroad on the other
side of the road, you wi
ll dazzle oncoming traffic.
In order to prevent the dazzling of oncoming
traffic, it is necessary that an adjust-
ment of the headlights is carried out by
your authorised Škoda Service Partner.
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Driving and the Environment
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Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The adaptation of the headlights with Xenon lights* (applies only to vehicles which are designed for driving on the right and on the left) is performed in the menu Setup
- Tr a v e l m o d e
Information display*
⇒page 64, “Tourist light”.
Avoiding damage to your vehicleWhen driving on poor roads and lanes or when driving over kerbstones, steep ramps etc., you must pay particular attent
ion to ensuring that any low-slung parts
of the vehicle, such as spoiler and ex
haust, do not touch the ground and get
damaged. This particularly applies to models with
a lowered suspension (sport suspension)
and also when your vehicle is fully laden.
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