Wheels and Tyres
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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 235, fig. 210
.
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 237,
⇒
.
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 235.
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, 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 dire
ction 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 245, “Spare wheel*”.
You should have the defective tyre replac
ed as soon as possible and restore the
correct direction of rotation on all tyresSnow chainsSnow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
s2dk.1.book Page 239 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM
Accessories, changes and
replacement of parts
241
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Accessories, changes and replacement of partsAccessories and replacement partsŠkoda vehicles have been bu
ilt according to the latest discoveries in safety engi-
neering. Thus one should no
t change the condition in which the vehicle was deliv-
ered from the manufacturer without some thought. The following guidelines should be observed when a vehicle is to be retrofitted with accessories, have technical ch
anges made to it or a par t has to be replaced at some
time in the future.•
Advise should always be obtained from an authorised Škoda Service Partner
before
buying any accessories and
before
making any technical changes
⇒
.
•
This is particularly the case when acce
ssories are bought in a foreign country.
•
Škoda Genuine Accessories and Skoda or
iginal parts can be bought from
authorised Škoda Service Partners who also professionally undertake the assembly of parts which were not purchased there.•
All Škoda original accessories which are listed in the catalogue of original acces-
sories such as spoilers, transport systems, child seats, etc., are homologized.•
Radios, aerials and other electrical accessories should only be installed by
authorised Škoda Service Partners.•
The guidelines issued by Škoda Auto must be observed when making technical
changes.•
This is to ensure that no technical damage
occurs to the vehicle, that travelling
and operating safety are maintained and that the chnages are permissible. The authorised Škoda Service Partners undertake this work professionally or refer it to a specialist company in special cases. Any damage which is done caused by technical changes made without consulting a Skoda dealer is
excluded from the guarantee.
WARNING
•
We advise you, in your own interest, to only use Škoda Genuine Accesso-
ries and Škoda original parts which have
been expressly approved for use on
your Škoda. Reliability, safety and su
itabiliity have been established for
these Škoda original parts.•
We cannot guarantee suitability of installation into your vehicle of other
products despite keeping a constant ey
e on market developments (also not
in the case where there is an attestation or permission can be produced).Technical changesInterference on the electronic components and their software can lead to opera-tional faults. This interference can also impair not directly affected systems because of the networking of the electronic co
mponents. This means that the operating
safety of your vehicle can
be considerably jeopardized,
a greater wear of vehicle
parts can occur and finally the vehi
cle registration documents expire.
We trust that you will understand that
Škoda Auto cannot be liable for damage
resulting from unprofessional work. We therefore recommend that you have all work carried out using Škoda original parts at authorised Škoda Service Partners.
WARNING
Work or modifications on your vehicle, which have been carried out unpro-fessionally, can cause operational faults - risk of accident!Vehicles of the group N1The vehicle of the group N1 is a box car wh
ich is designed and manufactured for the
transportation of goods.
WARNING (continued)
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Breakdown assistance
243
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Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Breakdown assistanceBreakdown assistanceFirst-aid box*First-aid box The compartment for stowing the first-aid bo
x is located in the right of the luggage
compartment
⇒fig. 213
.
Note
Pay attention to the use-by-date of the contents of the first-aid box.
Warning triangleThe warning triangle can be attached to the
trim panel of the rear wall with rubber
straps
⇒fig. 214
.
Fire extinguisher*The fire extinguisher is attached with straps in a holder under the driver seat. Please read carefully the
instructions which are atta
ched to the fire extin-
guisher. The fire extinguisher must be checked by an authorised person or company annu- ally (please observe the differing legal requirements).
Fig. 213 Compartment for stowing first-aid box
Fig. 214 Placing of the warning triangle
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Breakdown assistance
245
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Technical Data
Spare wheel*The spare wheel lies in a well under the floor covering of the luggage compartment and is fixed in place using special screws
⇒fig. 216
.
Before removing the spare wheel, you must take out the box with the vehicle tool kit box
⇒page 244, fig. 215
.
One should check the inflation pressure in the spare wheel (at best when generally checking the tyre air pressures - see sign on the fuel filler flap
⇒page 235) to
ensure that the spare wheel is always ready to use. Temporary spare wheel A warning label displayed on the rim of the temporary spare wheel indicates that your vehicle is equipped with a temporary spare wheel. Please observe the following notes when driving with a temporary spare wheel:•
After fitting on the wheel, the warning stic
ker must not be concealed (e.g. by the
wheel trim).•
Do not drive with this spare wheel at more than 80 km/h - risk of accident. Avoid
accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.•
The inflation pressure for this spare wheel is identical to the inflation pressure
of the standard tyres. The temporary spare wheel R 18 must have an inflation pres-sure of 420 kPa (4.2 bar)!
•
Use this spare wheel only to reach the nearest specialist garage as it is not
intended for continuous use.•
No other summer or winter tyres must
be mounted on the rim of the spare
wheel R 18.Changing a wheelPreliminary workThe following steps should be carried out before actually changing the wheel. – If it is necessary to change a wheel, park the vehicle as far away as
possible from the traffic flow. The place you choose should be
level
.
–Have
all the occupants get out.
While changing a wheel, the occu-
pants of the vehicle should not stan
d on the road (e.g. behind a crash
barrier).
– Apply the
handbrake
firmly.
–Engage
1st gear
or if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox,
position the
selector lever into position P
.
– If a trailer is coupled, uncouple it. – Take the
vehicle tool kit
⇒
page 244 and the
spare wheel
⇒
page 245 out of the luggage compartment.WARNING
•
If you find yourself in flowing traffic switch on the hazard warning lights
system and place the warning triangle
on the side of the road at the
prescribed distance from
your vehicle while obse
rving all national legal
provisions. In this way you are protecting not only yourself but also other road users.
Fig. 216 Luggage compart- ment: Spare wheel
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Breakdown assistance
247
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Note
•
If you find, when changing the wheel,
that the wheel bolts are corroded and
difficult to turn, the bolts mu
st be replaced before chec
king the tightening torque.
•
Drive cautiously and only at a moderate speed to a workshop where the tight-
ening torque can be checked.Full wheel trim*Pulling off – Hook the clamp found in the vehicle tool kit into the reinforced edge
of the full wheel trim.
– Push the wheel key through the clamp, support the wheel key at the
tyre and pull off the wheel trim.
Installing – First press the full wheel trim onto the wheel at the valve opening
provided. Then press the full wheel trim into the wheel in such a way that its entire circumference locks correctly in place. Caution
•
Use the pressure of your hand, do not knock on the full wheel trim! Heavy
knocks mainly on the points where the full
wheel trim has not been inserted into
the wheel, can result in damage to the guide and centering elements of the full wheel trim.•
First check for yourself that the th
eft-deterrent wheel bolt is located
⇒ page 249, “Securing wheels against being stolen*” in the hole in the area of the valve before fitting the full wheel trim onto
a steel wheel which is attached with a
theft-deterrent wheel bolt.
Wheel bolts with caps*Pulling off – Push the plastic clip sufficiently fa
r onto the cap until the inner catches
of the clip are positioned at the collar of the cap and detach the cap ⇒
fig. 217
.
Installing – Push the caps fully onto the wheel bolts.The caps are located in the we
ll of the luggage compartment.
Fig. 217 Removing the cap.
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Breakdown assistance
249
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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. 220
. The jacking point is located directly
below the engraving in the lower sill. – 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. 221
.
– Insert the wheel wrench fully onto the adapter .– Slacken the wheel bolt, or tighten it firmly
⇒
page 248.
Fig. 220 Changing a wheel: Points for positioning car jac
k
AA
AB
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 221 Safety wheel bolt with adapter
AB
AA
AB
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Breakdown assistance
251
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Start engineIt is important to connect the jump
-start cables in the correct order.
Connecting positive terminals – Attach one end to the positive terminal
⇒
fig. 222
of the
discharged battery .
– Attach the other end to the positive terminal of the battery
supplying the power .
Connecting negative term
inal and engine block
– Attach one end to the negative
terminal of the battery supplying
the power .
– Attach the other end to a solid metal part which is connected
firmly to the engine block, or
to the engine block itself.
Starting engine – Start the engine of the vehicle providing current and run the engine at
idling speed.
– Now start the engine of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
– Interrupt the attempt at starting an engine after 10 seconds if it does
not start right away and wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
– Disconnect the cables on the engine in exactly the
reverse order
they
were connected up.
WARNING
•
The non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps must never make contact
with each other. Furthermore, the cable connected to the positive terminal of the battery must not come into contact with electrically conducting parts of the vehicle - risk of a short circuit!•
Do not affix the jump starting cables to the negative terminal of the
discharged battery. There is the risk
of detonating gas seeping out the
battery being ignited by the strong
spark which results from the engine
being started.•
Run the jump-start cables so that th
ey cannot be caught
by any rotating
parts in the engine compartment.•
Do not bend over the batteries - risk of caustic burns!
•
The vent screws of the battery cells must be tightened firmly.
•
Keep any sources of ignition (naked
flame, smouldering cigarettes etc.)
away from the battery - risk of an explosion!•
Never jump-start the batteries which have a too low electrolyte level -
risk of explosion and caustic burns!
Fig. 222 Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicle: A - flat vehicle battery, B - battery providing current
A1AAA2AB
A3
AB
A4
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Breakdown assistance
253
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Only attach the tow rope to the
towing eyes
provided for this purpose
⇒page 253
and
⇒page 254.
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 rope 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 driv
en 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 unscr
ewed out of your vehicle.
Front towing eye The towing eye is stored in th
e box for the vehicle tool kit.
– Take the cover out of the front bumper
⇒
fig. 224
.
– Screw in the towing eye anticlockwise down to the stop
⇒
fig. 225
and
tighten up using the wheel wrench (push the wheel wrench through eye).
– Put the cover in place after screwing out the towing eye again and
press into place. The cover must engage firmly.
Fig. 224 Front bumper: Removing the coverFig. 225 Front bumper: Installing the towing eye
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