2009 SKODA SUPERB brake

Driving and the Environment
201
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving and the EnvironmentA new engineThe engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres.Up to 1 000 kilometres – Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the mamimum speed of the gear in use,
that is 3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.– Avoid high engine revolutions. – Do not tow a trailer. From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres – Increase the power output of the engine
gradually
up to the full
speed of the gear engaged, that
is up to the maximum permissible
engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine
has higher internal
friction than later
until all of the moving parts have harmonized. The driving style which you adopt during the first approx.1 500 kilometres
plays a decisive part in the success of
running in your car. You should not drive at unnecessarily
high engine revolutions
even after the
running-in period is
complete. The maximum permissib
le engine spee
d is marked
by the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up into the next higher gear on a vehicle
fitted with manual gearbox before the red
zone is reached.
Extremely
high engine revolutions are automatically governed, by
the way. For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox
the converse situation also applies: Do
not drive at engine revolutions which are
too low
. Shift down as soon as the engine
is no longer running smoothly.
Caution
All the speed and engine revolution figure
s apply only when the engine is at its
normal operating temperature. Never rev up
an engine which is cold, neither when
the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.
For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear as early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise levels and protects the environment.New tyresNew tyres have to be “run in” since they do
not offer optimal grip at first. You should
take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly carefully.New brake padsAllow for the fact that new brake pads do
not achieve their full braking efficiency
until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first “run in” before they develop their optimal friction force.
You can, however, compensate for this
slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal. This guideline also applies to any new
brake pads installed at a future date.
During the running-in period, you should
avoid excessive stresses on the brakes.
This includes, for example, violent braking,
particularly from very high speeds, and
also when crossing mountain passes.
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Driving and the Environment
202
Catalytic converterProper operation of the emission co
ntrol system (catal
ytic converter)
is of major significance for drivin
g your vehicle in an environmen-
tally conscious way.Please refer to the following guidelines. – For vehicles with petrol engine
only refuel with unleaded petrol
⇒
page 219, “Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty. – Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle. – Do not pour too much oil into the engine
⇒
page 225, “Replenishing
engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a
distance of more than 50 metres
⇒
page 252, “Tow-starting and towing vehicle”.
If you drive your vehi
cle in a country in which unleaded
petrol is not available, you
must have the catalytic converter replaced
later when driving the vehicle into a
country in which use of a cata
lytic converter is mandatory.
WARNING
•
In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the catalytic
converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way that the catalytic converter cannot come into contact with
easily flammable materials below
the vehicle - a risk of fire!•
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection
agents for the exhaust pipes, catalyti
c converters or heat shields. Such
substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution
•
Vehicles fitted with
catalytic converter should neve
r be allowed to let the fuel
tank to run completely empty. An irregular
fuel supply can result in poor ignition or
misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.•
Filling the tank even only once with le
aded petrol will resu
lt in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.•
If you detect a power reduction or ir
regular engine runni
ng when driving,
reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the nearest specialist garage. The symptoms described may be caused by a fault in the ignition system. Unburnt fuel may get into the ex
haust system and da
mage the catalytic
converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even if the exhaust system is operating properly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may be produced under certain op
erating conditions of the en
gine. This depends on the
sulphur content of the fuel. It is often su
fficient to refuel with unleaded premium-
grade petrol of a different brand or at a different filling station.Driving in an economical and environmentally conscious mannerGeneral Your personal style of driving is a major factor.Your fuel consumption, any pollution of
the environmental and the wear-and-tear
to the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:•
your personal style of driving,
•
the conditions under which
your vehicle is operated,
•
technical aspects.
You can easily improve your fuel economy by 10 - 15 percent by driving in an economical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a number of tips on how to protect the en
vironment and at the same time save
money.
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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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Towing a trailer
209
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust
the mirrors so that they provide you with
an adequate field of view to the rear. Headlights Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights. Alter the setting as necessary with th
e aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 66, “Headlamp range adjustment*
”.
Detachable ball head The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle. Further information on the towing device
⇒page 210.
Note
•
We recommend that you also have yo
ur vehicle inspected between service
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.•
The handbrake on the towing vehicle
must be put on when coupling and
decoupling the trailer.Driving Tips Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.– Do not, as far as possible, drive
with your vehicle unladen and the
trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in
particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.– Keep a check on the coolant temper
ature gauge if the outside temper-
ature is high.
Distribution of weight The distribution of the weight is very poor
if your vehicle is
unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this combination. Driving speed Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for coun- tries in which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when there are unfavourable road, weather or wind
conditions, particul
arly near accident
black spots. You must always reduce your speed immedi
ately as soon as you detect even just
the
slightest swaying
of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
“swaying” by
accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a
trailer brake
, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly
. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears
in good time before negotiating a down-
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake. Engine overheating Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is very high
⇒page 18, “Coolant temperature gauge”.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or even the red area of the scale, reduce yo
ur speed immediately. Stop and switch off
the engine if the warning light
 in the instrument cluste
r begins flashing. Wait a
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒ page 227, “Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒page 38, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant
quantity
”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
211
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
General MaintenanceTaking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicleGeneralProper care retains the value of your vehicle.Regular and proper care retains
the value
of your vehicle. It may also be one of the
requirements for the acceptance of warran
ty claims relating to corrosion damage
and paint defects on the bodywork. We recommend using a preservative from
Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer. Please follow the instructions for use on the package.
WARNING
•
Care products may be harmful to your health if not used according to the
instructions.•
Always store care products in a safe place, out of the reach of children -
risk of poisoning!
For the sake of the environment
•
Always select environmentally-friendly pr
oducts when purcha
sing vehicle care
products.•
Do not dispose of the packages with re
sidues of care products in domestic
waste.
Care of the exterior of vehicleWashing the vehicle Frequent washing protects your vehicle.The best protection for your vehicle agai
nst harmful environmen
tal influences is
frequent
washing and wax treatment. How of
ten you should wash your vehicle
depends on a wide range of factors, such as:•
Frequency of use,
•
The parking situation (garage, below trees etc.),
•
Season of the year,
•
Weather conditions,
•
Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings,
tree sap, road and industrial dust, tar,
soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to the paint- work of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect can be. High temperatures, such as those caused by in
tensive sun's rays, accentuate this caustic
effect. It may therefore be necessary, in certain circumstances, to wash the car
once a
week
. It may also be sufficient, however, to wash the car
once a month
followed
by appropriate wax treatment. It is essential to also thoroughly wash the
underside of your vehicle
at the end of
the winter road salting and gritting period.
WARNING
When washing your vehicle in the wint
er: Water and ice in the brake system
can affect the braking efficiency - risk of accident!
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
215
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 important to remove any road salt
and brake abrasion from light alloy wheels every two weeks, otherwise the light metal will suffer. Wash thoroughly and th
en 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 products which cause abrasi
on when treating the wheel hubs. Any
damage to the paint layer on the whee
l 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. The authorised Škoda Service Partners 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 corrosion protection measures carried out by an authorised Škoda Service Partner.
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!
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Inspecting and replenishing
223
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WARNING
•
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi
ng! 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 driv
ing if you notice that the lock is
not properly engaged and close the bonne
t properly - risk of an accident!
Caution
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.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 scaldi
ng! 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 ma
nual 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.
•
Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the
antifreeze contained in the coolant) 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 expa
nsion 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.•
Do not let objects, such as e.g cleani
ng 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 cabl
es 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 warnin
g instructions stated below when
carrying out any essential work on th
e fuel system or on the electrical
system.
WARNING (continued)
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Inspecting and replenishing
224
−Always separate the car batter
y 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 ma
jor operating problems and also vehicle
damage!Overview of the engine compartment The main inspection pointsFig. 202 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.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. – Switch the engine off. – Open the bonnet
⇒
page 223.
WARNING (continued)
A1
227
A2
234
A3
225
A4
224
A5
228
A6
229
Fig. 203 Dipstick
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