2009 SKODA SUPERB steering

Passive Safety
165
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident, we recommend the following setting.•
Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and
your chest is at least 25 cm
⇒page 164, fig. 160
.
•
Position the driver seat in the forward/back direction so that you are able to
press the pedals with your
legs at a slight angle .
•
Adjust the backrest so that you are able
to reach the highest point of the steering
wheel with your arms at a slight angle.•
Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head
⇒fig. 161
.
•
Fasten the seat belt correctly
⇒page 170, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”. Manual driver seat adjustment
⇒page 78, “Adjusting the front seats”.
Electrical driver seat adjustment
⇒page 79, “Adjusting front seats electrically*”.
WARNING
•
The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your occupants.
•
The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering
wheel
⇒page 164, fig. 160
. Not maintaining this minimum distance will
mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!•
When driving, hold the steering wheel
with both hands firmly on the
outer edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the steering wheel or
at the inner steering wheel edge). In such cases,
injuries to the arms, the hands and
the head can occur when the driver
airbag is deployed.•
The backrests must not be angled to
o far back when driving otherwise
this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag system - risk of injury!•
Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get
behind the pedals during a driving or
braking manoeuvre. You would then
no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate.Correct seated position for the front passenger The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm from the dash panel so that the airbag offers the greatest possible safety when an airbag is deployed.For the safety of the front passenger and to
reduce the risk of injury in the event of
an accident, we recommend the following setting.•
Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible to the rear.
•
Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head
⇒fig. 161
.
•
Fasten the seat belt correctly
⇒page 170, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”. In exceptional cases the front pass
enger airbag can be deactivated
⇒page 182,
“Deactivating an airbag”.
Fig. 161 The correct head restraint adjustment for the driver
WARNING (continued)
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Seat belts
169
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The physical principle of a frontal collisionThe physical principle of a frontal a
ccident can be explained quite simply:
Motion energy, so-called kinetic energy, is
produced as soon as the vehicle is
moving, both for the vehicle and its occupants. The magnitude of this kinetic energy depends essentially on the speed at which the vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the vehicle and the occupants. The greater the speed and weight increase,
the greater the amount of energy which has to be absorbed in the event of an acci- dent. The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless,
the most important factor. Doubling the
speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to
50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy
four times. The common opinion that it is possible to
support your body
in a minor accident
with your hands, is incorrect. Even in a
collision at only a low speed, the forces
acting on the body are such that it is
no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed within the range from 30 km/hour to 50 km/hour, the forces which are produced on your body
in the event of an accident can easily
exceed 10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of one tonne (1 000 kg). In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat belt, are thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the interior of the car, such as steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen,
⇒fig. 163
. The occupants of a
vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may even be thrown out of the vehicle. This can resu
lt in fatal injuries.
It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will other- wise be thrown through the vehicle in an
uncontrolled manner in the event of an
accident A rear seat passenger who has not
fastened the seat belt is a danger not
only to himself but also fo
r those seated at the front
⇒fig. 164
.
Important safety information regarding the use of seat beltsThe correct use of the seat belts considerably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or
twisted, or chafe ag
ainst any sharp edges.
•
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts
are to offer their maximum protection
⇒page 170, “How are seat belts
correctly fa
stened?”.
Fig. 163 The driver is thrown forward if not wearing a beltFig. 164 The rear seat occu-pant is thrown forward if not wearing a belt
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Airbag system
176
Front airbagDescription of the front airbags The airbag system is not a su
bstitute for the seat belt!
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel
⇒page 176, fig. 169
.
The front airbag for the front passenger is housed in the dash panel above the storage compartment
⇒fig. 170
. The installation positions are each marked with
the “AIRBAG” logo. The front airbag system, in combination with
three-point safety belts, offers addi-
tional protection for the head and chest ar
ea of the driver and front passenger in
the event of a frontal colli
sion of major severity
⇒
in “Important safety informa-
tion regarding the front airbag system” on page 177. The airbag is not a substitute for the seat
belt, but is part of the complete passive
vehicle safety concept.
Please note that an airbag can only offer you optimal
protection in combination with a seat belt which is fastened
.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the
seat belts
is to
also hold the driver and front passenger in
a correct seated position in the event of
a frontal collision so as to enable the fr
ont airbags to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat
belts, not only because this is required
by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection
⇒page 168, “Why
seat belts?”.
Note
The dash panel must be replaced afte
r the front passenger airbag has been
deployed.Function of the front airbags Risk of injury to the head and chest area is reduced by fully inflated airbags.The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver and the front passenger airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major severity.
Fig. 169 Driver airbag in the steering wheelFig. 170 Front passenger airbag in the dash panel
Fig. 171 Inflated airbags
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Airbag system
177
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
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Technical Data
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are deployed together. If the airbags are deployed, the airbags are filled with a propellant gas and inflated in front of the driver and front passenger
⇒fig. 171
. The airbags inflate in fractions
of a second and at a high speed in order to
be able to offer that additional protec-
tion in the event of an accident. The forward movement of the driver and of the front passenger is cushioned when they make
contact with the fully inflated airbag
and the risk of injury to head and chest is thus reduced. The specially developed airbag allows the gas
to flow out of the inflated airbag in a
controlled manner (depending on the load
of the particular car occupant) in order
to cushion head and chest areas. The airbag
then deflates subsequently to such an
extent, after an accident, to again provide a clear view forward. A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle. The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to injuries if the sitting position or seated position is not correct
⇒
in “Important safety
information regarding the front airbag system” on page 177.Important safety information regarding the front airbag system Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a
proper restraint system. If airbags are
deployed in the event of an accident,
the child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!•
For the driver and front passenger it is important to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel
⇒fig. 172
. Not main-
taining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
The front seats and the head restraints
must always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occu- pant.•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 182, “Deactivating an airbag”
the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries al
so when the child is facing the direction of travel).
If this is not done, there is a risk of
the child suffering severe or even fatal
injuries if the front passenger airbag
is deployed. In certain countries
national legal provisions also requir
e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transpor
ting a child on the front passenger
seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.•
There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned
between the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag.•
The steering wheel and the surface of
the airbag module in the dash
panel on the passenger side must not be stuck onto, covered or modified in any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth moistened with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile phone mounts, etc. may be attached to the covers of the airbag modules or be located within the immediate area.•
No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
Any work on the airbag system includ
ing installing and removing system
components because of other repair
work (e.g. removing the steering
wheel) must only be carried
out by a specialist garage.
•
Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.
Fig. 172 Safe distance to steering wheel
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Airbag system
178
•
Never place any objects on the surfac
e of the front passenger airbag in
the dash panel.Driver's knee airbag*Description of the driver's knee airbags, The knee airbag reduces the ri
sk of injury to the legs.
The driver's knee airbag is located in th
e lower part of the dash panel below the
steering column
⇒fig. 173
. The fitting position is show
n in a picture on the side
surface of the dash panel on the driver's side. The driver's knee airbag is complementary
to the three-point seat belt and offers
adequate protection to the knees of the driver.
Please note that an airbag can
only offer you optimal protection in combination with a seat belt which is fastened
.
Apart from their normal protective
function, a further task of the
seat belt
is to also
hold the driver in a correct seated position in
the event of a frontal collision so as to
enable the knee airbag to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat
belts, not only because this is required
by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection
⇒page 168, “Why
seat belts?”.Function of the driver's knee airbagsThe airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver's knee airbag is deployed together with the belt tensioner in the event of a frontal collision of major severity. If an airbag is deployed, th
e airbag is filled with propellant gas. The airbags inflate
in fractions of a second and at a high spee
d in order to be able to offer that addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident. A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indicati
on of a fire in the vehicle.
The forward movement of the body is cush
ioned when it makes contact with the
fully inflated airbag and the risk of injury
to the legs of the driver is thus reduced.
Important safety information on the driver's knee airbag
WARNING
•
The surface of the airbag module in
the lower part of the dash panel
below the steering column must not be stuck onto, covered or modified in any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth moistened with water. No objects must be attached to the cover of the airbag module or be located within the immediate area.•
No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
Any work on the airbag system including installing and removing system components because of other repair work (e.g. removing the steering wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.•
Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 173 Driver's knee airbag below the steering column
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Airbag system
183
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
On vehicles equipped with the switch for deactivation of the airbags, you can deac- tivate the front and side passenger airbag by means of this switch
⇒page 183.
Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only
for particular inst
ances, such as if:
•
you must
in exceptional cases
use a child seat on the front passenger seat
where the child has its back to the directio
n of travel of the ve
hicle (in some coun-
tries this must be in the direction of travel due to other legal regulations applying) ⇒ page 185, “Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats”,•
you are not able to maintain the distance
of at least 25 cm between middle of
steering wheel and chest, despite the driver seat being correctly adjusted,•
special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of a
physical disability,•
you have installed other seats (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
Monitoring the airbag system The functionality of the airbag system is also monitored electronically, when one airbag has been switched off If the airbag was switched of
f using diagnostic equipment:
•
The warning light for the airbag system
lights up for 4 seconds after switching
on the ignition and then flashes for 12 seconds afterwards in 2 second intervals. Front passenger airbags switched off
using the switch for front passenger
airbags* in storage compartmen
t on the front passenger side:
•
the airbag indicator light in the inst
rument cluster comes on for about 4
seconds each time the ig
nition is switched on,
•
switching off airbags is indicated in the middle of the dash panel by the lighting
up of the indicator light
 in the display

 
 ⇒fig. 178
.
Note
Your authorised Škoda Service Partner will
be able to advise
you whether national
legislation in your country allows airbags
in your vehicle to
be deactivated, and
which ones.
Switch for the front passenger airbag*The front passenger airbag is deactivated with the switch. Deactivating an airbag – Switch off the ignition. – Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position (
OFF
)
⇒
fig. 178
.
– Check whether the airbag indicator light

in display





in the middle of the dash panel
lights up when the ignition is
turned on
⇒
fig. 179
.
Fig. 178 Storage compart- ment: Switch for the front passenger airbagFig. 179 Indicator light for the front passenger airbag
A2
s2dk.1.book Page 183 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM

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
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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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