Intelligent Technology
172
•
the downhill gradient is at least 10% (w
hen driving over sleepers the limit can
briefly drop to 8%),•
neither the accelerator nor the brake pedal is operated.
It is however a requirement that the vehicle
has sufficient grip on the soil. The Downhill
Drive Support cannot properly fulfil its functi
on on slushy soil due to physical reasons
(ice or mud). The Downhill Drive Support is deactivated wh
en braking or accelerating or if the
downhill gradient is less than 10%.
Note
•
During an intervention of the Downhill Drive Support, the brake lights do not light
up.•
Do not switch off the Off-road mode during an intervention of the Assist System.
sgg.6.book Page 172 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Driving and the Environment
175
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the vehicle have already been built into the vehicle at
the works. Special atte
ntion has been given
to minimising nega
tive 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 and
resonance of the vehicle.
Looking ahead when driving A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.Avoid accelerating and braking 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.Fig. 159 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.Manual gearbox– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear. – 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 unnecessaril
y high revolutions in any given gear.
The
⇒fig. 159
shows the ratio of fuel consumption
to the speed of your vehicle in the
relevant gear. Fuel consumption in 1st gear
is the highest. The consumption is the
lowest in the highest gear. You will achieve good fuel economy by shif
ting up early and shifting down late.
Shift recommendation
for changing gears*
An information for the engaged gear
⇒fig. 159
is shown in the display of the
instrument cluster. In order to minimise the fuel consumptio
n, a recommendation for shifting into
another gear is indicated in the display. If the control unit recognises
that it is appropriate to change the gear, an arrow is
shown in the display. The arrow points up or down, depending on whether it is recom- mended to shift into a higher or lower gear. At the same time, the recommended gear is indicated instead of the currently engaged gear .
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator*
⇒page 20.
AA
AB
AA
sgg.6.book Page 175 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Driving and the Environment
176
Avoiding full throttle Driving more slowly means saving fuel.Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only
significantly reduce fuel consumption but
also positively influence environmenta
l 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
⇒fig. 160
shows the ratio between the fuel
consumption and 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 lengthy red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds you will have saved more fuel th
an 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 emis
sions, 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 revolu
tions 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 on
ly 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 consider-
able extent on the load and speed of the en
gine. 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 ne
w engine has a higher oil cons
umption 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 ne
w 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 inspec
ted by a specialist garge if you find any
stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.
Fig. 160 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
sgg.6.book Page 176 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Driving and the Environment
179
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
HeadlightThe low beam of your headlights is set asymmetrically. It illuminates the side of the road on which you are driving to a greater ex
tent. If you drive abroad on the other side
of the road, you will
dazzle oncoming traffic.
In order to prevent the dazzling of oncoming traffic, it is necessary that an adjustment of the headlights is carried out by a specialist garage. 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
in the main menu of the Information display*
⇒page 24.
Note
You can obtain further information regarding masking over the headlights from a specialist garage.Avoiding damage to your vehicleWhen driving on poor roads and lanes or
when driving over kerbstones, steep ramps
etc., you must pay particular attention to
ensuring that any low-slung parts of the
vehicle, such as spoiler and exhaust,
do not touch the ground and get damaged.
This particularly applies to
models with a lowered suspen
sion (sport suspension) and
also when your vehicle is fully laden.Driving through bodies of water on roads
In order to avoid damage to the vehicle wh
en driving through bodies of water (e.g.
flooded roads), observe the following:•
Determine the depth of the water when driv
ing through bodies of water. The water
can reach at the maximum the web on the lower sill of the vehicle
⇒fig. 162
.
•
Drive no more than at walking speed. At a higher speed, a water wave can form in
front of the vehicle which can cause water to
penetrate into the air induction system of
the engine or into other parts of the vehicle.•
Never let the vehicle stand in the water,
never drive backwards and do not switch
off the engine.
WARNING
•
Driving through water, mud, sludge etc. can reduce the braking power and
extend the braking distance - risk of accident!•
Avoid sudden and severe braking manoeuvres immediately after driving
through bodies of water.•
After driving through bodies of water, the brakes must be cleaned and dried
as soon as possible by intermittent braking. Only apply the brakes for the purpose of drying and cleaning the brake
discs if the traffic conditions permit
this. Do not place any other road users in jeopardy.
Caution
•
When driving through bodies of water, pa
rts of the vehicle such as the engine,
gearbox, catalytic converter, chassis
or electrics can be severely damaged.
•
Oncoming vehicles can gene
rate water waves which ca
n exceed the permissible
water level for your vehicle.•
Potholes, mud or rocks can be
hidden under the water making it difficult or impos-
sible to drive through the body of water.•
Do not drive through salt water. The salt
can lead to corrosion. Immediately rinse
all the parts of the vehicle, which came into
contact with the salt water, with fresh
water.
Fig. 162 Crossing bodies of water
sgg.6.book Page 179 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Driving and the Environment
189
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
After driving off-roadCheck the vehicle for damage after driving off-road - especially on the underside of the vehicle. – Switch off the Off-road mode
⇒page 170.
– Check the tyres and the axles for damage and remove coarse dirt, stones and
foreign bodies from the tyre tread.
– Clean the turn signal lights, the headlights, the number plate and the windows. – Check the underbody of the vehicle and re
move trapped objects, such as scrub or
wood pieces.
– Contact your specialist gara
ge if you detect any damage.
– In case of thick layers of
dirt, clean the radiator grille, the engine compartment and
the underbody of the vehicle.
WARNING
•
Combustible materials which are trapped under the vehicle floor can be
dangerous. They can impair the driving
safety and the safety of all the occu-
pants of the vehicle. After driving off-
road, always check the underside of the
vehicle and remove trapped objects.•
Never continue the journey if objects
are trapped under the vehicle. This
can damage the fuel lines, the brake sy
stem, the seals and other parts of the
chassis.•
Combustible objects such as dry leaves or twigs could ignite on hot vehicle
parts. A vehicle fire can also lead to serious injuries.•
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
sgg.6.book Page 189 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Towing a trailer
191
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Headlights Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights. Alter the setting as necessary with the ai
d of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒page 58.
Detachable ball head The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which
feature a factory-fitted
towing device. It is
stowed together with separate fitting instru
ctions in the spare wheel well in the luggage
compartment of the vehicle. Further information on the towing device
⇒page 192.
Note
•
We recommend that you also have your
vehicle inspected between service inter-
vals if you tow a trailer frequently.•
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and decou-
pling 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 temperature gauge if the outside temperature 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 combina-tion. Driving speed Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for countries 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 cond
itions, particularly near accident black
spots. You must always reduce your speed immediat
ely 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 downhill 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 engi
ne speed when the outside temperature is
very high
⇒page 17, “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 your speed immediately. Stop and switch off the engine if the warning light
in the instrument cluster begins flashing. Wait a few
minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
⇒page 207,
“Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒page 34, “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 of the
engine speed. One should also not drop a gear
for this reason when towing a trailer as
long as the engine can manage th
e slope without any drop in speed.
sgg.6.book Page 191 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
196
Do not use window leathers which you have us
ed to polish the vehicle body to dry off
the windows. Residues of preservatives in the window leather can dirty the window and reduce visibility. Do not affix any stickers over the inside of
the rear window to avoid damage to the
heating elements of the rear window heater
.
We recommend using a preserva
tive from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer.
Caution
Never remove snow or ice from the glass parts with warm or hot water - risk of forma-tion of cracks in the glass!The headlight lensesPlease do not use any aggressi
ve cleaning or chemical so
lvent products for cleaning
the front headlights - risk of
damage to the
plastic lenses.
Please use
soap and clean
warm water.
Caution
Never
wipe the headlights dry and do not use any sharp objects for cleaning the plastic
lenses, this may result in damage to the
protective paintwork and consequently in
formation of cracks on the headlight lenses, e.g. through effect of chemical products.Door and window sealsThe rubber seals on the doors, boot lid,
bonnet and windows remain supple and last
longer if you treat them from time to time with a rubber care product (e.g. with a spray with silicone-free oil). You also avoid premature wear of the seals and prevent leakages in this way. It is also easier to open the doors. Rubber seals which are well cared for also do not stick together in cold winter weather.Locking cylinderWe recommend that you use the spray from Škoda original accessories with regreasing and anticorrosive effect for de-icing locking cylinders.
Note
When washing your vehicle, ensure that as
little water as possible gets into the locking
cylinders.WheelsSteel wheels You should also thoroughly wash the wheels
and wheel trims when giving your vehicle
its regular wash. This prevents any brake dust, dirt and road salt from sticking to the wheel hubs. You can remove stubborn brake
abrasion adhering to the wheels with an
industrial cleaner. Touch up
any damage to the paintwork on the wheels before rust is
able to form. Light alloy wheels Regular care of light alloy wh
eels is necessary in order to retain their decorative
appearance over long periods. It is particul
arly important to remove regularly any road
salt and brake abrasion from light alloy wheels, otherwise the light metal will suffer. Wash thoroughly and then treat the wheels with a protective product for light alloy wheels which does not cont
ain any acidic components. We recommend to apply a
hard wax layer onto the wheel hubs every
three months. You must not use any prod-
ucts which cause abrasion when treating
the wheel hubs. Any damage to the paint
layer on the wheel hubs must
be touched up immediately.
We recommend using a preservative from Šk
oda 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 the 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, can
cause premature wear of the
steering. This means it is
necessary to remove the dirt.
sgg.6.book Page 196 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Inspecting and replenishing
214
Windshield washer systemThe windshield washer reservoir contains the cleaning fluid for the windscreen or rear window and for the headlamp
cleaning system*. The reserv
oir is located at the front
right of the engine compartment
⇒fig. 177
.
The
filling level
of the container is 3 litres, 5.5 li
tres on vehicles which also have a
headlight washing system. Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and headlights. We therefore recommend using clean washing water together with the screen cleaner from Škoda genuine accessories (in winter
additionally with antifreeze) which is
capable of removing stubborn dirt. Follow
the instructions for use on the packaging
when using screen cleaning products. You should always add antifreeze to the cleani
ng water in winter even
if your vehicle is
fitted with heated wind
screen washer nozzles*.
It is also possible in exceptional cases to use methylated spirits when no screen cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentratio
n of methylated spirits must not be more
than 15 %. Please note, however, that the antifreeze protection at this concentration is only adequate down to -5°C.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes
⇒page 204, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
•
On no account should you add radiator an
tifreeze or other additives to the wind-
screen washer fluid.•
If the vehicle is fitted with headlight clea
ning system, you should only add cleaning
products which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the headlights to the wind- screen washer fluid. Please contact your specialist garage, who will tell you which cleaning agent you can use.
Fig. 177 Engine compartment: Wind- shield washer fluid reservoir
sgg.6.book Page 214 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM