2009 SKODA YETI maintenance

Driving and the Environment
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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
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Driving and the Environment
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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.
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Driving and the Environment
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Avoid driving short distances Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption.– Avoid driving a distance of no more
than 4 km if the engine is cold.
The engine and catalytic converter mu
st first have reached their optimal
operating
temperature
in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.
The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately after starting. Fuel consumption drops to 10
litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The
engine reaches its operating temperat
ure (outside temperature and engine
dependent) only after about
4 to 10
kilometres and the fuel
consumption then stabi-
lizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible. An important factor in this connection is also the
ambient temperature
⇒fig. 161
. It
shows the fuel consumption after driving a
certain distance, on the one hand at a
temperature of +20°C and on the other hand
at a temperature of -10°C. Your vehicle
has a higher fuel consumption in winter than in summer.Checking tyre inflation pressures Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.Always ensure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure at all times. The rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is too low. This will not only increase fuel consumption but also tyre we
ar and the driving behaviour will worsen.
Always check the inflation pr
essure of the tyres when
cold
.
Do not drive with
winter tyres
all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel. They
are also louder and have poorer handling
characteristics and higher wear at tempera-
tures more than 10°C.No unnecessary ballast Transporting ballast costs fuel.The fact that every kilogram of extra
weight
increases your fuel consumption means
that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid transporting any unnecessary ballast. It is particularly in town traffic, when on
e is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle
weight will have a significant effect upon th
e fuel consumption. A rule of thumb here
is that an increase in weight of 100 kilogr
ams will cause an increase in fuel consump-
tion of about 1 litre/100 kilometres. You may frequently also leave a
roof rack fitted
on just out of convenience, although
you no longer need it. The in
creased aerodynamic drag of yo
ur vehicle causes it to use
about 10% more fuel than normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, even when you are not carrying a load on the roof.Saving electricity Generating electricity costs fuel.– Switch off electrical components as
soon as you no longer need them.
When the engine is running,
the alternator generates and
supplies electrical power.
The greater the load on the alternator as a result of having a large number of electrical components switched on, the more fuel
will be consumed for operating the
alternator.Keeping a log of your fuel consumptionIf you really wish to keep 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 (p
ositive and negative) at an early stage and
to take any appropriate action.
Fig. 161 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km at different temperatures
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Driving and the Environment
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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
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Driving and the Environment
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WARNING
•
In the event of a vehicle rollover, an occupant of the vehicle who is not
wearing a seat belt is exposed to a clearl
y higher risk of injury compared to an
occupant who is wearing a seat belt.•
Luggage and other items, which are transp
orted on the roof of the vehicle,
additionally raise the centre of gravity and thus increase the risk of a rollover.•
Avoid driving at an
angle on a hillside
⇒page 186.
•
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Important informationOff-road driving is not suitable for everyone. Small children, expectant mothers and elderly or physically disabled persons are part
icularly at risk if the ride is rough and
help is far away. The first priority
should always be
safety
.
Never overestimate your own
capabilities and never underestimate the difficulties of
driving off-road. We cannot discuss all the possible driving situations in this manual, because there are so many types of terrains which may hide different risks and dangers. The examples listed in this manual are general rules for
safe off-road driving. It is however not
possible to predict if these rules are valid for all the situations which may occur. Before driving through unknown terrain, it is ther
efore important that you know what lies
ahead of you. This way you can estima
te any possible danger in advance.
For the sake of the environment
When driving off-road, show respect and
appreciation for the environment and its
preservation for future generations.Before driving off-road for the first timeBefore driving off-road, we recommend that
you take part in an Off-road driver
training course. This is especial
l y i m p o r t a n t i f y o u h a v e l i t t l e o r n o e x p e r i e n c e o f d r i v i n g
off-road. In a driver training
course, you learn how to use th
e vehicle in many different
off-road situations and how to handle the
vehicle safely when driving through rough
terrain. Driving off-road requires entirely different skills from the driver and a very different behaviour than driving on the road. Your pers
onal safety and that of your passengers
depend on you, your capabili
ties and your cautiousness.
Do not drive off-road where it is not suitable for your vehicle or where the demands on you are too high. Although your vehicle
can handle off-road driving, it is not
designed for travels with expedition characteristics. Before each journey off-road, make sure th
at the vehicle is appr
opriately equipped for
the planned journey
⇒page 182. The standard equipment of your vehicle may not be
sufficient for your journey. With the standa
rd tyres you can drive with your off-road
vehicle through easy terrain, such as flat forest roads, meadows and fields. Please note however, that driving the vehicle on a diffic
ult, muddy and sandy gr
ound is restricted
and that the traction of the standard tyres is
reduced when driving off-road. If you have
planned prolonged or difficult
off-road trips, we reco
mmend that you equip your
vehicle with suitable off-road tyres.
WARNING
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Rules of conduct for responsible off-road drivingObserve the valid national legal requirements when driving off-road.
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•
shovel.
Safe off-road drivingAdopt a correct seated position and always fa
sten the seat belt correctly. Make sure
that your front passenger and your passengers
seated on the rear seats always fasten
their seat belts correctly. When driving off-road, it is perhaps more useful to adopt a slightly different seated position. Depending on the terrain, an incr
eased force may be required to turn the
steering wheel because the force is transferred from the front wheels to the steering wheel. You must be seated in such a way that you have good front visibility, especially when driving uphill or dow
nhill. You must never be seat
ed in such a way that the
distance between your chest and the midd
le of the airbag cover is less than
25 cm

⇒ page 148. Under no circumstances must you drive off-ro
ad with high heels,
slippery or open
shoes. You should wear shoes which fit your fe
et well and allow you to get a feel for the
pedals.
WARNING
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Before driving off-road•
Make sure the tyres are suitable for the planned off-road journey. Before you drive
through difficult terrai
n, equip your vehicle with off-road tyres.
•
Fill up your tank. The fuel consumption of
the vehicle is much higher when driving
off-road than when driving on the road.•
Install the towing eye at the front or at the rear before driving off-road. It is not
always possible to install the towing eye if the vehicle got stuck.•
Always check the inflation pressure of a
ll the tyres and if necessary correct it.
•
Check the vehicle tool kit and suppl
ement it according to your needs.
•
Fill with engine oil up to the line , so that the engine is sufficiently supplied with
engine oil when the vehicle is in a tilted position
⇒page 205, “Check engine oil level”.
•
Top up wash fluid.
•
Stow your load as low as possible in the vehicle and attach all the items which are
loose.Off-road driving•
Never be alone when driving off-road and be prepared to encounter unexpected
situations. Travel together with at least two off-road vehicles. Equipment with which you can call for help in an em
ergency is partic
ularly useful.
•
Drive slowly through unclear terrain.
•
You must stop when encountering difficul
t passages and explore the continuation
of the route on foot. If you cannot go on or
if you doubt the safety of the route, turn
back and choose another way.•
Drive slowly over hilltops. Make sure that
the wheels of the vehicle do not lift off
the ground, as this could severely damage
the vehicle and it may become disabled.
•
Drive slowly on difficult stretches of the route. When driving on a slippery ground,
shift up into the next higher gear and make
sure that the vehicle always stays in motion.
Do not drive too fast so that you don't lose control over your vehicle.•
If your vehicle got stuck in
sand, snow or sludge, it may be more effective to reverse
the vehicle than trying to drive forwards.•
Place stones, footmats or pieces of wood
under the spinning wheels in order to
achieve traction on a sandy or slippery ground.•
Do no drive through water before reading what you must take into account
⇒ page 179.•
Keep sufficient distance from other vehicles even at low speeds. When the first
vehicle suddenly gets stuck, the following vehi
cle can still stop in time without getting
stuck itself.•
Do not plan day trips which are too far in distance.
•
Do not use the cruise control system when
driving off-road. It is only intended for
driving on the road.
WARNING
•
The intelligent engineering of your ve
hicle cannot overco
me the physical
limits of your vehicle.
AA
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–Switch on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170.
– Drive at walking speed over rocky passages. – If it is not possible to drive around a ston
e, gently drive onto
the stone with one of
the front wheels and then drive over it slowly.
WARNING
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Caution
•
On no account drive over large objects (suc
h as pieces of rock
or tree stumps),
neither in the middle nor on one side. When driving over objects which are larger than the ground clearance, the chassis and its
components can get da
maged. Your vehicle
could break down far away from any assistance.•
Even objects that are smaller than the ex
isting ground clearance can come into
contact with the underbody of the vehicle an
d can lead to damage or failure of the
vehicle. This applies especially when there is
a hollow or soft ground in front or behind
the object or if you drive too fast over th
e object and thus the vehicle is deflected.
For the sake of the environment
Leaking engine oil and brake fluid pollute the environment and contaminate the bodies of water. The dispos
al e.g. of engine oil soaked soil can be costly.
Crossing bodies of waterParticular attention is required wh
en driving through bodies of water
⇒page 179.
Driving through snow-covered terrain– Before you drive through snow-covered te
rrain, mount snow chains on the front
wheels or on the rear wheels
⇒page 219, “Snow chains” in order to achieve the
best possible traction.
–Switch on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170.
Even harmless looking sections of terrain can be dangerous. This applies in particular for sections where no ruts or other tracks are visible.
WARNING
•
Driving through snow-covered terrain poses special dangers. Never choose
a dangerous route and never take a risk which could jeopardize your safety and that of your passengers. If you cannot go on or if you doubt the safety of the route, turn back and choose another way.•
Potholes, troughs, trenches, precipices,
sheets of ice or other obstructions
are often completely or partially obscured by snow.•
The hidden dangers of snow can cause an accident, serious injuries or your
vehicle to break down under
extreme weather conditions.
Driving over steep terrainDriving uphill and downhill– Stop the vehicle before driving uphill or
downhill, exit the vehicle and explore the
situation.
– Walk a stretch and check the firmness of the soil and look for obstructions or other
hidden dangers.
– Check how the route continues beyond the slope. – Switch on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170.
– Drive slowly and steadily straight uphill or downhill.– Do not stop the vehicle on a hillside or attempt to turn around. – You must prevent the engine from cutting out.Driving uphill– Check before driving over a hilltop, how it
continues on the other side. If you drive
up a steep hill, the vehicle faces the sky and you cannot see what is directly in front of the vehicle.
– Switch on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170.
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roof should be removed and secured, as the
vehicle could tilt by
a sudden shifting of
the luggage. A passenger, seated at the rear, should always
remain seated on the seat facing up the
hill during such a journey. In an extreme ca
se, the passenger on the relevant side must
exit the vehicle until you have
safely crossed the hillside.
Exiting the vehicle on a hillside If the vehicle comes to a standstill at a steep angle on a hillside and you and your passengers must exit the vehicle, then all th
e occupants should exit on the side facing
up the hill
⇒page 186, fig. 166
on the right.
WARNING
•
Never attempt to drive uphill or downhill if it is too steep for your vehicle.
The vehicle could slip, tilt or roll over - risk of accident!•
When driving at an angle on a hillside,
the vehicle can lose its grip and slide
sideways. The vehicle can tilt or roll over
and then roll down the hillside. This
can lead to serious injuries.•
Always make sure that when the vehicle
is at an angle, the wheels on the low
side do not sink deeply into the ground or into troughs and do not drive over stones, tree stumps or other obstructions
with the alternate ra
ised wheels - risk
of accident!•
Before you drive at an angle on a hillside
⇒page 186, fig. 166
, make sure
that you can steer and maintain your trajectory. If this is not possible, choose a different path. If you drive at an angle
on a hillside and there is a risk your
vehicle may tilt, steer imme
diately downhill on your trajectory and lightly
depress the accelerator.•
If the vehicle is stationary on a hillside
with a too great angle of lateral incli-
nation, avoid sudden and uncontrolled movements in the vehicle. The vehicle can roll over and then roll down the hillside. This can lead to serious injuries.•
If the vehicle is stationary on a hillside
with a too great angle of lateral incli-
nation, neither you nor your occupants must exit the vehicle through the doors facing downhill. This can lead to a shift of the overall centre of gravity. The vehicle can tilt or roll over and then roll down the hillside. This can lead to serious injuries. To avoid this, you and your occupants must exit the vehicle only on the side facing uphill
⇒page 186, fig. 166
.
•
When you exit the vehicle, make sure
that the door which faces uphill does
not close by its own weight or by carelessness - risk of injury!•
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Driving over rutted roads and troughsYou will always encounter ruts when drivin
g on forest roads, through wet meadows
and fields as well as on rutted stretches of terrain. If the ruts and troughs are on firm and soft ground, you can simply follow the ruts.Do not drive over ruts and troughs which are
too deep. If you cannot avoid this, it is
better that you turn back.
Caution
If the ruts or troughs become too deep,
the underbody of the vehicle can touch the
ground, which might cause the
underbody to get damaged. Therefore, avoid driving in
deep ruts and troughs.Crossing a trenchIf possible, drive through the trench at an acute angle. Make sure when driving through the trench that the tilt angle is not too steep.
WARNING
Never attempt to drive through a trench if its embankment is too steep. The vehicle could slip, tilt or roll over - risk of accident!
Caution
If you drive into the trench at a right angle,
the front wheels will sink into the trench.
There is also the danger that the underbod
y of the vehicle touches the ground and is
damaged. For these reasons (even with four-wheel drive) it is rarely possible to get out of the trench.
WARNING (continued)
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