Driving and the Environment
174
Catalytic converterProper operation of the emission cont
rol system (catalytic converter) is
of major significance for driving your vehicle in an environmentally conscious way.Please refer to the following guidelines: – For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol
⇒page 200,
“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 206, “Replenishing engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50 metres
⇒page 230,
“Tow-starting and towing vehicle”.
If you drive your vehicle in a country in
which unleaded petrol is not available, you
must have the catalytic converter replaced la
ter when driving the ve
hicle into a country
in which use of a catalyti
c 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, catalytic converters or heat shields. Such substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution
•
On vehicles fitted with a catalytic converte
r, never let the fuel tank run completely
empty. An irregular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system an
d damage the cata
lytic converter.
•
Filling the tank even only once with lead
ed petrol will result in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.•
If you detect misfir
ing, a drop in performance or
irregular engine running when
driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the nearest specialist garage. The symptoms described ma
y be caused by a fault in the ignition
system. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even if the exhaust system is operating pr
operly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may be
produced under certain oper
ating conditions of the en
gine. This de
pends on the
sulphur content of the fuel. It is often sufficient 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 econom-
ical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a number of tips on how to protect the environment and at the same time save money. The fuel consumption can naturally also be
influenced by factors which are beyond the
driver's control. It is, for example, normal
for the fuel consumption to increase in
winter and under worsened cond
itions such as poor road conditions, towing a trailer,
etc.
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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
182
Explanation of technical termsFig. 163 Embankment angle / slope angle Fig. 164 Ground clearance / ramp angleThe technical data
⇒page 245, “Angle (in degree)” refer to ideal conditions. These
values may differ depending on the load an
d composition of the soil and the environ-
ment. The driver is responsible to decide whether a vehicle can overcome a certain situation. Embankment angle (front and rear) Transition from the horizontal plane to an
upward slope or from a downward slope
back to the plane. The angle indication determines the angle at which you can drive the vehicle down the embankment, at a slow speed, without the bumper or the under-body of the vehicle touching the ground. Slope angle The difference of altitude (upward slope) which is overcome on a stretch of road of 100 m, is indicated in percentage or degrees, i.e. the gradiant at which the vehicle can climb
a hill on its own (among other things, depe
nding on the road surface and the engine
power). Ground clearance The distance between the road surface and the deepest point of the vehicle under- body. Ramp angle The angle indication determines the angle
at which you can driv
e the vehicle over a
ramp, at a slow speed, without the underbody of the vehicle touching the ramp edge.
WARNING
When exceeding the maximum value given in the table
⇒page 245, “Angle (in
degree)”, this can result in serious injuries and/or vehicle damage. All of the data was determined on flat, firm and non-slip road surfaces as well as under dry weather conditions. There are no id
eal off-road conditions. Therefore,
never completely go according to th
e maximum values, but always leave a
safety margin.Useful utensilsMany items can be very useful wh
en driving off-road, for example:
•
compass and maps,
•
torch and spare batteries,
•
mobile phone or CB radio,
•
tow bar or tow rope with sufficient tear strength,
•
electrically driven tyre pump for connect
ing to the 12-volt power outlet of the
vehicle,•
a blanket and rubber boots,
•
snow chains,
•
a timber plank which is approximately 4 cm thick and about 1 metre long can be
used as a traction aid when the vehicle is stuck or as a base for the lifting jack,•
additional tools and a folding
yardstick or a measuring tape,
•
spare wheel and tyre repair kit,
AA
AB
AC
AD
sgg.6.book Page 182 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Driving and the Environment
183
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
•
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
sgg.6.book Page 183 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Driving and the Environment
185
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
–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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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
197
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Underbody protectionThe underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and mechanical influences. One cannot, however, complete
ly 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 intervals - this is best done at the beginning
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 converters, di
esel 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 pr
otection regulations should observed when using
petroleum cleaner to remove wax - a risk of fire!
Engine compartmentGood corrosion protection is very importan
t, particularly in winter when one often
drives over its salt-strewn roads. One should therefore clean the whole engine compartment before and after the salt spread
ing period and treat with preservative in
order to prevent the salt from being destructive. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have the cleaning agents and preservatives recommended by the manufacturer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•
It is necessary to observ
e the guidelines given in the chapter before working
on the engine compartment
⇒page 204, “Working in the engine compart-
ment”.•
Let the engine cool down before cleaning the engine compartment.Caution
•
Engine cleaning may be only be un
dertaken when the ignition is off.
•
It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine compart-
ment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by washing the engine has washed away petrol, and residues of grease and oil and should therefore be
cleaned by an oil separator. This is why
engine washing should only be undertaken in
a specialist garage or at a fueling station
(when these are fitted with the required equipment).Care of the interior of vehiclePlastic parts, artificial leather and clothsYou can clean plastic parts and artificial le
ather with a moist cloth. You should only
treat such parts with special
solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products
it does
prove to be adequate.
sgg.6.book Page 197 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Inspecting and replenishing
204
Caution
Never open the bonnet using the locking lever - danger of causing damage.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, acci
dents 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 safe
ty. The engine compartment 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 scalding!
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 manual
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 anti-
freeze 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 expans
ion 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 cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine
compartment.•
If you wish to work under the vehicl
e, 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 fr
om 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 it
ems 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 st
ated below when
carrying out any essential work on the fu
el system or on th
e electrical system:
− Always separate the car battery 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 major oper
ating problems and also vehicle damage!
WARNING (continued)
sgg.6.book Page 204 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM