2009 SKODA YETI engine

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
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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
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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
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Driving and the Environment
184
•
Be very alert and look ahead when
driving off-road. Excessive speed or
incorrect driving manoeuvr
es can cause damage to the vehicle and lead to
serious injuries.•
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Caution
•
Pay attention to the ground clearance of
the vehicle! The vehicle can be severely
damaged and become disabled once it touches the ground.•
Never drive off-road with an almost empty
fuel tank. The fuel supply to the engine
can be interrupted and therefore the cata
lytic converter can be severely damaged.
•
Do not leave your foot on the clutch peda
l or let the clutch slip when driving off-
road. Overwise you may unintentionally depress the clutch pedal on uneven ground leading to a loss of control over the vehi
cle. In addition, the force for connecting the
engine and the gearbox is lost. Moreover, driving while letting the clutch slip causes a fast wear of the clutch linings.
Note
The fuel consumption is higher when drivin
g off-road than when driving on conven-
tional roads, especially through difficult terr
ain. When you prepare for your journey, be
aware of an increase in fuel consumption; the nearest filling station may be far away.Shifting gears correctlyThe gear you must shift into depends on th
e terrain. Choosing the correct gear contrib-
utes to safe driving. In partic
ular if you do not have much
experience driving off-road,
it is always better, before negotiating a difficult stretch of the road, to pause and reflect on which gear to engage. Your experience will tell you which gear is the best for certain sections of the terrain. Basically:•
When the gear or the driving stage has been
properly selected, it is unnecessary to
slow down the vehicle on a downhill sectio
n using the footbrake as in most cases the
engine braking power is sufficient.
•
Depress the accelerator only as much as is necessary. A too great acceleration may
lead to the wheels spinning and thus result
s in the loss over the control of the vehicle.
Manual gearbox•
If you are driving thro
ugh difficult terrain,
on no account
use the clutch or change
the gear. When the clutch is depressed, th
e vehicle may come to
a standstill because
of the increased grip of all the tyres of the vehicle (e.g. in the mud, in deep sand or on a slope). Once the vehicle has come to a stan
dstill, it may be difficult or even impos-
sible to start off und
er these conditions.
•
When negotiating a steep downhill section
or a steep uphill section, always shift
into the 1st or 2nd gear.•
On a soft or slippery ground, you must
drive at the appropriate speed and you
must select the highest possible gear for this. Automatic gearbox•
Select the selector lever position
for normal flat stretches of terrain
⇒ page 122.•
While in the Tiptronic mode, select the se
lector lever position or if you are
driving through mud,
sand, water or hilly
sections of terrain
⇒page 124.
•
When negotiating a steep downhill sectio
n or a steep uphill section, select the
selector lever position while in the Tiptronic mode.•
On a soft or slippery ground, you must
drive at the appropriate speed and you
must select the highest possible driving stage.Driving over rough and smooth
WARNING (continued)
AD
A3
A2
A1
Fig. 165 Observe the ground clearance
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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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Driving and the Environment
186
– Do not shift gears or release the
clutch during th
e climbing phase.
– Depress the accelerator only as much as
is necessary in order
to handle the slope.
If you can go no further on a slope– Never attempt to make a turn with the vehicle on a hillside. – If the engine cuts out, press the foot brake and restart the engine. – Engage the reverse gear and carefully
drive backwards in your own tracks.
– Press the foot brake in order to maintain a constant speed.Driving downhill–Switch on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170.
– Shift into first gear or select the first driving stage, while in the Tiptronic mode, to
drive downhill on steep hillsides in order
to use the Downhill Drive Support to its
maximum.
– Press the foot brake gently, so you do not lose the control over your vehicle. – If it is feasible and safe, drive straight down (maximum gradient).– Do not release the clutch or shift into Neutral.
WARNING
•
Never attempt to drive uphill or downhill if it is too steep for your vehicle.
The vehicle could slip or roll
over - risk of accident!
•
Never attempt to make a turn on a hillside. The vehicle could tilt or roll over.
This can result in serious accidents.•
If the engine cuts out on a slope or
you can no longer go on for whatever
other reason, then stop!•
Never let the vehicle roll down the hill
side at idling speed. You can lose the
control over your vehicle.•
If the engine cuts out, press the foot brake and restart the engine. Engage the
reverse gear and carefully drive backward
s in your own tracks. Use the engine
braking power and press the foot brake in order to maintain a slow and constant speed.
•
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Driving at an angle on a hillsideFig. 166 Steer and maintain your trajectory
/ in direction to exit - facing uphill
Driving at an angle on a hillside is one of the most dangerous situations while driving off-road. It may look harmle
ss, but you must never underestimate the difficulties and
the dangers when driving at an angle on a
hillside. Basically you should avoid moving
your vehicle into a sideways
position on a hillside. Unde
r certain circumstances, the
vehicle can slide away uncontrollably or roll over. Check before driving in a tilted position, whether there is a different and safer route. If you have to drive in a tilted position, then
the ground should be as firm and even as
possible. Note that the vehicle may slide sideways or sink in and roll over when driving on slippery or soft ground. Make sure that
the inclination is not too steep when driving
over surface irregularities. Otherwise, the vehicle can roll over and then roll down the hillside. If the vehicle is at a very steep angle, the wheels on the low side must not sink deeply into the ground or into troughs and you mu
st not drive over stones, tree stumps or
other obstructions with the alternate raised wheels. If there is a risk your ve
hicle may tilt, steer immedi
ately in direction of dip
⇒fig. 166

and lightly depress the accelerator. The centre
of gravity of the vehicle should be as low
as possible. Distribute the weight of all the occupants of the vehicle evenly. Taller and heavier people should be seated on the rais
ed side of the vehicle. The luggage on the
WARNING (continued)
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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.
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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.
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