2009 SKODA YETI wheel

Driving and the Environment
187
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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)
sgg.6.book Page 187 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM

Driving and the Environment
188
Driving in sand and mudYou should therefore always drive at a constant speed through sand or mud whenever possible and at the same time do not shift gears or change the driving stage. –Switch on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170.
– Select a suitable gear or driving stage and maintain the gear or driving stage. – Keep your vehicle in constant motion and
do not stop until you have reached firm
ground.
Never drive too fast, otherwise the wheels may spin and the vehicle can get stuck. If you feel that the tyres do no longer grip, then turn the steering wheel quickly back and forth. This leads to an improved adhesion of the front tyres of the vehicle for a short period of time. Driving through sand Do not reduce
the tyre inflation pressure. If you nevertheless reduce the inflation
pressure, do not forget to re-establish the correct tyre inflation pressure level before you continue driving. Driving with a reduced tyre inflation pressure increases the risk that you lose control over your vehi
cle and that the vehicle rolls over.
Driving through mud Do not change speed or direction when you
drive through the mud.
The tyres can lose
their grip in the mud. If th
e vehicle slides, you must stee
r in the appropriate direction
in order to regain control over the vehicle.
WARNING
•
Driving through mud can be dangerous. The vehicle can slide uncontrol-
lably which causes an increased risk of injury. Adopt a particularly cautious style of driving. Pay attention to the information and warning notes.•
An incorrect tyre inflation pressure may cause a major or fatal accident! An
incorrect tyre inflation pressure may result in bursting of a tyre, which causes the vehicle to get out of control.•
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Stuck vehicleIf you can no longer drive on ...– Carefully dig out all the wheels and make sure that no other parts of the vehicle are
stuck in the sand.
– Engage the reverse gear. – Gently depress the accelerator and try
to drive backwards in your own track.
– Place scrub, footmats or a sackcloth directly
in front of the tyres in order to improve
the road adherence and thus achieve an improved traction to drive out.
Rocking out vehicle– Switch off the TCS
⇒page 165.
– Set the steering wheel straight. – Drive so far back until the wheels just begin to spin.– Quickly shift into first gear and drive
forwards until the wheels begin to spin.
– Drive back and forth repeat
edly until the momentum is
sufficient to free the
vehicle.
– Switch on the TCS.A few tips– Ensure that the Off-road mode is switched on
⇒page 170.
– Avoid prolonged spinning of the wheels,
otherwise the vehicl
e would still sink
deeper into the ground.
– Remove mud, dirt and stones from the tread of the tyre. You need training and
experience if you wish to rock
out a vehicle. If you make a
mistake, the vehicle can still sink in further
and you can only free it with the help of
others.
WARNING
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
sgg.6.book Page 188 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
194
There are no particular points to note be
fore washing your vehicle in an automatic
vehicle wash system other than the usua
l precautionary measures (closing the
windows and the sliding/tilting roof etc.). If you have any particular atta
ched parts fitted to your car
- such as spoiler, roof rack
system, two-way radio aerial - it is best to first of all consult the operator of the car wash plant. It is important to degrease
the lips of the windscreen
wiper rubbers after passing
through the automatic
vehicle wash system.
Washing vehicle by handIt is important to first soften the dirt with
plenty of water and rinse it off as thoroughly
as possible before washin
g your vehicle by hand.
One should then clean the vehicle using a soft
washing sponge
, washing glove
or a
washing brush
and only slight pressure. Work from
the top to the bottom - beginning
with the roof. Only place slight pressure on
the vehicle paintwork
during cleaning. Only
use a
car shampoo
for stubborn dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for such areas.Rinse off the vehicle well after giving it a wash and dry it off using a chamois leather.
WARNING
•
The ignition should always be switched off when you wash your vehicle -
risk of accident!•
Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when you are
cleaning the underfloor, the inside of
the wheel housings or
the wheel trims -
risk of cuts.
Caution
•
Do not wash your vehicle in bright
sunlight - risk of paint damage.
•
Ensure that the jet of water is not aimed di
rectly at the locking cylinders or at the
door and panel joints if you spray your vehi
cle in winter down with a hose - risk of
freezing.
•
Do not use any insect sponges, rough kitc
hen sponges or similar cleaning products
- risk of damage to the surface of paintwork.
For the sake of the environment
Only wash your vehicle at wa
shing bays specifically reserved for this purpose. This
ensures that no water which may be contaminated by oil flows into the sewage system. It is not even permitted to wash your vehicl
e in certain areas except at such specific
washing bays.Washing with a high-pressure cleanerWhen you wash your vehicle with a high-press
ure cleaner, it is essential to comply with
the instructions for use of the cleaning equi
pment. This applies in particular to the
pressure
used and to the
spraying distance
. Maintain a sufficiently large distance to
soft materials such as rubber hoses or insulation material. On no account use
circular spray nozzles
or so-called
dirt cutters
!
WARNING
It is particularly important that you do not clean tyres with circular spray jets. Visible but also invisible
damage to tyres may occur ev
en at a relatively large
spraying distance and if sprayed only for a short time - risk of accident!
Caution
The water containing wax must be no hotter
than 60°C, otherwise the vehicle can be
damaged.Wax treatmentGood wax treatment is an effective way of
protecting the paintwork from harmful envi-
ronmental influences and
minor mechanical damage.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-quali
ty hard wax polish at the latest, when no
more drops form on the clean paintwork.
sgg.6.book Page 194 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

Wheels and Tyres
215
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Wheels and TyresWheelsGeneral information•
New tyres do not offer optimal grip at first and should therefore be run in for about
500 km at a moderate speed and an appropri
ately cautious style of driving. You will
also profit from longer tyre life.•
The tread depth of new tyres may differ because of design features and the config-
uration of the tread (depending on the type of tyre and the manufacturer).•
Drive over curbs on the side of the road
and other such obstacles slowly and,
where possible, at a right angle in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.•
Inspect your tyres from time to time
for damage (punctures, cuts, splits and
bulges). Remove foreign bodies from the tyre profile.•
Damage to tyres and wheels is frequently
not visible. Unusual vi
brations or pulling
of the vehicle to one side coul
d be a sign of tyre damage.
Please reduce your speed
immediately and stop if you su
spect that a wheel is damaged.
Inspect the tyres for
signs of damage (bulges, splits, etc.). If no
visible damage is present, please drive at an
appropriately slow speed and carefully to the nearest specialist garage in order to have your vehicle inspected.•
Also protect your tyres from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
•
Immediately replace any dust caps of
the valves which have got lost.
•
Mark wheels before removing them so that
their previous dire
ction of running can
be maintained when mounted them again.•
Always store wheels or tyres which been removed in a cool, dry and, where
possible, dark place. Tyres which are not fixed to a wheel trim should be stored upright.
WARNING
•
New tyres during the first 500 km do not offer optimal grip and should
therefore be run appropriately - risk of accident!•
Never drive with damaged tyres - risk of accident!
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.Ty re l i feThe life of your tyres very much depends on the following points: Tyre pressure The working life of tyres will be shortened considerably if the tyres are insufficiently or over-inflated and this will have an adverse
effect on the handling of your vehicle.
Correctly inflated tyres are of particular importance when travelling at
high speeds
. It
is therefore good to check the pressure at
least once a month and also before setting
off on a long trip. Please do not forget the spare wheel when checking the tyres. The tyre inflation pressures for
summer tyres
are indicated on the inside of the fuel
filler flap
⇒fig. 178
. The inflation pressures for
winter tyres
are 20 kPa (0.2 bar) higher
than those for summer tyres
⇒page 218.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle at all times. Always check the inflation pressure of tyres when cold. Do not reduce the higher pres- sure of warm tyres. Adapt the inflation pressure of the tyres accordingly if your vehicle is carrying a significantly higher payload.
Fig. 178 An opened fuel filler flap with a tyre size and tyre inflation pressure table
sgg.6.book Page 215 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM

Wheels and Tyres
216
Driving style Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and brak
ing (squealing tyres) increase wear-and-
tear on your tyres. Balancing wheels The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. There are a wide range of influences when driving which may result in an imbalance
and which makes themselves felt through
vibration in the steering. You should have the wheels rebalanced si
nce any imbalance increases wear-and-tear
on the steering, the suspension and tyres. A wheel must also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted and each time a tyre is repaired. Wheel alignment errors Incorrect wheel alignment at the front and re
ar will not only increase wear-and-tear on
the tyres but will also has an adverse effect on vehicle safety. Contact your specialist garage if you notice any unusual tyre wear.
WARNING
•
If the inflation pressure is too low,
the tyre must perform a greater flexing
work. At higher speeds the tyre will warm up as a result of this. This can result in tread separation and even a tyre blowout.•
Immediately replace the damaged rims or tyres.
•
Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional
cases and when adopting an approp
riately cautious style of driving.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Wear indicatorsThe base of the tread of the original tyres has wear indicators 1.6 mm high, installed at right angles to the direction of travel. These
wear indicators are lo
cated at 6 - 8 points
depending on the make and are evenly spaced around the circumference of the tyre ⇒ fig. 179
. Markings on the walls of the tyres
through the letters “TWI”, triangular
symbols or other symbols identify th
e position of the wear indicators.
A re m a i n i n g t re a d o f j u s t 1 .6 m m , m e a s u re d i n t h e g ro o v e s o f t he tre a d n e x t t o th e w e a r indicators, means that your tyres have
reached their legally permissible minimum
tread depth.
WARNING
•
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down
. The legally permissible minimum tread
depth should be observed.•
Worn tyres do not provide the necessary adhesion to the road surface at
high speeds on wet roads. One could experience “aquaplaning” (uncontrolled movements of the vehicle - “swimming” on a wet road surface).
Fig. 179 Tyre tread with wear indicators
sgg.6.book Page 216 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM

Wheels and Tyres
217
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Changing wheels aroundIf significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend changing the front wheels around with the rear wheels as shown in the diagram
⇒fig. 180
. You will
then obtain approximately the
same life for all the tyres.
It may be advantageous to swap the tyres ov
er “crosswise” when certain types of wear
characteristic arise on the running surface of
the tyres (but not in the case of unidirec-
tional tyres). The co-workers of the authorised Škoda Service Partners are extensively familiar with the combination possibilites. We recommend that you change the wheels around every 10 000 km in order to achieve even wear on all wheels and to obtain optimal tyre life.New tyres and wheelsTyres and wheel rims are important design elements. One should therefore use the tyres and wheel rims which have been releas
ed for use by Škoda Auto. They are exactly
matched to the vehicle type and therefore
contribute significantly to good road
holding and safe driving characteristics
⇒
.
Only fit radial tyres of the same type on all 4 wheels, size (rolling circumference) and, if possible, the same tread pattern on one axle. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have
access to the most current information
about which tyres we have rele
ased for use on
your vehicle.
We recommend that you have any work relati
ng to tyres or wheels carried out by an
authorised Škoda Service Partner
. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have all of
the necessary special tools and replacement pa
rts available plus the required specialist
knowledge and are also in a position to pr
operly dispose of the old tyres. A large
number of authorised Škoda Service Partners also have an attractive range of tyres and wheels available. The tyre/wheel combinations which are appr
oved for your vehicle are indicated in
your vehicle documents. Approval and licensing may differ according to the legislation prevailing in individual countries. Proper knowledge of the tyre data makes it easier for you to select the correct type of tyre. Tyres do, for example, have the following
inscription
on their walls:
225 / 50R 17 91 T
What this means is: The following
speed restrictions
apply to tyres.
The date of manufacture
is also stated on the tyre wall (possibly only on the
inside
of
wheel):
DOT ... 45 09...
Fig. 180 Changing wheels around
225
Tyre wi dt h i n mm
50
Height/width ratio in %
R
Code letter for the type of tyre -
Radial
17
Diameter of wheel in inches
91
Load index
T
Speed symbol
Speed symbol
Permissible maximum speed
S
180 km/h
T
190 km/h
H
210 km/h
V
240 km/h
W
270 km/h
Y
300 km/h
sgg.6.book Page 217 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM