2010 SKODA FABIA technical data

Driving and the Environment
145
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Driving and the EnvironmentThe first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwardsA new engine The engine has to be run in du
ring the first 1 500 kilometres.
Up to 1 000 kilometres– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the maximum speed of the gear in use, that is 3/4 of
the maximum permissi
ble engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.– Avoid high engine revolutions.– Do not tow a trailer.From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres– Increase the power output of the engine
gradually
up to the full speed of the gear
engaged, that is up to the maxi
mum permissible engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine ha
s higher internal friction than later until
all of the moving parts have harmonized. Th
e driving style which you adopt during the
first approx.1 500 kilometres plays a decisive
part in the success of running in your
vehicle. You should not drive at unnecessarily
high engine revolutions
even after the
running-in period is complete
. The maximum permissible en
gine speed is marked by
the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up into the next higher gear on a vehi
cle fitted with manual gear
box before the red zone is
reached. During acceleration
(depressing the accelerator)
exceptionally
high engine
speeds are automatically reduced, yet the engine is not protected against too high engine speeds which are caused by incorrectly shifting down the gears resulting in a sudden increase of the engine speeds above the permitted maximum revolutions which can lead to engine damage. For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox the
converse situation also applies: Do not
drive at engine revolutions which are
too low
. Shift down as soon as the engine is no
longer running smoothly.
Caution
All the speed and engine revolution figures ap
ply only when the engine is at its normal
operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.
For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessari
ly high engine revolutions and
shifting to a higher gear as
early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption, operating noise levels as well as protects the environment and contributes
to a longer life and reliability of the
engine.New tyresNew tyres have to be “run in” since they do
not offer optimal grip at first. You should
take account of this fact for the first 500
kilometres and drive pa
rticularly carefully.
New brake padsAllow for the fact that new brake pads do no
t achieve their full braking efficiency until
approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first “run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You ca
n, however, compensate for this slightly
reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal. This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future date.During the running-in pe
riod, you should avoi
d excessive stre
sses on the brakes. This
includes, for example, violent braking, part
icularly from very high speeds, and also
when crossing mountain passes.
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Driving and the Environment
147
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guidelines given in this chapter in order to
make best use of these characteristics and
to maintain their effectiveness.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.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. 133
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.
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator*
page 19.
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 vehicl
e noises increase disproportionally at
high speeds. The
fig. 134
shows the ratio of fuel consumption to 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.
Fig. 133 Fuel consumption
Fig. 134 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
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Driving and the Environment
149
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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.
Winter tyres are also louder.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 one
is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle
weight will have a significant effect upon
the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb here
is that an increase in weight of 100 kilograms 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 increased aerodyna
mic drag of your vehi
cle causes it to use
about 1 l 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, th
e alternator generates and supp
lies electrical power. If
more electrical components of the electrical system are switched on, more fuel is needed to operate 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. If you find that your fuel
consumption is too high, you should reflect on how, where
and in what conditions you have driven
the vehicle since you last refuelled.
Environmental compatibilityEnvironmental protection has played a major role in the design, selection of materials and manufacture of your new Škoda. Particular emphasis has been paid to a number of aspects, including: Design measures
Joints designed to
be easily detached.

Simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system.

Improved purity of differ
ent classes of materials.

Identification of all plastic parts in
accordance with VDA Recommendation°260.

Reduced fuel consumption
and exhaust emission CO
2.

Minimum fuel leakage during accidents.

Reduced noise.
Choice of materials
Extensive use of re
cyclable material.

Air conditioning filled with CFC-free refrigerant.

No cadmium.

No asbestos.

Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics.
Manufacture
Solvent-free cavity protection.
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Driving and the Environment
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Driving through bodies of water on roadsIn order to avoid damage to the vehicle,
for example when driving through 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. 136
.

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.
Note
After driving through a body of water, we
recommend that the vehicle is checked by a
specialist garage.
Fig. 136 Crossing bodies of water
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Towing a trailer
152
Towing a trailerTo w i n g a t r a i l e rTechnical requirements The towing device must satisfy certain technical requirements.Your vehicle is designed primarily for tr
ansporting persons and luggage. It can,
however, also be used for towing a traile
r - provided certain technical equipment is
fitted. If your vehicle has been eq
uipped with a towing device
from Škoda Original Accesso-
ries, then the towing device satisfies all technical and legal requirements. Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power so
cket for the electrical connection between
the vehicle and trailer. If the tr
ailer which you wish to tow has a
7-pin connector
, you
can use a suitable adapter
12) from Škoda original accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordance
with the manufacturer's specifications if
a towing device is retrofitted. Specialist garages are familiar with details re
lating to retrofitting a towing device and
for any necessary modifications to the cooling system.
WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device from Škoda original accesso-ries installed by a specialist garage. He
is familiar with all the relevant details
relating to retrofitting such equipment. There is a risk of an accident if the towing device is not properly fitted!General Maintenance There are a number of points to pay attention to when towing a trailer.Trailer load The permissible trailer load must
on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appropriately steeper inclin
es and descents if you do not make full
use of the permissible trailer load. The trailer loads specified only apply for
altitudes
up to 1 000 metres above mean sea
level. On petrol engines without forced indu
ction, the engine power output drops with
increasing height due to a lowering of air pr
essure and thus the ability to climb, this
means that the trailer load must be reduced by 10% for every further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea le
vel. The towed weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle
and the (laden) trailer together. One should ta
ke this into account before driving up to
higher altitudes. Petrol engines with forced induction use an air pressure correction method, so that their power output does
not depend on the he
ight above sea level.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device are merely test data for the towing device
The data relating to your vehicle, which
is often less than this test data, can be found in your vehicle registration docu- ments. Distribution of the load Distribute the load in the trailer in such a
way that any heavy items are located as close
as possible to the axle. Secure th
e items to preven
t them slipping.
Tyre pressure Correct the tyre inflation pressure on yo
ur vehicle for that of “fully laden”,
page 178.
The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to
the trailer adjust in accordance with the
manufacturer's recommendation. Exterior mirrors You have to have additional ex
terior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the traffic
behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exterior mirrors should be attached to folding arms. Adjust the mirrors so that they provide you with an adequate field of view to the rear. Headlights Before starting off with a hitched trailer, al
so check the setting of the headlights. Alter
the setting as necessary with the aid of the headlight beam adjuster
page 51.
12)In some countries the adapter is supplied with the towing device.s3j8.a.book Page 152 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Towing a trailer
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Detachable ball head The ball rod is detachable on
vehicles with towing devi
ce and suppliable from Škoda
original accessories. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle.
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.
Keep the mechanism of the ball head of
the towing device clean and take proper
care of it with a suitable preservative.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/h for safety
reasons. This also a
pplies for countries in
which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the
vehicle + trailer comb
ination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allo
wed speed should not be used when there
are unfavourable road, weather or wind cond
itions as well as on downhill sections.
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 16.
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 170,
“Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines
page 29, “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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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
155
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General MaintenanceTaking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicleGeneralProper care retains the value of your vehicle.Regular and proper care retains
the value
of your vehicle. It may also be one of the
requirements for the acceptance of warranty
claims relating to corrosion damage and
paint defects on the bodywork. We recommend using a preserva
tive from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer. Please follow the instructions for use on the package.
WARNING

Care products may be harmful to your health if not used according to the
instructions.
Always store care products in a safe place, out of the reach of children - risk
of poisoning!
For the sake of the environment

Always select environmentally-friendly
products when purchasing vehicle care
products.
Do not dispose of residues of ca
re products in domestic waste.
Care of the exterior of vehicleWashing the vehicle Frequent washing protects your vehicle.The best protection for your vehicle agai
nst harmful environmental influences is
frequent
washing and wax treatment. How of
ten you should wash your vehicle
depends on a wide range of factors, such as:

Frequency of use;

The parking situation (garage, below trees etc.);

Season of the year;

Weather conditions;

Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust, tar, soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to the paintwork of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect can be. High temperatures, such as those caused by intensive sun'
s rays, accentuate their caustic effect.
It may therefore be necessary, in ce
rtain circumstances, to wash the car
once a week
.
It may also be sufficient, however, to wash the car
once a month
followed by appro-
priate wax treatment. It is essential to also thoroughly wash the
underside of your vehicle
at the end of the
winter road salting and gritting period.
WARNING
When washing your vehicle in the winter
: Water and ice in the brake system can
affect the braking efficiency - risk of accident!Automatic vehicle wash systemsThe paintwork of the vehicle is sufficiently resistant that the vehicle can be washed normally in automatic vehicle wash plants
without any problem. The actual stress to
which the paintwork is subjected, however,
depends primarily on the design of the
vehicle wash system, the filtering of the wa
ter and the type of washing and care prod-
ucts used. If the paintwork of
your vehicle appear
s mat after being washed or even has
scratches, point this out to the operator of the vehicle wash plant. Use a different vehicle wash plant, if necessary.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
157
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A new layer of a high-quality
hard wax polish can be applied to the clean bodywork
after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver regularly we still recom- mend that you treat the paintwork of the ve
hicle at least twice a year with hard wax.
Caution
Never apply wax to the windows.PolishingPolishing is only necessary if the paintwor
k of your vehicle has become unattractive
and if it is no longer possible to
achieve a gloss with wax preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax pr
eserver if the polish you use does not
contain any preserving elements
page 156, “Wax treatment”.
We recommend using a preserva
tive from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer.
Caution

You must not treat mat painted parts or plas
tic with polishing products or hard wax.

Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicl
e in a dusty environment, otherwise the
paintwork can be scratched.Chrome partsFirst clean the chrome parts with a damp clot
ch and then polish them with a soft, dry
cloth. If it does not prove
to be adequate, use a chrome
care product from Škoda orig-
inal accessories.
Caution
Do not polish the chrome parts in a du
sty environment, otherwise they can be
scratched.
Paint damageSlight damage to paintwork such as scratches, scuffs or traces of chip damage must be treated immediately
before
any corrosion can result. You ca
n of course have this work
carried out by a specialist garage. Specialist garages have a range of matching
touch-up pens
or spray cans
available in
the colour of your vehicle. The paint number of the original paintwork of
your vehicle is indi
cated on the vehicle
data sticker
page 207.
Any corrosion which has already have formed must be removed thoroughly. Apply a corrosion protection primer
and then the paint to the affected point. You can of
course have this work carried
out by a specialist garage.
Plastic partsExternal plastic parts are cleaned by norm
al washing. Plastic parts and synthetic
leather can also be treated with
special solvent-free plastic cleaning agents
if a
damp cloth is not sufficient. Paint care pr
oducts are not suitable for plastic parts.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack th
e material and can damage it.
WindowsOnly use a plastic ice scra
per for removing snow and ice from the windows and
mirrors. You should not move the ice scraper forward and backward but in one direc-tion on the window which you
are cleaning in order to avoid any damage to the surface
of the glass. You can best remove residues of rubber, oil,
grease, wax or silicone by using a special
window cleaner or a special silicone remover. You should also clean the windows regularly from the inside.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.
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