2010 SKODA FABIA check engine

Instruments and warning lights
32
Note
If the battery has been disconnected
and reconnected, the warning light
 comes on
after switching on the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a short distance.Antilock brake system (ABS)

The warning light
 shows the functionality of the ABS.
The warning light comes on for a few seconds after the ignition has been switched on or when starting the engine. The warning light goes out after an automatic check sequence has been completed. A fault in the ABS The system is not functioning properly if the ABS warning light
 does not go out
within a few seconds after switching on the ignition, does not light up at all or lights up while driving. The vehicle will only be br
aked by the normal brake system. Visit a
specialist garage immediately and adjust your
style of driving appropriately as you will
not know how grea
t the damage is.
Further information about ABS
page 140, “Antilock brake system (ABS)”.
A fault in the entire brake system If the ABS warning light
 comes on together with the brake system warning light

(handbrake must be released), there is a fa
ult not only in the ABS but also in another
part of the brake system

.
WARNING

If the brake system warning light
 comes on together with the ABS
warning light
 stop the vehicle immediately and check the brake fluid level in
the reservoir
page 171, “Brake fluid”. If the fluid level has dropped below the
MIN marking, do not drive any further - risk of accident! Obtain professional assistance.
Pay attention to the following instruct
ions before checking the brake fluid
level and opening the bonnet
page 166, “Working in the engine compart-
ment”.

If the brake fluid is at the correct leve
l, the ABS control function has failed.
The rear wheels may then block very rapi
dly when braking. In certain circum-
stances, this can result in the rear end of the car breaking away - risk of skid-ding! Drive carefully to the nearest sp
ecialist garage and have the fault
rectified.Brake system

The warning light
 flashes or comes on if the brake fluid level is too low, if there is a
fault in the ABS or if
the handbrake is applied.
If the warning light
 flashes and an audible signal so
unds three times (handbrake is
not applied),
stop
and check the brake fluid level

.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Brake fluid: Owner's manual
If there is a fault in the ABS which also infl
uences the function of the brake system (e.g.
distribution of brake pressure), the ABS warning light
 comes on and at the same
time the brake system warning light starts flashing
. Be aware that not only the ABS
but also another part of th brake system is defective

.
An audible signal sounds three times as an additional warning signal.One should get used to high pedal forces, an extended free play of the brake pedal and long braking distances when carefully driving to the specialist garage. For further information on the brake system
page 139, “Brakes”.
Handbrake applied The warning light
 also comes on if the handbrake is applied. An audible warning is
also given if you drive the vehicle for at least 3 seconds at a speed of more than 6 km/h. The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Release parking brake!WARNING (continued)
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Instruments and warning lights
33
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WARNING

Pay attention to the following instruct
ions before checking the brake fluid
level and opening the bonnet
page 166, “Working in the engine compart-
ment”.
If the brake system warning light
 does not go out a few seconds after
switching on the ignition or comes on when driving, stop immediately and check the brake fluid in the reservoir
page 171, “Brake fluid”. If the fluid level
has dropped below the MIN marking, do no
t drive any further - risk of accident!
Obtain professional assistance.Cruise control system*

The warning light
 lights up, when operating the speed regulating system.
Airbag system

Monitoring the airbag system The warning light
 comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
There is a fault in the system if the warning
light does not go out or comes on or flashes
while driving

. This also applies if the warning
light does not come on after the
ignition is switched on. The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Airbag fault!
The functionality of the airbag system is also monitored electronically when one airbag has been switched off. The following situation applies if the fr
ont, side and head airbags or belt
tensioner have been switched off
using the vehicle system tester:

The warning light
 lights up for 3 seconds after switching on the ignition and then
flashes for 12 seconds afterwards in 2 second intervals. The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Airbag/belt tensioner deactivated!
If the passenger front airbag has been
switched off using the switch (for
switching off airbags)* in the end face of
the dash panel on the front passenger
side:
The warning light
 comes on for 4 seconds after the ignition has been switched
on.
switching off the airbag is indicated in the middle of the dash panel by the lighting
up of the yellow indicator light in display

 
  page 129.
WARNING
Have the airbag system checked immediat
ely by a specialist
garage if a fault
exists. Otherwise, there is a
risk of the airbag not bein
g activated in the event of
an accident.
Note
Further information about switching off airbags
page 128, “Deactivating airbags”.
Diesel particle filter*

(diesel engine)
If the warning light

comes on, this means that soot
has accumulated in the diesel
particle filter because of the frequent short distances. In order to clean the diesel particle filter, the vehicle should be driven at an even speed of at least 60 km/h at engine speeds of 1
800 - 2 500 rpm for at least 15 minutes or until
the warning light goes out with the 4th or
5th gear engaged (automatic gearbox: posi-
tion S) when the traffic situation permits it. This increases the exhaust temperature and the soot deposited in the diesel particle filter is burnt. Always pay attention to the valid speed limits

.
The warning light

goes out after the successful cleaning of the diesel particle filter.
If the filter is not properly
cleaned, the warning light

does not go out and the
warning light
 begins to flash. In the in
formation display* appears
Diesel-particle
filter! Owner's manual
. Afterwards the engine control unit shifts the engine into the
emergency mode, which only has a reduced po
wer output. After switching the ignition
off and on again the warning light
 comes on.
Have the vehicle inspected without
delay by your specialist garage.
s3j8.a.book Page 33 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Heating and air conditioning system
86Using the air conditioning system economicallyThe compressor on the Climatic uses powe
r from the engine when in cooling mode
which will effect the fuel consumption. It recommended to open the windows or the
doors of a vehicle for which the interior
has been strongly heated through the effect
of direct sunlight in order to allow the
heated air to escape. The cooling system should not be switched
on while travelling when the window is
open. The desired interior temperature can also be achieved without switching in the cooling system just by switching to fresh air mode.
For the sake of the environment
When you economize on fuel, you also reduce pollutant emissions.Operational malfunctionsIf the cooling system does not operate at outside temperatures higher than +5 °C, there is a problem in the system. The reasons for this may be:
The fuse of the Climatic is defective. Check the fuse, replace it if necessary
 page 195.
The cooling system has switched off automatically for a short time because the
coolant temperature of the engine is too hot
page 16.
If you are not able to rectify the operational
problem yourself, or if the cooling capacity
decreases, switch the cooling system off. Contact a specialist garage. If there is a fault at the Climatronic, all symbols on the display flash after switching on the ignition for 15 seconds. Contact a specialist garage.
Climatronic* (automatic air conditioning)Description The Climatronic system is a combinat
ion of an automatic heating, fresh
air and cooling system which provides optimal comfort for the occu- pants of the car.The Climatronic maintains a constant temperat
ure fully automatically, once it has been
set. This is achieved by automatically varying the temperature of the outflowing air, the blower stages and the air distribution. The system also takes into account sunlight which eliminates the need to
alter the settings manually. The
automatic mode

 page 88 ensures maximum wellbeing of the
occupants at all times of the year.
Description of Climatronic system The cooling operates only if the following conditions are met:
engine running,

outside temperature above approx. +2°C,

switched on.
If the cooling system is switched on, th
e temperature and air humidity drops in the
vehicle. The wellbeing of the occupants of the car is enhanced as a result of this partic-ularly at high outside temperatures and a high air humidity. The system prevents the windows misting up during the cold season of the year. The heating effect is dependent upon the coolant temperature, thus full heat output only occurs when the engine has reached its operating temperature. It is possible to briefly activate recirculat
ed air mode in order to enhance the cooling
effect

.
The air inlet in front of the windscreen must be free of ice, snow or leaves in order to ensure that the heating and cooling systems operate properly. The AC compressor is switched off at a high
coolant temperature in order to provide
cooling at a high load of the engine. After switching on the cooling
Condensation
from the evaporator of the air condi-
tioning may drip down and form a puddle be
low the vehicle. This is quite normal and
not an indication of a leak!
AC
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Starting-off and Driving
89
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Starting-off and DrivingSetting steering wheel positionFig. 93 Adjustable steering wheel: Lever be
low the steering column / Safe distance to
steering wheelYou can set the height and the forward/back
position of the steering wheel to the
desired position. – Adjust the driver seat
page 59.
– Pull the lever below the steering wheel down
fig. 93
- left

.
– Set the steering wheel to the desired position (concerning height and forward/back
position).
– Then push the lever up against the steering column until it locks into place.
WARNING

You must not adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving!

The driver must maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm to
the steering wheel
 fig. 93
- right. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the
airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
For safety reasons the lever must always be firmly pushed up to avoid the
steering wheel altering its po
sition unintentionally when driving - risk of acci-
dent!

If you adjust the steering wheel furthe
r towards the head, you will reduce
the protection offered by the driver airbag in the event of an accident. Check that the steering wheel is
aligned to the chest.

When driving, hold the steering wheel
with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock po
sition. Never hold the steering wheel
firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the steering wheel or at the inne
r steering wheel edge). In such
cases, injuries to the
arms, the hands and the head can occur
when the driver airbag is deployed.
Ignition lockPetrol engines - ignition switched off, engine
off, the steering can be locked.
- ignition switched on - start engine Diesel engines - interruption of fuel supply, ignition swit
ched off, engine off, the steering can be
locked. - heating glow plugs on, ignition switched onWARNING (continued)
Fig. 94 Ignition lock positions
A1A2A3A1A2
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Starting-off and Driving
91
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data

Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as the
engine has not yet reached its normal oper
ating temperature - risk of damaging the
engine!
Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaust gas catalytic converter should not be tow-
started over a distance of more than 50 metres.
For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle is standing. Drive off right away. When driving the engine reaches its operating te
mperature more rapidly and the pollutant
emissions are lower.Petrol enginesThese engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel-air mixture for every external air temperature.
Do not operate accelerator before and when starting engine.

Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10
seconds if the engine does not start right
awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
It is possible that the fuse on the electric
al fuel pump is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary
page 195.

If the engine does not start, contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain profes-
sional assistance. It may be necessary, if the engine is
very hot
, to slightly depress the accelerator after
the engine has started.Diesel enginesGlow plug system Diesel engines are equipped with a glow
plug system, the preglow period being
controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and outside tempera- ture. The preglow indicator light
 comes on after the ignition has been switched on.
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.

You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning light
 has
gone out.
The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is at a
normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature is above +5°C. This means that you can start the engine
right away
.

Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start right
awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
It is possible that the fuse
on the diesel preglow system is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary
page 195.

Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
Starting the engine after fuel tank has run dry It may take longer than normal to start the
engine after refuelling if the fuel tank has
run completely dry - up to one minute. This is
because the fuel system must first of all
be filled while the attempting to start the engine.Switching off the engine– The engine can be switched off by turnin
g the ignition key from position into
 page 89, fig. 94
.
WARNING

Never switch off the engine before the ve
hicle is stationary - risk of accident!

The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater phys-
ical effort for braking is required when en
gine is switched off.
Because if you do
not stop as normal, this can cause an accident and severe injuries.
Caution
you should not switch the engine off right away at the end of your journey after the engine has been operated for a lengthy period
at high loads but should be allowed it
to run at idling speed for about 2 minutes.
This prevents any accumulation of heat
when the engine is switched off.
A1
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Intelligent Technology
143
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data

If the warning light
 does not go out after the basic setting, there is a fault in the
system. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage. Functional description After the basic setting of the system the “adaptation” of the tyre inflation pressures and then the tyre pressure control in the individual tyres are performed. Warning light
 lights up
If the tyre inflation pressure of at least one wheel is insufficiently inflated in comparison to the stored basic value, the warning light
 
lights up. Inflate all tyres to the
specified inflation pressure
page 178, “Tyre life” and then perform a basic setting of
the system. Warning light
 flashes
If the warning light flashes, there is a system fault. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage.
WARNING

When the warning light
 lights up, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake manoeuvr
es. Please stop the vehicle without
delay at the nearest possible stop and in
spect the tyres and their inflation pres-
sures.
The driver is responsible
for the correct tyre inflation pressures. For this
reason, the tyre inflation pressu
res must be checked regularly.

Under certain circumstances (e.g. sporty style of driving, wintry or unpaved
roads) the warning light
 can be delayed or does not light up at all.

The tyre pressure monitoring system does not take away the responsibility
from the driver for the correct tyre inflation pressure.
Note
The tyre pressure monitoring system:
does not replace the regular tyre inflatio
n pressure control, because the system
cannot detect an even pressure loss;

cannot warn in case of very rapid tyre inflation pressure loss, e.g. in case of sudden
tyre damage. In this case ca
refully bring the vehicle to a standstill without sudden
steering movements and without sharp braking.Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)In the diesel particle filter the resu
lting soot particles are collected and
burnt during the combustion of diesel fuel.Code
7GG
, 7MB
or 7MG
on the vehicle data sticker, see
fig. 132
, indicates that your
vehicle is equipped with a diesel particle fi
lter. The vehicle data st
icker is located on
the floor of the luggage compartment and is
also stated in the Service schedule.
The diesel particle filter filters the soot particles completely from the exhaust. The soot is collected in the diesel particle filter and
burnt regularly. To assist this procedure, we
recommend not to drive regu
larly over short distances.
If the diesel particle filter is clogged or there is a fault, it is indicated by the warning light 
page 33, “Diesel particle filter*
 (diesel engine)”.
WARNING

The diesel particle filter
achieves very high temp
eratures. Therefore do not
park at points where the hot filter comes into direct contact with dry grass or other combustible materials - risk of fire!
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents
for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters,
heat shields or diesel particle filter. Fig. 132 Vehicle data sticker
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Driving and the Environment
148
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 fu
el 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 co
uld be as high as
0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving. It is quite normal that a new engine has a
higher oil consumption
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 new
vehicle until after yo
u 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.Avoid driving short distances Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption.– Avoid driving a distance of no more
than 4 km if th
e engine is cold.
The engine and catalytic converter mu
st first have reached their optimal
operating
temperature
in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.
The cold engine vehicle cons
umes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately
after starting. Fuel co
nsumption drops to 10 litres/100
km after just 1 kilometre. The
engine reaches its operating temperat
ure (outside temperature and engine
dependent) only after about
4 to 10
kilometres and the fuel consumption then stabi-
lizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible. An important factor in this connection is also the
ambient temperature
. The
 fig. 135
shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the one
hand at +20°C and on the other hand at
-10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel
consumption in winter than in summer.
Fig. 135 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km at different temperatures
s3j8.a.book Page 148 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Driving and the Environment
149
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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.
s3j8.a.book Page 149 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM