2010 SKODA FABIA towing

Intelligent Technology
142
You will place great stresses on the power steering system if the steering is turned to full lock when the vehicle is stationary. Turn
ing the steering to full lock in such a situa-
tion will be accompanied by noises. It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine is not running (vehicle being towed in). The only
difference is that gr
eater physical effort
is required. It is possible that the hydraulic pump of
the power steering will not run due to the low
vehicle network voltage if the battery has gone flat and the engine must started with the help off jump leads. This condition will
be indicated by lighti
ng up of the warning
light. The power steering operates again if the ba
ttery is charged to a specific range when
engine is running. It also op
erates again, if the engine
can be started with its own
battery. If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light lights up in the instrument cluster
 page 26.
Caution
Do not leave the steering at full lock fo
r more than 15 seconds when the engine is
running - risk of damagi
ng the power steering!
Note
Have the steering inspected as soon as possible by a specialist garage if there is a leak or fault in the system.
Tyre pressure monitoring system*The tyre pressure monitoring system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors the speed and also the rolling circumference of the individual wheels. If the tyre inflation pressure is significantly changed and thus the rolling circumference of a wheel, the warning light
 lights up in the instrument cluster
page 31. The tyre pressure moni-
toring system functions late or too sensitively if:
the structure of the tyre is damaged,

the vehicle is loaded to one side or with a load on the roof,

the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when driving
uphill or downhill),
the vehicle is operated in unfavourable wi
nter conditions or
on an unfirm ground,

snow chains or emergency wheel* are mounted,

the driver has a sporty style of driving (with sharp acceleration and high speed
when cornering). Basic setting of the system After changing the tyre inflation pressures
or after changing one or several wheels, a
basic setting of the system mu
st be carried
out as follows.

Inflate all tyres to the specified inflation pressure
page 178.

Switch on the ignition.

Press button
 
fig. 131
for more than 2 seconds. While pressing the button,
the warning light
 lights up. At the same time the basic values are stored, which is
confirmed with an acoustic sound and then the warning light
 goes out.
Fig. 131 Button for setting the tyre inflation pressure control value
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Driving and the Environment
146
Catalytic converterProper operation of the emission cont
rol system (catalytic converter) is
of major significance for driving your vehicle in an environmentally conscious way.Please refer to the following guidelines: – For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol
page 162,
“Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty.– Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.– Do not pour too much oil into the engine
page 168, “Replenishing engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50 metres
page 193,
“Tow-starting a vehicle”.
If you drive your vehicle in a country in
which unleaded petrol is not available, you
must have the catalytic converter replaced la
ter when driving the ve
hicle into a country
in which use of a catalyti
c converter is mandatory.
WARNING

In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the catalytic
converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way that the catalytic converter cannot come into contact with easily flammable materials below the vehicle - a risk of fire!
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents
for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or heat shields. Such substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution

On vehicles fitted with a catalytic converte
r, never let the fuel tank run completely
empty. An irregular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system an
d damage the cata
lytic converter.

Filling the tank even only once with le
aded petrol will resu
lt in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.

If you detect misfir
ing, a drop in performance or
irregular engine running when
driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the nearest specialist garage. The symptoms described ma
y be caused by a fault in the ignition
system. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even if the exhaust system is operating pr
operly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may be
produced under certain oper
ating conditions of the en
gine. This de
pends on the
sulphur content of the fuel. It is often sufficient to refuel with unleaded premium-grade petrol of a different brand or at a different filling station.Driving in an economical and environmentally conscious mannerGeneral Your personal style of driving is a major factor.Your fuel consumption, any pollution of
the environmental and the wear-and-tear to
the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:
your personal style of driving;

the conditions under which
your vehicle is operated;

technical aspects.
You can easily improve your fuel economy by
10 - 15 percent by driving in an econom-
ical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a number of tips on how to protect the environment and at the same time save money. The fuel consumption can naturally also be
influenced by factors which are beyond the
driver's control. It is, for example, normal
for the fuel consumption to increase in
winter and under worsened cond
itions such as poor road conditions, towing a trailer,
etc. The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the vehicle have already been built into the vehicle at the works. Special attention has been given to minimising negative
effects on the environment. It is
necessary to take note of the
s3j8.a.book Page 146 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

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
153
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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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Towing a trailer
154
s3j8.a.book Page 154 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Inspecting and replenishing
168
It is normal for the engine to consume oil.
The oil consumption may be as much as 0.5
l/1 000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which you operate your vehicle. The oil
consumption may be slightly hi
gher than this during the
first 5 000 kilometres. One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every time after the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches. We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range if the engine has been operating at high loads, for example duri
ng a lengthy motorway trip during the
summer months, towing a trailer or
negotiating a high mountain pass,
but not above
this
.
The warning light in the instrument cluster* will indicate
page 29 whether the oil
level is too low. In this case, check the oil
level as soon as possible. Top up with an
appropriate quantity of oil.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes
page 166, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution

Always check the oil level on vehicles with engine 1.2 ltr./44 kW when the engine is
cold, on other vehicles when the engine is warm. Otherwise the measuring result is incorrect und oil could be incorrectly
replenished - risk of engine damage!

The oil level must on no account extend
beyond the range . Danger of damaging
the catalytic converter.
Do not continue your journey
if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prevailing to top up with oil.
Switch the engine off
and obtain professional
assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe engine damage.Replenishing engine oil– Inspect the oil level
page 167.
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening.
– Wipe off the oil from the sealing surface of the cover and on the counterpart using
a clean cloth.
– Pour in a suitable grade of oi
l in portions of 0.5 litres
page 210.
– Inspect the oil level
page 167.
– Carefully screw on the cap of the filler opening and push the dipstick in fully.
WARNING

Avoid dripping oil onto hot parts of the engine when topping up will oil - a
risk of fire!
Read and observe the warning notes
page 166, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must on no account be above the range
page 167. Oil will otherwise
be drawn in through the cr
ankcase ventilation and may
pass through the exhaust
system to atmosphere. The oil may combust
in the catalytic conv
erter and damage it.
Changing engine oilThe engine oil must be changed at the intervals stated in the Service schedule or according to the service interval indicator
page 17.
WARNING

Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required professional
knowledge!
Read and observe the warning notes
page 166, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
First of all, let the engine cool down, we
ar an eye protection and gloves - risk
of caustic burns due to hot oil.
AaAa
Aa
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Breakdown assistance
186
The vehicle tool kit and the lifting jack* are
housed in a plastic box in the spare wheel*
 page 185, fig. 150
or in the space for the spare wheel. There is also space here for
the removable ball for the trailer towing device. The vehicle tool kit contains the following
parts (depending on equipment fitted):

wheel wrench*;

wire clamps for removing the full wheel trims;

towing eye;

Adapter for the safety wheel bolts*;

Extraction pliers for wheel bolt caps;

Replacement bulb set;

Screwdriver*.
Before placing the lifting jack back in its storage area, screw in the arm of the lifting jack fully.
WARNING

The factory-supplied lifting jack is only intended for your model of vehicle.
On no account attempt to lift a heavier vehicle or other loads - risk of injury!
Ensure that the vehicle tool kit is safely attached in the luggage
compartment.Tyre repair kitThe tyre repair kit is intended for the repair
of minor tyre defects. The tyre repair kit
contains a compressor, inflation bottle,
operating instructions and accessories.
The repair with the tyre repair kit is
not at all intended to replace
a permanent repair
on the tyre; this repair only serves to re
ach a workshop. The repair can be undertaken
on the vehicle immediately.
Please read the attached in
structions carefully before
the repair. The ty re re pa ir kit i s s towed in a n ins er ted foa m pie ce unde r the lugga ge com pa r tment cover or in the right part
of the luggage compartment.
Spare wheel*The spare wheel is stowed in th
e spare wheel well in the luggage
compartment below the floor covering.The spare wheel lies in a well under the floor covering of the luggage compartment and is fixed in place along with a vehicle tool kit box using a special screw
fig. 151
.
One should check the inflation pressure in
the spare wheel (at best when generally
checking the tyre air pressures - see sign on the fuel filler flap
page 163) to ensure
that the spare wheel is always ready to use. Unidirectional tyres* If you have such tyres on your vehi
cle, please refer to the notes below:

The spare wheel provided with a car fitted with unidirectional tyres has different
dimensions. The wheel is provided with a warning sticker.
The warning label must not be covered after installing the wheel.

Do not drive faster than 80 km/h with this spare wheel and pay particular attention
while driving. Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
The inflation pressure for this spare wheel is identical to the inflation pressure of
the standard tyres.
Use this spare wheel only to reach the nearest specialist garage as it is not intended
for continuous use.
Fig. 151 Luggage compartment: Spare wheel
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Breakdown assistance
192
WARNING

The non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps must never make contact
with each other. Furthermore, the cable connected to the positive terminal of the battery must not come into contact with electrically conducting parts of the vehicle - risk of a short circuit!
Do not affix the jump starting cables to the negative terminal of the
discharged battery. There is
the risk of detonating gas seeping out the battery
being ignited by the strong spark which
results from the engine being started.

Do not affix the cable end to parts of the fuel and brake system.

Run the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any rotating
parts in the engine compartment.
Do not bend over the batteries - risk of caustic burns!

The vent screws of the battery
cells must be tightened firmly.

Keep any sources of ignition (naked
flame, smouldering
cigarettes etc.)
away from the battery - risk of an explosion!
Never jump-start the batteries which have a too low electrolyte level - risk
of explosion and caustic burns!Jump-starting on vehicles with the “START-STOP” systemOn vehicles with the “START-STOP” syst
em, the jump-starting cable must not be
connected directly to the negative terminal
of the vehicle battery, but only to the
engine earth
fig. 158
.
Tow-starting and towing vehicleGeneralPlease pay attention to the following instru
ctions if you are going to use a tow rope:
Driver of the towing vehicle– Do not drive off until the tow rope is taught. – Release the clutch particularly gently when starting off.Driver of the towed vehicle– Switch the ignition on so that the steeri
ng wheel is not blocked and you can also
operate the turn signal lights, the headlight flasher, the windscreen wipers and windscreen washer system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position
N if your
vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
– Note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is
running. You will require significantly greater physical force to depress the brake pedal and to steer the vehicle
if the engine is not running.
– Ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught. Tow rope or tow bar A tow
bar
is safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimizes any shocks. You can use
a tow
rope
only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The tow rope must be elastic to protect the
vehicle. Thus one shou
ld only use plastic
fibre rope or a rope made out
of a similarly elastic material.
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the
towing eyes
provided for this purpose
 page 193, “Front towing eye” and
page 193, “Rear towing eye”.
Driving style Towing another vehicle requires a certain am
ount of practice. Both drivers should be
familiar with the particular points about to
wing a vehicle. Unskilled drivers should not
attempt to tow in another vehicle or to be towed in.
A4
Fig. 158 Jump-starting - START-STOP system
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