2010 SKODA FABIA Owner's Manual

Inspecting and replenishing
176
Caution
On vehicles with the “START/STOP” system,
the pole terminal of the charger must not
be connected directly to the negative termin
al of the vehicle battery, but only to the
engine earth
page 192, fig. 158
.
Disconnecting and reconnecting the batteryOn disconnecting and reconnecting the batt
ery the following functions are initially
deactivated or are no longer able to operate fault-free. We recommend having the vehicle checked by a specialist garage to ensure full func- tionality of all electrical systems.Replacing the batteryYou should only replace a battery with a ne
w battery of the same
capacity, voltage (12
V), amperage and of the same size. Specialist garages have a range of suitable batteries available. We recommend that you only have an old ba
ttery disposed of by a specialist garage
since it does require special disposal.
For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain poisonous substances such
as sulphuric acid and lead. They must be
disposed of in accordance with local environmental protection regulations and on no account as domestic waste.
Windshield washer systemThe windshield washer reservoir contains the
cleaning fluid for the
windscreen or rear
window and for the headlamp cleaning system*.
The reservoir is located in the front of
the engine compartment on the right side of the vehicle
fig. 146
. On some vehicles,
the reservoir is located on the left si
de of the vehicle next to the battery.
The
filling level
of the container is about 3.5 litres and about 5.4 litres on vehicles
which have a headlight washing system. Clear water is not sufficient to intensivel
y clean the windscreen and headlights. We
therefore recommend using clean washing water together with the screen cleaner from Škoda genuine accessories (in winter additionally with antifreeze) which is capable of removing stubborn
dirt. Follow the instructions for use on the packaging
when using screen cleaning products. You should always add antifreeze to the cleani
ng water in winter even
if your vehicle is
fitted with heated wind
screen washer nozzles*.
It is also possible in exceptional cases to use methylated spirits when no screen cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methylated spirits must not be more than 15 %. Please note, however, that the anti
freeze protection at this concentration is
only adequate down to -5°C.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes
page 166, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Operation
Operating measure
Electrical power window
(operational faults)
page 45
Enter radio code number
see Radio Operat
ing Instructions
Set hours
page 18
Data in the multi-functional indicator* are deleted.
 page 19
Fig. 146 Engine compartment: Wind- shield washer fluid reservoir
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Inspecting and replenishing
177
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Caution

On no account should you add radiator an
tifreeze or other additives to the wind-
screen washer fluid.
If the vehicle is fitted with a headligh
t cleaning system, you should only add
cleaning products which do no
t attack the polycarbonate co
ating of the headlights to
the windscreen washer fluid. Please contac
t your specialist garage, who will tell you
which cleaning agent you can use.
Note
Do not take the filter out of the windscreen
wash container when filling it up again with
liquid otherwise dirt can get into the liquid
transportation system and can lead to faults
in operation of the windscreen wash system.
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Wheels and Tyres
178
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 be
cause 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. Unidirectional tyres* The direction of rotation of the tyres is mark
ed by arrows on the
wall of the tyre. This
indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre, and it is essential that the tyres are fitted on to run in this direction. Only then are
the tyres able to provide the optimal proper-
ties in terms of grip, low nois
e, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Further information concerning th
e use of unidirectional tyres
page 182.
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 handli
ng 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. 147
. The inflation pressures for
winter tyres
are 20 kPa (0.2 bar) higher
than those for summer tyres
page 182.
Fig. 147 An opened fuel filler flap with a tyre size and tyre inflation pressure table
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Wheels and Tyres
179
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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. Tyre inflation pressure - Tyre size 185/55 R15 The same inflation pressure values apply to ty
res of the tyre size 195/55 R15 as to tyres
of the tyre size 185/55 R15 which are intended to be used with snow chains, see the inside of the fuel filler flap. The tyres of the tyre size 185/55 R15, which are intended to be used with snow chains and are fitted on models Fabia Combi Scout, have the following inflation pressure values in kPa. 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 rear
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 higher rolling
resistance. 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
Engine
Partial load
Full load
1.2/63 kW TSI
220/230
220/230
1,4/63 kW
220/290
1.2/77 kW TSI
230/300
1.6/77 kW
230/300
1,2/55 kW TDI CR
230/300
1.6/66 kW TDI CR
220/290
1.6/77 kW TDI CR
220/290
Fig. 148 Tyre tread with wear indicators
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Wheels and Tyres
180
fig. 148
. Markings on the walls of the tyres
through the letters “TWI”, triangular
symbols or other symbols identify the position of the wear indicators. A remaining tread of just 1.6 mm, measured in the grooves of the tread next to the wear 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 e
xperience “aquaplaning” (uncontrolled
movements of the vehicle - “swimming” on a wet road surface).Changing wheels aroundIf significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend changing the front wheels around with the rear wheels. 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). Specialist garages are familiar with details. 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 specialist garages have access to the most current information about which tyres we have released for
use on your vehicle.
We recommend that you have any work relati
ng to tyres or wheels carried out by a
specialist garage
. Your dealer has all of the necessary special tools and replacement
parts available plus the required specialist knowledge and is also in a position to prop-erly dispose of the old tyres. A large number
of specialist garages also have an attrac-
tive 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 licens
ing may differ according to the legislation
prevailing in indi
vidual countries.
Proper knowledge of the tyre data makes it ea
sier for you to select the correct type of
tyre. Tyres do, for example, have the following
inscription
on their walls:
185 / 65 R 14 86 T
What this means is: The following
speed restrictions
apply to tyres.
185
Tyre wi dt h i n mm
65
Height/width ratio in %
R
Code letter for the type of tyre -
R adial
14
Diameter of wheel in inches
86
Load index
T
Speed symbol
Speed symbol
Permissible maximum speed
Q
160 km/h
R
170 km/h
S
180 km/h
T
190 km/h
U
200 km/h
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Wheels and Tyres
181
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The
date of manufacture
is also stated on the tyre wall
(possibly only on the inside of
wheel).
DOT ... 13 10...
means, for example, that the tyre was ma
nufactured in the 13th week of the year 2010.
If the
spare wheel*
differs from the tyres fitted to the vehicle (e.g. winter tyres or low-
profile tyres), the spare wheel* should only be used for a short time in the event of a puncture and when adopting an appropriately
cautious style of driving. It should be
replaced as quickly as po
ssible by a normal wheel.
WARNING

Only use those tyres or wheel rims which have been approved for your
model of Škoda Auto vehicle. Failure to observe this instruction will adversely affect the road safety of your vehicle - risk of accident! Approval and licencing of your vehicle on public roads may also become void as a result.
You must on no account drive at a high
er speed than is permissible for your
tyres - risk of an accident resulting from tyre damage and loss of control over your vehicle.
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.

Never fit tyres which have already b
een used without having adequate
knowledge of their previous history. Tyre
s age even if they have not been used
at all or only very little. A spare tyre must only be used in exceptional cases and only then when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.
Do not, where possible, replace individu
al tyres but at least replace them on
both wheels of a given axle at the same time. Always fit the tyres with the deeper tread depth to the front wheels.
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed
of in conformity with
the appropriate regulations.
Note
It is not normally possible to fit wheels from
other models of cars for technical reasons.
This may also apply in certain circumstances to the wheels of the same type of vehicle.Wheel boltsWheels and
wheel bolts
are matched to each other in terms of design. Each time you
fit other wheels - e.g. light alloy wheels or wheels with winter tyres - you must therefore also use the matching wheel bolts of the corr
ect length and shape of spherical cap. This
is essential to ensure that the wheels are tightly fitted and that the brake system oper- ates properly. If you retrofit
wheel trims
(or have this done), please
also ensure that an adequate
flow of air remains assured for cooling the brake system. The specialist garages are informed about the technical possibilities which exist regarding converting or retrofitting wheels, tyres and wheel trims.
WARNING

In case of incorrect treatment of the
wheel bolts, the wheel
can loosen when
the car is moving - risk of accident!
The wheel bolts must be clean and must
turn easily. However, they must
never be treated with grease or oil.
If the wheel bolts are tightened to a too low tightening torque, the rim can
lossen when the car is moving - risk of accident! A tightening torque which is too high can damage the bolts and threads and this can result in permanent deformation of the contac
t surfaces on the rims.
Caution
The prescribed tightening torque of the wh
eel bolts for steel and light alloy wheels is
120 Nm.
H
210 km/h
V
240 km/h
W
270 km/h
Speed symbol
Permissible maximum speed
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Wheels and Tyres
182
Winter tyresThe handling of your vehicl
e will be significantly improved when driving on wintry
roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice, snow and at temperatures below 7 °C because of thei
r construction (width, rubber blend, tread
pattern). This applies in particular
to vehicles which are equipped with
low-profile
tyres
or high-speed tyres
(code index H, V or W on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four
wheels to obtain the best handling charac-
teristics. You must only fit those types of winter tyre
which are approved for your vehicle. The
permissible
sizes of winter tyres
are stated in your vehicl
e documents. Approvals may
differ because of na
tional legislation.
Please remember that the tyres should be inflated to 20 kPa (0.2 bar) more than is the case for summer tyres
page 178.
Winter tyres no longer offer the
same winter performance once the
tyre tread
has
worn down to a depth of about 4 mm. Ageing
also causes winter tyres to lose most of their winter performance properties -
even in cases where the remaining tread depth is still clearly more than 4 mm. Speed restrictions
apply to winter tyres as well as to summer tyres
page 180,

.
You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed catego
ry to your vehicle provided that you also
do not drive faster than the permissible maximum speed for such tyres, even if the possible maximum speed of your vehicle is
higher. The correspond
ing tyre category
can damage the tyres when exceeding the permissible maximum speed. Please pay attention to the notes if
you decide to fit winter tyres
page 178.
You can also fit so-called “all-year tyres” instead of winter tyres. Please contact your specialist garage if there are any points which are not clear who will be able to provide you with information regarding the maximum speed for your tyres.
WARNING
You must on no account drive your car at more than the permissible maximum speed for your winter tyres - risk of an
accident resulting from tyre damage and
loss of control over your car.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres on again in good time since summer tyres offer you better grip and handling on roads which are free of snow
and ice as well as ar temperatures below
7 °C - the braking distance is shorter, there is less tyre noise, tyre wear is reduced and fuel consumption is reduced.
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.Unidirectional tyres*The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by
arrows on the wall of the tyre
. This
indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre,
and it is essential that the tyres are fitted
on to run in this direction. Only then are the tyres able to provide the optimal proper- ties in terms of grip, low nois
e, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Should it be necessary to fit on a spare wheel* in the event of a puncture with a tyre not dedicated to the running dire
ction or in opposite runnin
g direction, please adopt a
cautious style of driving as the tyre is no
longer able to provide optimal grip and
handling in such a situation. This particular
ly important on wet roads. Please refer to
the additional instructions
page 186, “Spare wheel*”.
You should have the defective tyre replaced as soon as possible and restore the correct direction of rotation on all tyres.Snow chainsSnow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels. When driving on wintry roads, snow chains
improve not only traction, but also the
braking performance. For technical reasons, it is only permissi
ble to fit snow chains
with the following
wheel/tyre combinations.
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Wheels and Tyres
183
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than
12 mm
.
Remove the
full wheel trims
before installing the snow chains.
Observe the different national legal regulation
s relating to the use of snow chains and
the maximum vehicle spee
d with snow chains.
WARNING
Please pay attention to the information in the supplied fitting instructions of the snow chain manufacturer.
Caution
You must take the chains off as soon as you drive on roads which are free of snow. They adversely affect the handling of your ve
hicle, damage the tyres and are rapidly
destroyed.
Note

Only fit snow chains from the ra
nge of Škoda genui
ne accessories.

When driving with snow chains, switch off the traction control system (TCS).
Wheel size
Depth (D)
Ty re s i z e
5J x 14
35 mm
165/70
6J x 14
37 mm
185/60
6J x 15
43 mm
185/55
s3j8.a.book Page 183 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM