2010 SKODA FABIA brake

Passive Safety
116

Always keep your feet in the footwell
when the car is being driven - never
put your feet out of the window or on the surfaces of the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it
becomes necessary to apply the brake or
in the event of an accident. If the head
airbag* is deployed and when adopting
an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to an increased risk of injury and in the event of an acci
dent you may suffer fatal injuries!

If the occupants on the rear
seats are not sitting uprigh
t, the risk of injury is
increased due to incorrect routing of the seat belt.Examples of an incorrect seated position An incorrect seated position can lead to severe injuries or death for the occupants.Seat belts offer their optimum protection only
if the webbing of the seat belts is prop-
erly routed. Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce the protective functions of the seat belts and therefore increase the risk
of injury due to an incorrect routing of the
seat belt. The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occupants, in particular for the children. Do not permit an occupant to
adopt an incorrect seated position when
the car is moving. The following list contains
the examples of seated positions which are dangerous for
the occupants. This list is not complete, howe
ver we would like you to get interested in
this subject. Therefore, while the car is moving never:
stand up in the vehicle;

stand up on the seats;

kneel on the seats;

tilt the seat backrest fully to the back;

lean against the dash panel;

lie on the rear seat bench;

only sit on the front area of the seat;

sit to the side;

lean out of the window;

put the feet out of the window;

put the feet on the dash panel;

put the feet on the seat upholstery;

transport somebody in the footwell;

have the seat belt not fastened when driving;

occupy the luggage compartment.
WARNING

If the occupant adopts an incorrect seated position, he is exposed to life-
threatening injuries, in case he is hit by a deployed airbag.
Before setting off, please adopt the correct seated position and do not
change this seated position while the car is moving. Also advise your occupants to adopt the correct seated position and not to change this seated position while the car is moving.
WARNING (continued)
s3j8.a.book Page 116 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Seat belts
119
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
How are seat belts correctly fastened?Fastening three-point seat belts Fasten your seat be
lt before starting!
Fig. 111 Routing of belt webbing over the sh
oulders and the lap belt / Routing of belt
webbing for an expectant mother– Correctly adjust the seat and the head restraint before fastening your seat belt
 page 114, “Correct seated position”.
– Slowly pull the belt webbing at the tongue
of the lock over your chest and pelvis

.
– Insert the tongue of the lock into the seat belt buckle belonging to the seat until it
is heard to lock in place.
– Pull on the belt to check that it has also reliably engaged in the lock. Each three-point seat belt is equipped with
an inertia reel. This inertia reel offers you
complete freedom of movement if the belt is unreeled slowly. If the brakes are applied suddenly, the inertia reel will block. The
belts also block when the car accelerates,
when driving downhill and when cornering. Expectant mothers must also wear the seat belt

.
WARNING

The shoulder part of the seat belt must never run across your neck but must
run approximately over the middle of the shoulder and fit snugly against the
chest. The lap part of the belt must r
un across the hip and must never be routed
across the stomach. It must always fit snugly
fig. 111
- left. Adjust the belt
webbing as required.
The lap part of the belt should be posi
tioned as low as possible at the pelvis
of an expectant mother in order to avoid exerting any pressure on the lower abdomen
fig. 111
- right.

Always ensure that the webbing of the
seat belts is properly routed. Seat
belts which are not correctl
y adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in
minor accidents.
A seat belt which is hanging too loose can result in injuries as your body is
moved forward by the kinetic energy pr
oduced in an accident and is then
suddenly held firm by the belt.
Only insert the lock tongue into the lock which is the correct one for your
seat. This will affect the protection which
the belt offers and increase the risk of
an injury.Seat belt height adjuster on the front seatsThe seat belt height adjuster makes it possible for you to adapt the routing of the front three-point seat belt in the area of the shoulder to match your body size. – To adjust the belt height press the heig
ht adjuster and move it up or down
 fig. 112
.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 112 Front seat: Seat belt height adjuster
s3j8.a.book Page 119 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Intelligent Technology
137
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralGeneral The ESP aids you in maintaining control of
your vehicle in situations in which the
vehicle is driving at its dynamic limits, such as
entering a curve fast. The risk of skidding
is reduced and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the conditions of the road surface. The system operates at all speeds. The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL);

Traction control system (TCS);

Antilock brake system (ABS);

Brake Assist;

Uphill Start Assist.
Operating principle The ESP switches on automati
cally when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also proc- esses additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehicle about its ve
rtical axis, the lateral acceleration of the
vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle. The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering angle and the speed of the vehicle and is co
nstantly compared wi
th the actual behav-
iour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such
as the vehicle beginning to skid, the ESP will
automatically brake the appropriate wheel. The car is stabilised again by the forces wh
ich take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of a vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency fo
r the rear of the vehicle to break away)
while occurs this is on the inner rear wh
eel of a vehicle whic
h tends to understeer
(tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by noises. If the ESP helps to stabilise the vehicle (f
or example when applying and releasing a
braking force to an individual wheel), then the indicator light
 flashes.
The ESP system cannot be switched off, only
the TCS system can be switched off by
pressing the button
page 138, fig. 130
. The warning light
 page 31 lights up if
the TCS system is switched off. The warning light
 lights up permanently if there is a fault in the ESP system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that the ESP warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly. If the warning light
 comes on immediately after starting the engine, the ESP system
can be switched off for technical reasons. In
this case, the ESP system can be switched
on again by switching the igni
tion on and off. If the warning light goes out, the ESP
system is fully functional again.
WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehicle. Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of driving to the condition of the road surfac
e and the traffic situation. This partic-
ularly applies when driving on slippery
and wet roads. The increased safety
offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an acci- dent!
Note

All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circum
ferences of the tyres can lead to an unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.
s3j8.a.book Page 137 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Intelligent Technology
138

Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th
e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP
page 184, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.Traction control system (TCS)* The traction control system prevents the driven wheels from spinning when accelerating.General The TCS makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate and climb a steep hill when the conditions
of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle The TCS switches on automatically when th
e engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force transmitted to the road surface is auto- matically adapted by reducing the engine speed. The system operates at all speeds. The TCS operates in combination with the ABS
page 140, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)”. The TCS will not function if a fault exists in the ABS system. The TCS warning light lights up in the instru
ment cluster when there is a fault on the
TCS
 page 31.
Switching off You can switch the TCS off and on agai
n as you wish by pressing the button
fig. 130
.
The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when the TCS is switched off  page 31.
The TCS should normally always
be switched on. It may be good practice in certain
exceptional cases, such as when you wish to
have wheel slip, to switch off the system.
Examples:
when driving with snow chains;

when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface;

when it is necessary to rock a vehicle when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the TCS again.
WARNING
You should always adjust your style of driving to the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note

All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the TCS. Differing rolling circum
ferences of the tyres can lead to an unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the TCS
page 184, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)* The electronic differential lock prev
ents an individual wheel from slip-
ping.Models fitted with ESP are equipped with
electronic differential lock (EDL).
Fig. 130 TCS switch
s3j8.a.book Page 138 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Intelligent Technology
139
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
General The EDL makes it much easier, and sometimes
at all possible, to start off, accelerate
and climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface are unfavourable. Operating principle The EDL is activated automaticall
y, that is without any action on the part of the driver.
It monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS sensors. Should only
one
drive wheel begin spinning on a slippery surface there will be an appreciable
difference in the speed of the driven wheels. The EDL function brakes the slipping wheel and the differential transmits a greate
r driving force to the other driven wheel.
This control process is also accompanied by noises. Overheating of the brakes The EDL switches off automatically if unusually severe stresses exist in order to avoid excessive heat generation in the disc brake on the wheel which is being braked. The vehicle can continue to be driven and has
the same characteristics as a vehicle not
fitted with EDL. The EDL switches on again automatically as soon as the brake has cooled down.
WARNING

Carefully depress the accelerator when accelerating on uniformly slippery
road surfaces, such as ice and snow. The driven wheels might still spin despite the EDL and affect the stability of
the vehicle - risk of an accident!

You should always adapt your style of driving to the condition of road
surface and to the traffic situation even
when your vehicle is fitted with EDL.
The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note

If the ABS or TCS or ESP warning light comes on, this may also indicate a fault in the
EDL. Please have the vehicle inspected as
soon as possible by a specialist garage.

Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th
e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can in
fluence the function of the EDL
page 184, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
BrakesWhat has a negative effect on braking efficiency?Wear-and-tear Wear-and-tear to the brake pa
ds is greatly dependent on
the operating conditions of
the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns and over short distances or if you adopt a sporty
style of driving, it may be necessary to
have the thickness of the brake pads insp
ected at a specialist garage between the
service inspections. Wet roads or road salt There may be a certain delay before the brakes
take full effect un
der certain conditions
such as when driving through water, during
heavy rain showers or
after the vehicle has
been washed in an automatic vehicle wash
, since the brake discs and brake pads may
be moist or even have a coating of ice on them in winter. You should dry the brakes as soon as possible by applying and
releasing the brakes several times.
There also may be a certain delay before the
full braking efficiency is available when
driving on roads which have been treated with
road salt if you have not used the brakes
for some considerable time beforehand. The
layer of salt on the brake discs and brake
pads must first be rubbed off when you apply the brakes. Corrosion Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on th
e bake pads occur if
the vehicle has been
parked for a long period and if you do
not make much use of the braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firm
ly applying the brakes at a fairly high
speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corrosion is present

.
Faults in the brake surface If you notice that the braking distance has
suddenly become longer and that the brake
pedal can be depressed further, it is possib
le that a brake circuit of the dual-circuit
brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist garage without delay in order to have the problem rectified. Drive at a reduced speed while on your way to the dealer and adapt your style of
driving to the higher brake pedal pressure
required.
s3j8.a.book Page 139 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Intelligent Technology
140
Low brake fluid level An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake system. The level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically
page 32, “Brake system
”.
WARNING

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 jeop-ardy.
When retrospectively mounting a front spoiler, solid wheel hubs etc. one
must ensure that the air supply to the
front wheel brakes is not reduced other-
wise the braking system could run too hot.
Allow for the fact that new brake pads
do not achieve their full braking effi-
ciency until approximately
200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first “run
in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compen- sate for this slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal. This guideline also applie
s to any new brake pads installed at a
future date.
Caution

Never allow the brakes to rub by applying sl
ight pressure if you do not wish to brake
the vehicle. This causes the br
akes to overheat and can also result in a longer braking
distance and excessive wear.
Before negotiating a steep downhill sectio
n, please reduce your speed and shift
down into the next lower gear (manual gear
box) or select a lower driving stage (auto-
matic gearbox). This enables
you to make full use of the braking power of the vehicle
and reduces the strain on the brakes. Any ad
ditional braking should be done intermit-
tently, not continuously.
Note
The brake light flashes automatically in case
of an emergency braking at speeds greater
than 60 km/h or with the intervention of th
e ABS, which lasts longer than 1.5 seconds.
After the speed was reduced below 10 km/h or the vehicle was stopped, the brake light stops flashing and the hazard warning light system switches on. The hazard warning light system is switched off automatically
after accelerating
or driving off again.
Brake boosterThe brake booster boosts the pressure whic
h you generate with the brake pedal. The
necessary pressure is only genera
ted when the engine is running.
WARNING

Never switch off the engine befo
re the vehicle is stationary.

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.Antilock brake system (ABS)ABS prevents the wheels locking when braking.General The ABS contributes significan
tly to enhancing the active
safety of your vehicle.
Compared to a vehicle not fitted with the ABS brake system, you are able to retain optimal steering ability even during a full br
ake application on a slippery road surface
because the wheels do not lock up. You must not expect, however, that the braking distance will be shorter under all circumstances as a result of the ABS. The
braking distance for example on gravel and
fresh snow, when you should anyway be driv
ing slowly and cautiously, will be longer.
Operating principle As soon as the vehicle speed has increased to about 20 km/hour an automatic test procedure is conducted during which you wi
ll be able to hear a pumping noise for
about 1 second. The brake pressure will be reduced on a wheel which is rotating at a speed which is too low for the speed of the vehicle and tending
to lock. This control
cycle is noticeable
from a
pulsating movement of the brake pedal
which is accomp
anied by noises.
This is consciously intended to provide the driver with the information that the wheels are tending to lock (ABS control range). You must always keep the brake pedal depressed to enable the ABS to optimally control the brake application in this braking range. Never interrupt the application of the brakes!
s3j8.a.book Page 140 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Intelligent Technology
141
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WARNING

The ABS can also not overcome the physical
limits of your vehicle. Please do
not forget this, particularly when driving on icy or wet road surfaces. If the ABS is operating within the control range,
adapt your speed immediately to the
conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered by the ABS must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
The normal braking system is
still fully functional if there is an ABS fault.
Visit a specialist garage immediately and
adjust your style of driving according
to the damage to the ABS as you will no
t know how great the damage is and the
limitation it is placing on the braking efficiency.
Note

A warning light comes on if a fault occurs in the ABS system
 page 32.

Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th
e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can in
fluence the function of the ABS
page 184, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.Brake Assist*During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake Assist increases the braking force and thus makes it possible to
rapidly produce the pressure required in
the brake system. The majority of drivers do apply the brakes
in good time in dangerous situations, but
do not depress the brake pedal with sufficient pressure. Consequently, it is not possible for the vehicle to achieve its maximum deceleration and the vehicle covers a greater distance than necessary. The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake pedal. In such cases, a much greater braking pressure exists
than during a normal
brake application.
This makes it possible, even with a relative
ly low resistance of the brake pedal, to
produce an adequate pressure in the brake system in the shortest possible time, which is required for maximum deceleration of th
e vehicle. You must apply the brake pedal
firmly and hold it in this position in order to achieve the shortest possible braking distance.
The Brake Assist is able to help you achi
eve a shorter braking distance in emergency
situations by rapidly producing the pressure required in the brake system. It fully exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of the Brake Assist is automatically switched off
and the brakes operate in the normal way.
The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If
a fault occurs in the ESP, the Brake Assist
function is also not available.
Further information on the ESP
page 137.
WARNING

The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your
vehicle in terms of the braking distance required.
Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic situ-
ation.
The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to take
a greater safety risk than otherwise.Uphill Start Assist*The uphill start assist makes it easier to start off on steep hills. The system assists a start off by holding the brake pressure produced
by the brake pedal actuation for approx. 2
seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore move his foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and
start off on the slope, without having to
actuate the handbrake. The brake pressure drops gradually the more you operate the accelerator pedal. If the vehicle does not start
off within 2 seconds, it starts to roll back.
The uphill start assist is active as of a 3% slope, if the driver door is closed. It is always active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When driving downhill, it is inactive.Electrohydraulic power steeringThe power steering enables you to steer the vehicle with less physical force. The steering characteristics can be changed by a specialist garage.
s3j8.a.book Page 141 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

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
s3j8.a.book Page 143 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM