2010 SKODA FABIA wheel

Seat belts
118
The speed of the vehicle is,
nevertheless, the most important factor. Doubling the
speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy four times. The common opinion that it is possible to su
pport your body in a minor accident with
your hands, is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces acting on the body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body. Even if you only drive at a speed within the range from 30 km/hour to 50 km/hour, the forces which are produced on your body in
the event of an accident can easily exceed
10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of one tonne (1 000 kg). In the event of a frontal collision, occupants
of the vehicle not wearing a seat belt, are
thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled
way parts of the interior of the vehicle,
such as steering wheel,
dash panel, windscreen,
page 117, fig. 110
- left. The occu-
pants of a vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may even be thrown out of the vehicle. This can result in fatal injuries. It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will otherwise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontr
olled manner in the event of an accident
A rear seat passenger who has not fastened the
s eat bel t i s a dang er not o nl y to hims elf
but also for those seated at the front
page 117, fig. 110
- right.
Important safety information regarding the use of seat beltsThe correct use of the seat belts cons
iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING

The belt webbing must no
t be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
or chafe against any sharp edges.
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts are
to offer their maximum protection
page 119, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt
together.
The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
are correctly seated
page 114, “Correct seated position”.

The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. specta-
cles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause of injuries.
Bulky, loose clothing (e.g. a winter coat over a jacket) does not allow you to
be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of the seat belts.
It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e.g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons).
The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is the correct
one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety
belt will reduce its capacity to protect
and the risk of injury increases.
The seat backrests must not be tilted too far to the rear otherwise the seat-
belts can lose their effectiveness.
The belt webbing must always be ke
pt clean. Soiled belt webbing may
impair proper operation of the inertia reel
page 161, “Seat belts”.

The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or similar objects
otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place properly.
Inspect the seat belts regula
rly to ensure they are in
good condition. If you
find seat belts which have damage to the seat belt webbing, seat belt connec- tions, to the inertia reels or to the lock,
the relevant safety belt must be replaced
by a specialist garage.
The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not make an
attempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident and
were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is best done by a specialist garage. The anchorage points of the
belts must also be inspected. The
anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.
In certain countries it is possible to use seat belts which differ in terms of
their operation from the seat belts wh
ich are described on the pages which
follow.
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
123
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
When are the airbags deployed?The airbag system is designed in such a
way that the driver and the front passenger
airbag* are deployed in the event of a
frontal collision of major severity
.
In the case of a
violent side crash
, the side airbag* in the front seat and the head
airbag* on the side on which the collision occurs are deployed. It is also possible under certain special accident situations that the front as well as the side airbags and head airbags* are deployed at the same time. The airbags
are not deployed
in the case of
minor
frontal and side collisions, rear-end
collisions, tilting of the ve
hicle and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors It is not possible to state globally which
deployment conditions apply to the airbag
system in every situation as the circumstances which exist in the case of accidents vary greatly. An important role in this case, for ex
ample, is played by factors such as the type
of object against which the vehicle impacts (h
ard, soft), the angle of impact, the vehicle
speed etc. A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which occurs during a collision. The control unit analyses
the nature of the collision and activates the
relevant restraint system. If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is measured during the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the airbags are no
t deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe
damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident. The airbags are not deployed if:
ignition is switched off;

a minor frontal collision;

a minor side collision;

a rear-end collision;

Rollover of the vehicle.Note

A grey white or red, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is
perfectly normal and is not an indi
cation of a fire in the vehicle.

In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:  the interior lighting comes on (if the swit
ch for the interior light is in the door
contact position),  the hazard warning li
ght is switched on;
 All the doors are unlocked.
Front airbagsDescription of the front airbags The airbag system is not a su
bstitute for the seat belt!
Fig. 114 Driver airbag in the steering wheel
/ front passenger airbag in the dash panel
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel
fig. 114
- left. The front
airbag for the front passenger* is housed in the dash panel above the storage compart- ment
fig. 114
- right. The installation positions are each marked with the “AIRBAG”
logo. The front airbag system, in combination with
three-point safety belts, offers additional
protection for the head and chest area of the driver and front passenger in the event of a frontal collision of major severity

in “Important safety information regarding
the front airbag system” on page 124. The airbag is not a substitute for the seat
belt, but is part of the complete passive
vehicle safety concept.
Please note that an airbag can only offer you optimal
protection in combination with a seat belt which is fastened
.
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Airbag system
124
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the
seat belts
is to also
hold the driver and front passenger in a correct seated position in the event of a frontal collision so as to enable the front ai
rbags to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat be
lts, not only because this is required by
law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection
page 117, “Why seat
belts?”.
Caution
The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has been deployed.Function of the front airbags Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by fully inflated side airbags.The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver and front passenger airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major severity. In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously deployed. If the airbags are deployed, the airbags are filled with a propellant gas and inflated in front of the driver and front passenger
fig. 115
. The airbags inflate in fractions of a
second and at a high speed in order to be able
to offer that additional protection in the
event of an accident. The movement of the
driver and of the front passenger is cush-
ioned when they make contact with the fully
inflated airbag and the risk of injury to
head and chest is thus reduced. The specially developed airbag allows the gas
to flow out of the inflated airbag in a
controlled manner (depending on the load of
the particular car occupant) in order to
cushion head and chest areas. The airbag then
deflates subsequently to such an extent,
after an accident, to again provide a clear view forward. A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indicati
on of a fire in the vehicle.
The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to injuries if the sitting position or seated position is not correct

in “Important safety information
regarding the front airbag system”.Important safety information regarding the front airbag system Correct use of the airbag system cons
iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING

Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a
proper restraint system. If airbags are de
ployed in the event of an accident, the
child might suffer severe
or even fatal injuries!

For the driver and front passenger it is important to maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel
fig. 116
. Not main-
taining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints must always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
Fig. 115 Inflated airbags
Fig. 116 Safe distance to steering wheel
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Airbag system
125
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data

It is essential to always switch off
page 128, “Deactivating airbags” the
front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also
when the child is facing the direction of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch
ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side or
head passenger airbags be deactivated.
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regu
lations regarding the use of child safety seats.

There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned
between the front seated occupants and
the deployment area of the airbag.

The steering wheel and the surface of th
e airbag module in the dash panel
on the passenger side must not be stuck
onto, covered or modified in any other
way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth moistened with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile phone mounts, etc. may be attached to the covers of the airbag modules or be located within the imme- diate area.
No modifications of any kind may be
made to parts of the airbag system.
Any work on the airbag system includ
ing installing and removing system
components because of other repair wo
rk (e.g. removing the steering wheel)
must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.

Never place any objects on the surface of the dash panel on the front
passenger side.
Side airbags*Description of side airbags The side airbag increases protection
of the passenger concerned in the
case of a side impact.The side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the seat backrests of the front seats and are marked with the lettering “AIRBAG”
fig. 117
on the middle part.
The side airbag system in combination with the three-point seat belts, offers additional protection for the upper area of the body
(chest, stomach and pelvis) in the event of
severe side collisions

in “Important safety information on the side airbag” on
page 126. Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the
seat belts
is to also
hold the driver and front pass
enger in a correct seated position in the event of a side
collision so as to enable the side ai
rbags to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat belts, not only because this is required by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection
page 117, “Why seat
belts?”.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 117 Driver seat: Installation posi- tion of airbag
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Airbag system
128
Important safety information on the head airbag Correct use of the airbag system cons
iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING

It is essential to always switch off
page 128 the front passenger airbag
when attaching a child safety seat on th
e front passenger seat where the child is
seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal inju
ries if the front passenger airbag is
deployed. In certain countries national legal provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deac
tivated. When transporting a child on
the front passenger seat, pl
ease comply with the appropriate national regula-
tions regarding the use of child safety seats.
There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head airbags
which might prevent the airbag
s from inflating properly.

Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in
the pockets of the
items of clothing.
In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing.
There must not be any other persons (e
.g. children) or animals between the
car occupant and the deployment area of the head airbag. In addition, none of the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driving, or extend their arms and hands out of the window.
The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the deploy-
ment area of the head airbags if any ob
jects, such as ball-point pens etc. are
attached to them. This might result in
injuries to the occupants if the head
airbag is deployed.
Installing impermissible accessories in the area of the head airbags may
considerably impair the protection offered
by the head airbag in the event of it
being deployed. When the deployed head
airbag is inflated, parts of the acces-
sories fitted may in certain circumstances be thrown into the interior of the car and cause injuries to the occupants
page 184.

Any work on the head airbag system
including installing and removing
system components because
of other repair work (e.g. removing headliner)
must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
Deactivating airbagsDeactivating airbags If any airbags have been deactivated, switch them on again as soon as possible so that they are able to ag
ain provide their proper protection.
There is the technical means installed within your vehicle to switch off the front, side* or head* airbag (take out of commission). This is why you should have the deactivation
of the airbags carried out by a specialist
garage. On vehicles equipped with the switch for deactivation of the airbags, you can deacti- vate the front passenger airbag
by means of this switch
page 129.
Deactivation of the airbag is envisaged only for particular instances, such as if:
in exceptional circumstances
, it is necessary to use a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat, where the child is seated with
its back facing in
direction of travel
 page 130, “Important safety information re
garding the use of child safety seats”;

you are not able to maintain the distance of at least 25 cm between middle of
steering wheel and chest, despite the
driver seat being correctly adjusted;

special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of a
physical disability;
you have installed other seats (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
Monitoring the airbag system The functionality of the airbag system is al
so monitored electronically when one airbag
has been switched off. If the airbag was switched off using diagnostic equipment:
The airbag indicator light lights up for 3 seconds each time the ignition is switched
on and then flashes after that for about 12 seconds. If the airbag was switched off using the airbag switch* on the side of the dash panel:
the airbag indicator light in the instrume
nt cluster comes on for about 3 seconds
each time the igniti
on is switched on;
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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