2010 SKODA FABIA Owner's Manual

Lights and Visibility
56
Do not use the windscreen washer sy
stem at low temperatures, without
heating the windscreen beforehand.
Otherwise the window cleaner could
freeze on the windscreen and re
strict the view to the front.

In the event of a freezing up of the wi
ndscreen, first of al
l eliminate the ice
 page 157 and then operate the windscr
een wiper otherwise the windscreen
wiper blades could be damaged.
Caution
In frosty weather, please firs
t of all check whether the windscreen wiper blades are not
frozen to the windscreen before switching
them on. Switching on windscreen wipers
when the blades are frozen to the windscreen may result in damage both to the blades and the motor of the windscreen wipers!
Note
The content of the windscreen wiper reserv
oir is 3.5 litres. On vehicles which are
equipped with a headlight cleaning system*, the content of the reservoir is 5.4 litres.Headlight cleaning system*The headlights are being cleaned after the windscreen washer system has been oper- ated for the fifth time, the low beam or main
beam are switched on as well as the wind-
screen wiper lever is held in the position
page 55, fig. 46
for about 1 second.
You should remove stubborn dirt (such as in
sect residues) from the headlight lenses at
regular intervals, for example when refuelling
. Please refer to the following guidelines
 page 158, “The headlight lenses”. You should remove any snow from the fixtur
es of the washer nozzles and clear ice in
winter with a de-icing spray in order to
ensure proper operation of the cleaning
system.
Replacing wiper blades for the windscreen wipersTaking off the wiper blade– Fold windscreen wiper arm away from the windscreen. – Press the locking button, in order to un
lock the wiper blade and pull off in the
direction of arrow.
Attaching a wiper blade– Push the wiper blade until it locks up to the stop. – Check whether the wiper blade is correctly attached.– Fold the windscreen wiper ar
m back onto the windscreen.
Wiper blades in proper condition are essentia
l to obtain good visibility. Wiper blades
should not be allowed to become dirtied by
dust, insect remains and preserving wax.
Juddering or smearing of the wiper blades co
uld then be due to wax residues left on
the windscreen by vehicle washing in automa
tic vehicle wash systems. It is therefore
important to
degrease
the lips of the wiper blades after every pass through an
auto-
matic vehicle wash system
.
WARNING

If the windscreen wipers are handled ca
relessly, there is a risk of damage to
the windscreen.
WARNING (continued)
A5
Fig. 47 Wiper blade for the windscreen wiper
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Lights and Visibility
57
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data

You should clean the wiper blades regu
larly with a windscreen cleaner in
order to avoid any smears. Clean a wiper blad
e with a sponge or cloth if it is very
dirty, for example from insect residues.
Replace the wiper blades once or twice a year for safety reasons. The wiper
blades are available from specialist garages.Replacing the wiper blade on the rear window wiperTaking off the wiper blade– Fold windscreen wiper arm out from the windscreen and position the wiper blade
at right angles to the wiper arm
fig. 48
.
– Hold the window wiper arm at the top end with one hand.– With the other hand unlock the locking button in the direction of arrow and
remove the wiper blade.
Attaching a wiper blade– Position the wiper blade onto the wiper arm and lock the locking button . – Check whether the wiper bl
ade is correctly attached.
The same remarks apply here as for
page 56.
Rear mirrorYou can adjust the exterior mirrors electrically*.Adjust the rear mirror before commencing to drive so that there is a clear view to the rear.Dimming the interior mirror– Pull the lever on the bottom edge of the mirror toward rear (the lever on the inte-
rior mirror must point forwards in it home position).
Heating of the external mirror*– Turn the rotary knob to position
 fig. 49
.
Adjusting the left-hand exterior mirror*– Turn the rotary knob to position
. The movement of the mirror surface is identical
to the movement of the rotary knob.
Adjusting the right-hand exterior mirror*– Turn the rotary knob to position
. The movement of the mirror surface is identical
to the movement of the rotary knob.
The vehicle can also be equipp
ed with a second rear mirror*, which is attached above
the inner main rear mirror. Th
e second rear mirror* enables an extensive look into the
area of the rear seats, e.g. to check on the seated passengers. You can adjust it in the horizontal as well as vertical direction re
gardless of the inner main rear mirror.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 48 Wiper blade for rear windowAA
AA
Fig. 49 Inner part of door: Rotary knob
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Lights and Visibility
58The exterior mirror heater only op
erates when the engine is running.
WARNING

Convex (curved outward) or spherical (differently curved) exterior mirrors
increase the vision field. They do, howe
ver, make objects appear smaller in the
mirror. These mirrors are only of limited
use, therefore, for estimating distances
to the following vehicles.
Use whenever possible the interior rear
mirror, for estimating the distances
to the following vehicles.
Note

Do not touch the surfaces of the exterior mirrors if the exterior mirror heater is
switched on.
You can set the exterior mirrors by hand, if
the power setting function fails at any
time by pressing on the edge of the mirror surface.
Contact your specialist garage if a fault ex
ists with the power setting of the exterior
mirrors.s3j8.a.book Page 58 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Seats and Storage
59
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Seats and StorageFront seatsBasic informationThe front seats have a wide range of differ
ent settings and can thus be matched to the
physical characteristics of the driver and
front passenger. Correct adjustment of the
seats is particularly important for:
safely and quickly reaching the controls;

a relaxed, fatigue-free body position;

achieving the maximum protection offered by the seat belts and the airbag
system. The chapters which follow describe the procedure which you should adopt for adjusting the seats.
WARNING

Never transport more occupants than the maximum seating in the vehicle.

Each occupant must correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to the seat.
Children must be fastened
page 130, “Transporting children safely” with a
suitable restraint system.
The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your occupants.
Always keep your feet in the footwell
when the vehicle is being driven -
never place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the surfaces of the seats. This is particular
ly important for the front seat passenger.
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 an airbag is deployed, you may suffer
fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated position!
It is important for the driver and front
passenger to maintain
a distance of at
least 25 cm from the steering wheel or
dash panel. Not maintaining 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.
Ensure that there are no objects in
the footwell as any objects may get
behind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate.
Do not transport any objects on the front passenger seat except those
provided for this purpose (e.g. child safety seat) - risk of accident!Adjusting the front seatsAdjusting a seat in a forward/back direction–Pull the lever
fig. 50
up and push the seat into the desired position.
– Release the lever and push the seat further until the lock is heard to engage.Adjusting height of seat*– Lift the seat if required by pulling or pumping lever upwards.– Lower the seat if required by pushing or pumping lever downwards.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 50 Controls at seat
A1A1
A2A2
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Seats and Storage
60 Adjust the angle of the seat backrest– Relieve any pressure on the seat backrest
(do not lean on it) and turn the hand-
wheel to adjust the angle of the backrest.
The driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the pedals can be fully pressed to the floor with slightly bent legs. The seat backrest on the driver's seat should
be adjusted in such a way that the upper
point of the steering wheel can be easi
ly reached with slightly bent arms.
WARNING

Only adjust the driver seat when the vehicle is stationary - risk of injury!

Take care when adjusting the seat! Adjusting the seat without care can lead
to bruises or injuries.
The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving otherwise
this will affect proper operation of the se
at belts and of the airbag system - risk
of injury!Head restraintsFig. 51 Head restraint: Adjusting / pulling outBest protection is achieved if the top edge of
the head restraint is at the same level as
the upper part of your head.
Adjusting the height of a head restraint– Grasp the side of the head restraint with both hands and push the head restraint in
the direction of axle of the metal guide rods, in the direction of arrow to the top or to the bottom
fig. 51
on the left.
– Move the head restraint downwards if required by pressing the locking button
 fig. 51
on the right and by pressing with the other hand the head restraint down-
wards.
Removing and installing a head restraint– Pull the head restraint out of the seat backrest as far as the stop. – Press the locking button in the direction of arrow
fig. 51
and pull the head
restraint out.
– To re-insert the head restraint, push it do
wn into the seat backrest far enough until
you hear the locking button engage.
The position of the front, rear outer head restraints and the rear middle head restraint* is adjustable for height. The head restraints must be adjusted to ma
tch the size of the seat occupant. Correctly
adjusted head restraints together with the
seat belts offer effective protection for the
occupants
page 114.
WARNING

The head restraints must be correctly adjusted in order to offer effective
protection for the occupants in the event of an accident.
Do not drive under any circumstance with removed head restraints - risk of
injury!
If the rear seats are occupied, the rear
head restraint must not be in the
lower position.
A3
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Seats and Storage
61
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Heating the front seats*You can electrically heat the seat cushions and the seat backrests of the front seats. – By pressing the rocker switch in the posi
tion or switch on the front seat
heating to 25% or 100% of its power output
fig. 52
.
– To switch off the heating shift the rocker switch into the horizontal position.
WARNING

If, as an occupant, you have a subdued
pain and/or temperature sensitivity,
e.g. through medication, paralysis or beca
use of chronic illness (e.g. diabetes),
we recommend not to use the seat heating of the driver or front passenger seat. This can lead to burns on the back, the
posterior and the legs
which are difficult
to heal. If the seat heating is used, we
recommend to make regular breaks in
your journey when driving long distances,
so that the body can recuperate from
the stress of the journey. Please consult your doctor, who can evaluate your specific condition.
Caution

You should not kneel on the seats or otherwise apply pressure at specific points in
order to avoid damaging the heating elements of the seat heaters.
Do not use the seat heating if the seats are not occupied by persons or if objects
are fastened or stored on them, for example a child seat, a bag etc. A fault of the heating elements in the seat heating can occur.
Do not clean the seats moist
page 160.
Note
The seat heating should only be switched
on when the engine is running. This has a
significant effect of saving
on the battery capacity.
Rear seatsFolding the rear seats forwardsFig. 53 Fold the seat cushion forwards / unlock the seat backrestTo enlarge the luggage compartment, the rear
seats can be folded forwards, if neces-
sary remove the seat cushions
page 62. The rear seats can be folded forward indi-
vidually on vehicles with divided rear seats*.Folding seats forwards– Before folding the rear seats forwards, yo
u must adapt the position of the front
seats in such a way that they are not damaged when the rear seats are folded forwards.
– Pull up the seat cushion in direction of arrow
fig. 53
and fold forwards in
direction of arrow .
– Unlock the seat backrest by pressing th
e securing knob and fold it forwards
 fig. 53
on the right.
– Pull the head restraint out of the seat backrest.
Fig. 52 Rocker switch: Front seat heatingA1
A2
A1
A2
AA
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Seats and Storage
62– The head restraints can be inserted into
the relevant holes of the folded forward
seat cushions
fig. 54
.
– Fold the seat backrests fully fowards.Move seats into the initial position– Install the head restraint in the slightly lifted seat backrest.– Then push the seat backrest back into th
e upright position until the securing knob
clicks into place - check by
pulling on the seat backrest.
– Make sure that the red pin is covered
page 61, fig. 53
on the right.
– Move the seat cushion into its original position.
WARNING

Ensure that the seat belts are not da
maged when operating the seat back-
rests. Under no circumstances must the rear seat belts be jammed by the folded back seat backrests.
The belts and the belt locks must be in their original position after folding
back the seat cushions and the seat backrests - they must be ready to use.
Pay attention that the seat backrest is correctly interlocked. It is only then
that the three-point seat belt can reliably fulfil its function.
The seat backrests must be securely interlocked in position so that no
objects in the luggage compartment ca
n slide into the passenger compartment
if there is sudden braking - risk of injury!
Note
If the housing of the net partit
ion* is installed, first of all fold th left seat backrest
forward and then the right double seat backrest.
Inserting head restraints in the seat cushions– The rear head restraints can be inserted
into the relevant holes of the folded
forward seat cushions.
Removing the seat cushionThe luggage compartment can be increased in size by removing the rear seat.Removing– Fold the seat cushion forwards completely. – Press the wire clamps in the direction of the arrow
fig. 55
and remove the seat
cushion from its holder.
AB
Fig. 54 Rear seats: Inserting head restraints in the seat cushions Fig. 55 Removing seat cushions
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Seats and Storage
63
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Installing– Press the wire clamps in the direction
of the arrow and place it in its holder.
– Fold the seat cushion back into its original position.PedalsConcerning a secure depressing of the peda
l, you should use only footmats from the
Škoda genuine accessories. Operation of the pedals must not be hindered!
WARNING

Greater pedal distances may be needed when there is a fault in the brake
system.
Do not place any footmats or other additional floor coverings in the area of
the pedals in order to ensure that all the pedals can be fully depressed and are able to return unobstructed to their initial position - risk of accident!
There must be no objects on the floor
which could roll under the pedals. You
would then no longer be able to apply
the brakes, operate the clutch or acceler-
ator - risk of accident!luggage compartmentLoading the luggage compartmentPlease observe the following in the interest of having good handling characteristics of your vehicle: – Distribute the items of luggage as evenly as possible.– Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.– Attach the items of luggage to the
lashing eyes or the fixing net*
page 64.
In the event of an accident, there is such a
high kinetic energy wh
ich is produced by
small and light objects that th
ey can cause severe injuries. The magnitude of the kinetic
energy depends on the speed at which the vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the object. The speed at which the vehicle is trave
lling is in this case the more significant
factor. Example: In the event of a frontal collision at a speed of 50 km/h, an unsecured object with a weight of 4.5 kg produces an en
ergy, which corresponds to 20 times its own
weight. This means that it results in a weight of approx. 90 kg. You can imagine the inju- ries that can occur, if this “bullet” is flyi
ng through the interior compartment and hits
an occupant.
WARNING

Stow the objects in the luggage compartment and attach them to the
lashing eyes.
Loose objects in the passenger compartment can be thrown forward during
a sudden manoeuvre or in case of an accident and can injure the occupants or other oncoming traffic. This risk is still increased, if the objects which are flying around are hit by a deployed airbag. In this case, the objects which are thrown back can injure the occupants - hazard.
Please note that the handling properties of your vehicle may be affected
when transporting heavy objects as a result
of the displacement of the centre of
gravity. The speed and style of driv
ing must be adjusted accordingly.

The items carried in the luggage compartment should be stowed in such a
way that no objects are able to slip fo
rward if there are any sudden driving or
braking manoeuvres underta
ken - risk of injury!

When transporting fastened objects
which are sharp and dangerous in the
luggage compartment enlarged by folding the rear seats forward or removing the rear seats, ensure the safety of th
e passengers transported on the other rear
seats
page 115, “Correct seated position for the occupants on the rear seats”.

If the rear seats next to the folded
forward seat are occupied, ensure
maximum safety, e.g. by placing the goods to be transported in such a way that a folding back of the seat is prevented in case of a rear collision.
Never drive with the boot lid fully open
ed or slightly ajar otherwise exhaust
gases may get into the interior of the vehicle - risk of poisoning!
On no account exceed the permissible
axle loads and the permissible gross
weight of the vehicle - risk of accident!
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