2010 SKODA FABIA tow bar

Starting-off and Driving
93
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The handbrake warning is acti
vated if you drive at a speed of more than 6 km/h for
more than 3 seconds.
WARNING

Please note that the handbrake must be fully released. A handbrake which
is only partially released can result in the rear brakes overheating which will have a negative effect on the operation of
the brake system - risk of accident! In
addition this can result in premature wear of the rear brake pads.
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. The children might, for
example, release the handbrake or take
the vehicle out of gear. The vehicle
might then move off - risk of accident!
Caution
After the car has come to a stop, always firs
t of all apply the handbrake firmly before
then additionally engaging a gear (manual gearbox) or moving the selector lever into position
P (automatic gearbox).
Parking aid*The parking aid provides a warning of obstacles behind the vehicle.The audible parking aid determines the di
stance between the rear bumper and an
obstacle located behind the vehicle with the
aid of ultrasound sensors. The sensors are
integrated in the rear bumper.
Range of sensors The clearance warning begins at a distance
of about 160 cm from the obstacle (area
 fig. 97
). The interval between the warning si
gnals becomes shorter as the clearance
is reduced. A continuous tone sounds from
a distance of approx. 30
cm (area ) - danger area.
You should not reverse any further after this signal sounds!
If the vehicle is
equipped with a factory-fitted
towing device*, the border of the danger area starts -
continuous tone - 5 cm further behind th
e vehicle. The vehicle can be extended
through an installed deta
chable towing device.
Activating The parking aid is activated automatically when
reverse gear
is engaged and the igni-
tion is turned on. This
is confirmed by a brief acknowledgement signal.
Deactivating The parking aid is deactivated by disengaging the reverse gear or by switching the igni- tion off.
WARNING

The parking aid is not a substitute for
the driver paying proper attention and
it is always the driver's responsibility
to take care when parking the vehicle or
carrying out similar manoeuvres.
You should therefore satisfy yourself, before reversing, that there is no small
obstacle, such as a rock, thin post, trai
ler drawbar etc., behind your vehicle.
Such an obstacle might not be within the range detected by the sensors.
Under certain circumstances, surfaces of certain objects and types of
clothing cannot reflect the signal of the parking aid. Thus, these objects or people who wear such clothing are not recognised by the sensors of the parking aid.
Note

The parking aid does not operate if you
are towing a trailer (applies to models
which feature a factory-fitted towing device*).
A system fault is indicated if a warning signal sounds for about 5 seconds after
switching the ignition on and engaging reverse gear and there is no obstacle close to
Fig. 97 Parking aid: Range of sensors
AA
AB
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Towing a trailer
152
Towing a trailerTo w i n g a t r a i l e rTechnical requirements The towing device must satisfy certain technical requirements.Your vehicle is designed primarily for tr
ansporting persons and luggage. It can,
however, also be used for towing a traile
r - provided certain technical equipment is
fitted. If your vehicle has been eq
uipped with a towing device
from Škoda Original Accesso-
ries, then the towing device satisfies all technical and legal requirements. Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power so
cket for the electrical connection between
the vehicle and trailer. If the tr
ailer which you wish to tow has a
7-pin connector
, you
can use a suitable adapter
12) from Škoda original accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordance
with the manufacturer's specifications if
a towing device is retrofitted. Specialist garages are familiar with details re
lating to retrofitting a towing device and
for any necessary modifications to the cooling system.
WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device from Škoda original accesso-ries installed by a specialist garage. He
is familiar with all the relevant details
relating to retrofitting such equipment. There is a risk of an accident if the towing device is not properly fitted!General Maintenance There are a number of points to pay attention to when towing a trailer.Trailer load The permissible trailer load must
on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appropriately steeper inclin
es and descents if you do not make full
use of the permissible trailer load. The trailer loads specified only apply for
altitudes
up to 1 000 metres above mean sea
level. On petrol engines without forced indu
ction, the engine power output drops with
increasing height due to a lowering of air pr
essure and thus the ability to climb, this
means that the trailer load must be reduced by 10% for every further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea le
vel. The towed weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle
and the (laden) trailer together. One should ta
ke this into account before driving up to
higher altitudes. Petrol engines with forced induction use an air pressure correction method, so that their power output does
not depend on the he
ight above sea level.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device are merely test data for the towing device
The data relating to your vehicle, which
is often less than this test data, can be found in your vehicle registration docu- ments. Distribution of the load Distribute the load in the trailer in such a
way that any heavy items are located as close
as possible to the axle. Secure th
e items to preven
t them slipping.
Tyre pressure Correct the tyre inflation pressure on yo
ur vehicle for that of “fully laden”,
page 178.
The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to
the trailer adjust in accordance with the
manufacturer's recommendation. Exterior mirrors You have to have additional ex
terior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the traffic
behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exterior mirrors should be attached to folding arms. Adjust the mirrors so that they provide you with an adequate field of view to the rear. Headlights Before starting off with a hitched trailer, al
so check the setting of the headlights. Alter
the setting as necessary with the aid of the headlight beam adjuster
page 51.
12)In some countries the adapter is supplied with the towing device.s3j8.a.book Page 152 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Breakdown assistance
187
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Changing a wheelPreliminary workThe following steps should be carried ou
t before actually changing the wheel.
– If it is necessary to change a wheel, park
the vehicle as far aw
ay as possible from
the traffic flow. The place you choose should be
level
.
– Have all the occupants
get out
. While changing a wheel, the occupants of the
vehicle should not stand on the ro
ad (e.g. behind a crash barrier).
– Apply the
handbrake
firmly.
–Engage
1st gear
or if your vehicle is fitted with
an automatic gearbox, position the
selector lever into position P
.
– If a trailer is coupled, uncouple it.– Take the
vehicle tool kit
and the
spare wheel*
page 185 out of the luggage
compartment.
WARNING

If you find yourself in flowing traffic switch on the hazard warning lights
system and place the warning triangle on
the side of the road at the prescribed
distance from your vehicle while observing all national legal provisions. In this way you are protecting not only yourself but also other road users.
Never start the engine with the vehicle si
tting on the raised
jack - danger of
suffering injury.
Caution
If you have to change a wheel on a slope first block the opposite wheel with a stone or similar object in order to secure the
vehicle from unexpectedly rolling away.
Note
Comply with the national legal regulations.
Changing a wheelAlways change a wheel on a level surface as far as possible. – Take off the full wheel trim*
page 188 or the caps
page 188.
– Slacken the wheel bolts
page 189.
– Jack up the vehicle until the wheel to
be changed is clear of the ground
 page 189.
– Unscrew the wheel bolts and place them
on a clean surface (cloth, paper etc.).
– Take off the wheel.– Fit on the spare wheel* and tighten the wheel bolts slightly.– Lower the car.– Tighten the wheel bolts firmly, alternatel
y and diagonally using the wrench (cross-
wise)
page 189.
– Mount the full wheel trim/wheel trim cap or the caps.
Note

All bolts must be clean and must turn easily.

You must never grease or oil the wheel bolts!

When fitting on unidirectiona
l tyres, ensure that the tyres rotate in the correct
direction
page 178.
Subsequent stepsAfter changing the wheel, you mu
st perform the following steps.
– Stow the vehicle tool kit in the space provided.– Stow the replaced wheel in the luggage compartment.–
Check
the
tyre pressure
on the spare wheel just mounted as soon as possible.
– Have the
tightening torque
of the wheel bolts
checked
with a torque wrench as
soon as possible. Steel and light alloy wheels must be tightened to a tightening torque of
120 Nm
.
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Breakdown assistance
192
WARNING

The non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps must never make contact
with each other. Furthermore, the cable connected to the positive terminal of the battery must not come into contact with electrically conducting parts of the vehicle - risk of a short circuit!
Do not affix the jump starting cables to the negative terminal of the
discharged battery. There is
the risk of detonating gas seeping out the battery
being ignited by the strong spark which
results from the engine being started.

Do not affix the cable end to parts of the fuel and brake system.

Run the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any rotating
parts in the engine compartment.
Do not bend over the batteries - risk of caustic burns!

The vent screws of the battery
cells must be tightened firmly.

Keep any sources of ignition (naked
flame, smouldering
cigarettes etc.)
away from the battery - risk of an explosion!
Never jump-start the batteries which have a too low electrolyte level - risk
of explosion and caustic burns!Jump-starting on vehicles with the “START-STOP” systemOn vehicles with the “START-STOP” syst
em, the jump-starting cable must not be
connected directly to the negative terminal
of the vehicle battery, but only to the
engine earth
fig. 158
.
Tow-starting and towing vehicleGeneralPlease pay attention to the following instru
ctions if you are going to use a tow rope:
Driver of the towing vehicle– Do not drive off until the tow rope is taught. – Release the clutch particularly gently when starting off.Driver of the towed vehicle– Switch the ignition on so that the steeri
ng wheel is not blocked and you can also
operate the turn signal lights, the headlight flasher, the windscreen wipers and windscreen washer system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position
N if your
vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
– Note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is
running. You will require significantly greater physical force to depress the brake pedal and to steer the vehicle
if the engine is not running.
– Ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught. Tow rope or tow bar A tow
bar
is safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimizes any shocks. You can use
a tow
rope
only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The tow rope must be elastic to protect the
vehicle. Thus one shou
ld only use plastic
fibre rope or a rope made out
of a similarly elastic material.
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the
towing eyes
provided for this purpose
 page 193, “Front towing eye” and
page 193, “Rear towing eye”.
Driving style Towing another vehicle requires a certain am
ount of practice. Both drivers should be
familiar with the particular points about to
wing a vehicle. Unskilled drivers should not
attempt to tow in another vehicle or to be towed in.
A4
Fig. 158 Jump-starting - START-STOP system
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Breakdown assistance
193
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
One should be constantly vigi
lant not to allow impermissi
bly high towing forces or
jerky loadings. There is always a risk of excessive stresses and damage resulting at the points to which you attach the tow rope or
tow bar when you attempt to tow a vehicle
which is not standing on a paved road.
Caution
If the gearbox of your vehicle no longer
contains any oil because of a defect, your
vehicle must only be towed in with the driven wheels raised clear of the ground, or on a special vehicle transporter or trailer.
Note

Please comply with any national legal provisions particularly regarding the
switched on signal systems, when towi
ng in or tow-starting another vehicle.

The tow rope must not be twisted as it ma
y in certain circumstances result in the
front towing eye being unscrewed out of your vehicle.Front towing eye The towing eye is stored in the box for the vehicle tool kit.Fig. 159 Front bumper: Cover
/ installing the towing eye
– Press on the left half of the cover at the point of the arrow
fig. 159
- left.
– Pull the cover out of the front bumper.
– Screw in the towing eye by hand to the left up to the stop
fig. 159
- right and
tighten it as much as po
ssible. For tightening, we
recommend that you use for
example the wheel wrench*, the lashing eye of another vehicle or a similar object which you can push through the eye.
– In order to reinstall the cover after screwing out the towing eye, insert it in the
mounts and then press on the right side of the cover. The cover must engage firmly.Caution
The towing eye must always be screwed in
fully and firmly tightened, otherwise the
towing eye can tear when towing in or tow-starting.Rear towing eyeThe rear towing eye is located below the rear bumper on the right
fig. 160
.
Tow-starting a vehicleIf the engine does not start, we generally do
not
recommend
to tow-start your vehicle.
One should attempt to start the engine using jump start cables
page 190 or call on
the services of the SERVICE mobile.If your vehicle has to be towed:– Engage 2nd or 3rd gear with the vehicle stationary. – Depress the clutch pedal fu
lly and keep it depressed.
Fig. 160 Rear towing eye
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Breakdown assistance
194
– Switch on the ignition. – Wait until both vehicles are moving
then release the clutch pedal slowly.
– Depress the clutch pedal fully when the engine fires and take the vehicle out of
gear.
WARNING
There is high risk of having an accident when tow-starting a vehicle, when for example the towed vehicle ru
ns into the towing vehicle.
Caution
Vehicles which are fitted with a catalytic
converter should not be tow-started over a
distance of more than 50 metres. Unburnt fu
el may get into the catalytic converter and
damage it.Towing in a vehicle fitted with a manual gearboxPlease refer to the additional instructions
page 192.
The vehicle can be towed in with a tow bar
or a tow rope or with the front or rear
wheels raised. The maximum towing speed is
50 km/h
.
Towing of a vehicle with an automatic gearboxPlease refer to the additional instructions
page 192.
The car can be towed in with a tow bar or
a tow rope. Refer at the same time to the
following guidelines:
Move
selector lever into N
.

The maximum towing speed is
50 km/h
.

The maximum permissible
towing distance is
50 km
. The gear oil pump does not
operate when the engine is not running; th
e gearbox would not be
adequately lubri-
cated at higher speeds and ov
er longer towing distance.
Caution
If the vehicle is towed in by a recovery vehicle,
it should only be towed in with the front
wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised
at rear, the automatic gearbox is damaged!
Note
The vehicle must be transported on a special vehicle or trailer if it is not possible to tow in the vehicle in the way described or if th
e towing distance is greater than 50 km.
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