Towing a trailer135
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights. Alter
the setting as necessary with the ai
d of the headlight beam adjuster page 48.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device. It is
stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the
luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Further information on the towing device page 136.
Note
We recommend that you also have your vehicle inspected between service inter-
vals if you tow a trailer frequently.
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and decou-
pling the trailer.
Driving Tips
Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.– Do not, as far as possible, drive with your vehicle unladen and the trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.
– Keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if the outside temperature is high.
Distribution of weight
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trailer is
laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this combina-
tion.
Driving speed
Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for countries
in which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when there
are unfavourable road, weather or wind cond
itions, particularly near accident black
spots.
You must always reduce your speed immediat ely as soon as you detect even just the
slightest swaying of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
“swaying” by accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from the
trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time before negotiating a downhill
section to allow the engine to also act as a brake.
Engine overheating
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a
lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engi ne speed when the outside temperature is
very high page 16.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or even
the red area of the scale, reduce your speed immediately. Stop and switch off the
engine if the warning light
in the instrument cluster begins flashing. Wait a few
minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle page 153,
“Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines page 28, “Coolant temperature/coolant
level ”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear and
increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent of the
engine speed. One should also not drop a gear for this reason when towing a trailer as
long as the engine can manage th e slope without any drop in speed.
s2rc.book Page 135 Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:58 AM
Inspecting and replenishing
148
Closing the bonnet
– Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the bonnet support
into the holder designed to hold it.
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 30 cm into the lock - bonnet do
not press down on it !
WARNING
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of the
engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam or
coolant has stopped escaping.
For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed when
driving. One should therefore check that the lock has in fact engaged properly
after closing the bonnet.
Stop your vehicle immediately while drivin g if you notice that the lock is not
properly engaged and close the bonnet properly - risk of an accident!
Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment!There is a risk of injuries, scalding, acci dents and fire when working in the engine
compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. For this
reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated below and
with the general applicable rules of safe ty. The engine compartment of your car
is a hazardous area .
WARNING
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of the
engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam or
coolant has stopped escaping.
Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
Apply the handbrake firmly.
On vehicles fitted with a manual gea rbox, move the gearshift lever into
Neutral.
Allow the engine to cool down.
Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the anti-
freeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!
Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
Never open the cap of the coolant expans ion bottle as long as the engine is
still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a large cloth
when opening it as protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam or
hot coolant.
Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine
compartment.
If you wish to work under the vehicl e, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks; the lifting jack* is
not sufficient for this - risk of injury!
In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the engine
is running there is an additional risk fr om rotating parts (e.g. the V-ribbed belt,
alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition system. Please
observe in addition the following:
Never touch the electrical cabl es of the ignition system.
Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose it ems of clothing or long hair from
getting into the rotating parts of the engine - Hazard! Therefore remove any
jewellery beforehand, tie up your hair and wear tight fitting clothing.
Please also comply with the warnin g instructions stated below when
carrying out any essential work on the fu el system or on the electrical system:
Always separate the car battery from the electrical system.
Do not smoke.WARNING (continued)
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Inspecting and replenishing151
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Oil level within range –You may top up the oil. It is possible that the oil level may then be within range
after doing this.Oil level within range –You must top up the oil page 151. It is sufficient, once this is done, to keep the
oil level within range .
It is normal for the engine to consume oil. The oil consumption may be as much as 0.5
l/1 000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which you
operate your vehicle. The oil consumption may be slightly hi gher than this during the
first 5 000 kilometres.
One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every time after
the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches.
We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range if the engine has been
operating at high loads, for example during a lengthy motorway trip during the
summer months, towing a trailer or negotiating a high mountain pass, but not above
this .
The warning light in the instrument cluster wi ll indicate whether the oil level is too low
page 29. In this case, check the oil level as soon as possible. Top up with an appro-
priate quantity of oil.
Caution
The oil level must on no ac count extend beyond the range . Danger of damaging
the catalytic converter.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prevailing to top up with oil. Switch the engine off and obtain professional
assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe engine damage.
Replenishing engine oil– Inspecting the engine oil level page 150.
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening page 150, fig. 146 .
– Pour in a suitable grade of oil in portions of 0.5 litres page 149. – Inspect the oil level
page 150.
– Carefully screw on the cap of the filler opening and push the dipstick in fully.
WARNING
Avoid dripping oil onto hot parts of the engine when topping up will oil - a
risk of fire!
Read and observe the warning notes page 148, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.For the sake of the environment
The oil level must on no account be above the range page 150. Oil will otherwise
be drawn in through the cr ankcase ventilation and may pass through the exhaust
system to atmosphere. The oil may combust in the catalytic converter and damage it.Changing engine oilThe engine oil must be changed at the intervals stated in the Service schedule or
according to the service interval indicator page 18.
WARNING
Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required professional
knowledge!
Read and observe the warning notes page 148, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Let the engine cool down - risk of burning from hot oil.
Wear an eye protection - risk of caustic burns due to oil splashes.
Oil is toxic! Store old oil in a safe place out of the reach of children and unau-
thorized persons until you dispose of it properly.Caution
You must not pour any additives into the engine oil - risk of engine damage! Damage,
which results from such product, are excluded from the warranty.
Ab
Aa
AcAb
AaAa
A2
Aa
s2rc.book Page 151 Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:58 AM
Inspecting and replenishing153
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Caution
Other coolant additives may cause operational problems which, in partic-
ular, involves significantly reducing the anticorrosion effect.
Any faults or problems resulting from corrosion may cause a loss of coolant
and, as a consequence of this, result in major engine damage.
Inspecting the coolant levelThe coolant expansion bottle is located in the engine compartment on the right.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet in “Working in the engine compartment” on page 148.
– Check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle fig. 148 . When the
engine is cold, the coolant level must lie between the and markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may also lie slightly above the hatched part.
If the coolant level in the reservoir is too lo w, this is indicated by the warning light in
the instrument cluster
page 28. We nevertheless recommend inspecting the
coolant level directly at the reservoir from time to time.
Loss of coolant
A loss of coolant is first and foremost an indication of a leak in the system. You should
not merely top up the coolant in the reservoir. It is also important to have the cooling
system inspected without delay by a specialist garage. Losses can only occur through the pressure
relief in the cap of the coolant expansion
bottle which is completely free of leaks if the coolant boils as a result of overheating
and is forced out of the cooling system.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes page 148, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
One should contact a specialist garage as s oon as possible if the source of overheating
itself cannot be determined and removed, since there may be grave damage to the
engine.Replenishing the coolant– Switch the engine off.
– Allow the engine to cool down.
– Place a cloth over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir fig. 148 and
unscrew the cap carefully by turning it to the left .
–Top up the coolant.
– Screw the cap tight until it is heard to lock.
The coolant which you use for replenishing th e system, must comply with one specific
specification page 152, “Coolant”. Do not use an al ternative additive if the coolant
additive G13 is not available in exceptional cases. Just top up the system with water
and as soon as possible arrange adjustment to correct the mixing ratio of water and
coolant additive again by a specialist garage.
Only use fresh coolant for topping up the system.
Do not top up the fluid above the hatched pa rt! Excess coolant which is heated up is
forced out of the cooling system through th e pressure relief valve in the cap of the
coolant compensation bottle.
Wait until the engine has cooled down for a system which has suffered a major loss of
coolant before pouring in coolant. This is necessary to avoid engine damage.
Fig. 148 Engine compartment:
Coolant expansion bottleAa
Ab
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Breakdown assistance169
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The spare wheel lies in a well under the floor covering of the luggage compartment
and is fixed in place using special screws
page 168, fig. 159 .
Before removing the spare wheel, you must take out the box with the vehicle tool kit
box page 167, fig. 157.
One should check the inflation pressure in the spare wheel (at best when generally
checking the tyre air pressures - see sign on the fuel filler flap page 160) to ensure
that the spare wheel is always ready to use.
Temporary spare wheel
A warning label displayed on the rim of the temporary spare wheel indicates that your
vehicle is equippe d with a temporary spare wheel.
Please observe the following notes when driving with a temporary spare wheel:
The warning label must not be covered after installing the wheel.
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h with this spare wheel and pay particular attention
while driving. Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
The inflation pressure for this spare wheel is identical to the inflation pressure of
the standard tyres.
Use this spare wheel only to reach the nearest specialist garage as it is not intended
for continuous use.
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 away 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 road (e.g. behind a crash barrier).
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Shift up into the 1st gear . – If a trailer is coupled, uncouple it.
–Take the
vehicle tool kit page 167 and the spare wheel* page 168 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 observin g 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 fi rst 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 170 or the caps page 171.
– In the case of light alloy wheels remove the wheel trim cap page 171.
– Slacken the wheel bolts page 171.
– Jack up the vehicle until the wheel to be changed is clear of the ground
page 172.
– Unscrew the wheel bolts and place them on a clean surface (cloth, paper etc.).
– Take off the wheel.
– Fit on the new spare wheel* and tighten the wheel bolts slightly.
– Lower the car.
s2rc.book Page 169 Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:58 AM
Breakdown assistance173
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
– Have the
tightening torque checked with a torque wrench as soon as possible.
Steel and light alloy wheels must be tightened to a tightening torque of 120 Nm .
The safety wheel bolts on vehicles fitted wi th them (one safety wheel bolt per wheel)
can only be loosened or tighten up by using the adapter provided.
It is meaningful to note the code number hammered into the rear side of the adapter
or the rear side of the safety wheel bolts. You can obtain a replacement adapter from
a specialist garage, if necess ary, by quoting this number.
We recommend that you always carry the adapter for the wheel bolts with you in the
vehicle. It should be stow ed in the vehicle tool kit.
Caution
Damage can occur to the adapter and safety wh eel bolt if the safety wheel bolt is tight-
ened up too much.
Note
The set of safety wheel bolts can be obtained from a specialist garage.Jump-startingInitial stepsYou can use the battery of another vehicle for jump-starting yours if the engine does
not start because the battery on your vehicle is flat. You will require jump-start cables
for this purpose.
Both batteries must have a rated voltage of 12 V. The capacity (Ah) of the battery
supplying the power must not be significantly less than the capacity of the discharged
battery in your vehicle.
Jump-start cables
Only use jump-start cables which have an adequately large cross-section and insu-
lated terminal clamps. Plea se pay attention to the manufacturer's instructions.
Positive cable - colour coding in the majority of cases red. Negative cable -
colour coding in the majority of cases black.
WARNING
A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0°C. In
case of frozen battery carry out no jump-starting - risk of explosion!
Please pay attention to the warning instructions relating to working in the
engine compartment page 148.Note
There must not be any contact between the two vehicles otherwise current may
flow as soon as the negati ve terminals are connected.
The discharged battery must be properly connected to the system of the vehicle.
Switch off any mobile phone, pay attention to the instructions for use of the mobile
phone in such a situation.
We recommend purchasing jump-start cabl es from Škoda Service Partners as a
Škoda original accessory or from retailers who sell branded batteries.
Start engineIt is important to connect the jump-start cables in the correct order.
Fig. 166 Jump-starting using
the battery from another vehicle:
A - flat vehicle battery, B -
battery providing current
s2rc.book Page 173 Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:58 AM
Fuses and light bulbs177
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Fuses and light bulbsElectric fusesReplacing fuses
Defect fuses must be replaced.Individual electrical circuits are protected by fuses. The fuses are located on the left
side of the dash panel behind the safety cover and under the cover in the engine
compartment on the left.
– Switch the ignition off and also the electrical component affected.
– Use a screwdriver to take off the fuse cover on the side of the dash panel fig. 169
or the fuse cover in the engine compartment page 178.
– Find out which fuse belongs to the relevant component page 179, “Fuse assign-
ment in the dash panel”, page 178, “Fuse assignment in engine compartment -
version 1” or page 179, “Fuse assignment in engine compartment - version 2”.
– Take the plastic clip out of it s fixture in the fuse cover, insert it onto the respective
fuse and pull out this fuse.
– Defect fuses can be detected by their melted metal strips. Replace the defect fuse by a new fuse of the same ampere number.
– Fit on the fuse cover again. We recommend that you always have the
small box of replacement fuses in your
vehicle. You can obtain repl acement fuses from the range of Škoda original parts or
from a specialist garage
7).
Colour coding of fuses
Caution
Never attempt to “repair” fuses and also do not replace them with a fuse of a higher
amperage - risk of fire! This may also caus e damage at another part of the electrical
system.
Have the electrical system checked as quickly as possible by a specialist garage if a
newly inserted fuse blows again after a short time.
Fig. 169 Fuse cover: left side of
the dash panel
7)The small box with replacement fuses is part of the basic equipping of the vehicle in some coun-
tries.
Colour
Maximum amperage
light brown
5
brown
7,5
red
10
blue
15
yellow
20
white
25
green
30
s2rc.book Page 177 Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:58 AM
Index199
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Index
AAbroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56, 98 electrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Recirculated air mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Alternator Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Antilock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Antilock brake system (ABS) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Automatic seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
BBattery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 155
change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Belt Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 147
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Brake Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Bulbs Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Button for the central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Buttons on the driver's door
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
CCar state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
unlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Changing the engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Changing wheels around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Check engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Child safety seat on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Classification into groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Use of child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Children and safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Chrome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
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