Heating and air conditioning system
76
Recirculated air mode
In recirculated air mode air is sucked out of the interior of the vehicle
and then fed back into the interior.Recirculated air mode prevents polluted air outside the vehicle from getting into the
vehicle, for example when driving through a tunnel or when standi ng in a traffic jam.Switching recirculated air mode on– Press the button page 74, fig. 82 the warning light lights up in the
button.Switching recirculated air mode off– Once again press the button . The wa rning light in the button goes out.
The recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution control
is in position
page 74, fig. 82 . You can also switch recirculated air mode on again
from this setting by repeatedly pressing pushbutton .
WARNING
You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period of time, as
“stale” air may result in fatigue in the driver and occupants, divert your atten-
tion and also cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an accident
increases. Switch recirculated air mode off as soon as the windows begin
misting up.Using the air conditioning system economicallyThe compressor on the air conditioning syst em uses power from the engine when in
cooling mode which will effect the fuel consumption.
It recommended to open the windows or the doors of a vehicle for which the interior
has been strongly heated through the effect of direct sunlight in order to allow the
heated air to escape.
The cooling system should not be switched on while travelling when the window is
open. The desired interior temperature can also be achieved without switching in the cooling
system just by switching to fresh air mode.
For the sake of the environment
When you economize on fuel, you
also reduce pollutant emissions.Operational malfunctionsIf the cooling system does not operate at outside temperatures higher than +5 °C,
there is a problem in the system. The reasons for this may be:
The fuse on the air conditioning system has blown. Check the fuse, replace it if
necessary page 169.
The cooling system has switched off auto matically for a short time because the
coolant temperature of the engine is too hot page 16.
If you are not able to rectify the operational problem yourself, or if the cooling capacity
decreases, switch the cooling system off. Contact a specialist garage.
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Starting-off and Driving77
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Starting-off and DrivingSetting steering wheel positionFig. 83 Adjustable steering wheel: Lever below steering columnYou can set the height and the forward/back position of the steering wheel to the
desired position.
– Adjust the driver seat page 11.
– Pull the lever below the steering column down fig. 83 - left. Observe the guide-
lines .
– Set the steering wheel to the desired position (concerning height and forward/back position).
– Push the lever upwards as far as the stop.
WARNING
You must not adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving!
The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel
fig. 83 - right. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the
airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
For safety reasons the lever must always be firmly pushed up to avoid the
steering wheel altering its po sition unintentionally when driving - risk of acci-
dent!
If you adjust the steering wheel furthe r towards the head, you will reduce
the protection offered by the driver airbag in the event of an accident. Make
sure the steering wheel is aligned to the chest.
When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock po sition. Never hold the steering wheel
firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the
steering wheel or at the inne r steering wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to the
arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver airbag is deployed.
Ignition lockPetrol engines
- ignition switched off, engine off, the steering can be locked.
- ignition switched on
- start engine
Diesel engines - interruption of fuel supply, ignition swit ched off, engine off, the steering can be
locked.
- heating glow plugs on, ignition switched on
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 84 Ignition lock positions
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Starting-off and Driving
78
You should not switch on any major elec trical components during the heating
period. Otherwise the ve hicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
- start engine
Applies to all models:
Position
To lock the steering , with the ignition key withdrawn, turn the steering wheel until the
steering locking pin is heard to engage. You should always lock the steering as a general
rule if you leave your vehicle. This acts as a deterrent against possible theft of your
vehicle .
Position
Move the steering wheel back and forward a little if the ignition key cannot, or cannot
easily be turned into this position, in order to release the steering lock.
Position
The engine is started in this position. At the same time any switched on low beam or
main beam or other electrical components with major electrical consumers are briefly
switched off. The ignition key moves back into position after being released.
The ignition key must be turned back into position each time before starting the
engine again. The starter repeat lock in th e ignition lock prevents the starter being
engaged when the engine is r unning and thus getting damaged.
WARNING
When driving, the ignition key must always be in the position (ignition
switched on) without the engine running. This position is indicated by the
warning lights coming on. If this is not the case, it could result in unexpected
locking of the steering wh eel - risk of accident!
Do not withdraw the ignition key from the lock until the vehicle has come to
a stop. The steering lock can engage immediately - risk of accident!
Always withdraw the ignition key if you are going to leave the vehicle, even
for a short time. This is particularly important if children are left in the vehicle.
Children might otherwise st art the engine or switch on electrical equipment
(e.g. power windows) - risk of accident or injury!
Starting the engineGeneral
You can only start the engine only using an original ignition key.
Place the gearshift lever into neutral and put on the handbrake firmly before
starting the engine.
Before starting, it is necessary to depres s the clutch pedal and to keep it pressed
down until the engine starts. If you try and start the engine without pressing the clutch
pedal, the engine will not start. A message in the information display of the instrument
cluster will also appear indicate th e need to press the clutch pedal.
Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts otherwise you may damage
the starter.
The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time after starting
the cold engine until oil pressure can be built up in the hydraulic valve clearance
compensation. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.
If the engine does not start ...
You can use the battery of anothe r vehicle as a jump-start aid page 165.
It is only possible to tow-start vehicles fi tted with a manual gearbox. The tow-starting
distance must not be more than 50 metres. Observe the following
guidelines page 167, “Tow-starting and towing vehicle”.
WARNING
Never run the engine in non ventilated or enclosed areas. The exhaust gases
of the engine contain besides the odou rless and colourless carbon monoxide a
poisonous gas - hazard! Carbon mono xide can cause unconsciousness and
death.
Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.Caution
The starter may only be operated (ignitio n key position ), if the engine is not
running. If the starter is imme diately operated after switchin g off the engine, the starter
or the engine can be damaged.
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Starting-off and Driving79
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as the
engine has not yet reached its normal oper ating temperature - risk of damaging the
engine!
Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaust gas catalytic converter should not be tow-
started over a distance of more than 50 metres.For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle is standing. Drive off right away. Through
this the engine reaches its operating temperature more rapidly and the pollutant emis-
sions are lower.Petrol enginesThese engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel-air mixture
for every external air temperature.
Do not operate accelerator before and when starting engine.
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start right
away and wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
It is possible that the fuse on the electric al fuel pump is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary page 169.
Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
It may be necessary, if the engine is very hot, to slightly depress the accelerator after
the engine has started.
Diesel enginesGlow plug system
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period being
controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and outside tempera-
ture.
The preglow indicator light
comes on after the ignition has been switched on.
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating
period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning light
has
gone out.
The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is at a
normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature is above +5 °C. This
means that you can start the engine right away.
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start right
away and wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
It is possible that the fuse on the diesel preglow system is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary page 169.
Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
Starting the engine after the fuel tank has run dry
It may take longer than normal to start the engine after refuelling if the fuel tank has
run completely dry - up to one minute. This is because the fuel system must first of all
be filled while the attempting to start the engine.
Switching off the engine– The engine can be switched off by tu rning the ignition key into position
page 77, fig. 84 .
WARNING
Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary - risk of accident!
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.Caution
you should not switch the engine off right away at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated for a lengthy period at high loads but should be allowed it
to run at idling speed for about 2 minutes. This prevents any accumulation of heat
when the engine is switched off.
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Starting-off and Driving81
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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. Children might, for
example, release the handbrake or take the vehicle out of gear. The vehicle
might then move off - risk of accident!Caution
Each time the vehicle is parked, first of all apply the handbrake and then additionally
engage the 1st gear.Rear parking aid*The parking aid provides a warning of obstacles behind the vehicle.The audible parking aid determines the distan ce from the rear bumper to an obstacle
behind the car with the aid of ultrasound sensors. These ultrasound sensors are inte-
grated in the rear bumper.
Range of sensors
The clearance warning begins at a distance of about 160 cm from the obstacle (area
fig. 87 ). The interval between the warning signals becomes shorter as the clearance
is reduced. A continuous tone sounds from
a distance of approx. 30 cm (area ) - danger area.
Do 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 - continuous tone -
extends 5 cm further behind the vehicle. The vehicle can be extended through an
installed detachable towing device.
On vehicles equipped with a factory-fitted radio*, the distance to the obstruction is
shown graphically in the display. On vehicles with a factory-fitted towing device, the
sensors are deactivated when towing a traile r. The driver is informed about this by a
graphic display (vehicle towing a trailer) in the radio* display. The factory-fitted radio*
can be set so that the play function volume decreases when activating the parking aid,
see Owner's Manual radio*. This improves the audibility of the parking aid.
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 ta king the car out of reverse gear.
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 obstacles 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, such objects or
people may not be 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*).
Fig. 87 Parking aid: Detection range of
rear sensors
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Intelligent Technology
112
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.
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 157, “Accesso-
ries, changing and replacing parts”.
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)*
The electronic differential lock prev ents an individual wheel from slip-
ping.Models fitted with ESP ar e equipped with electronic differential lock (EDL).
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 automatica lly 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. Th e 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 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 the brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the EDL page 157, “Accesso-
ries, changing and replacing parts”.
Traction control system (TCS)
The traction control system prevents the driven wheels from spinning
when accelerating.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 112 TCS switch
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Towing a trailer
126
Further information on the towing device page 126.
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 allo wed 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, “Engine coolant temperature Display”.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gaug e 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 143,
“Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines page 25, “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.
Detachable towing device*The ball head of the towing device is stowed together with separate fitting instructions
in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Fig. 118 Detachable ball head
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
132
Do not use window leathers which you have us ed to polish the vehicle body to dry off
the windows. Residues of preservatives in the window leather can dirty the window
and reduce visibility.
Do not affix any stickers over the inside of the rear window to avoid damage to the
heating elements of the rear window heater .
We recommend using a preserva tive from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer.
Caution
Never remove snow or ice from the glass parts with warm or hot water - risk of forma-
tion of cracks in the glass!The headlight lensesPlease do not use any aggressi ve cleaning or chemical solvent products for cleaning
the front headlights - risk of damage to the plastic lenses. Please use soap and clean
warm water.
Caution
Never wipe the headlights dry and do not use any sharp objects for cleaning the plastic
lenses, this may result in damage to the protective paintwork and consequently in
formation of cracks on the headlight lenses, e.g. through effect of chemical products.Door and window sealsThe rubber seals on the doors, boot lid, bonnet and windows remain supple and last
longer if you treat them from time to time with a rubber care product (e.g. with a spray
with silicone-free oil). You also avoid premature wear of the seals and prevent leakages
in this way. It is also easier to open the doors. Rubber seals which are well cared for also
do not stick together in cold winter weather.Locking cylinderWe recommend that you use the spray from Škoda original accessories with regreasing
and anticorrosive effect for de-icing locking cylinders.
Note
When washing your vehicle, ensure that as little water as possible gets into the locking
cylinders.WheelsSteel wheels
You should also thoroughly wash the wheels and wheel trims when giving your vehicle
its regular wash. This prevents any brake dust, dirt and road salt from sticking to the
wheel hubs. You can remove stubborn brake abrasion adhering to the wheels with an
industrial cleaner. Touch up any damage to the paintwork on the wheels before rust is
able to form.
Light alloy wheels
Regular care of light alloy wh eels is necessary in order to retain their decorative
appearance over long periods. It is particul arly important to remove regularly any road
salt and brake abrasion from light alloy wheels, otherwise the light metal will suffer.
Wash thoroughly and then treat the wheels with a protective product for light alloy
wheels which does not cont ain any acidic components. We recommend to apply a
hard wax layer onto the wheel hubs every three months. You must not use any prod-
ucts which cause abrasion when treating the wheel hubs. Any damage to the paint
layer on the wheel hubs must be touched up immediately.
We recommend using a preservative from Šk oda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer.
WARNING
One should remember when cleaning th e wheels that moisture, ice and road
salt may adversely affect braking ef ficiency - risk of an accident!
Note
Severe layers of dirt on the wheels can also result in wheel imbalance. This may show
itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the steering wheel which,
in certain circumstances, can cause premature wear of the steering. This means it is
necessary to remove the dirt.
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