Driving and the Environment
122
Checking tyre inflation pressures
Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.Always ensure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure at all times. The rolling
resistance will be increased if the inflation pressure is too low. This will not only
increase fuel consumption but also tyre we ar and the driving behaviour will worsen.
Always check the inflation pr essure of the tyres when cold.
Do not drive with winter tyres all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel.
Winter tyres are also louder.No unnecessary ballast
Transporting ballast costs fuel.The fact that every kilogram of extra weight increases your fuel consumption means
that it is worth taking a look in the lu ggage compartment to avoid transporting any
unnecessary ballast.
It is particularly in town traffic, when one is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle
weight will have a significant effect upon the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb here
is that an increase in weight of 100 kilogr ams will cause an increase in fuel consump-
tion of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.
You may frequently also leave a roof rack fitted on just out of convenience, although
you no longer need it. The increased aerodyna mic drag of your vehicle causes it to use
about 10 % more fuel than normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, even when you are
not carrying a load on the roof.Saving electricity
Generating electricity costs fuel.– Switch off electrical components as soon as you no longer need them.
When the engine is running, the alternator generates and supplies electrical power.
The greater the load on the alternator as a result of having a large number of electrical
components switched on, the more fuel will be consumed for operating the
alternator.
Keeping a log of your fuel consumptionIf you really wish to keep a close check on your fuel consumption, it is best to enter
the figures in a logbook. This does not take much time but is a very worthwhile exer-
cise. It enables you to detect any change (p ositive and negative) at an early stage and
to take any appropriate action.
If you find that your fuel consumption is too high, you should reflect on how, where
and in what conditions you have driven the vehicle since you last refuelled.Environmental compatibilityEnvironmental protection has played a major role in the design, selection of materials
and manufacture of your new Škoda. Particular emphasis has been paid to a number
of aspects, including:
Design measures
Joints designed to be easily detached.
Simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system.
Improved purity of differ ent classes of materials.
Identification of all plastic parts in accordance with VDA Recommendation°260.
Reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission CO
2.
Minimum fuel leakage during accidents.
Reduced noise.
Choice of materials
Extensive use of recyclable material.
Air conditioning filled wi th CFC-free refrigerant.
No cadmium.
No asbestos.
Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics.
Manufacture
Solvent-free cavity protection.
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Driving and the Environment123
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Solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the production plant
to the customer.
The use of solvent-free adhesives.
No CFCs used in the production process.
Without use of mercury.
Use of water-soluble paints.
Trade-in and recycling of old cars
Škoda Auto meets the requirements of the brand and its products regarding environ-
ment and resource protection. All new Škoda vehicles can be utilized up to 95 % and
always
5) be returned. In a lot of countries su fficient trade-in networks have been
created, where you can trade-in your vehicle. After you trade-in your vehicle, you will
receive a confirmation stating the recycling in accordance with environmental regula-
tions.
Vehicles with special built-on types
Technical documents regarding changes carried out on the vehicle must be kept by the
vehicle user, in order to hand over later to the old car user. This ensures the recycling
in accordance with en vironmental regulations.Note
Detailed information about the trade-in and recycling of old cars is available from a
Škoda Service Partner.Motoring abroadGeneral
Other circumstances may exist abroad.It is possible, in certain countries, that th e Škoda Service Partner network is limited or
has not been established yet. This is the reason why obtaining certain spare parts may
be somewhat complicated and specialist garage personnel may only be able to make
limited repairs. Škoda Auto in the Czech Re public and relevant importers are happy to provide information about technical aspect
s of the vehicle, required maintenance
work and possibilities for getting repairs done.
Unleaded petrolA vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with unleaded petrol
page 119. The automobile associations can provide you with information regarding
the locations of filling stations which offer unleaded petrol.HeadlightThe low beam of your headligh ts is set asymmetrically. It illuminates the side of the
road on which you are driving to a greater ex tent. If you drive abroad on the other side
of the road, you will da zzle oncoming traffic.
In order to prevent the dazzling of oncoming tr affic, it is necessary that an adjustment
of the headlights is carried out by your auth orised Škoda Service Partner.Avoiding damage to your vehicleWhen driving on poor roads and lanes or when driving over kerbstones, steep ramps
etc., you must pay particular attention to ensuring that any low-slung parts of the
vehicle, such as spoiler and exhaust, do not touch the ground and get damaged.
This particularly applies to models with a lowered suspension (sport suspension) and
also when your vehicle is fully laden.
5)Subject to fulfilment of the national legal requirements.
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Driving and the Environment
124
Driving through bodies of water on roadsIn order to avoid damage to the vehicle when driving through bodies of water (e.g.
flooded roads), observe the following:
Determine the depth of the water when driv ing through bodies of water. The water
can reach at the maximum the web on the lower sill of the vehicle fig. 117 .
Drive no more than at walking speed. At a higher speed, a water wave can form in
front of the vehicle which can cause water to penetrate into the air induction system of
the engine or into other parts of the vehicle.
Never let the vehicle stand in the water, never drive backwards and do not switch
off the engine.
WARNING
Driving through water, mud, sludge etc. can reduce the braking power and
extend the braking distance - risk of accident!
Avoid sudden and severe braking manoeuvres immediately after driving
through bodies of water.
After driving through bodies of water, the brakes must be cleaned and dried
as soon as possible by intermittent braking. Only apply the brakes for the
purpose of drying and cleaning the brake discs if the traffic conditions permit
this. Do not place any other road users in jeopardy.
Caution
When driving through bodies of water, parts of the vehicle such as the engine,
gearbox, catalytic converte r, chassis or electrics can be severely damaged.
Oncoming vehicles can gene rate water waves which can exceed the permissible
water level for your vehicle.
Potholes, mud or rocks can be hidden under the water making it difficult or impos-
sible to drive through the body of water.
Do not drive through salt water. The salt can lead to corrosion. Immediately rinse
all the parts of the vehicle, which came into contact with the salt water, with fresh
water.Note
After driving through a body of water, we recommend that the vehicle is checked by a
specialist garage.
Fig. 117 Crossing bodies of water
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Towing a trailer125
Using the system
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Towing a trailerTo w i n g a t r a i l e rTechnical requirementsYour 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 already been supplied with a factory-fitted towing device then
everything that is necessary for towing a trai ler in technical terms, and in terms of the
law, has already been taken into account.
Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power socket for the electrical connection between
the vehicle and trailer. If the trailer which you wish to tow has a 7-pin connector, you
can use a suitable adapter
6) from Škoda original accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications if
a towing device is retrofitted.
Authorised Škoda Service Partners can provid e information about 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 an authorised Škoda Service Partner. 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 MaintenanceTrailer 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. The fact that the engine power outp ut drops with increasing height due to a
lowering of air pressure and thus the abil ity to climb, means that the towed weight
must be reduced by 10 % for every further increase of 1 000 metres in height above
sea level. The towed weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle and the (laden) trailer
together. One should take this into account before driving up to higher altitudes.
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 prevent them slipping.
Tyre inflation pressure
Select the tyre inflation pressure on yo ur vehicle for that of “fully laden”, page 151.
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 exterior 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 43.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles whic h feature a factory-fitted towing device.6)In some countries the adapter is supplied with the towing device.
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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 vehicle133
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Underbody protectionThe underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and mechanical
influences.
One cannot, however, completely rule out damage to the protective layer when
driving so we recommend that you inspect the protective layer on the underside of
your vehicle and on the chassis at certain intervals - this is best done at the beginning
and end of the winter - and to touch up any damaged areas.
The authorised Škoda Service Partners have suitable spray products available as well
as the necessary equipment and are familiar with the instructions for use. It is therefore
best to have such touch-up work or additional corrosion protection measures carried
out by an authorised Škoda Service Partner.
WARNING
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents for
the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or heat shields. When the engine
reaches its operating temperature, these su bstances might ignite - risk of fire!Protection of hollow spacesAll the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protected for life by
a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not require to be inspected or re-treated. Please remove any
small amount of wax which flows out of the cavities at high temperatures with a plastic
scraper and clean the spot using petroleum cleaner.
WARNING
Safety and environmental pr otection regulations should observed when using
petroleum cleaner to remove wax - a risk of fire!Engine compartmentGood corrosion protection is very importan t, particularly in winter when one often
drives over its salt-strewn roads. One should therefore clean the whole engine compartment before and after the salt spreading period and treat with preservative in
order to prevent the salt from being destructive.
The authorised Škoda Service Partners have the cleaning agents and preservatives
recommended by Škoda and al
so the required equipment.
WARNING
It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter before working
on the engine compartment page 140, “Working in the engine compart-
ment”.
Let the engine cool down before cleaning the engine compartment.Caution
Engine cleaning may be only be un dertaken when the ignition is off.
It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine compart-
ment.For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by washing the engine has washed away petrol, and residues
of grease and oil and should therefore be cleaned by an oil separator. This is why
engine washing should only be undertaken in a specialist garage or at a fuelling station
(when these are fitted with the required equipment).Care of the interior of vehiclePlastic parts, artificial leather and clothsYou can clean plastic parts and artificial leather with a moist cloth. You should only
treat such parts with special solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products it does
prove to be adequate.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the do ors, luggage compartment cover, headliner
etc. are best treated with special cl eaning products, using if necessary a dry foam and
a soft sponge or brush.
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Fuel
136
FuelPetrolGrades of petrolYour vehicle can only be operated with unleaded petrol, which complies with the
standard EN 228. The individual grades of petrol are distinguished by their octane
number (RON). On the inside of the fuel filler flap, you will find the information
regarding the octane number required by your engine page 137, fig. 119 - right.
Prescribed types of fuel - unleaded petrol RON 95/91
Use unleaded petrol 95 RON. You can also use unleaded RON 91. However some loss
of power is to be expected when doing so.
If, in an emergency, the only fuel availa ble is one which has a lower octane number
than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine speeds and
minimal engine load. Driving at high engine speeds or heavy engine loads can lead to
serious engine damage! Refuel with petrol with the specified octane number as often
as possible.
Prescribed fuel - unleaded petrol min. 95 RON
Use unleaded petrol 95 RON.
If unleaded RON 95 is not available, you ca n refuel with unleaded RON 91 in an emer-
gency. After refuelling, co ntinue driving at medium engine speeds and minimum
engine load. Driving at high engine speeds or heavy engine loads can lead to serious
engine damage! Refuel with petrol with the specified octane number as often as
possible.
Fuel with a lower octane number than RON 91 must not be used even in an emer-
gency. Otherwise you can ca use serious engine damage!
You can find further information on refuelling page 137, “Refuelling”.
Prescribed types of fuel - unleaded petrol RON 98/(95)
Use unleaded petrol 98 RON. You can also use unleaded RON 95. However some loss
of power is to be expected when doing so. If unleaded RON
98 or RON 95 is not available, you ca n refuel with unleaded RON 91
in an emergency. After refuelling, conti nue driving at medium engine speeds and
minimum engine load. Driving at high engine speeds or heavy engine loads can lead
to serious engine damage! Refuel with pe trol with the specified octane number as
often as possible.
Fuel with a lower octane number than RON 91 must not be used even in an emer-
gency. Otherwise you can ca use serious engine damage!
You can find further info rmation on refuelling page 137, “Refuelling”.
Unleaded petrol with a higher octane number
You can use unleaded petrol which has a higher octa ne number than the one
prescribed without restriction.
On vehicles with prescribed unleaded petrol RON 95/91, the use of petrol with a
higher octane number than 95 does not result in a noticeable power increase or a
lower fuel consumption.
On vehicles with prescribed unleaded petrol RON 95/91, the use of petrol with a
higher octane number than 95 does not result in a noticeable power increase or a
lower fuel consumption.
Caution
All Škoda vehicles with petrol engines are equipped with a catalytic converter and
must be only driven with unleaded petrol. Fi lling the tank even only once with leaded
petrol will result in the cata lytic converter being destroyed!
Only use unleaded petrol which complies with the standard EN 228.
Operating the engine with petrol of a lo wer octane number than that prescribed
can result in serious engine damage.
s2bs.2.book Page 136 Monday, September 27, 2010 9:53 AM
Fuel137
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Technical Data
DieselDiesel fuelYour vehicle can only be operated with diesel fuel, which complies with the standard
EN 590 (standard DIN 51628 in Germany, standard ÖNORM C 1590 in Austria).
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar prod-
ucts) in diesel fuel.
You can find information on refuelling page 137, “Refuelling”.
Caution
Therefore, only operate your vehicle with diesel fuel which complies with the
standard EN 590 (standard DIN 51628 in Germany, standard ÖNORM C 1590 in
Austria). Filling the tank even only once with diesel fuel that does not comply with the
standard can result in damage to the engine parts, the lubrication system, the fuel and
exhaust system.
If you inadvertently fill up the vehicle with fuel other than the prescribed diesel
fuel, e.g. petrol, do not under any circumstan ces start the engine or turn on the igni-
tion. Extensive engine damage is possible! Contact a specialist garage who will clean
out the fuel system.
Water which has collected in the fuel fi lter can result in engine problems.
Your vehicle is not adapted for use of bio-diesel (RME), therefore this fuel must not
be refuelled and driven. Using this biodiesel can lead to damage to the engine or the
fuel system.
Operation in winterWinter-grade diesel fuel
A different grade of diesel fuel is available at filling stations in winter than during the
summer. Using “summer-grade diesel fuel” at temperatures below 0 °C can result in
operational problems because th e diesel becomes viscous as a result of paraffin sepa-
ration. It is therefore the case that the standard
EN 590 (standard DIN 51628 in Germany,
standard ÖNORM C 1590 in Austria) is the diesel fu el class prescribed for certain
periods of the year which can also be purc hased at the corresponding time during the
year. “Winter-grade diesel fuel” will still operate properly even at a temperature of -20
°C.
It is often the case in countri es with different climatic conditions that diesel fuels avail-
able have a different temperature characteristic. The authorised Škoda Service Part-
ners and filling stations in the country conc erned will be able to provide you with infor-
mation regarding the diesel fuels available.
Prewarming fuel
The vehicle is fitted with a fu el filter prewarming system. This secures operation of a
vehicle using diesel fuel down to an environmental temperature of -25 °C.
Caution
It is not permitted to add the various fuel additives on the market, including petrol, to
diesel fuel in order to improve its flow properties.RefuellingFig. 119 Right rear side of the vehicle: Open fuel filler flap/fuel filler flap with cap unscrewedOpening the fuel filler cap– Press in the middle of the left area of the fuel filler flap in direction of arrow
fig. 119 .
– Unlock the fuel filler cap on the fuel fi ller tube to the left using the vehicle key.
A1
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