2010 SKODA ROOMSTER change time

Intelligent Technology
134

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 179, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
Traction control system (TCS)*
The traction control system prevents the driven wheels from spinning
when accelerating.General
The TCS 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 TCS switches on automatically when th e engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS
sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force transmitted to the road surface is auto-
matically adapted by reducing the engine speed. The system operates at all speeds.
The TCS operates in combination with the ABS page 136, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)”. The TCS will not function if a fault exists in the ABS system.
Switching off
You can switch the TCS off and on again as you wish by pressing the button fig. 126 .
The TCS warning light lights up in the instru ment cluster when the TCS is switched off   page 30. The TCS should normally always
be switched on. It may be good practice in certain
exceptional cases, such as when you wish to have wheel slip, to switch off the system.
Examples:

when driving with snow chains;

when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface;

when it is necessary to rock a vehicle when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the TCS again.
WARNING
You should always adjust your style of driving to the conditions of the road
surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered must not tempt
you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note

All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the TCS. 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 the brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the TCS page 179, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)*
The electronic differential lock prev ents an individual wheel from slip-
ping.Models fitted with ESP are equipped with electronic differential lock (EDL).
General
The EDL makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to st art off, accelerate
and climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface are unfavourable.
Fig. 126 TCS switch
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Intelligent Technology135
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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 greater driving force to the other driven wheel.
This control process is also accompanied by noises.
Overheating of the brakes
The EDL switches off automatically 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. The 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 TCS 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 th e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can in fluence the function of the EDL page 179, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
BrakesWhat has a negative effect on braking efficiency?Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pa ds is greatly dependent on the operating conditions of
the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns and
over short distances or if you adopt a sporty style of driving, it may be necessary to
have the thickness of the brake pads insp ected at a specialist garage between the
service inspections.
Wet roads or road salt
There may be a certain delay before the brakes take full effect un der certain conditions
such as when driving through water, during heavy rain showers or after the vehicle has
been washed in an automatic vehicle wash , since the brake discs and brake pads may
be moist or even have a coating of ice on them in winter. You should dry the brakes as
soon as possible by applying and releasing the brakes several times.
There also may be a certain delay before the full braking efficiency is available when
driving on roads which have been treated with road salt if you have not used the brakes
for some considerable time beforehand. The layer of salt on the brake discs and brake
pads must first be rubbed off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on th e bake pads occur if the vehicle has been
parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firm ly applying the brakes at a fairly high
speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corrosion is
present .
Faults in the brake surface
If you notice that the braking distance has suddenly become longer and that the brake
pedal can be depressed further, it is possib le that a brake circuit of the dual-circuit
brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist garage without
delay in order to have the problem rectified. Drive at a reduced speed while on your
way to the dealer and adapt your style of driving to the higher brake pedal pressure
required.
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Intelligent Technology137
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WARNING

The ABS can also not overcome the physical limits of your vehicle. Please do
not forget this, particularly when driving on icy or wet road surfaces. If the ABS
is operating within the control range, adapt your speed immediately to the
conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety
offered by the ABS must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise -
risk of an accident!

The normal braking system is still fully functional if there is an ABS fault.
Visit a specialist garage as quickly as poss ible and adjust your style of driving to
take account of the ABS fault in the meantime since you will not know the extent
of the fault and in how far the braking efficiency is affected.Note

A warning light comes on if a fault occurs in the ABS system
  page 31.

Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can in fluence the function of the ABS page 179, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
Brake Assist*During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake Assist increases the
braking force and thus makes it possible to rapidly produce the pressure required in
the brake system.
The majority of drivers do apply the brakes in good time in dangerous situations, but
do not depress the brake pedal with sufficient pressure. Consequently, it is not possible
for the vehicle to achieve its maximum deceleration and the vehicle covers a greater
distance than necessary.
The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake pedal. In such
cases, a much greater braking pressure exists than during a normal brake application.
This makes it possible, even with a relative ly low resistance of the brake pedal, to
produce an adequate pressure in the brake system in the shortest possible time, which
is required for maximum deceleration of th e vehicle. You must apply the brake pedal
firmly and hold it in this position in order to achieve the shortest possible braking
distance. The Brake Assist is able to help you achi
eve a shorter braking distance in emergency
situations by rapidly producing the pressure required in the brake system. It fully
exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of the
Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate in the normal way.
The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If a fault occurs in the ESP, the Brake Assist
function is also not available. Further information on the ESP page 133.
WARNING

The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your
vehicle in terms of the braking distance required.

Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic situ-
ation.

The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to take
a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Uphill Start Assist*The uphill start assist makes it easier to start off on steep hills. The system assists a start
off by holding the brake pressure produced by the brake pedal actuation for approx. 2
seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore move his foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and start off on the slope, without having to
actuate the handbrake. The brake pressure drops gradually the more you operate the
accelerator pedal. If the vehicle does not start off within 2 seconds, it starts to roll back.
The uphill start assist is active as of a 3% slope, if the driver door is closed. It is always
active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When driving downhill, it is
inactive.Electrohydraulic power steeringThe power steering enables you to steer the vehicle with less physical force.
The steering characteristics can be changed by a specialist garage.
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Intelligent Technology
138
You will place great stresses on the power steering system if the steering is turned to
full lock when the vehicle is stationary. Turn ing the steering to full lock in such a situa-
tion will be accompanied by noises.
It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine is
not running (vehicle being towed in). The only difference is that greater physical effort
is required.
It is possible that the hydraulic pump of the power steering will not run due to the low
vehicle network voltage if the battery has gone flat and the engine must started with
the help off jump leads. This condition will be indicated by lighting up of the warning
light.
The power steering operates again if the ba ttery is charged to a specific range when
engine is running. It also op erates again, if the engine can be started with its own
battery.
If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light lights up in the instrument
cluster
  page 25.
Caution
Do not leave the steering at full lock fo r more than 15 seconds when the engine is
running - risk of damaging the power steering!
Note
Have the steering inspected as soon as possible by a specialist garage if there is a leak
or fault in the system.
Tyre pressure monitoring system*The tyre pressure monitoring system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors the
speed and also the rolling circumference of the individual wheels. If the tyre inflation
pressure is significantly changed and thus the rolling circumference of a wheel, the
warning light
 lights up in the instrument cluster page 30. The tyre pressure moni-
toring system functions late or too sensitively if:

the structure of the tyre is damaged,

the vehicle is loaded to one side or with a load on the roof,

the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when driving
uphill or downhill),

the vehicle is operated in unfavourable wi nter conditions or on an unfirm ground,

snow chains or emergency wheel are mounted,

the driver has a sporty style of driving (with sharp acceleration and high speed
when cornering).
Basic setting of the system
After changing the tyre inflation pressures or after changing one or several wheels, a
basic setting of the system mu st be carried out as follows.

Inflate all tyres to the specified inflation pressure page 173.

Switch on the ignition.

Press button
 
 fig. 127 for more than 2 seconds. While pressing the button,
the warning light
 lights up. At the same time the basic values are stored, which is
confirmed with an acoustic sound and then the warning light
 goes out.
Fig. 127 Button for setting the tyre
inflation pressure control value
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Driving and the Environment143
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guidelines given in this chapter in order to
make best use of these characteristics and
to maintain their effectiveness.
Looking ahead when driving
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.Avoid accelerating and braking unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight you will not
need to brake so often and will also then not have to accelerate so much. Let your
vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this is possible, when you see that the next set of
traffic lights is at red.Shifting gears and saving energy
Shifting up early saves on fuel.Fig. 129 Fuel consumption / Shift recommendation for changing gearsManual gearbox– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.
– Shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs.Automatic gearbox– Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Do not depress it beyond the kickdown
position, however.
An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up early. You will consume
more fuel if you drive at unnecessaril y high revolutions in any given gear. The
fig. 129 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in the
relevant gear. Fuel consumption in 1st gear is the highest. The consumption is the
lowest in the highest gear.
You will achieve good fuel economy by shif ting up early and shifting down late.
Shift recommendation for changing gears*
An information for the engaged gear  fig. 129 is shown in the display of the
instrument cluster.
In order to minimise the fuel consumptio n, a recommendation for shifting into
another gear is indicated in the display.
If the control unit recognises that it is appropriate to change the gear, an arrow is
shown in the display. The arrow points up or down, depending on whether it is recom-
mended to shift into a higher or lower gear.
At the same time, the recommended gear is indicated instead of the currently engaged
gear .
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator* page 18.Avoiding full throttle
Driving more slowly means saving fuel.Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption but
also positively influence environmenta l pollution and wear of your vehicle.
AA
AB
AA
Fig. 130 Fuel consumption in litres/100
km. and speed in km/h.
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Driving and the Environment145
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hand at +20°C and on the other hand at
-10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel
consumption in winter than in summer.
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 tyre filling 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 luggage 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 kilograms 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 1 l 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 re cyclable material.

Air conditioning filled with CFC-free refrigerant.

No cadmium.

No asbestos.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle157
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
Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove fresh soiling each time this occurs.

Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe cream
etc., as quickly as possible.

Care also for the leather dye. Refreshen ar eas which have lost their colour with a
special coloured leather cream as required.

The leather is a natural material with specific properties. During the use of the
vehicle, minor optical changes can occur on the leather parts of the covers (e. g wrin-
kles or creases as a result of the stress of the covers).
Seat belts– Keep the seat belts clean!
– Wash seat belts which have become soiled using a mild soapy solution.
– Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition.
Belt webbing which has become severely so iled may prevent the inertia reel from
reeling up the belt properly.
WARNING

The seat belts must not be removed for cleaning.

Never clean the seat belts chemically as dry cleaning may destroy the fabric.
The seat belts must also not be allowed to come into contact with corrosive
liquids (such as acids etc.).

Seat belts which have damage to the webbing, the connections, the inertia
reel or the lock should be re placed by a specialist garage.

Inertia reel belts must be completely dried before being reeled up.
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Inspecting and replenishing
164
Oil level within range
–You must top up the oil. It is sufficient, once th is 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 duri ng 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* will indicate page 28 whether the oil
level is too low. In this case, check the oil level as soon as possible. Top up with an
appropriate quantity of oil.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes page 162, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution

The oil level must on no account 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– Inspect the oil level page 163.
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening. – Wipe off the oil from the sealing surface of the cover and on the counterpart using
a clean cloth.
– Pour in a suitable grade of oi l in portions of 0.5 litres page 208.
– Inspect the oil level page 163.
– 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 162, “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 163. 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 17.
WARNING

Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required professional
knowledge!

Read and observe the warning notes page 162, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.

First of all, let the engine cool down, we ar an eye protection and gloves - risk
of caustic burns due to hot oil.
Ac
Ab
AbAa
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