2010 SKODA ROOMSTER four wheel drive

Seat belts
114
The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless, the most important factor. Doubling the
speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy four
times.
The common opinion that it is possible to su pport your body in a minor accident with
your hands, is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces acting on the
body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed within the range from 30 km/hour to 50 km/hour, the
forces which are produced on your body in the event of an accident can easily exceed
10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of one tonne (1 000 kg).
In the event of a frontal collision, occupant s of the car not wearing a seat belt, are
thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the interior of the car, such
as steering wheel, da sh panel, windscreen, page 113, fig. 106 . The occupants of a
vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may even be thrown out of the vehicle.
This can result in fatal injuries.
It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will otherwise
be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontr olled manner in the event of an accident
A rear seat passenger who has not fastened the s eat bel t i s a dang er not o nl y to hims elf
but also for those seated at the front page 113, fig. 106 on the right.Important safety information regarding the use of seat beltsThe correct use of the seat belts cons iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING

The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
or chafe against any sharp edges.

It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts are
to offer their maximum protection page 115, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.

No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt
together.

The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
are correctly seated page 110, “Correct seated position”.

The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. specta-
cles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause of injuries.

Bulky, loose clothing (e.g. a winter coat over a jacket) does not allow you to
be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of the seat belts.

It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e.g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons).

The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is the correct
one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will reduce its capacity to protect
and the risk of injury increases.

The seat backrests must not be tilted too far to the rear otherwise the seat-
belts can lose their effectiveness.

The belt webbing must always be ke pt clean. Soiled belt webbing may
impair proper operation of the inertia reel  page 157, “Seat belts”.

The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or similar objects
otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place properly.

Inspect the seat belts regula rly to ensure they are in good condition. If you
find seat belts which have damage to the belt, the seat belt connections, to the
inertia reel or to the lock, the relevant safety belt must be replaced by a
specialist garage.

The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not make an
attempt to repair the seat belts yourself.

Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident and
were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is best done by a specialist
garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspected. The
anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.

In certain countries it is possible to use seat belts which differ in terms of
their operation from the seat belts which are described on the pages which
follow.WARNING (continued)
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Intelligent Technology133
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Praktik
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralGeneral
The ESP aids you in maintaining control of your vehicle in situations in which the
vehicle is driving at its dynamic limits, such as entering a curve fast. The risk of skidding
is reduced and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the
conditions of the road surface. The system operates at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL);

Traction control system (TCS);

Antilock brake system (ABS);

Brake Assist;

Uphill Start Assist
Operating principle
The ESP switches on automati cally when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also proc-
esses additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the
rotational velocity of the vehicle about its ve rtical axis, the lateral acceleration of the
vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering
angle and the speed of the vehicle and is co nstantly compared with the actual behav-
iour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the vehicle beginning to skid, the ESP will
automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces wh ich take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of a
vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency fo r the rear of the vehicle to break away) while occurs this is on the inner rear wh
eel of a vehicle which tends to understeer
(tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by
noises.
If the ESP helps to stabilise the vehicle (f or example when applying and releasing a
braking force to an individual wheel), then the indicator light
 flashes quickly.
The ESP system cannot be switched off, only the TCS system can be switched off by
pressing the button page 134, fig. 126. The warning light
  page 30 lights up if
the TCS system is switched off.
The warning light
 lights up permanently if there is a fault in the ESP system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that the ESP
warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly.
If the warning light  comes on immediately after starting the engine, the ESP system
can be switched off for technical reasons. In this case, the ESP system can be switched
on again by switching the igni tion on and off. If the warning light goes out, the ESP
system is fully functional again.
WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehicle.
Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of
driving to the condition of the road surfac e and the traffic situation. This partic-
ularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. The increased safety
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.
s16g.4.book Page 133 Wednesda y, February 10, 2010 3:53 PM

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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Wheels and Tyres177
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Praktik
Technical Data
Winter tyresThe handling of your vehicle will be signif icantly improved when driving on wintry
roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice, snow and
at temperatures below 7 °C because of thei r construction (width, rubber blend, tread
pattern). This applies in particular to vehicles which are equipped with low-profile
tyres or high-speed tyres (code index H, V or W on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four wheels to obtain the best handling charac-
teristics.
You must only fit those types of winter tyre which are approved for your vehicle. The
permissible sizes of winter tyres are stated in your vehicle documents. Approvals may
differ because of na tional legislation.
Please remember that the tyres should be inflated to 20 kPa (0.2 bar) more than is the
case for summer tyres  page 173.
Winter tyres no longer offer the same winter performance once the tyre tread has
worn down to a depth of about 4 mm.
Ageing also causes winter tyres to lose most of their winter performance properties -
even in cases where the remaining tread depth is still clearly more than 4 mm.
Speed restrictions apply to winter tyres as well as to summer tyres page 175,
 .
You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed catego ry to your vehicle provided that you also
do not drive faster than the permissible maximum speed for such tyres, even if the
possible maximum speed of your vehicle is higher. The corresponding tyre category
can damage the tyres when exceeding the permissible maximum speed.
Please pay attention to the notes if you decide to fit winter tyres page 173.
You can also fit so-called “all-year tyres” instead of winter tyres.
Please contact your specialist garage if there are any points which are not clear who will
be able to provide you with information regarding the maximum speed for your tyres.
WARNING
You must on no account drive your car at more than the permissible maximum
speed for your winter tyres - risk of an accident resulting from tyre damage and
loss of control over your car.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres on again in good time since summer tyres offer you better grip
and handling on roads which are free of snow and ice as well as ar temperatures below
7 °C - the braking distance is shorter, there is less tyre noise, tyre wear is reduced and
fuel consumption is reduced.
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.Unidirectional tyres*The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the tyre. This
indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre, and it is essential that the tyres are fitted
on to run in this direction. Only then are the tyres able to provide the optimal proper-
ties in terms of grip, low nois e, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Should it be necessary to fit on a spare wheel in exceptional cases with a tyre not dedi-
cated to the running direction or in oppo site running direction, please adopt a
cautious style of driving as the tyre is no longer able to provide optimal grip and
handling in such a situation. This particular ly important on wet roads. Please refer to
the notes page 182, “Spare wheel*”.
You should have the defective tyre replaced as soon as possible and restore the correct
direction of rotation on all tyresSnow chainsSnow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
When driving on wintry roads, snow chains improve not only traction, but also the
braking performance.
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the following
wheel/tyre combinations.
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