2010 SKODA SUPERB maintenance

Towing a trailer
202
Towing a trailerTo w i n g a t r a i l e rTechnical requirements
The towing device must satisfy certain technical requirements.Your 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 nece ssary for towing a trailer 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 tr ailer which you wish to tow has a 7-pin connector, you
can use a suitable adapter
15) 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 are familiar with details relating to 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 Maintenance
There are a number of points to pay attention to when towing a trailer.Trailer 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 engi ne power output 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 pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on yo ur vehicle for that of “fully laden”, page 228.
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 ex terior 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.
15)In some countries the adapter is supplied with the towing device.s3fg.2.book Page 202 Friday, April 30, 2010 12:17 PM

Towing a trailer203
Using the system
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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 aid of the headlight beam adjuster
page 65, “Head-
lamp range adjustment* ”.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device. It is
stowed together with separate fitting instru ctions in the spare wheel well in the luggage
compartment of the vehicle.
Further information on the towing device page 204.
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, “Coolant temperature gauge”.
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 220,
“Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines  page 32, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant
quantity ”.
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.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle205
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Technical Data
General MaintenanceTaking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicleGeneralProper care retains the value of your vehicle.Regular and proper care retains the value of your vehicle. It may also be one of the
requirements for the acceptance of warranty claims relating to corrosion damage and
paint defects on the bodywork.
We recommend using a preserva tive from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer. Please follow the instructions for use on the package.
WARNING

Care products may be harmful to your health if not used according to the
instructions.

Always store care products in a safe place, out of the reach of children - risk
of poisoning!For the sake of the environment

Always select environmentally-friendly products when purchasing vehicle care
products.

Do not dispose of the packages with residues of care products in domestic waste.
Care of the exterior of vehicleWashing the vehicle
Frequent washing protects your vehicle.The best protection for your vehicle agai nst harmful environmental influences is
frequent washing and wax treatment. How of ten you should wash your vehicle
depends on a wide range of factors, such as:

Frequency of use,

The parking situation (garage, below trees etc.),

Season of the year,

Weather conditions,

Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust, tar, soot
particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to the paintwork of
your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect can be. High temperatures,
such as those caused by intensive sun' s rays, accentuate this caustic effect.
It may therefore be necessary, in ce rtain circumstances, to wash the car once a week.
It may also be sufficient, however, to wash the car once a month followed by appro-
priate wax treatment.
It is essential to also thoroughly wash the underside of your vehicle at the end of the
winter road salting and gritting period.
WARNING
When washing your vehicle in the winter : Water and ice in the brake system can
affect the braking efficiency - risk of accident!Automatic vehicle wash systemsThe paintwork of the vehicle is sufficiently resistant that the vehicle can be washed
normally in automatic vehicle wash plants without any problem. The actual stress to
which the paintwork is subjected, however, depends greatly on the design of the
vehicle wash system, the filtering of the wa ter and the type of washing and care prod-
ucts used. If the paintwork of your vehicle appears mat after being washed or even has
scratches, point this out to the operator of the vehicle wash plant. Use a different
vehicle wash plant, if necessary.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle207
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A new layer of a high-quality
hard wax polish can be applied to the clean bodywork
after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver regularly we still recom-
mend that you treat the paintwork of the ve hicle at least twice a year with hard wax.
Caution
Never apply wax to the windows.PolishingPolishing is only necessary if the paintwork of your vehicle has become unattractive
and if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax pr eserver if the polish you use does not
contain any preserving elements page 206.
We recommend using a preserva tive from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer.
Caution

You must not treat mat painted parts or plas tic with polishing products or hard wax.

Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicle in a dusty environment, otherwise the
paintwork can be scratched.
Chrome partsFirst clean the chrome parts with a damp clot ch and then polish them with a soft, dry
cloth. If it does not prove to be adequate, use a chrome care product from Škoda orig-
inal accessories.
Caution
Do not polish the chrome parts in a du sty environment, otherwise they can be
scratched.
Paint damageSlight damage to paintwork such as scratches, scuffs or traces of chip damage must be
touched up immediately with paint (Škoda painting pen) before any corrosion can
result. You can of course have this work ca rried out by authorised Škoda Service Part-
ners.
The authorised Škoda Service Partners have a range of matching touch-up pens or
spray cans available in the colour of your vehicle.
The paint number of the original paintwork of your vehicle is indicated on the vehicle
data sticker page 257.
Any corrosion which has already have formed must be removed thoroughly. Apply a
corrosion protection primer and then the paint to the affected point. You can of
course have this work carried out by authorised Škoda Service Partners.Plastic partsExternal plastic parts are cleaned by norm al washing. Plastic parts and synthetic
leather can also be treated with special solvent-free plastic cleaning agents if a
damp cloth is not sufficient. Paint care pr oducts are not suitable for plastic parts.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.WindowsOnly use a plastic ice scraper for removing snow and ice from the windows and
mirrors. You should not move the ice scraper forward and backward but in one direc-
tion on the window which you are cleaning in order to avoid any damage to the surface
of the glass.
You can best remove residues of rubber, oil, grease, wax or silicone by using a special
window cleaner or a special silicone remover.
You should also clean the windows regularly from the inside.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle209
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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, di esel particle filter or heat shields.
When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances 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 the manufacturer and also the required equipment.
WARNING

It is necessary to observ e the guidelines given in the chapter before working
on the engine compartment page 216, “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 fueling 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.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle211
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Technical Data

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 replaced by an authorised Škoda Service Partner.

Inertia reel belts must be completely dried before being reeled up.
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Fuel213
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Caution

Therefore, your 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). Filling the tank even only once wi th diesel fuel which does not comply with
the standard, can result in damage to the engine parts, the lubrication system, the fuel
and exhaust system.

If by mistake you have refuelled with a different fuel other than the diesel fuel
which complies to the above mentioned standards (e.g. petrol), do not start the engine
or switch on the ignition! This can result in severe engine damage! Contact a specialist
garage and have the fuel sy stem of the engine cleaned.

Water which has collected in the fuel fi lter can result in engine problems.

Your vehicle is not adapted for use of biofue l (RME), therefore this fuel must not be
refuelled and driven. The use of biofuel (RME) 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 fuel 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 countries 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 concer ned will be able to provide you with infor-
mation regarding the diesel fuels available.
Prewarming fuel
The vehicle is fitted with a fuel 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. 179 Right rear side of the ve hicle: Open fuel filler flap / fuel filler flap with cap unscrewedThe filler flap is automatically unlocked or locked with the central locking.Opening the fuel filler cap– Press onto the left side of the fuel filler flap fig. 179 - left.
– Unscrew the fuel filler ca p anti-clockwise and place the fuel filler cap from above
on the fuel filler flap fig. 179 - right.Closing fuel filler cap– Screw on the fuel filler cap by turning it to the right until it is heard to click.
– Close the fuel filler flap until it locks.
The correct grade of fuel for your vehicle as well as the tyre size and inflation pressures
are stated on a sticker affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap. Further information on
fuel page 212.
The fuel tank has a capacity of about 60 litres.
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Inspecting and replenishing215
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Inspecting and replenishingEngine compartmentBonnet remote releaseBonnet remote release– Pull the unlocking lever below the dash panel on the driver's side fig. 180 .
The bonnet jumps out of its lock as a result of the spring force.Opening and closing the bonnet.Opening the bonnet– Unlock the bonnet fig. 180 . – Ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are correctly in place against the
windscreen before opening the bonnet otherwise damage could occur to the
paintwork.
– Pull on the locking lever fig. 181 , the bonnet is then unlocked.
– Grasp the bonnet at the bottom part of the radiator grille and lift it towards the top
so that it is held opened by the gas pressure support.
Closing the bonnet– You can overcome the force of the gas pressure support by pulling the bonnet
towards the bottom.
– 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 driving if you notice that the lock is not
properly engaged and close the bonnet properly - risk of an accident!Caution
Ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are correctly in place against the wind-
screen before opening the bonnet otherwise damage could occur to the paintwork.
Fig. 180 Bonnet release leverFig. 181 Radiator grille: Locking lever
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