
Driving and the Environment187
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tilt, steer immediat
ely downhill on your trajec tory and lightly depress the
accelerator.
If the vehicle is stationary on a hillside with a too great angle of lateral incli-
nation, avoid sudden and uncontrolled movements in the vehicle. The vehicle
can roll over and then roll down the hillside. This can lead to serious injuries.
If the vehicle is stationary on a hillside with a too great angle of lateral incli-
nation, neither you nor your occupants must exit the vehicle through the doors
facing downhill. This can lead to a shift of the overall centre of gravity. The
vehicle can tilt or roll over and then roll down the hillside. This can lead to
serious injuries. To avoid this, you and your occupants must exit the vehicle
only on the side facing uphill page 186, fig. 158.
When you exit the vehicle, make sure that the door which faces uphill does
not close by its own weight or by carelessness - risk of injury!
Observe the important guidelines page 179.
Driving over rutted roads and troughsYou will always encounter ruts when driv ing on forest roads, through wet meadows
and fields as well as on rutted stretches of terrain.
If the ruts and troughs are on firm and soft ground, you can simply follow the ruts.
Do not drive over ruts and troughs which ar e too deep. If you cannot avoid this, it is
better that you turn back.
Caution
If the ruts or troughs become too deep, the underbody of the vehicle can touch the
ground, which might cause the underbody to get damaged. Therefore, avoid driving in
deep ruts and troughs.Crossing a trenchIf possible, drive through the trench at an acute angle. Make sure when driving through
the trench that the tilt angle is not too steep.
WARNING
Never attempt to drive through a trench if its embankment is too steep. The
vehicle could slip, tilt or roll over - risk of accident!
Caution
If you drive into the trench at a right angle, the front wheels will sink into the trench.
There is also the danger that the underbod y of the vehicle touches the ground and is
damaged. For these reasons (even with four-wheel drive) it is rarely possible to get out
of the trench.Driving in sand and mudYou should therefore always drive at a cons tant speed through sand or mud whenever
possible and at the same time do not shift gears or change the driving stage.
– Switch on the Off-road mode page 170.
– Select a suitable gear or driving stage and maintain the gear or driving stage.
– Keep your vehicle in constant motion and do not stop until you have reached firm
ground.
Never drive too fast, otherwise the wheels may spin and the vehicle can get stuck. If
you feel that the tyres do no longer grip, then turn the steering wheel quickly back and
forth. This leads to an improved adhesion of the front tyres of the vehicle for a short
period of time.
Driving through sand
Do not reduce the tyre inflation pressure. If yo u nevertheless reduce the inflation
pressure, do not forget to re-establish the correct tyre inflation pressure level before
you continue driving. Driving with a reduced tyre inflation pressure increases the risk
that you lose control over your vehicle and that the vehicle rolls over.
Driving through mud
Do not change speed or direction when you drive through the mud. The tyres can lose
their grip in the mud. If the vehicle slides, you must steer in the appropriate direction
in order to regain control over the vehicle.
WARNING (continued)
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Driving and the Environment189
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Combustible objects such as dry leaves or twigs could ignite on hot vehicle
parts. A vehicle fire can also lead to serious injuries.
Observe the important guidelines page 179.WARNING (continued)
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Towing a trailer
190
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
13) 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 216.
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.
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Towing a trailer191
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Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights. Alter
the setting as necessary with the ai
d of the headlight beam adjuster page 58.
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 192.
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 17, “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 208,
“Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines page 33, “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 vehicle193
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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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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 194.
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.
Specialist garages 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 243.
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 normal 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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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 204, “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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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.).
We recommend that 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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