2011 SKODA FABIA steering wheel

Windshield wiper and wash system
Windshield wiper You can operate the windscreen wipers and automatic wipe/wash
using the windscreen wiper lever.
Fig. 32 Windscreen wiper lever
The windscreen wiper lever ⇒ 
fig. 32 has the following positions:
Finger-operated wiping
– If you wish to wipe the windscreen only briefly, push the lever into the sprung
position 4 .
Intermittent wiping
– Position the lever up into position 1 .
– Set with the switch A the desired break between the individual wiper
strokes.
Slow wipe
– Position the lever up into position 2 .
Fast wipe
– Position the lever up into position 3 .
Automatic wipe/wash for windscreen
– Pull the lever towards the steering wheel into the spring-tensioned position
5 , the wash system and the windscreen wipers will operate. –
Release the lever. The windscreen wash system stops and the wiper contin-
ues for another 1 - 3 wiper strokes (depending on the period of spraying of the
windscreen).
Wiping the rear window pane
– Push the lever away from the steering wheel into position 6 ⇒ fig. 32, the
widescreen wiper will operate every 6 seconds.
Automatic wipe/wash for the rear window pane
– Push the lever away from the steering wheel into the spring-tensioned posi-
tion 7 , the windscreen wiper and wash system will operate.
– Letting go of the lever will cause the windscreen wash system to stop and the
windscreen wiper to continue for another 1 - 3 wiper strokes (depending on
the period of spraying of the windscreen). The lever will stay in position after
releasing it 6 .
Switching windscreen wipers off
– Move the lever back into its home position 0 .
The windscreen wipers and the windscreen washer system only operate if the ig-
nition is switched on.
The rear window will be wiped again if the window wipers are on when reverse
gear is selected.
The windscreen washer nozzles for the windscreen are heated when the ignition
is switched on.
Top up with wash liquid ⇒ page

163. WARNING
● Properly maintained windscreen wiper blades are essential for clear visibil-
ity and safe driving ⇒ 

page 49.
● Do not use the windscreen washer system at low temperatures, without
heating the windscreen beforehand. Otherwise the window cleaner could
freeze on the windscreen and restrict the view to the front.
● In the event of a freezing up of the windscreen, first of all remove the ice
⇒ 

page 146 and then operate the windscreen wiper otherwise the wind-
screen wiper blades could be damaged. £48
Lights and Visibility

Seats and Stowage
Front seats
Basic information The front seats have a wide range of different settings and can thus be matched
to the physical characteristics of the driver and front passenger.
Correct adjustment of the seats is particularly important for:
●
safely and quickly reaching the controls;
● a relaxed, fatigue-free body position;
● achieving the maximum protection offered by the seat belts and the airbag
system.
The chapters which follow describe the procedure which you should adopt for ad-
justing the seats. WARNING
● Never transport more occupants than the maximum seating in the vehicle.
● Each occupant must correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to the seat.
Children must be fastened ⇒ 
page 121, Transporting children safely with a
suitable restraint system.
● The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven - never
place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the surfaces
of the seats. This is particularly important for the front seat passenger. You
will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the
brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is deployed, you may suffer
fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated position! WARNING (Continued)
● It is important for the driver and front passenger to maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel. Not maintaining this
minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to proper-
ly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints must always
also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
● Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get be-
hind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then no
longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate.
● Do not transport any objects on the front passenger seat except objects
(e.g. child safety seat) provided for this purpose - risk of accident! 
Adjusting the front seats - Variant 1 Fig. 37 Controls at seat
Adjusting a seat in a forward/back direction
– Pull the lever 1 ⇒
 fig. 37
up and push the seat into the desired position.
– Release the lever 1 and push the seat further until the lock is heard to en-
gage.
Adjusting height of seat
– Lift the seat if required by pulling or pumping lever 2 upwards.
– Lower the seat if required by pushing or pumping lever 2 downwards.
£52
Seats and Stowage

Adjust the angle of the seat backrest
–
Relieve any pressure on the seat backrest (do not lean on it) and turn the
handwheel 3 to adjust the angle of the backrest.
The driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the pedals can be fully
pressed to the floor with slightly bent legs.
The seat backrest on the driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the
upper point of the steering wheel can be easily reached with slightly bent arms. WARNING
● Only adjust the driver seat when the vehicle is stationary - risk of injury!
● Take care when adjusting the seat! Adjusting the seat without care can
lead to bruises or injuries.
● The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving other-
wise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag sys-
tem - risk of injury! 
Adjusting the front seats - Variant 2 Fig. 38 Controls at seat
This front seat variant is only available in some countries.
Adjusting a seat in a forward/back direction
– Pull the lever (in the middle section) 1 ⇒ fig. 38
up and push the seat into the
desired position.
– Release the lever 1 and push the seat further until the lock is heard to en-
gage. Adjusting height of seat
–
Lift the seat if required by pulling or pumping lever 2 upwards.
– Lower the seat if required by pushing or pumping lever 2 downwards.
Adjust the angle of the seat backrest
– Remove the pressure of the backrest (do not lean on it), pull the lever 3 to-
wards the rear and set the desired angle of the seat backrest with the back
– After releasing the lever 3 , the seat backrest will remain in the set position.
The driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the pedals can be fully
pressed to the floor with slightly bent legs.
The seat backrest on the driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the
upper point of the steering wheel can be easily reached with slightly bent arms. WARNING
● Only adjust the driver seat when the vehicle is stationary - risk of injury!
● Take care when adjusting the seat! Adjusting the seat without care can
lead to bruises or injuries.
● The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving other-
wise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag sys-
tem - risk of injury! 
Head restraints Fig. 39 Head restraint: Adjusting/pulling out
Best protection is achieved if the top edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head.
£ 53
Seats and Stowage Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Install bicycle carrier
Fig. 57 Install bicycle carrier
– Position the approved bicycle carrier on the cross member, after pulling up the
screw A ⇒ fig. 57 push the frame side rail (alu-part) towards the cross mem-
ber until the socket latches, and screw the screw A into the nut.
– Slacken the screw B and take it out of the moveable part of the fixture; posi-
tion the moveable part of the carrier, depending on bicycle size, into one of the
possible positions, so that it does not come in contact with the boot lid. We
recommend to place the moveable part of the fixture in such a position that
the holes are visible between the screw A and the moveable part.
– Insert the screw B into the desired position and tighten.

Put bicycle into the bicycle carrier Fig. 58 Put in the bicycle/fastening the front wheel
–
Remove the front wheel before putting the bicycle into the vehicle. –
Slacken the quick tension jack on the fixing axle of the bicycle carrier and ad-
just according to the width of the bicycle fork.
– Fit the bicycle fork onto the fixing axle and tighten with the quick tension jack
⇒ fig. 58 - left.
– Position the left pedal of the bicycle forward, in order to attach the front
wheel more easily.
– Slacken the screw A ⇒ fig. 57 and push the bicycle holder together with the
attached bicycle to the left (in the direction of the arrow), so that no collision
between the steering arm and the side window of the luggage compartment
can occur.
– Carefully guide the boot lid to the bottom without letting it go and at the same
time check if there is adequate room between the steering arm of the bicycle
and the window of the boot lid. If necessary adapt the position of the movea-
ble part of the bicycle carrier in such a way that no collision can occur
⇒ page 64 .
– It is best to push the removed front wheel between the crank of the left pedal
and the bicycle frame, attach it with a strap to the front fork ⇒ fig. 58
- right,
and/or to a fixing point.
– Make sure that it does not lead to damage of the trim panel of the luggage
compartment, the bicycle and the placed objects.
– Perform the installation of the second fixture and the attachment of the bicy-
cle analogously. WARNING
Place the bicycles in the bicycle carrier in such a position that no collision be-
tween the steering arm and the side and/or rear window can occur. Note
If the front wheel is equipped with disc brake, attach the wheel in such a way that
the brake disc is opposite the frame. 64
Seats and Stowage

Storage compartment on the driver's side
Fig. 69 Dash panel: Storage compart-
ment on the driver's side
Unlockable compartment below the steering wheel on the left. 
Stowage compartment for spectacles Fig. 70 Detail of the headliner: Stowage
compartment for spectacles
– Press on the lid of the storage compartment, the storage compartment opens
downwards ⇒ fig. 70. CAUTION
● The compartment must only be opened when removing or inserting the spec-
tacles and otherwise must be kept closed.
● Do not put any heat-sensitive objects in the stowage compartment - they may
be damaged. Stowage compartment in centre console
Fig. 71 Centre console: Storage com-
partment
Unlocable compartment in the centre console. 
Storage compartment in the front seat Fig. 72 Front seat: Storage compart-
ment
– Tilt the lock to open the flap and pull out the flap ⇒ fig. 72.
– Tilt the lock to close the flap and press flap close. CAUTION
The storage compartment is designed for storing small objects of up to 1 kg. in
weight. 70
Seats and Stowage

Starting-off and Driving
Setting steering wheel position Fig. 81 Adjustable steering wheel: Lever below the steering column/Safe distance to steering
wheel
You can set the height and the forward/back position of the steering wheel to the
desired position.
–
Adjust the driver seat ⇒ page 52.
– Pull the lever below the steering wheel down ⇒ fig. 81 - left ⇒  .
– Set the steering wheel to the desired position (concerning height and forward/
back position).
– Then push the lever up against the steering column until it locks into place. WARNING
● You must not adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving!
● The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel
⇒ fig. 81 - right. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the air-
bag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
● For safety reasons the lever must always be firmly pushed up to avoid the
steering wheel altering its position unintentionally when driving - risk of acci-
dent! WARNING (Continued)
● If you adjust the steering wheel further towards the head, you will reduce
the protection offered by the driver airbag in the event of an accident. Check
that the steering wheel is aligned to the chest.
● When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel
firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the
steering wheel or at the inner steering wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to
the arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver airbag is de-
ployed. 
Ignition lock Fig. 82 Ignition lock positions
Petrol engines 1 - ignition switched off, engine off, the steering can be locked.
2 - ignition switched on
3 - start engine
Diesel engines 1 - interruption of fuel supply, ignition switched off, engine off, the steering can
be locked.
2 - heating glow plugs on, ignition switched on
● You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating
period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily. £82
Starting-off and Driving

3
- start engine
Applies to all models:
Position 1 To
lock the steering , with the ignition key withdrawn, turn the steering wheel un-
til the steering locking pin is heard to engage. You should always lock the steering
as a general rule if you leave your vehicle. This acts as a deterrent against possible
theft of your vehicle ⇒  .
Position 2 Move the steering wheel back and forward a little if the ignition key cannot, or
cannot easily be turned into this position, in order to release the steering lock.
Position
3 The engine is started in this position. At the same time switched on low beam or
main beam or other electrical components with major power consumption are
briefly switched off. The ignition key moves back into position
2 when one relea-
ses the key.
The ignition key must be turned back into position 1 each time before starting
the engine again. The starter repeat lock in the ignition lock prevents the starter
being engaged when the engine is running and thus getting damaged. WARNING
● When driving, the ignition key must always be in the position 2 (ignition
switched on) without the engine running. This position is indicated by the
warning lights coming on. If this is not the case, it could result in unexpected
locking of the steering wheel - risk of accident!
● Do not withdraw the ignition key from the lock until the car has come to a
stop. The steering lock can engage immediately - risk of accident!
● Always withdraw the ignition key if you are going to leave the vehicle,
even for a short time. This is particularly important if children are left in the
vehicle. The children might otherwise start the engine or operate electrical
equipment (e.g. power windows) - risk of injury! Starting the engine
General You can only start the engine only using an original ignition key.
● Place the gearshift lever into neutral (or place the selector lever to the posi-
tion P or N in the case of an automatic gearbox) and put on the handbrake firmly
before starting the engine.
● The clutch pedal should be fully depressed when starting the engine which
means that the starter only has to crank the engine.
● Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts otherwise there may be damage
to the starter.
The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time after
starting the cold engine until oil pressure can be built up in the hydraulic valve
clearance compensation. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.
If the engine does not start ...
You can use the battery of another vehicle as a jump-start aid ⇒ page 178. WARNING
● Never run the engine in non ventilated or enclosed areas. The exhaust
gases of the engine contain besides the odorless and colourless carbon mon-
oxide a poisonous gas - hazard! Carbon monoxide can cause unconsciousness
and death.
● Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running. CAUTION
● The starter may only be operated (ignition key position 3 ), if the engine is not
running. If the starter is immediately operated after switching off the engine, the
starter or the engine can be damaged.
● Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as
the engine has not yet reached its normal operating temperature - risk of damag-
ing the engine!
● Do not tow start the engine - danger of damaging the engine. On vehicles with
a catalytic converter, unburnt fuel may get into the catalytic converter where it
may ignite. This in turn may damage or destroy the catalytic converter. You can
use the battery of another vehicle as a jump-start aid ⇒ page 178, Jump-starting.£ 83
Starting-off and Driving Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
First ensure that it is not too high for the traffic conditions which exist at that
moment before resuming the stored speed. 
Switching off the cruise control system completely –
Press the switch A ⇒
 fig. 86 to the right into position OFF .
“START-STOP” Fig. 87 Centre console: START-STOP
System button
The “START-STOP” system helps you to save fuel while at the same time reducing
harmful exhaust emissions and CO 2 emissions.
The function is automatically activated each time the ignition is switched on.
In the start-stop mode, the engine automatically switches to the vehicle's idle
phase, e.g. when stopped at traffic lights.
Information regarding the current state of the “START-STOP

” system is indicated
in the display of the instrument cluster.
Automatic engine shut down (stop phase)
– Stop the vehicle (where necessary, apply the handbrake).
– Take the vehicle out of gear.
– Take your foot off the clutch.
Automatic engine restart (start phase).
– Push down on the clutch. Switching the “START-STOP” system on and off
You can switch the “START STOP

” system on/off by pressing the button ⇒ fig. 87.
When start-stop mode is deactivated, the warning light in the button lights up.
If the vehicle is in the stop phase when manually switching off the system, the en-
gine starts immediately.
The START-STOP system involves complicated switching conditions, some of
them cannot be correctly determined without servicing. The general conditions
for the proper functioning of the START-STOP system are listed in the following
overview.
Conditions for the automatic engine shut down (stop phase) The gearshift lever is in Neutral.
The clutch pedal is not pressed!
The driver has fastened the seat belt.
The driver's door is closed.
The bonnet is closed.
The vehicle is at a standstill.
The factory-fitted towing device is not electrically connected to a trailer.
The engine is at operating temperature.
The charge state of the vehicle battery is sufficient.
The stationary vehicle is not on a steep slope or a steep downhill section.
The engine speed is less than 1200 1/min.
The temperature of the vehicle battery is not too low or too high.
The pressure in the brake system is sufficient.
The difference between the outdoor- and the set temperature in the interior is
not too great.
The vehicle speed since the last time the engine was switched off was greater
than 3 km/h.
No cleaning of the diesel particle filter takes place
⇒ page 27 The front wheels are not turned excessively (the steering angle is less than 3/4
of a steering wheel revolution).
Conditions for an automatic restart (start phase)
The clutch is pressed.
The max./min. temperature is set.
£ 89
Starting-off and Driving Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data