2011 SKODA FABIA tow

Visibility
Rear window heater Fig. 30 Switch for rear window heater
– You can switch the rear window heater on or off by pressing the switch ⇒ 
fig. 30 - the indicator light in the switch comes on or goes out.
The rear window heater only operates when the engine is running.
The rear window heater switches off automatically after 7 minutes.
If the on-board voltage drops, the rear window heater is switched off automatical-
ly, the warning light flashes in the button. For the sake of the environment
As soon as the window is de-iced or free from mist, the heating should be switch-
ed off. The reduced current consumption will have a favourable effect on fuel
economy ⇒ page 139, Saving electricity. Sun visors Fig. 31 Sun visor: swivelling out
You can pull the sun visor for the driver or front passenger out of the fixture and
swivel it toward the door in the direction of the arrow 1 ⇒
 fig. 31 .
The vanity mirrors in the sun visors are provided with covers. Push the cover in di-
rection of arrow 2 .
WARNING
The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the deploy-
ment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens etc. are
attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head air-
bag is deployed. 47
Lights and Visibility Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

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

Rear mirror
You can adjust the exterior mirrors electrically.
Fig. 36 Inner part of door: Rotary knob
Adjust the rear mirror before commencing to drive so that there is a clear view to
the rear.
Dimming the interior mirror
– Pull the lever on the bottom edge of the mirror toward rear (the lever on the
interior mirror must point forwards in it home position).
Heating of the external mirror
– Turn the rotary knob to position  ⇒ 
fig. 36 .
Adjusting the left-hand exterior mirror
– Turn the rotary knob to position . The movement of the mirror surface is iden-
tical to the movement of the rotary knob.
Adjusting the right-hand exterior mirror
– Turn the rotary knob to position . The movement of the mirror surface is iden-
tical to the movement of the rotary knob. WARNING
● Convex (curved outward) exterior mirrors increase the field of vision. They
do, however, make objects appear smaller in the mirror. These mirrors are only
of limited use, therefore, for estimating distances to the following vehicles.
● Use whenever possible the interior rear mirror, for estimating the distan-
ces to the following vehicles. Note
● The exterior mirror heater only operates when the engine is running.
● Do not touch the surfaces of the exterior mirrors if the exterior mirror heater is
switched on.
● You can set the exterior mirrors by hand, if the power setting function fails at
any time, by pressing on the edge of the mirror surface.
● Contact your specialist garage if a fault exists with the power setting of the
exterior mirrors.  51
Lights and Visibility Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

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

Adjusting the height of a head restraint
–
Grasp the side of the head restraint with both hands and push it in upward di-
rection as desired ⇒ fig. 39 - left.
– Move the head restraint downwards if required by pressing and holding the
safety button with one hand ⇒ fig. 39 - right and by pressing with the other
hand the head restraint downwards.
Removing and installing a head restraint
– Pull the head restraint out of the seat backrest as far as the stop.
– Press the locking button in the direction of arrow ⇒  fig. 39 - right and pull the
head restraint out.
– To re-insert the head restraint, push it down into the seat backrest far enough
until you hear the locking button engage.
The position of the front, rear outer head restraints and the rear middle head re-
straint is adjustable for height.
The head restraints must be adjusted to match the size of the seat occupant. Cor-
rectly adjusted head restraints together with the seat belts offer effective protec-
tion for the occupants ⇒ page 106.WARNING
● The head restraints must be correctly adjusted in order to offer effective
protection for the occupants in the event of an accident.
● Do not drive under any circumstance with removed head restraints - risk of
injury!
● If the rear seats are occupied, the rear head restraint must not be in the
lower position. Heating the front seats Fig. 40 Rocker switch: Front seat heat-
ing
You can electrically heat the seat cushions and the seat backrests of the front
seats.
– By pressing the rocker switch in the position 1 or 2 switch on the front seat
heating to 25 % or 100 % of its power output ⇒ fig. 40.
– To switch off the heating shift the rocker switch into the horizontal position. WARNING
● If, as an occupant, you have a subdued pain and/or temperature sensitivi-
ty, e.g. through medication, paralysis or because of chronic illness (e.g. diabe-
tes), we recommend not to use the seat heating of the driver or front passen-
ger seat. This can lead to burns on the back, the posterior and the legs which
are difficult to heal. If the seat heating is used, we recommend to make regu-
lar breaks in your journey when driving long distances, so that the body can
recuperate from the stress of the journey. Please consult your doctor, who can
evaluate your specific condition. CAUTION
● You should not kneel on the seats or otherwise apply pressure at specific
points in order to avoid damaging the heating elements of the seat heaters.
● Do not use the seat heating if the seats are not occupied by persons or if ob-
jects are fastened or stored on them, for example a child seat, a bag etc. A fault of
the heating elements in the seat heating can occur.
● Do not clean the seats moist ⇒ page 148. £54
Seats and Stowage

Note
The seat heating should only be switched on when the engine is running. This has
a significant effect of saving on the battery capacity. 
Rear seats Folding the rear seats forwards Fig. 41 Fold the seat cushion forwards/unlock the seat backrest
To enlarge the luggage compartment, the rear seats can be folded forwards, if
necessary remove the seat cushions ⇒ page 56. The rear seats can be folded for-
ward individually on vehicles with divided rear seats.
Folding seats forwards
– Before folding the rear seats forwards, you must adapt the position of the
front seats in such a way that they are not damaged when the rear seats are
folded forwards.
– Pull up the seat cushion in direction of arrow 1 ⇒ fig. 41
and fold forwards in
direction of arrow 2 .
– Unlock the seat backrest by pressing the securing knob A and fold it forwards
⇒ fig. 41 on the right.
– Pull the head restraint out of the seat backrest.
– The head restraints can be inserted into the relevant holes of the folded for-
ward seat cushions ⇒ fig. 42.
– Fold the seat backrests fully fowards. Move seats into the initial position
–
Install the head restraint in the slightly lifted seat backrest.
– Then push the seat backrest back into the upright position until the securing
knob clicks into place - check by pulling on the seat backrest.
– Make sure that the red pin B is covered ⇒ fig. 41
on the right.
– Move the seat cushion into its original position. WARNING
● Ensure that the seat belts are not damaged when operating the seat
backrests. Under no circumstances must the rear seat belts be jammed by the
folded back seat backrests.
● The belts and the belt locks must be in their original position after folding
back the seat cushions and the seat backrests - they must be ready to use.
● Pay attention that the seat backrest is correctly interlocked. It is only then
that the three-point seat belt can reliably fulfil its function.
● The seat backrests must be securely interlocked in position so that no ob-
jects in the luggage compartment can slide into the passenger compartment if
there is sudden braking - risk of injury! Note
If the housing of the net partition is installed, first of all fold the left seat backrest
forward and then the right double seat backrest. 
Inserting head restraints in the seat cushions Fig. 42 Rear seats: Inserting head re-
straints in the seat cushions
£ 55
Seats and Stowage Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

–
The rear head restraints can be inserted into the relevant holes of the folded
forward seat cushions. 
Removing the seats Fig. 43 Removing the seats
The luggage compartment can be increased in size by removing the rear seat.
Removing
– Fold the seat cushion forwards completely.
– Press the wire clamps in the direction of the arrow ⇒ fig. 43 and remove the
seat cushion from its holder.
Install
– Press the wire clamps in the direction of the arrow and place it in its holder.
– Fold the seat cushion back into its original position. 
Pedals Concerning a secure depressing of the pedal, you should use only footmats from
the
ŠKODA Original Accessories.
Operation of the pedals must not be hindered! WARNING
● Greater pedal distances may be needed when there is a fault in the brake
system.
● Do not place any footmats or other additional floor coverings in the area of
the pedals in order to ensure that all the pedals can be fully depressed and are
able to return unobstructed to their initial position - risk of accident!
● There must be no objects on the floor which could roll under the pedals.
You would then no longer be able to apply the brakes, operate the clutch or
accelerator - risk of accident! 
luggage compartment
Loading the luggage compartment Please observe the following in the interest of maintaining good handling charac-
teristics of your vehicle:
–
Distribute the items of luggage as evenly as possible.
– Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.
– Attach the items of luggage to the lashing eyes or the fixing net
⇒ page 57.
In the event of an accident, there is such a high kinetic energy which is produced
by small and light objects that they can cause severe injuries. The magnitude of
the kinetic energy depends on the speed at which the vehicle is travelling and on
the weight of the object. The speed at which the vehicle is travelling is in this case
the more significant factor.
Example: In the event of a frontal collision at a speed of 50 km/h, an unsecured
object with a weight of 4.5 kg produces an energy, which corresponds to 20 times
its own weight. This means that it results in a weight of approx. 90 kg. You can
imagine the injuries that can occur, if this
“bullet” is flying through the interior
compartment and hits an occupant. £56
Seats and Stowage