2011 SKODA FABIA dust

Unlocking and locking
Vehicle key
Description Fig. 9 Set of keys without remote control/Keys with remote control key
Two keys are provided with the vehicle. Depending on the equipment, your vehi-
cle can be equipped with keys without radio remote control ⇒ fig. 9 - left, or with
radio remote control ⇒ fig. 9 - right. WARNING
● Always withdraw the key whenever you leave the vehicle - even if it is only
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!
● Do not withdraw the ignition key from the ignition lock until the vehicle
has come to a stop. The steering lock might otherwise engage unintentionally
- risk of accident! CAUTION
● Each key contains electronic components; therefore protect them against
moisture and severe shocks.
● Keep the groove of the keys absolutely clean as impurities (textile fibres, dust
etc.) have a negative effect on the proper operation of the locking cylinder and the
ignition lock. Note
Please approach an authorised ŠKODA Service Partner if you lose a key since he
can obtain a new one for you. 
Changing the battery in the remote control key Fig. 10 Remote control key - remove cover/remove battery
Each remote control key contains a battery which is housed under the cover
B ⇒ fig. 10
. If the battery is discharged, the red warning light A does not flash after
you press a button on the remote control key ⇒ fig. 9 . We recommend that you
have the batteries of the key replaced by an authorised
ŠKODA Service Partner.
You should, however, proceed as follows if you wish to replace the discharged
battery yourself:
– Fold open the key.
– Press off the battery cover with your thumb or using a flat screwdriver at the
points of the arrows 1 .
– Remove the discharged battery from the key by pressing the battery down-
wards at the point of the arrow 2 ⇒
 fig. 10
.
– Insert the new battery. Ensure that the “+” symbol on the battery is facing up-
wards. The correct polarity is shown on the battery cover.
– Position the battery cover on the key and press on it until it is heard to lock in
place. £28
Unlocking and locking

Buttons for the power windows in the armrest for the driver
A Button for the power window in the driver's door
B Button for the power window in the front passenger's door
C Button for the power window at the rear right door
D Button for the power window at the rear left door
S Safety switch
Safety pushbutton
You can deactivate the buttons for power windows at rear doors by pressing the
safety pushbutton S ⇒ fig. 19
. The buttons for power windows at rear doors are
activated again by pressing the safety pushbutton S again.
If the buttons for the rear doors are deactivated, the indicator light  in the safe-
ty switch S lights up.
WARNING
● If you lock the vehicle from the outside, do not leave any person in the ve-
hicle since it is no longer possible to open the windows from the inside in an
emergency.
● The system is fitted with a force limiter ⇒ page 37. If there is an obstacle,
the closing process is stopped and the window goes down by several centime-
tres. You should then take particular care when closing the windows! You may
otherwise suffer severe injuries as a result of getting an arm, for example,
jammed in the window!
● It is recommended to deactivate the electrically operated power windows
in the rear doors (safety pushbutton) S ⇒
 fig. 19 when children are being
transported on the rear seats. CAUTION
● Keep the window glass clean to ensure correct function of the electric win-
dows.
● In the event of a freezing up of the windscreen, first of all eliminate the ice
⇒  page 146 and then operate the power windows otherwise the power window
mechanism could be damaged. Note
● After switching the ignition off, it is still possible to open or close the windows
for a further 10 minutes. The power windows are switched off completely once
you open the driver or front passenger door.
● When driving always use the existing heating, air conditioning and ventilation
system for ventilating the interior of the vehicle. If the windows are opened, dust
as well as other dirt can get into the vehicle and in addition the wind noise is more
at certain speeds. 
Force limiter of the power windows The electrically operated power windows are fitted with a force limiter. It reduces
the risk of bruises or injuries when closing the windows.
If there is an obstacle, the closing process is stopped and the window goes down
by several centimetres.
If an obstacle prevents the window from being closed during the next 10 seconds,
the closing process is interrupted once again and the window goes down several
centimetres.
If you try to close the window once again within 10 seconds after the window has
gone down twice, although the obstacle was not yet removed, the closing process
is stopped only. During this time it is not possible to automatically close the win-
dow. The force limiter is still switched on.
The force limiter is switched off only, if you attempt within the next 10 seconds to
close the window again -
now the window will close with full force .
If you wait longer than 10 seconds, the force limiter is switched on again. WARNING
You should take particular care when closing the windows! You may otherwise
suffer severe injuries as a result of getting an arm, for example, jammed in the
window! 
Window convenience operation You can open and close the electrically powered windows as follows when un-
locking and locking the vehicle (only close the sliding/tilting roof):
£ 37
Unlocking and locking Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

CAUTION
● In cold temperatures and in winter, check before the trip or before switching
on the ignition that the wiper blades are not frozen. Switching on windscreen
wipers when the blades are frozen to the windscreen may result in damage both
to the blades and the motor of the windscreen wipers!
● If you switch off the ignition while the windscreen wipers are on, the wipers
will sweep in the same mode the next time the ignition is switched on. At low
temperatures, the wipers may freeze to the window between switching off the ig-
nition and the next time you switch the ignition on again.
● Carefully detach frozen wiper blades from the front or rear window.
● Remove snow and ice from the window wipers before driving. Note
The content of the windscreen wiper reservoir is 3.5 litres. On vehicles which are
equipped with a headlight cleaning system, the content of the reservoir is 5.4 li-
tres. 
Headlight cleaning system The headlights are being cleaned after the windscreen washer system has been
operated for the fifth time, the low beam or main beam are switched on as well as
the windscreen wiper lever is held in the position
5 ⇒
 fig. 32 for about 1 second.
You should remove stubborn dirt (such as insect residues) from the headlight len-
ses at regular intervals, for example when refuelling. Please refer to the following
guidelines ⇒
  page 147, The headlight lenses.
You should remove any snow from the fixtures of the washer nozzles and clear ice
in winter with a de-icing spray in order to ensure proper operation of the cleaning
system. CAUTION
Never remove the nozzles from the headlamp cleaning system by hand - risk of
damage! Replacing wiper blades for the windscreen wipers Fig. 33 Wiper blade for the windscreen
wiper
Removing the wiper blade
– Fold windscreen wiper arm away from the windscreen.
– Press the locking button, in order to unlock the wiper blade and pull off in the
direction of arrow.
Attaching the wiper blade
– Push the wiper blade until it locks up to the stop.
– Check whether the wiper blade is correctly attached.
– Fold the windscreen wiper arm back onto the windscreen.
Windscreen wiper blades in proper condition are essential to obtain good visibility.
Wiper blades should not be allowed to become dirtied by dust, insect remains and
preserving wax.
Juddering or smearing of the wiper blades could then be due to wax residues left
on the windscreen by vehicle washing in automatic vehicle wash systems. It is
therefore important to degrease the lips of the winscreen wiper blades after ev-
ery pass through an automatic vehicle wash system .£ 49
Lights and Visibility Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

General Maintenance
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
General Proper care retains the commercial 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 dam-
age and paint defects on the bodywork.
We recommend you use care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories which are
available from authorised ŠKODA Service Partners. 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 vehicle
Washing the vehicle Frequent washing protects your vehicle.
The best protection for your vehicle against harmful environmental influences is
frequent washing and wax treatment. How often 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 certain circumstances, to wash the car once a
week. It may also be sufficient, however, to wash the car once a month followed
by appropriate 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! 144
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle

A new layer of a high-quality hard wax polish can be applied to the clean body-
work after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver regularly we
still recommend that you treat the paintwork of the vehicle at least twice a year
with hard wax.
CAUTION
Never apply wax to the windows. 
Polishing Polishing is only necessary if the paintwork of your vehicle has become unattrac-
tive and if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax preserver if the polish you use does not
contain any preserving elements
⇒ page 145, Wax treatment
.CAUTION
● You must not treat mat painted parts or plastic 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 parts First clean the chrome parts with a damp clotch and then polish them with a soft,
dry cloth. If this method does not completely clean chrome parts, use a specific
chrome care product.
CAUTION
Do not polish the chrome parts in a dusty environment, otherwise they can be
scratched. 
Paint damage Slight damage to paintwork such as scratches, scuffs or traces of chip damage
must be touched up immediately with paint (Škoda painting pen)
before any cor-
rosion can result. You can of course have this work carried out by authorised
ŠKODA Service Partners.
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 ve-
hicle data sticker
⇒ page 193.
If an corrosion arises, this will need to 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 parts External 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 products are not suitable for plastic parts. CAUTION
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it. 
Windows Only 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 di-
rection 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.
Do not use window leathers which you have used to polish the vehicle body to dry
off the windows. Residues of preservatives in the window leather can dirty the
window and reduce visibility.
Do not affix any stickers over the inside of the rear window to avoid damage to
the
heating wires of the rear window heater . CAUTION
● Never remove snow or ice from the glass parts with warm or hot water - risk of
formation of cracks in the glass!
● When removing snow or ice from the windows and mirror lenses make sure
not to damage the paintwork of the vehicle. 146
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle

The headlight lenses
Please do not use any aggressive cleaning or chemical solvent products for clean-
ing the front headlights - risk of damage to the plastic lenses.
Please use soap
and clean warm water. CAUTION
Never wipe the headlights dry and do not use any sharp objects for cleaning the
plastic lenses, this may result in damage to the protective paintwork and conse-
quently in formation of cracks on the headlight lenses, e.g. through effect of
chemical products. 
Door and window seals The rubber seals on the doors, boot lid, bonnet and windows remain supple and
last longer if you treat them regularly with a rubber care product (e.
g. with a spray
with silicone-free oil). You also avoid premature wear of the seals and prevent
leakages in this way. It is also easier to open the doors. Rubber seals which are
well cared for also do not stick together in cold winter weather. 
Locking cylinder Use specific products for de-icing locking cylinders.
Note
When washing your vehicle, ensure that as little water as possible gets into the
locking cylinders. 
Wheels Steel wheels
You should also thoroughly wash the wheels and wheel trims when giving your
vehicle its regular wash. This prevents any brake dust, dirt and road salt from
sticking to the wheel hubs. You can remove stubborn brake abrasion adhering to
the wheels with an industrial cleaner. Touch up any damage to the paintwork on
the wheels before rust is able to form. Light alloy wheels
Regular care of light alloy wheels is necessary in order to retain their decorative
appearance over long periods. It is particularly important to remove regularly any
road salt and brake abrasion from light alloy wheels, otherwise the light metal will
suffer. Wash thoroughly and then treat the wheels with a protective product for
light alloy wheels which does not contain any acidic components. We recommend
to apply a hard wax layer onto the wheel hubs every three months. You must not
use any products which cause abrasion when treating the wheel hubs. Any dam-
age to the paint layer on the wheel hubs must be touched up immediately.
WARNING
One should remember when cleaning the wheels that moisture, ice and road
salt may adversely affect braking efficiency - risk of an accident! Note
Severe layers of dirt on the wheels can also result in wheel imbalance. This may
show itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the steering
wheel which, in certain circumstances, can cause premature wear of the steering.
This means it is necessary to remove the dirt. 
Underbody protection The 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 be-
ginning 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.
Therefore, we recommend you 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, diesel particle filter or heat shields.
When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances might
ignite - risk of fire! 147
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Wheels and Tyres
Wheels
General information ●
New tyres do not offer optimal grip at first. They should therefore be run in for
about 500 km at a moderate speed and an appropriately cautious style of driving.
You will also profit from longer tyre life.
● The tread depth of new tyres may differ because of design features and the
configuration of the tread (depending on the type of tyre and the manufacturer).
● Drive over curbs on the side of the road and other such obstacles slowly and,
where possible, at a right angle in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.
● We recommend you Inspect your tyres and rims from time to time for damage
(punctures, cuts, splits and bulges). Remove foreign bodies from the tyre profile.
● Damage to tyres is frequently not visible. Unusual vibrations or pulling of the
vehicle to one side could be a sign of tyre damage.
Please reduce your speed im-
mediately and stop if you suspect that a wheel is damaged. Inspect the tyres for
signs of damage (bulges, splits, etc.) If no visible damage is present, please drive
at an appropriately slow speed and carefully to the nearest specialist garage in or-
der to have your vehicle inspected.
● Also protect your tyres from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
● Immediately replace any dust caps of the valves which have got lost.
● Mark wheels before removing them so that their previous direction of running
can be maintained when mounted them again.
● Always store wheels or tyres which been removed in a cool, dry and, where
possible, dark place. Tyres which are not fixed to a wheel trim should be stored
upright.
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 properties in terms of grip, low noise, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Further information concerning the use of unidirectional tyres ⇒ page 168

. WARNING
● New tyres during the first 500 km do not offer optimal grip and should
therefore be run appropriately - risk of accident!
● Never drive with damaged tyres - risk of accident! Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres. 
Tyre life Fig. 135 An opened fuel filler flap with a
tyre size and tyre inflation pressure ta-
ble
The life of your tyres very much depends on the following points:
Tyre pressure
The working life of tyres will be shortened considerably if the tyres are insuffi-
ciently or over-inflated and this will have an adverse effect on the handling of
your vehicle.
Correctly inflated tyres are of particular importance when travelling at high
speeds . It is therefore good to check the tyre pressure, including that of the spare
wheel, at least once a month and also before setting off on a long trip.
The tyre inflation pressures for summer tyres are indicated on the inside of the
fuel filler flap ⇒ fig. 135. The inflation pressures for winter tyres are 20 kPa
(0.2 bar) higher than those for summer tyres
⇒ page 167.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle at
all times. £164
Wheels and Tyres