2011 SKODA FABIA fuel pressure

Driving Tips
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Electronic stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Antilock brake system (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Uphill Start Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Electrohydraulic power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Tyre pressure monitoring system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Diesel particle filter (diesel engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Driving and the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
The first 1 500 kilometres and afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Driving in an economical and environmentally
conscious manner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Environmental compatibility
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Motoring abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Driving through bodies of water on roads . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the
vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Care of the exterior of vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Care of the interior of vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Inspecting and Replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Wheels and Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Accessories, changes and replacement of parts . 169
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Breakdown assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Breakdown assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
First-aid box and warning triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Fire extinguisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Tyre repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
The vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Fuses and light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Electric fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Used abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Identification details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Fuel consumption according to the ECE standards and
EU guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Dimensions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Engine oil specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Engine 1.2 l/44 kW - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Engine 1.2 l/51 kW - EU5/EU2 DDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Engine 1.2 l/63 kW TSI - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Engine 1.2 l/77 kW TSI - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Engine 1.4 l/63 kW - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Engine 1.6 l/77 kW - EU4, EU2 DDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Engine 1.4 l/132 kW TSI - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Engine 1.2 l/55 kW TDI CR DPF - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine 1.6 l/55 kW TDI CR - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Engine 1.6 l/66 kW TDI CR - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Engine 1.6 l/77 kW TDI CR - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2084
Table of Contents

If the
warning light  begins to flash while driving, a fault exists in the engine
control. The engine management system selects an emergency programme which
enables you to drive to the nearest specialist garage by adopting a gentle style of
driving. 
Coolant temperature/ Coolant quantity   The warning light
 lights up until the engine reaches operating temperature 1)
.
Avoid running at high engine speeds, at full throttle and at severe engine loads.
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
The coolant temperature is too high or the coolant level too low if the warning
light  lights up or flashes while driving.
An audible signal sounds as a warning signal.
In this case stop and switch the engine off and check the coolant level; top up
the coolant as necessary ⇒ page 158, Replenishing the coolant .
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the con-
ditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Keep the engine switched off
and obtain
professional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe
engine damage.
If the coolant is within the specified range, the increased temperature may be
caused by an operating problem at the coolant fan. Check the fuse of the coolant
fan, replace it if necessary ⇒ page 186, Fuse assignment at the battery (automatic
gearbox).
If the warning light  does not go out although the coolant is at the correct level
and also the fuse of the fan is in proper order, do not continue driving. Contact a
specialist garage to obtain assistance.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒ page 156, Cooling system.
The following text will be displayed in the information display: Check coolant! Owner's manual! Car documentation! WARNING
If you must stop for technical reasons, then park the vehicle at a safe distance
from the traffic and switch off the engine and switch on the hazard warning
light system ⇒ page 44, Switch for hazard warning lights 

. 
Fuel reserve  The warning light
 comes on, if the fuel level is less than 7 litres.
An audible signal sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display: Please refuel! Range...km (Please refuel! (Range...km) 
Engine oil   The warning light
 lights up red (low oil pressure)
The warning light comes on for a few seconds 2)
when the ignition is switched on.
Stop the vehicle and switch the engine off if the warning light does not go off
after the engine has started or flashes while driving. Check the oil level and top up
with oil as necessary ⇒  page 155

.
3 peeps sound as an additional warning signal.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the con-
ditions prevailing to top up with oil. Keep the engine switched off and obtain pro-
fessional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe en-
gine damage.
Do not drive any further if the warning light flashes even if the oil is at the correct
level. Do not run the engine not at idling speed either. Contact the nearest spe-
cialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
The following text will be displayed in the information display:
Oil Pressure Engine off! Owner's manual! . Switch off the engine! Car docu-
mentation! £1)
Not valid for vehicles with information display.
2) The warning light  on vehicles fitted with information display does not come on after switching
the ignition on, but only if a fault exists or the engine oil level is too low. 23
Instruments and warning lights Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

The warning light
 lights up yellow (oil quantity too low)
If the warning light lights up yellow, the quantity of oil in the engine is probably
too low. Check as soon as possible the oil level or top up ⇒ page 155 with engine
oil.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display:
Check oil level! (Check oil level!)
The warning light will go out if the bonnet is left open for more than 30 seconds.
If no engine oil has been replenished, the warning light will come on again after
driving about 100 km.
The warning light  flashes yellow (engine oil level sensor faulty)
A fault on the engine oil level sensor is indicated additionally by an audible signal
and the warning light coming on several times after the ignition has been switch-
ed on.
In this case have the engine inspected without delay by a specialist garage.
The following text will be displayed in the information display:
Oil sensor workshop! (Oil sensor workshop!) WARNING
● If you must stop for technical reasons, then park the vehicle at a safe dis-
tance from the traffic and switch off the engine and switch on the hazard
warning light system ⇒ page 44.
● The red oil pressure light
 is not an oil level indicator! One should there-
fore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably after every refueling
stop.
● Pay attention to the following instructions ⇒ page 153, Working in the en-
gine compartment before checking the coolant fluid level and opening the
bonnet. 
Open door The warning light
 comes on if one or several doors are opened or if the boot lid
is opened. If one of the doors opens while driving, the warning light lights  up
and an audible signal sounds. The warning light comes on even when the ignition is switched off. The warning
light lights up for a maximum of 5 minutes.
In vehicles with an information display, this warning light is replaced by a vehicle
symbol⇒ page 18

Windshield washer fluid level  The warning light
 comes on when the ignition is switched on if there is insuffi-
cient fluid in the windshield washer system. Top up with liquid ⇒ page 163.
The following text will be displayed in the information display: Top up wash fluid! (Top up washer fluid) 
Control system for exhaust  The warning light
 comes on after the ignition has been switched on.
If the warning light does not go out after starting the engine or it lights up when
driving, a fault exists in an exhaust relevant component. The engine management
system selects an emergency programme which enables you to drive to the near-
est specialist garage by adopting a gentle style of driving. 
Anti-spin regulation (ASR)  The warning light
 lights up if the TCS system is switched off.
Further information about the TCS ⇒ page 129. 
Tyre pressure monitoring

 The warning light
 lights up, if there is a substantial drop in inflation pressure in
one of the tyres. Reduce the speed and check or correct as soon as possible the
inflation pressure in the tyres ⇒ page 164

.
An audible signal sounds as an additional warning signal.
If the warning light flashes , there is a system fault. Visit the nearest specialist
garage and have the fault rectified.
Further information about the tyre pressure monitoring system ⇒ page 133.£24
Instruments and warning lights

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

Automatic gearbox
Automatic gearbox Information for driving with the 6-speed automatic gearbox The maximum speed is reached in the 5th gear. The 6th gear serves as an eco-
nomic driving programme, which is intended to reduce the fuel consumption.
Shifting up and down through the gears is performed automatically. You can also,
however, switch the gearbox over into the
Tiptronic mode. This mode makes it
possible for you to also shift gears manually ⇒ page 95.
Starting-off and Driving
– Depress the brake pedal fully and keep it depressed.
– Press the Shiftlock button (button in handle of the selector lever), move the
selector lever into the desired position, e.g. D ⇒ page 93, and then release
the Shiftlock button.
– Wait a moment until the gearbox has shifted (a slight engagement nudge can
be felt).
– Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator ⇒  .
Stop
– The selector lever position N does not have to be selected when stopping just
for a short time, such as at a cross roads. It is sufficient to hold the vehicle sta-
tionary using the foot brake. The engine can, however, be allowed just to idle.
Parking
– Depress the brake pedal and hold it depressed.
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Press and Shiftlock button in the selector lever, move the selector lever to P
and then release the Shiftlock button.
The engine can only be started when the selector lever is in position P or N . If the
selector lever is not in the P or N positions when locking the steering, switching
the ignition on or off or when leaving the engine on, the following message will
appear in the Information display Move selector lever to position P/N! or, in the
instrument cluster display:  P/N. It is sufficient to engage selector lever position
P when parking on a flat surface.
When parking on a slope you should first apply the handbrake firmly and then
move the selector lever into position P. This is to ensure that there is no excessive
pressure acting on the lock mechanism and that it is easier to subsequently move
the selector lever out of position P. If the selector lever is not in the P positin
when the driver's door is open and the ignition is switched off, or if it is not in the
P position when the ignition is switched off and the driver's door is opened, the
following message will appear in the Information display: Move selector lever to
position P! or, in the instrument cluster display:  P. The message disappears af-
ter a few seconds by switching on the ignition or by moving the selector lever into
the position P .
If the selector lever position N is selected by accident while driving it is first nec-
essary to release pressure on the accelerator pedal and wait for idling speed of
the engine to be reached before engaging a drive position in the selector lever. WARNING
● Do not depress the accelerator when changing the position of the selector
lever if the car is stationary and the engine is running - risk of accident!
● Never move the selector lever into position R or P when driving - risk of an
accident!
● When the engine is running and the vehicle is stationary, it is necessary to
hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever (ex-
cept P and N) since the power transmission is never completely interrupted,
also not when the engine is idling - the vehicle creeps. 
Information for driving with the automatic gearbox DSG The abbreviation DSG means Direct shift gearbox (Direct shift gear-
box).
Two independent clutches are needed for the power transmission between the
engine and the gearbox. These replace the torque converter of the conventional
automatic gearbox. Their shifting is matched in such a way that there are no jerks
when shifting the gear and the power transmission of the engine to the front
wheels is not interrupted. Shifting up and down through the gears is performed £ 91
Automatic gearbox Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

●
Press button   ⇒ fig. 119
for more than 2 seconds. While pressing the but-
ton, the warning light  lights up. At the same time the memory of the system is
erased and the new calibration is started, which is confirmed with an audible sig-
nal and then the warning light  goes out.
● If the warning light  does not go out after the basic setting, there is a fault in
the system. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage.
Warning light  lights up
If the tyre inflation pressure of at least one wheel is insufficiently inflated in com-
parison to the stored basic value, the warning light  ⇒  lights up.
Warning light  flashes
If the warning light flashes, there is a system fault. Have the vehicle inspected by
your nearest specialist garage. WARNING
● When the warning light  lights up, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake manoeuvres. Please stop the vehicle without
delay at the nearest possible stop and inspect the tyres and their inflation
pressures.
● The driver is responsible for the correct tyre inflation pressures. For this
reason, the tyre inflation pressures must be checked regularly.
● Under certain circumstances (e.g. sporty style of driving, wintry or unpaved
roads) the warning light  can be delayed or does not light up at all.
● The tyre pressure monitoring system does not take away the responsibility
from the driver for the correct tyre inflation pressure. Note
The tyre pressure monitoring system:
● does not replace the regular tyre inflation pressure control, because the sys-
tem cannot detect an even pressure loss,
● cannot warn in case of very rapid tyre inflation pressure loss, e.g. in case of
sudden tyre damage. In this case carefully bring the vehicle to a standstill without
sudden steering movements and without sharp braking.
● In order to ensure a proper functioning of the tyre inflation pressure-control
system, it is necessary to carry out the basic setting again every 10 000 km or 1x a
year. Diesel particle filter (diesel engine) In the diesel particle filter the resulting soot particles are collected
and burnt during the combustion of diesel fuel.
Fig. 120 Vehicle data sticker
Code 7GG , 7MB or 7MG on the vehicle data sticker, see ⇒ fig. 120, indicates that
your vehicle is equipped with a diesel particle filter. The vehicle data sticker is lo-
cated on the floor of the luggage compartment and is also stated in the Service
schedule.
The diesel particle filter filters the soot particles completely from the exhaust. The
soot is collected in the diesel particle filter and burnt regularly. To assist this pro-
cedure, we recommend not to drive regularly over short distances.
If the diesel particle filter is full or there is a fault, it is indicated by the warning
light 
. WARNING
● The diesel particle filter achieves very high temperatures. Therefore do not
park at points where the hot filter comes into direct contact with dry grass or
other combustible materials - risk of fire!
● 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 materials might ig-
nite – risk of fire. Note
When using diesel fuel with high sulphur content the life of the diesel particle fil-
ter is clearly reduced. A specialist garage will be able to tell you which countries
use only diesel fuel with high sulphur content. 134
Intelligent Technology

Driving and the Environment
The first 1 500 kilometres and afterwards
New engine The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres.
Up to 1 000 kilometres
– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the mamimum speed of the gear in use, that is
3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.
From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres
– Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full speed of the
gear engaged, that is up to the maximum permissible engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine has higher internal friction than later
until all of the moving parts have harmonized. The driving style which you adopt
during the first approx.1 500 kilometres plays a decisive part in the success of run-
ning in your car.
You should not drive at unnecessarily high engine revolutions even after the run-
ning-in period is complete. The maximum permissible engine speed is marked by
the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up in-
to the next higher gear on a vehicle fitted with manual gearbox before the red
zone is reached. During acceleration (depressing the accelerator) exceptionally
high engine speeds are automatically reduced, yet the engine is not protected
against too high engine speeds which are caused by incorrectly shifting down the
gears resulting in a sudden increase of the engine speeds above the permitted
maximum revolutions which can lead to engine damage.
For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox the converse situation also applies: Do
not drive at engine revolutions which are too low. Shift down as soon as the en-
gine is no longer running smoothly. CAUTION
All the speed and engine revolution figures apply only when the engine is at its
normal operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when
the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears. For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear
as early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise
levels and protects the environment. 
New tyres New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. You
should take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly
carefully.

New brake pads Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking efficiency
until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first
“run in
” before
they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compensate for this
slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future date.
During the running-in period, you should avoid excessive stresses on the brakes.
This includes, for example, violent braking, particularly from very high speeds, and
also when crossing mountain passes. 
Catalytic converter Proper operation of the emission control system (catalytic convert-
er) is of major significance for driving your vehicle in an environ-
mentally conscious way.
Please refer to the following guidelines: £ 135
Driving and the Environment Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data