
WARNING
● Only use those tyres or wheel rims which have been approved for your
model of ŠKODA vehicle. Failure to observe this instruction will adversely af-
fect the road safety of your vehicle - risk of accident! Approval and licensing of
your vehicle on public roads may also become void as a result.
● You must on no account drive at a higher speed than is permissible for
your tyres - risk of an accident resulting from tyre damage and loss of control
over your vehicle.
● Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional ca-
ses and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.
● Never fit tyres which have already been used without having adequate
knowledge of their previous history. Tyres age even if they have not been
used at all or only very little. A spare tyre must only be used in exceptional ca-
ses and only then when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.
● Do not, where possible, replace individual tyres but at least replace them
on both wheels of a given axle at the same time. Always fit the tyres with the
deeper tread depth to the front wheels. For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of in conformity with the appropriate regulations. Note
It is not normally possible to fit wheels from other models of cars for technical
reasons. This may also apply in certain circumstances to the wheels of the same
type of vehicle.
Wheel bolts Wheels and
wheel bolts are matched to each other in terms of design. Each time
you fit other wheels - e.g. light alloy wheels or wheels with winter tyres - you
must therefore also use the matching wheel bolts of the correct length and shape
of spherical cap. This is essential to ensure that the wheels are tightly fitted and
that the brake system operates properly.
If you retrofit wheel trims (or have this done), please also ensure that an ade-
quate flow of air remains assured for cooling the brake system.
Authorised
ŠKODA Service Partners are instructed in the technical possibilities
which exist regarding converting or retrofitting tyres, wheels and wheel trims. WARNING
● In case of incorrect treatment of the wheel bolts, the wheel can loosen
when the car is moving - risk of accident!
● The wheel bolts must be clean and must turn easily. However, they must
never be treated with grease or oil.
● If the wheel bolts are tightened to a too low tightening torque, the rim can
come loose when the car is moving - risk of accident! A tightening torque
which is too high can damage the bolts and threads and this can result in per-
manent deformation of the contact surfaces on the rim. CAUTION
The prescribed tightening torque of the wheel bolts for steel and light alloy
wheels is 120 Nm.
Winter tyres The handling of your vehicle will be significantly improved when driving on wintry
roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice, snow
and at temperatures below 7 °C because of their construction (width, rubber
blend, tread pattern). This applies in particular to vehicles which are equipped
with low-profile tyres
or high-speed tyres (code index H, V or W on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four wheels to obtain the best handling
characteristics.
You must only fit those types of winter tyre which are approved for your vehicle.
The permissible sizes of winter tyres are stated in your vehicle documents. Ap-
provals may differ because of national legislation.
Please remember that the tyres should be inflated to 20
kPa (0.2 bar) more than is
the case for summer tyres ⇒ page 161.
Winter tyres no longer offer the same winter performance once the tyre tread has
worn down to a depth of about 4 mm.
Ageing also causes winter tyres to lose most of their winter performance proper-
ties - even in cases where the remaining tread depth is still clearly more than 4
mm.
Speed restrictions apply to winter tyres as well as to summer tyres ⇒ page 163,
⇒ .
£164
Wheels and Tyres

You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed category to your vehicle provided that
you also do not drive faster than the permissible maximum speed for such tyres,
even if the possible maximum speed of your vehicle is higher. The corresponding
tyre category can damage the tyres when exceeding the permissible maximum
speed.
Please pay attention to the notes if you decide to fit winter tyres
⇒
page 161.
You can also fit so-called “all-year tyres” instead of winter tyres.
Please contact your specialist garage if there are any points which are not clear
who will be able to provide you with information regarding the maximum speed
for your tyres. WARNING
You must on no account drive your car at more than the permissible maximum
speed for your winter tyres - risk of an accident resulting from tyre damage
and loss of control over your car. For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres on again in good time since summer tyres offer you better
grip and handling on roads which are free of snow and ice as well as ar tempera-
tures below 7 °C - the braking distance is shorter, there is less tyre noise, tyre
wear is reduced and fuel consumption is reduced. Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.
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.
Should it be necessary to fit on a spare wheel in exceptional cases with a tyre not
dedicated to the running direction or in opposite running direction, please adopt a
cautious style of driving as the tyre is no longer able to provide optimal grip and
handling in such a situation. This particularly important on wet roads. Please refer
to the additional instructions ⇒ page 168
, Spare wheel.
You should have the defective tyre replaced as soon as possible and restore the
correct direction of rotation on all tyres Snow chains Snow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
When driving on wintry roads, snow chains improve not only traction, but also the
braking performance.
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the following
wheel/tyre combinations. Wheel size Depth (D) Tyre size
5J x 14 35 mm 175/70
6J x 14 37 mm 185/65
6J x 15 43 mm 185/55
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than
12 mm.
Remove the full wheel trims before installing the snow chains.
Observe the different national legal regulations relating to the use of snow chains
and the maximum vehicle speed with snow chains. WARNING
Please pay attention to the information in the supplied fitting instructions of
the snow chain manufacturer. CAUTION
You must take the chains off as soon as you drive on roads which are free of
snow. They adversely affect the handling of your vehicle, damage the tyres and
are rapidly destroyed. Note
We recommend that you use snow chains from ŠKODA Original Accessories. 165
Wheels and Tyres Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assis-
tance Praktik Technical data

WARNING (Continued)
● Secure the base plate of the lifting jack with suitable means to prevent
possible moving. A soft and slippery ground under the base plate may move
the lifting jack, causing the vehicle to fall down. It is therefore always neces-
sary to place the lifting jack on a solid surface or use a wide and stable base.
Use a non-slip base (e.g. a rubber foot mat) if the
surface is smooth, such as
cobbled stones, a tiled floor, etc.
● Attach the lifting jack only at the attachment points provided for this pur-
pose.
Securing wheels against being stolen You need a special adapter for loosening the safety wheel bolts.
Fig. 140 Illustration image: Safety
wheel bolt with adapter
– Pull off the full wheel trim/cap from the wheel hub or cap from the safety
wheel bolt.
– Insert the adapter B with its toothed side into the inner toothing of the head
of the safety wheel bolt A
⇒
fig. 140 .
– Insert the wheel wrench fully onto the adapter B .
– Slacken the wheel bolt, or tighten it firmly ⇒ page 170.
– Reinstall the full wheel trim/wheel cap after removing the adapter or place the
cap onto the safety wheel bolt.
– Have the tightening torque checked with a torque wrench as soon as possi-
ble. Steel and light alloy wheels must be tightened to a tightening torque of
120
Nm. The safety wheel bolts on vehicles fitted with them (one safety wheel bolt per
wheel) can only be loosened or tighten up by using the adapter provided.
It is meaningful to note the code number hammered into the rear side of the
adapter or the rear side of the safety wheel bolts. You can obtain a replacement
adapter from an authorised
ŠKODA Service Partner, if necessary, by quoting this
number.
We recommend that you always carry the adapter for the wheel bolts with you in
the vehicle. It should be stowed in the vehicle tool kit. CAUTION
● Damage can occur to the adapter and safety wheel bolt if the safety wheel
bolt is tightened up too much.
● On steel wheels, the theft-deterrent wheel bolt must always be installed in
the hole, which is close to the valve. Otherwise the full wheel trim cannot be
mounted and the full wheel trim can be damaged during the assembly. Note
The set of safety wheel bolts can be obtained from a specialist garage.
Tyre repair kit General information The tyre repair kit is located in a box under the carpet in the luggage compart-
ment.
Use the tyre repair kit to reliably repair tyre damage caused by foreign bodies or a
puncture with diameters up to 4 mm. Do not remove foreign bodies, e.g. screws or
nails, from the tyre!
The repair can be undertaken on the vehicle immediately.
The repair with the tyre repair kit is not at all intended to replace a permanent
repair on the tyre, this repair only serves to reach the next specialist garage.
Do not use the tyre repair kit:
● to repair wheel damage,
● in outside temperatures of less than -20 °C (-4 °F),
● with tears or punctures greater than 4 mm in size,
● to repair damage to the tyre wall, £172
Breakdown assistance