2011 SKODA YETI maintenance

WARNING
● Combustible materials which are trapped under the vehicle floor can be
dangerous. They can impair the driving safety and the safety of all the occu-
pants of the vehicle. After driving off-road, always check the underside of the
vehicle and remove trapped objects.
● Never continue the journey if objects are trapped under the vehicle. This
can damage the fuel lines, the brake system, the seals and other parts of the
chassis.
● Combustible objects such as dry leaves or twigs could ignite on hot vehicle
parts. A vehicle fire can also lead to serious injuries.
● Observe the important guidelines ⇒ page 168.  177
Driving and the environment Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Towing a trailer
Towing a trailer
Technical requirements Your vehicle is designed primarily for transporting persons and luggage. It can,
however, also be used for towing a trailer - provided certain technical equipment
is fitted.
If your vehicle has been
factory-fitted with a towing device or has a towing device
from
ŠKODA Original Accessories, the towing device satisfies all technical and le-
gal requirements.
Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power socket for the electrical connection be-
tween the vehicle and trailer. If the trailer which you wish to tow has a 7-pin con-
nector , you can use a suitable adapter from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's specifica-
tions if a towing device is retrofitted.
Authorised ŠKODA Service Partners can provide detailed information about retro-
fitting a towing device and for any necessary modifications to the cooling system. WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device from ŠKODA Original Acces-
sories installed by an authorised
ŠKODA Service Partner. He is familiar with all
the relevant details relating to retrofitting such equipment. There is a risk of
an accident if the towing device is not properly fitted! 
General Maintenance Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appropriately steeper inclines and descents if you do not make
full use of the permissible trailer load.
The trailer loads specified only apply for
altitudes up to 1000 metres above mean
sea level. The fact that the engine power output drops with increasing height due
to a lowering of air pressure and thus the ability to climb, means that the towed
weight must be reduced by 10 % for every further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea level. The towed weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle and
the (laden) trailer together. One should take this into account before driving up to
higher altitudes.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device
are merely test data for the towing device The data relating to your vehicle,
which is often less than this test data, can be found in your vehicle registration
documents.
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that any heavy items are located as
close as possible to the axle. Secure the items to prevent them slipping.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for that of

“fully laden”
⇒  page 201. The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to the trailer adjust in ac-
cordance with the manufacturer's recommendation.
Exterior mirrors
You have to have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the
traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exterior mirrors
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust the mirrors so that they provide you
with an adequate field of view to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights.
Alter the setting as necessary with the aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒  page 50.
Detachable ball head
The ball head is detachable on vehicles with towing device and can be obtained
from ŠKODA Original Accessories. It is stowed together with separate fitting in-
structions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle. Note
● We recommend that you also have your vehicle inspected between service in-
tervals if you tow a trailer frequently.
● The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and de-
coupling the trailer. 178
Towing a trailer

Driving Tips
–
Do not, as far as possible, drive with your vehicle unladen and the trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in particular to
downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.
– Keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if the outside temperature is
high.
Distribution of weight
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this
combination.
Driving speed
Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for coun-
tries in which higher speeds are allowed.
The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when
there are unfavourable road, weather or wind conditions, particularly near acci-
dent black spots.
You must always reduce your speed immediately as soon as you detect even just
the slightest swaying of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer
from “swaying” by accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting
from the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time before negotiating
a downhill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake.
Engine overheating
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a
lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature
is very high ⇒ page 11, Coolant temperature gauge
.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or
even the red area of the scale, reduce your speed immediately. Stop and switch
off the engine if the warning light  in the instrument cluster begins flashing.
Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
⇒  page 193, Inspecting the coolant level. Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒
 page 26, Coolant temperature/Coolant
quantity  .
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear
and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independ-
ent of the engine speed. One should also not drop a gear for this reason when
towing a trailer as long as the engine can manage the slope without any drop in
speed.  179
Towing a trailer 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! 180
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle

Automatic vehicle wash systems
The paintwork of the vehicle is sufficiently resistant that the vehicle can be wash-
ed normally in automatic vehicle wash plants without any problem. The actual
stress to which the paintwork is subjected, however, depends greatly on the de-
sign of the vehicle wash system, the filtering of the water and the type of wash-
ing and care products used. If the paintwork of your vehicle appears mat after be-
ing washed or even has scratches, point this out to the operator of the vehicle
wash plant. Use a different vehicle wash plant, if necessary.
There are no particular points to note before washing your vehicle in an automatic
vehicle wash system other than the usual precautionary measures (closing the
windows including the sliding/tilting roof, removing the external antenna, etc.).
If you have any particular attached parts fitted to your car - such as spoiler, roof
rack system, two-way radio aerial - it is best to first of all consult the operator of
the car wash plant.
It is important to degrease the lips of the windscreen wiper rubbers after passing
through the automatic vehicle wash system. 
Washing vehicle by hand It is important to first soften the dirt with plenty of water and rinse it off as thor-
oughly as possible before washing your vehicle by hand.
One should then clean the vehicle using a soft
washing sponge, washing glove or
a washing brush and only slight pressure. Work from the top to the bottom - be-
ginning with the roof. Only place slight pressure on the vehicle paintwork during
cleaning Only use a car shampoo for stubborn dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.
Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for such areas.
Rinse off the vehicle well after giving it a wash and dry it off using a chamois
leather. WARNING
● The ignition should always be switched off when you wash your vehicle -
risk of accident!
● Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when you are
cleaning the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel trims -
risk of cuts. CAUTION
● Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight - risk of paint damage.
● Ensure that the jet of water is not aimed directly at the locking cylinders or at
the door and panel joints if you spray your vehicle in winter down with a hose -
risk of freezing.
● Do not use any insect sponges, rough kitchen sponges or similar cleaning
products - risk of damage to the surface of paintwork. For the sake of the environment
Only wash your vehicle at washing bays specifically reserved for this purpose. This
ensures that no water which may be contaminated by oil flows into the sewage
system. It is not even permitted to wash your vehicle in certain areas except at
such specific washing bays. 
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner When you wash your vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, it is essential to comply
with the instructions for use of the cleaning equipment. This applies in particular
to the pressure
used and to the spraying distance. Maintain a sufficiently large
distance to soft materials such as rubber hoses or insulation material.
On no account use circular spray nozzles or so-called dirt cutters! WARNING
It is particularly important that you do not clean tyres with circular spray jets.
Visible but also invisible damage to tyres may occur even at a relatively large
spraying distance and if sprayed only for a short time - risk of accident! CAUTION
The wash water must be no hotter than 60 °C, otherwise the vehicle can be dam-
aged. 
Wax treatment Good wax treatment is an effective way of protecting the paintwork from harmful
environmental influences and minor mechanical damage.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-quality hard wax polish at the latest,
when no more drops form on the clean paintwork. £ 181
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

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, roof window and windows remain
supple and last longer if you treat them from time to time with a rubber care prod-
uct (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! 183
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

CAUTION
● You must on no account treat the leather with solvents (e.g. gasoline, turpen-
tine), floor wax, shoe cream or such like.
● Avoid leaving your vehicle for lengthy periods in bright sunlight in order to
avoid bleaching the leather. If you leave your vehicle parked in the open for
lengthy periods, protect the leather from the direct rays of the sun by covering it
over.
● Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-
edged belts may leave permanent scratches or signs of rubbing on the surface.
● The use of a mechanical steering wheel lock may damage the leather surface
of the steering wheel. Note
● Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect regularly and each
time after cleaning the leather. The cream nourishes the leather, allows it to
breathe and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also creates surface
protection.
● Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove fresh soiling each time this oc-
curs.
● Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
cream, etc., as quickly as possible.
● Care also for the leather dye. Refreshen areas which have lost their colour
with a special coloured leather cream as required.
● The leather is a natural material with specific properties. During the use of the
vehicle, minor optical changes can occur on the leather parts of the covers (e. g
wrinkles or creases as a result of the stress of the covers). 
Seat belts –
Keep the seat belts clean!
– Wash seat belts which have become soiled using a mild soapy solution.
– Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition.
Belt webbing which has become severely soiled may prevent the inertia reel from
reeling up the belt properly. WARNING
● The seat belts must not be removed for cleaning.
● Never clean the seat belts chemically as dry cleaning may destroy the fab-
ric. The seat belts must also not be allowed to come into contact with corro-
sive liquids (such as acids etc.).
● Seat belts which have damage to the webbing, the connections, the inertia
reel or the lock should be replaced by a specialist garage.
● Inertia reel belts must be completely dried before being reeled up. 185
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Diesel
Diesel fuel Your vehicle can only be operated with
diesel fuel, which complies with the stand-
ard EN 590 (standard DIN 51628 in Germany, standard ÖNORM
C 1590 in Austria,
GOST R 52368-2005/EN 590:2004 in Russia).
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar
products) in diesel fuel.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒ page 187, Refuelling. CAUTION
● Your vehicle can only be operated with diesel fuel, which complies with the
standard EN 590 (standard DIN 51628 in Germany, standard ÖNORM

C 1590 in
Austria, GOST R 52368-2005/EN 590:2004 in Russia). Filling the tank even only
once with diesel fuel which does not comply with the standard, can result in dam-
age to the engine parts, the lubrication system, the fuel and exhaust system.
● If by mistake you have refuelled with a different fuel other than the diesel fuel
which complies to the above mentioned standards (e.
g. petrol), do not start the
engine or switch on the ignition! Severe damage damage is possible! Contact a
specialist garage and have the fuel system of the engine cleaned.
● Water which has collected in the fuel filter can result in engine problems.
● Your vehicle is not adapted for use of biofuel (RME), therefore this fuel must
not be refuelled and driven. The use of biofuel (RME) can lead to damage to the
engine or the fuel system. 
Operation in winter Winter-grade diesel fuel
A different grade of diesel fuel is available at filling stations in winter than during
the summer. Using

“summer-grade diesel fuel” at temperatures below 0 °C can re-
sult in operational problems because the diesel becomes viscous as a result of
paraffin separation. It is therefore the case that the standard
EN 590 (standard DIN 51628 in Germany,
standard ÖNORM

C 1590 in Austria, GOST R 52368-2005/EN 590:2004 in Russia)
is the diesel fuel class prescribed for certain periods of the year which can also be
purchased at the corresponding time during the year. “Winter-grade diesel fuel”
will still operate properly even at a temperature of -20 °C.
It is often the case in countries with different climatic conditions that diesel fuels
available have a different temperature characteristic. The authorised ŠKODA Serv-
ice Partners and filling stations in the country concerned will be able to provide
you with information regarding the diesel fuels available.
Prewarming fuel
The vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter prewarming system. This secures operation
of a vehicle using diesel fuel down to an environmental temperature of -25 °C. CAUTION
It is not permitted to add the various fuel additives on the market, including pet-
rol, to diesel fuel in order to improve its flow properties. 
Refuelling Fig. 150 Right rear side of the vehicle: Open fuel filler flap/fuel filler flap with cap unscrewed
The filler flap is automatically unlocked or locked with the central locking.
Opening the fuel filler cap
–
Press in the middle of the left area of the fuel filler flap in direction of arrow 1 ⇒ 
fig. 150 .
– Hold the fuel filler cap on the fuel filler tube with one hand and unlock it by
turning the vehicle key to the left (only valid for vehicles which do not have
automatic unlocking of the fuel filler flap). £ 187
Fuel Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data