CAUTION
● Pay attention to the ground clearance of the vehicle! The vehicle can be se-
verely damaged and become disabled once it touches the ground.
● Never drive off-road with an almost empty fuel tank. The fuel supply to the en-
gine can be interrupted and therefore the catalytic converter can be severely
damaged.
● Do not leave your foot on the clutch pedal or let the clutch slip when driving
off-road. Overwise you may unintentionally depress the clutch pedal on uneven
ground leading to a loss of control over the vehicle. In addition, the force for con-
necting the engine and the gearbox is lost. Moreover, driving while letting the
clutch slip causes a fast wear of the clutch linings. Note
The fuel consumption is higher when driving off-road than when driving on con-
ventional roads, especially through difficult terrain. When you prepare for your
journey, be aware of an increase in fuel consumption; the nearest filling station
may be far away.
Shifting gears correctly The gear you must shift into depends on the terrain. Choosing the correct gear
contributes to safe driving. In particular if you do not have much experience driv-
ing off-road, it is always better, before negotiating a difficult stretch of the road,
to pause and reflect on which gear to engage. Your experience will tell you which
gear is the best for certain sections of the terrain.
Basically:
● When the gear or the driving stage has been properly selected, it is unneces-
sary to slow down the vehicle on a downhill section using the footbrake as in
most cases the engine braking power is sufficient.
● Depress the accelerator only as much as is necessary. A too great acceleration
may lead to the wheels spinning and thus results in the loss over the control of
the vehicle. Manual gearbox
● If you are driving through difficult terrain, on no account use the clutch or
change the gear. When the clutch is depressed, the vehicle may come to a stand-
still because of the increased grip of all the tyres of the vehicle (e.g. in the mud, in
deep sand or on a slope). Once the vehicle has come to a standstill, it may be diffi-
cult or even impossible to start off under these conditions.
● When negotiating a steep downhill section or a steep uphill section, always
shift into the 1st or 2nd gear.
● On a soft or slippery ground, you must drive at the appropriate speed and you
must select the highest possible gear for this.
Automatic gearbox
● Select the selector lever position D for normal flat stretches of terrain
⇒ page 113.
● While in the Tiptronic mode, select the selector lever position 3 or
2 if you
are driving through mud, sand, water or hilly sections of terrain ⇒ page 115.
● When negotiating a steep downhill section or a steep uphill section, select the
selector lever position 1 while in the Tiptronic mode.
● On a soft or slippery ground, you must drive at the appropriate speed and you
must select the highest possible driving stage.
Driving over rough and smooth Fig. 148 Observe the ground clearance
– Switch on the Off-road mode ⇒ page 160 .
– Drive at walking speed over rocky passages.
– If it is not possible to drive around a stone, gently drive onto the stone with
one of the front wheels and then drive over it slowly. £172
Driving and the environment
Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the en-
gine compartment!
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working in the en-
gine compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. For this
reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated below and
with the general applicable rules of safety. The engine compartment of your car
is a hazardous area ⇒
.
WARNING
● Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
● Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
● Apply the handbrake firmly.
● If your vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever in-
to Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox, move the selector lever in-
to position
P.
● Allow the engine to cool down.
● Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
● Do not touch any hot engine parts - risk of burns!
● Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the an-
tifreeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!
● Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
● Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
● Never open the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir so long as the en-
gine is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
● Cover over the cap of the reservoir with a large cloth when opening it as
protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam or hot coolant.
● Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine com-
partment. WARNING (Continued)
● If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is not
sufficient for this - risk of injury!
● In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the en-
gine is running there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. the V-ribbed
belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition system.
Please observe in addition the following:
–Never touch the electrical cables of the ignition system.
– Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose items of clothing or long hair from
getting into the rotating parts of the engine - Hazard! Therefore remove
any jewellery beforehand, tie up your hair and wear tight fitting clothing.
● Please also comply with the warning instructions stated below when car-
rying out any essential work on the fuel system or on the electrical system:
–Always separate the car battery from the electrical system.
– Do not smoke.
– Never carry out any work close to naked flames.
– Always keep a working fire extinguisher at hand. CAUTION
When replenishing fluids in the engine, always ensure that the fluids are on no ac-
count mixed up. This may result in major operating problems and also vehicle
damage! 190
Inspecting and Replenishing
The vehicle tool kit and the lifting jack, on which a sign is affixed, are stowed in a
box in the luggage compartment
⇒
fig. 164; there is also space here for the de-
tachable ball head of the towing device. The box is secured with a strap. The
placement of the vehicle tool kit can vary depending on the vehicle equipment.
The vehicle tool kit contains the following parts (depending on equipment fitted):
● Tyre repair kit
● Wire clamps for removing the full wheel trims,
● Wheel wrench,
● Towing eye,
● Adapter for the wheel bolts lock,
● Replacement lamp,
● Torx screwdriver.
Before placing the lifting jack back in its storage area, screw in the arm of the lift-
ing jack fully. WARNING
● The factory-supplied lifting jack is only intended for your model of vehicle.
On no account attempt to lift a heavier vehicle or other loads - risk of injury!
● Ensure that the vehicle tool kit is safely attached in the luggage compart-
ment. Note
Ensure that the box is always secured with the strap.
Spare wheel Fig. 165 Luggage compartment: Spare
wheelThe spare wheel is stowed in the luggage compartment in the area below the var-
iable loading floor and is secured with a special screw
⇒ fig. 165.
One should check the inflation pressure in the spare wheel (at best when general-
ly checking the tyre air pressures - see sign on the fuel filler flap ⇒ page 201) to
ensure that the spare wheel is always ready to use.
Temporary spare wheel
A yellow warning label is displayed on the rim of the temporary spare wheel.
Please observe the following notes when driving with a temporary spare wheel:
● The warning label must not be covered after installing the wheel.
● Do not drive faster than 80 km/h with this spare wheel and pay particular at-
tention while driving. Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast
cornering.
● The inflation pressure for this spare wheel is identical to the maximum infla-
tion pressure of the standard tyres.
● Use this spare wheel only to reach the nearest specialist garage as it is not in-
tended for continuous use.
Changing a wheel Preliminary work The following steps should be carried out before actually changing the wheel.
– If it is necessary to change a wheel, park the vehicle as far away as possible
from the traffic flow. The place you choose should be level.
– Have all the occupants get out. While changing a tyre, the occupants of the
vehicle should not stand on the road (instead they should remain behind a
crash barrier, for example).
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Engage 1st gear or if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox, position
the selector lever into position P .
– If a trailer is coupled, uncouple it.
– Take the vehicle tool kit ⇒ page 208
and the spare wheel ⇒ page 209 out of
the luggage compartment. £ 209
Breakdown assistance Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data
–
Have all the occupants get out. While changing a tyre, the occupants of the
vehicle should not stand on the road (instead they should remain behind a
crash barrier, for example).
– Switch off the engine and engage 1st gear or if your vehicle is fitted with an
automatic gearbox, position the selector lever into position P .
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Check whether you can carry out the repairs with the tyre repair kit
⇒ page 213, General information.
– If a trailer is coupled, uncouple it.
– Remove the tyre repair kit from the luggage compartment.
– Stick the sticker 2
⇒
fig. 172 on the dash panel in view of the driver.
– Do not remove the foreign body, e.g. screw or nail, from the tyre.
– Unscrew the valve cap.
– Use the valve remover 1 to remove the valve core and place it down on a
clean surface.
Seal and inflate tyres Sealing tyres
–
Forcefully shake the tyre inflator bottle 10
⇒ fig. 172 several times.
– Firmly screw inflation hose 3 onto the tyre inflator bottle in a clockwise direc-
tion 10 . The film on the cap is pierced automatically.
– Remove the plug from the inflation hose 3 and plug the open end fully into
the tyre valve.
– Hold the bottle 10 with the floor facing upwards and fill the whole sealing
agent in the tyre inflator bottle into the tyres.
– Remove the empty tyre inflator bottle from the valve.
– Screw the valve core back into the tyre valve using the valve remover 1 .
Pumping up the tyres
– Screw the tyre inflation hose 5
⇒
fig. 172 of the air compressor firmly onto the
tyre valve.
– Check whether the air release valve 7 is closed.–
On vehicles fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever into Neu-
tral.
– Start the engine and run it in idle.
– Insert the plug 9 into the 12 Volt socket. ⇒
page 79
– Switch on the air compressor with the ON and OFF switch 8 .
– Allow the air compressor to run until reaching a pressure of 2.0 - 2.5 bar. Maxi-
mum run time of 8 minutes ⇒ !
– Switch off the air compressor with the ON and OFF switch.
– If you cannot reach an air pressure of 2.0 – 2.5 bar, unscrew the tyre inflation
hose 5 from the tyre valve.
– Drive the vehicle approx. 10 metres forwards or backwards to allow the sealing
agent to distribute in the tyre.
– Screw the tyre inflation hose of the air compressor 5 firmly back onto the
tyre valve and repeat the inflation procedure.
– If you cannot reach the required tyre inflation pressure here either, this means
the tyre has sustained too much damage. You cannot seal with tyre with the
breakdown kit ⇒ .
– Switch off the air compressor with the ON and OFF switch.
– Remove the tyre inflation hose 5 from the tyre valve.
After reaching a tyre inflation pressure of 2.0 – 2.5 bar, drive at a maximum speed
of 80 km/h (50
mph).
Check the tyre inflation pressure after driving 10 minutes ⇒ page 216, Check after
driving for 10 minutes. WARNING
● During inflation, the tyre inflation hose and air compressor may get hot-
risk of injury!
● Do not place hot tyre inflation hoses or hot air compressors on flammable
materials - risk of fire!
● If you cannot inflate the tyre to at least 2.0 bar, this means the damage
sustained was too serious. The sealing agent cannot be used to seal the tyre.
Do not drive the vehicle. Get professional assistance. £ 215
Breakdown assistance Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data
Connecting negative terminal and engine block
– Attach one end 3 to the negative terminal of the battery supplying the power
B .
– Attach the other end 4 to a solid metal part which is connected firmly to the
engine block, or to the engine block itself.
Starting engine
– Start the engine of the vehicle providing current and run the engine at idling
speed.
– Now start the engine of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
– Interrupt the attempt at starting an engine after 10 seconds if it does not start
right away and wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
– Disconnect the cables in exactly the reverse order they were connected.WARNING
● The non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps must never make contact
with each other. In addition, the jump-start cable connected to the positive
terminal of the battery must not come into contact with electrically conduct-
ing parts of the vehicle - risk of short circuit!
● Do not affix the jump starting cables to the negative terminal of the dis-
charged battery. There is the risk of detonating gas seeping out the battery
being ignited by the strong spark which results from the engine being started.
● Run the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any rotating
parts in the engine compartment.
● Do not bend over the batteries - risk of caustic burns!
● The vent screws of the battery cells must be tightened firmly.
● Keep any sources of ignition (naked flame, smouldering cigarettes etc.)
away from the battery - risk of an explosion!
● Never jump-start the batteries which have a too low electrolyte level - risk
of explosion and caustic burns! Jump-starting on vehicles with the “START-STOP” system Fig. 174 Jump-starting on vehicles with
the START-STOP system
One vehicles with the “START STOP” system, the negative cable of the charger
must never be connected directly to the negative pole of the vehicle battery, but
only to the engine earth ⇒ fig. 174.
The vehicle General Vehicles with manual transmission can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope
or with the front or rear wheels raised.
Vehicles with automatic transmission can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow
rope or with the front wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised at rear, the automatic gearbox is damaged!
Vehicles with four-wheel drive can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope or
with the front wheels raised.
A tow bar is safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimizes any shocks. You
can use a tow rope only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
Refer to the following guidelines when towing:
Driver of the towing vehicle
– Release the clutch particularly gently when starting off or depress the acceler-
ator particularly gently if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
– On vehicles with manual transmission, only push down on the accelerator ped-
al once the rope is taught. £ 217
Breakdown assistance Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data
The maximum towing speed is
50 km/h.
Driver of the towed vehicle
– Switch the ignition on so that the steering wheel is not blocked and you can
also operate the turn signal lights, the headlight flasher, the windscreen wip-
ers and windscreen washer system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N if your
vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is
running. You will require significantly greater physical force to depress the brake
pedal and to steer the vehicle if the engine is not running.
When using a tow rope, always ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught. CAUTION
● 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 216, Jump-starting
.
● If the gearbox of your vehicle no longer contains any oil because of a defect,
your vehicle must only be towed in with the driven wheels raised clear of the
ground, or on a special vehicle transporter or trailer.
● The vehicle must be transported on a special vehicle or trailer if it is not possi-
ble to tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance is greater
than 50
km.
● To protect both vehicles when tow-starting or towing, the tow rope should be
elastic. Thus one should only use plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a similar-
ly elastic material.
● One should be constantly vigilant not to allow impermissibly high towing
forces or jerky loadings. There is always a risk of excessive stresses and damage
resulting at the points to which you attach the tow rope or tow bar when you at-
tempt to tow a vehicle which is not standing on a paved road.
● Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the towing eyes provided for this
purpose ⇒ page 218
, Front towing eye and ⇒ page 219, Rear towing eye Note
● We recommend a tow rope from the range of
ŠKODA Original Accessories that
you can purchase from an authorised ŠKODA Service Partner.
● Towing another vehicle requires a certain amount of practice. Both drivers
should be familiar with the particular points about towing a vehicle. Unskilled driv-
ers should not attempt to tow in another vehicle or to be towed in.
● When towing, respect the national legal provisions, especially those which re-
late to the identification of the towing vehicle and the vehicle being towed.
● The tow rope must not be twisted as it may in certain circumstances result in
the front towing eye being unscrewed out of your vehicle.
Front towing eye The towing eye is stored in the box of the vehicle tool kit.
Fig. 175 Front bumper: Removing the cover/installing the towing eye
–
Press on the upper half of the cover in direction of arrow 1
⇒ fig. 175 .
– Pull the cover out of the front bumper.
– Screw in the towing eye by hand to the left up to the stop ⇒ fig. 175 - right and
tighten it as much as possible. For tightening, we recommend that you use for
example the wheel wrench, the lashing eye of another vehicle or a similar ob-
ject which you can push through the eye.
– In order to reinstall the cover after screwing out the towing eye, first of all in-
sert the upper part of the cover and then press in the lower part. The cover
must engage firmly. £218
Breakdown assistance
On some vehicles, the battery cover must be removed before removing the fuse
cover ⇒ page 197.
Removing fuse cover
–
Move the circlips A ⇒
fig. 178 as far as the stop, the symbol appears behind
the circlip and remove the cover.
Installing fuse cover
– Position the fuse cover on the fuse box and push the circlips A as far as the
stop - the symbol is visible behind the circlip.CAUTION
● When unlocking and locking the fuse cover, it must be pressed on the sides to
the box, otherwise damage can occur to the locking mechanism.
● Carefully position the fuse cover in the engine compartment. If the cover was
not correctly positioned, water can get into the fuses and this results in a damage
to the vehicle!
Fuse assignment in engine compartment Fig. 179 Schematic representation of
fuse box in engine compartment - ver-
sion 2
Certain electrical components are only standard on certain vehicle model versions
or only suppliable as optional equipment for certain models. No. Power consumer
F1 Not assigned
F2 Control unit for automatic gearbox DQ 200
F3 Measuring circuit
F4 ABS control unit No. Power consumer
F5 Control unit for automatic gearbox
F6 Instrument cluster, windshield wiper lever and turn signal light lever
F7 Power suppy terminal 15, Starter
F8 Radio
F9 Phone
F10 Engine control unit, Main relay
F11 Control unit for auxiliary heating
F12 Control unit for CAN databus
F13 Engine control unit
F14 Ignition
F15 Lambda probe, fuel pump relay
glow plug system relay
F16 Central control unit, right main headlight, right rear light unit
F17 Horn
F18 Amplifier for digital sound processor
F19 Front window wiper
F20 Control valve for fuel pressure
F21 Lambda probe
F22 Clutch pedal switch, brake pedal switch
F23 Coolant pump
Charge pressure control solenoid valve, changeover valve for radiator
Fuel high pressure pump
F24 Activated charcoal filter, exhaust gas recirculation valve
F25 ABS control unit
F26 Central control unit, left main headlight, left rear light unit
F27 Glow Plug System
F28 Windscreen heater
F29 Power supply of the interior
F30 Terminal X
a) a)
In order not to drain the battery unnecessarily when starting the engine, the electrical components
of this terminal are automatically switched off. 221
Fuses and light bulbs Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data
Fuse assignment in the dash panel
Fig. 180 Schematic representation of
the fuse carrier in the dash panel
Certain electrical components are only standard on certain vehicle model versions
or only suppliable as optional equipment for certain models. No. Power consumer
1 Heating of the gearbox ventilation (diesel engine)
Control unit for automatic gearbox DQ200 2 Towing device
3 Towing device
4 Instrument cluster, windshield wiper lever, turn signal light lever
5 Air blower for heating, radiator fan, air conditioning system, Climatron-
ic 6 Rear window wiper
7 Phone
8 Towing device
9 Central control unit - Interior lighting
Rear fog light
10 Rain sensor, light switch, diagnostic socket
11 Left side cornering lights
12 Right side cornering lights
13 Radio, changer for mobile navigation
14 Towing device
15 Light switch
16 Heated windscreen washer nozzles
17 Control unit for headlamp beam adjustment and headlight swivel No. Power consumer
18 Diagnostic socket, engine control unit, brake sensor
19 Control unit for ABS, ESP, switch for tyre air pressure control, control
unit for parking aid, switch for Offroad mode, start/stop button 20 Switch and control unit for airbag
21 WIV, parking light, dimming mirrors, pressure sensor, telephone prein-
stallation, air mass meter
22 Instrument cluster, control unit for electromechanical power steering,
Haldex 23 Central locking system and bonnet lid
24 Rear power window
25 Rear window heater
Rear window heater, Auxiliary heating (auxiliary heating and ventila-
tion)
26 Power socket in the luggage compartment
27 Electric sliding/tilting roof, electric sun screen
28 Fuel pump relay, control unit for fuel pump, injection valves
29 Front power window
30 front and rear lighter
31 Headlight cleaning system
32 Front seat heating, regulator for seat heating
33 Heating, Air conditioning, Climatronic
34 Alarm, spare horn
35 Control unit for automatic gearbox DQ200
36 DVD player
For power consumers, e.g. the car stereo, which can be operated with the ignition
switched off as long as the ignition key is not withdrawn.
Electrically adjustable seats are protected by
automatic circuit breakers, which
switch on again automatically after a few seconds after the overload has been
eliminated. 222
Fuses and light bulbs