2012 SKODA RAPID tow

›
The mounts of the cover 3
» Fig. 41 must be positioned above the holders 2
of the side trim panel.
› Interlock the cover by lightly knocking on the top side of the cover in the area
between the holders.
› Hook the support straps 1
on the boot lid.
WARNING
No objects should be placed on the boot cover, the vehicle occupants could be
endangered if there is sudden braking or the vehicle collides with something. CAUTION
■ The maximum permissible load of the luggage compartment cover is 1 kg.
■ When closing the boot lid, jamming and damage to the luggage compartment
cover or the side trim panel can occur if handled in an unprofessional way. The
following guidelines must be observed. ■ The mounts of the cover 3
» Fig. 41 must be interlocked in the holders of the
side trim panel 2
.
■ The items which are transported must not exceed the height of the luggage
compartment cover. ■ The cover must not be jammed in the seal of the boot lid when it is in the
opened position.
■ There must be no object in the gap between the opened cover and the rear
backrest. Note
Opening the boot lid also lifts up the boot cover. ÐRoof rack system
ä
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Attachment points 52
Roof load 52 WARNING
■ The items which you transport on the roof bar system must be reliably at-
tached – risk of accident!
■ Always secure the load with appropriate and undamaged lashing straps or
tensioning straps.
■ Distribute the load evenly over the roof rack system.
■ The handling properties of your vehicle change when you transport heavy or
bulky items on the roof bar system as a result of the displacement of the cen-
tre of gravity and the increased wind attack area – risk of accident! The style
of driving and speed must therefore be adapted to the current circumstances. ■ Avoid abrupt and sudden driving/braking manoeuvres.
■ Adjust the speed and driving style to the visibility, weather, road and traffic
conditions. ■ The permissible roof load, permissible axle loads and gross permissible
weight of your vehicle must not be exceeded under any circumstances – risk
of accident! CAUTION
■ Only use roof rack systems approved by
ŠKODA.
■ If other roof rack systems are used or if the roof bars are not fitted correctly,
any resulting damage to the vehicle is not covered by the warranty. It is therefore
essential that the supplied fitting instructions for the roof rack system are ob-
served.
■ On models fitted with a power sliding/tilting roof, ensure that the opened slid-
ing/tilting roof does not strike any items of luggage transported on the roof. ■ Ensure that the boot lid does not hit the roof load when opened.
■ The height of the vehicle changes after mounting a roof luggage rack system
and the load that is secured to it. Compare the vehicle height with available clear-
ances, such as underpasses and garage doors.
■ Always remove the roof luggage rack system before entering an automated car
wash. ■ Ensure the roof aerial is not impaired by the secured load. For the sake of the environment
The increased aerodynamic drag results in a higher fuel consumption. Ð
51
Seats and Stowage

Cup holder in the rear armrest
Fig. 44
Rear armrest: Cup holder
Two beverage containers can be placed into the cup holder.
You can change the size of the individual openings using the removable elements A
and B
» Fig. 44.
› Remove element A
or B
in the direction of the arrow and replace it in the
holder in the required position. ÐAshtray
Fig. 45
Centre console: Ashtray at the front/rear
Removing › Pull out the ashtray
» Fig. 45 upwards.
Install
› Insert the ashtray vertically. WARNING
Never place flammable objects in the ashtray – risk of fire! CAUTION
When removing do not hold the ashtray at the cover – risk of breakage. Ð Cigarette lighter, 12-volt power socket
Cigarette lighter
Fig. 46
Centre console: Cigarette lighter
The cigarette lighter is located in the front centre console » Fig. 46.
Operating the cigarette lighter
› Press in the button of the cigarette lighter
» Fig. 46.
› Wait until the button pops forward.
› Remove the cigarette lighter immediately and use.
› Place the cigarette lighter back into the socket. WARNING
■ Take care when using the cigarette lighter! Improper use of the cigarette
lighter can cause burns. ■ The cigarette lighter also operates when the ignition is switched off or the
ignition key withdrawn. Therefore never leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle. £
53
Seats and Stowage

WARNING
■ Do not place anything on the dash panel. These objects might slide or fall
down when driving and may distract you from concentrating on the traffic –
risk of accident!
■ When driving, ensure that no objects from the centre console or from other
storage compartments can get into the driver's footwell. You would then no
longer be able to apply the brakes, operate the clutch or accelerator – risk of
accident! ÐStorage compartment on the front passenger side
Fig. 48
Dash panel: Storage compartment on the front passenger side
Open/close
› Pull the handle of the flap in the direction of the arrow
» Fig. 48 –  and fold
down the flap.
› Lift the lid upwards until it clicks into place.
light
› When opening the flap of the storage compartment on the front passenger
side the lighting in the storage compartment comes on.
› The light switches on automatically when the parking light is switched on and
goes out when the flap is closed.
Cooling
Use the rotary switch » Fig. 48 – 

to open/close the air supply.
Opening the air supply when the air conditioning system is switched on allows
cooled air to flow into the storage compartment. Opening the air inlet when the air conditioning system is on causes fresh or inte-
rior air to flow into the storage compartment.
We recommend closing the air supply if it is operated in heating mode or the cool-
ing system for the storage compartment is not being used. WARNING
The storage compartment must always be closed when driving for safety rea-
sons. Note
A 1 litre bottle (max. capacity) can be stored in the storage compartment on the
front passenger's side. Ð Storage box for safety vest
Fig. 49
Front passenger seat: Stowage
compartment
A storage box » Fig. 49 for the safety vest is located under the front passenger
seat. WARNING
Do not store any other objects here. They could fall out of the storage box –
risk of obstruction or limitation in operating the pedals. CAUTION
Do not store any other objects here – this could cause damage to the storage
box. Ð
55
Seats and Stowage

Storage compartment in centre console
Fig. 53
Centre console: Storage compartments
Open storage compartment at the front of the centre console.
Open storage compartment at the rear of the centre console. ÐMultimedia holder
Fig. 54
Front centre console: Multimedia
holder
The multimedia holder can be found in the stowage compartment of the front
centre console » Fig. 54.
You can use this holder to store e.g. a mobile phone, MP3 player or similar devi-
ces. WARNING
Never use the multimedia holder as an ashtray or for storing flammable ob-
jects – risk of fire! ÐA
B Storage compartments in the doors
Fig. 55
Storage compartment: in the front door/in the rear door
Storage compartment in the front doors
Bottle compartment in the front doors
Storage compartment in the rear doors
Bottle compartment in the rear doors WARNING
Use the area A
» Fig. 55 of the storage compartment only for storing objects
which do not project so that the effectiveness of the side airbag is not im-
paired. Ð Storage compartments in the boot
Fig. 56
Boot: Stowage compartment
The cover for the side compartment can be removed, thus enlarging the boot. £ A
B
C
D
57
Seats and Stowage

Note
If the air distribution is positioned towards the windows, the total amount of air is
used to defrost the windows and thus no air will be fed to the footwell. This can
lead to restriction of the heating comfort. ÐSet heating
Recommended basic settings of the heating controls for the respective operating
modes:
Set-up Setting of the control dial
Button 1
Air outlet vents 4
A B C
Defrosting the windshield and side
windows
To the right up to the
stop 3
Do not switch on Open and align with the side win-
dow
Free windshield and side windows
from mist Desired temperature 2 or 3
   Do not switch on Open and align with the side win-
dow
The fastest heating To the right up to the
stop 3
Briefly switch on
Opening
Comfortable heating Desired temperature 2 or 3
  Do not switch on
Opening
Fresh air mode – ventilation To the left up to the
stop Desired position
Do not switch on
OpeningNote
■ Controls A
» Fig. 59
on page 60, B
, C
and the button 1
.
■ Air outlet vents 4 » Fig. 58 on page 60.
■ We recommend that you leave the air outlet vents 3 » Fig. 58 on page 60 in the
opened position. ÐRecirculated air mode
Recirculated air mode prevents polluted air outside the vehicle from getting into
the vehicle, for example when driving through a tunnel or when standing in a
traffic jam. Switching on
› Press the button
 1
» Fig. 59
on page
60 and the warning light in the but-
ton illuminates.
Switching off
› Press the button
 1
» Fig. 59
on page
60again – the warning light in the
button goes out.
Recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution control C
» Fig. 59 on page 60

is turned to position . Recirculated air mode can be
switched on again from this setting by repeatedly pressing the button  .
£
61
Heating and air conditioning system

Starting-off and Driving
Starting and stopping the engine
ä
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Adjusting the steering wheel position 69
Power steering 69
Electronic immobiliser 69
Ignition lock 70
Starting engine 70
Switching off the engine 70
WARNING
■ Never adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving only when the
vehicle is stationary!
■ Maintain a distance of 25 cm 1
to the steering wheel
» Fig. 62 on page 69
–  . Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system
will not be able to properly protect you – hazard!
■ The lever for adjusting the steering wheel must be locked whilst driving so
that the position of the steering wheel cannot accidently change during the
journey – risk of accident!
■ If the steering wheel is adjusted further towards the head, the protection
provided by the driver airbag in the event of an accident is reduced. Check
that the steering wheel is aligned to the chest. ■ When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3
o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel in
the 12 o'clock position or in any other way (e.g. in the middle or inner edge of
the steering wheel). In such cases, you could severely injure the arms, hands
and head when the driver airbag is deployed.
■ When driving, the ignition key must always be in the position 2
» Fig. 63 on
page 70 (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! WARNING (Continued)
■ Only pull the ignition key from the ignition lock when the vehicle has come
to a complete stop (by applying the handbrake). Otherwise the steering wheel
could block – risk of accident!
■ When leaving the vehicle, the ignition must always be removed. This is par-
ticularly important if children are left in the vehicle. Otherwise the children
could, for example, start the engine – risk of accident or injury!
■ Never leave the engine running in unventilated or closed rooms. The ex-
haust gases of the engine contain besides the odorless and colourless carbon
monoxide a poisonous gas – hazard! Carbon monoxide can cause uncon-
sciousness and death. ■ Never leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running.
■ Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary – risk of acci-
dent! CAUTION
■ You will place great stresses on the power steering system if the steering is
turned to full lock when the vehicle is stationary. Turning the steering to full lock
in such a situation will be accompanied by noises. Never leave the steering wheel
at full lock for more than 15

seconds when the engine is running – risk of damag-
ing the power steering!
■ The starter may only be operated (ignition key position 3
» Fig. 63 on
page 70), if the engine is not running. The starter or engine can be damaged if
the starter is activated when the engine is running. ■ Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts otherwise the starter
could be damaged. ■ Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as the
engine has not yet reached its operating temperature – risk of damaging the en-
gine!
■ 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 the catalytic converter. The battery from an-
other vehicle can be used as a jump-start aid » page 152, Jump-starting.
■ Do not switch the engine off immediately at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated over a prolonged period at high loads but leave it to
run at an idling speed for about 1

minute. This prevents any possible accumulation
of heat when the engine is switched off. £
68 Using the system

For the sake of the environment
Do not warm up the engine while the vehicle is stationary. If possible, start your
journey as soon as the engine has started. Through this the engine reaches its
operating temperature more rapidly and the pollutant emissions are lower. Note
■ The engine can only be started with a genuine ŠKODA key with the matching
code. ■ The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time after
starting the cold engine. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem. ■ After switching off the ignition, the radiator fan can intermittently continue to
operate for approx. 10
minutes.
■ If the engine does not start up after a second attempt, the fuse for the fuel
pump may have a fault. Check the fuse and replace, if necessary » page 157,
Fuses in the dash panel

or seek assistance from a ŠKODA specialist garage.
■ We recommend locking the steering wheel
whenever leaving the vehicle. This
acts as a deterrent against the attempted theft of your car. ÐAdjusting the steering wheel position
Fig. 62
Adjustable steering wheel: Lever below the steering column/safe
distance to the steering wheel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 68.
The height and forward/back position of the steering wheel can be adjusted.
›
First of all adjust the driver's seat
» page 44, Front seats.
› Pull the lever below the steering wheel down
» Fig. 62 – .
ä ›
Adjust the steering wheel to the desired position (with regard to the height and
forward/back position).
› Push the lever upwards to the stop. Ð Power steering
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 68.
The power steering enables you to steer the vehicle with less physical force.
It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the en-
gine is not running (vehicle being towed in). However, greater physical effort is
required to turn the steering wheel. Ð Electronic immobiliser
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 68.
An electronic chip is integrated in the head of the key. The immobiliser is deacti-
vated with the aid of this chip when the key is inserted in the ignition lock. The
electronic immobiliser is automatically activated when the ignition key is with-
drawn from the lock.
The engine will not start if a non-authorized ignition key is used.
The following is displayed in the information display: Immobilizer active. Ð
ä
ä
69
Starting-off and Driving

WARNING
■ The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater physi-
cal effort for braking is required when the engine is switched off – risk of acci-
dent!
■ Depress the clutch pedal when stopping or braking a vehicle with a petrol
engine and manual transmission in the low rev range. If you fail to do so, the
functionality of the brake booster can be impaired – risk of accident! ■ If a front spoiler, full wheel trim, etc. is mounted retrospectively, it must be
ensured that the air supply to the front wheel brakes is not reduced. Other-
wise, the functionality of the brake system could be impaired – risk of acci-
dent!
■ Please note that the handbrake must be fully released. A handbrake which
is only partially released can result in the rear brakes overheating, which can
have a negative effect on the operation of the brake system – risk of accident!
■ Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. The children might, for ex-
ample, release the handbrake or take the vehicle out of gear. The vehicle
might then move off – risk of accident!
■ A lack of fuel can cause irregular engine running or cause the engine to shut
down. The brake assist systems would then be without function – risk of acci-
dent!
■ Adjust the speed and driving style to the current visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions. The increased safety offered by the brake assist systems
must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise – risk of an accident! CAUTION
■ Observe the recommendations on the new brake pads » page 109.
■ Never let the brakes slip with light pressure on the pedal if braking is not neces-
sary. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also result in a longer braking
distance and excessive wear. ■ All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres approved by the manufactur-
er to ensure the brake assist systems operate correctly. Note
■ If the brakes are applied in full and the control unit for the braking system con-
siders the situation to be dangerous for the following traffic, the brake light
flashes automatically. After the speed was reduced below around 10
km/h or the
vehicle was stopped, the brake light stops flashing and the hazard warning light
system switches on. The hazard warning light system is switched off automatical-
ly after accelerating or driving off again. ■ Before negotiating a steep downhill section, reduce the speed, shift down into
the next lower gear (manual gearbox) or select a lower drive position (automatic
gearbox). As a result, the braking effect of the engine will be used, reducing the
load on the brakes. Any additional braking should be completed intermittently,
not continuously. ■ Changes to the vehicle (e.g. to the engine, brakes, chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the functionality of the brake assist sys-
tems »

page 144 , Accessories, changes and replacement of parts .
■ If a fault occurs in the ABS system, the ESC, ASR and EDL also do not work. A
warning light  » page 20 comes on if a fault occurs in the ABS system. Ð Information for braking
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 70.
Wear-and-tear
The wear of the brake pads is dependent on the operating conditions and driving
style. The brake pads wear more quickly if a lot of journeys are completed in
towns and over short distances or if a very sporty style of driving is adopted. If
operated under severe conditions, the thickness of the brake pads must be
checked by a ŠKODA specialist garage before the next service appointment.
Wet roads or road salt
The performance of the brakes can be delayed as the brake discs and brake pads
may be moist or have a coating of ice or layer of salt on them in winter. The
brakes are cleaned and dried by applying the brakes several times.
Corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on the bake pads occur if the vehicle has
been parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the braking
system. If the brake system is not used much or if there is corrosion on the sur-
face, we recommend cleaning the brake discs by firmly applying the brakes from a
fairly high speed. £
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71
Starting-off and Driving