
Driving through water on the street
Fig. 154
Driving through water
The following must be observed to avoid damage to the vehicle when driving
through bodies of water (e.g. flooded roads): › Therefore determine the depth of the water before driving through bodies of
water. The water level must fit around the strut on the side member as a maxi-
mum » Fig. 154;
› Do not drive any faster than at a walking speed. At a higher speed, a water
wave can form in front of the vehicle which can cause water to penetrate into
the air induction system of the engine or into other parts of the vehicle;
› Never stop in the water, do not reverse and do not switch the engine off;
› Deactivate the START-STOP
system before driving through water » page 118,
START/STOP . WARNING
■ Driving through water, mud, sludge etc. can reduce the braking power and
extend the braking distance - risk of accident!
■ Avoid abrupt and sudden braking immediately after water crossings.
■ After driving through bodies of water, the brakes must be cleaned and dried
as soon as possible by intermittent braking. Only apply the brakes for the pur-
pose of drying and cleaning the brake discs if the traffic conditions permit this.
Do not place any other road users in jeopardy. CAUTION
■ When driving through bodies of water, parts of the vehicle such as the engine,
gearbox, chassis or electrics can be severely damaged.
■ Oncoming vehicles can generate water waves which can exceed the permissible
water level for your vehicle. ■
Potholes, mud or rocks can be hidden under the water making it difficult or im-
possible to drive through the body of water. ■ Do not drive through salt water. The salt can lead to corrosion. Any vehicle parts
that have come into contact with salt water must be rinsed immediately with
fresh water. Note
After driving through a body of water, we recommend that the vehicle is checked
by a
ŠKODA specialist garage. Ð 163
Driving and the Environment

Immediately reduce your speed as soon as even the slightest swaying of the trail-
er is detected. Never attempt to stop the trailer from “swaying” by accelerating.
Brakes
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first, then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. On downhill sections shift down a gear in good time to
also use the engine as a brake.
Trailer stabilisation
The trailer stabilisation is an extension of the stabilisation control that works in
conjunction with the counter-steering assistance to reduce the amount the trail-
er "sways". After turning on the ignition, the ESC indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster lights up for about 2 seconds longer than the ABS indicator light.
Prerequisites for stabilising the trailer.
› The towing device is factory-fitted or a compatible towing device has been ret-
rofitted.
› The ESC is active. The indicator light
or in the instrument cluster is not illu-
minated.
› The trailer is electrically connected to the towing vehicle by means of the trailer
socket.
› The speed is higher than approx. 60 km/h.
› Trailers must have a fixed drawbar.
› The ESC works for both braked and unbraked trailers.
Trailer is connected to the anti-theft alarm system. › If the vehicle is factory-fitted with an anti-theft alarm system and a towing de-
vice.
› If the trailer is electrically connected to the towing vehicle by means of the trail-
er socket.
› If the electrical system of the vehicle and trailer is fully functional.
› If the vehicle is locked with the car key and the anti-theft alarm system is acti-
vated.
When the vehicle is locked, the alarm is activated as soon as the electrical con-
nection to the trailer is interrupted.
Always deactivate the anti-theft alarm system before a trailer is connected/dis-
connected. Otherwise, the anti-theft alarm system could accidentally be trig-
gered » page 33 , Anti-theft alarm system . Engine overheating
If the needle for the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area
or the red area of the scale, the speed must be reduced immediately. Stop and
switch off the engine if the indicator light
in the instrument cluster starts to
flash. Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion
bottle » page 180 , Checking the coolant level .
The following guidelines must be observed » page 21, Coolant temperature/cool-
ant level .
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating. WARNING
■ The increased safety offered by the trailer stabilisation must not tempt you
to take greater risks than otherwise. ■ Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic sit-
uation.
■ Improper or incorrectly connected electric cables can energise the trailer and
cause functional faults to the vehicle's entire electrical system as well as acci-
dents and severe injuries.
■ Any work on the electrical system must be carried out only by ŠKODA spe-
cialist garages.
■ Never directly connect the trailer's electrical system with the electrical con-
nections for the tail lights or other current sources. CAUTION
■ The trailer stabilisation need not be able to correctly detect all of driving situa-
tions.
■ Trailers that sway slightly are not always detected by the trailer stabilisation
and thus are not stabilised accordingly.
■ Release the pressure on the accelerator pedal if the system is being regulated.
■ Avoid abrupt and sudden driving/braking manoeuvres.
■ When the ball rod is removed, the mounting shaft must be sealed with an ap-
propriate cover. This prevents foreign matter from penetrating into the mounting
shaft. See the fitting instructions for the towing device. £
165
Towing a trailer

Changing the brake fluid
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 176.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. Over time it therefore absorbs moisture from the
environment. Excessive water in the brake fluid may be the cause of corrosion in
the brake system. The water content also lowers the boiling point of the brake
fluid.
The brake fluid must comply with the following standards or specifications:
› VW 50114;
› FMVSS 116 DOT4. WARNING
Using old brake fluid can result in severe stress on the brakes because of the
formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system. This greatly impairs the
braking efficiency and thus also the safety of your vehicle. CAUTION
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle. ÐWindscreen washer system
Fig. 161
Engine compartment: Wind-
screen washer fluid reservoir
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 176.ä
ä
The windscreen washer fluid reservoir contains the cleaning fluid for the wind-
screen or rear window and for the headlight cleaning system. The windscreen
washer fluid reservoir is located in the engine compartment.
The capacity of the reservoir is about 3 litres or about 5.5
litres on vehicles that
have a headlight cleaning system.
Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and headlights.
We therefore recommend using clean water with a screen cleaner (including anti-
freeze in the winter) that is able to remove stubborn dirt.
Antifreeze should always be added to the cleaning water in the winter even if the
vehicle is fitted with heated windscreen washer nozzles.
Under exceptional circumstances, methylated spirits can also be used if no screen
cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methylated spirits must
not be more than 15 %. The freeze protection at this concentration is sufficient
only to -5 °C. CAUTION
■ Under no circumstances must radiator antifreeze or other additives be added to
the windscreen washer fluid.
■ If the vehicle is fitted with a headlight cleaning system, only cleaning products
which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the headlights must be added
to the windscreen washer fluid. Note
Do not remove the filter from the windscreen washer fluid reservoir when replen-
ishing it with liquid otherwise the liquid transportation system can be contamina-
ted, which can cause the windscreen washer system to malfunction. Ð Vehicle battery
ä
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Battery cover 184
Checking the battery electrolyte level 185
Operation in winter 185
£
182 General Maintenance

Index
A
ABS Function 111
Warning light 23
Accessories 194
Active driver-steering recommendation (DSR) 110
Adjusting Exterior mirror 64
Adjusting seats 141
Adjustment Seat 67
Aerial 168
see Radio reception 170
Airbag 148
Deployment 148
Front airbag 149
Head airbag 152
Knee airbag 150
Side airbag 151
Airbag system 148
Air conditioning system 93
Air outlet vents 94
Climatronic 97
Manual air conditioning system 94
Alarm 33
Anti-theft alarm system 33
Antilock brake system 111
Armrest Front 88
rear 72, 88
Ashtray 83
Assist systems ABS 23, 111
Cruise control systems (CCS) 116
EDL 111
ESC 22, 110Park assist 113
Parking aid 112
START/STOP 118
TCS 23, 111
Auto Check Control 18
Automatic driving lamp control 49
Automatic gearbox 121
Dynamic shift programme 124
Emergency programme 125
Information for driving 121
Kickdown 124
Manual shifting of gears on the multifunction steering wheel 123
Parking 122
Selector lever-emergency unlocking 125
Selector lever lock 124
Selector lever positions 122
Starting off 122
Stopping 122
Tiptronic 123
Automatic load deactivation 186
Auxiliary heating (auxiliary heating and ventila- tion) 100
Avoiding damage to your vehicle 162
B
Before setting off 140
Belt tensioners 147
Bonnet Closing 177
Opening 177
Warning light 21
Boot Class
N1 vehicles 73
Cover 75
Emergency unlocking 37
Emergency unlocking Combi 37
Extendable variable loading floor 77
Fastening elements 74
Fixing nets 74Fixing of the floor covering 75
foldable boot cover (Combi) 76
Folding hooks 74
Light 56
Removable lamp (Combi) 57
see Boot lid 36
Unlocking of the boot lid Combi 37
Variable loading floor 76
Boot lid 36
Automatic locking 37
Combi 37
Twindoor 36
Warning light 21
Brake assist 110
Brake booster 109
Brake fluid Checking 181
Brake pads Indicator light 25
Brakes Brake assist systems 108
Handbrake 109
Indicator light 20
Running in 158
Braking Brake fluid 181
Breakdown kit 200
Bulbs Replacing 210
Button in the driver's door Electric power windows 40
C
Car computer see Multifunction display 12
Car jack 196
Carrier 81
Catalytic converter 158
CD changer 138
Central locking button 30
225
Index