Antilock brake system (ABS) 97
Traction control system (TCS) 97
Electronic differential lock (EDL) 98
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!
■ The normal braking system is still fully functional if there is an ABS fault.
Visit a ŠKODA specialist garage immediately and adjust your style of driving
according to the damage to the ABS as you will not know how great the dam-
age is and the limitation it is placing on the braking efficiency. CAUTION
■ Observe the recommendations on the new brake pads » page 146.
■ 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 189 , Accessories, changes and replacement of parts .
■ If a fault occurs in the ABS system, the ESC, ASR and EDL also do not work. A
indicator light » page 22 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 94.
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. £
ä
95
Starting-off and Driving
Downhill Drive Support
The Downhill Drive Support maintains a constant speed on a steep downhill sec-
tion when driving forwards and backwards by automatically intervening in the
brake system of all wheels. It prevents the wheels locking because the ABS re-
mains active. The warning light in the instrument cluster indicates that the
Downhill Drive Support is available » page 25.
The vehicle speed, which is maintained by the Assist System, is selected by the
driver while driving on a downhill section as of the moment the first intervention
of the Assist System is performed or else, while driving on a downhill section, the
driver must control the vehicle speed until the Assist System intervenes for the
first time. When the Assist System actively intervenes, this is indicated by the
warning light flashing or by a pulsating movement of the brake pedal, similar to
the intervention of the ABS.
You can increase or reduce the speed, even when no gear is engaged, by operat-
ing the accelerator or brake pedal. Thus the function is always interrupted and is
reactivated afterwards.
The Downhill Drive Support is activated automatically if the following conditions
are met:
› the
OFF ROAD mode is switched on and the warning light lights up in the in-
strument cluster,
› the engine of the vehicle is running and either the 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear, the reverse
gear or no gear is engaged,
› the engine of the vehicle is running, the selector lever of the automatic gearbox
is in the position R, N, D, S or Tiptronic,
› the speed is less than 30 km/h,
› the downhill gradient is at least 10 % (when driving over sleepers, the limit can
briefly drop to 8 %),
› neither the accelerator nor the brake pedal is operated.
It is however a requirement that the vehicle has sufficient grip on the soil. The
Downhill Drive Support cannot properly fulfil its function on slushy soil due to
physical reasons (ice or mud).
The Downhill Drive Support is deactivated when braking or accelerating or if the
downhill gradient is less than 8 %. The vehicle speed is steadily regulated by the Assist System in vehicles with a
manual gearbox
depending on the type of gearbox or engine:
› 1st gear - approx. 8 1)
- 30 km/h
› 2nd gear - approx. 13 1)
- 30 km/h
› 3rd gear - approx. 22 1)
- 30 km/h
› Reverse gear - approx. 9 1)
- 30 km/h
› Neutral for driving forwards - as well as driving backwards - approx. 2 1)
- 30 km/
h
Vehicles with automatic gearbox :
› Selector lever in position D, S or Tiptronic (for 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear) for driving for-
wards - approx. 2-30 km/h
› Selector lever in position R for driving backwards - approx. 2 - 30 km/h
› Selector lever in position N for driving forwards and backwards - approx. 2 - 30
km/h WARNING
■ A lack of fuel can cause irregular engine running or cause the engine to shut
down. The
OFF ROAD mode would lose its effectiveness - risk of accident!
■ Adjust the speed and driving style to the current visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions. The increased safety offered by the
OFF ROAD mode must
not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident! CAUTION
■ The OFF ROAD
mode is not designed for the use on common roads.
■ All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres approved by the manufactur-
er to ensure the OFF ROAD mode operates correctly. Note
■ During an intervention of the Downhill Drive Support, the brake lights do not
light up. ■ Do not switch the OFF ROADmode while the assistant is in effect. Ð1)
The indicated values represent the average of the lower speed limits if a gear is engaged (depending
on the type of gearbox or engine).
99
Starting-off and Driving
WARNING (Continued)
■ The seat belts for the rear seats can only fulfil their function reliably when
the seat backrests are correctly locked into position » page 62, Move seats in-
to the initial position .
■ The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may im-
pair proper operation of the inertia reel » page 166, Seat belts.
■ The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not attempt
to repair the seat belts yourself.
■ Check the condition of all the seat belts on a regular basis. If any damage to
the seat belts, seat belt tongue, inertia reel or the lock is detected, the rele-
vant seat belt must be replaced by a
ŠKODA specialist garage.
■ Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident and
were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is best done by a
ŠKODA
specialist garage. The anchorage points for the belts should also be checked. Note
The national legal requirements must be observed when using seat belts. ÐThe physical principle of a frontal collision
Fig. 118
Driver without a fastened seat belt/rear seat passenger without a
fastened seat belt
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 132.
The physical principle of a frontal collision can be explained quite simply.
ä Motion energy, so-called kinetic energy, is produced as soon as the vehicle is
moving, both for the vehicle and its occupants. The magnitude of this kinetic en-
ergy depends essentially on the speed at which the vehicle is travelling and on
the weight of the vehicle including the occupants. The greater the speed and
weight increase, the greater the amount of energy which has to be absorbed in
the event of an accident.
The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless, the most important factor. Doubling the
speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy
four times.
The common opinion that it is possible to support your body in a minor accident
with your hands, is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces
acting on the body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed of 30
km/h to 50 km/h, the forces that your body
is exposed to in the event of an accident can exceed a tonne (1 000 kg).
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat belt, are
thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the interior of the car,
such as steering wheel, dash panel or windscreen » Fig. 118 - . In certain circum-
stances you could even be thrown out of the vehicle, which could cause life
threatening or even fatal injuries.
It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will
otherwise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner in the event
of an accident A rear seat passenger who has not fastened the seat belt is a dan-
ger not only to himself but also for those seated at the front » Fig. 118 - . Ð
133
Seat belts
Wheel bolts
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 181.
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. ÐWinter tyres
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 181.
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 particularly applies to vehicles which are equipped with
low-profile tyres
or high-speed tyres (code index H or V on wall of tyre).
To achieve the best possible handling properties, winter tyres must be fitted on
all 4 wheels, the minimum tread depth must be 4
mm and tyres must be no older
than 4 years.
Winter tyres of a lower speed category can be used provided that the permissible
maximum speed of these tyres is not exceeded even if the possible maximum
speed of the vehicle is higher. For the sake of the environment
Fit the summer tyres on again in good time as they provide better handling prop-
erties, a shorter braking distance, less tyre noise, and reduced tyre wear on roads
which are free of snow and ice as well as at temperatures above 7
°C. The fuel
consumption is also lower. ÐSnow chains
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 181.ä
ä
ä
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.
Valid for vehicles with front-wheel drive
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the following
wheel/tyre combinations.
Wheel size Depth (D)Tyre size
6J x 16 50 mm 205/55
7J x 16 45 mm 205/55
6J x 17 45 mm 205/50 Valid for vehicles with four-wheel drive
Snow chains can be used on the front wheels as on vehicles with front-wheel
drive » page 187, Valid for vehicles with front-wheel drive
.
In order to increase the traction (start-up properties), the use of snow chains is
also technically permissible on the rear axle (this means on the front and rear axle
at the same time) for the following wheel/tyre combinations.
Wheel size Depth (D)Tyre size
6J x 16 50 mm 205/55
7J x 16 45 mm 205/55
6J x 17 45 mm 205/50 The use of snow chains is only technically permissible on the rear axle for the fol-
lowing standard wheel/tyre combinations.
Wheel size Depth (D)Tyre size
7J x 16 45 mm 215/60
7J x 17 45 mm 225/50 When fitting snow chains on the front and rear axle at the same time, the maxi-
mum speed is limited to
50 km/h.
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 national legal regulations relating to the use of snow chains and the
maximum vehicle speed with snow chains. £
187
Wheels and Tyres