
It is still fully possible to steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the en-gine is not running (e.g. when towing). However, greater physical effort is re-
quired to turn the steering wheel.
If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light or
lights up in the
instrument cluster » page 18.
Starting and stopping the engine
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Electronic immobilizer
68
Ignition lock
68
Starting the engine
68
Switching off the engine
68
The engine can only be started using a correctly coded original key.
The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time afterstarting the cold engine. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.
WARNING■ When driving, the ignition key must always be in the position 2 » Fig. 68 on
page 68 (ignition switched on) without the engine running. This position is
indicated by the warning lights coming on. If this is not the case, this could re-
sult in unexpected locking of the steering wheel – risk of accident!■
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 could
be blocked – 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. Children could otherwise
start the engine for example – risk of accident or injury!
■
Never leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running.
■
Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary – risk of acci-
dent!
WARNING■ Never leave the engine running in unventilated or closed rooms. The ex-
haust gases from the engine contain substances such as odourless and col-
ourless carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas) – risk to life!■
Carbon monoxide can cause unconsciousness and death.
CAUTION
■ The starter must only be operated when the engine is not running and the vehi-
cle is at a standstill. The starter or engine can be damaged if the starter is activa-
ted when the engine is running 3
» Fig. 68 on page 68.
■
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 154,
Fuses on the underside of the dash panel , or seek assistance from a specialist ga-
rage.
■
Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts otherwise the starter
could be damaged.
■
Do not tow start the engine – there is a risk of damaging the engine and the
catalytic converter. The battery from another vehicle can be used as a jump-start
aid » page 150 , Jump-starting .
CAUTION
■
Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads before the en-
gine has reached its operating temperature – risk of damaging the engine!■
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.
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
After switching off the ignition, the radiator fan can intermittently continue to op-
erate for approx. 10 minutes.
67Starting-off and Driving

WARNING■Greater physical effort is required for braking when the engine is switched
off – risk of accident!■
The clutch pedal must be actuated when braking on a vehicle with manual
transmission, when the vehicle is in gear and at low revs. Otherwise, the func-
tion of the brake booster may be impaired – risk of accident!
■
In the event of damage occurring to the standard fitted front spoiler or the
retrofitting of another front spoiler, wheel hubs etc. » page 110, Modifica-
tions, adjustments and technical alterations , It must be ensured that the air
supply to the front brake is not impaired. The front brakes may overheat,
which can have a negative impact on the functioning of the braking 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 could then start to move – risk of accident!
CAUTION
■ Observe the recommendations on the new brake pads » page 74.■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.
Information on braking
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 68.
If the brakes are applied in full and the control unit for the braking system consid-
ers 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 automatically after accelerating
or driving off again.
Before travelling a long distance at a steep gradient, reduce speed and shift into
the next lowest gear. As a result, the braking effect of the engine will be used,
reducing the load on the brakes. Any additional braking should be completed in-
termittently, not continuously.
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.
Under these severe conditions , the thickness of the brake pads must also be
checked by a specialist garage between service intervals.
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. The brakes are cleaned and dried by applying the brakes several times.
Faults in the brake surface
If it is found that the braking distance has suddenly become longer and that the
brake pedal can be depressed further, the brake system may be faulty.
Visit a specialist garage immediately and adjust your style of driving appropriatelyas you will not know the exact extent of the damage.
Low brake fluid level
An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake system. The
level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically » page 16,
Braking system .
Brake booster The brake booster increases the pressure generated with the brake pedal. The brake booster only operates when the engine is running.
69Starting-off and Driving

In vehicles not equipped with the START-STOP system, turn off the engine when
in a traffic jam, at a level crossing or traffic lights with longer wait times.
Even after just 30 – 40 seconds you will have saved more fuel than that is needed
when you start the engine up again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal operating
temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though, are particularly
high in the warming-up phase. Therefore, start driving as soon as the engine has
started, High engine speeds should however be avoided.
Avoiding short distances
Fig. 75
Principle sketch: Fuel consump-
tion in l/100 km at different tem-
peratures
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 74.
Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption. We therefore
recommend avoiding distances of less than 4 km if the engine is cold.
A cold engine consumes the most fuel immediately after the start. Fuel consump-tion drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The consumption stabilises
once the engine and catalytic converter have reached their operating tempera- ture.
An important factor in this connection is also the ambient temperature. The im-
age » Fig. 75 shows the different levels of fuel consumption after driving a certain
distance at a temperature of +20 °C and at a temperature of -10 °C.
The vehicle has a higher fuel consumption in winter than in summer.
Checking tyre inflation pressure
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 74.
Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.
Always ensure the tyre inflation pressure is correct. If the inflation pressure is too
low, the tyres will have to overcome a higher rolling resistance. This will not only increase fuel consumption but also tyre wear and the driving behaviour will wor-
sen.
Always check the tyre inflation pressure when the tyres are cold.
Avoiding unnecessary ballast
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 74.
Transporting ballast costs fuel.
Each kilogramme of weight increases the fuel consumption. Therefore, we rec-
ommend to carry no unnecessary weight.
It is particularly in town traffic, when one is accelerating quite often, that the ve-
hicle weight will have a significant effect upon the fuel consumption. A rule of
thumb here is that an increase in weight of 100 kilograms will cause an increase in fuel consumption of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.
At a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, your vehicle that is fitted with a roof rack crossmember without a load will use about 10 % more fuel than normal due to the in-
creased aerodynamic drag.
Regular maintenance
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 74.
A poorly tuned engine uses an unnecessarily high amount of fuel.
By having your vehicle regularly maintained by a specialist garage, you create the conditions needed for economical driving. The maintenance state of your vehicle has a positive effect on traffic safety and value retention
76Driving

NoteAfter driving through water, we recommend having the vehicle checked by a spe-
cialist garage.
Driving abroad
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Unleaded petrol
79
Headlights
79
In certain countries, it may be possible that the ŠKODA Partner network is limited
or has not been established. This is the reason why procuring certain spare parts
may be somewhat complicated and specialist garages may only be able to make
limited repairs.
Unleaded petrol
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 79.
A vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with unleaded pet-rol » page 123 , Unleaded petrol . Information regarding the locations of filling sta-
tions that offer unleaded petrol is, for example, provided by the automobile asso-
ciations.
Headlights
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 79.
The low beam of your headlights is set asymmetrically. It illuminates the side of
the road on which the vehicle is being driven to a greater extent.
When driving in countries in which the traffic drives on the other side of the roadthan in your home country, the asymmetrical low beam may dazzle oncoming
drivers. In order to avoid this, the headlights must be adjusted at a specialist ga-
rage.
NoteYou can find out more information on adjusting the headlights at a specialist ga-
rage.
79Starting-off and Driving

START-STOP
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Starting/shutting down the engine
85
Operating conditions of the system
85
Manually activating/deactivating the system
86
The START-STOP system helps you to save fuel while at the same time reducing
harmful exhaust emissions and CO 2 emissions.
The function is automatically activated each time the ignition is switched on. In the start-stop mode, the engine automatically switches to the vehicle's idle phase, e.g. when stopped at traffic lights. The engine restarts automatically
where necessary.
The system can work only if the following basic conditions are met.
The driver's door is closed.
The driver has fastened the seat belt.
The bonnet is closed.The driving speed was higher than 4 km/h after the last stop.
WARNING■ The brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is run-
ning.■
Never let the vehicle roll with the engine switched off.
CAUTION
Always deactivate the START-STOP system before driving through wa-
ter » page 78 .Note■
If the driver's seat belt is removed for more than 30 seconds or the driver's door
is opened during stop mode, the engine must be started manually with the key.■
After manually starting the engine on vehicles with manual transmission, auto-
matic engine shut down is not possible until the vehicle has travelled the re- quired minimum distance for START-STOPmode.
■
Changes to the outdoor temperature can have an effect on the internal temper-
ature of the vehicle battery even after several hours. If the vehicle remains out-
doors for a long time in minus temperatures or in direct sunlight, it can take sev-
eral hours until the internal temperature of the vehicle battery reaches a suitable temperature for proper operation of the START STOP system.
Starting/shutting down the engine
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 85.
›
Stop the vehicle (where necessary, apply the handbrake).
›
Put the gear stick into Neutral.
›
Release the clutch pedal.
Automatic engine shut down (STOP phase) takes place. The warning symbol
appears in the instrument cluster display.
›
Depress the clutch pedal.
The automatic start procedure takes place again (START phase). The warning
symbol
goes out.
Operating conditions of the system
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 85.
The START-STOP system is very complex. Some of the procedures are hard tocheck without servicing.
No engine shut down is carried out
Before each STOP phase, the system checks whether certain conditions have
been met. No engine shut down takes place in the following situations.
85Assist systems

This wax protection does not need to be inspected or re-applied.If any small amount of wax flow out of the cavities at high temperatures, thesemust be removed with a plastic scraper and the stains cleaned using a petroleum cleaner.WARNINGSafety regulations should be observed when using petroleum cleaner to re-
move wax – risk of fire!
Wheels
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 115.
Wheel rims
Also thoroughly wash the wheel rims when washing the vehicle on a regular ba- sis.
Regularly remove salt and brake abrasion, otherwise the rim material will be cor-
roded.
Damage to the paint layer on the wheel rims must be touched up immediately.
Light alloy wheels
After washing thoroughly and treat the wheel rims with a protective product for
light alloy wheels. Products which cause abrasion must not be used to treat the
wheel rims.
CAUTION
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
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 115.
The underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and mechani-
cal influences.
When driving, it cannot be guaranteed that no damage to the protective layer will
occur.
We recommend having the protective layer underneath the vehicle and the chas-
sis checked — preferably before the beginning of winter and at the end of winter.
WARNINGNever use additional underbody protection or anti-corrosion agents for ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converters or heat shields. When the engine reaches its
operating temperature, these substances may ignite - risk of fire!
Taking care of the interior
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Natural leather
119
Artificial leather, cloths and Alcantara ®
120
Seat covers
120
Seat belts
121
Regular and proper care helps to ensure efficiency and maintain the
value of your
vehicle.
We recommend using vehicle care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories. These are available from ŠKODA Partners. The usage instructions on the packagemust be observed.
118General Maintenance

In the following situation, it is possible that the tank cannot be fully filled with
natural gas.
› At very high ambient temperatures. The natural gas refuelling systems have
overheating protection. When the ambient temperature reaches a predefined value, the refuelling system automatically switches off.
› If the refuelling system has been in operation for a longer period, the filling
pressure of the natural gas refuelling system slightly drops.WARNING■ Stop the engine before refuelling.■Always switch off your mobile phone, do not smoke and do not use open
flames when refuelling with natural gas – risk of explosion!■
When refuelling, never get into the vehicle. If you have to get into your vehi-
cle in exceptional cases, close the door and touch a metal surface before you
touch the filling coupling again. This will avoid electrostatic discharges, which
may generate sparks. Sparks can cause a fire during refuelling.
■
Natural gas is highly explosive and flammable. Incorrect refuelling or improp-
er handling of natural gas can cause a fire, an explosion and injuries.
Note
■ The natural gas system of your vehicle is suitable both for fuelling from small
compressors (slow fuelling) and for fuelling from natural gas stations with large
compressors (quick fuelling).■
Noises that occur during refuelling represent no risk.
■
If the vehicle is parked for a longer period of time immediately after refuelling,
the situation may arise in which the pointer of the fuel tank gauge does not indi- cate exactly the same level as was the case immediately after refuelling when theengine is restarted. This is not due to any system leakages but a drop in pressurein the natural gas fuel tank due to technical reasons after a cooling phase directly
after refuelling.
■
For frequent short-haul traffic, especially at low outside temperatures, the vehi-
cle is driven more frequently in petrol mode than in natural gas mode. This is why the petrol tank runs empty faster than the natural gas tank.
■
The capacity of the natural gas tank is about 11 kg, of which about 1.5 kg are a
reserve.
■
The capacity of the petrol tank is about 10 l, of which about 5 l are a reserve.
Automatic switching from CNG to petrol mode
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 123.
The vehicle automatically switches over from CNG mode to petrol mode when the following conditions are met:
› when starting the engine, if the coolant temperature is below 15 °C,
› when the natural gas tank is empty,
› after refuelling with natural gas.
Natural gas as fuel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 123.
Natural gas is an alternative fuel for motor vehicles. Its main component is meth-
ane (CH 4). The rest is carbon dioxide and lower hydrocarbons.
The strict legal requirements for exhaust emissions of motor vehicles are decisive for the current significance of natural gas. In direct comparison to all other fossil
fuels, natural gas is one of the fuels which cause the lowest emissions.
Natural gas is odourless and lighter than air. For safety reasons, it is saturated
with odorous substances, so that is perceived even in very small amounts.
Regular gas system checks
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 123.
Every two years, the following inspections must be carried out:
› Check the condition of the fuel filler cap, filler neck and sealing ring, and clean
sealing ring if necessary.
› Check gas system for leaks.
The following checks must be carried out every four years: › Check gas tank mounting for secure attachment and possible damage.
The gas tank must be filled prior to the regular gas system check.
125Inspecting and replenishing

›Take the bonnet support out of its holder 3
» Fig. 104 in the direction if the
arrow and secure the opened bonnet by inserting the end of the support in the
opening 4
designed for it.
Closing
›
Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Insert the bonnet sup-
port into the holder
3
designed for this purpose » Fig. 104.
›
Let the bonnet drop into the lock carrier lock from a height of around 20 cm – do
not push it in .
WARNINGCheck that the bonnet is closed properly.
CAUTION
Never open the bonnet using the locking lever » Fig. 103.
Engine compartment overview
Fig. 105
Schematic diagram: Engine compartment
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings
on page 127.
Engine oil dipstick
131
Engine oil filler opening
131
Coolant expansion reservoir
132123Brake fluid reservoir133Vehicle battery134
Windscreen washer fluid reservoir
129
Radiator fan
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 127.
The radiator fan is powered by an electric motor. Operation is controlled accord-
ing to the temperature of the coolant.
WARNINGAfter switching off the ignition, the fan may intermittently continue to oper-
ate for approx. 10 minutes.
Windscreen washer system
Fig. 106
Engine compartment: Wind-
screen washer fluid reservoir
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 127.
The windscreen washer fluid reservoir is located in the engine compartment and
contains the cleaning fluid for the windscreen or rear window.
The capacity of the windscreen washer fluid reservoir is approximately 3 litres.
Water alone is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen. We recommend using clean water together with a screen cleaner from the range of ŠKODA Origi-
nal Accessories (with antifreeze in winter) , which will remove any stubborn dirt.
456129Inspecting and replenishing