Assist systems
Brake assist systems
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
80
Antilock Braking System (ABS)
81
Traction Control System (TCS)
81
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
81WARNING■ A lack of fuel can cause irregular engine running or cause the engine to shut
down. The brake assist systems would then fail to function – risk of accident!■
Adjust the speed and driving style to the current visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions. The increased safety provided by the brake assist systems
must not tempt you to take safety risks – risk of accident!
■
In the event of an ABS fault, visit a specialist garage immediately. Adjust
your style of driving according to the damage to the ABS, as you will not know
the exact extent of the damage or the extent to which this is limiting the
braking efficiency.
CAUTION
■ All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres approved by the manufactur-
er to ensure the brake assist systems operate correctly.■
Changes to the vehicle (e.g. to the engine, brakes, chassis) can influence the
functionality of the brake assist systems » page 110, Modifications, adjustments
and technical alterations .
■
If a fault occurs in the ABS system, the ESC, ASR and EDL will also fail to work.
An ABS fault is indicated with the warning light » page 19 .
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 80.
The ESC system helps improve control of the vehicle in situations where it is be-
ing operated at its dynamic limits, such as a sudden change to the direction of
travel. Depending on the conditions of the road surface, the risk of skidding is re-
duced, thereby improving the vehicle's driving stability .
The ESC system is automatically activated each time the ignition is switched on.The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering angle and the speed of the vehicle and is constantly compared with the actualbehaviour of the vehicle. In the event of deviations, such as the car beginning to
skid, the ESC system will automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
During an intervention of the system, the warning light
flashes in the instru-
ment cluster.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stabilisation control
(ESC) :
› Antilock brake system (ABS),
› Traction control (TCS);
› Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
› Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
› Hill Hold Control (HHC).
In the event of an ESC fault, the ESC warning light
illuminates in the instru-
ment cluster » page 18.
Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
HBA increases the braking effect and helps to shorten the braking distance.
The HBA is activated by very quick operation of the brake pedal. In order to ach-
ieve the shortest possible braking distance, the brake pedal must be applied firm-
ly until the vehicle has come to a standstill.
The HBA function is automatically switched off when the brake pedal is released. The ABS is activated faster and more effectively with the intervention of the HBA.
Hill Hold Control (HHC)
When driving on slopes, HHC allows you to move your foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal without having to use the handbrake.
The system holds the brake pressure produced by the activation of the brakepedal for approx. 2 seconds after the brake pedal is released.
80Driving
The brake pressure drops gradually the more you operate the accelerator pedal. Ifthe vehicle does not start off within 2 seconds, it starts to roll back.
The HHC is active as of a 5 % slope, if the driver door is closed. HHC is always only active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When driving downhill, it isinactive.
Antilock Braking System (ABS)
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 80.
ABS prevents the wheels locking when braking. Thus helping the driver to main-
tain control of the vehicle.
The intervention of the ABS is noticeable from the pulsating movements of the
brake pedal which is accompanied by noises.
When the ABS system is active, do not brake periodically or reduce the pressure
on the brake pedal.
Traction Control System (TCS)
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 80.
If the wheels are slipping, the TCS adapts the engine speed to the conditions of
the road surface. The TCS makes it much easier to start off, accelerate and climb
steep hills even if the conditions of the road surface are unfavourable.
The TCS function is automatically activated each time the ignition is switched on.
During an intervention of the system, the warning light flashes in the instru-
ment cluster.
If there is a fault in the TCS, the warning light then lights up in the instrument cluster
» page 19 .
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 80.
If one of the wheels starts to spin, the EDL system brakes the spinning wheel and transfers the driving force to the other wheels. This ensures the stability of the
vehicle and a quick journey.
The EDL switches off automatically in order to avoid excessive heat generation
on the brake of the wheel being braked. The vehicle can continue to be driven
and has the same characteristics as a vehicle not fitted with EDL. The EDL
switches on again automatically as soon as the brake has cooled down.
Parking aid
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Function
82
Visual parking system
82WARNING■ The parking aid is not a substitute for the driver paying proper attention and
it is always the driver's responsibility to take care when reversing the vehicle
or carrying out similar manoeuvres. Pay particular attention to small children
and animals as they are not recognised by the parking aid sensors.■
Before reversing, you should make sure that there are no small obstacles,
such as rocks, thin posts, trailer drawbars etc. behind your vehicle. Such ob-
stacles may not be recognised by the parking aid sensors.
■
Under certain circumstances, surfaces of certain objects and types of cloth-
ing cannot reflect the system signals. Thus, these objects or people who wear
such clothing are not recognised by the System sensors.
■
External sound sources can have a detrimental effect on the system. Under
adverse conditions, this may cause objects or people to not be recognised by the system.
81Assist systems
If the City Safe Drive system is currently slowing the vehicle down automatically,
the warning light will flash quickly .
Automatic braking interventions can be terminated by pressing the clutch, accel- erator or by moving the steering wheel.
If the City Safe Drive system is not currently available, or if there is a system fault, the warning light will flash slowly .
The following conditions cause the City Safe Drive system to become not availa-
ble.
› Taking bends tightly.
› When fully pressing down the accelerator pedal.
› When the City Safe Drivesystem function is switched off/faulty.
› When the laser sensor is dirty, concealed or has overheated
» page 88.
› In the event of snow, heavy rain or fog.
› When vehicles are travelling side by side.
› When vehicles are crossing.
› When vehicles are approaching in the same lane.
› When the vehicles are very dirty and have a low level of reflection.
› With high levels of dust.WARNING■
The City Safe Drive system cannot exceed physical and system-defined lim-
its. The added convenience of the City Safe Drive system must never give you
a reason to takes risks with regard safety. The driver is always the one re-
sponsible for braking in time.■
The City Safe Drive system cannot prevent accidents and injuries by itself.
■
The City Safe Drive system can carry out unexpected braking interventions
in complex driving situations, e.g. when vehicles scrape past each other.
■
Taking the City Safe Drive system into account in one's own driving behav-
iour can lead to accidents and serious injuries. The City Safe Drive system is
not a substitute for the driver's attention.
■
Always adapt your speed and safety distance to the vehicle ahead to the
visibility, weather, road and traffic conditions.
■
The City Safe Drive system cannot detect persons, animals, or crossing vehi-
cles or approaching vehicles in the same lane.
■
The City Safe Drive system cannot exceed physical and system-defined lim-
its. For instance, responses from the City Save Drive system can happen late
or unexpectedly from the driver's perspective. Always stay attentive and take
control when required.
WARNING■ The laser beam from the laser sensor can cause serious eye injuries.■Never use optical devices, e.g. a range-finder camera or magnifying glass to
look into the laser sensor.■
The laser beam can also be active when the City Safe Drivesystem is switch-
ed off or is not available. The laser beam is not visible to the human eye.
CAUTION
If the vehicle starts to roll after the City Safe Drive system is triggered, use the
foot pedal to break.
Note
■ When replacing the windscreen wiper blades, only use windscreen wiper blades
approved by the manufacturer.■
Do not paint the laser sensor range on the windscreen. Do not cover it up with
stickers or similar.
■
Keep the laser sensor range free of dirt and ice at all times.
■
Remove any snow with a hand-held brush and we recommend you remove any
ice with a solvent-free deicing spray.
■
If the laser sensor range on the windscreen has scratches, cracks, etc, replace
the windscreen. Only use windscreens approved by the manufacturer. Carrying
out repairs to the windscreen are not permissible.
■
A damaged windscreen in the area of the laser sensor can lead to a failure of
the City Safe Drive system.
■
Repairing the laser sensor requires specialist expertise. We recommend the
ŠKODA service partners.
87Assist systems
What influences the driving safety?First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 90.
The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occupants. If your driving safety is effected, you place yourself and the oncoming traffic at risk.
The following guidelines must therefore be observed. › Do not become distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by
your passengers or mobile phone calls.
› Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, e.g. due to medication, alcohol
or drugs.
› Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
› Always adjust the driving speed to the road, traffic and weather conditions.
› Take regular breaks on long journeys – at least every two hours.
Correct seated position
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Correct seated position for the driver
92
Correct seated position for the front passenger
92
Correct seated position for the passengers in the rear seats
92
Examples of incorrect seated positions
92WARNINGGeneral information■The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted according
to height, so that the occupants can be protected as effectively as possible.■
If the occupant adopts an incorrect seated position, he is exposed to life-
threatening injuries, in case he is hit by a deployed airbag.
■
If the occupants on the rear seats are not sitting upright, the risk of injury is
increased due to incorrect routing of the seat belt.
■
The seat backrests must not be tilted too far back when driving, as this will
impair the function of the seat belts and of the airbag system – risk of injury!
WARNINGInformation for the driver■Always assume the correct seated position before setting off and do not
change this position while driving. Also advise your passengers to adopt the
correct seated position and not to change this position while the car is mov-
ing.■
Maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel. Not maintaining
this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to
properly protect you – hazard!
■
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, handsand head when the driver airbag is deployed.
■
Ensure that there are no objects in the driver's footwell, as these may get
caught in the pedal apparatus when driving or braking. You would then no
longer be able to operate the clutch, brake or acceleration pedals.
WARNINGInformation for the front seat passenger■Maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the dash panel. Not maintaining this
minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to proper-
ly protect you – hazard!■
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven – never
place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the surfaces
of the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes nec-
essary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is de-
ployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated posi-
tion!
91Passive Safety
Correct seated position for the driverFig. 85
Correct seated position for the
driver
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 91.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident,
we recommend the following setting.
› Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance
A
» Fig. 85 between the steer-
ing wheel and your chest is at least 25 cm.
› Adjust the driver’s seat in the forward/back direction so that the pedals can be
fully depressed with slightly bent legs.
› Adjust the seat backrest so that the highest point of the steering wheel can be
reached with your arms at a slight angle.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 96.
Driver seat adjustment » page 43, Adjusting the front seats .
Correct seated position for the front passenger
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 91.
For the safety of the front passenger and to reduce the risk of injury in the event
of an accident, we recommend the following setting.
› Position the front passenger seat back as far as possible. The front passenger
must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the dash panel so that the airbag
offers the greatest possible safety if it is deployed.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 96.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated » page 101,
Deactivating airbags .
Front passenger adjustment » page 43, Adjusting the front seats .
Correct seated position for the passengers in the rear seats
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 91.
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an ac-
cident, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following.
› Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the
same level as the upper part of your head.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 96.
› Use a suitable child restraint system if transporting children in the vehi-
cle » page 103 , Transporting children safely .
Examples of incorrect seated positions
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 91.
Maximum seat belt protection is only achieved if seat belts are fastened correctly.
Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce the protective functions of the
seat belts and therefore increase the risk of injury due to an incorrect routing of
the seat belt.
The driver is fully responsible for himself and passengers, especially children.
Never allow a passenger to adopt an incorrect seated position when the car is
moving.
The following list contains instructions which, if not observed, may cause serious injuries or death. This list is not complete, however we would like you to familiar-
ise yourself with this subject.
Observe the following instructions while driving. › Do not stand up.
› Do not stand on the seats.
› Do not kneel on the seats.
› Do not tilt the seat backrest too far back.
› Do not lean against the dash panel.
› Do not lie on the rear seats.
› Do not sit only on the front part of the seat.
› Do not sit facing to the side.
92Safety
WARNING (Continued)■The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked, otherwise the belt tongue
will not lock in place properly.■
Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jacket)
do not allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of the
seat belts.
■
It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e. g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons).
■
The seat belts for the rear seats can only fulfil their function reliably when
the seat backrests are correctly locked into position » page 45, Folding the
rear seats forward .
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for proper maintenance of the seat belts.■The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may im-
pair proper operation of the inertia reel » page 121, 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 connections, inertia reel or the lock is detected, the
relevant seat belt must be replaced by a 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 specialist
garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspected. The an-
chorage points for the belts should also be checked.
Note
The national legal requirements must be observed when using seat belts.
The physical principle of a frontal collisionFig. 87
Driver without a fastened seat belt/rear passenger without a fas-
tened seat belt
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 94.
As soon as the vehicle is moving, so-called kinetic energy (the energy of motion)
is produced both in terms of the car as well as in terms of the occupants.
The magnitude of this kinetic energy 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 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 idea that it is possible to support your body with your hands in a minor acci-dent 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 30-50 km/h, the forces that your body is ex-
posed to in the event of an accident can exceed a metric ton (1000 kg).
For example, a person's weight of 80 kg “increases” to 4.8 tons (4800 kg) at
50 km/h.
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. 87 –
. In certain circum-
stances you could even be thrown out of the vehicle, which could cause life threatening or even fatal injuries.
95Seat belts
Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
System description
98
Airbag deployment
98WARNING■ An airbag can only offer you optimal protection in combination with a fas-
tened seat belt .■
The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but instead forms part of the
complete passive vehicle safety concept.
■
To ensure passengers are protected with the greatest possible effect when
the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be correctly adjusted to match
the body size » page 91, Correct seated position .
■
If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased risk
of injury in the event of an accident.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for handling the airbag system.■If there is a fault, the airbag system must be checked by a specialist garage
immediately. Otherwise, there is a risk that the airbag will not be deployed in the event of an accident.■
No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
■
Any work on the airbag system including the installation and removal of sys-
tem components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering wheel)
must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or bodywork.
■
It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.
■
The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one acci-
dent. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been de-
ployed.
System description
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 98.
The functional status of the airbag system is indicated by the indicator light in
the instrument cluster » page 20.
When the airbags are deployed, they fill with gas and inflate.
A grey white or red, non-harmful gas is released when the airbag is inflated. This
is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the airbag system consists of the
following modules.
› Electronic control unit.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger
» page 99.
› Side airbags Head-thorax
» page 100;
› Airbag warning light in the instrument cluster
» page 20,
Airbag system .
› Key switch for the front passenger airbag
» page 102.
› Warning light for the front passenger airbag deactivation/activation in the mid-
dle of the dash panel » page 102.
Note
■
The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.■If you sell your vehicle, provide the complete vehicle documentation to the new
owner. Please note that the information relating to the possibility of deactivating
the front passenger airbag must be included!■
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to com-
ply with the national legal requirements.
Airbag deployment
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 98.
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able
to offer additional protection in the event of an accident.
The airbag system is only functional when the ignition is switched on.
In certain accident situations, several airbags may be deployed simultaneously.
98Safety
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions, rear-
end collisions, tilting of the vehicle and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to generally determine which deployment conditions apply to the airbag system in every situation. An important role is played by factors such as the type of object that the vehicle hits (hard/soft), the impact angle, vehicle
speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which oc- curs. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and activates the rele-
vant restraint system.
If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is measured during the collision re-
mains below the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the air- bags are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe damage to thebodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe frontal collision.
› Driver’s front airbag.
› Front passenger airbag.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe side collision.
› Head-Thorax side airbag on the crash side.
In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:
› the interior lighting comes on (if the switch for the interior light is in the door
contact position),
› the hazard warning light is switched on;
› all the doors are unlocked;
› the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.
Airbag overview
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Front airbags
99
Side airbags Head-Thorax
100
Front airbagsFig. 90
Driver's airbag in the steering wheel/front passenger airbag in the
dash panel
Fig. 91
Safe distance to steering wheel/inflated airbags
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 99.
In the event of a severe frontal collision, the front airbag system offers additional
protection for the head and chest area of the driver and front passenger.
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel » Fig. 90 –
.
The front airbag for the front seat passenger is located in the dash panel above
the stowage compartment » Fig. 90 –
.
When the airbags are deployed, they inflate in front of the driver and front pas- senger » Fig. 91 -
. The forward movement of the driver and of the front passen-
ger is cushioned when they make contact with the fully inflated airbag and the risk of injury to head and chest is thus reduced.
99Airbag system