2013 SKODA CITIGO steering

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

WARNINGCorrect seated position■For the driver and front passenger, it is important to maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm to the steering wheel or dashboard A
» Fig. 91 . Not maintain-
ing this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to
properly protect you – hazard! The front seats must always also be correctly
adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
■
The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to in-
juries if the sitting position or seated position is not correct.
■
There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned be-
tween the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag.
WARNINGFront airbag and transporting children■Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a prop-
er restraint system. If airbags are deployed in the event of an accident, the
child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!■
The front passenger airbag must be deactivated if using a rear-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat » page 102, Deactivating the front passen-
ger airbag . If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or
even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. When transport-
ing a child on the front passenger seat, pay attention to any relevant national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
WARNINGGeneral■The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash panel
on the passenger side must not have stickers attached, be covered or modi-
fied in any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a cloth that is
dry or has been moistened with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile
phone mounts, etc. must be attached to the covers of the airbag modules or
be located within their immediate vicinity.■
Never place objects on the surface of the front passenger airbag module in
the dash panel.

Side airbags Head-ThoraxFig. 92
Place of installation of the side airbag/deployment area of the side
airbag
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 99.
In the event of severe side collisions, the side airbag system Head-Thorax pro-
vides additional protection for the upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of pas-
sengers in the vehicle.
The side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the seat backrests of the front seats » Fig. 92 – 
.
When the side airbags » Fig. 92 - 
are triggered, the belt tensioner is also de-
ployed automatically on the relevant side.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully inflated air-
bag and the risk of injury to the head and upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis)
is reduced on the side facing the door.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for the correct seated position.■Your head should never be positioned in the deployment area of the side
airbag. You might suffer severe injuries in the event of an accident. This ap- plies in particular to children who are transported without using a suitable
child safety seat » page 104, Child safety and side airbag .100Safety

WARNING (Continued)■There must not be any further persons, animals as well as objects posi-
tioned between the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No ac-
cessories, such as cup holders, should be attached to the doors.■
If children adopt an incorrect seated position when travelling, they may be
exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This can re-
sult in serious injuries » page 103, Child seat .
WARNINGThe airbag control unit operates using pressure sensors located in the front
doors. For this reason, no adjustments may be carried out to the doors or door
panels (e.g. installation of additional loudspeakers). Resulting damage can have a negative impact on the function of the airbag system. Any work on thefront doors and door panels must be carried out by a specialist garage. The
following instructions must be observed.■
Never drive with inner door panels removed.
■
Never drive if parts of the inner door panel have been removed and the re-
sulting openings have not been properly sealed.
■
Never drive if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, unless the
loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed.
■
Always make sure that the openings are covered or filled if additional loud-
speakers or other equipment parts have been installed in the inner door pan-
els.
■
Always have work carried out by a ŠKODA service partner or a professional
specialist garage.
WARNING■ Only hang light items of clothing on the hooks fitted in the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of cloth-
ing.■
Ensure that there are no excessive forces, such as violent knocks, kicks etc.,
impact on the backrests of the seats otherwise the system may be damaged.
The side airbags would not be deployed in such a case!
WARNING (Continued)■ Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passenger
seats must only be of the type expressly authorized by ŠKODA. In view of the
fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use of non-ap-
proved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the protective
function of the side airbag.■
Any damage to the original seat covers in the area of the side airbag module
must be repaired immediately by a specialist garage.
■
The airbag modules in the front seats must not display any damage, cracks
or deep scratches. It is not permissible to use force in order to open the mod-
ules.

Deactivating airbags
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Deactivating airbags
101
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
102
Deactivating airbags
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 101.
Deactivating an airbag should be considered in cases such as the ones below.› If using a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat (due to different le-
gal regulations, the airbag must be deactivated if using a forwards-facing child
seat in some countries) » page 103, Transporting children safely .
› If it is not possible to maintain a distance of at least 25 cm between the middle
of the steering wheel and chest, despite the driver's seat being correctly adjus-
ted.
› If special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of
a physical disability.
› If different seats have been fitted (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated
switch » page 102 . 
101Airbag system

We recommend that you use ŠKODA Genuine Accessories in your vehicle. ŠKODA
AUTO a.s. has selected such accessories to ensure that they are reliable, safe and suitable for your particular vehicle. Although we constantly monitor the market,
we are not able to assess or warrant the parts even though in some instances
such parts may have a type approval or may have been approved by a nationally
recognised testing laboratory.
All accessory products go through a fastidious process in the area of technical de-
velopment (technical tests) and quality inspection (customer tests), and only if all tests are positive does the product become a ŠKODA Genuine Accessory.
Our ŠKODA Genuine Accessories service also provides expert advice, and profes-sional fitting at the customer's discretion.
ŠKODA service partners are liable for any ŠKODA Genuine Part defects for a peri- od of 2 years after installation or delivery in accordance with the materials defect
liability, provided that nothing else was agreed in the purchase contract or in any
other agreements. You should keep the approved warranty certificate and the bill for these components for this period of time, so that commencement of the term
may be verified.
In addition, ŠKODA Service Partners also stock a range of suitable car care prod-
ucts as well as those parts which are subject to natural wear-and-tear, such as
tyres, batteries, bulbs and wiper blades.
Note
The accessories authorized by the company ŠKODA AUTO a.s. will be offered by
the ŠKODA partners in all countries where the company ŠKODA AUTO a.s. has a
sales and service network. This will usually be in the form of a printed catalogue
of Original ŠKODA Accessories, in the form of separate printed brochures or in the form of offers for ŠKODA Genuine Accessories on the ŠKODA partner web pages.
Spoiler
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 110.
If your new vehicle is fitted with a spoiler on the front bumper in combination
with the spoiler on the luggage compartment lid, the following instructions must
be adhered to.
› For safety reasons, the vehicle must only be fitted with a spoiler on the front
bumper in combination with the associated spoiler on the luggage compart-
ment lid.
› This kind of spoiler cannot be left on the front bumper either on its own, in
combination with another spoiler not on the luggage compartment lid or in combination with an unsuitable spoiler on the luggage compartment lid.
› We recommend that you consult the ŠKODA service partner for any repairs to or
replacement, addition or removal of spoilers.
WARNINGIf work on your vehicle's spoilers is not carried out properly, this can lead to
operational faults - risk of accident and serious injuries.

Airbags
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 110.
The system components of the airbag system can be situated in the front bump-
er, doors, front seats, roof lining or body.
WARNINGAny 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.■
Modifications, repairs and technical alterations that have been carried out
unprofessionally can cause damage and operational faults, and can also seri-
ously impair the effectiveness of the airbag system – risk of accident and fatal
injury!
■
The airbag system will then have to be replaced if the airbag is deployed.
Airbag modules cannot be repaired. 
112General Maintenance

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