2013 SKODA CITIGO Automatic

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

›The engine has not reached the minimum temperature for the START STOP
mode.
› The temperature inside the vehicle has not reached the desired temperature
set in the air-conditioning system/heating.
› The external temperature is very low/high.
› The windscreen defroster / ventilation is switched on at the maximum air tem-
perature (air conditioning) setting.
› The parking aid is activated.
› The charge state of the vehicle battery is too low.
› The stationary vehicle is on a steep slope or a steep downhill section.
› The idling speed is too high.
› The steering angle is too large (manoeuvring).
The warning symbol 
appears in the instrument cluster display.
The automatic start procedure takes place again
During the STOP phase, the engine fires up without any active driver intervention, e.g. in the following situations.
› The vehicle begins to roll, e.g. on a slope.
› The difference between the temperature setting of the air-conditioning sys-
tem/heating and the temperature of the interior is too large.
› The windscreen defroster / ventilation is switched on at the maximum air tem-
perature (air conditioning) setting.
› The brake pedal was pressed several times (the pressure in the braking system
is too low).
› The charge state of the vehicle battery is too low.
› The current consumption is too high.

Manually activating/deactivating the system
Fig. 80
Button for the START-STOP sys-
tem
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 85.
Activation/deactivation
›
Press the symbol button  » Fig. 80 .
When start-stop mode is deactivated, the warning light in the button lights up.
Note
If the system is deactivated during the STOP phase, the automatic start proce-
dure takes place.
City Safe Drive
 Introduction
Fig. 81
Laser sensor/detection range
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Activation/deactivation
88
Laser sensor
88
Special driving situations
89
The City Safe Drivesystem uses the laser sensor » Fig. 81 – 
to take readings
about the traffic situation in front of the vehicle at a range of around 10 metres (11
yards) » Fig. 81 – 
in a vehicle speed range of 5 - -30 km/h (3 - -19 mph).
If the driver does not respond to an imminent collision, the City Safe Drive system
can automatically apply the brakes to the vehicle to prevent a possible collision. 

86Driving

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

Activation/deactivationFig. 82
Lower part of the centre con-
sole: Button for the City Safe
Drive system
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 86.
Activating
The City Safe Drivesystem is automatically switched on after turning on the igni- tion.
Disable and re-enable
The City Safe Drivesystem is switched off by pressing the button » Fig. 82 in the
front centre console.
When the City Safe Drivesystem is switched off while the vehicle is travelling at a
speed between 5–30 km/h (3-19 mph), the warning light 

will light up in the
instrument cluster display.
You can switch on the City Safe Drivesystem again with the button » Fig. 82 . The
warning light 

 lights up for around 5 seconds in the instrument cluster dis-
play.
The City Safe Drivesystem must be switched off in the following cases.
› When the vehicle is being towed away.
› When the vehicle is driven though an automatic car wash.
› When the vehicle is on a rolling test bench.
› When the laser sensor is faulty.
› After force is applied to the laser sensor.
› When driving off-road (overhanging branches).
› When objects are extending into the area above the bonnet, e.g. when a rood
load sticks out far ahead.
› When the windscreen is damaged in the region of the laser sensor.

Laser sensor
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 86.
Possible impairment of the laser sensor
If the functioning of the laser sensor is impaired by e.g. heavy rain, snow or slush,
the City Safe Drivesystem will temporarily shut down. The warning light  flashes
slowly in the instrument cluster display.
If the laser sensor is no longer impaired, the City Safe Drive system will automati-
cally switch back to ready. The warning light  goes out.

88Driving

Inertia reelsFirst read and observe the introductory information given on page 96.
Each seat belt is equipped with an inertia reel.
When pulling slowly on the seat belt, the belt can move freely. When pulling
sharply on the seat belt, the movement is locked by the inertia reel.
The belts also lock when full braking, when the car accelerates, when driving downhill and when cornering.
WARNINGIf the seat belt does not lock when pulling sharply on it, have it inspected im-
mediately by a specialist garage.

Belt tensioners
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 96.
Safety for the driver and front passenger wearing their seat belts is enhanced by
the belt tensioners fitted to the inertia reels of the front three-point seat belts.
The three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a frontal
collision of a certain severity. The belt tensioners can also be deployed if the seat
belts are not fastened.
The fastened three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a frontal or side collision of a certain severity.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the event of minor frontal collisions, side andrear-end collisions, in the case of a rollover and also not in accidents in which no
major forces are produced from the front.
WARNING■ Any work on the belt tensioner system including removal and installation of
system components because of other repair work, must only be carried out by
a specialist garage.■
The protective function of the system is only adequate for a single accident.
If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then necessary to replace the
entire system.
Note
■ Smoke is generated when the belt tensioners are deployed. This is not an indi-
cation of a fire in the vehicle.■
When disposing of the vehicle or parts of the belt tensioner system, it is impor-
tant to comply with national legal requirements. ŠKODA service partners are fa-
miliar with these regulations and will be able to provide you with detailed infor-
mation.

97Seat belts

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

WARNINGObserve the following instructions for handling the airbag system.■It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system, as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.■
Never install any airbag parts into the vehicle that have been removed from
old cars or have been recycled.
■
Never install damaged airbag parts in the vehicle. The airbags may then not
be deployed properly or even at all in the event of an accident.
■
No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
WARNING■ A change to the vehicle's wheel suspension, including the use of non-ap-
proved wheels and tire combinations, can alter the functioning of the airbag system - risk of accident and fatal injury!■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or the bodywork.
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.

Trailer operation
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 110.
The vehicle is not approved for towing a trailer. The vehicle is not factory-equip-
ped with a towing device and it cannot be retrofitted with a towing device.
WARNINGNever attach a towing device to the vehicle.

Washing your car
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Washing by hand
114
Automatic car wash systems
114
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
114
The best way to protect your vehicle against harmful environmental influences is frequent washing.
How often the vehicle should be washed depends on factors such as: › Frequency of use.
› Parking situation (garage, under trees etc.).
› Season.
› Weather conditions.
› Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust, tar,
soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to the paintwork of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect can be.
High temperatures, such as those caused by intensive sun's rays, accentuate this
caustic effect.
It is essential to also thoroughly clean the underside of the vehicle at the end of
the winter. 
113Vehicle care

WARNING■When washing your vehicle in the winter: Water and ice in the braking sys-
tem can affect the braking efficiency – risk of accident!■
Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is switched off – risk of accident!
CAUTION
Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight – risk of paint damage.
For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle at washing bays intended for this purpose.
Washing by hand
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 113.
Soak the dirt with plenty of water and rinse as well as possible.
Clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, a washing glove or a washing brush . Work
from the top to the bottom – starting with the roof.
Only use a car shampoo for stubborn dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.
Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for such
areas.
Give the vehicle a good rinse after washing it and dry it off using a chamois leath- er.
CAUTION
■ When washing the car by hand, protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged
metal parts (e.g. when cleaning the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings
or the wheel trims, etc.) - There is a risk of cuts!■
Only apply slight pressure when cleaning the vehicle's paintwork.

Automatic car wash systems
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 113.
The usual precautionary measures must be taken before washing the vehicle in
an automatic car wash system (e.g. closing the windows and the sliding/tilting
roof etc.).
If your vehicle is fitted with any particular attached parts, such as a spoiler, roof
rack system, two-way radio aerial etc., it is best to consult the operator of the car
wash system beforehand.
After an automatic wash with wax treatment, the lips of the wipers should be cleaned with cleaning agents specially designed for the purpose, and then de-
greased.
WARNINGFold in the exterior mirrors to prevent damage before washing the vehicle in
an automatic car wash system.

Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 113.
When washing the vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, the instructions for use
of the equipment must be observed. This applies in particular to the pressure
used and to the spraying distance .
Maintain a sufficiently large distance to the parking aid sensors and soft materials
such as rubber hoses or insulation material.
WARNINGNever use circular spray nozzles or dirt cutters! 114General Maintenance