2013 SKODA FABIA airbag off

Deactivating airbagsFirst read and observe the introductory information given on page 137.
Deactivating an airbag should be considered only in the following cases, for
example.
› When using a child seat on the front passenger seat, in which the child has its
back to the vehicle's direction of travel (in some countries this must be in the direction of travel due to different legal regulations applying) » page 140,
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 other seats have been installed (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated
switch » page 138 .
We recommend that you ask a ŠKODA Service Partner to switch off any other air-
bags.
Monitoring the airbag system
The functionality of the airbag system is monitored electronically even if one of
the airbags is switched off.
Airbag was switched off using diagnostic equipment
› The

warning light lights up for approximately 3 seconds after the ignition is
switched on and then flashes again for approximately 12 seconds.
Front passenger airbag switched off with the key switch in the storage com- partment
› The

warning light comes on for about 3 seconds after the ignition has been
switched on.
› The



3
» Fig. 116 on page 138 warning light comes on when the ignition is
switched on.
Note■ The national regulations for switching off airbags must be observed.■A ŠKODA Service Partner will be able to inform you which airbags in your vehicle
can/must be deactivated.

Switching off the front passenger airbag
Fig. 116
Key-operated switch for the front passenger airbag/warning light
for front seat passenger airbag deactivation
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 137.
Only the front passenger airbag is deactivated with the key switch.
Switching off
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch to position
2
» Fig. 116 OFF .
›
Check whether the
3

 1)
warning light in the 




message
in the centre of the dash panel lights up after the ignition has been switched
on.
Switching on
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch to position
1
» Fig. 116 ON .
›
Check whether the
3


warning light in the 




message in
the centre of the dash panel does not light up after the ignition is switched on. 

1)
The
  airbag warning light comes on for a few seconds after the ignition is switched on, goes out
for about 1 second and then comes on again.
138Safety

WARNING■The driver is responsible for whether the airbag is switched on or switched
off.■
Only switch off the airbag when the ignition is switched off! Otherwise a
fault can occur in the system for deactivating the airbag.
■
If the   warning light flashes, the front passenger airbag will not be de-
ployed in the event of an accident. Have the airbag system checked by a spe-
cialist garage immediately.

139Airbag system

Transporting children safely
Child seat
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
141
Child safety and side airbag
142
Classification of child seats
142
Use of child seats fastened with a seat belt
142
Children are generally safer on the rear seats than on the front passenger seat.
In contrast to adults, the muscles and bone structure of children are not yet fully developed. Thus children are exposed to increased risk of injury.
Children should be transported in accordance with the relevant statutory provi-sions.
Child seats that comply with the ECE-R 44 standard must be used. The ECE-R
standard stands for: Economic Commission for Europe - Regulation.
Child seats that comply with the ECE-R 44 standard have a test seal that cannot
be removed: a large E within a circle with the test number below.
WARNING■ The national legal requirements must be observed when using child seats.■One should never carry children, and also not babies! - on one's lap.■
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. Certain outside climatic con-
ditions can cause life-threatening temperatures in the vehicle.
■
The child must be secured in the vehicle throughout the journey. Otherwise,
in the event of an accident, the child would be thrown through the vehicle and
as a result may suffer fatal injuries, and also injure other occupants.
WARNING (Continued)■ Children are exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent if they lean forward or adopt an incorrect seated position when the vehi-
cle is moving. This particularly applies to children who are transported on the
front passenger seat as they can suffer severe, or even fatal injuries if the air-
bag system is deployed!■
Pay particular attention to the information provided by the manufacturer of
the child safety seat regarding the correct routing of the belt. Seat belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in minor
accidents.
■
Safety belts must be checked to ensure that they are running properly. One
should also ensure that the belt is not damaged by sharp-edged fittings.
■
It is essential to switch off the front passenger airbag if using a child seat on
the front passenger seat in which the child is carried with its back facing the
direction of travel. Further information » page 141, Use of a child seat on the
front passenger seat .
Note
We recommend that you use child seats from ŠKODA Original Accessories. These
child seats were developed and also tested for use in ŠKODA vehicles. They meet
the ECE-R 44 standard.
140Safety

Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
Never use a rearward-facing child restraint system on a seat which is protected by an active airbag installed in front of it. This could cause serious injury to the child, even death.Fig. 117
Sticker on the B column on the
front passenger side.
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 140.
For safety reasons, we recommend that you install child seats on the rear seats
whenever possible.
The following advice must be heeded when using a child seat in which the child is
carried on the front passenger seat.
› It is essential to switch off the front passenger airbag if using a child seat in
which the child is carried with its back facing the direction of travel »
.
› Adjust the front passenger seat back as vertically as possible so that there is
firm contact passenger seat back and the child seat back.
› Where possible, move the front passenger seat back so that there is no contact
between the front seat and the child seat behind.
› In the case of Group 2 or 3 child seats, make sure that the deflector pulley
mounted on the child seat headrest is in front of or level with the pulley on the
B-pillar on the passenger side.
› Set the height-adjustable front passenger seat as high up as possible.
› Set the front passenger seat belt as high up as possible.
› Place and fasten the child seat on the seat and the child in the child seat ac-
cording to the specifications in the manufacturer's user manual of the child
seat .
WARNING■ It is essential to switch off the front passenger airbag if you are using a child
seat on the front passenger seat in which the child is carried with its back fac-
ing the direction of travel » page 137, Deactivating airbags .■
Never use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat in which the child
is seated with its back facing the direction of travel if the airbag is switched
on. This child safety seat is positioned in the deployment area of the front
passenger airbag. The airbag may cause the child severe, or even fatal injuries,
in the event of it being deployed.
■
This is also clearly stated on the sticker which is located on the B pillar on
the passenger side » Fig. 117. The sticker is visible when opening the front
passenger door. For some countries, the sticker is also affixed to the sun visor
of the front passenger.
■
In the case of Group 2 or 3 child seats, make sure that the deflector pulley
mounted on the child seat headrest is in front of or level with the pulley on
the B-pillar on the passenger side.
■
The front passenger airbag should be switched on again once the child seat,
in which the child is transported with the back to the direction of travel, is no
longer in use on the passenger seat.

141Transporting children safely

ŠKODA Service Partners are equipped with modern, specially developed tools and
equipment. Here, trained specialists have a comprehensive range of ŠKODA Origi-
nal Parts and ŠKODA Original Accessories at their disposal.
All ŠKODA Service Partners operate in accordance with the latest guidelines and instructions from the manufacturer. All service work is therefore carried out ontime and in accordance with quality standards. Adhering to these instructions and
guidelines helps ensure road safety and helps keep your vehicle in a good techni-
cal condition.
In addition, the ŠKODA service partners offer an array of other services. ŠKODA Service Partners are therefore properly prepared to service your vehicleand to provide quality work. We therefore recommend that you have your vehicle
maintained by a ŠKODA Service Partner.
Services, modifications and technical alterations
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Legally required inspections
148
ŠKODA Service Partners
148
ŠKODA Original Parts
148
ŠKODA Original Accessories
148
Spoiler
149
Airbags
149
The instructions and guidelines issued by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. must be observed
when making any modifications, repairs or technical changes to your vehicle.
Compliance with these guidelines and instructions is in the interest of the road-
worthiness and technical condition of your vehicle. The vehicle will comply with
road traffic regulations following the modifications, repairs and technical
changes.
You should always consult a ŠKODA Partner » page 148 before buying accesso-
ries, parts or before making any modifications, repairs or technical changes to
your vehicle.
WARNING■ Work not properly performed on your vehicle can lead to faults - there is a
risk of an accident resulting in serious injury.■
We recommend only having these modifications and technical changes per-
formed by a specialist garage.
■
Interference on the electronic components and their software can lead to
operational faults. This interference can also impair not directly affected sys-
tems because of the networking of the electronic components. The operation-
al safety of the vehicle may be at significant risk and parts may suffer in-
creased wear.
■
The ŠKODA Partner cannot assume any liability for products which have not
been approved by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. even though these may be products with
a type approval or have been approved by a nationally recognised testing lab-
oratory.
WARNING■ We advise you only to use ŠKODA Original Accessories and ŠKODA Original
Parts which have been expressly approved for use on your vehicle. Reliability,
safety and suitability for your vehicle are guaranteed with these.■
ŠKODA Original Accessories and ŠKODA Original Parts can be purchased
from a ŠKODA Partner who will also fit the purchased parts correctly.
For the sake of the environment
Technical documents regarding changes carried out on the vehicle must be kept
by the vehicle user, in order to be handed over to the recyclers later. This ensures
that vehicle recycling is in accordance with environmental regulations.
Note
Any damage caused by technical modifications made without the approval of the
manufacturer is excluded from the warranty.
147Car care

We recommend that you use ŠKODA Genuine Accessories in your vehicle. ŠKODA
AUTO a.s. offers a warranty on the reliability, safety and suitability for your partic-
ular vehicle of these accessories. Although we constantly monitor the market, we
are not able to assess or offer a warranty on other products even though in some
instances such products may have a type approval or may have been approved by
a nationally recognised approval authority.
All accessory products go through a fastidious process of technical development(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 if requested by the customer.
ŠKODA Service Partners are liable for any defects in ŠKODA Genuine Parts for a period of 2 years after installation or delivery in accordance with materials defectliability legislation, unless otherwise agreed in the purchase contract or in any
other agreements. You should keep the confirmed warranty certificate and the
receipt for these accessories for this period, so that the commencement of the
warranty 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 ŠKODA AUTO a.s. will be offered by the ŠKODA
Partners in all countries where ŠKODA AUTO a.s. has a sales and service network.
This will usually be in the form of a printed catalogue of Original ŠKODA Accesso-
ries, in the form of separate printed brochures or in the form of offers for ŠKODA
Genuine Accessories on the ŠKODA Partner's website.
Spoiler
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 147.
The following instructions shall be observed if your new vehicle is equipped with
a spoiler fitted to the front bumper in combination with the spoiler on the tail-
gate.
› For safety reasons the vehicle must only ever be equipped with a spoiler on the
front bumper in combination with the associated spoiler on the tailgate.
› A spoiler cannot be fitted alone on the front bumper nor in combination without
a spoiler on the tailgate or in combination with an inappropriate spoiler on the
tailgate.
› We recommend that you consult a ŠKODA Service Partner for any repairs, re-
placement, fitting or removal of spoilers.
WARNINGWork not properly performed on the spoilers on your vehicle can result in faults - there is a risk of an accident and serious injury.

Airbags
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 147.
The system components for the airbag system may be found in the front bumper,
doors, front seats, the roof lining or in the bodywork.
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.■
Adjustments, repairs and modifications which have been carried out unpro-
fessionally can cause damage, operational faults, and can also seriously impair
the effectiveness of airbag system – there is the risk of an accident and fatal
injury.
■
The airbag system must be replaced if an airbag has been deployed. Airbag
modules cannot be repaired. 
149Car care

WARNINGObserve the following instructions for the airbag system.■It is prohibited to tamper with 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 fit damaged airbag parts to a vehicle. The airbags may then not be
triggered properly or not 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 in the suspension of the vehicle including the use of non-approved
wheels and tyre combinations can alter the functioning of the airbag system -
there is a risk of accident and fatal injury.■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or bodywork.

Washing the car
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Washing by hand
150
Automatic car wash systems
151
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
151
The best protection for your vehicle against harmful environmental influences is
frequent washing.
How often the vehicle should be washed depends, for example, on the following
factors.
› Frequency of use.
› Parking situation (garage, under trees, etc.).
› Season of the year.
› 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.WARNING■ Washing your vehicle in the winter: water and ice in the brake system can
affect the braking efficiency – there is the risk of an accident.■
Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is switched off – there is the risk of
an accident.
CAUTION
Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight – there is a 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 150.
Soften the dirt with plenty of water and rinse as much as you can of this off.
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. 
150General Maintenance

Index
A
Abroad Driving abroad
109
Unleaded petrol109
ABS112
warning light24
Accessories147
Adjusting Exterior mirrors
53
Head restraints57
Steering wheel95
Adjusting the seats125
Adjustment Headlight beam
44
Seats55
Adjustments and technical changes Spoiler
149
Adjustments and technical modifications Airbags
149
Aerial151
See windows153
Airbag133
Adjustments and impairment of the airbag sys- tem
149
Deactivating138
Deployment133
Front airbag135
Head airbag137
Side airbag136
Switching off the front passenger airbag138
Airbag system133
Air conditioning Operation
81
Air conditioning system Air outlets
77
Climatronic83
Manual air conditioning system80
Air outlets77
Alarm35
Anti-theft alarm system35
Operation36
Trailer123
Antilock Braking System112
Armrest75
Ashtray69
ASR112
warning light23
Assist systems ABS
24, 112
ASR23, 112
Cruise control system114
EDS and XDS112
ESC23, 111
Parking aid113
START-STOP116
Auto Check Control19
Automatic gearbox Selector lever-emergency unlocking
103
Starting-off and driving102
Tiptronic102
Automatic load deactivation172
Automatic transmission100
Kickdown102
Malfunction103
Selector lever lock101
Using the selector lever101
AUX94
Avoiding damage to the vehicle Driving through water
109
Avoiding damage to your vehicle108
B
Ball head Check fitting
120
Fitting119
Ready position119
Removing120
Belts128
Belt tensioners131
Bicycle carrier65
Bonnet Closing
162
Opening162
Boot Cover
61
Emergency unlocking38
Fastening elements59
Fixing nets60
Folding hooks60
see Boot lid37
Unlocking the boot lid38
Boot lid37
Automatic locking37
Brake assist111
Brake booster99
Brake fluid168
Changing169
Checking168
Display messages20
Brakes Brake booster
99
Brake fluid168
Handbrake99
Indicator light20
Running in104
Braking Information for braking
98
Breakdown kit186
Bulbs Changing
195
In the rear light199
Button in the driver's door Electrical power windows
38
C
Car care
145
Washing150
210Index