2013 SKODA FABIA ignition

WARNING■It is prohibited to work with a naked flame and light.■Smoking or any activities which produce sparks are prohibited.■
Never use a damaged vehicle battery – there is a risk of explosion.
■
Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – there is a risk of explo-
sion and caustic burns.
■
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with an electrolyte level that is too low –
risk of explosion and caustic burns.
WARNING■ When you charge a battery, hydrogen is released, and a highly explosive gas
mixture is also produced. An explosion can be caused through sparkling over during unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is on.■
Bridging the poles on the battery (e.g. with a metal object, cable) creates a
short circuit - there is a risk of melting the lead terminals, explosion, the bat- tery burning, of acid being ejected.
■
Avoid creating sparks when working with cables and electrical devices.
Strong sparking represents a risk of injury.
■
Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch off the engine,
the ignition and all electrical consumers and disconnect the negative termi-
nal ( ) of the battery.
CAUTION
Improper handling of the battery can lead to damage occurring. We recommend
having all work on the vehicle battery be undertaken by a specialist garage.
CAUTION
■ The vehicle battery must only be disconnected if the ignition is switched off,
otherwise the vehicle's electrical system (electronic components) can be dam-
aged. When disconnecting the battery from the vehicle's electrical system, first
disconnect the negative terminal ( ), then the positive terminal ( ) of the battery.■
When connecting the battery to the vehicle's electrical system first connect the
positive terminal ( ), and only then the negative terminal ( ) of the battery. Un-
der no circumstances must the battery cables be connected incorrectly – risk of a
cable fire.
■
Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork – there
is a risk of damage to the paintwork.
■ Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the vehicle battery
housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.■
If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will
discharge. This is because certain electrical components consume electricity (e. g.
control units) also in idle state. Battery discharge can be prevented by discon- necting the negative terminal ( ) of the battery or by continuously charging the
battery charged with very low charging current.
■
If the vehicle is frequently used for making short trips, the vehicle battery will
not have time to charge up sufficiently and may discharge.
For the sake of the environment
A vehicle battery that has been removed is a special type of hazardous waste.
These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regulations.
Note
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
Open cover
Fig. 130
Vehicle battery: Open up the
cover
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 169.
The battery is located in the engine compartment below a plastic box.
›
Open the cover in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 130.
›
The installation of the battery cover on the positive terminal side takes place in
the reverse order.

170General Maintenance

Checking the electrolyte levelFig. 131
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 169.
We recommend you have the electrolyte level checked by a specialist garage from time to time, especially in the following cases.
› High outside temperatures.
› Long daily drives
› After each charge
» page 171.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, known as the
magic eye » Fig. 131, the electrolyte level can be determined by looking at the
change in colour.
Air bubbles can influence the colour of the indicator. For this reason carefully
knock on the indicator before carrying out the check.
› Black colour - electrolyte level is correct.
› Colourless or light yellow colour - electrolyte level too low, the battery must be
replaced.
Note
■ The battery electrolyte level is also periodically checked by a specialist garage
as part of the Inspection Service.■
For technical reasons, on vehicles with the description “AGM”, the electrolyte
level cannot be checked.
■
Vehicles with a START-STOP system are fitted with a battery control unit for
checking the energy level for the recurring engine start.

Operation in winter
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 169.
The vehicle battery only has some of its starting power at low temperatures. A
discharged vehicle battery may freeze at temperatures just below 0 °C .
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked and, if necessary, re-
charged by a specialist garage before the start of the winter.

Charging
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 169.
A properly charged vehicle battery is essential for reliably starting the engine.
›
Switch off the ignition and all of the electrical components.
›
Only when performing a “quick-charge”, disconnect both battery cables (first
“negative”, then “positive”).
›
Attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals (red = “posi-
tive”, black = “negative”).
›
Plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket and switch thecharger on.
›
Once charging is complete: Switch off the charger and remove the mains cable
from the power socket.
›
Only then disconnect the charger's terminal clamps.
›
Reconnect the cables to the battery (first “positive”, then “negative”).
It is not necessary to disconnect the battery cables if you are recharging the vehi-
cle battery using low amperages (for example from a mini-charger). Refer to the
charger manufacturer's instructions .
A charging current of 0.1 multiple of the total vehicle battery capacity (or lower)
must be used until full charging is achieved.
Both cables must be disconnected before charging the battery with high amper-
ages, known as “ rapid charging”.
The vent plugs of the vehicle battery should not be opened for charging. 
171Inspecting and replenishing

WARNING“Quick-charging” the vehicle battery is dangerous and requires a special
charger and specialist knowledge.
CAUTION
On vehicles with the START/STOP system, the pole terminal of the charger must
not be connected directly to the negative terminal of the vehicle battery, but only
to the engine earth » page 189, Jump-starting in vehicles with the START-STOP
system .
Note
We therefore recommend that vehicle batteries be rapid charged by a specialist
garage.
Disconnecting or reconnecting
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 169.
The following functions are initially deactivated or are no longer able to operate
faultlessly after the vehicle battery has been disconnected and reconnected.
OperationOperating measureElectrical power window (operational faults)» page 40Enter the radio/navigation system code num-
ber» User manual of the radio
or » user manual of the naviga-
tion systemSetting the clock» page 12Data in the multifunction display are deleted.» page 13
Note
We recommend having the vehicle checked by a specialist garage to ensure the
full functionality of all electrical systems.
Replacing
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 169.
When replacing a battery, the new vehicle battery must have the same capacity,
voltage, amperage and be the same size. Suitable vehicle batteries can be pur-
chased from a specialist dealer.
We recommend that the battery is replaced by a specialist garage, where the new
vehicle battery will be installed properly and the original battery will be disposed
of in accordance with national regulations.

Automatic load deactivation
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 169.
The vehicle voltage control unit automatically prevents the battery from discharg-
ing when the battery is subjected to heavy loads. This may be noticed from the following.
› The idling speed is raised to allow the generator to deliver more electricity to
the electrical system.
› Where appropriate large convenience consumers, e.g. seat heaters, rear win-
dow heaters, have their power limited or shut off completely if necessary.
CAUTION
■ Despite such intervention by the vehicle electric system management, the vehi-
cle battery may be drained. For example, when the ignition is switched on a long
time with the engine turned off or the side or parking lights are turned on during longer parking.■
Consumers which are supplied via a 12 V socket can cause the vehicle battery to
discharge when the ignition is switched off.
Note
Driving comfort is not disrupted by any shutting off of consumers. Often the driv-
er is not aware of it having taken place.
172General Maintenance

530 kg
545 kg
615 kg
630 kg
650 kg
Speed symbol
This indicates the maximum permissible speed for a vehicle fitted with tyres in
the category concerned.
170 km/h
180 km/h
190 km/h
200 km/h
210 km/h
240 km/h
270 km/h
CAUTION
The information about the load index and the speed symbol for your vehicle are
listed in your vehicle documents.
Unidirectional tyres
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 173.
The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the tyre.
The direction of rotation indicated must be complied with to obtain the best ben- efits from the characteristics of these tyres.
These characteristics are principally the following.
› Increased driving stability.
› Reduced risk of aquaplaning.
› Reduced tyre noise and reduced tyre wear.
8687919293RSTUHVWTyre pressure monitorFig. 134
Button for setting the tyre infla-
tion pressure control value
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 173.
System settings
A system configuration must be run as follows after adjusting the tyre pressure,
after changing one or more wheels, changing the position of a wheel on the vehi- cle (e.g. swapping the wheels between the axles) or when the warning light lights
up while driving.
›
Inflate all the tyres to the specified pressure » page 26, 
Tyre pressure .
›
Switch on the ignition.
›
Press the 
» Fig. 134 button for more than 2 seconds.
There is a fault in the system if the 
warning light comes on and does not go
out after the system configuration.
There is a system fault if the 
warning light flashes.
Tyre pressure indicator
The 
warning light comes on in any of the following cases.
› The tyre pressure is low.
› The structure of the tyre is damaged.
› The vehicle is loaded on one side.
› The wheels of one axle are loaded more heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or
when driving uphill or downhill).
› Snow chains are fitted.
› The spare wheel is fitted.
› One wheel per axle was changed.

176General Maintenance

WARNING (Continued)■The non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps must never touch each other
– there is a risk of short circuit.■
The jump-start cable connected to the positive terminal of the battery must
not come into contact with electrically conducting parts of the vehicle – there
is a risk of short circuit.
■
Do not clamp the jump-start cable to the negative terminal of the dis-
charged battery. There is the risk of detonating gas seeping out the battery
being ignited by the strong spark which results from the engine being started.
■
Route the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any rotating
parts in the engine compartment.
■
Do not bend over the battery – there is a risk of caustic burns.
■
The vent screws of the battery cells must be tightened firmly.
■
Keep any sources of ignition (naked flame, lit cigarettes, etc.) away from the
battery – there is a risk of explosion.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with an electrolyte level that is too low –
risk of explosion and caustic burns.
CAUTION
■ There must not be any contact between the two vehicles otherwise current
may flow as soon as the negative terminals are connected.■
The discharged battery must be properly connected to the system of the vehi-
cle.
■
We recommend you buy jump-start cables from a car battery specialist.

Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicle
Fig. 146
Jump-starting: A – flat battery, B
– battery providing current
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 187.
The battery of another vehicle can be used to jump-start your vehicle if the en- gine will not start because the battery is flat. Jump-start cables are required for
this purpose.
The jump-start cables must be attached in the following sequence.
›
Attach clamp
1
to the positive terminal of the discharged battery
A
» Fig. 146 .
›
Attach clamp
2
to the positive terminal of the battery supplying power
B
.
›
Attach clamp
3
to the negative terminal of the battery supplying power
B
.
›
Attach the clamp
4
to a solid metal component firmly connected to the engine
block or to the engine block itself.
Starting engine
›
Start the engine on the vehicle providing the power and allow it to idle.
›
Start the engine of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
›
If the engine does not start, halt the attempt to start the engine after 10 sec- onds and wait for 30 seconds before repeating the process.
›
Disconnect the cables in exactly the reverse order to the one described above.
Both batteries must have a rated voltage of 12 V. The capacity (Ah) of the battery
supplying the power must not be significantly less than the capacity of the dis-
charged battery in your vehicle.
Jump-start cables
Only use jump-start cables which have an adequately large cross-section and in-
sulated terminal clamps. Obey the instructions of the jump start cable manufac-
turer.
Positive cable - colour coding in the majority of cases is red.
Negative cable - colour coding in the majority of cases is black.

188Do-it-yourself

Jump-starting in vehicles with the START-STOP systemFig. 147
Engine compartment: Earth
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings on page 187.
The jump-start cable must only be connected to the engine earthing point on ve-
hicles with the START-STOP system » Fig. 147.

Towing the vehicle

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Front towing eye
190
Rear towing eye
190
Vehicles with a tow hitch
190
Vehicles with manual transmission may be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope
or with the front or rear wheels raised.
Vehicles with automatic transmission may be towed in with a tow bar or a tow
rope or with the front wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised at rear, the automatic
gearbox is damaged!
A tow bar is the safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimises any shocks.
Only use a tow rope if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The following guidelines must be observed when towing.
Driver of the tow vehicle›Release the clutch particularly gently when starting off or depress the accelera-
tor particularly gently if the vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.›
On vehicles with a manual transmission, only push down on the accelerator pedal once the rope is taught.
The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
Driver of the towed vehicle
›
Switch on the ignition so that the steering wheel is not locked and so that the turn signal lights, horn, windscreen wipers and windscreen washer system can
be used.
›
Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N if the ve-
hicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Please note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the en-
gine is running. If the engine is not running, significantly more physical force is re-
quired to depress the brake pedal and steer the vehicle.
If using a tow rope, ensure that it is always kept taught.
CAUTION
■ 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 187 , Jump-starting .■
If the gearbox no longer contains any oil because of a defect, your vehicle must
only be towed with the driven wheels raised clear of the ground or on a special
breakdown vehicle or trailer.
■
The vehicle must be transported on a special breakdown vehicle or trailer if it is
not possible to tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance is
greater than 50 km.
■
To protect both vehicles when tow-starting or towing, the tow rope should be
elastic. Thus one should only use plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a simi-
larly elastic material.
■
While towing, take care to avoid impermissibly high tensile forces or jerky loads.
There is always a risk of excessive stresses and damage resulting at the points to
which you attach the tow rope or tow bar when you attempt to tow a vehicle
which is not standing on a paved road.
■
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar to the towing eyes » page 190 , Front tow-
ing eye or » page 190 , Rear towing eye to the detachable ball head of the tow-
ing equipment » page 118 . 
189Emergency equipment, and self-help

Fuses and light bulbs
Fuses
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Fuses in the dash panel
193
Fuses in the engine compartment
194
Individual electrical circuits are protected by fuses.
› Before replacing a fuse, switch off the ignition and the appropriate consumer
› Find out which fuse belongs to the component that is not operat-
ing » page 193 , Fuses in the dash panel or » page 194 , Fuses in the engine
compartment .
› Take the plastic clip out of its fixture in the cover of the fuse box, place it on the
relevant fuse and pull it out.
› A blown fuses is recognisable by the molten metal strip. Replace the faulty fuse
with a new one of the same amperage.
Fuse colourMaximum amperagelight brown5dark brown7.5red10blue15yellow20white25green30WARNINGAlways read and observe the warnings before completing any work in the en-
gine compartment » page 160, Engine compartment .CAUTION■
“Never repair” fuses or replace them with a fuse of a higher amperage – there is
a risk of fire. This may also cause damage at another part of the electrical system.■
Have the electrical system checked as quickly as possible by a specialist garage
if a newly inserted fuse blows again after a short time.
Note
■ We recommend that you always carry replacement fuses in the vehicle. A box of
replacement fuses can be purchased from ŠKODA Original Accessories.■
One fuse may cover several consumers.
■
There can be several consumer devices for one fuse, depending on the vehicle's
equipment.
■
A single consumer may use several fuses.
■
Multiple power consuming devices can share a single fuse.

192Do-it-yourself

Fuses in the dash panelFig. 150
Underside of the dash panel:
Distribution board cover.
Fig. 151
Schematic representation of the fuse box for vehicles with left-
hand steering/right-hand steering
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 192.
The fuses are located on the left side of the dash panel behind a cover.
› Carefully remove the cover in the direction of the arrow
» Fig. 150.
› After the fuse has been replaced, replace the cover in the dash panel in the op-
posite direction of the arrow so that the guide lugs are guided into the open- ings of the dash panel. Close the cover until it clicks into place.
Fuse assignment in the dash panel
No.Power consumer1S-contact2START-STOP, air-conditioning system3Instrument cluster, headlamp beam adjustmentNo.Power consumer4Control unit for ABS, button for START STOP5Petrol engine: Speed regulating system6Reversing light (manual gearbox)7Ignition, engine control unit, automatic gearbox8Brake pedal switch, clutch pedal switch9Operating controls for the heating, control unit for air conditioning sys-
tem, parking aid, control unit for cornering lights, radiator fan, washing nozzles10Windscreen Wiper and Washer System11Mirror adjustment12Control unit for trailer detection13Automatic gearbox control unit14Motor for halogen projector headlights with cornering light function15PDA navigation system16Electrohydraulic power steering17Light switch power supply18Mirror heater19S-contact20Alarm21Reversing light, fog lights with the function CORNER22Operating controls for the heating, control unit for air conditioning sys-
tem, parking aid, mobile phone, instrument cluster, steering angle
sender, ESC, vehicle voltage control unit, multifunction steering wheel23Interior lighting, storage compartment and luggage compartment, side
lights24Central control unit25Seat heaters26Rear window wiper27Telephone preinstallation28Petrol engine: AKF valve, Diesel engine: Control flap29Injection, coolant pump30Fuel pump, ignition, Cruise control system, operation of PTC relay31Lambda probe 193Fuses and light bulbs