2013 SKODA FABIA towing

Table of Contents
Materials defect liability and ŠKODA warranty for
new cars5
Mobility warranty and ŠKODA extended
warranty
6
Abbreviations
Using the system
Cockpit
9
Overview
8
Instruments and Indicator Lights
10
Instrument cluster
10
Multifunction display (MFD)
13
Service Interval Display
16
MAXI DOT display
18
Warning lights
20
Unlocking and locking
28
Unlocking and locking
28
Central locking system
31
Remote control
34
Anti-theft alarm system
35
Tailgate
37
Electrical power windows
38
Electric sliding/tilting roof
40
Lights and visibility
43
Lights
43
Interior lights
48
Visibility
49
Windscreen wipers and washers
50
Rear window
53Seats and storage54Front seats54
Rear seats
56
Head restraints
57
Boot
58
Variable loading floor in the luggage
compartment (Fabia Estate)
62
Net partition (Fabia Estate)
64
Bicycle carrier in the luggage compartment
65
Roof rack system
67
Useful equipment
69
Storage compartments
72
Heating and air conditioning
77
Heating, ventilation, cooling
77
Heating
78
Air conditioning system (manual air conditioning
system)
80
Climatronic (automatic air conditioningsystem)
83
Communication and multimedia
86
Universal telephone preinstallation GSM II
86
Voice control
91
Multimedia
92
Driving
Starting-off and Driving
95
Steering
95
Starting and stopping the engine
96
Brakes
98
Manual gear shifting and pedals
99
Automatic transmission
100
Running in
103
Economical driving and respect the
environment
104
Avoiding damage to your vehicle
108
Driving abroad
109Assist systems111Brake assist systems111
Parking aid
113
Cruise control system
114
START-STOP
116
Towing a trailer
118
Towing device
118
Trailer
121
Safety
Passive Safety
124
General information
124
Correct seated position
125
Seat belts
128
Wearing seat belts
128
Inertia reel and belt pretensioners
131
Airbag system
133
Description of the airbag system
133
Airbag overview
134
Deactivating airbags
137
Transporting children safely
140
Child seat
140
Fastening systems
143
General Maintenance
Car care
145
Service intervals
145
Services, modifications and technical
alterations
147
Washing the car
150
Vehicle exterior care
151
Care of the interior
1553Table of Contents

Inspecting and replenishing158Fuel158
Engine compartment
160
Engine oil
164
Coolant
166
Brake fluid
168
Vehicle battery
169
Wheels
173
Tyres and rims
173
Winter use
179
Do-it-yourself
Emergency equipment, and self-help
180
Emergency equipment
180
Changing a wheel
181
Tyre repair
185
Jump-starting
187
Towing the vehicle
189
Fuses and light bulbs
192
Fuses
192
Bulbs
195
Technical data
Technical data
201
Vehicle data
201
Index
4Table of Contents

Mobility warranty and ŠKODA extendedwarranty
Mobility warranty
The mobility warranty provides a sense of security when travelling in your vehicle.
Should your car break down when you're on the move one day as a result of an
unexpected fault, you will be eligible for services to ensure your continued mobili-
ty as part of the mobility warranty, which includes the following: Breakdown serv-ice at the breakdown location and towing to the ŠKODA service partner, technical
assistance by phone or in person.
If your vehicle is not repaired on the same day, the ŠKODA service partner may
provide further services as required, such as replacement transportation (bus,
train, etc.), a courtesy vehicle, etc.
You can obtain more information regarding terms and conditions for the provision of mobility warranty for your vehicle from your ŠKODA partner. Here you will also
be given detailed terms and conditions of the mobility warranty as it relates to
your vehicle. In the event that there is no mobility warranty coverage available for
your vehicle, you should check with any ŠKODA service partner about the possibil-
ity of concluding a contract retrospectively.
Note
The mobility warranty is only available in some countries.
Optional ŠKODA extended warranty
If you received an extended ŠKODA warranty when purchasing your new car, the
two-year ŠKODA warranty for defects in your ŠKODA vehicle will be extended by
the period you chose or until the chosen mileage limit has been reached.
The paintwork warranty and the warranty against rust perforation referred to
above stay unaffected by the extended warranty.
Detailed conditions for the extended warranty are included in the extended war-ranty terms and conditions, which your ŠKODA partner will have given you when
you purchased your new vehicle.
Note
The mobility warranty and optional extended ŠKODA warranty are only available
in some countries.
6Mobility warranty and ŠKODA extended warranty

Note■Lock the opened rear doors and front passenger door by closing them and
pressing the securing knob.■
It is not possible to lock the opened driver's door using the securing knob. This
prevents against inadvertently locking the key in the vehicle.

Emergency locking of the doors
Fig. 13
Rear door: Emergency locking of
the door
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 28.
An emergency locking mechanism is located on the end face of the doors which
have no locking cylinder, it is only visible after the door is opened.
Locking
›
Remove the cover
A
» Fig. 13 .
›
Insert the key into the slot
B
and turn it into the horizontal position in the di-
rection of the arrow (mirror-inverted on the right doors).
›
Replace the cover.
After closing the door, it no longer be opened from the outside. The door can be
unlocked from the inside by pulling on the door handle again, and then opened
from the outside.

Central locking system
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Individual settings
32
Safe securing
32
Unlocking the vehicle using the key
33
Locking the vehicle with the key
33
Vehicle locking/unlocking from the inside
33
When using central locking or unlocking, all doors are locked or unlocked simulta-
neously. The boot lid is unlocked when opening. It can be opened by pressing the
handle above the licence plate » page 37, Opening/closing .
Warning light in the driver's door
After locking the vehicle, the warning light flashes for around 2 seconds in quick
succession, afterwards it begins to flash evenly at longer intervals.
If the vehicle is locked and the safe securing system » page 32 is not operating,
the warning light in the driver door flashes for about 2 seconds fast, goes out and
starts to flash evenly at longer intervals after about 30 seconds.
If the indicator light first flashes fast for about 2 seconds, then lights up for about
30 seconds continuously and then flashes slowly, there is a fault in the central
locking system or in the interior monitor and in the towing protection » page 36.
Seek help from a specialist garage.
Convenience operation of windows
The windows can be opened and closed when unlocking and locking the vehi-
cle » page 40 .
WARNING■
Locked doors prevent unwanted entry into the vehicle from outside, for ex-
ample at road crossings.■
The central locking system also operates if the ignition is switched off. Chil-
dren should never be left unattended in the vehicle since it is difficult to pro-
vide assistance from the outside when the doors are locked. Doors locked
from the inside make it difficult for rescuers to get into the vehicle in an emer-
gency – danger to life! 
31Unlocking and locking

Folding in the key bit›Press the button 4 » Fig. 16 and fold in the key bit.
Unlocking
The turn signal lights flash twice as confirmation that the vehicle has been un-
locked. If the vehicle is unlocked using button 1
» Fig. 16 and none of the doors
or the tailgate are opened within the next 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatical-
ly locked again and the safe securing system or anti-theft alarm system is reacti- vated. This function is intended to prevent the car being unlocked unintentional-ly.
In addition, when the car is unlocked, the electrically adjustable seats and exteri-
or mirrors move into the position assigned to this key. The stored setting of driver
seat and exterior mirrors is retrieved.
Locking
The turn signal lights flash once to confirm that the vehicle has been correctly
locked.
If the doors or the boot lid remain open after the vehicle has been locked, the
turn signal lights do not flash until they have been closed.
WARNINGIf the car is locked from the outside and the safe securing system is activated,
there must not be any person in the car as it is then not possible to open ei-
ther a door or a window from the inside. The locked doors make it more diffi-
cult for rescuers to get into the vehicle in an emergency – risk of death.
Note
■ Only operate the remote control when the doors and boot lid are closed and the
vehicle is in your line of sight.■
A ŠKODA partner can also activate/deactivate the acoustic signals on vehicles
with an anti-theft alarm system.

Synchronization
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 34.
If the vehicle does not unlock when the remote control is pressed, the key may
not be synchronised. This can occur when the buttons on the remote control key are pressed several times outside the operating range of the equipment or if the
battery in the remote control key has been replaced.
Synchronise the key as follows.
›
Press any button on the remote control key.
›
Unlock the door with the key within 1 minute of pressing the button.

Anti-theft alarm system
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Operation
36
Interior monitor and towing protection
36
The anti-theft alarm system increases the level of protection against people
seeking to break into the vehicle. The system triggers audible and visual warning
signals if an attempt is made to break into the vehicle.
Note
■ The working life of the alarm siren is 5 years.■Before leaving the car, it must be checked that all of the windows, doors and
the electric sliding/tilting roof are properly closed to ensure the full functionality
of the anti-theft alarm system.■
Coding of the radio remote control and the receiver unit precludes the use of
the radio remote control from other vehicles.

35Unlocking and locking

OperationFirst read and observe the introductory information given on page 35.
How is the alarm system activated?
The anti-theft alarm system is activated when the vehicle is locked with the radio remote control or the key in the driver's door . It is activated 30 seconds after
locking the door.
How is the alarm system deactivated?
The alarm system is deactivated by pressing the  button on the remote control.
The anti-theft alarm system is reactivated if the vehicle is not opened within 30
seconds after transmitting the radio signal.
If the vehicle is unlocked by inserting the key into the driver door, the key must
be inserted into the ignition lock and the ignition switched on within 15 seconds
of unlocking the door to deactivate the alarm system. The alarm is triggered if
the ignition is not switched on within 15 seconds.
When is the alarm triggered?
The following security areas of the locked vehicle are monitored:
› bonnet;
› boot lid;
› doors;
› ignition lock;
› Vehicle inclination
» page 36;
› Interior of the vehicle
» page 36;
› A drop in voltage of the on-board power supply;
› Socket of the factory-fitted towing device.
An alarm is immediately triggered if either of the two battery terminals is discon- nected while the anti-theft alarm system is activated.
How is the alarm switched off?
The alarm is turned off by pressing the 
button on the remote control key or
switching the ignition on.

Interior monitor and towing protectionFig. 17
Button for interior monitor and
towing protection
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 35.
The interior monitor detects movements inside the car and then triggers the
alarm.
Switching off
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the driver door.
›
Press the 
» Fig. 17 button in the driver's door.
›
Lock the vehicle within 30 seconds.
The interior monitor and the towing protection are switched on again automati- cally the next time the car is locked.
Note
■ Switch off the interior monitor and the towing protection if there is a possibility
of the alarm being triggered by movements from (e.g. children or animals) within
the vehicle interior or if the vehicle has to be transported (e.g. by train or ship) or towed.■
The opened glasses storage compartment reduces the effectiveness of the in-
terior monitor. To ensure the full functionality of the interior monitor, the glasses
storage compartment must always be closed before locking the vehicle.

36Using the system

Fog lightsFig. 26
Dash panel: Light switch
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings on page 43.
Switching on/off
›
First turn the light switch » Fig. 26 to position 
or 
.
›
Pull the light switch to position
1
.
The rear fog light is switched off in the reverse sequence.
The warning light 
lights up in the instrument cluster when the fog lights are
switched on » page 20.

Foglights with the CORNER function
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 43.
The CORNER function lights the front fog lamp on the relevant side of the vehicle
to illuminate the area around the vehicle when turning, parking, etc.
The CORNER function is switched on automatically if the following conditions
are met.
› The turn signal is switched on or the front wheels are turned sharply to the
right or left 1)
.
› The engine is running.
› The vehicle is stopped or is travelling at a speed of no more than 40 km/h.
› The low beam is switched on.
›
The daytime running lights are not switched on.
› The fog lights are not switched on.
› Reverse gear is not engaged.

Rear fog light
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 43.
Switching on/off
›
First turn the light switch » Fig. 26 on page 46 to position  or .
›
Pull the light switch to position
2
.
The rear fog light is switched off in the reverse sequence.
If the vehicle is not fitted with fog lights » page 46, the rear fog light is switched
on by turning the light switch to the position 
or 
and is pulled out directly to
the position
2
. This switch can only be pulled into one position.
The warning light 
lights up in the instrument cluster when the rear fog light is
switched on » page 20.
Only the rear fog light on the trailer lights up if the vehicle has a factory-fitted
towing device or a towing device from ŠKODA original accessories and it is driven
with a trailer.

Tourist lights
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 43.
Halogen projector headlights with cornering light function
This mode makes it possible to drive in countries with opposing traffic system
(driving on the left/right) without dazzling the oncoming vehicles. When the mode
“tourist light” is active, the side to side swivel of the headlights is deactivated.
Activating tourist light
Before activating the tourist light, the following conditions must be met. 

1)
If both switch on versions are conflicting, for example if the steering wheel is turned to the left and
the right turn signal light is switched on, the turn signal light has the higher priority.
46Using the system

It is still fully possible to steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the en-gine is not running (e.g. when towing). However, greater physical effort is re-
quired to turn the steering wheel.
CAUTION
You will place great stresses on the power steering system if the steering is
turned to full lock when the vehicle is stationary. Turning the steering to full lock
in such a situation will be accompanied by noises. Never leave the steering wheel at full lock for more than 15 seconds when the engine is running - there is a risk of
damaging the power steering.
Starting and stopping the engine
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Electronic immobilizer
97
Ignition lock
97
Starting the engine
97
Switching off the engine
98
The engine can only be started using a correctly coded original key. The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time afterstarting the cold engine. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.
WARNING■ When the vehicle is travelling with the engine off, the ignition key must al-
ways be in position 2 » Fig. 86 on page 97 (ignition switched on). This posi-
tion is indicated by the warning lights coming on. If this is not the case, it
could result in unexpected locking of the steering wheel – there is the risk of
an accident.■
Only pull the ignition key from the ignition lock when the vehicle has come
to a complete stop (by applying the handbrake). Otherwise the steering wheel
could lock – there is the risk of an accident.
WARNING (Continued)■ When leaving the vehicle, the ignition must always be removed. This is par-
ticularly important if children are left in the vehicle. Otherwise the children
could, for example, start the engine – there is the risk of an accident or injury.■
Never leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running.
■
Never switch off the engine before the vehicle has come to a halt – there is
the risk of an accident.
WARNING■ Never leave the engine running in unventilated or closed rooms. The en-
gine's exhaust gases also contain the odourless and colourless carbon mon-
oxide, a poisonous gas – risk of death. ■ Carbon monoxide can cause unconsciousness and death.
CAUTION
■The starter must only be operated when the engine is not running and the vehi-
cle is at a standstill. The starter or engine can be damaged if the starter is activa-
ted when the engine is running 3
» Fig. 86 on page 97.
■
If the engine does not start up after a second attempt, the fuse for the fuel
pump may have a fault. Check the fuse and replace, if necessary » page 192 or
seek assistance from a specialist garage.
■
Let go of the ignition key as soon as the engine starts otherwise the starter
could be damaged.
■
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 .
CAUTION
■
Avoid high engine speeds, full throttle and high engine loads until the engine
has yet reached its operating temperature – there is a risk of damaging the en-
gine.■
Do not switch the engine off immediately at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated over a prolonged period at high loads but leave it to
run at an idling speed for about 1 minute. This prevents any possible accumulation
of heat when the engine is switched off. 
96Driving