2013 SKODA RAPID Owner's Manual

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 191, Jump-starting in vehicles with the START-STOP
system .
Note
We therefore recommend that vehicle batteries be rapid charged by a specialist
garage.
Replacing
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 171.
When replacing a battery, the new vehicle battery must have the same capacity,
voltage, amperage and be the same size. Suitable vehicle battery types can be
purchased from a specialist garage.
We recommend having the battery replaced by a specialist garage, where the
new vehicle battery will be installed properly and the original battery will be dis-
posed of in accordance with national regulations.

Disconnecting and reconnecting
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 171.
On disconnecting and reconnecting the vehicle battery, the following functions
are initially deactivated or are no longer able to operate fault-free:
OperationOperating measureEnter the radio/navigation system code num-
ber» User manual of the radio
or » user manual of the naviga-
tion systemSetting the clock» page 13Data in the multifunction display are deleted.» page 25
Note
We recommend having the vehicle checked by a specialist garage in order to en-
sure full functionality of all electrical systems.
Automatic load deactivation
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 171.
The vehicle voltage control unit automatically prevents the battery from discharg-
ing when the battery is put under high levels of strain. This manifests itself by the
following.
› The idling speed is raised to allow the generator to deliver more electricity to
the electrical system.
› Where necessary, large convenience consumers such as seat heaters and rear
window heaters have their power limited or are shut off completely in the event
of an emergency.
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 that are supplied via a 12-V power socket can cause the vehicle bat-
tery to discharge when the ignition is switched off.
Note
Driving comfort is not impaired by consumers being deactivated. The driver is of-
ten not aware of it having taken place.
174General Maintenance

Wheels
Tyres and wheel rims
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Service life of tyres
176
New tyres
177
Unidirectional tyres
178
Tyre pressure monitor
178
Spare wheel
179
Full wheel trim
180
Wheel bolts
180
Wheel bolts
180WARNING■ The national legal regulations must be observed for the use of tyres.■Observe the national legal regulations relating to the use of snow chains
and the maximum vehicle speed with snow chains.WARNINGThe following instructions for the use of tyres must be observed.■For the first 500 km, new tyres do not yet provide optimum grip, and appro-
priate care should therefore be taken when driving – risk of accident!■
Only use radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and tread
pattern on all four wheels.
■
For reasons of driving safety, do not replace tyres individually.
■
Never exceed the maximum permissible load bearing capacity for fitted
tyres – risk of accident!
■
Never exceed the maximum permissible speed for fitted tyres – risk of acci-
dent!
■
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear impairs handling – risk of acci-
dent!
WARNING (Continued)■ Unusual vibrations or pulling of the vehicle to one side could be a sign of
tyre damage. If there is any doubt that a wheel is damaged, immediately re-
duce your speed and stop! If no external damage is evident, drive slowly and
carefully to the nearest specialist garage to have the vehicle checked.■
Only use tyres or wheel rims that have been approved by ŠKODA for your
model of vehicle. Failure to observe this instruction may impair the road safety
of your vehicle – risk of accident!
WARNINGObserve the following information regarding tyre damage and wear.■Never use tyres if you do not know anything about the condition and age.■
Never drive with damaged tyres – risk of accident!
■
Immediately replace damaged wheel rims or tyres.
■
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down.
■
Worn tyres impair necessary adhesion to the road surface, particularly at
high speeds on wet roads. This could lead to “aquaplaning” (uncontrolled ve- hicle movement – “swimming” on a wet road surface).
WARNINGObserve the following information regarding the tyre inflation pressure.■The tyre control display does not absolve the driver of the responsibility to
ensure the correct tyre inflation pressure. Check the tyre inflation pressure at
regular intervals.■
Insufficient or excessive inflation pressure impairs handling – risk of acci-
dent!
■
If the inflation pressure is too low, the tyre will have to overcome a higher
rolling resistance. This will cause a significant increase in the temperature of
the tyre, especially at higher speeds. This can result in tread separation and a
tyre blowout. 
175Wheels

WARNINGObserve the following information regarding the wheel bolts.■The wheel bolts must be clean and must turn easily. Never apply grease or
oil.■
The prescribed tightening torque of the wheel bolts for steel and light alloy
wheels is 120 Nm.
■
If the wheel bolts are tightened to an insufficient tightening torque, the
rims may come loose when the car is moving – risk of accident! A tightening
torque which is too high can damage the bolts and threads and this can result
in permanent deformation of the contact surfaces on the rim.
■
If the wheel bolts are handled incorrectly, the wheel may come loose when
the car is moving – risk of accident!
WARNINGObserve the following information regarding the spare wheel.■Only use the spare wheel for as long as is necessary.■
Never drive with more than one spare wheel attached.
■
The snow chains cannot be used on the spare wheel.
CAUTION
■ If a spare wheel is used that is not identical to the fitted tyres, the following
must be observed » page 179, Spare wheel .■
Protect the tyres from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
■
Replace lost valve caps.
■
If, in the event of a puncture, it is necessary to fit a spare wheel with a tyre
without a dedicated running direction or with the opposite direction of rotation,
drive carefully as the optimal characteristics of the tyre are no longer applicable in
this situation.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres that are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Note
■ We recommend that any work on the wheels or tyres be carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.■
We recommend that you use wheel rims, tyres, full wheel trims and snow chains
from ŠKODA Original Accessories.

Service life of tyresFig. 141
Principle sketch: Tyre tread with wear indicators/open fuel filler
flap with a table detailing the tyre sizes and tyre inflation pressures
Fig. 142
Replacing wheels
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 175.
The service life of tyres depends on the inflation pressure, driving style and other
circumstances. Following the advice below can extend the service life of your
tyres.
Tyre pressure
Check the tyre pressure, including that of the spare wheel, at least once a month and also before setting off on a long journey.
The tyre pressures for tyres are shown on the inside of the fuel filler
flap » Fig. 141 -
 .
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle at
all times. 
176General Maintenance

Always check the inflation pressure when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the
higher pressure of warm tyres.
With greater additional load, adjust the tyre inflation pressure accordingly.
Driving style
Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking increase the wear of your tyres.
Balancing wheels
The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. When driving, however, there are a
range of factors that may result in an imbalance. This may become apparent by a
“vibration” in the steering.
Have the wheels rebalanced after replacing the tyres.
Wheel alignment errors
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear leads to excess wear of the tyres.
Tyre damage
Drive over kerbs and other such obstacles slowly and at right angles wherever
possible in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.
We recommend checking your tyres and wheel rims for damage (punctures, cuts,
splits and bulges, etc.) on a regular basis. Remove foreign bodies (e.g. small
stones) from the tyre tread immediately.
Replacing wheels
If significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend replac-
ing the front wheels with the rear wheels as shown in the diagram » Fig. 142 . You
will then obtain approximately the same life for all the tyres.
We recommend that you swap the tyres every 10,000 km in order to achieve even wear on all tyres and to ensure optimal service life for the tyres.
Storing tyres
Identify disassembled tyres so that the previous direction of rotation can be maintained if the tyres are reassembled.
Always store wheels or tyres in a cool, dry place that is as dark as possible. Tyres
which are not fixed to a wheel trim should be stored upright.
Wear indicators
The base of the tread of the tyres has 1.6 mm high wear indicators installed.
These wear indicators are evenly spaced around the circumference of the tyre, depending on the make » Fig. 141 - 
. Markings on the walls of the tyres through
the letters “TWI”, triangular symbols or other symbols identify the position of the
wear indicators.Tyre age
Tyres age and lose their original characteristics, even if they are not being used.
Therefore, we recommend not using summer or winter tyres older than 6 or 4
years old respectively.
New tyres
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 175.
Only use radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and tread pat-
tern on one axle on all four wheels.
The tyre/wheel combinations which are approved for your vehicle are indicated in
your vehicle documents.
Where possible, replace tyres by axle. Always fit the tyres with the deeper tread
depth to the front wheels.
Explanation of tyre markings
195/55 R 15 85 H
What this means is:
195Tyre width in mm » Fig. 141 on page 176 - 65Height/width ratio in % » Fig. 141 on page 176 - RCode letter for the type of tyre – Radial » Fig. 141 on page 176 - 15Rim diameter in inches » Fig. 141 on page 176 - 85Load index » HSpeed symbol »
The date of manufacture is stated on the tyre wall (possibly on the inside). e.g.
DOT ... 10 13 ..
means, for example, that the tyre was manufactured in the 10th week of 2013.
Load index
This indicates the maximum permissible load for each individual tyre. 487 kg
500 kg
515 kg
530 kg 
83848586177Wheels

545 kg
615 kg
630 kg
650 kg
690 kg
Speed symbol
This indicates the maximum permissible vehicle speed with fitted tyres in each
category.
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 is listed in your vehi-
cle documents.
Unidirectional tyres
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 175.
The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the tyre.
The indicated direction of rotation must be adhered to in order to ensure the op- timal characteristics of these tyres.
These characteristics mainly relate to the following: › Increased driving stability.
› Reduced risk of aquaplaning.
› Reduced tyre noise and tyre wear.
8791929395RSTUHVWTyre pressure monitorFig. 143
Button for setting the tyre infla-
tion pressure control value
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 175.
System settings
After changing the tyre inflation pressure, after changing one or several wheels or changing the position of a wheel on the vehicle (e.g. replacing the wheels be- tween the axles) or if the indicator light illuminates while driving, a system con-
figuration must be carried out as follows.
›
Inflate all of the tyres to the specified inflation pressure » page 176.
›
Switch on the ignition.
›
Press the symbol button 
» Fig. 143 for longer than 2 seconds.
If the warning light 
lights up and does not go out after the system configura-
tion, this indicates a system fault.
If the warning light flashes 
, there is a system fault.
Tyre pressure indicator
The warning light 
lights up in any of the following cases.
› The tyre inflation 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 mounted.
› The spare wheel is mounted.
› One wheel per axle was changed.

178General Maintenance

WARNING■When the warning light  illuminates, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake manoeuvres. Stop the vehicle as soon as
possible and inspect the tyres and their inflation pressure.■
Under certain circumstances (e.g. sporty style of driving, wintry or unpaved
roads) the warning light  may light up after a delay, or not at all.
CAUTION
■
The tyre control display does therefore not replace the regular tyre inflation
pressure control, as the system cannot detect an even loss of pressure.■
The system cannot warn in case of very rapid tyre inflation pressure loss, e.g. in
case of sudden tyre damage. In this case carefully bring the vehicle to a standstill
without sudden steering movements or sharp braking.
■
To ensure a proper functioning of the tyre control display, it is necessary to re-
peat the basic setting every 10,000 km or once a year.

Spare wheel
Fig. 144
Boot: Spare wheel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 175.
The spare wheel is located in a well under the floor covering in the boot and is
fixed in place with a special bolt » Fig. 144.
Take out the wheel
›
Open the boot lid.
›
Lift up the floor in the luggage compartment.
›
Remove the box with the tool kit.
›
Unscrew the bolt » Fig. 144 in an anti-clockwise direction.
›Take out the wheel.
Stow the wheel›
Stow the replaced wheel in the spare wheel well with the rim facing down.
›
Screw in the bolt » Fig. 144 in a clockwise direction until the wheel is securely
attached.
›
Place the box with the tool kit back into the spare wheel and secure it with the
tape.
›
Fold back the floor in the luggage compartment.
›
Close the boot lid.
Fit a wheel in the appropriate dimensions and design as soon as possible.
If the dimensions or design of the spare wheel differ from the tyres fitted to the
vehicle (e.g. winter tyres or low-profile tyres), it must only be used briefly in the
event of a puncture and if an appropriately cautious style of driving is adop-
ted »
.
Temporary spare wheel
A warning label is displayed on the rim of the temporary spare wheel.
Please note the following if you intend to use the temporary spare wheel. › The warning label must not be covered after installing the wheel.
› Be particularly observant when driving.
› The inflation pressure for the temporary spare wheel is identical to the maxi-
mum inflation pressure for the standard tyres.
› Only use this temporary spare wheel to reach the nearest specialist garage, as it
is not intended for long-term use.
WARNING■ Never use the temporary spare wheel if it is damaged.■If the dimensions or design of the temporary spare wheel differ from the fit-
ted tyres, never drive faster than 80 km/h (or 50 mph).■
Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
CAUTION
Observe the instructions on the warning sign of the temporary spare wheel.
179Wheels

Full wheel trimFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 175.
Extracting
›
Hook the clamp found in the vehicle tool kit into the reinforced edge of the wheel trim.
›
Push the wheel wrench through the clamp, support on the tyre and pull off the
wheel trim.
Installing
›
Press the wheel trim onto the wheel rim at the designated valve opening.
›
Then press the trim into the wheel rim until its entire circumference locks cor- rectly in place.
CAUTION
■ Use the pressure of your hand only, do not strike the full wheel trim. Avoid
heavy impacts when the trim has not yet been inserted into the wheel rim. This
could cause damage to the guide and centring elements of the trim.■
When using the anti-theft wheel bolt, ensure that it is in the hole in the valve
area » page 186 , Securing wheels against theft .
■
If wheel trims are retrofitted it must be ensured that an adequate flow of air is
assured to cool the brake system.

Wheel bolts
Fig. 145
Remove the capFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 175.
Extracting
›
Push the extraction pliers » page 183 sufficiently far onto the cap until the in-
ner catches of the pliers are positioned at the collar of the cap » Fig. 145.
›
Remove the cap.
Installing
›
Push the caps onto the wheel bolts up to the stop.
The wheel bolt caps are housed in a plastic box in the spare wheel or in the stor-
age space for the spare wheel.

Wheel bolts
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 175.
Wheels and wheel bolts are matched to each other in terms of design. Each time
you fit other wheels rims, e.g. light alloy wheel rims or wheels with winter tyres,
you must also use the matching wheel bolts with the correct length and dome
shape. This is a prerequisite for ensuring that wheels are attached correctly.

Winter operation
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Winter tyres
181
Snow chains
181
180General Maintenance

Winter tyresFirst read and observe the introductory information given on page 180.
Fitting winter tyres will significantly improve the handling of your vehicle whendriving in wintry road conditions. Summer tyres have less grip on ice, snow and attemperatures below 7 °C. This is especially true of vehicles fitted with wide tyres
or high-speed tyres .
In order to achieve the best possible handling properties, winter tyres must be fit-
ted on all four wheels, the minimum tread depth must be 4 mm and tyres must be
no older than 4 years.
Winter tyres of a lower speed category can be used provided that the permissible
maximum speed of these tyres is not exceeded even if the possible maximum
speed of the vehicle is higher.
The speed limit for winter tyres can be set in the MAXI DOT display in the menu
item Winter tyres » page 28 .
For the sake of the environment
Fit the summer tyres on again in good time as they provide better handling prop-
erties, a shorter braking distance, less tyre noise, and reduced tyre wear on roadswhich are free of snow and ice as well as at temperatures above 7 °C. The fuel
consumption is also lower.
Snow chains
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 180.
When driving in wintry road conditions, snow chains improve not only traction,but also the braking performance.
Snow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the following wheel/tyre combinations.
Wheel sizeDepth (D)Tyre size5J x 14 a)35 mm175/706J x 15 b)38 mm185/606J x 15b)38 mm195/55a)
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than
9 mm.
b)
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 13 mm.
CAUTION
■
The chains must be removed when driving on roads which are free of snow.
They adversely affect the handling of your vehicle, damage the tyres and are rap-
idly destroyed.■
Remove the full wheel trims before installing the snow chains.

181Wheels