2013 SKODA RAPID gas type

Side airbagsFig. 121
Location of the side airbag in the driver's seat/gas-filled side airbag
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 136.
In the event of severe side collisions, the side airbag system provides additional protection for the upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of passengers in the ve-
hicle.
The side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the front seat backr-
ests » Fig. 121 - 
.
When the side airbags » Fig. 121 - 
are deployed, the head airbag and belt ten-
sioner are also automatically deployed 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 entire 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 144, Child safety and side airbag .WARNING (Continued)■
There must not be any further persons, animals as well as objects posi-
tioned between the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No ac-
cessories, such as cup holders, should be attached to the doors.■
If children adopt an incorrect seated position when travelling, they may be
exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This can re-
sult in serious injuries » page 142, Child seat .
WARNING■
Only hang light items of clothing on the hooks fitted in the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of cloth-
ing.■
Ensure that there are no excessive forces, such as violent knocks, kicks etc.,
impact on the backrests of the seats otherwise the system may be damaged.
The side airbags would not be deployed in such a case!
■
Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passenger
seats must only be of the type expressly authorized by ŠKODA. In view of the
fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use of non-ap-
proved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the protective
function of the side airbag.
■
Any damage to the original seat covers in the area of the side airbag module
must be repaired immediately by a specialist garage.
■
The airbag modules in the front seats must not display any damage, cracks
or deep scratches. It is not permissible to use force in order to open the mod-
ules.

138Safety

WARNING■It is prohibited to work with naked flames or lights.■It is prohibited to smoke or carry out any activities that produce sparks.■
Never use a damaged vehicle battery – risk of explosion!
■
Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – risk of explosion and
chemical burns!
■
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with insufficient acid levels – risk of ex-
plosion and chemical 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.■
Creating a bridge between the poles on the battery (e.g. with a metal object
or cable) creates a short circuit - risk of melting the lead bars, and risk of ex-
plosion, battery fire and acid splashes.
■
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 components and disconnect the negative termi-
nal (-) on the battery.
CAUTION
Improper handling of the battery can lead to damage. We recommend having all
work on the vehicle battery carried out 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 electrical system, first of all dis-
connect the negative terminal (-) of the battery, followed by the positive terminal
(+).■
When connecting the battery to the electrical system, first of all connect the
positive terminal (+) of the battery, followed by the negative terminal (-). Under 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 – 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. Prevent the battery from discharging by discon- necting the battery's negative terminal (-) or continuously charging the battery
with a 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.
Opening the cover
Fig. 139
Vehicle battery: Open up the
cover
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 171.
The battery is located in the engine compartment.
›
Open the battery cover in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 139.
The installation of the battery cover on the positive terminal side takes place in the reverse order.

172General Maintenance

Fuse assignment in the engine compartmentFig. 169
Schematic representation of fuse box in engine compartment: Ver-
sion 1/version 2
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 197.
No.Power consumer1Generator2Not assigned (version 1), auxiliary electric heater (version 2)3Interior (version 1) » Fig. 169
Power supply for fuse block (version 2) » Fig. 1694Auxiliary electric heating (version 1) » Fig. 169
Interior (version 2) » Fig. 1695Interior6Engine cooling fan, control unit for preheating unit7Electrohydraulic power steering8ABS9Radiator fan10Automatic gearbox11ABS12Central control unit13Electrical auxiliary heating system
Note
Fuses 1-7 are replaced by a specialist garage.
Bulbs
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Bulb arrangement in the headlights
201
Replacing the low beam bulb
201
Replacing bulb for main beam, daytime running lights and parking light
202
Changing the front turn signal bulb
202
Replacing the bulb for the fog light
203
Replacing the bulb for the licence plate light
203
Rear light (Rapid)
204
Replacing bulbs in rear light (Rapid)
204
Tail lamp (Rapid Spaceback)
205
Replacing bulbs in rear light (Rapid Spaceback)
206
Some manual skills are required to change a bulb. For this reason, we recommend
having bulbs replaced by a specialist garage or seeking other expert help in the
event of any uncertainties.
› Switch off the ignition and all of the lights before replacing a bulb.
› Faulty bulbs must only be replaced with the same type of bulbs. The designa-
tion is located on the light socket or the glass bulb.
› A stowage compartment for replacement bulbs is located in a plastic box in the
spare wheel or underneath the floor covering in the boot.
WARNING■ Always read and observe the warning notes before completing any work in
the engine compartment » page 162, Engine compartment .■
Accidents can be caused if the road in front of the vehicle is not sufficiently
illuminated and the vehicle cannot or can only be seen with difficulty by other
road users.
■
H7 and H15 bulbs are pressurised and may burst when changing the bulb -
risk of injury! We therefore recommended wearing gloves and safety glasses
when changing a bulb.
■
Gas discharge bulbs (xenon bulbs) operate with a high voltage, professional
knowledge is required – risk of death!
■
The corresponding lamp must always be switched off when replacing a light
bulb. 
200Do-it-yourself