2013 SKODA RAPID SPACEBACK towing

Removing the ball headFig. 116
Removing the lock cover/releasing the lock
Fig. 117
Release tow bar
Read and observe and on page 112 first.
›
Remover the cover
A
from the hand wheel lock in the direction of the
1
» Fig. 116 arrow.
›
Insert the key
B
into the lock.
›
Unlock the hand wheel lock by turning the key
B
left as far as the stop in
the direction of the arrow
2
- the arrow on the key points towards the “pad-
lock open” icon.
›
Grip the tow bar from below » Fig. 117and with the other hand, pull the hand
wheel
C
in the direction of the arrow
3
accordingly.
›
Turn the hand wheel in the direction of the arrow
4
to the stop, and hold in
this position.
›
Remove the tow bar from the mounting recess downwards and in the direc-
tion of the arrow
5
.
At the same time, the tow bar latches into the ready position and is therefore
ready to be re-inserted into the mounting recess »
.
›Attach the cover for the mounting recess 4
» Fig. 110 on page 112 .WARNING■
Never allow the tow bar to remain unsecured in the boot. This could
cause damage on sudden braking and could put the safety of the occu-
pants at risk!■
Never remove the tow bar while the trailer is still coupled.
CAUTION
■ If the hand wheel is not turned all the way to the stop, then it will return to
its initial position when the tow bar is removed and will rest on the tow bar
and not engage into the ready position. The tow bar will then need to be
brought into this position before the next time it is fitted.■
The mounting recess must be closed with the cover following removal. This
prevents foreign bodies from getting into the mounting recess.
Note
■ We recommend putting the protective cover onto the ball head before re-
moving the tow bar.■
Clean any dirt from the tow bar before stowing it away in the box with the
vehicle tool kit.
Use and care
Read and observe
and on page 112 first.
Close the mounting recess with the cover to prevent any dirt from getting in.
Always check the tow bar before hitching a trailer. Apply suitable grease
where necessary.
Use the protective cover when stowing away the tow bar, in order to stop the
boot from getting dirty.
In the event of dirt, clean the surfaces of the mounting recess and treat with a
suitable preservative.
CAUTION
Apply grease to the upper part of the mounting recess. Make sure you do not
remove any grease.115Hitch and trailer

Trailer
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Loading a trailer
116
Driving with a trailer
116
Anti-theft alarm system
117WARNINGAlways drive particularly carefully with the trailer.
Loading a trailer
Read and observe
on page 116 first.
The vehicle/trailer combination must be balanced. Whereby the maximum per-missible draw bar load must be utilised. If the draw bar load is too low, it jeop-
ardises the performance of the vehicle/trailer combination.
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that heavy items are located as
close to the axle as possible. Secure the items from slipping.
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the
trailer is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving
with this combination.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for a “full load” » page 143,
Service life of tyres .
Towing capacity and trailer weight
The permissible trailer load must not be exceeded under any circumstan-
ces » page 172 , Technical data .
The details given in the vehicle's technical documentation always take prece-
dence over the details in the Owner's Manual.
The trailer loads specified apply only to altitudes up to 1,000 metres above
mean sea level.
The engine output falls as altitude increases, as does the vehicle's climbing
power. Therefore, for every additional 1,000 m in height (or part), the maximum
permissible towed weight must be reduced by 10%.
The towed weight is made up of the actual weights of the loaded towing vehi-
cle and the loaded trailer.
The trailer and draw bar load information on the type plate of the towing de-
vice is merely a test value for the towing device. The vehicle-specific values
are detailed in the vehicle documents.WARNING■ Do not exceed the maximum permissible axle and draw bar load and the
maximum permissible total or towed weight of the vehicle and the trailer -
risk of accident and serious injuries!■
A sliding cargo can adversely affect stability and driving safety significant-
ly - there is a risk of accident!
Driving with a trailer
Fig. 118
Swivel out the 13-pin power
socket
Read and observe on page 116 first.
Before starting off
›
Grip the 13-pin socket on the handle
A
and swing out in the direction of the
arrow » Fig. 118 .
›
Lift off protective cap
5
» Fig. 110 on page 112 towards the top.
After the journey
›
Grip the 13-pin socket on the handle
A
and swing out against the direction
of the arrow » Fig. 118.
›
Place the protective cover
5
» Fig. 110 on page 112 on the ball head. 
116Driving

Safety eyelet
The safety eyelet B» Fig. 118 serves to attach the breakaway cable of the
trailer.
When attaching the breakaway cable to the safety eyelet, it must sag freely
against the vehicle in all trailer positions (sharp bends, in reverse etc.) sag .
Exterior mirrors
You can have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the
traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. The national legal
requirements must be observed.
Headlights
The front of the vehicle may lift up when a trailer is being towed and the head- lights may dazzle other road users.
Adjust the headlights using the headlight beam control » page 54.
Driving speed
For safety reasons, do not drive faster than 80 km/h when towing a trailer.
Immediately reduce your speed as soon as even the slightest swaying of the
trailer is detected. Never attempt to stop the trailer from “swaying” by acceler-
ating.
Brakes
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply
the brakes gently at first, then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting
from the trailer wheels locking.
On downhill sections shift down a gear in good time to also use the engine as
a brake.
Engine overheating
If the needle for the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand
area or the red area of the scale, the speed must be reduced immediately.
Stop and switch off the engine if the warning light lights up and/or starts to
blink in the instrument » page 32cluster. Wait a few minutes and check the
level of coolant » page 137.
The following guidelines must be observed » page 32.
The coolant temperature level can be reduced by switching on the heating.WARNING■ Never use the safety eyelet for towing!■Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.■
Improper or incorrectly connected electrical installations can energise the
trailer and cause functional faults to the vehicle's entire electrical system
as well as accidents and severe injuries.
■
Works on the electrical system must only be carried out by specialist ga-
rages.
■
Never directly connect the trailer's electrical system with the electrical
connections for the tail lights or other current sources.
■
After coupling the trailer and connecting the power socket, check that
the rear lights on the trailer are working correctly.
Note
■ If there is an error in the trailer lighting, check the fuses in the fuse box in
the dash panel » page 164.■
Contact between the breakaway cable and the safety eyelet can result in
mechanical wear on the surface protection of the eyelet. Such wear does not
impair the functioning of the safety eyelet and does not constitute a fault. It is
excluded from the warranty coverage.
■
If you tow a trailer frequently, you should also have your vehicle inspected
between service intervals.
■
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be applied when coupling and un-
coupling the trailer.
Anti-theft alarm system
Read and observe
on page 116 first.
When the vehicle is locked, the alarm is activated when the electrical connec-tion to the trailer is interrupted.
Always switch off the anti-theft alarm system before a trailer is coupled or un-
coupled » page 49 .
Conditions for including a trailer in the anti-theft alarm system. The vehicle is factory-fitted with an anti-theft alarm system and towing
device.
The trailer is electrically connected to the towing vehicle via the trailer
socket. 
117Hitch and trailer

SettingFig. 132
Button for setting the tyre infla-
tion pressure control value
Read and observe and on page 145 first.
›
Inflate all of the tyres to the specified inflation pressure » page 143.
›
Switch on the ignition.
›
Press the symbol button

» Fig. 132 for longer than 2 seconds.
If the warning light in the instrument cluster lights up and does not go out
after the system configuration, this indicates a system fault.
If there is a blinking light in the instrument cluster, then there is a system
fault.
Display
Read and observe
and on page 145 first.
The control light in the instrument cluster lights up when any of the follow-
ing conditions are met.
› 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.
WARNING■
When illuminated control lights light up in the instrument cluster lights,
immediately reduce speed and avoid violent steering and brake manoeu-
vres. 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 un-
paved roads) the warning light 
in the instrument cluster may be delayed
or not light up at all.
Reserve and temporary spare wheel
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Change
147
Spare wheel
147
Fit a wheel in the appropriate dimensions and design as soon as possible.
WARNING■ 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 lon-
ger applicable in this situation.■
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 adopted.
146General Maintenance

fire extinguisherFig. 136
Fire extinguisher
The fire extinguisher is attached by two straps in a holder underneath the driv-
er's seat.
Removing/attaching
›
Loosen the two straps by pulling the buckles in the direction of the ar-
row » Fig. 136 .
›
Remove the fire extinguisher.
Follow these steps in the reverse order for attachment.
Please read carefully the instructions which are attached to the fire extin-
guisher.
The fire extinguisher must be checked by an authorised person once a year.
The national legal requirements must be observed.
WARNINGThe fire extinguisher must always be secured safely so that they do not
come loose when making an emergency braking or in a vehicle collision
which could cause injuries to occupants.
Note
■ The fire extinguisher must comply with national legal requirements.■Pay attention to the expiration date of the fire extinguisher. Proper function-
ing of the fire extinguisher is not assured once it has passed its expiry date.■
The fire extinguisher is part of the scope of delivery in certain countries only.
Vehicle tool kitFig. 137
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit and the jack with sticker are housed in a plastic box in the
spare wheel or in the storage space for the spare wheel. There is also space
here for the removable ball rod for the trailer towing device. The box is attach-
ed with a strap on the spare wheel.
Depending on the equipment, not all the components listed in the on-board
tool kit have to be contained in it.
Possible components of the on-board tool kit » Fig. 137
Screwdriver
Spanner for removing and installing the tail light
Adapter for anti-theft wheel bolts
Towing eyelet
Clamps for removing the wheel trims
Car jack
Wheel wrench
Extraction pliers for wheel bolt caps
Replacement bulb set
Screw the car jack back into its initial position after use in order to store it back
in the box with the vehicle tool kit. 
123456789150Do-it-yourself

Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicleFig. 144
Jump-starting: A – flat battery, B
– battery providing current
Read and observe and on page 157 first.
The starting process using the battery of another vehicle requires the use of
jumper cables.
The jump-start cables must be attached in the following sequence.
›
Attach clamp
1
to the positive terminal of the discharged battery
A
» Fig. 144 .
›
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 en-
gine 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 thirty 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 bat-
tery supplying the power must not be significantly less than the capacity of
the discharged battery in your vehicle.
Jump-start cables
Only use jump-start cables which have an adequately large cross-section and
insulated terminal clamps. Observe the instructions of the jumper lead manu-
facturer.
Positive cable – colour coding in the majority of cases is red.
Negative cable – colour coding in the majority of cases is black.
Jump-starting in vehicles with the START-STOP system
Fig. 145
Engine earth: START-STOP system
Read and observe
and on page 157 first.
On vehicles with the START-STOP system, the jump-start cable of the charger
must never be connected directly to the negative pole of the vehicle battery,
but only to the engine earth.
› 1.2 l./63 kW TSI and 1.2 l./77 kW TSI engines
» Fig. 145 -

› 1.4 l./90 kW engine
» Fig. 145 -

› 1.6 l./77 kW TDI CR engine
» Fig. 145 -

Towing the vehicle
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Front towing eye
159
Rear towing eye
160
Vehicles with a tow hitch
160
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 the rear, the au-
tomatic gearbox will be damaged!
When towing, the following guidelines must be observed. 
158Do-it-yourself

Driver of the tow vehicle›Engage the clutch gently when starting off or depress the accelerator partic-
ularly gently if the vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.›
Only then, approach correctly when the rope is taut.
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 sys-
tem can be used.
›
Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N if the
vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Please note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the
engine is running. If the engine is not running, significantly more physical force
is required to depress the brake pedal and steer the vehicle.
If using a tow rope, ensure that it is always kept taught.
Towing another vehicle requires a certain amount of practice. Both drivers
should be familiar with the particular points about towing a vehicle. Unskilled
drivers should not attempt to tow another vehicle or to be towed in one.
The vehicle must be transported on a special breakdown vehicle or trailer if it
is not possible to tow the vehicle in the way described or if the towing dis-
tance is greater than 50 km.
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar to the towing eyes » page 159
or » page 160 to the detachable ball head of the towing equip-
ment » page 112 .
WARNING■
The tow rope must not be twisted as it may in certain circumstances re-
sult in the front towing eye becoming unscrewed from your vehicle.■
Do not use one-sided twisted tow rope, because the towing eye could
become unscrewed on the vehicle under certain circumstances.
■
When towing, respect the national legal provisions, especially those
which relate to the identification of the towing vehicle and the vehicle be- ing towed.
CAUTION■ Do not start the engine by towing – 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 157, Jump-starting .■
If the gearbox no longer contains any oil because of a defect, your vehicle
must only be towed with the drive wheels raised clear of the ground or on a
special breakdown vehicle or trailer.
■
To protect both vehicles when tow-starting or towing, the tow rope should
be elastic. Thus only plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a similarly elastic
material should be used.
■
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.
Note
We recommend using a tow rope from ŠKODA Original Accessories, which is
available from a ŠKODA Partner.
Front towing eye
Fig. 146
Removing the cap/installing the towing eye
Read and observe
and on page 159 first.
Removing/installing the cap
›
Press on the cap in the area
A
» Fig. 146 .
›
Remove the cap in the direction of the arrow
1
.
›
After unscrewing the cap of the towing eye
B
, insert the cap in area
A
and
then press the opposite side of the cap.
The cap must engage firmly. 
159Emergency equipment and self-help

Removing/installing the towing eye›Manually screw the towing eye as far as it will go in the direction of the ar-
row 2
» Fig. 146 » .
For tightening purposes, we recommend, for example, using the wheel
wrench, towing eye from another vehicle or a similar object that can be pushed through the eye.
›
Unscrew the towing eye against the direction of the arrow
2
.
WARNINGThe towing eye must always be screwed in fully and firmly tightened, oth-
erwise the towing eye can tear when towing or tow-starting.
Rear towing eye
Fig. 147
Rear towing eye
Read and observe and on page 159 first.
The rear towing eye is located below the bumper on the right.
Remove the protective cap before using the towing eye. » Fig. 147. Replace the
protective cap after using the towing eye.
Vehicles with a tow hitch
Read and observe
and on page 159 first.
For vehicles with a factory-fitted towing device, the pre-installed detachable
tow-bar may be used » page 112, Hitch .
Towing the vehicle using the towing device is a viable alternative solution to using the towing eye.
CAUTIONThe detachable ball rod and/or the vehicle can be damaged if an unsuitable
tow bar is used.
Note
The detachable ball rod must always be in the vehicle so that it can be used for
towing, if necessary.
Remote control
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Replacing the battery in the remote control key
161
Synchronising the remote control
161
CAUTION
■ The replacement battery must have the same specification as the original
battery.■
We recommend having faulty rechargeable batteries replaced by a ŠKODA
service partner.
■
Pay attention to the correct polarity when changing the battery.
For the sake of the environment
Dispose of the used battery in accordance with national legal provisions.160Do-it-yourself