2013 SKODA RAPID SPACEBACK wheel

In a lot of countries sufficient trade-in networks have been created, where you
can trade-in your vehicle. After you trade-in your vehicle, you will receive a
confirmation documenting the recycling in accordance with environmental reg-
ulations.
Note
You can find more detailed information about the trade-in and recycling of old
cars from a specialist garage.
Washing vehicle
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Washing by hand
122
Automatic car wash systems
122
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
123
The best way to protect your vehicle against harmful environmental influences
is frequent washing.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust,
tar, soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to
the paintwork of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect
can be. High temperatures, such as those caused by intensive sun's rays, ac-
centuate this caustic effect.
It is essential to also thoroughly clean the underside of the vehicle at the end
of the winter.
WARNINGWhen washing your vehicle in the winter: Water and ice in the braking sys-
tem can affect the braking efficiency – risk of accident!
CAUTION
The temperature of the water used for cleaning must not exceed 60 °C – risk
of damaging the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle at washing bays intended for this purpose.Washing by hand
Read and observe
and on page 122 first.
Soak the dirt with plenty of water and rinse as well as possible.
Clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, a washing glove or a washing brush.
Work from the top to the bottom – starting with the roof.
For stubborn dirt, agents specifically intended for this purpose are to be used. Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.
Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for such areas.
Give the vehicle a good rinse after washing it and dry it off using a chamois
leather.
WARNINGProtect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when cleaning
the underfloor or the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel trims – risk
of cuts!
CAUTION
■ Only apply slight pressure when cleaning the vehicle's paintwork.■Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight – risk of paint damage.
Automatic car wash systems
Read and observe
and on page 122 first.
The usual precautionary measures must be taken before washing the vehicle
in an automatic car wash system (e.g. closing the windows and the sliding/tilt-
ing roof etc.).
If your vehicle is fitted with any particular attached parts, such as a spoiler,
roof rack system, two-way radio aerial etc., it is best to consult the operator of
the car wash system beforehand.
After an automatic wash with wax treatment, the lips of the wipers should be
cleaned with cleaning agents specially designed for the purpose, and then de-
greased. 
122General Maintenance

CAUTIONFold in the exterior mirrors to prevent damage before washing the vehicle in
an automatic car wash system. Never manually fold in electric exterior mirrors -
always use the electric controls.
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
Read and observe
and on page 122 first.
When washing the vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, the instructions for
use of the equipment must be observed. This applies in particular to the pres-
sure used and to the spraying distance .
Maintain a sufficiently large distance to the parking aid sensors and soft mate-
rials such as rubber hoses or insulation material.
CAUTION
■ If washing the vehicle in the winter using a hose or high-pressure cleaner,
ensure that the jet of water is not aimed directly at the locking cylinders or the
door/panel joints – risk of freezing!■
To avoid damaging the parking aid sensors while cleaning with high-pressure
cleaners or steam jets, the sensors must only be directly sprayed for short pe-
riods while a minimum distance of 10 cm must be observed.
Note
Also refer to "Washing cars with decorative films using a high-pressure clean-
er" » page 124 .
Cleaning vehicle exterior

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Vehicle paint work
123
Plastic parts
124
Rubber seals
124
Chrome parts
124
Decorative films
124
Windows and external mirrors
125
Headlight glasses
125
Door closing cylinder
125Cavity protection125Wheels126
Under-body protection
126
Wiper blades
126
We recommend using vehicle care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
These are available from ŠKODA Partners. The usage instructions on the pack-
age must be observed.
WARNING■ Vehicle care products may be harmful to your health if not used according
to the instructions.■
Always keep the vehicle care products safe from people who are not com-
pletely independent, e.g. children - there is a danger of poisoning!
■
Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when clean-
ing the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel trims –
risk of cuts!
CAUTION
■ Do not use any insect sponges, rough kitchen sponges or similar cleaning
products – risk of damaging the paintwork surface.■
Cleaners that contain solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
For the sake of the environment
Used vehicle care product cans represent hazardous waste that is harmful to the environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal
regulations.
Note
Due to the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any potential
problems with the cleaning and care of your vehicle's exterior, we recommend
that the cleaning and care of your vehicle be carried out by a ŠKODA Service
Partner.
Vehicle paint work
Read and observe
and on page 123 first.
Preserving the vehicle paintwork
A thorough wax treatment provides the vehicle's paintwork with highly effec-
tive protection against harmful environmental influences. 
123Care and maintenance

If any small amount of wax flow out of the cavities at high temperatures, these
must be removed with a plastic scraper and the stains cleaned using a petrole-
um cleaner.WARNINGSafety regulations should be observed when using petroleum cleaner to re-
move wax – risk of fire!
Wheels
Read and observe
and on page 123 first.
Wheel rims
Also thoroughly wash the wheel rims when washing the vehicle on a regular basis.
Regularly remove salt and brake abrasion, otherwise the rim material will be
corroded.
Light alloy wheels
After washing thoroughly, treat the wheel rims with a protective product for
light alloy wheels. Products which cause abrasion must not be used to treat
the wheel rims.
CAUTION
■ Damage to the paint layer on the wheel rims must be touched up immediate-
ly.■
Severe layers of dirt on the wheels can also result in wheel imbalance. This
may show itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the
steering wheel which, in certain circumstances, can cause premature wear of
the steering. This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
Under-body protection
Read and observe
and on page 123 first.
The underside of your vehicle is already permanently protected by the factory
against chemical and mechanical influences.
It is not possible to guarantee that the protective coating will not suffer any
damage as the vehicle is driven.
We recommend having the protective coating underneath the vehicle and the
chassis checked — preferably before the beginning of winter and at the end of
winter.WARNINGNever use additional under-body protection or anti-corrosion agents for ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converters, diesel particle filters or heat shields.
When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances may
ignite - risk of fire!
Wiper blades
Read and observe
and on page 123 first.
Clean the wiper blades regularly with a glass cleaner. The wiper blades shouldbe cleaned with a sponge or cloth if they are heavily soiled by insect residues,
for example.
The wiper blades can become soiled with wax residues after washing in auto-
matic vehicle wash systems for example » page 122.
Interior care
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Natural leather
127
Artificial leather, materials and Alcantara ®
128
Seat covers
128
Safety belts
128
We recommend using vehicle care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
These are available from ŠKODA Partners. The usage instructions on the pack-
age must be observed. 
126General Maintenance

WARNING■Vehicle care products may be harmful to your health if not used according
to the instructions.■
Always keep the vehicle care products safe from people who are not com-
pletely independent, e.g. children - there is a danger of poisoning!
■
Air fresheners and scents can be hazardous to heath when the tempera-
ture inside the vehicle is high.
CAUTION
■ Be sure to check clothing for colour fastness to avoid any damage or visible
stains on the material (leather), panels and textiles.■
Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc., from the material (leather), panels and textiles as quickly as possi-
ble.
■
Do not attach scents or air fresheners to the dash panel – there is a risk of
damage to the dash panel.
■
Do not attach any stickers to the filaments or glass antenna - there is risk of
damage.
■
Do not clean the roof panelling with a brush – risk of damage to the surface
of the panelling.
■
Cleaners that contain solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
■
Apply only a small amount of the cleaning and care product.
For the sake of the environment
Used vehicle care product cans represent hazardous waste that is harmful to the environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal
regulations.
Note
Due to the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any potential
problems with the cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle, we recom-
mend that cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle be carried out by a
ŠKODA service partner.
Natural leather
Read and observe
and on page 127 first.
The leather needs, depending on the strain placed on it, regular cleaning and
maintenance.
Dust and dirt in pores and creases cause abrasions on the surface and lead to
premature brittling of the leather surface. Therefore, they must be removed
regularly at short intervals with a cloth or vacuum cleaner.
Clean soiled leather surfaces with a water-dampened cotton or woollen cloth
and then dry with a clean, dry cloth »
.
Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth soaked in a mild soap solution (2 ta-
blespoons of neutral soap to 1 litre of water).
To remove stains , use a cleaning agent specially designed for this purpose.
Treat the leather periodically with a suitable leather protector and use a skin
care cream with light blocker and impregnation after each cleaning.
CAUTION
■ Ensure that no part of the leather is soaked through during cleaning and that
no water gets into the seams! Otherwise, the leather could become brittle or
cracked.■
Avoid leaving the vehicle for lengthy periods in bright sunlight to avoid
bleaching the leather. If the vehicle is parked in the open for lengthy periods,
protect the leather from direct sunlight by covering it.
■
The use of a mechanical steering wheel lock may damage the leather surface
of the steering wheel.
■
Some clothing materials, e.g. dark denim, do not have sufficient colour fast-
ness. This can cause damage or clearly visible discolouration to seat covers,
even when used correctly. This applies particularly to light-coloured seat cov-
ers. This does not relate to a fault in the seat cover, but rather to poor colour
fastness of the clothing textiles.
■
Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-
edged belts etc. may leave permanent scratches or signs of rubbing on the
surface or damage these. Such damage cannot be subsequently recognised as
a justified complaint.
Note
When using the vehicle, minor visible changes may occur to the leather parts
of the covers (e.g. wrinkles or creases) as a result of the stress applied to the
covers.127Care and maintenance

CAUTION■Despite such intervention by the vehicle electric system management, the
vehicle 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
battery to discharge when the ignition is switched off.
Note
Driving comfort is not impaired by consumers being deactivated. The driver is
often not aware of it having taken place.Wheels
Tyres and wheel rims
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Service life of tyres
143
New tyres
144
Unidirectional tyres
145WARNINGThe national legal regulations must be observed for the use of tyres.WARNINGInstructions for the use of tyres■For the first 500 km, new tyres do not yet provide optimum grip, and ap-
propriate 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 of moun-
ted tyres.
■
Never exceed the maximum permissible speed for the mounted tyres.
■
An incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear impairs handling.
■
Unusual vibrations or pulling of the vehicle to one side could be a sign of
tyre damage. If there is any suspicion that a wheel is damaged, immediately
reduce 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 will adversely affect the
road safety of your vehicle.
WARNINGInformation regarding tyre damage or wear■Never use tyres if you do not know anything about the condition and age.■
Never drive with damaged tyres.
■
Immediately replace damaged wheel rims or tyres. 
142General Maintenance

WARNING (Continued)■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
vehicle movement – “swimming” on a wet road surface).
CAUTION
■ 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 rota-
tion, drive carefully as the optimal characteristics of the tyre are no longer ap-
plicable in this situation.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres that are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Note
■ We recommend that any works on the wheels or tyres be carried out by a
specialist garage.■
We recommend that you use wheel rims, tyres, full wheel trims and snow
chains from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
Service life of tyres
Fig. 130
Principle illustration: Replace tyre tread with wear indicators /
wheels
Fig. 131
Open the fuel filler flap with a table of tyre sizes and tyre pres-
sures / inflate tyres
Read and observe
and on page 142 first.
The service life of tyres depends on the inflation pressure, driving style and
other circumstances.
Sticker with prescribed tyre inflation pressure values » Fig. 131
Position of the CNG label
Standard filling for half load
Comfort inflation pressure for half load 1)
Standard filling pressure for a full load
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 sticker with prescribed tyre inflation filling values is located on the inside
of the tank flap
A
» Fig. 131 .
In some vehicles, the tyre pressure can be adjusted to the comfort inflation
pressure value » Fig. 131
C
and a higher driving comfort can therefore be ach-
ieved.
With comfort inflation pressure, the fuel consumption can rise slightly.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle
at all times. 
ABCD1)
Valid for some vehicles.
143Wheels

Always check the inflation pressure when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the
higher pressure on 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 re-balanced 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
swapping the front wheels with the rear wheels as shown in the dia-
gram » Fig. 130 -
 . 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. 130- 
. Markings on the walls of the tyres
through the letters “TWI”, triangular symbols or other symbols identify the po-
sition 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
Read and observe
and on page 142 first.
Only use radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and tread
pattern on one axle on all four wheels.
The tyre/wheel combinations which are approved for your vehicle are indica-
ted 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. 131 on page 14365Height/width ratio in % » Fig. 131 on page 143RCode letter for the type of tyre – Radial » Fig. 131 on page 14315Diameter of wheel in inches » Fig. 131 on page 14385Load index » HSpeed symbol »
The date of manufacture is stated on the tyre wall (possibly on the inside). e.g.
DOT ... 11 14...
means, for example, that the tyre was manufactured in the week 11 of 2014. 
144General Maintenance

Load index
The load index indicates the maximum permissible load for each individual
tyre.Load index838485868791929395Load
(In kg)487500515530545615630650690
Speed symbol
The maximum speed symbol indicates the maximum permissible vehicle speed
with fitted tyres in each category.
Speed iconRSTUHVWMaximum speed
(in km/h)170180190200210240270
CAUTION
The information about the load index and the speed symbol is listed in your
vehicle documents.
Unidirectional tyres
Read and observe
and on page 142 first.
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
optimal characteristics of these tyres.
These characteristics mainly relate to the following.
› Increased driving stability.
› Reduced risk of aquaplaning.
› Reduced tyre noise and tyre wear.
Tyre control display

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Setting
146
Display
146
Monitors the tyre pressure display and warns of a change in tyre pressure.
The system must be calibrated if one of the following is evident. › Change of tyre inflation pressure.
› Change one or more wheels.
› Change in position of a wheel on the vehicle.
› The warning light comes on while driving.
WARNINGInformation on tyre pressure■The tyre control display does not absolve the driver of the responsibility
to ensure the correct tyre inflation pressure. Check the tyre inflation pres-
sure at regular intervals.■
Too low or too high inflation pressure impairs handling.
■
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 blow out.
■
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.
CAUTION
■ To ensure a proper functioning of the tyre control display, it is necessary to
repeat the basic setting every 10,000 km or once a year.■
The tyre pressure monitor does not replace the need to check tyre pressure
regularly.
145Wheels