WARNING (Continued)■The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is the correct
one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will reduce its capacity to
protect and the risk of injury increases.■
The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked, otherwise the belt
tongue will not lock in place properly.
■
Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jack-
et) do not allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of
the seat belts.
■
It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e. g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons).
■
The seat belts for the rear seats can only fulfil their function reliably
when the seat backrests are correctly locked into position » page 67.
WARNINGInformation on the care and maintenance of the safety belts■The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may im-
pair proper operation of the inertia reel » page 128.■
The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not at-
tempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
■
Check the condition of all the seat belts on a regular basis. If any damage
to the seat belts, seat belt connections, inertia reel or the lock is detected,
the relevant seat belt must be replaced by a specialist garage.
■
Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident
and were therefore stretched, must be replaced – this is best done by a
specialist garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspec-
ted. The anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.
Note
The national legal requirements must be observed when using seat belts.The physical principle of a frontal collisionFig. 4
Driver without a fastened seat belt/rear seat passenger without a
fastened seat belt
Read and observe
on page 10 first.
As soon as the vehicle is moving, so-called kinetic energy (the energy of mo-
tion) is produced both in terms of the car as well as in terms of the occupants.
The magnitude of this kinetic energy depends essentially on the speed at
which the vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the vehicle including the
occupants. The greater the speed and weight increase, the greater the
amount of energy which has to be absorbed in the event of an accident.
The speed of the vehicle is the most important factor. Doubling the speed of
the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy four
times.
The idea that it is possible to support your body with your hands in a minor ac-
cident is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces acting on
the body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed of 30-50 km/h, the forces that your body is
exposed to in the event of an accident can exceed a metric ton (1000 kg).
For example, a person's weight of 80 kg “increases” to 4.8 tons (4,800 kg) at 50 km/h.
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat belt
are thrown forward and strike parts of the interior of the car, such as the
steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen in ways which cannot be control-
led » Fig. 4 -
. In certain circumstances you could even be thrown out of the
vehicle, which could cause life threatening or even fatal injuries.
11Seat belts
WARNINGThe factory-supplied lifting jack is only intended for your model of vehicle.
Under no circumstances attempt to lift heavier vehicles or other loads.
CAUTION
■ Ensure that the vehicle tool kit is safely secured in the boot.■Ensure that the box is always secured with the strap.
Changing a wheel
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Preliminary work
151
Full wheel trim
152
Wheel bolts
152
Changing a wheel
152
Follow-up work
153
Loosening/tightening wheel bolts
153
Raise vehicle
153
Securing wheels against theft
154WARNING■ If you are in flowing traffic, switch on the hazard warning light system
and set up the warning triangle at the prescribed distance! The national le-
gal requirements must be observed.■
Park the vehicle as far away as possible from the flow of traffic. Park on
as flat and firm a surface as possible.
■
The following instructions must be followed if the vehicle is subsequently
fitted with tyres or rims that differ from the factory-fitted ones » page 144,
New tyres .
WARNINGNotes for vehicle lifting■If the wheel has to be changed on a slope, first of all block the opposite
wheel with a stone or similar object to prevent the vehicle from unexpect-
edly rolling away.WARNING (Continued)■ Secure the base plate of the lifting jack with suitable means to prevent
possible moving. A soft and slippery ground under the base plate may move
the lifting jack, causing the vehicle to fall down. It is therefore always nec-
essary to place the lifting jack on a solid surface or use a wide and stable
base. Use a non-slip base (e.g. a rubber foot mat) if the surface is smooth,
such as cobbled stones, tiled floor, etc.■
Only attach the lifting jack to the attachment points provided for this pur-
pose.
■
Always raise the vehicle with the doors closed.
■
Never position any body parts, such as arms or legs under the vehicle,
while the vehicle is raised with a lifting jack.
■
When the vehicle is raised, never start the engine.
WARNINGInformation on 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 al-
loy wheels is 120 Nm.
■
If the wheel bolts are tightened to a too low tightening torque, the rim
can come loose when the car is moving. 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.
■
In case of incorrect treatment of the wheel bolts, the wheel can loosen
when the car is moving.
Note
The national legal requirements must be observed when changing a wheel.
Preliminary work
Read and observe
on page 151 first.
Always change a wheel on a level surface as far as possible.
The following steps must be carried out before actually changing the wheel:
›
Have all of the occupants get out of the vehicle. While changing a tyre, the
occupants of the vehicle should not stand on the road (they should instead
remain behind a crash barrier).
›
Switch off the engine.
151Emergency equipment and self-help
WARNING■All bolts must be clean and must turn easily.■Under no circumstances grease or oil the wheel bolts!■
When fitting unidirectional tyres, ensure that the direction of rotation is
correct » page 145 .
Follow-up work
Read and observe
on page 151 first.
The following steps must also be performed after changing the wheel.
›
Stow and attach the replaced wheel in the spare wheel well using a special
bolt » page 146 .
›
Stow the tool kit in the space provided and secure using the band.
›
Check the tyre pressure on the installed spare wheel as soon as possible.
›
Have the tightening torque of the wheel bolts checked with a torque
wrench as soon as possible.
Replace the damaged wheel or consult a specialist garage about repair op-
tions.
WARNING■ If it is established when changing a wheel that the wheel bolts are corro-
ded and difficult to move, then these must be replaced.■
Drive cautiously and only at a moderate speed until the tightening torque
has been checked.
Loosening/tightening wheel bolts
Fig. 139
Changing a wheel: Loosening the
wheel bolts
Read and observe on page 151 first.
Loosening
›
Push the wheel wrench onto the wheel bolt to the stop 1)
.
›
Grasp the end of the wrench and turn the bolt about one turn in the direction
of the arrow » Fig. 139.
Tightening
›
Push the wheel wrench onto the wheel bolt to the stop 1)
.
›
Grasp the end of the wrench and turn the bolt against the direction of the
arrow » Fig. 139 until it is tight.
WARNING■
Undo the wheel bolts only a little (about one turn) provided that the vehi-
cle has not yet been jacked up. Otherwise the wheel could become loose
and fall off.■
If it proves difficult to undo the bolts, carefully apply pressure to the end
of the wrench with your foot. Keep hold of the vehicle when doing so, and
make sure you keep your footing.
Raise vehicle
Fig. 140
Jacking points for positioning
lifting jack
1)
Use the appropriate adapter for undoing and tightening the anti-theft wheel bolts
» page 154.
153Emergency equipment and self-help
Fig. 141
Attach lifting jack
Read and observe
on page 151 first.
Position the lifting jack below the jacking point closest to the faulty
wheel » Fig. 140 .
The mounting points are located on the metal bar of the lower sill on the un-
derside of your vehicle » Fig. 140.
›
Support the base plate of the jack with its full area resting on level ground
and ensure that the jack is located in a vertical position at the jacking
point » Fig. 141 -
.
›
Position the lifting jack below the jacking point with the crank and move it up
until its claw encloses the web » Fig. 141 -
.
›
Continue turning up the jack until the wheel is just about lifted off the
ground.
WARNING■ Only raise the vehicle at the attachment points.■Choose a flat and firm surface for jacking the vehicle.Securing wheels against theftFig. 142
Principle illustration: Anti-theft
wheel bolt with adapter
Read and observe on page 151 first.
The anti-theft wheel bolts can only be removed/tightened with the aid of the
adapter » page 150 .
›
Remove the cover from the anti-theft wheel bolt.
›
Insert the adapter
B
» Fig. 142 with its toothed side fully into the inner
toothing of the anti-theft wheel bolt
A
until the stop so that only the outer
hexagon is jutting out.
›
Push the wheel wrench onto the adapter
B
up to the stop.
›
Loosen or tighten the wheel bolt » page 153.
›
After removing the adapter, replace the cap on the anti-theft wheel bolt.
›
Have the tightening torque checked with a torque wrench as soon as possi-
ble.
Note
■ Make a note of the code number hammered into the rear side of the adapter
or the rear side of the anti-theft wheel bolt. This number can be used to pur-
chase a replacement adapter from ŠKODA Genuine Parts if required.■
We recommend that you always carry the adapter for the wheel bolts with
you in the vehicle. It should be stowed in the vehicle tool kit.
■
The anti-theft wheel bolt set and adapter can be purchased from a ŠKODA
Partner.
154Do-it-yourself