Wheels
Tyres and wheel rims
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Service life of tyres
213
New tyres
214
Unidirectional tyres
215
Tyre pressure monitor
215
Spare wheel
216
Full wheel trim
217
Wheel bolts
217
Wheel bolts
217WARNINGThe 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 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!
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 – 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).
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 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.
212General Maintenance
WARNINGInformation on the wheel bolts■The wheel bolts must be clean and must turn easily. Never treat them with
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 a too low tightening torque, the rim can
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 per-
manent 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 – risk of accident!
WARNINGInformation on the spare wheel■Only use the spare wheel while absolutely necessary.■
Never drive with more than one spare wheel mounted.
■
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 216, 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. 165
Principle sketch: Tyre tread with wear indicators/open fuel filler
flap with a table detailing the tyre sizes and tyre inflation pressures
Fig. 166
Replacing wheels
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 212.
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. 165 –
.
The tyre pressure for the spare wheel should correspond to the highest pressure
specified for your vehicle.
213Wheels
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 perpendicularly 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. 166. 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 located multiple times depending on the make and are evenly spaced around the circumference of the tyre » Fig. 165 -
. Markings on
the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”, triangular symbols or other sym- bols 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 212.
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
225/50R 17 91 T
What this means is:
CaptionMeaning225Tyre width in mm » Fig. 165 on page 213 - 50Height/width ratio in % » Fig. 165 on page 213 - RCode letter for the type of tyre – Radial » Fig. 165 on page 213 - 17Diameter of wheel in inches » Fig. 165 on page 213 - 91Load index » TSpeed 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. 580 kg
615 kg
630 kg
899192214General Maintenance
650 kg
670 kg
690 kg
730 kg
775 kg
Speed symbol
This indicates the maximum permissible vehicle speed with fitted tyres in each
category.
160 km/h
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 212.
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.
9394959799QRSTUHVWTyre pressure monitorFig. 167
Button for setting the tyre infla-
tion pressure control value
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 212.
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 213.
›
Switch on the ignition.
›
Press and hold the symbol button
» Fig. 167 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 when any of the following conditions are true.
› 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.
215Wheels
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 can be delayed or does not light up 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 10000 km or once a year.
Spare wheel
Fig. 168
Boot: Spare wheel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 212.
The spare wheel is located in a well under the floor covering in the boot and is
fixed in place with a securing bolt » Fig. 168.
Take out wheel
›
Open the boot lid.
›
Lift up the floor in the luggage compartment.
›
Remove the box with the tool kit.
›
Unscrew the bolt » Fig. 168 in an anti-cloockwise direction.
›Remove the wheel.
Store wheel away›
Place the wheel into the spare wheel well with the wheel rim pointing down- ward.
›
Screw the securing bolt » Fig. 168 in a clockwise direction until the wheel is se-
curely attached.
›
Replace the box with the tool kit.
›
Fold back the floor in the luggage compartment.
›
Shut 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.
› The tyre inflation pressure of the spare wheel R 16 is 420 kPa.
WARNING■
Never drive with more than one spare wheel mounted!■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 instructions on the warning sign of the emergency wheel.
216General Maintenance
Full wheel trimFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 212.
Extracting
›
Hook the clamp found in the vehicle tool kit » page 220 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.
Install
›
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 224 , 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. 169
Remove the capFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 212.
Pulling off
›
Push the extraction pliers » page 220 sufficiently far onto the cap until the inner
catches of the pliers are positioned at the collar of the cap.
›
Remove the cover in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 169.
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 212.
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
218
Snow chains
218
217Wheels
PreparationFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 221.
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 oc-
cupants of the vehicle should not stand on the road (they should instead remain
behind a crash barrier).
›
Switch off the engine.
›
Move the gearshift lever into Neutral or move the selector lever for the auto-
matic gearbox into position P.
›
Firmly apply the handbrake.
›
Uncouple any trailers.
›
Remove the vehicle tool kit » page 220 and the spare wheel » page 216 from
the boot.
Changing a wheel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 221.
›
Remove the full wheel trim » page 217 or caps » page 217 .
›
First of all slacken the anti-theft wheel bolt and then the other wheel
bolts » page 224 .
›
Jack up the vehicle until the wheel that needs changing is clear of the
ground » page 223 .
›
Unscrew the wheel bolts and place them on a clean surface (cloth, paper, etc.).
›
Remove the wheel carefully.
›
Attach the spare wheel and slightly screw on the wheel bolts.
›
Lower the vehicle.
›
Tighten the wheel bolts opposite each other using the wheel wrench (alternat-
ing crosswise). Tighten the anti-theft wheel bolt last » page 224.
›
Replace the wheel trim or the caps.
Note■
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 cor-
rect » page 212 .
Follow-up tasks
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 221.
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 216 .
›
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 options.
Note
■ If it is determined that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to turn when
changing the wheel, the bolts must be replaced before checking the tightening
torque.■
Drive cautiously and only at a moderate speed until the tightening torque has
been checked.
222Do-it-yourself
WARNING■Only raise the vehicle at the attachment points.■Choose a flat and firm surface for jacking the vehicle.
Securing wheels against theft
Fig. 177
Principle sketch: Anti-theft
wheel bolt with adapter
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 221.
The anti-theft wheel bolts can only be removed/tightened with the aid of the
adapter » page 220 , Vehicle tool kit .
›
Remove the cover from the anti-theft wheel bolt.
›
Insert the adapter
B
» Fig. 177 with its toothed side fully into the inner toothing
of the safety wheel bolt
A
until the stop so that only the outer hexagon is jut-
ting out.
›
Push the wheel wrench onto the adapter
B
up to the stop.
›
Loosen or tighten the wheel bolt » page 223.
›
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 possible.
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 purchase a
replacement adapter from ŠKODA Original Parts if necessary.■
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 Part-
ner.
Tyre repair
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Breakdown kit
225
Preparations for using the breakdown kit
225
Sealing and inflating the tyre
226
Check after 10 minutes' driving
226
Use the breakdown kit to reliably repair tyre damage caused by foreign bodies or
a puncture with diameters up to approx. 4 mm.
Performing a repair with the breakdown kit not at all intended to replace a per-
manent repair on the tyre. Its purpose is to get you to the nearest specialist ga-
rage.
The wheel must not be removed during repair.
Do not remove foreign bodies , e.g. screws or nails, from the tyre!
The breakdown kit must not be used under the following circumstances. › There is damage to the rim.
› The outside temperature is less than -20 °C.
› The tears or punctures are greater than 4 mm in size.
› There is damage to the tyre wall.
› Driving with very low tyre pressure or with a completely flat tyre.
› If the use-by-date (see inflation bottle) has passed.
WARNING■
A tyre filled with sealant has the same driving characteristics as a standard
tyre.■
Do not travel faster than 80 km/h.
■
Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
■
Check the tyre inflation pressure after driving for 10 minutes.
■
The sealant is hazardous to heath. Remove immediately if it comes into con-
tact with the skin.
For the sake of the environment
Used sealant or sealant whose expiry date has passed must be disposed of in ac- cordance with environmental protection regulations. 224Do-it-yourself