2014 SKODA FABIA Owner's Manual

WARNINGThere is a risk of injuries, poisoning, chemical burns, explosions or fire
when carrying out any work on the battery and on the electrical system. It
is essential to comply with the generally applicable rules of safety as well
as the warning instructions outlined below.■
Keep the vehicle battery away from people who are not completely inde-
pendent, especially children.
■
Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery vent openings. Protect your eyes by wearing safety glasses or a
face shield – there is a risk of being blinded.
■
Always wear protective gloves, eye and skin protection when handling
the vehicle battery.
■
The battery acid is strongly corrosive and must, therefore, be handled
with the greatest of care.
■
Corrosive fumes in the air irritate the air passages and lead to conjunctivi-
tis and inflammation of the air passages in the lungs.
■
Battery acid corrodes dental enamel and creates deep wounds on contact
with the skin which take a long time to heal.
■
If any battery electrolyte comes into contact with your eyes, rinse the
eyes immediately with clear water for several minutes - consult a doctor
immediately.
■
Splashes of acid on your skin or clothes should be neutralised as soon as
possible using soap suds and then rinsed with plenty of water.
■
Seek immediate medical assistance if you swallow battery acid.
WARNING■ The use of open flames and light should be avoided.■Smoking and radio triggering activities should be avoided.■
Never use a damaged vehicle battery – there is a risk of explosion.
■
Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – there is a risk of explo-
sion and caustic burns.
■
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with an electrolyte level that is too low
– risk of explosion and caustic burns.
CAUTION
■ Improper handling of the vehicle battery may cause damage.■Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork –
there is a risk of damage to the paintwork.■ If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will
discharge. Prevent the battery from discharging by disconnecting the battery's
negative terminal 
or continuously charging the battery with a very low
charging current.■
Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the vehicle bat-
tery housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
■
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
■ We recommend having all work on the vehicle battery carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.■
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
Open cover
Fig. 150
Polyester cover of vehicle bat-
tery
Read and observe and on page 158 first.
The battery is located in the engine compartment - in some models, under-
neath a polyester cover » Fig. 150.
›
Fold out the cover on the battery in the direction of the arrow.
The battery cover is installed in reverse order.
158General Maintenance

Checking the battery electrolyte levelFig. 151
Electrolyte level indicator
Read and observe and on page 158 first.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, » Fig. 151 the
colouring of the display can indicate the acidic level.
Air bubbles can influence the colour of the indicator. For this reason carefully knock on the indicator before carrying out the check.
› Black colour - electrolyte level is correct.
› Colourless or light yellow colour - electrolyte level too low, the battery must
be replaced.
Vehicles with a START-STOP system are fitted with a battery control unit for
checking the energy level for the recurring engine start.
We recommend you have the electrolyte level checked by a specialist garage from time to time, especially in the following cases.
› High external temperatures.
› Longer day trips.
› After each charge.
Winter time
The vehicle battery only has some of its starting power at low temperatures. A
discharged vehicle battery may freeze at temperatures just below 0 °C .
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked and, if necessary,
recharged by a specialist garage before the start of the winter.
Note
■ The battery electrolyte level is also periodically checked by a specialist ga-
rage as part of the Inspection Service.■
For technical reasons, on vehicles with the description “AGM”, the electrolyte
level cannot be checked.
Charging
Read and observe
and on page 158 first.
A properly charged vehicle battery is essential for reliably starting the engine.
A charging operation can be performed if the following conditions are satis-
fied.
The engine is turned off.
The ignition is switched off.
All consumers are turned off.
The bonnet is open.
“Fast charging” with high currents
›
Disconnect both battery cables (first of all “negative”, then “positive”).
›
Attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals (red =
“positive”, black = “negative”).
›
Plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket and switch the
charger on.
›
Once charging is complete: Switch off the charger and remove the mains ca-
ble from the power socket.
›
Only then disconnect the charger's terminal clamps.
›
Reconnect the cables to the battery (first “positive”, then “negative”).
Charging with low voltages
It is not necessary to disconnect the cables from the battery if you recharge
the vehicle battery, for example from a mini-charger.
Refer to the charger manufacturer's instructions .
A charging current of 0.1 multiple of the total vehicle battery capacity (or low-
er) must be used until full charging is achieved.
The vent plugs of the vehicle battery should not be opened for charging. 
159Inspecting and replenishing

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 metal ob-
jects - cables) creates a short circuit - risk of damage to the battery, explo-
sion and burning of the battery, jets of acid spurting out.
■
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 en-
gine, the ignition and all electrical consumers and disconnect the negative
terminal 
.
■
“Quick-charging” the vehicle battery is dangerous and requires a special
charger and specialist knowledge.
■
We therefore recommend that vehicle batteries be “rapidly charged” by a
specialist garage.
CAUTION
On vehicles with the START/STOP system or additional heating (auxiliary heat-
ing), the pole terminal of the charger must not be connected directly to the
negative terminal of the vehicle battery, but only to the engine earth
» page 176 .
Replacing
Read and observe
and on page 158 first.
The new vehicle battery must have the same capacity, voltage, current and the
same size as the original battery. Suitable vehicle battery types can be pur-
chased from a specialist garage.
We recommend that the battery is replaced by a specialist garage, where the
new vehicle battery will be installed properly and the original battery will be
disposed of in accordance with national regulations.
Disconnecting or reconnecting
Read and observe
and on page 158 first.
Disconnecting
›
Switch off the ignition.
›First, disconnect the negative terminal
 first, then the positive  terminal
of the battery.
Connecting›
First, connect the positive 
first, then the negative 
battery terminal.
After disconnecting and re-connecting the vehicle battery, the following func-
tions or devices are partially or completely inoperative.
Function / deviceOperating measureElectric window levers» page 58RadioEnter code » operating instruc-
tions for the Infotainment dis-
play radioTime settings» page 33
CAUTION
■ Disconnect the vehicle battery only with the ignition turned off - there is a
risk of damaging the electrical system of the vehicle.■
Under no circumstances must the battery cables be connected incorrectly –
risk of a cable fire.
Note
■ After disconnecting and re-connecting the vehicle battery, we recommend
having the vehicle checked by a specialist to ensure that the full functionality
of all electrical systems is guaranteed.■
The data of the multi-function display will be reset.
Automatic load deactivation
Read and observe
and on page 158 first.
The vehicle voltage control unit automatically prevents the battery from dis-
charging when the battery is subjected to heavy loads. This may be noticed
from the following.
› The idling speed is raised to allow the generator to deliver more electricity to
the electrical system.
› Where appropriate large convenience consumers, e.g. seat heaters, rear win-
dow heaters, have their power limited or shut off completely if necessary. 
160General 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 which are supplied via a 12 V socket can cause the vehicle battery
to discharge when the ignition is switched off.
Note
Driving comfort is not disrupted by any shutting off of consumers. Often the
driver is not aware of it having taken place.Wheels
Tyres and rims
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Notes on using wheels
161
Tyre pressure
162
Tyre wear
162
Tyre wear indicator and wheels exchange
163
Tyre damage
163
Unidirectional tyres
164
Only use those tyres or wheel rims which have been approved by ŠKODA for
your model of vehicle.
WARNINGNational legal requirements must be observed for the use of tyres.WARNINGFor safety reasons, do no replace tyres individually.
For the sake of the environment
Old and unserviceable tyres are a polluting hazardous waste. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legislation.
Note
■ We recommend that any work on the wheels or tyres is 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.
Notes on using wheels
Read and observe
on page 161 first.
During the first 500 km, new tyres do not offer optimum grip and appropriate
care should therefore be taken when driving.
Always fit the tyres with the deeper tread depth to the front wheels. 
161Wheels

Tyre storage
Mark the tyres as you remove them so that you are able to refit them to run in
the same direction.
Always store wheels or tyres in a cool, dry and, where possible, dark place.
Tyres which are not fixed to a wheel trim should be stored upright.
Tyre age
Tyres age losing their original characteristics, even if they are not used. The
service life of the tyres is 6 years. Therefore, we recommend not using tyres
older than 6 years.
Wheel bolts
Wheels and wheel bolts are matched to each other in terms of design. There-
fore we recommend that you use wheel rims and wheel bolts from ŠKODA
Original Accessories.WARNINGNever use tyres if you do not know anything about the condition and age.
Tyre pressure
Fig. 152
Label with a table of tyre sizes and tyre pressures / inflate tyres
Read and observe
on page 161 first.
Tyre pressure is always to match the load.
The specified tyre pressures are on a label
A
» Fig. 152 .
For some countries, the sticker is produced without pictograms, but only with
listed tyre inflation values.
Label with prescribed tyre inflation pressure values » Fig. 152
Position of the label
Inflation pressure for half load
Inflation pressure for increased driving comfort at half load
Inflation pressure for full load
As a result of adjusting pressure to the value C
for increased driving comfort,
fuel consumption can rise slightly.
Check tyre pressures
Check the tyre pressure, including that of the spare wheel, at least once a
month and also before setting off on a long journey.
Always check the inflation pressure when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the
higher pressure of warm tyres.
In vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring tyre pressure values are to be stored
every time the tyre pressure changes » page 127.
WARNING■
The correct tyre pressure values is always the driver's responsibility.■Too low or too high inflation pressure impairs handling.■
If the pressure is too low, the tyre must overcome a greater rolling resist-
ance. This will heat the tyre up, especially at higher speeds. This can result
in tread separation and a tyre blowout.
■
For very fast tyre pressure loss, such as a sudden tyre failure try to bring
the vehicle carefully to a stop without sudden steering movements and
without any hard braking.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Tyre wear
Read and observe
on page 161 first.
Tyre wear depends on the pressure, driving style, and other circumstances.
Attention to the following notes may affect tyre wear.
Driving style
Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking increase the tyre wear. 
ABCD162General Maintenance

Wheel balance
The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. There are a wide range of influen-
ces when the car is being driven which may result in an imbalance. This may
become apparent by “vibration” in the steering. If this is the case, the wheels
have to be balanced at specialist garage.
Also have the wheels rebalanced after replacing or repairing the tyres.
Adjustment of the vehicle geometry
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear leads to excess wear of the tyres
and negatively affects the driving safety. With a distinctive tyre wear, we rec-
ommend that you check the setting of the vehicle geometry in a specialist
workshop.WARNING■ 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 doubt that a wheel is damaged, immediately re-
duce your speed and stop! If no external tyre damage is evident, drive slow-
ly and carefully to the nearest specialist garage to have the vehicle
checked.
Tyre wear indicator and wheels exchange
Fig. 153
Principle sketch: Replace tyre tread with wear indicators /
wheels
Read and observe
on page 161 first.
Wear indicators
The base of the tread of the tyres has 1.6 mm high wear indicators installed » Fig. 153 - 
. In some countries, different tyre wear rates may apply.
Markings on the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”, triangular sym-
bols or other symbols identify the position of the wear indicators.
Exchanging the wheels
For uniform wear on all tyres, we recommend that you change the wheels ev-
ery 10 000 km according to the scheme » Fig. 153- 
. You will then obtain ap-
proximately the same life for all the tyres.
After swapping the wheels, the tyre pressure should be adjusted.
In vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring tyre pressure values are to be stored
» page 127 .WARNING■
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down.■
Worn tyres do not provide the necessary grip particularly at high speeds
on wet roads. “Aquaplaning” (uncontrolled movements of the vehicle –
“swimming” on a wet road surface) could be the result.
Tyre damage
Read and observe
on page 161 first.
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 profile immediately.
Drive over kerbs and other such obstacles slowly and at right angles wherever
possible in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.
Immediately replace damaged wheel rims or tyres.
WARNINGNever drive with damaged tyres – there is the risk of an accident.
CAUTION
The tyres must be protected from contact with substances such as oil, grease
and fuel, which could damage them. If the tyres with these substances come
into contact, then we recommend that you check this in a specialist workshop.163Wheels

Unidirectional tyresRead and observe
on page 161 first.
The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the
tyre .
The direction of rotation indicated must be complied with to obtain the best
benefits from the characteristics of these tyres.
These characteristics are principally the following.
› Increased driving stability.
› Reduced risk of aquaplaning.
› Reduced tyre noise and reduced tyre wear.
Manufacturer-approved tyre variants

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Explanation of the tire labelling
164
Manufacturer-approved tyre variants
165
Authorised tyre variants are to be selected according to the engine size of your
vehicle » page 165 , Manufacturer-approved tyre variants .
Only fit radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and the same
tread pattern on one axle on all four wheels.
When mounting new tyres the tyres have to be replaced axle by axle.
The information listed in the table corresponds to the information available at the time of going to press.
The approved tyre / rim combinations for your car are given on the sales and
technical vehicle documentation.
Explanation of the tire labelling
Explanation of tyre markings
For example, 185/65 R 14 86 T means:
185Tyre width in mm65Height/width ratio in %RCode letter for the type of tyre – Radial14Diameter of wheel in inches86Load indexTSpeed symbol
The date of manufacture is stated on the tyre wall (possibly on the inside).
For example DOT ... 11 14... means, for example, that the tyre was manufac-
tured in the 11th week of 2014.
The marking M+Smeans that the associated tire is suitable for winter use.
Load index
The load index indicates the maximum permissible load bearing capacity for
each individual tyre.
Load index838485868788Load
(In kg)487500515530545560
Speed symbol
The maximum speed symbol indicates the maximum permissible vehicle speed
with fitted tyres in each category.
Speed symbolSTUHVWTopspeed (in km/h)180190200210240270WARNING■ Never exceed the maximum permissible load bearing capacity of moun-
ted tyres.■
Never exceed the maximum permissible speed for the mounted tyres.
CAUTION
The information about load index and speed symbol can be found in the vehi-
cle sales and technical documentation.164General Maintenance

Manufacturer-approved tyre variantsMotorisationTyresizeMinimal
Load indexMinimal
speed symbol
1.0 l/44 kW MPI
175/70 R1484
T
185/60 R15215/45 R1686215/40 R1787
1.0 l./55 kW MPI
175/70 R1484
T
185/60 R15215/45 R1686215/40 R1787
1.2 l/66 kW TSI
175/70 R1484
T
185/60 R15215/45 R1686215/40 R1787
1.2 l/81 kW TSI
185/60 R1584
H
215/45 R1686215/40 R1787
1.4 l/66 kW TDI CR
175/70 R1484
T
185/60 R15215/45 R1686215/40 R1787
1.4 l/77 kW TDI CR
185/60 R1584
H
215/45 R1686215/40 R1787
Winter use
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Winter tyres
165
Snow chains
165Winter tyres
Summer tyres have less grip on ice, snow and at temperatures below 7 °C. This
is especially true of low-profile tyres or high-speed tyres .
The handling of your vehicle will be significantly improved when driving on
wintry roads if you fit winter tyres.
To get best possible handling, winter tyres must be used on all four wheels.
The minimum tread depth should be 4 mm.
Winter tyres (marked with M+S and a peak/snowflake symbol) of a lower speed
category can be used provided that the permissible maximum speed of these
tyres is not exceeded even if the possible maximum speed of the vehicle is
higher.
On vehicles with the infotainment system with key the speed limit can be
set for winter tyres » User manual Infotainment , chapter Adjust vehicle sys-
tems (key CAR) .
For other vehicles, there is the possibility to have the speed limit set for winter
tyres in a specialist workshop.
Only use those winter tyres or wheel rims which have been approved by
ŠKODA for your model of vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
Re-fit the summer tyres at an appropriate time as they provide better handling
properties, a shorter braking distance, less tyre noise, and reduced tyre wear
on roads which are free of snow and ice as well as at temperatures above 7 °C.
The fuel consumption is also lower.
Snow chains
When driving on wintry roads, snow chains improve not only traction, but also
the braking performance.
Snow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 12 mm.
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the follow-
ing wheel/tyre combinations. 
165Wheels