2014 SKODA RAPID catalytic converter

Driving
Starting-off and Driving
Starting and turning off the engine
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Electronic immobilizer
100
Lock/unlock steering lock
101
Ignition on / off and start the engine
101
Switching off the engine
101
With the key in the ignition, the ignition can be switched on and off and the
engine can be started / stopped.
WARNING■ While driving with the engine stopped, the ignition must always be
switched on » page 101, Ignition on / off and start the engine .
■ With the ignition off, the steering may lock » page 101 - danger of an
accident!■
Do not withdraw the ignition key from the ignition lock until the vehicle
has come to a stop » page 103, Parking . Otherwise, the steering could be
blocked – risk of accident!
■
Never leave the key in the vehicle when you exit the vehicle. Unauthor-
ized persons, such as children, for example, could lock the car, turn on the
ignition or start the engine - there is a danger of injury, accidents and dam-
age!
■
Never leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running - there is
risk of accident, damage or theft!
■
Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary – risk of acci-
dent!
WARNING■ Never (e.g. in garages) run the engine in a closed place - there is the dan-
ger of poisoning and death!■
Do not leave any items (e.g. cloths or tools) in the engine compartment.
This presents a fire hazard and the risk of engine damage.
■
Never cover the engine with additional insulation material (e.g. with a
cover) – risk of fire!
CAUTION
■ Only start the engine when the engine and the vehicle are stationary - there
is a danger of starter and engine damage!■
Do not push-start the engine – 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 162.
Note
Do not warm up the engine while the vehicle is stationary. If possible, start
your journey as soon as the engine has started. Through this, the engine rea-
ches its operating temperature faster.
Electronic immobilizer
Read and observe
and on page 100 first.
The electronic immobilizer makes a possible attempted theft or unauthorizeduse of your vehicle more difficult.
An electronic chip is integrated in the head of the key. The immobiliser is deac-
tivated with the aid of this chip when the key is inserted in the ignition lock.
The electronic immobiliser is automatically activated when the ignition key is
withdrawn from the lock.
The engine will not start if a non-authorized ignition key is used.
The following message is shown in the information cluster display. Immobilizer active.
IMMOBILIZER
100Driving

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 underbody 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 128 first.
Clean the wiper blades regularly with a glass cleaner. The wiper blades should
be 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 128.
Interior care
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Natural leather
132
Artificial leather, materials and Alcantara ®
133
Seat covers
134
Safety belts
134
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!
■
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 colourfastness 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.
■
Cleaner 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 132 first.
The leather needs, depending on the strain placed on it, regular cleaning andmaintenance. 
132General Maintenance

CAUTION■Do not tow start the engine – 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 162 , Jump-starting .■
If the gearbox no longer contains any oil, your vehicle must only be towed
with the front axle raised clear of the ground or on a breakdown vehicle or
trailer.
■
To protect both vehicles when tow-starting or towing, the tow rope should
be elastic. Thus one should only use plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a
similarly elastic material.
■
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.
■
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar to the towing eyes » page 165
or » page 165 to the detachable ball head of the towing equip-
ment » page 116 .
Note
We recommend using a tow rope from ŠKODA Original Accessories, which is
available from a ŠKODA Partner.
Front towing eye
Fig. 141
Removing the cap/installing the towing eye
Read and observe
and on page 164 first.
Removing/installing the cap
›
Press on the cap in the direction of the arrow
1
» Fig. 141 .
›
Remove the cap in the direction of the arrow
2
.
›
After unscrewing the cap of the towing eye, insert the cap in the region of
the arrow
1
and then press the opposite side of the cap.
The cap must engage firmly.
Removing/installing the towing eye›
Manually screw the towing eye as far as it will go in the direction of the ar-
row
3
» Fig. 141 » .
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
3
.
WARNINGThe towing eye must always be screwed in fully and firmly tightened, oth-
erwise the towing eye can tear when towing in or tow-starting.
Rear towing eye
Fig. 142
Rear towing eye
Read and observe and on page 164 first.
The rear towing eye is located below the bumper on the right.
Remove the protective cap before using the towing eye. » Fig. 142. Replace the
protective cap after using the towing eye.
Vehicles with a tow hitch
Read and observe
and on page 164 first.
For vehicles with a factory-fitted towing device, the pre-installed detachabletow-bar may be used » page 116, Hitch .
Towing the vehicle using the towing device is a viable alternative solution to
using the towing eye. 
165Emergency equipment and self-help