2014 SKODA ROOMSTER Owner's Manual

Hitch and trailer
Hitch
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Description
126
Adjusting the ready position
127
Fitting the ball head
127
Check proper fitting
128
Removing the ball head
128
Accessories
129
The maximum trailer drawbar load is 50 kg/h.
WARNING■
Check that the ball head is seated correctly and is secured in the mount-
ing recess before starting any journey.■
Do not use the ball head, if it is not correctly inserted into the mounting
recess and secured.
■
Do not use the towing equipment if it is damaged or incomplete.
■
Do not modify or adapt the towing equipment in any way.
■
Never release the ball head while the trailer is still coupled.
■
Keep the mounting recess of the towing equipment clean at all times.
Such dirt prevents the ball head from being attached securely.
CAUTION
■ Take care with the ball bar - there is a risk of paint damage to the bumper.■After removing the ball head, always place the cap on the mounting recess.
Note
■Operation and maintenance of hitch » page 139.■Tow the vehicle by means of the detachable ball rod » page 174.DescriptionFig. 123
Remove cover cap: on the rear bumper / for the receiving shaft
Fig. 124
Ball head
Read and observe and on page 126 first.
The ball head can be removed and is kept in the spare wheel well or in a com-
partment for the spare wheel in the luggage compartment.
Support for the towing device » Fig. 123 and » Fig. 124
Clamps for removing the wheel trims
Cover in the rear bumper
13-pin power socket
Cover for the mounting recess
Dust cap
Ball head
Operating lever
Lock cap
Release pin 
123456789126Driving

Key
locking ball
Note
■ The tool for removing the wheel trim is part of the vehicle tool
kit » page 166 .■
If you lose the key, please get in touch with a specialist garage.
Adjusting the ready position
Fig. 125
Setting the ready position/ready position
Read and observe
and on page 126 first.
The coupling ball bar must be set prior to installation in the standby position. If this is not in the ready position, then this must be set to the standby posi-
tion as follows.
›
Grip the ball head below the protective cap
2
» Fig. 125 .
›
Insert the key
1
into the lock so that the green marking is pointing upwards.
›
Turn the key in direction of the arrow, so that the red marking is facing up-
wards.
›
Press the release bolts
3
as far as the stop in the direction of the arrow and
at the same time push the lever
4
downwards as far as it will go in the di-
rection of the arrow.
Lever
4
remains locked in this position.
CAUTION
In the ready position, the key cannot be removed nor turned to a different po-
sition.1011Fitting the ball headFig. 126
Insert the ball head/lock the lock, and put the lock cover on
Read and observe
and on page 126 first.
›
Remove the cover in the rear bumper
2
» Fig. 123 on page 126 in the direc-
tion of the arrow using the tool for removing the wheel trims.
›
Pull off the cover for the mounting recess
4
» Fig. 123 on page 126 in the
direction of the arrow » .
›
Adjust the ball head to the ready position » page 127.
›
Grip the tow bar from underneath » Fig. 126 and insert into the mounting re-
cess until you hear it click into place » .
Lever
1
» Fig. 126 automatically turns upwards and the release pin
2
pops
out (its red and green parts are both visible) » .
If the lever
1
does not automatically emerge, or if the release pin
2
does not
pop out, remove the ball head from the mounting recess by turning the lever
downwards as far as it will go. Clean the tapered surfaces on the ball head and
the mounting recess.
›
Lock the lock on the operating lever by turning the key by 180° to the right
(see green marking
3
is visible) and remove the key in the direction of the
arrow.
›
Push cap
4
» Fig. 126 onto the lock in the direction of the arrow » .
›
Check the ball head for secure mounting » page 128. 
127Hitch and trailer

WARNING■Carefully remove the cap for the mounting recess - there is a risk of hand
injury.■
Keep your hands outside the lever's range of motion when attaching the
ball head – there is a risk of fingers being injured!
■
Never attempt to pull the operating lever upwards forcibly to turn the
key. Doing so would mean the ball head is not attached correctly.
CAUTION
■ After removing the key, always replace the cover on the lock – there is a risk
of the lock getting dirty.■
Remove the cover from the rear bumper with care - there is a risk of paint
damage to the bumper and the cap.
Note
Store cover 2 and cover 4 » Fig. 123 on page 126 in a suitable place in the
luggage compartment after removing them.
Check proper fitting
Fig. 127
Correctly secured ball head
Read and observe and on page 126 first.
Check that the ball head is fitted properly each time before use.
Correctly secured ball head » Fig. 127
The ball head does not come out of the mounting recess even after heavy
“shaking”.
Lever
1
is up as far as it will go.
The release pin
2
is completely exposed (both its red and green parts are
visible).
The key is removed.
Cap 3
is on the lock.WARNINGDo not use the towing equipment unless the ball head was properly locked.
Removing the ball head
Fig. 128
Unlock the operating lever of the ball head/removing the ball
head
Read and observe
and on page 126 first.
›
Remove cover
1
from the lock in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 128 .
›
Insert the key into the lock, so that its green marking is pointing upwards.
›
Turn the key 180 ° to the left, so that its red marking
2
is visible.
›
Grasp the ball head from underneath.
›
Press the release pin
3
as far as the stop in the direction of the arrow and
at the same time push the lever
4
downwards as far as it will go in the di-
rection of the arrow.
The ball head is released in this position and falls freely into the hand. If it
does not fall freely into the hand, use your other hand to push it upwards.
At the same time, the ball head latches into the ready position and is thus
ready to be re-inserted into the mounting recess »
.
›
Fit the cover for the mounting recess
4
» Fig. 123 on page 126 in the oppo-
site direction to the arrow.
›
Offer up the cap to the rear bumper
2
» Fig. 123 on page 126 aligning it with
“check mark” in the lower bumper area.
›
Push the cap in first on the left and right and then at the top. 

128Driving

WARNING■Never allow the ball head to remain unsecured in the boot. This could
cause damage to the boot upon sudden braking, and could put the safety
of the occupants at risk.■
Never remove the tow bar while the trailer is still coupled.
CAUTION
■ If the lever is held firmly and not pushed downwards as far as it can go, it will
go back up after the ball head is removed and will not latch into the ready po-
sition. The ball head then needs to be brought into this position before the
next time it is fitted » page 127, Adjusting the ready position .■
Tuck the ball bar in the ready position, with the golden key up, in the box -
otherwise there is a risk of damage to the key!
■
Do not use excessive force when handling the operating lever (e.g. do not
step on it).
Note
■ We recommend that you put the protective cap on the ball before removing
the ball head.■
Clean any dirt from the ball head before stowing it away in the box with the
vehicle tool kit.
Accessories
Fig. 129
Representation of the maximum
permissible level of the ball head
of the towing hitch and the per-
missible total weight of the ac-
cessories including the load de-
pending on the load center of
gravity
Read and observe and on page 126 first.
An accessory can mounted on the ball head of the towing hitch (e.g. bike carri- ers).
If this accessory is used, the maximum permissible overhang of the ball head
of the towing hitch and the permissible gross vehicle weight of the accesso-
ries including load are to be checked.
The maximum permissible overhang of the ball head of the towing hitch is 70
cm » Fig. 129 .
The total permitted weight of the accessory including load changes changes
with increasing distance of the centre of gravity of the load from the ball head
of the towing hitch.Distance of the centre of gravity of the load from the ball headPermissible total weight of the ac- cessory, including load0 cm50 kg30 cm50 kg60 cm25 kg70 cm0 kgWARNING■Never exceed the permissible gross weight of the accessory including
load - there is a risk of damaging the ball head of the towing hitch.■
Never exceed the permissible overhang of the ball head of the towing
hitch - there is a risk of damaging the ball head of the towing hitch.
Note
We recommend that you use accessories from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
Trailer
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Attaching and detaching trailers
130
Loading a trailer
130
Towing a trailer
131
Anti-theft alarm system
131
If your vehicle has already been factory-fitted with towing equipment or is fit-
ted with towing equipment from ŠKODA Original Accessories, then it meets all
of the technical requirements and national legal provisions for towing a trailer.
Note
If there is an error in the trailer lighting system, check the fuses in the fuse box
in the dashboard » page 176.129Hitch and trailer

Attaching and detaching trailersFig. 130
13-pin socket and safety eye
Coupling
›
Lift off protective cap
5
» Fig. 124 on page 126 towards the top.
›
Place the trailer onto the ball.
›
Insert the trailer cable into the 13-pin socket
A
» Fig. 130 .
If the trailer that is to be towed has a 7-pin connector, you can use a suitable
adapter from ŠKODA Original Accessories to establish a connection to the elec-
tricity.
›
Hook the breakaway cable of the trailer to the security lock slot
B
.
Ensure that the breakaway cable of the trailer, when it is mounted into the
safety eye on all trailer positions relative to the vehicle (sharp curves, reverse
driving and the like), is seen to sag.
The uncoupling of the trailer is carried out in reverse order.
Exterior mirrors
You have to have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see
the traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. The national
legal requirements must be observed.
Headlights
The front of the vehicle can be lifted when a trailer is being towed and the
headlights can dazzle other road users.
Adjust the headlight setting on the headlight range control » page 60, Head-
light beam adjustment .
WARNING■
Incorrectly or improperly connected electrical installations may cause mal-
function of the entire vehicle electronics and lead to accidents and serious
injury from electric shock.■
Work on the electrical system must only be carried out by specialist ga-
rages.
■
Never directly connect the trailer's electrical system with the electrical
connections for the tail lights or other current sources.
■
After coupling the trailer and connecting up the power socket, check the
rear lights on the trailer to ensure they are working.
■
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be applied when coupling and
uncoupling the trailer.
■
Never use the safety eyelet for towing!
Loading a trailer
The vehicle/trailer combination must be balanced, whereby the maximum per-
missible drawbar load must be utilised. If the drawbar load is too low, it jeop-
ardises the performance of the vehicle/trailer combination.
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that heavy items are located as
close to the axle as possible. Secure the items from slipping.
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the
trailer is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving
with this combination.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for a “full load” » page 157.
Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must not be exceeded under any circumstan-
ces » page 183 , Technical data .
The details given in the vehicle's technical documentation always take prece-
dence over the details in the Owner's Manual.
The trailer loads specified apply only to altitudes up to 1,000 metres above
mean sea level.
The engine output falls as altitude increases, as does the ability to climb.
Therefore, for every additional 1000 m in height (or part), the maximum per-
missible towed weight must be reduced by 10 %. 
130Driving

The towed weight comprises the actual weights of the (loaded) towing vehicle
and the (loaded) trailer.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing
equipment are merely test data for the towing equipment. The vehicle-specific
values are detailed in the vehicle documents.WARNING■ The maximum permissible axle and drawbar load and the permissible
weight of the trailer must not exceed - this could cause an accident!■
A sliding cargo can significantly adversely affect stability and driving safe-
ty - there is a risk of accident!
Towing a trailer
Driving speed
For safety reasons, do not drive faster than 80 km/h when towing a trailer.
Immediately reduce your speed as soon as even the slightest swaying of the
trailer is detected. Never attempt to stop the trailer from “swaying” by acceler-
ating.
Brakes
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply
the brakes gently at first, then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting
from the trailer wheels locking.
On downhill sections shift down a gear in good time to also use the engine as
a brake.
Engine overheating
The speed must be reduced immediately if the needle for the coolant tempera-
ture gauge moves into the right-hand area or the red area of the scale.
Stop and switch off the engine if the warning light  in the instrument cluster
starts to flash. Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant » page 151,
Checking the coolant level .
Further information » page 41,

 Coolant
.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
WARNING■ Always drive particularly carefully with the trailer.■Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.
Note
If you tow a trailer frequently, you should also have your vehicle inspected be-
tween service intervals.
Anti-theft alarm system
When the vehicle is locked, the alarm is activated when the electrical connec-
tion to the trailer is interrupted.
Always switch off the anti-theft alarm system before a trailer is coupled or un-
coupled » page 53 .
Conditions for including a trailer in the anti-theft alarm system. The vehicle is factory-fitted with an anti-theft alarm system and towing
equipment.
The trailer is electrically connected to the towing vehicle by means of the
trailer socket.
The electrical system of the vehicle and trailer is functional.
The vehicle is locked with the vehicle key and the anti-theft alarm system
is activated.
CAUTION
For technical reasons, trailers with rear LED lights cannot be connected to the
anti-theft alarm system.131Hitch and trailer

General Maintenance
Car care
Services, modifications and technical alterations
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Vehicle operating under different weather conditions
132
Statutory checks
132
ŠKODA Service Partners
133
ŠKODA Original parts
133
ŠKODA Original accessories
133
Spoiler
134
Airbags
134
The instructions and guidelines from ŠKODA AUTO a.s. must be observed when
carrying out all modifications, repairs or technical alterations to your vehicle.
Adhering to these instructions and guidelines helps ensure road safety and
helps keep your vehicle in a good technical condition. After carrying out modifi-
cations, repairs or technical alterations, the vehicle will comply with German
road transport regulations (StVZO)
Always consult a ŠKODA Partner » page 133before buying accessories or
parts, or before carrying out any modifications, repairs or technical alterations
to your vehicle.
WARNING■ Works on your vehicle, which have been carried out unprofessionally, can
cause operational faults – risk of accident!■
Interference on the electronic components and their software can lead to
operational faults. This interference can also impair not directly affected
systems because of the networking of the electronic components. The op-
erational safety of the vehicle may be at significant risk and can lead to in-
creased wear of parts.
For the sake of the environmentTechnical documents regarding alterations carried out on the vehicle must be
kept by the vehicle user in order to be handed over to the recyclers at a later
date. This ensures that the vehicle is recycled in an environmentally sound
manner.
Note
■ We recommend only having these modifications and technical alterations
carried out by a specialist garage.■
Any damage caused by technical alterations made without the approval of
the manufacturer is excluded from the warranty » Service schedule .
■
The ŠKODA Partner does not assume any liability for products that have not
been approved by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. even though these may be products with
an operational approval or that have been approved by a government testing
institute.
■
We advise you only to use ŠKODA Original Accessories and ŠKODA Original
Parts which have been expressly approved for use on your vehicle. Reliability,
safety and suitability for your vehicle are guaranteed with these.
■
ŠKODA Original Accessories and ŠKODA Original Parts can be purchased from
ŠKODA Partners, who will also perform the professional assembly of the pur-
chased parts.
Vehicle operating under different weather conditions
Read and observe
on page 132 first.
If you would like to operate your vehicle in countries other than those with itsintended weather conditions, you should contact a ŠKODA Partner.
He will advise you if certain precautions need to be taken to ensure the full
functioning of the vehicle as well as to prevent damage.
This involves, for example, the coolant, battery replacement and the like.
Statutory checks
Read and observe
on page 132 first.
Many countries have legislation requiring the operational reliability and roadworthiness and/or exhaust gas properties of a vehicle to be tested at specific
intervals. These tests can be carried out by workshops or testing stations that
have been legally authorised for this purpose. 
132General Maintenance

The ŠKODA Service Partners are up-to-date on the legally required tests and
will prepare the vehicle for the tests as part of a service operation if required,
or will be responsible for carrying out these tests. The specialist garages can
carry out the specified tests directly, if required by the customer, if they are
authorised to do so. This saves you time and money.
Even if you want to take your vehicle to an officially approved test centre for
prior checking in preparation of a legally required test, we recommend that you
consult the service consultant of your ŠKODA Service Partner beforehand.
Based on their appraisal, the service consultant will tell you which areas you
should focus on in order to ensure that your vehicle will pass the technical test
without any problems. This allows you to avoid additional expenses resulting
from a possible subsequent test.
ŠKODA Service Partners
Read and observe
on page 132 first.
ŠKODA Service Partners are equipped with modern, specially developed tools
and equipment. Here, trained specialists have access to a comprehensive
range of ŠKODA Original Parts and ŠKODA Original Accessories for carrying out
modifications, repairs and technical alterations.
All ŠKODA service partners operate according to the latest guidelines and in-
structions from ŠKODA AUTO a.s. All service and repair work is therefore car-
ried out on time and to the appropriate quality. Adhering to these instructions
and guidelines helps ensure road safety and helps keep your vehicle in a good
technical condition.
ŠKODA Service Partners are therefore properly prepared to service your vehicle
and to provide quality work. We therefore advise you to have all modifications,
repairs and technical alterations to your vehicle carried out by a ŠKODA Service
Partner.
ŠKODA Original parts
Read and observe
on page 132 first.
We recommend the use of ŠKODA Genuine Parts for your vehicle, since these
parts are approved by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. They correspond exactly to ŠKODA
AUTO a.s. specifications in respect of design, dimensional accuracy and materi-
al and are identical to the components used in the batch production.
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. can guarantee the safety, suitability, and long life of these
products. We therefore recommend that you only use ŠKODA Genuine Parts.
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. supplies the market with a complete range of ŠKODA Genu-
ine Parts not only while the model is still in production but with wear-and-tear parts for at least 15 years after the end of series production and with all other
vehicle parts for at least 10 years.
ŠKODA service partners are liable for any defects in ŠKODA original parts for a
period of 2 years after sale in accordance with materials defect liability under
the law unless otherwise agreed in the purchase agreement. You should keep
the confirmed warranty certificate and the receipt for these components for
this period, so that the commencement of the warranty term may be verified.
Body repairs
ŠKODA vehicles are designed so that if the body suffers damage, it is only nec-
essary to replace those parts which are in fact damaged.
Before you decide to have damaged body parts replaced, however, you should first contact your specialist garage to determine whether or not such parts can
also be repaired. Repairs to body parts are usually cheaper.
ŠKODA Original accessories
Read and observe
on page 132 first.
You should note the following if you wish to fit accessories to your vehicle:
We recommend that you use ŠKODA Genuine Accessories in your vehicle.
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. offers a warranty on the reliability, safety and suitability for
your particular vehicle of these accessories. Although we constantly monitor
the market, we are not able to assess or offer a warranty on other products
even though in some instances such products may have a type approval or
may have been approved by a nationally recognised approval authority.
All accessory products go through a fastidious process of technical develop-
ment (technical tests) and quality inspection (customer tests), and only if all
tests are positive does the product become a ŠKODA Genuine Accessory.
Our ŠKODA Genuine Accessories service also provides expert advice and pro-
fessional fitting if requested by the customer.
ŠKODA Service Partners are liable for any defects in ŠKODA Genuine Parts for a period of 2 years after installation or delivery in accordance with materials de-
fect liability legislation, unless otherwise agreed in the purchase contract or in 
133Car care