2016 SKODA FABIA airbag off

Table of Contents
Materials defect liability and ŠKODA warranty
for new cars4
On-board literature
6
Notes
7
Structure of the Owner's Manual and further
information
8
Abbreviations
Safety
Passive Safety
10
General information
10
Correct and safe seated position
10
Seat belts
13
Wearing seat belts
13
Inertia reel and belt pre-tensioners
15
Airbag system
16
Description of the airbag system
16
Airbag deactivation
18
Transporting children safely
20
Child seat
20
Fastening systems
23
Operation
cockpit
26
Overview
25
Instruments and warning lights
27
Instrument cluster
27
Warning lights
28
Information system
36
Driver information system
36
Operation of the information system
38Driving data (Multifunction display)38MAXI DOT display40
Service interval display
41
SmartGate
42
Unlocking and opening
44
Unlocking and locking
44
Anti-theft alarm system
49
Tailgate
50
window operation
50
Lights and visibility
53
Lights
53
Interior lighting
57
Visibility
58
Windscreen wipers and washers
59
Rear view mirror
61
Seats and headrests
62
Front seats
62
Rear seats
63
Headrests
64
Front seat heater
65
Useful features
66
Interior fittings
66
Tablet holder
73
Transport of cargo
75
Luggage compartment and transporting
objects
75
Variable loading floor in the luggage
compartment
81
Bicycle carrier in the luggage compartment
82
Transportation on the roof rack
84
Heating and ventilation
85
Heating, manual air conditioning system,
Climatronic
85Driving
Starting-off and driving90
Starting and stopping the engine
90
START-STOPsystem
92
Brakes and Parking
93
Manual gear shifting and pedals
95
Automatic transmission
96
Running in and economical driving
98
Avoiding damage to your vehicle
99
Assist systems
100
General information
100
Braking and stabilisation systems
101
Parking aid (ParkPilot)
103
Reversing camera
105
Cruise Control System
107
Speed limiter
108
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
110
Front Assist
114
Fatigue detection
116
Tyre pressure monitoring
117
Towing device and trailer
119
Hitch
119
Using hitch
123
General Maintenance
Care and maintenance
127
Service work, adjustments and technical
alterations
127
Service intervals
129
Cleaning and care
131
Inspecting and replenishing
135
Fuel
135
Engine compartment
137
Engine oil
139
Coolant
1402Table of Contents

Safety
Passive Safety
General information
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Before every journey
10
Driving safety
10
In this section of the instructions you will find important information on the
subject of passive safety. We have combined everything here which you
should be familiar with, for example, regarding seat belts, airbags, safety of children and anything similar.
Other important safety information can also be found in the subsequent sec-
tions of this Owner's Manual. Therefore, the Owner’s Manual should always be
kept in the vehicle.
Before every journey
For your own safety and the safety of the people travelling with you, please
pay attention to the following points before setting off.
▶ Check the lights and turn signal lights are functioning correctly.
▶ Check the wiper function and the wiper blades for wear. Check the wind-
screen washer fluid level.
▶ Ensure that all of the windows offer good visibility to the outside.
▶ Adjust the rear-view mirror so that vision to the rear is guaranteed. Ensure
that the mirrors are not covered.
▶ Check the tyre inflation pressure.
▶ Check the engine oil, brake fluid and coolant levels.
▶ Secure all items of luggage.
▶ Do not exceed the permissible axle loads and permissible gross weight of the
vehicle – risk of accident.
▶ Close all doors and the engine compartment and luggage compartment lid.
▶ Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedals.
▶
Protect children using a suitable child seat » page 20, Transporting children
safely .
▶ Adopt the correct seated position. Tell your passengers to assume the cor-
rect seated position » page 10, Correct and safe seated position .
Driving safety
For safety in traffic, the following precautions must be observed. ▶ Do not become distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, (e.g. by
your passengers or mobile phone calls).
▶ Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, (e.g. due to medication, al-
cohol, drugs or similar).
▶ Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
▶ Always adjust the driving speed to the road, traffic and weather conditions.
▶ Take regular breaks on long journeys (at least every two hours).
Correct and safe seated position
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
The correct seating position for the driver
11
Adjusting the steering wheel position
11
Correct seating position for the front passenger
12
Correct seating position for the passengers in the rear seats
12
Always assume the correct seated position before setting off and do not
change this position while driving. Also advise your passengers to adopt the
correct seated position and not to change this position while the car is moving.
The following list contains instructions for the Passenger which, if not ob-
served, may cause serious injuries or death. ▶ Do not lean against the dash panel.
▶ Do not put your feet on the dash panel.
The following list contains instructions for all Passengers which, if not ob-
served, may cause serious injuries or death.
▶ Do not sit only on the front edge of the seat.
▶ Do not sit facing to one side.
▶ Do not lean out of the window.
▶ Do not put your limbs out of the window.
▶ Do not put your feet on the seat upholstery. 
10Safety

WARNING■Never adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving, but only
when the vehicle is stationary!■
The safety lever must always be locked so that the steering wheel cannot
accidentally change position – There is a risk of accident!
Correct seating position for the front passenger
Read and observe
on page 11 first.
For passenger safety and to reduce the risk of injury in an accident, the follow-ing instructions must be observed.
Position the front passenger seat back as far as possible. The front pas-
senger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the dash panel so
that the airbag offers the greatest possible safety if it is deployed.
Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at
the same level as the upper part of your head » Fig. 2 on page 11 -
B
(not
for seats with integrated headrest).
Correctly fasten the seat belt » page 13.
WARNING■
A distance of least 25 cm to the dash panel should be maintained, other-
wise the airbag system will not be able to protect you - There is a risk to
life!■
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven – nev-
er place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the
surface of the seats! You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it be-
comes necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an air-
bag is deployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect
seated position!
Correct seating position for the passengers in the rear seats
Read and observe
on page 11 first.
For the safety of the passengers in the rear seats, and to reduce the risk of
injury in an accident, the following instructions must be observed.
Adjust the head restraint such that the top edge of the head restraint is,
where possible, at the same level as the upper part of the head » Fig. 2 on
page 11 -
B
.
Correctly fasten the seat belt » page 13, Wearing seat belts .
12Safety

Airbag deploymentFig. 8
Inflated airbags
The airbag system is only functional when the ignition is switched on.
When triggered, the airbag fills with gas and unfolds. The inflation of the air- bag is carried out in a fraction of a second.
When the airbag inflates, smoke is released. This is not a sign of a fire in the
vehicle.
Triggering conditions
It is not possible to generally determine which deployment conditions apply to
the airbag system in every situation. The important factors here are the hard-
ness of the object with which the vehicle collides, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed etc.
A decisive factor in the deployment of the airbags is the degree of deceleration
at the time. If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is measured during
the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified in the
control unit, the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer
severe damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe frontal
collision.
▶ Driver’s front airbag.
▶ Front passenger airbag.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe side collision.
▶ Front side airbag.
▶ Head airbag.
When an airbag is deployed, the following events occur. ▶ The ignition is switched on.
▶ All the doors are unlocked.
▶ The fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.
▶ The interior light comes on (if the automatic operation of the interior light is
switched on - position 
).
When there is no air bag deployment?
With minor frontal and side collisions, rear collision, overturning of the vehicle
or vehicle roll-over there is no airbag deployment.
Safety instructions
Fig. 9
Safe distance from the steering
wheel and dash panel
WARNINGGeneral information■The seat belts and the airbag system can only offer optimum protection
if the driver and passengers are seated properly » page 10 .■
The airbag unleashes enormous force when triggered, which can lead to
serious injuries or fatalities if the driver and passengers are not seated
properly. This applies in particular to children who are transported without
using a suitable child safety seat » page 22.
■
If there is a fault, have the airbag system checked immediately by a spe-
cialist garage. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activated in
the event of an accident.
■
If the airbag has been deployed, the airbag system must then be replaced.
■
The surface of the steering wheel and the dash panel should only be
cleaned with a dry or slightly dampened cloth in the area of the front air-
bags. 
17Airbag system

WARNINGInformation about the front airbags■For the driver and front passenger, it is important to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel or the dashboard » Fig. 9 - A
, If you
do not keep this distance, it means that the airbag system cannot protect
you - There is a risk to life! The front seats and the head restraints must
always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
■
It is essential to switch off the front passenger airbag if you are using a
child seat on the front passenger seat in which the child is carried with its
back facing the direction of travel » page 18, Airbag deactivation . If this is
not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if
the front passenger airbag is deployed.
■
No other persons, animals or objects should be placed in front of the oc-
cupants in the front seats in the deployment area of the front airbags.
■
The steering wheel and the surface of the dash panel on the passenger
side must not be plastered, covered or modified in any way. No parts (e.g.
cup holders, mobile phone mounts etc.) may be mounted near the airbag
installation points and in the airbag deployment area.
■
Never place objects on the surface of the dash panel on the passenger
side.
WARNINGInformation on side and head airbags■No objects (e.g. sun visors turned towards the windows) should be loca-
ted in the deployment area of the side and head airbags. No accessories
(e.g. cup holders etc.) should be fitted to the doors - risk of injury!■
Hang only light clothing on the hooks in the vehicle, do not leave any
heavy or sharp objects in the pockets. Do not use hangers to hang up
clothes.
■
The airbag system operates using pressure sensors located in the front
doors. For this reason, no adjustments may be carried out to the doors or
door panels (e.g. installation of additional loudspeakers). Further informa-
tion » page 128 .
■
No excessive force, e.g. through blows, kicks etc. should be applied to the
seat backrests - there is a risk of damage to the side airbags. The side air-
bags would not be deployed in such a case!
WARNING (Continued)■ Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passen-
ger seats must only be of a type expressly authorised by ŠKODA AUTO. In
view of the fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use
of non-approved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the
protective function of the side airbag.■
Any damage to the original seat covers or stitching at the installation
points for the side airbags should be immediately repaired by a specialist
company.
WARNINGInformation on the use of the airbag system■Any work on the airbag system, including the installation and removal of
system components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering
wheel), must only be carried out by a specialist garage. Further information
» page 128 .■
No changes of any sort should be made to parts of the airbag system, the
front bumper or the bodywork.
■
Do not manipulate individual parts of the airbag system, as this might re-
sult in the airbag being deployed.
Airbag deactivation
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Deactivating airbags
18
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
19
Deactivating airbags
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated switch
» Fig. 10 on page 19 - 
.
We recommend that you ask a ŠKODA Service Partner to switch off any other
airbags.
A warning light 
indicates that the airbag has been deactivated » page 31.
18Safety

Deactivating an airbag should, for example, be considered only in the
following cases.
▶ If a child seat must be used on the front passenger seat, where the child is
transported facing towards the rear » page 20.
▶ If it is not possible to maintain a distance of at least 25 cm between the mid-
dle of the steering wheel and chest, despite the driver's seat being correctly
adjusted.
▶ If special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because
of a physical disability.
▶ If other seats have been installed (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side air-
bags).WARNINGIf an airbag is deactivated at the time of the vehicle being sold, the pur-
chaser must be informed!
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
Fig. 10
Key-operated switch for the front passenger airbag / warning
light for front seat passenger airbag deactivation
Switch positions » Fig. 10 - 
The front passenger airbag is deactivated - after the ignition is switched
on, the warning light illuminates 

» Fig. 10 - 
The front passenger airbag is switched on - after switching on the ignition,
the warning light illuminates for 65 seconds 

Switch off
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Fold the key bit out completely for the radio key » .
›Carefully insert the key into the key slot in the key switch as far as the stop.›Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch carefully into the position
.›
Pull the key out of the slot in the key switch » .
›
Close the storage compartment on the front passenger side.
›
Check that the warning light

lights up after the ignition is switched on.
Switching on
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Fold the key bit out completely for the radio key » .
›
Carefully insert the key into the key slot in the key switch as far as the stop.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch carefully into the position 
.
›
Pull the key out of the slot in the key switch » .
›
Close the storage compartment on the front passenger side.
›
Check that the warning light
 lights up after the ignition is switched on.
WARNING■
The key cannot be inserted into the key switch while driving. Shocks can
cause the key to turn in the slot and trigger the airbag! The airbag can be
triggered unexpectedly in an accident - it may result in injury or death!■
The driver is responsible for whether the airbag is switched on or switch-
ed off.
■
Only switch off the airbag when the ignition is switched off! Otherwise a
fault can occur in the system for deactivating the airbag.
■
If the 



warning lights flash, the front passenger airbag will not be
deployed in the event of an accident! Have the airbag system checked by a
specialist garage immediately.
CAUTION
An insufficiently folded out key bit can damage the key switch!19Airbag system

Operation
cockpit
OverviewElectric windows
51
Door opening lever
47
Electric exterior mirror adjustment
61
Air outlet vents
88
Ticket holder
66
Operating lever (depending on equipment):
▶ Direction and high beam
54
▶Speed regulating system
107
▶Speed limiter
108
Steering wheel with horn / with driver's front airbag
16
Buttons for operating the information system
36
Instrument cluster
27
Operating lever:
▶ Windscreen wipers and washers
59
▶Information system
36
Depending on equipment fitted:
▶ Storage compartment
68
▶Infotainment » User Owner's Manual for Infotainment
Bar with keys depending on the equipment fitted:
▶  Left seat heating
65
▶
 Rear window heating
58
▶
 Central locking system
46
▶
 Hazard lights
56
▶
Warning light for the front passenger airbag
19
▶
 Right seat heating
65
Interior rear-view mirror
61
Memory card slot (in the front passenger storage compartment)
» Infotainment Owner's Manual
Front passenger airbag
16
Storage compartment on the front passenger side
71
Key switch for switching off the front passenger airbag (in front
passenger storage compartment)
191234567891011121314151617Electric window in the front passenger door51
Storage compartment
67
Bar with keys depending on the equipment fitted:
▶  START STOP
92
▶
 Traction control (TCS)
102
▶
 Parking aid
103
▶
 Tyre Press. Loss Indicator
117
Light switch
53
Bonnet release lever
138
Regulator for headlamp beam adjustment for the headlights
53
Operating lever for adaptive cruise control
111
Steering wheel locking lever
11
Depending on equipment fitted:
▶ Ignition lock
91
▶Starter button
91
Cup holder
68
Coin and card holders
67
Handbrake lever
94
Depending on equipment fitted:
▶ Gearshift lever (manual gearbox)
95
▶Selector lever (automatic gearbox)
96
Storage compartment
67
USB input / AUX input
67
Depending on equipment fitted:
▶ 12-Volt power socket
70
▶Cigarette lighter
69
Controls for heating / air conditioning
85
Note
The layout of the controls on right-hand drive vehicles differs partially from
that shown in this layout » Fig. 16.181920212223242526272829303132333426Operation

▶Seek help from a specialist garage.
The front passenger airbag has been disabled with the key switch
 Illuminates for around 4 seconds after the ignition has been switched on.
One of the airbags or a belt tensioner has been disabled by the diagnostic
tool
 lights up for approximately 4 seconds after the ignition is switched on and
then flashes for approximately 12 seconds.Airbag/ belt tensioner deactivated.AIRBAG/ BELT TENSIONER OFFWARNINGIf a fault in the airbag system occurs, there is a risk of the system not being
triggered in the event of an accident! Therefore, this must be checked im-
mediately by a specialized garage.
Tyre pressure
Read and observe
on page 29 first.
Change of tyre pressure values
 lights up - there was a pressure change in one of the tyres.
An audible signal sounds as a warning. ▶ Immediately reduce speed and avoid sudden steering and braking manoeu-
vres.
▶ Stop the vehicle, turn the ignition off and check the tyres and their inflation
pressure » page 146 .
▶ Correct the tyre pressure, if necessary or replace the affected wheel
» page 151 or use the repair kit » page 154.
▶ Save the tyre pressure values in the system » page 117.
System fault
 flashes for approximately 1 minute and remains lit – there may be a fault in
the tyre pressure monitoring system.
▶ Stop the vehicle, turn the ignition off and start the engine again.
If the warning light  flashes again after the engine has started, there is a
system error.
▶ You can drive on, exercising appropriate caution. Seek assistance from a spe-
cialist garage immediately.
Disconnecting the vehicle battery
If the vehicle's battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the indicator
light 
comes on after switching on the ignition.
The warning light should go out after driving a short distance.
If, after a short drive, the indicator light does not go out, there is a system er- ror.
▶ You can drive on, exercising appropriate caution. Seek assistance from a spe-
cialist garage immediately.
Other incidents
The following reasons can also apply if the warning light 
is illuminated.
▶ The vehicle is loaded on one side. Distribute the load evenly.
▶ The wheels of one axle are loaded more heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or
when driving uphill or downhill).
▶ Snow chains are fitted.
▶ A wheel has been changed.
CAUTION
Under certain circumstances (e.g. sporty style of driving, wintry or unpaved
roads) the warning light  in the instrument cluster can be delayed or does
not light up at all.
 Fuel reserve
Read and observe
on page 29 first.
 illuminates – the fuel level in the fuel tank is at the reserve level (approxi-
mately 7 litres).
An audible signal sounds as a warning. ▶ Please refuel » page 135.
Note
The text in the display goes out after refuelling and driving a short distance.
 Turn signal system
Read and observe
on page 29 first.
 flashes – the left turn signal is turned on.
 flashes – the right turn signal is turned on. 
32Operation