SKODA FABIA 2006 2.G / 5J Owner's Manual

Intelligent Technology170
control the brake application in this braking range. Never interrupt the applica- tion of the brakes!
WARNING
•The ABS can also not overcome the physical limits of your vehicle. Please do not forget this, particularly when driving on icy or wet road surfaces. If the ABS is operating wi thin the control range, adapt your speed immediately to the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered by the ABS must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
•The normal braking system is still fu lly functional if there is an ABS fault. Visit a specialist garage as quickly as possible and adjust your style of driving to take account of the ABS fault in the meantime since you will not know how great the damage is.
Note
•A warning light comes on if a fault occurs in the ABS system ⇒page 34.
•Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or other assignment of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ABS ⇒ page 220, “Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
Brake Assist*
During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake Assist increases the braking force and thus makes it possible to rapidly produce the pressure required in the brake system.
The majority of drivers do apply the br akes in good time in dangerous situa- tions, but do not depress the brake pedal with sufficient pressure. Conse-
quently, it is not possible for the car to achieve its maximum deceleration and the car covers a greater distance than necessary.
The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake pedal. In such cases, a much greater braking pressu re exists than during a normal brake application. This makes it possible, even with a relatively low resistance of the brake pedal, to produce an adequate pressure in the brake system in the shortest possible time, which is required for maximum deceleration of the car. You must apply the brake peda l firmly and hold it in this position in order to achieve the shortest possible braking distance.
The Brake Assist is able to help you ac hieve a shorter braking distance in emer- gency situations by rapidly producing the pressure required in the brake system. It fully exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of the Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate in the normal way.
The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If a fault occurs in the ESP, the Brake Assist function is also not available. Further information on the ESP ⇒ page 165.
WARNING
•The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your car in terms of the braking distance required.
•Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic situation.
•The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to take a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Electrohydraulic power steering
The power steering enables you to steer the vehicle with less physical force.
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The steering characteristics can be changed by a specialist garage.
You will place great stresses on the power steering system if the steering is turne d to full lock when the v ehi cl e i s s ta ti onar y. Turning the stee ri ng to full lock in such a situation will be accompanied by noises.
It is still possible to fully steer the vehi cle if the power steering fails or if the engine is not running (veh icle being towed in). The only difference is that greater physical effort is required.
It is possible that the hydraulic pump of the power steering will not run due to the low vehicle network voltage if the batte ry has gone flat and the engine must started with the help off jump leads. This condition will be indicated by lighting up of the warning light.
The power steering operates again if the battery is charged to a specific range when engine is running. It also operates again, if the engine can be started with its own battery.
Caution
Do not leave the steering at full lock for more than 15 seconds when the engine is running - risk of dama ging the power steering!
Note
Have the steering inspected as soon as possible by a specialist garage if there is a leak or fault in the system.
Tyre inflation pressure-control system*
The tyre inflation pressure-control system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors the speed and also the rolling ci rcumference of the individual wheels. If the inflation pressure and therefore the rolling circumference of a wheel has changed significantly, the warning light  lights up in the dash panel ⇒ page 33. The tyre inflation pressure-control system functions late or too sensitively if:
•the structure of the tyre is damaged,
•the vehicle is loaded to one side or with a load on the roof,
•the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when driving uphill or downhill),
•the vehicle is operated in unfavourable winter conditions or on an unfirm ground,
•snow chains or emergency wheel are mounted,
•the driver has a sporty style of driving (with sharp acceleration and high speed when cornering).
Fig. 135 Button for setting the tyre inflation pressure control value
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Basic setting of tyre inflation pressure-control system
After changing the tyre inflation pressures or after changing one or several wheels, the button for the tyre inflation pressure-control system must be pressed long enough until an acknowle degment tone sounds when the ignition is switched on.
•Inflate all tyres to the specified inflation pressure ⇒page 214.
•Switch on the ignition.
•Press the button   ⇒page 171, fig. 135 long enough, until an acknowledgment tone sounds, which conf irms the storage of the basic values. As long as the button   is pressed, the warning li ght lights up in the instru- ment .
Function description
After the basic setting of the system the “adaptation” of the tyre inflation pres- sures and then the tyre pressure control in the individual tyres are performed.
Warning light  lights up
If the tyre inflation pressure of at least one wheel is insufficiently inflated in comparison to the stored ba sic value, the warning light  ⇒ lights up.
Warning light  lights up and it does not go off after pressing the button 
If the warning light lights up and do es not go off after pressing the button , there is a fault in the system. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage.
WARNING
•When the warning light  lights up, immediately reduce the speed and avoid sudden steering and brak e manoeuvres. Please stop the vehicle without delay at the nearest possible stop and inspect the tyres and their inflation pressures.
•The driver is responsible for the co rrect tyre inflation pressures. For this reason, the tyre inflation pr essures must be checked regularly.
•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.
•The tyre inflation pressure-control system does not take away the responsability from the driver for the correct tyre inflation pressure.
Note
The tyre inflation pressure-control system:
•does not replace the regular tyre inflation pressure control, because the system cannot detect an even pressure loss,
•cannot warn in case of very rapid tyre in flation pressure loss, e.g. in case of sudden tyre damage. In this case carefully bring the vehicle to a standstill without sudden steering movements and without sharp braking.
WARNING (continued)
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Driving and the Environment
The first 1 500 kilometres and then
afterwards
A new engine
The engine has to be run in du ring the first 1 500 kilometres.
Up to 1 000 kilometres
– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the mamimum speed of the gear in
use, that is 3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.
From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres
– Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full
speed of the gear engaged, that is up to the maximum permissible
engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine has higher internal friction than later until all of the moving parts have ha rmonized. The driving style which you adopt during the first approx.1 500 kilo metres plays a decisive part in the success of running in your car.
You should not driv e at unnecessarily high engine revolutions even after the running-in period is complete. The maximum permissible engine speed is marked by the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter.
Shift up into the next higher gear on a vehicle fitted with manual gearbox before the red zone is reached. Extremely high engine revolutions are automatically governed, by the way.
For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbo x the converse situation also applies: Do not drive at engine revolutions which are too low. Shift down as soon as the engine is no longer running smoothly.
Caution
All the speed and engine revolution figure s apply only when the engine is at its normal operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.
For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear as early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise levels and protects the environment.
New tyres
New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. You should take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly carefully.
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New brake pads
Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking efficiency until approximately 200 ki lometres. New brake pads must be first “run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compensate for this slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future date.
During the running-in peri od, you should avoid excessive stresses on the brakes. This includes, for example, violen t braking, particularly from very high speeds, and also when cr ossing mountain passes.
Catalytic converter
Proper operation of the emission control system (catalytic
converter) is of major significan ce for driving your vehicle in
an environmentally conscious way.
Please refer to the following guidelines:
– For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol
⇒ page 193, “Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty.
– Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.
– Do not pour too much oil into the engine ⇒page 202, “Replen-
ishing engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50
metres ⇒page 233, “Tow-starting a vehicle”.
If you drive your vehicle in a country in which unleaded petrol is not available, you must have the catalyti c converter replaced later when driving the vehicle into a country in which use of a catalytic converter is mandatory.
WARNING
•In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the cata- lytic converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way that the catalytic converter cannot come into contact with easily flammable materials below the vehicle - a risk of fire!
•Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents for the exhaust pipes, catalyti c converters or heat shields. Such substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converte r should never be allowed to let the fuel tank to run completely empty. An ir regular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.
•Filling the tank even only once with lead ed petrol will result in the catalytic converter being destroyed.
•If you detect misfiring, a drop in pe rformance or irregular engine running when driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the nearest specialist garage. The sy mptoms described may be caused by a fault in the ignition system. Unburnt fu el may get into the exhaust system and damage the cata lytic converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even if the exhaust system is operating properly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may be produced under certain operat ing conditions of the engine. This depends on the sulphur content of the fuel. It is often sufficient to refuel with unleaded premium-grade petrol of a diff erent brand or at a different filling station.
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Driving in an economical and
environmentally conscious manner
General
Your personal style of driving is a major factor.
Your fuel consumption, any pollution of the environmental and the wear-and- tear to the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:
•your personal style of driving,
•the conditions under which your vehicle is operated,
•technical aspects.
You can easily improve your fuel economy by 10 - 15 percent by driving in an economical way with foresight. This sect ion is intended to provide you with a number of tips on how to protect the en vironment and at the same time save money.
The fuel consumption can naturally also be influenced by factors which are beyond the driver's control. It is, for example, normal for the fuel consumption to increase in winter and under worsened conditions such as poor road condi- tions, towing a trailer, etc.
The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the vehicle have already been built into the vehicle at the works. Special attention has been given to minimising negative effects on the environment. It is neces- sary to take note of the guidelines given in this chapter in order to make best use of these characteristics and to maintain their effectiveness.
Looking ahead when driving
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.
Avoid accelerating and braking unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight you will not need to brake so often and will also then not have to accelerate so much. Let your vehicle coast to a stop, for exam ple, if this is possible, when you see that the next set of traffic lights is at red.
Shifting gears and saving energy
Shifting up early saves on fuel.
Manual gearbox
– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.
Always shift up into the next high er gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500
revs.
Fig. 136 Fuel consump- tion in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
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Automatic gearbox
– Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Do not depress it beyond
the kickdown position, however.
An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up early. You will consume more fuel if you drive at unnece ssarily high revolutions in any given gear.
The ⇒page 175, fig. 136 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle for the individual gears. Fuel consumption in 1st gear is the highest and in 5th gear is the lowest.
Note
•The optimal engine speed should be obtained when accelerating, in order to avoid a high fuel consumption and resonance of the vehicle.
•Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator* ⇒ page 17.
Avoiding full throttle
Driving more slowly means saving fuel.
Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consump- tion but also positively influence environmental pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid fully exploiting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at high speeds.
The ⇒fig. 137 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle. You will cut your fuel consumption by half if you only make use three-quarters of the possible top speed of your vehicle.
Fig. 137 Fuel consump- tion in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
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Reducing idling
Idling also costs fuel.
It is worthwhile switching off the engine in a traffic jam or when waiting at a level crossing or at traffic lights with a le ngthy red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds you will have saved more fuel th an that is needed when you start the engine up again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal operating temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though, are particularly high in the warming-up phase. This is why you should drive off right after starting the engine. Do avoid high engi ne revolutions at this time, however.
Regular servicing
A poorly tuned engine consum es an unnecessarily high
amount of fuel.
Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a specialist garge enables you to satisfy one of the requirements for economical motoring even before you set off on your journey. Keeping your vehicle prop erly serviced not only has a positive effect on the safety of your vehicle and maintaining its value, but also saves on fuel .
A poorly tuned engine can result in a fuel consumption which is 10% higher than normal.
The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according to the Service schedule by a specialist garage.
Also check the oil level after refueling. Oil consumption is dependent to a considerable extent on the load and speed of the engine. Oil consumption could be as high as 0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving.
It is quite normal that a new engine ha s a higher oil consumption at first, and reaches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is therefore not possible to correctly assess the oil cons umption of a new vehicle until after you have driven about 5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•You can achieve addi tional improvements in your fuel economy by using high-lubricity oils.
•Check the ground below your car at regular intervals to detect any leakages in good time. Please have your vehicle inspected by a specialist garge if you find any stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.
Avoid driving short distances
Short distances result in an above-average high fuel
consumption.
Fig. 138 Fuel consump- tion in litres/100 km at different temperatures
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– Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is cold.
The engine and catalytic converter must first have reached their optimal oper- ating temperature in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.
The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel imme- diately after starting. Fuel consumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The engine reaches its operating temperature (outside temperature and engine dependent) only after about 4 to 10 kilometres and the fuel consumption then stabilizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible.
An important factor in this connection is also the ambient temperature. The ⇒ page 177, fig. 138 shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the one hand at +20°C an d on the other hand at -10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel consum ption in winter than in summer.
Checking tyre inflation pressures
Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.
Always ensure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure at all times. The rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is too low. This will not only increase fuel consumptio n but also tyre wear and the driving behaviour will worsen.
Always check the inflation pr essure of the tyres when cold.
Do not drive with winter tyres all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel. Winter tyres are also louder.
No unnecessary ballast
Transporting ballast costs fuel.
The fact that every kilogram of extra weight increases your fuel consumption means that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid trans- porting any unnecessary ballast.
It is particularly in town traffic, when one is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle weight will have a significant effe ct upon the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb here is that an increase in weight of 100 kilograms will cause an increase in fuel consumption of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.
You may frequently also leave a roof rack fitted on just out of convenience, although you no longer need it. The incr eased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle causes it to use about 1 l more fuel th an normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, even when you are not carrying a load on the roof.
Saving electricity
Generating electricity costs fuel.
– Switch off electrical components as soon as you no longer need
them.
When the engine is running, the alternator generates and supplies electrical power. If more electrical components are switched on, more fuel is needed to operate the alternator.
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Keeping a log of your fuel consumption
If you really wish to keep a close check on your fuel consumption, it is best to enter the figures in a logbook. This does not take much time but is a very worth- while exercise. It enables you to detect any change (positive and negative) at an early stage and to take any appropriate action.
If you find that your fuel consumption is too high, you should reflect on how, where and in what conditions you have driven the vehicle since you last refuelled.
Environmental compatibility
Environmental protection has played a ma jor role in the design, selection of materials and manufacture of your new Škoda. Particular emphasis has been paid to a number of aspects, including:
Design measures
•joints designed to be easily detached
•simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system
•improved purity of differ ent classes of materials
•Identification of all plastic parts in accordance with VDA Recommendation 260
•Reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission CO 2
•Minimum fuel leakage during accidents
•Reduced noise
Choice of materials
•extensive use of recyclable material
•Air conditioning filled wi th CFC-free refrigerant
•no cadmium
•no asbestos
•Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics
Manufacture
•solvent-free cavity protection
•solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the produc- tion plant to the customer
•The use of solvent-free adhesives
•No CFCs used in the production process
•without use of mercury
•Use of water-soluble paints
Motoring abroad
General
Other circumstances may exist abroad.
It is also possible, in certain countries, that the Škoda Service Partner network is limited or has not been esta blished yet. This is the reason why obtaining certain spare parts may be somewhat complicated and specialist garage personnel may only be able to make limited repairs. Škoda Auto a.s. in the Czech Republic and relevant importers are happy to provide information about technical aspects of the vehicle, required maintenance work and possibilities for getting repairs done.
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