warning light SKODA SUPERB 2009 2.G / (B6/3T) Owners Manual

Intelligent Technology
197
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
vehicle and reduces the strain on the brakes
. Any additional braking should be done
intermittently, no
t continuously.
Note
The brake light flashes automa
tically in case of an em
ergency braking at speeds
g re a t e r t h a n 6 0 k m /h o r w i t h t he i n t e r v e n t i o n o f th e A BS , w h i ch l a s t s l o n g e r th a n 1 .5 seconds. After the speed was reduced belo
w 10 km/h or the vehicle was stopped,
the brake light stops flashing and the hazard warning light system switches on. The hazard warning light system is switched
off automatically after accelerating or
driving off again.Brake boosterThe brake booster boosts the pressure which you generate with the brake pedal. The necessary pressure is only gene
rated when the engine is running.
WARNING
•
Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary.
•
The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater
physical effort for braking is required
when engine is switched off. Because
if you do not stop as normal, this can cause an accident and severe injuries.Antilock brake system (ABS)ABS prevents the wheels locking when braking.General The ABS contributes significan
tly to enhancing the active
safety of your vehicle.
Compared to a car not fitted with the ABS brake system, you are able to retain optimal steering ability even during a fu
ll brake application on a slippery road
surface because the wheels do not lock up. You must not expect, however, that the br
aking distance will be shorter under all
circumstances as a result of the ABS. Th
e braking distance for example on gravel
and fresh snow, when you should anyway be driving slowly and cautiously, will be longer. Operating principle The brake pressure will be reduced on a wheel which is rotating at a speed which is too low for the speed of the vehicle and tend
ing to lock. This control cycle is notice-
able from a
pulsating movement of the brake pedal
which is accompanied by
noises. This is consciously intended to provide the driver with the information that the wheels are tending to lock (ABS control range). You must always keep the brake pedal depressed to enable the ABS to optima
lly control the brake application in this
braking range. Never interrupt the application of the brakes!
WARNING
•
The ABS can also not overcome the physic
al limits of your vehicle. Please
do not forget this, particularly when driv
ing on icy or wet road surfaces. If the
ABS is operating within the control ra
nge, 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 fully
functional if there is an ABS fault.
Visit a specialist garage as quickly as po
ssible and adjust yo
ur 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 39.
•
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or other assign-
ment of tyres and wheels) can in
fluence the function of the ABS
⇒page 241,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
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Intelligent Technology
198
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 brakes in good time in dangerous situations,
but do not depress the brake pedal with su
fficient pressure. Consequently, it is not
possible for the car to achieve its maxi
mum 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 pressure ex
ists than during a normal brake applica-
tion. 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 pedal firmly and hold it in
this position in order to achieve the shortest possible
braking distance. The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emergency 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 193.
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.
Uphill-Start
off-Assist*
The uphill-start off-assist makes it much easier to start off on steep hills. The system assists a start off by holding the brake pr
essure produced by the brake pedal actu-
ation for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore move his foot from the brake pedal to th
e accelerator pedal and start off on the
slope, without having to actuate the hand
brake. The brake pressure drops gradually
the more you operate the accelerator pedal. If the vehicle does not start off within 2 seconds, it starts to roll back. The uphill-start off-assist is active in the ev
ent of a 5% slope, if the vehicle door is
closed. It is alwa
ys active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When
driving downhill, it is inactive.Electromechanical power steeringThe power steering enables you to steer
the vehicle with le
ss physical force.
With the electromechanical power steering, the steering assist is automatically adapted to the speed and to the steering angle. It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine is not running (vehicle being towed in). The
only difference is that greater physical
effort is required. If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light
 or  lights up in the
instrument cluster
⇒page 36.
WARNING
Contact your specialist
garage if the power steering is defective.
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Intelligent Technology
199
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Tyre inflation pressu
re-control system*
The tyre inflation pressure-control system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors the speed and also the rolling circumference
of the individual wheels. If the rolling
circumference of a wheel is changed, the warning light°
 lights up in the instru-
ment cluster
⇒page 39. The rolling circumference of the tyre can change if:
•
the tyre inflation pressure is too low,
•
the structure of the tyre is damaged,
•
the vehicle is loaded on one side,
•
the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when
driving uphill or downhill),•
snow chains are mounted,
•
the temporary spare wheel is mounted,
•
one wheel per axle was changed.
Basic setting of tyre inflation pressure-control system After changing the tyre inflation pressures or after changing one or several wheels, a basic setting of the system must be carried out as follows.•
Inflate all tyres to the specified inflation pressure
⇒page 235.
•
Switch on the ignition.
•
Press button
⇒fig. 192
for more than 2 seconds. While pressing the
button, the warning light
 lights up. At the same time the memory of the system
is erased and the new calibration is star
ted, which is confirmed with an audible
signal and then the warning light
 goes out.
•
If the warning light
 does not go out after the basic setting, there is a fault in
the system. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage. Warning light
 lights up
If the tyre inflation pressure of at least on
e wheel is insufficiently inflated in compar-
ison to the stored basic value, the warning light
 ⇒
lights up.
Warning light
 flashes
If the warning light flashes, there is a system fault. 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 brake mano
euvres. 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 correc
t tyre inflation pressures. For this
reason, the tyre inflation pressures 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 inflatio
n pressure control, because the system
cannot detect an even pressure loss,•
cannot warn in case of very rapid tyre inflation pressure loss, e.g. in case of
sudden tyre damage. In this
case carefully bring the vehi
cle to a standstill without
sudden steering movements and without sharp braking.
Fig. 192 Button for setting the tyre inflation pressure control value
 
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Intelligent Technology
200
Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)In the diesel particle filter the resulting soot particles are collected and burnt during the combustion of diesel fuel.Code
7GG
, 7MB
or
7MG
on the vehicle data sticker, see
⇒
fig. 193
, indi-
cates that your vehicle is equipped with
a diesel particle filter. The vehicle
data sticker is located on the floor of the luggage compartment and is also stated in the Service schedule.The diesel particle filter filters the soot particles completely from the exhaust. The soot is collected in the diesel particle filter and burnt regularly. To assist this proce- dure, we recommend not to drive
regularly over short distances.
If the diesel particle filter is clogged or there is a fault, it is indicated by the warning light

.WARNING
•
The diesel particle filter
achieves very high te
mperatures. Therefore do
not park at points where the hot filter comes into direct contact with dry grass or other combustible materials - risk of fire!
•
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection
agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic
converters, diesel particle filter or
heat shields. When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances might ignite - risk of fire.
Note
When using diesel fuel with high sulphur content the life of the diesel particle filter is clearly reduced. A specialist garage wi
ll be able to tell you which countries use
only diesel fuel with high sulphur content.
Fig. 193 Vehicle data sticker
WARNING (continued)
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Towing a trailer
209
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust
the mirrors so that they provide you with
an adequate field of view to the rear. Headlights Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights. Alter the setting as necessary with th
e aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 66, “Headlamp range adjustment*
”.
Detachable ball head The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle. Further information on the towing device
⇒page 210.
Note
•
We recommend that you also have yo
ur vehicle inspected between service
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.•
The handbrake on the towing vehicle
must be put on when coupling and
decoupling the trailer.Driving Tips Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.– Do not, as far as possible, drive
with your vehicle unladen and the
trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in
particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.– Keep a check on the coolant temper
ature gauge if the outside temper-
ature is high.
Distribution of weight 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. Driving speed Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for coun- tries in which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when there are unfavourable road, weather or wind
conditions, particul
arly near accident
black spots. You must always reduce your speed immedi
ately as soon as you detect even just
the
slightest swaying
of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
“swaying” by
accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a
trailer brake
, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly
. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears
in good time before negotiating a down-
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake. Engine overheating Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is very high
⇒page 18, “Coolant temperature gauge”.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or even the red area of the scale, reduce yo
ur speed immediately. Stop and switch off
the engine if the warning light
 in the instrument cluste
r begins flashing. Wait a
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒ page 227, “Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒page 38, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant
quantity
”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent
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Towing a trailer
210
of the engine speed. One should also not
drop a gear for this reason when towing
a trailer as long as the en
gine can manage the slope
without any drop in speed.
Detachable towing device*The detachable ball head of the towing device
is stowed in a box for the car tool kit
in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment. An instruction for correct installation an
d removal of the ball head of the towing
device is supplied
with the ball head
Inspect the ball head to ensure that it is pr
operly locked each time before setting off.
The inspection is performed by turning the closed locking lever downwards. If the locking lever can only be turned around a small angle (approx. 5°), the locking mechanism is O.K. After the inspection pull
the locking lever back again to its stop.
The towing device must not be used, if it does not wish to close or the locking lever turns slightly in the closed position.
WARNING
Do not use any aids or tools for installing or removing the ball head. This might result in damage to the locking mechanism to the extent that the safety of the towing device is no longer assured - risk of an accident.
Note
•
Do not carry out any modifications or repairs to the ball head or to any other
components on the towing device.•
Contact a specialist garage if you en
counter any problems using the device.
•
Never unlock the ball head with a trailer coupled to it.
•
You should take off the ball head if you drive without towing a trailer. Inspect
whether the end cover properly seals off the mounting shaft.•
Remove the ball head beforehand if yo
u wish to clean your vehicle using a
steam jet. Ensure that the end cover properly seals the mounting shaft.•
It is recommended to wear gloves
when installing and removing.
Fig. 197 Detachable ball head
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
212
Automatic vehicle wash systemsThe paintwork of the vehicle is sufficiently resistant that the vehicle can be washed normally in automatic vehicle wash plants without any problem. The actual stress to which the paintwork is subjected, however, depends greatly on the design of the vehicle wash system, the filtering of the water and the type of washing and care products used. If the paintwork of your
vehicle appears mat after being washed or
even has scratches, point this out to the operator of the vehicle wash plant. Use a different vehicle wash plant, if necessary. There are no particular points to note be
fore washing your vehicle in an automatic
vehicle wash system other than the usua
l precautionary measures (closing the
windows and the sliding/tilting roof, etc.). If you have any particular atta
ch e d p a r t s f i t te d t o y o u r c a r - s u ch a s s p o i l e r, ro o f ra ck
system, two-way radio aerial - it is best to
first of all consult the operator of the car
wash plant. It is important to degrease the lips of
the windscreen wiper rubbers after passing
through the automatic vehicle wash system.Washing vehicle by handIt is important to first soften the dirt with
plenty of water and
rinse it off as thor-
oughly as possible before wa
shing your vehi
cle by hand.
One should then clean the vehicle using a soft
washing sponge
, washing glove
or
a washing brush
and only slight pressure. Work
from the top to the bottom -
beginning with the roof. Only place slight
pressure on the vehicle paintwork during
cleaning Only use a
car shampoo
for stubborn dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts
last. Use a second sponge for such areas.
Rinse off the vehicle well after giving it a
wash and dry it off using a chamois leather.
WARNING
•
The ignition should always be switched off when you wash your vehicle -
risk of accident!•
Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when you
are cleaning the underfloor, the inside
of the wheel housings or the wheel
trims - risk of cuts.
Caution
•
Do not wash your vehicle in bright
sunlight - risk of paint damage.
•
Ensure that the jet of water is not aimed directly at the locks or at the door and
panel joints if you spray your
vehicle in winter down with
a hose - risk of freezing.
•
Do not use any insect sponges, rough ki
tchen sponges or simi
lar cleaning prod-
ucts - risk of damage to the surface of paintwork.
For the sake of the environment
Only wash your vehicle at washing bays specifically reserved for this purpose. This ensures that no water which may be cont
aminated by oil flow
s into the sewage
system. It is not even permitted to wash your vehicle in certain areas except at such specific washing bays.Washing with a high-pressure cleanerWhen you wash your vehicle with a high-pre
ssure cleaner, it is
essential to comply
with the instructions for use of the cleaning equipment. This applies in particular to the
pressure
used and to the
spraying distance
. Maintain a sufficiently large
distance to soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulation material.
On no account use
circular spray nozzles
or so-called
dirt cutters
!
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
213
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WARNING
It is particularly important that you do not clean tyres with circular spray jets. Visible but also invisible damage to
tyres may occur even at a relatively
large spraying distance and if sprayed only for a short time - risk of accident!
Caution
The water containing wax must be no hott
er than 60°C, otherwise the vehicle can
be damaged.Wax treatmentGood wax treatment is an effective way of
protecting the paintwork from harmful
environmental influences an
d minor mechanical damage.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-qua
lity hard wax polish at the latest, when
no more drops form on the clean paintwork. A new layer of a high-quality
hard wax polish can be a
pplied to the clean bodywork
after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver regularly we still recommend that you treat the paintwork of the vehicle at least twice a year with hard wax.
Caution
Never apply wax to the windows.PolishingPolishing is only necessary if the paintwor
k of your vehicle ha
s become unattractive
and if it is no longer possible to
achieve a gloss with wax preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax preserver if the polish you use does not contain any preserving elements
⇒page 213.
We recommend using a preservative from
Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer.
Caution
•
You must not treat mat painted parts or plastic with polishing products or hard
wax.•
Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicle in a dusty environment, otherwise
the paintwork can be scratched.Chrome partsFirst clean the chrome parts with a damp clotch and then polish them with a soft, dry cloth. If it does not prove to be
adequate, use a chrome care product from
Škoda original accessories.
Caution
Do not polish the chrome parts in a du
sty environment, otherwise they can be
scratched.Paint damageSlight damage to paintwork such as scratche
s, scuffs or traces of chip damage must
be touched up immediately with
paint (Škoda painting pen)
before
any corrosion
can result. You can of course have this wo
rk carried out by authorised Škoda Service
Par tners. The authorised Škoda Service Partne
rs have a range of matching
touch-up pens
or
spray cans
available in the colour of your vehicle.
The paint number of the orig
inal paintwork of your ve
hicle is indicated on the
vehicle data sticker
⇒page 268.
Any corrosion which has already have formed must be removed thoroughly. Apply a corrosion protection primer
and then the paint to the affected point. You can of
course have this work carried out by
authorised Škoda Service Partners.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
215
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WheelsSteel wheels You should also thoroughly wash the wheels and wheel trims when giving your vehicle its regular wash. This prevents an
y brake dust, dirt and road salt from
sticking to the wheel hubs. You can remove
stubborn brake abrasion adhering to
t h e w h e e l s w i t h a n i n d u s tr i a l c l e a n e r. To u c h u p a n y d a m a g e to t h e p a i n tw o r k o n th e wheels before rust is able to form. Light alloy wheels Regular care of light alloy wheels is necessary in order to retain their decorative appearance over long periods. It is partic
ularly important to remove any road salt
and brake abrasion from light alloy wheels every two weeks, otherwise the light metal will suffer. Wash thoroughly and th
en treat the wheels with a protective
product for light alloy wheels which does
not contain any acidic components. You
should provide the wheel hubs with a hard wax layer every three months. You must not use any products which cause abrasi
on when treating the wheel hubs. Any
damage to the paint layer on the whee
l hubs must be touched up immediately.
We recommend using a preservative from
Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer.
WARNING
One should remember when cleaning th
e wheels that moisture, ice and road
salt may adversely affect braking ef
ficiency - risk of an accident!
Note
Severe layers of dirt on th
e wheels can also result in
wheel imbalance. This may
show itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the steering wheel which, in certain circumstances, ca
n cause premature wear
of the steering.
This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
Underbody protectionThe underside of your vehicl
e is protected for life against chemical and mechanical
influences. One cannot, however, completely rule out damage to the
protective layer
when
driving so we recommend that you inspect the protective layer on the underside of your vehicle and on the chassis at certain in
tervals - this is best done at the begin-
ning and end of the winter - and to touch up any damaged areas. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have suitable
spray products
available as
well as the necessary equipment and are familiar with the instructions for use. It is therefore best to have such touch-up work or additional corrosion protection measures carried out by an authorised Škoda Service Partner.
WARNING
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converte
rs, diesel particle
filter or heat
shields. When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances might ignite - risk of fire!Protection of hollow spacesAll the cavities of your vehicle which are at
risk from corrosion are protected for life
by a layer of
protective wax
applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not require to be
inspected or re-treated. Please remove
any small amount of wax which flows out of
the cavities at high temperatures with
a plastic scraper and clean the spot using petroleum cleaner.
WARNING
Safety and environmental protection regulations should observed when using petroleum cleaner to re
move wax - a risk of fire!
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
216
Engine compartmentGood corrosion protection is very importan
t, particularly in winter when one often
drives over its salt-strewn roads. One should therefore clean the whole engine compartment before and after the salt spre
ading period and treat with preservative
in order to prevent the salt from being destructive. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have the cleaning agents and preservatives recommended by the manufacturer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•
It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter before
working on the engine compartment
⇒page 223, “Working in the engine
compartment”.•
Let the engine cool down before
cleaning the engine compartment.
Caution
•
Engine cleaning may be only be und
ertaken when the ignition is off.
•
It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine compart-
ment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by
washing the engine has washed away petrol, and resi-
dues of grease and oil and should therefor
e be cleaned by an oil separator. This is
why engine washing should only be undertake
n in a specialist garage or at a fueling
station (when these are fitted with the required equipment).
Care of the interior of vehiclePlastic parts, artificial leather and clothsYou can clean plastic parts and artificial le
ather with a moist cloth. You should only
treat such parts with special
solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products
it
does prove to be adequate. Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the
doors, luggage compartment cover, head-
liner etc. are best treated with special
cleaning products, using if necessary a
dry
foam
and a soft sponge or brush.
We recommend using a cleaning product
from Škoda genuine accessories offered
by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.Fabric covers of electrically heated seatsDo
not clean
the seat covers moist as this may result in damage to the seat heating
system. Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam.Natural leather Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.Leather should be treated from time
to time according the following
guidelines depending on how much it is used. Normal cleaning – Clean soiled areas of the leather
with slightly moistened cotton or
woollen cloth.
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