brake pads SKODA FABIA 2004 1.G / 6Y Owner's Manual

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
32
Engine oil 
The warning light  lights up red (low oil pressure)
The warning light comes on for a few seconds 2) when the ignition is
switched on.
Stop the vehicle and switch the engine off if the warning light does not
go off after the engine has started or flashes while driving. Check the oil
level and top up with oil as necessary ⇒page 186.
3 peeps sound as an additional warning signal.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under
the conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Keep the engine
switched off and obtain professional assistance from a Škoda dealer.
Do not drive any further if the warning light blinks even when the oil is at
the correct level. Do not run the engine not at idling speed either. Contact
the nearest Škoda dealer to obtain professional assistance.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
STOP! OIL PRESS. STOP MOTOR! SERVICE MANUAL
The warning light
 lights up yellow* (oil quantity too low)
If the warning light lights up yellow, the quantity of oil in the engine is prob-
ably too low. Check as soon as possible the oil level or top up ⇒page 186
with engine oil.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
CHECK OIL LEVEL The warning light will go out if the bonnet is left open for more than 30
seconds. If no engine oil has been replenished, the warning light will come
on again after driving about 100 km.
The warning light
 flashes yellow* (engine oil level sensor faulty)
A fault on the engine oil level sensor is indicated additionally by an audible
signal and the warning light coming on several times after the ignition has
been switched on.
In this case have the engine inspected without delay by a Škoda
dealer.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
OIL SENSOR WORKSHOP!
WARNING
The red oil pressure light  is not an oil level indicator! One
should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably
after every refueling stop.
Thickness of the brake pads* 
If the warning light  comes on, contact a Škoda dealer immediately and
have the brake pads on all of the wheels inspected.
A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*: CHECK BRAKE PADS
2)The warning light  on vehicles fitted with information display does not come on
after switching the ignition on, but only if a fault exists or the engine oil level is too
low.

Starting-off and Driving105
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•Depress the clutch pedal fully when changing gears, in order to avoid
unnecessary wear and damage.
Handbrake
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up fully.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and at the same time
press in the locking button ⇒fig. 92 .
– Hold the button pressed and push the handbrake lever down fully ⇒ .
The handbrake warning light  lights up when the handbrake is applied,
provided the ignition is on.
A warning signal sounds and the following text appears in the display* if
you have inadvertently driven off with the handbrake applied:
"Handbrake on"
The handbrake warning is activated if you drive at a speed of more than 6
km/h for more than 3 seconds.
WARNING
•Please note that the handbrake must be fully released. A hand-
brake which is only partially released can result in the rear brakes
overheating which will have a nega tive effect on the operation of
the brake system - risk of accident! In addition this can result in
premature wear of the rear brake pads.
•Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. The children
might, for example, release the handbrake or take the vehicle out of
gear. The vehicle might then move off - risk of accident!
Caution
After the car has come to a stop, always first of all apply the handbrake
firmly before then additionally engaging a gear (manual gearbox) or
moving the selector lever into position P (automatic gearbox).
Fig. 92 Centre
console: Handbrake

Intelligent Technology
154
which is being braked. The vehicle can continue to be driven and has the
same characteristics as a vehicle not fitted with EDL.
The EDL switches on again automatically as soon as the brake has cooled
down.
WARNING
•Depress the accelerator carefully when accelerating on
uniformly slippery road surfaces, such as ice and snow. The driven
wheels might still spin despite the EDL and affect the stability of the
vehicle - risk of an accident!
•You should always adapt your style of driving to the condition
of road surface and to the traffic situation even when your vehicle
is fitted with EDL. The increased safety offered must not tempt you
to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note
•If the ABS or TCS or ESP warning li ght comes on, this may also indi-
cate a fault in the EDL. Please have the vehicle inspected as soon as
possible by a Škoda dealer.
•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 EDL
⇒ page 206, “Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
Brakes
What has a negative effect on braking efficiency?
Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pads is greatly dependent on the operating
conditions of the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns and over short distances or if you adopt a sporty style
of driving, it may be necessary to have the thickness of the brake pads
inspected at a Škoda dealer between the service inspections.
Wet roads or road salt
There may be a certain delay before the brakes take full effect under
certain conditions such as when driving through water, during heavy rain
showers or after the vehicle has been washed in an automatic vehicle
wash, since the brake discs and brake pads may be moist or even have a
coating of ice on them in winter. You should dry the brakes as soon as
possible (by applying and releasing the brakes several times, if the road
conditions and the traffic situation allows it).
There also may be a certain delay before the full braking efficiency is avail-
able when driving on roads which have been treated with road salt if you
have not used the brakes for some considerable time beforehand. The
layer of salt on the brake discs and brake pads must first be rubbed off
when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on the bake pads occur if the vehicle
has been parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the
braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firmly applying the brakes at
a fairly high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or
if surface corrosion is present
⇒.
Faults in the brake surface
If you notice that the braking distance has suddenly become longer and
that the brake pedal can be depressed further, it is possible that a brake
circuit of the dual-circuit brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to
the nearest Škoda dealer without delay in order to have the problem recti-
fied. Drive at a reduced speed while on your way to the dealer and adapt
your style of driving to the higher brake pedal pressure required.

Intelligent Technology155
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Low brake fluid level
An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake
system. The level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically
⇒page 35,
“Brake system ”.
WARNING
•Only apply the brakes for the purpose of drying and cleaning the
brake discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place any
other road users in jeopardy.
•When retrospectively mounting a front spoiler, solid wheel hubs
etc. one must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel brakes
is not reduced otherwise the braking system could run too hot.
•Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full
braking efficiency until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake
pads must be first “run in” before they develop their optimal fric-
tion 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.
Caution
•Never allow the brakes to rub by applying slight pressure if you do not
wish to brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also
result in a longer braking distance and excessive wear.
•Before negotiating a steep downhill section, please reduce your
speed, shift down into the next lower gear (manual gearbox) or select a
lower driving stage (automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use
of the braking power of the vehicle and reduces the strain on the brakes.
Any additional braking should be done intermittently, not continuously.
Brake booster
The braking force boosts the pressure which you generate with the brake
pedal. The necessary pressure is only generated 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 significantly 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 full brake application
on a slippery road surface because the wheels do not lock up.
You must not expect, however, that the braking distance will be shorter
under all circumstances as a result of the ABS. The braking distance for
example on gravel and fresh snow, when you should anyway be driving
slowly and cautiously, will be longer.

Driving and the Environment
158
New brake pads
Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking effi-
ciency until approximately 200 kilometres. 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 pres-
sure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future
date.
During the running-in period, you should avoid excessive stresses on the
brakes. This includes, for example, violent braking, particularly from very
high speeds, and also when crossing mountain passes.
Catalytic converter
Proper operation of the emission control system (catalytic
converter) is of major significance 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 178, “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 187,
“Replenishing engine oil”. – Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50
metres ⇒page 222, “Tow-starting a vehicle”.
If you drive your vehicle in a country in which unleaded petrol is not avail-
able, you must have the catalytic 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
catalytic 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-protec-
tion agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or heat
shields. Such substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter should never be allowed to let
the fuel tank to run completely empty. An irregular 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 leaded petrol will result in the cata-
lytic converter being destroyed.
•If you detect misfiring, a drop in performance or irregular engine
running when driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the
vehicle inspected by the nearest Škoda dealer. The symptoms described
may be caused by a fault in the ignition system. Unburnt fuel may get into
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.

Inspecting and Replenishing
192
The brake fluid reservoir is located on the left of the engine
compartment. The brake fluid reservoir on right-hand steering
models is positioned on the other side of the engine compart-
ment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 183.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir ⇒page 191,
fig. 141. The level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX”
markings.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-
tear and automatic adjustment of the brake pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the
fluid level drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the
“MIN” marking. A situation where the brake fluid level is too low is indi-
cated by the warning light
 lighting up in the instrument cluster
⇒ page 35. You should drive carefully and immediately to the nearest
Škoda Dealer and have the brake system inspected.
WARNING
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 183 before
working in the engine compartment.
•If the fluid level has dropped below the MIN marking, do not
drive any further - risk of accident! Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain
professional assistance.
Replacing brake fluid
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. This causes the fluid to absorb moisture
from the surrounding air over a period of time. Excessive water in the
brake fluid may be the cause of corrosion in the brake system. The water
content also lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid. This is why brake
fluid must be replaced every two years.
One may only use new genuine brake fluid from Škoda Auto. The specifi-
cation for the brake fluid is “FMVSS 116 DOT 4”.
We recommend that you have the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda dealer
as part of an Inspection Service.
WARNING
•Using old brake fluid can result in severe stress on the brakes
because of the formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system.
This greatly impairs the braking efficiency and thus also the safety
of your vehicle.
•Brake fluid is toxic! It must therefore be kept safely in closed
original containers and well away from children and unauthorized
persons.
Caution
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
In view of the problems involved with proper disposal of brake fluid, the
special tools and the professional knowledge required, you should have
the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda dealer.

Index239
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67, 119
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
An overview Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Antilock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Antilock brake system - ABS Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Emergency programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . 170
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . 164
B
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Brake Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Brake system Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Button on the driver's door
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Changing the engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Changing wheels around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Child safety locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Child safety seats ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Classification into groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . 142
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Children and safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Chrome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Index243
Safety instructions
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Safety wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Saving electrical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Seat belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
fasten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Service Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Service Interval Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Setting temperature Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
The air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Shifting of gears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Starting engine Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Steering force assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Storage compartment Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Switch on the driver's door Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Switching lights on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
T
Taking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Temperature Outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
The automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . 61
The battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 193 changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . . 195
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
The electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 39
The outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Thickness of brake pads
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Towing a vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Towing eye at the front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
at the rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Tow-starting a vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Traction control system (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Transporting children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Turn signal system for vehicles towing a trailer Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Two-way radio systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Type plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204