traction control SKODA FABIA 2010 2.G / 5J Owner's Manual

Instruments and warning lights
27
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WARNING

If you do not pay attention to the warning lights coming on and the corre-
sponding descriptions and warning notes, this may result in severe body inju- ries or major vehicle damage.
The engine compartment of your car is
a hazardous area. There is a risk of
injuries, scalding, accidents and fire wh
en working in the engine compartment,
e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and
other fluids. It is also essential to
observe all warnings
page 166, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Note

Arrangement of the indicator lights depends on the model and model version.

Operational faults are shown in the instrument cluster as red symbols (priority 1 -
danger) or yellow symbol
s (priority 2 - warning).
Turn signal system

Either the left
 or right
 indicator light flashes depending on the position of the turn
signal lever. The indicator light flashes at twice its normal rate if a turn signal light fails.Switching off the hazard warning light system is switched on will cause all of the turn signal lights as well as both indicator lights to flash. Further information about the turn signal system
page 52.
Main beam

The indicator light
 comes on when the main beam is selected or also when the
headlight flasher is operated. Further information about the main beam
page 52.
Low beam

The warning light
 comes on when low beam is selected
page 48.
 
Engine oil
 page 29

Open door
page 30

Fluid level in windshield washer system*
page 30

Control system for exhaust
page 30

Traction control system (TCS)*
page 31

Tyre pressure monitoring system*
page 31

Selector lever lock*
page 31

Traction control system (TCS)*
page 31

Electronic stability programme (ESP)*
page 31

Antilock brake system (ABS)
page 32

Brake system
page 32

Cruise control system*
page 33

Airbag system
page 33

Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)
page 33

Seat belt warning light
page 34
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Instruments and warning lights
31
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Traction control system (TCS)*

The warning light
 lights up if the TCS
system is switched off.
Further information about the TCS
page 138.
Tyre pressure monitoring system*

The warning light
 lights up, if there is a substantia
l drop in inflation pressure in one
of the tyres. Reduce the speed and check or
correct as soon as possible the inflation
pressure in the tyres
page 178.
An audible signal sounds as an additional warning signal.If the warning light flashes
, there is a system fault. Visit the nearest specialist garage
and have the fault rectified. Further information about the tyre pressure monitoring system
page 142.
WARNING

When the warning light
 lights up, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake manoeuvr
es. Please stop the vehicle without
delay at the nearest possible stop and in
spect the tyres and their inflation pres-
sures.
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.
Note
If the battery has been disconnected, the warning light
 comes on after switching on
the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a short distance.Selector lever lock*

(automatic gearbox)
If the
green
warning light
 lights up, operate the brake pedal. This is necessary, in
order to be able to move the selector lever out of the position
P or N.
Further information about the selector lever lock
page 100.
Traction control system (TCS)*

The warning light
 comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
The warning light flashes when a control cycle is activated while driving.The warning light
 lights up permanently if there is a fault in the TCS system.
The fact that the TCS system operates together with the ABS means that the TCS warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly. If the warning light
 comes on immediately after starting the engine, the TCS system
can be switched off for techni
cal reasons. In this case, the TCS system can be switched
on again by switching the igni
tion on and off. If the warning light goes out, the TCS
system is fully functional again. Further information about the TCS
page 138, “Traction control system (TCS)*”.
Note
If the battery has been disconnected
and reconnected, the warning light
 comes on
after switching on the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a short distance.Electronic stability programme (ESP)*

The warning light
 comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
If the ESP helps to stabilise the vehicle (f
or example when applying and releasing a
braking force to an individual wheel), then the indicator light
 flashes.
The warning light
 lights up permanently if there is a fault in the ESP system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that the ESP warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly. If the warning light
 comes on immediately after starting the engine, the ESP system
can be switched off for technical reasons. In
this case, the ESP system can be switched
on again by switching the igni
tion on and off. If the warning light goes out, the ESP
system is fully functional again. Further information on the ESP
page 137, “Electronic stab
ility programme (ESP)*”.
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Intelligent Technology
137
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralGeneral The ESP aids you in maintaining control of
your vehicle in situations in which the
vehicle is driving at its dynamic limits, such as
entering a curve fast. The risk of skidding
is reduced and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the conditions of the road surface. The system operates at all speeds. The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL);

Traction control system (TCS);

Antilock brake system (ABS);

Brake Assist;

Uphill Start Assist.
Operating principle The ESP switches on automati
cally when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also proc- esses additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehicle about its ve
rtical axis, the lateral acceleration of the
vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle. The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering angle and the speed of the vehicle and is co
nstantly compared wi
th the actual behav-
iour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such
as the vehicle beginning to skid, the ESP will
automatically brake the appropriate wheel. The car is stabilised again by the forces wh
ich take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of a vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency fo
r the rear of the vehicle to break away)
while occurs this is on the inner rear wh
eel of a vehicle whic
h tends to understeer
(tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by noises. If the ESP helps to stabilise the vehicle (f
or example when applying and releasing a
braking force to an individual wheel), then the indicator light
 flashes.
The ESP system cannot be switched off, only
the TCS system can be switched off by
pressing the button
page 138, fig. 130
. The warning light
 page 31 lights up if
the TCS system is switched off. The warning light
 lights up permanently if there is a fault in the ESP system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that the ESP warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly. If the warning light
 comes on immediately after starting the engine, the ESP system
can be switched off for technical reasons. In
this case, the ESP system can be switched
on again by switching the igni
tion on and off. If the warning light goes out, the ESP
system is fully functional again.
WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehicle. Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of driving to the condition of the road surfac
e and the traffic situation. This partic-
ularly applies when driving on slippery
and wet roads. The increased safety
offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an acci- dent!
Note

All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circum
ferences of the tyres can lead to an unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.
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Intelligent Technology
138

Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th
e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP
page 184, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.Traction control system (TCS)* The traction control system prevents the driven wheels from spinning when accelerating.General The TCS makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate and climb a steep hill when the conditions
of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle The TCS switches on automatically when th
e engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force transmitted to the road surface is auto- matically adapted by reducing the engine speed. The system operates at all speeds. The TCS operates in combination with the ABS
page 140, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)”. The TCS will not function if a fault exists in the ABS system. The TCS warning light lights up in the instru
ment cluster when there is a fault on the
TCS
 page 31.
Switching off You can switch the TCS off and on agai
n as you wish by pressing the button
fig. 130
.
The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when the TCS is switched off  page 31.
The TCS should normally always
be switched on. It may be good practice in certain
exceptional cases, such as when you wish to
have wheel slip, to switch off the system.
Examples:
when driving with snow chains;

when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface;

when it is necessary to rock a vehicle when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the TCS again.
WARNING
You should always adjust your style of driving to the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note

All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the TCS. Differing rolling circum
ferences of the tyres can lead to an unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the TCS
page 184, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)* The electronic differential lock prev
ents an individual wheel from slip-
ping.Models fitted with ESP are equipped with
electronic differential lock (EDL).
Fig. 130 TCS switch
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Wheels and Tyres
182
Winter tyresThe handling of your vehicl
e will be significantly improved when driving on wintry
roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice, snow and at temperatures below 7 °C because of thei
r construction (width, rubber blend, tread
pattern). This applies in particular
to vehicles which are equipped with
low-profile
tyres
or high-speed tyres
(code index H, V or W on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four
wheels to obtain the best handling charac-
teristics. You must only fit those types of winter tyre
which are approved for your vehicle. The
permissible
sizes of winter tyres
are stated in your vehicl
e documents. Approvals may
differ because of na
tional legislation.
Please remember that the tyres should be inflated to 20 kPa (0.2 bar) more than is the case for summer tyres
page 178.
Winter tyres no longer offer the
same winter performance once the
tyre tread
has
worn down to a depth of about 4 mm. Ageing
also causes winter tyres to lose most of their winter performance properties -
even in cases where the remaining tread depth is still clearly more than 4 mm. Speed restrictions
apply to winter tyres as well as to summer tyres
page 180,

.
You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed catego
ry to your vehicle provided that you also
do not drive faster than the permissible maximum speed for such tyres, even if the possible maximum speed of your vehicle is
higher. The correspond
ing tyre category
can damage the tyres when exceeding the permissible maximum speed. Please pay attention to the notes if
you decide to fit winter tyres
page 178.
You can also fit so-called “all-year tyres” instead of winter tyres. Please contact your specialist garage if there are any points which are not clear who will be able to provide you with information regarding the maximum speed for your tyres.
WARNING
You must on no account drive your car at more than the permissible maximum speed for your winter tyres - risk of an
accident resulting from tyre damage and
loss of control over your car.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres on again in good time since summer tyres offer you better grip and handling on roads which are free of snow
and ice as well as ar temperatures below
7 °C - the braking distance is shorter, there is less tyre noise, tyre wear is reduced and fuel consumption is reduced.
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.Unidirectional tyres*The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by
arrows on the wall of the tyre
. This
indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre,
and it is essential that the tyres are fitted
on to run in this direction. Only then are the tyres able to provide the optimal proper- ties in terms of grip, low nois
e, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Should it be necessary to fit on a spare wheel* in the event of a puncture with a tyre not dedicated to the running dire
ction or in opposite runnin
g direction, please adopt a
cautious style of driving as the tyre is no
longer able to provide optimal grip and
handling in such a situation. This particular
ly important on wet roads. Please refer to
the additional instructions
page 186, “Spare wheel*”.
You should have the defective tyre replaced as soon as possible and restore the correct direction of rotation on all tyres.Snow chainsSnow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels. When driving on wintry roads, snow chains
improve not only traction, but also the
braking performance. For technical reasons, it is only permissi
ble to fit snow chains
with the following
wheel/tyre combinations.
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Wheels and Tyres
183
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than
12 mm
.
Remove the
full wheel trims
before installing the snow chains.
Observe the different national legal regulation
s relating to the use of snow chains and
the maximum vehicle spee
d with snow chains.
WARNING
Please pay attention to the information in the supplied fitting instructions of the snow chain manufacturer.
Caution
You must take the chains off as soon as you drive on roads which are free of snow. They adversely affect the handling of your ve
hicle, damage the tyres and are rapidly
destroyed.
Note

Only fit snow chains from the ra
nge of Škoda genui
ne accessories.

When driving with snow chains, switch off the traction control system (TCS).
Wheel size
Depth (D)
Ty re s i z e
5J x 14
35 mm
165/70
6J x 14
37 mm
185/60
6J x 15
43 mm
185/55
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Index239
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data Recommendation for changing gears . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Synchronisation process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Replacing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Replacing fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Replacing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Roof aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Running in the car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
SSafe securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Safety information
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Saving electrical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Seat belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
fastening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Selector lever-emergency unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Service Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Service Interval Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Setting temperature
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Start-stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Steering force assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Stowage compartment
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Switching lights on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Systems
Start-stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
TTaking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Temperature
outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
the first 1 500 kilometres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Tourist light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Towing eye
front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Towing protection monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
towing vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Tow-starting and towing vehicle
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Traction control system (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Transporting children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Turn signal light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Two-way radio systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Tyre inflation pressure
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Tyre pressure monitoring system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Tyre repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
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