maintenance SKODA FABIA 2014 2.G / 5J Owner's Manual

Table of Contents
Abbreviations
Safety
Passive Safety
6
General information
6
Correct and safe seated position
7
Seat belts
10
Wearing seat belts
10
Inertia reel and belt pretensioners
13
Airbag system
14
Description of the airbag system
14
Airbag overview
15
Deactivating airbags
17
Transporting children safely
19
Child seat
19
Fastening systems
22
Using the system
Cockpit
25
Overview
24
Instruments and Indicator Lights
26
Instrument cluster
26
Multifunction display (MFD)
29
Service Interval Display
32
MAXI DOT display
33
Warning lights
35
Unlocking and locking
42
Unlocking and locking
42
Central locking system
45
Remote control
48
Anti-theft alarm system
49
Tailgate
50Electrical power windows51Electric sliding/tilting roof53
Lights and visibility
55
Lights
55
Interior lights
59
Visibility
61
Windscreen wipers and washers
61
Rear window
63
Seats and storage
65
Front seats
65
Rear seats
66
Head restraints
67
Boot
68
Variable loading floor in the luggage
compartment (Fabia Estate)
72
Net partition (Fabia Estate)
73
Bicycle carrier in the luggage compartment
75
Roof rack system
76
Useful equipment
77
Storage compartments
80
Heating and air conditioning
84
Heating, ventilation, cooling
84
Heating
86
Air conditioning system (manual air
conditioning system)
87
Climatronic (automatic air conditioning
system)
90
Communication and multimedia
92
Universal telephone preinstallation GSM II
92
Voice control
97
Multimedia
98
Driving
Starting-off and Driving
101
Starting and stopping the engine
101
Brakes
102Manual gear shifting and pedals104Automatic transmission105
Running in
108
Economical driving and respect the
environment
109
Avoiding damage to your vehicle
112
Driving abroad
113
Assist systems
114
Brake assist systems
114
Parking aid
116
Cruise control system
117
START-STOP
118
Towing a trailer
120
Towing device
120
Trailer
124
General Maintenance
Car care
126
Services, modifications and technical
alterations
126
Washing the car
128
Vehicle exterior care
129
Care of the interior
132
Inspecting and replenishing
135
Fuel
135
Engine compartment
138
Engine oil
141
Coolant
143
Brake fluid
145
Vehicle battery
145
Wheels
149
Tyres and rims
149
Winter use
1563Table of Contents

WARNING (Continued)■The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is the correct
one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will reduce its capacity to
protect and the risk of injury increases.■
The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked otherwise the belt
tongue will not lock in place properly.
■
Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jack-
et) do not allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of
the seat belts.
■
It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e. g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons).
■
The seat belts for the rear seats can only fulfil their function reliably
when the seat backrests are correctly locked into position » page 66.
WARNINGInformation on the care and maintenance of the safety belts■The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belts may impair
proper operation of the inertia reel » page 134, Seat belts .■
The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not at-
tempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
■
Check the condition of all the seat belts on a regular basis. If any damage
to the seat belts, seat belt connections, inertia reel or the lock is detected,
the seat belt concerned must be replaced by a specialist garage.
■
Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident
and were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is best done by a
specialist garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspec-
ted. The anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.
Note
The national legal requirements must be observed when using seat belts.The physical principle of a frontal collisionFig. 4
Driver without a fastened seat belt/rear seat passenger without a
fastened seat belt
Read and observe
on page 10 first.
As soon as the vehicle is moving, so-called kinetic energy (the energy of mo-
tion) is produced both in terms of the car as well as in terms of the occupants.
The magnitude of this kinetic energy depends essentially on the speed at
which the vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the vehicle including the
occupants. The greater the speed and weight increase, the greater the
amount of energy which has to be absorbed in the event of an accident.
The speed of the vehicle is the most important factor. Doubling the speed of
the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy four
times.
The notion that it is possible to support your body with your hands in a minor
accident is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces acting
on the body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed of 30 km/h to 50 km/h, the forces that your body is exposed to in the event of an accident can exceed a ton (1000 kg).
For example, a person's weight of 80 kg “increases” at 50 km/h to 4.8 tons (4800 kg).
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat belt
are thrown forward and strike parts of the interior of the car, such as the
steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen in ways which cannot be control-
led » Fig. 4 -
 . In certain circumstances you could even be thrown out of the
vehicle, which could cause life threatening or even fatal injuries. 
11Seat belts

Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
System description
14
Airbag deployment
14WARNING■ An airbag can only offer you optimal protection in combination with a fas-
tened seat belt.■
The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but instead forms part of
the complete passive vehicle safety concept.
■
To ensure passengers are protected with the greatest possible effect
when the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be correctly adjusted to
match the body size » page 7, Correct and safe seated position .
■
If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased
risk of injury in the event of an accident.
WARNINGInformation on the use of the airbag system■If there is a fault, the airbag system must be checked by a specialist ga-
rage immediately. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activa-
ted in the event of an accident.■
No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
■
Any work on the airbag system including the installation and removal of
system components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering
wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or bodywork.
■
It is prohibited to tamper with individual parts of the airbag system as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.
■
The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one ac-
cident. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been de-
ployed.
System description
Read and observe
on page 14 first.
The functional status of the airbag system is indicated by the 
indicator light
in the instrument cluster » page 40.
When the airbags are deployed they fill with gas and inflate.
A grey white or red, non-harmful gas is released when the airbag is inflated.
This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
The airbag system consists – depending on the vehicle equipment – of the
following modules.
› Electronic control unit.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger
» page 15.
› Side airbags
» page 16.
› Head airbags
» page 17.
› Airbag indicator light in the instrument cluster
» page 40.
› Key switch for the front passenger airbag
» page 18.
› Warning light for front passenger airbag deactivation in dash panel cen-
tre » page 18 .
Note
■
The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.■If you sell your vehicle, provide the complete vehicle documentation to the
new owner. Please note that the information relating to the possibility of de-
activating the front passenger airbag must be included!■
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to
comply with the national legal requirements.
Airbag deployment
Read and observe
on page 14 first.
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be
able to offer that additional protection in the event of an accident.
The airbag system is only functional when the ignition is switched on.
In certain accident situations, the several airbags may be deployed simultane-
ously.
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions,
rear-end collisions, tilting of the vehicle and vehicle rollover. 
14Safety

New tyres
New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. Drive
especially carefully for the first 500 km or so.
New brake pads
New brake pads initially do not provide optimal braking performance. They first
need to be “run in”. Drive especially carefully for the first 200 km or so.
Economical driving and respect the environment
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Driving with anticipation
109
Economical gear changing.
109
Avoiding full throttle
110
Reducing idling
110
Avoiding short distances
110
Checking tyre pressure
110
Avoiding unnecessary ballast
111
Regular maintenance
111
Saving electrical energy
111
Environmental compatibility
111
The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the
vehicle have already been built into the vehicle at the works. ŠKODA places a
particular emphasis on minimising negative effects on the environment.
It is necessary to take note of the guidelines given in this chapter in order to make best use of these characteristics and to maintain their effectiveness.
Fuel consumption, environmental pollution and the wear to the engine, brakes
and tyres depend essentially on the following three factors.
› Your personal driving style
› Operating conditions
› Technical requirements
The fuel economy by can be improved by 10 -15 % by always looking ahead and
driving in an economical way.
Fuel consumption is also be influenced by external factors which are beyond
the driver's control. Consumption increases during the winter or under difficult
conditions, on poor roads, etc.
Fuel consumption can vary considerably from the manufacturer's data, as a re-
sult of outside temperatures, the weather and driving style.
The optimal engine speed should be maintained when accelerating, to avoid a high fuel consumption and resonance of the vehicle.
CAUTION
All the speed and engine revolution figures apply only when the engine is at
its normal operating temperature.
Driving with anticipation
Read and observe
on page 109 first.
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs when accelerating, therefore un-necessary accelerating and braking should be avoided. If looking ahead when
driving, less braking and consequently less accelerating are required.
If possible, let your vehicle coast to a stop, or use the engine brake, if you can see that the next set of traffic lights is on red, for example.
Economical gear changing.
Fig. 108
Principle sketch: Fuel consump-
tion in litres/100 km depending
on the selected gear
Read and observe on page 109 first.
Shifting up early saves on fuel.
Manual gearbox › Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.
› Shift up into the next gear at approximately 2000 rpm. 
109Starting-off and Driving

Always ensure the tyre inflation pressure is correct. If the pressure is too low,
the tyres will have to overcome a higher rolling resistance. This will not only
increase fuel consumption but also tyre wear and the driving behaviour will
worsen.
Always check the tyre inflation pressure when the tyres are cold.
Avoiding unnecessary ballast
Read and observe
on page 109 first.
Transporting ballast costs fuel.
Each kilogramme of weight increases the fuel consumption. Therefore, we rec-
ommend that you carry no unnecessary weight.
It is particularly in town traffic, when one is accelerating quite often, that the
vehicle weight will have a significant effect upon the fuel consumption. A rule
of thumb here is that an increase in weight of 100 kilograms will cause an in-
crease in fuel consumption of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.
At a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, a vehicle fitted with a roof rack cross member
without a load will use about 10 % more fuel than normal due to the increased
aerodynamic drag.
Regular maintenance
Read and observe
on page 109 first.
A poorly tuned engine uses an unnecessarily high amount of fuel.
By having your vehicle regularly maintained by a specialist garage, you create
the conditions needed for driving economically. The maintenance state of your
vehicle has a positive effect on traffic safety and value retention
A poorly tuned engine can result in a fuel consumption which is 10 % higher
than normal.
Check the oil level at regular intervals, e.g. when refuelling. 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 has a higher oil consumption at first, and
reaches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. The oil consump-
tion of a new vehicle can therefore only be correctly assessed after driving
about 5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment■ Additional improvements to the fuel economy can be made by using synthet-
ic high-lubricity oils.■
Regularly check the ground under the vehicle. Have your vehicle inspected by
a specialist garage if you find any stains caused by oil or other fluids on the
ground.
Note
We recommend that your vehicle is serviced on a regular basis by a ŠKODA
Service Partner.
Saving electrical energy
Read and observe
on page 109 first.
When the engine is running, the alternator generates and supplies electricalpower. If more electrical components of the electrical system are switched on,
more fuel is needed to operate the alternator. We therefore recommend
switching off electrical components if these are no longer required.
Environmental compatibility
Read and observe
on page 109 first.
Environmental protection has played a major role in the design, selection ofmaterials, and manufacture of your new ŠKODA. Particular emphasis has been
placed on the following points.
Design measures › Joints designed to be easily detached.
› Simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system.
› Improved purity of different 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 with CFC-free refrigerant.
› No cadmium. 
111Starting-off and Driving

General Maintenance
Car care
Services, modifications and technical alterations
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
ŠKODA Original Parts
126
ŠKODA Original Accessories
127
Spoiler
127
Airbags
127
The instructions and guidelines issued by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. must be observed
when making any modifications, repairs or technical changes to your vehicle.
Compliance with these guidelines and instructions is in the interest of the
roadworthiness and technical condition of your vehicle. The vehicle will comply
with road traffic regulations following the modifications, repairs and technical
changes.
Always consult a ŠKODA Partner before buying accessories or parts, or before
carrying out any modifications, repairs or technical alterations to your vehicle.
WARNING■ Work not properly performed on your vehicle can lead to faults - there is a
risk of an accident resulting in serious injury.■
We recommend only having these modifications and technical changes
performed by a specialist garage.
■
Interference on the electronic components and their software can lead to
operational faults. This interference can also impair not directly affected
systems because of the networking of the electronic components. The op-
erational safety of the vehicle may be at significant risk and parts may suf-
fer increased wear.
■
The ŠKODA Partner cannot assume any liability for products which have
not been approved by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. even though these may be prod-
ucts with a type approval or have been approved by a nationally recognised
testing laboratory.
WARNING■ We advise you only to use ŠKODA Original Accessories and ŠKODA Origi-
nal Parts which have been expressly approved for use on your vehicle. Reli-
ability, safety and suitability for your vehicle are guaranteed with these.■
ŠKODA Original Accessories and ŠKODA Original Parts can be purchased
from a ŠKODA Partner who will also fit the purchased parts correctly.
For the sake of the environment
Technical documents regarding changes carried out on the vehicle must be
kept by the vehicle user, in order to be handed over to the recyclers later. This
ensures that vehicle recycling is in accordance with environmental regulations.
Note
Any damage caused by technical alterations made without the approval of the
manufacturer is excluded from the » Service schedule warranty.
ŠKODA Original Parts
Read and observe
on page 126 first.
We recommend the use of ŠKODA Genuine Parts for your vehicle, since these
parts are approved by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. They correspond exactly to ŠKODA
AUTO a.s. specifications in respect of design, dimensional accuracy and materi-
al and are identical to the components used in the batch production.
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. can guarantee the safety, suitability, and long life of these
products. We therefore recommend that you only use ŠKODA Genuine Parts.
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. supplies the market with a complete range of ŠKODA Genu-
ine Parts not only while the model is still in production but with wear-and-tear
parts for at least 15 years after the end of series production and with all other
vehicle parts for at least 10 years.
ŠKODA service partners are liable for any defects in ŠKODA original parts for a
period of 2 years after sale in accordance with materials defect liability under
the law unless otherwise agreed in the purchase agreement. You should keep
the confirmed warranty certificate and the receipt for these components for
this period, so that the commencement of the warranty term may be verified.
Body repairs
ŠKODA vehicles are designed so that if the body suffers damage, it is only nec-
essary to replace those parts which are in fact damaged. 
126General Maintenance

WARNINGObserve the following instructions for the airbag system.■It is prohibited to tamper with individual parts of the airbag system as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.■
Never install any airbag parts into the vehicle that have been removed
from old cars or have been recycled.
■
Never fit damaged airbag parts to a vehicle. The airbags may then not be
triggered properly or not at all in the event of an accident.
■
No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
WARNING■ A change in the suspension of the vehicle including the use of non-ap-
proved wheels and tyre combinations can alter the functioning of the air-
bag system - there is a risk of accident and fatal injury.■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or bodywork.
Washing the car
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Washing by hand
128
Automatic car wash systems
129
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
129
The best protection for your vehicle against harmful environmental influences
is frequent washing.
How often the vehicle should be washed depends, for example, on the follow-
ing factors.
› Frequency of use.
› Parking situation (garage, under trees, etc.).
› Season of the year.
› Weather conditions.
› Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust,
tar, soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to
the paintwork of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect
can be. High temperatures, such as those caused by intensive sun's rays, ac-
centuate this caustic effect.
It is essential to also thoroughly clean the underside of the vehicle at the end
of the winter.WARNING■ Washing your vehicle in the winter: water and ice in the brake system can
affect the braking efficiency – there is the risk of an accident.■
Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is switched off – there is the risk
of an accident.
CAUTION
Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight – there is a risk of paint damage.
For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle at washing bays intended for this purpose.
Washing by hand
Read and observe
and on page 128 first.
Soften the dirt with plenty of water and rinse as much as you can of this off.
Clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, a washing glove or a washing brush .
Work from the top to the bottom - starting with the roof.
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.
Give the vehicle a good rinse after washing it and dry it off using a chamois
leather.
CAUTION
■ When washing the car by hand, protect your hands and arms from sharp-
edged metal parts (e.g. when cleaning the underfloor, the inside of the wheel
housings or the wheel trims, etc.) - There is a risk of cuts!■
Only apply slight pressure when cleaning the vehicle's paintwork.
128General Maintenance

CAUTION■Do not use any insect sponges, kitchen scrubbers or similar cleaning prod-
ucts – there is a risk of damaging the paintwork finish.■
Cleaners containing solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
For the sake of the environment
Used vehicle care product cans represent hazardous waste that is harmful to the environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legis-
lation.
Note
Because of the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any poten-
tial problems with the cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle, we rec-
ommend that cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle be carried out by
a ŠKODA Service Partner.
Caring for vehicle paintwork
Read and observe
and on page 129 first.
Treat minor paint damage such as scratches, scuffs or chips immediately, if
possible, with paint pens or sprays.
Preserving the vehicle paintwork
Thorough wax treatment is an effective way of protecting the paintwork from
harmful environmental influences.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-quality 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 applied to the clean body- work 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.
Polishing
Polishing is necessary if the vehicle's paintwork has become unattractive and
if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax preservatives.
If the polish does not contain any preserving elements, the paint must be trea- ted with a preservative afterwards.
CAUTION■ Never apply wax to the windows.■Mat painted or plastic parts must not be treated with polishing products or
hard waxes.■
Do not polish the paintwork in a dusty environment - there is a risk of
scratching the paintwork.
■
Do not apply polish to door seals or window guides.
■
If possible, do not apply any polish to body surfaces that come into contact
with door seals and window guides.
Plastic parts
Read and observe
and on page 129 first.
Clean plastic parts with a damp cloth.
If this method does not clean plastic parts completely, use a specific plastic
care product.
CAUTION
Do not use polish on plastic parts.
Rubber seals
Read and observe
and on page 129 first.
All door seals and window guides are factory-treated with a colourless mattvarnish layer against a freezing to painted body parts and against road noise.
Do not treat the door seals or window guides with any cleaning agent.
CAUTION
An additional treatment of the seals can attack their protective coating and
road noise may be generated.
Chrome parts
Read and observe
and on page 129 first.
First clean the chrome parts with a damp cloth and then polish them with a
soft, dry cloth.
If this method does not completely clean chrome parts, use a specific chrome
care product. 
130General Maintenance

Underbody waxingRead and observe
and on page 129 first.
All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protectedfor life by a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
Wax protection does not require to be inspected or re-treated.
If any small amount of wax flow out of the cavities at high temperatures, these
must be removed with a plastic scraper and the stains cleaned using a petrole-
um cleaner.
WARNINGSafety regulations should be observed when using petroleum cleaner to re-
move wax – there is a risk of fire.
Jack
Read and observe
and on page 129 first.
The jack is maintenance-free.
If necessary, the moving parts of the jack should be lubricated with a suitable lubricant.
Wheels
Read and observe
and on page 129 first.
Wheel rims
Also thoroughly wash the wheel rims when washing the vehicle on a regular basis.
Regularly remove salt and brake dust otherwise the rim material will be at-
tacked.
Damage to the paint layer on the wheel rims must be touched up immediately.
Light alloy wheels
After washing thoroughly and treat the wheel rims with a protective product
for light alloy wheels. Products which cause abrasion must not be used to
treat the wheel rims.
CAUTIONSevere layers of dirt on the 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, can cause premature wear of
the steering. This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
Underbody protection
Read and observe
and on page 129 first.
The underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and me-
chanical influences.
Damage to the protective coating cannot be excluded when the vehicle is
driven.
We recommend that you have the protective coating under the body and on
the chassis inspected - preferably before the beginning and at the end of the
cold season.
WARNINGNever use additional underbody protection or anti-corrosion agents for ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converters, diesel particle filters or heat shields.
These substances could ignite when the engine reaches its operating tem-
perature - there is a risk of fire.
Care of the interior
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Natural leather
133
Synthetic leather, fabrics and Alcantara ®
134
Seat covers
134
Seat belts
134
Regular and proper care help to retain the efficiency and
value of your vehicle.
We recommend using care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories that are
available from ŠKODA Partners. The instructions for use on the package must
be observed. 
132General Maintenance

WARNING■Care products may be harmful to your health if not used according to the
instructions.■
Always keep the automobile care products safe from people who are not
completely independent, e.g. children - there is a danger of poisoning!
CAUTION
■ Be sure to check clothing for colourfastness to avoid any damage or visible
stains on the material (leather), panels and textiles.■
Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc., from the material (leather), panels and textiles as quickly as possi-
ble.
■
Air fresheners and scents can be hazardous to heath when the temperature
inside the vehicle is high.
■
Do not attach scents and air fresheners to the dashboard – risk of damage to
the dash panel.
■
Do not stick any stickers on the inside of the rear windows, the rear side win-
dows and in the vicinity of the heating elements on the windscreen or near the
window aerial. These may get damaged.
■
Do not clean the headlining with a brush – risk of damage to the lining sur-
face.
■
Cleaners containing solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
■
Apply only a small amount of the cleaning and care product.
For the sake of the environment
Used cans of vehicle care product represent hazardous waste that is harmful
to the environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national
legislation.
Note
Because of the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any poten-
tial problems with the cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle, we rec-
ommend that cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle be carried out by
a ŠKODA Service Partner.
Natural leather
Read and observe
and on page 133 first.
Leather is a natural material with specific properties and requires regular
cleaning and maintenance.
The leather should be cleaned on a regular basis depending on the amount of
wear-and-tear.
Dust and dirt in pores and creases act as abrasives. This leads to severe abra-
sion and the premature embrittlement of the leather surface.
We recommend that you remove dust at regular short intervals with a cloth or
vacuum cleaner.
Clean soiled leather surfaces with a cotton or woollen cloth lightly moistened
with water and then dry with a clean dry cloth »
.
Clean more severely soiled areas with a cloth soaked in a mild soap solution (2
tablespoons of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
Use a cleaning agent specially developed for the purpose to remove stains.
Treat the leather with a suitable leather care product at suitable regular inter-
vals.
CAUTION
■ Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point during cleaning
and that no water gets into the stitching of the seams. The leather would then
become brittle and cracked.■
Avoid leaving the vehicle for lengthy periods in bright sunlight to avoid the
leather from bleaching. If the vehicle is parked in the open for lengthy periods,
protect the leather from direct sunlight by covering it.
■
Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-
edged belts, jewellery and pendants may leave permanent scratches or signs
of rubbing on the surface. Damage of this nature cannot later be recognized as
a justified complaint.
■
The use of a mechanical steering wheel lock may damage the leather surface
of the steering wheel.
■
Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect on a regular ba-
sis and each time after cleaning. The cream nourishes the leather, allows it to
breathe and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also creates surface
protection.
■
Some clothing materials, such as dark denim, do not have sufficient colour
fastness. This can cause damage or clearly visible discolouration to seat covers
even when treated correctly. This is particularly true for light-coloured uphols-
tery. This is not a defect in the seat cover, but poor colour fastness of the
clothing textiles. 
133Car care