Get Driving Tips -> Driving and the Environment Guide for Skoda Superb SUV Second Generation (2009-2015)

180 Driving and the Environment

Driving and the Environment

CAUTION

The first 1 500 kilometres and afterwards

All the speed and engine revolution figures apply only when the engine is at its

normal operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when

the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.

New engine

The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres.

For the sake of the environment

Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear

as early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise

levels and protects the environment.

Up to 1 000 kilometres

–

Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the mamimum speed of the gear in use, that is

3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed.



–

Do not use full throttle.

Avoid high engine revolutions.

Do not tow a trailer.

New tyres

New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. You

should take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly

carefully.



From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres

–

Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full speed of the

gear engaged, that is up to the maximum permissible engine revolutions.

New brake pads

During the first operating hours the engine has higher internal friction than later

until all of the moving parts have harmonized. The driving style which you adopt

during the first approx.1 500 kilometres plays a decisive part in the success of run-

ning in your car.

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 friction force. You can, however, compensate for this

slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal.

You should not drive at unnecessarily high engine revolutions even after the run-

ning-in period is complete. The maximum permissible engine speed is marked by

the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up in-

to the next higher gear on a vehicle fitted with manual gearbox before the red

zone is reached. During acceleration (depressing the accelerator) exceptionally

high engine speeds are automatically reduced, yet the engine is not protected

against too high engine speeds which are caused by incorrectly shifting down the

gears resulting in a sudden increase of the engine speeds above the permitted

maximum revolutions which can lead to engine damage.

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 convert-

er) is of major significance for driving your vehicle in an environ-

mentally conscious way.

For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox the converse situation also applies: Do

not drive at engine revolutions which are too low. Shift down as soon as the en-

gine is no longer running smoothly.

Please refer to the following guidelines.

£

–

For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol ⇒ꢀpage 195.

Driving and the Environment 181

–

Never run the fuel tank completely empty.

Driving in an economical and environmentally

conscious manner

Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.

Do not pour too much oil into the engine ⇒ꢀpage 200, Replenishing engine oil.

General

If you drive your vehicle in a country in which unleaded petrol is not available, you

must have the catalytic converter replaced later when driving the vehicle into a

country in which use of a catalytic converter is mandatory.

Your personal style of driving is a major factor.

Your fuel consumption, any pollution of the environmental and the wear-and-tear

to the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:

WARNING

●

In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the catalytic

●

your personal style of driving,

the conditions under which your vehicle is operated,

technical aspects.

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!

You can easily improve your fuel economy by 10 - 15 percent by driving in an eco-

nomical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a number

of tips on how to protect the environment and at the same time save money.

●

Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents

for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or heat shields. Such substances

might ignite when driving - risk of fire!

The fuel consumption can naturally also be influenced by factors which are be-

yond the driver's control. It is, for example, normal for the fuel consumption to in-

crease in winter and under worsened conditions such as poor road conditions,

towing a trailer, etc.

CAUTION

●

On vehicles fitted with a catalytic converter, never let the fuel tank run com-

pletely empty. An irregular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Un-

burnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.

The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the ve-

hicle have already been built into the vehicle at the works. Special attention has

been given to 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.

●

Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic

converter being destroyed.

If you detect a power reduction or irregular engine running when driving, re-

duce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the nearest spe-

cialist garage. 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.

●

The optimal engine speed should be obtained when accelerating, in order to avoid

a high fuel consumption and resonance of the vehicle.



Looking ahead when driving

For the sake of the environment

Even if the exhaust system is operating properly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour

may be produced under certain operating conditions of the engine. This depends

on the sulphur content of the fuel. It is often sufficient to refuel with unleaded

premium-grade petrol of a different brand or at a different filling station.

A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.

Avoid accelerating and braking unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight you will

not need to brake so often and will also then not have to accelerate so much. Let

your vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this is possible, when you see that the

next set of traffic lights is at red.



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182 Driving and the Environment

Shifting gears and saving energy

Avoiding full throttle

Shifting up early saves on fuel.

Driving more slowly means saving fuel.

Fig. 165 Fuel consumption in litres/100

km. and speed in km/h.

Fig. 166 Fuel consumption in litres/100

km. and speed in km/h.

Manual gearbox

Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption

but also positively influence environmental pollution and wear of your vehicle.

–

Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.

Shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs.

You should avoid exploiting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel

consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at

high speeds.

–

An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up early. You will con-

sume more fuel if you drive at unnecessarily high revolutions in any given gear. To

shift in a fuel-efficient manner, follow ⇒ꢀpage 13, Shift recommendation for chang-

ing gears.

The ⇒ꢀfig. 166 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle.

You will cut your fuel consumption by half if you only make use three-quarters of

the possible top speed of your vehicle.



Automatic gearbox

–

Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Do not depress it beyond the kickdown

position, however.

Reducing idling

Idling also costs fuel.

Only depress the accelerator pedal slowly if your vehicle is fitted with an automat-

ic gearbox in order to automatically select an economic driving programme. You

will achieve good fuel economy by shifting up early and shifting down late.

It is worthwhile switching off the engine in a traffic jam or when waiting at a level

crossing or at traffic lights with a lengthy red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 sec-

onds you will have saved more fuel than that is needed when you start the engine

up again.

General

The ⇒ꢀfig. 165 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in

the relevant gears. Fuel consumption in 1st gear is the highest, while that in 5th or

the 6th gear is the lowest.

If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal operating

temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though, are particularly high

in the warming-up phase. This is why you should drive off right after starting the

engine. Do avoid high engine revolutions at this time, however.



Note



Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator ⇒ꢀpage 14.

Driving and the Environment 183

Regular servicing

Avoid driving short distances

A poorly tuned engine uses an unnecessarily high amount of fuel.

Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption.

Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a specialist garge enables you to satisfy

one of the requirements for economical motoring even before you set off on your

journey. Keeping your vehicle properly serviced not only has a positive effect on

the safety of your vehicle and maintaining its value, but also saves on fuel.

A poorly tuned engine can result in a fuel consumption which is 10% higher than

normal.

The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according to the

Service schedule by a specialist garage.

Fig. 167 Fuel consumption in litres/100

km at different temperatures

Also check the oil level after refueling. Oil consumption is dependent to a consid-

erable 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.

–

Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is cold.

It is quite normal that a new engine has a higher oil consumption at first, and rea-

ches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is therefore not possi-

ble to correctly assess the oil consumption of a new vehicle until after you have

driven about 5 000 km.

The engine and catalytic converter must first have reached their optimal operat-

ing temperature in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutant

emissions.

The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediate-

ly after starting. Fuel consumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre.

The engine reaches its operating temperature (outside temperature and engine

dependent) only after about 4 to 10 kilometres and the fuel consumption then

stabilizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible.

For the sake of the environment

●

You can achieve additional improvements in your fuel economy by using high-

lubricity oils.

●

Check the ground below your car at regular intervals to detect any leakages in

good time. Please have your vehicle inspected by a specialist garge if you find any

stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.

An important factor in this connection is also the ambient temperature. The

⇒ꢀfig. 167 shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the

one hand at +20°C and on the other hand at -10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel

consumption in winter than in summer.



Checking tyre inflation pressures

Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.

Always ensure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure at all times. The

rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is too low. This will

not only increase fuel consumption but also tyre wear and the driving behaviour

will worsen.

£

Always check the inflation pressure of the tyres when cold.

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184 Driving and the Environment

Do not drive with winter tyres all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel.

Winter tyres are also louder.

Environmental compatibility



Environmental protection has played a major role in the design, selection of mate-

rials and manufacture of your new ŠKODA. Particular emphasis has been paid to a

number of aspects, including:

No unnecessary ballast

Transporting ballast costs fuel.

Design measures

The fact that every kilogram of extra weight increases your fuel consumption

means that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid trans-

porting any unnecessary ballast.

●

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

It is particularly in town traffic, when one is accelerating quite often, that the vehi-

cle 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 increase in

fuel consumption of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.

Minimum fuel leakage during accidents,

Reduced noise.

You may frequently also leave a roof rack fitted on just out of convenience, al-

though you no longer need it. The increased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle

causes it to use about 10% more fuel than normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h,

even when you are not carrying a load on the roof.

Choice of materials

●

extensive use of recyclable material,

Air conditioning filled with CFC-free refrigerant,

no cadmium,

no asbestos,

Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics.



Saving electricity

Generating electricity costs fuel.

Manufacture

–

Switch off electrical components as soon as you no longer need them.

●

solvent-free cavity protection,

solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the production

When the engine is running, the alternator generates and supplies electrical pow-

er. If more electrical components of the electrical system are switched on, more

fuel is needed to operate the alternator.

plant to the customer,



●

The use of solvent-free adhesives,

No CFCs used in the production process,

without use of mercury,

Keeping a log of your fuel consumption

Use of water-soluble paints.

If you really wish to keep a close check on your fuel consumption, it is best to en-

ter the figures in a logbook. This does not take much time but is a very worthwhile

exercise. It enables you to detect any change (positive and negative) at an early

stage and to take any appropriate action.

Trade-in and recycling of old cars

ŠKODA meets the requirements of the brand and its products regarding environ-

ment and resource protection. All new ŠKODA vehicles can be utilized up to 95 %

1)

£

and always be returned. In a lot of countries sufficient trade-in networks have

If you find that your fuel consumption is too high, you should reflect on how,

where and in what conditions you have driven the vehicle since you last refuelled.



1)

Subject to fulfilment of the national legal requirements.

Driving and the Environment 185

been created, where you can trade-in your vehicle. After you trade-in your vehicle,

you will receive a confirmation stating the recycling in accordance with environ-

mental regulations.

The adaptation of the headlights with Xenon lights (applies to vehicles which are

designed for driving on the left and on the right) is performed in the menu Set-

tings Travel mode of the information display ⇒ꢀpage 57, Tourist light.



Vehicles with special built-on types

Avoiding damage to your vehicle

Technical documents regarding changes carried out on the vehicle must be kept

by the vehicle user, in order to hand over later to the old car user. This ensures the

recycling in accordance with environmental regulations.

When driving on poor roads and lanes or when driving over kerbstones, steep

ramps etc., you must pay particular attention to ensuring that any low-slung parts

of the vehicle, such as spoiler and exhaust, do not touch the ground and get dam-

aged.

Note

Detailed information about the trade-in and recycling of old cars is available from

a ŠKODA Service Partner.



This particularly applies to models with a lowered suspension (sport suspension)



and also when your vehicle is fully laden.

Motoring abroad

Driving through bodies of water on roads

General

Other circumstances may exist abroad.

It is also possible, in certain countries, that the ŠKODA Service Partner network is

limited or has not been established yet. This is the reason why obtaining certain

spare parts may be somewhat complicated and specialist garage personnel may

only be able to make limited repairs. ŠKODA in the Czech Republic and its foreign

importers are happy to provide information about technical aspects of the vehicle,

required maintenance work and possibilities for getting repairs done.



Fig. 168 Web on the lower sill of the ve-

hicle

Unleaded petrol

In order to avoid damage to the vehicle when driving through bodies of water (e.g.

flooded roads), observe the following:

A vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with unleaded pet-

rol ⇒ꢀpage 180. The automobile associations can provide you with information re-

garding the locations of filling stations which offer unleaded petrol.

●

Determine the depth of the water when driving through bodies of water. The



water can reach at the maximum the web on the lower sill of the vehicle

⇒ꢀfig. 168.

●

Drive no more than at walking speed. At a higher speed, a water wave can

Headlight

form in front of the vehicle which can cause water to penetrate into the air induc-

tion system of the engine or into other parts of the vehicle.

●

The low beam of your headlights is set asymmetrically. It illuminates the side of

the road on which you are driving to a greater extent. If you drive abroad on the

other side of the road, you will dazzle oncoming traffic.

Never let the vehicle stand in the water, never drive backwards and do not

£

switch off the engine.

In order to prevent the dazzling of oncoming traffic, it is necessary that an adjust-

ment of the headlights is carried out by your authorised ŠKODA Service Partner.

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186 Driving and the Environment

WARNING

●

Driving through water, mud, sludge etc. can reduce the braking power and

extend the braking distance - risk of accident!

Avoid sudden and severe braking manoeuvres immediately after driving

through bodies of water.

After driving through bodies of water, the brakes must be cleaned and

●

dried as soon as possible by intermittent braking. Only apply the brakes for

the purpose of drying and cleaning the brake discs if the traffic conditions per-

mit this. Do not place any other road users in jeopardy.

CAUTION

●

When driving through bodies of water, parts of the vehicle such as the engine,

gearbox, catalytic converter, chassis or electrics can be severely damaged.

●

Oncoming vehicles can generate water waves which can exceed the permissi-

ble water level for your vehicle.

Potholes, mud or rocks can be hidden under the water making it difficult or im-

possible to drive through the body of water.

Do not drive through salt water. The salt can lead to corrosion. Immediately

●

rinse all the parts of the vehicle, which came into contact with the salt water, with

fresh water.

Note

After driving through a body of water, we recommend that the vehicle is checked

by a specialist garage.



Driving Tips -> Driving and the Environment for Your Skoda Superb SUV Second Generation (2009-2015)

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