Skoda Octavia Operating Instructions Manual page 175

Exterior mirrors
You should have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the
traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. The national legal
requirements must be observed.
Headlights
The front of the vehicle may lift up when a trailer is being towed and the head-
lights may dazzle other road users.
Adjust the headlights using the headlight beam control
the lights .
1)
Power to the trailer power grid
For the electrical connection between the vehicle and trailer, the trailer's pow-
er supply is provided by the vehicle.
The power supply works with ignition on or off.
With the ignition off, the battery of the towing vehicle is discharged by activa-
ted consumers.
At low charge state of the vehicle battery power to the trailer is interrupted.
WARNING
Improperly connected trailer electrical installations may cause accidents
■
or serious injury due to electric shock.
Work on the electrical system must only be carried out by specialist ga-
■
rages.
Never directly connect the trailer's electrical system with the electrical
■
connections for the tail lights or other current sources.
After attaching the trailer and connecting the power socket, check that
■
the rear lights on the trailer are working correctly.
Never use the safety eye to tow a vehicle!
■
CAUTION
Improperly connected trailer electrical installations may cause malfunction of
the entire vehicle electronics.
1)
Applies to vehicles with xenon headlights.
172
Driving
Note
The total power consumption of all the connected consumers on the trailer
■
must not exceed 350 watts.
Coat the ball head of the towing device with a suitable grease whenever
■
necessary.
Loading a trailer
» page 67, Operating
Distribution of the cargo
Distribute the cargo in the trailer in such a way that heavy items are located as
close to the trailer axle as possible. Secure the items from slipping.
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the
trailer is laden. Drive at a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving
with this combination.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on the vehicle for a "full load"
Towing capacity and trailer weight
The permissible trailer load must not be exceeded under any circumstances
» page
The listed maximum allowable trailer weight is only valid for altitudes up to
1000 m above sea level.
The engine output falls as the height increases, as does the ability to climb.
Therefore, for every additional 1000 m in height (or part), the maximum per-
missible towed weight must be reduced by 10%.
WARNING
The maximum permissible axle and drawbar load and the permissible
■
weight of the trailer must not be exceeded - risk of accident!
Sliding cargo can significantly adversely affect stability and driving safety
■
- risk of accident!
Trailer operation
Driving speed
For safety reasons, do not drive faster than 80 km/h when hitching a trailer.
233, Technical data.
» page 202.
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