Skoda FABIA Owner's Manual page 172

should be attached to folding arms. Adjust the mirrors so that they provide you with
an adequate field of view to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights.
Alter the setting as necessary with the aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 53.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles with towing device and suppliable from
Škoda original accessories. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in
the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Note
We recommend that you also have your vehicle inspected between service
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and
decoupling the trailer.
Keep the mechanism of the ball head of the towing device clean and take
proper care of it with a suitable preservative.
Driving Tips
Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.
– Do not, as far as possible, drive with your vehicle unladen and the
trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in
particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.
– Keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if the outside temper-
ature is high.
Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance
Distribution of weight
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this
combination.
Driving speed
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h for safety reasons. This also applies for countries
in which higher speeds are allowed.
The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when
there are unfavourable road, weather or wind conditions, particularly near accident
black spots.
You must always reduce your speed immediately as soon as you detect even just
the slightest swaying of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
"swaying" by accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time before negotiating a down-
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake.
Engine overheating
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a
lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is
very high ⇒ page 16.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or
even the red area of the scale, reduce your speed immediately. Stop and switch off
the engine if the warning light  in the instrument cluster begins flashing. Wait a
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
⇒ page 189, "Inspecting the coolant level".
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒ page 29, "Coolant temperature/coolant
level ".
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear
and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent
Breakdown assistance
Towing a trailer 171
Technical Data