Skoda YETI - 11-2009 Owner's Manual page 185

184 Driving and the Environment
WARNING (continued)
•
Be very alert and look ahead when driving off-road. Excessive speed or
incorrect driving manoeuvres can cause damage to the vehicle and lead to
serious injuries.
•
Observe the important guidelines ⇒ page 180.
Caution
•
Pay attention to the ground clearance of the vehicle! The vehicle can be severely
damaged and become disabled once it touches the ground.
•
Never drive off-road with an almost empty fuel tank. The fuel supply to the engine
can be interrupted and therefore the catalytic converter can be severely damaged.
•
Do not leave your foot on the clutch pedal or let the clutch slip when driving off-
road. Overwise you may unintentionally depress the clutch pedal on uneven ground
leading to a loss of control over the vehicle. In addition, the force for connecting the
engine and the gearbox is lost. Moreover, driving while letting the clutch slip causes a
fast wear of the clutch linings.
Note
The fuel consumption is higher when driving off-road than when driving on conven-
tional roads, especially through difficult terrain. When you prepare for your journey, be
aware of an increase in fuel consumption; the nearest filling station may be far away.
Shifting gears correctly
The gear you must shift into depends on the terrain. Choosing the correct gear contrib-
utes to safe driving. In particular if you do not have much experience driving off-road,
it is always better, before negotiating a difficult stretch of the road, to pause and reflect
on which gear to engage. Your experience will tell you which gear is the best for certain
sections of the terrain.
Basically:
•
When the gear or the driving stage has been properly selected, it is unnecessary to
slow down the vehicle on a downhill section using the footbrake as in most cases the
engine braking power is sufficient.
•
Depress the accelerator only as much as is necessary. A too great acceleration may
lead to the wheels spinning and thus results in the loss over the control of the vehicle.
Manual gearbox
•
If you are driving through difficult terrain, on no account use the clutch or change
the gear. When the clutch is depressed, the vehicle may come to a standstill because
of the increased grip of all the tyres of the vehicle (e.g. in the mud, in deep sand or on
a slope). Once the vehicle has come to a standstill, it may be difficult or even impos-
sible to start off under these conditions.
•
When negotiating a steep downhill section or a steep uphill section, always shift
into the 1st or 2nd gear.
•
On a soft or slippery ground, you must drive at the appropriate speed and you
must select the highest possible gear for this.
Automatic gearbox
•
Select the selector lever position
⇒ page 122.
•
While in the Tiptronic mode, select the selector lever position
driving through mud, sand, water or hilly sections of terrain ⇒ page 124.
•
When negotiating a steep downhill section or a steep uphill section, select the
A
selector lever position while in the Tiptronic mode.
1
•
On a soft or slippery ground, you must drive at the appropriate speed and you
must select the highest possible driving stage.
Driving over rough and smooth
A
for normal flat stretches of terrain
D
A A
or
3 2
Fig. 165 Observe the ground clearance
if you are