Skoda Fabia: Vehicle exterior care

Skoda Fabia Owners Manual

Regular and proper care help to retain the efficiency and value of your vehicle.

It may also be one of the requirements for the acceptance of warranty claims relating to corrosion damage and paint defects on the bodywork.

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.

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!
• Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when cleaning the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel trims – there is a risk of cuts.

CAUTION

• Do not use any insect sponges, kitchen scrubbers or similar cleaning products – 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 legislation.

Note

Because of the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any potential problems with the cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle, we recommend that cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle be carried out by a ŠKODA Service Partner.

Caring for vehicle paintwork

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 bodywork 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 treated 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

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

All door seals and window guides are factory-treated with a colourless matt varnish 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

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.

CAUTION

Do not polish the chrome parts in a dusty environment - there is a risk of scratching the finish.

Decorative films

Wash the films with a mild soap solution and clean, warm water. Never use aggressive cleaning products or chemical solvents, it could result in damage to the films.

The following instructions must be observed for the high-pressure washing the vehicle.

• The minimum distance between the nozzle and the vehicle body should be 50 cm.
• Keep the jet perpendicular to the film surface.
• The maximum water temperature is 50 °C.
• The maximum water pressure is 80 bar.

CAUTION

No ice scrapers should be used in the winter months to remove ice and snow from the areas to which films have been applied. Do not remove frozen snow or ice using other objects - there is a risk of damage to the film.

Windows and exterior mirrors

Use a plastic ice scraper for removing snow and ice from the windows and mirrors.

Clean the windows regularly with clean water, inside and out.

Dry the glass surfaces with a clean chamois leather or a cloth intended for this purpose.

When drying the windows after washing the vehicle, do not use window leathers that have been used to polish the bodywork. Residues of preservatives in the chamois leather can smear the windows and reduce visibility.

CAUTION

• The ice scraper should not be moved forward and backward but in one direction to avoid any damage to the surface of the glass.
• Snow or ice that is contaminated with coarse dirt such as fine gravel, sand, and salt must not be removed from the window glass and mirrors – risk of damage to the surface of the windows and mirrors.
• Never remove snow or ice from glass parts using warm or hot water – there is a risk of cracking in glass.
• When removing snow or ice from windows and mirror lenses ensure that the paintwork of the vehicle is not to damage
• Do not clean the inside of the windows with sharp-edged objects or corrosive and acidic cleaning agents – there is a risk of damaging the heating elements or window aerial.

Headlight lenses

Clean the plastic headlight lenses with clean, warm water and soap.

CAUTION

• Never wipe the headlights dry.
• Do not use any sharp objects to clean the plastic lenses, this may damage the protective lacquer and consequently cause the cracking on the headlight lenses.
• Do not use any aggressive cleaning or chemical solvent products to clean the headlights – there is a risk of damaging the headlight lenses.

Door lock cylinders

Specific products must be used for de-icing door lock cylinders.

CAUTION

When washing your vehicle, ensure as little water as possible gets into the locking cylinders.

Underbody waxing

All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protected for 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 petroleum cleaner.

WARNING

Safety regulations should be observed when using petroleum cleaner to remove wax – there is a risk of fire.

Wheels

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 attacked.

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.

CAUTION

Severe 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

The underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and mechanical 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.

WARNING

Never use additional underbody protection or anti-corrosion agents for exhaust pipes, catalytic converters, diesel particle filters or heat shields.

These substances could ignite when the engine reaches its operating temperature - there is a risk of fire.