Inspecting and Replenishing
178
The coolant expansion bottle is located in the engine compart-
ment on the right.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 172.
– Check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒page 177, fig. 129 . The coolant level when the engine is
cold must lie between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings. The
level may also rise slightly above the “MAX” marking when the
engine is warm.
A drop in coolant level in the bottle to too low will be indicated by the
warning light in the instrument cluster ⇒ page 31. We nevertheless
recommend inspecting the coolant level directly at the reservoir from time
to time.
Loss of coolant
A loss of coolant is first and foremost an indication of a leak in the
system. Pne should not merely top up the coolant in the reservoir. It is also
important to have the cooling system inspected without delay by a Škoda
dealer.
Losses can only occur through the pressure relief in the cap of the coolant
expansion bottle which is completely free of leaks if the coolant boils as a
result of overheating and is forced out of the cooling system.
One should contact a Skoda dealer as soon as possible if the source of
overheating itself cannot be determined and removed, since there may be
grave damage to the engine.
Replenishing the coolant
– Switch the engine off.
– Allow the engine to cool down.
– Place a cloth over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir ⇒page 177, fig. 129 and unscrew the cap carefully by
turning it to the left ⇒.
– Top up the coolant.
– Screw the cap on tight.
The coolant which you use for replenishing the system, must comply with
certain specifications ⇒page 177, “Coolant”. Do not use an alternative
additive if the coolant additive G12PLUS is not available in exceptional
cases. Just top up the system with water and as soon as possible arrange
adjustment to correct the mixing ratio of water and coolant additive again
by a Škoda dealer.
Only use fresh coolant for topping up the system.
Do not fill up over the “MAX” mark! Excess coolant which is heated up is
forced out of the cooling system through the pressure relief valve in the
cap of the coolant compensation bottle.
Wait until the engine has cooled down for a system which has suffered a
major loss of coolant before pouring in coolant. This is necessary to avoid
engine damage.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under
the conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Switch off the engine
and obtain professional assistance from a Škoda dealer.
Inspecting and Replenishing
180
models is positioned on the other side of the engine compart-
ment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 172.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir ⇒page 179,
fig. 130 . The level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX”
markings.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-
tear and automatic adjustment of the brake pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the
fluid level drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the
“MIN” marking. A situation where the brake fluid level is too low is indi-
cated by the warning light
lighting up in the instrument cluster
⇒ page 35. You should drive carefully and immediately to the nearest
Škoda Dealer and have the brake system inspected.
Replacing brake fluid
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. This causes the fluid to absorb moisture
from the surrounding air over a period of time. Excessive water in the
brake fluid may be the cause of corrosion in the brake system. The water
content also lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid. This is why brake
fluid must be replaced every two years.
You must only use new genuine brake fluid from Skoda Auto. The speci-
fication for the brake fluid is “FMVSS 116 DOT 4”. We recommend that you have the brake fluid replaced by a
Škoda Dealer
as part of an Inspection Service.
Caution
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
In view of the problems involved with proper disposal of brake fluid, the
special tools and the professional knowledge required, you should have
the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda dealer.
WARNING
•Using old brake fluid can result in severe stress on the brakes
because of the formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system.
This greatly impairs the braking efficiency and thus also the safety
of your vehicle.
•Brake fluid is toxic! It must therefore be kept safely in closed
original containers and well away from children.
Index227
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Antilock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Antilock brake system (ABS) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . 160
B
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Brake
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Buttons on the driver's door Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196, 201
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Changing oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Changing wheels around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Child safety locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Child safety seats
ISOFIX system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Child seat on the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . 131
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Convenience operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Coolant temperature/coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
D
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88, 92
De-icing windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Detachable towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175