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Leather cleaning and care
In view of the exclusiveness of the qualities and characteristics of the
leathers used (such as sensitivity to oils, greases, dirt etc.) a certain care-
fulness in use and particular care are required. Dark items of clothing, for
example, (particularly if these are moist and have poor quality dyeing)
may colour the leather seats. Dust and dirt particles in pores, creases and
seams may chafe and damage the surface. For this reason, care for the
leather regularly, or according to the wear-and-tear. After a lengthy period
of use, your leather seats will acquire a typical and unique patina. This is
characteristic of the natural product leather and is a sign of genuine
quality.
Please pay attention to the following notes in order to retain the value of
the natural material over its full life:
Caution
•Avoid leaving your vehicle for lengthy periods in bright sunlight in order
to avoid bleaching the leather. If you leave your vehicle parked in the open
for lengthy periods, protect the leather from the direct rays of the sun by
covering it over.
•Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets,
sharp-edged belts may leave permanent scratches or signs of rubbing on
the surface.
Note
•Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect regularly
and each time after cleaning the leather. The cream nourishes the leather,
allows it to breathe and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also
creates surface protection.
•Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove fresh soiling each time
this occurs.
•Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick,
shoe cream etc., as quickly as possible.
•Care also for the leather dye. Refreshen areas which have lost their
colour with a special coloured leather cream as required.
Cleaning and care of leather upholstery
Normal cleaning
– Clean soiled areas of the leather with slightly moistened
cotton or woollen cloth.
Severe soiling
– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solution (2 spoonfuls of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
– Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point and that no water gets into the stitching of the seams.
– Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
Removing stains
– Remove fresh stains which are water-based (e.g. coffee, tea,
juices, blood etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household paper
or use the cleaner from the care set for a stain which has
already dried in.
– Remove fresh stains which are oil based (e.g. butter, mayon-
naise, chocolate etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household
cleaning paper or with the cleaner from the care set if the stain
has not yet penetrated into the surface.
– Use a grease dissolver for grease stains which have dried
in .
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Skoda dealers have the cleaning agents and preservatives recommended
by the manufacturer and also the required equipment.
Caution
•Engine cleaning may be only be undertaken when the ignition is off.
•It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine
compartment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by washing the engine has washed away petrol,
and residues of grease and oil and should therefore be cleaned by an oil
separator. This is why engine washing should only be undertaken in a
garage or at a fueling station (when these are fitted with the required
equipment).
WARNING
It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter
before working on the engine compartment ⇒page 203.
Fuel
198
Fuel
Petrol
Grades of petrol
There are various grades of petrol. Please read the brochure “Technical
Data” in order to know which grade of petrol your vehicle requires. You will
also find the same information affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap of
your vehicle ⇒page 200, fig. 151 .
A distinction is made between unleaded and leaded petrol. All Škoda vehi-
cles with petrol engines are equipped with a catalytic converter and must
therefore be only driven with unleaded petrol. Unleaded petrol complies
with the standard EN 228 .
The individual grades of petrol are distinguished by their octane number
(RON). Please adopt the following procedure if the grade of petrol which
you normally use is not be available in exceptional circumstances:
•Engines which need unleaded premium petrol 95 RON can also be
run on unleaded regular petrol 91 RON. This does, however, result in a
slight loss in performance.
•Engines which need unleaded premium petrol 98 RON can also be
run on unleaded regular petrol 95 RON. This does, however, result in a
slight loss in performance. You can in exceptional circumstances also
use unleaded regular petrol of 91 RON in the event that no unleaded
premium petrol of 98 RON or 95 RON is available. Refuel as soon as
possible with unleaded premium plus of 98 RON or unleaded premium
petrol of 95 RON.
If, in an emergency, the only fuel available is one which has a lower octane
number than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine
speeds and lower engine loadings. You can make unlimited use of fuel which has a higher octane number
than that required by the engine. There will, however, be no advantages
gained by this in terms of engine performance and fuel consumption!
The handling, performance and life of your engine are determined to a
significant extent by the quality of the fuel. Do not use any petrol additives.
Use a fuel complying with the standard.
You can find further information on refuelling
⇒page 200.
Caution
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the cata-
lytic converter being destroyed.
•Operating the engine with petrol of a low octane number can result in
engine damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.
Diesel
Grade of diesel fuel
Grades of diesel fuel
Your vehicle can be driven with the following grades of diesel fuel:
•Diesel fuel with a cetane number of at least CN 49 (the cetane number
CN is a measure of the ignition performance of the diesel fuel). Diesel fuel
must comply with the standard EN 590 .
•Biofuel (RME rape oil methyl ester fuel) must comply with the
standard EN 51 606 . Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒ page 199.
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Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and
similar products) in diesel fuel.
It is then necessary to have the
fuel filter drained of water by a Škoda
dealer more often than stated in the service schedule if the quality of the
diesel fuel used is poor.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒page 200, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Use a fuel complying with the standard. Filling the tank even only once,
which does not comply with the standard, can result in damage to the fuel
system.
•Water which has collected in the fuel filter can result in engine
problems.
Biofuel
Biofuel (methyl ester from rape oil) is manufactured from vegetable oil by
means of a chemical process.
Biofuel does not contain sulphur. This means that no sulphur dioxide
(SO
2) is produced when it is burnt.
The exhaust gases contain less
•carbon monoxide (CO)
•hydrocarbons (HC)
•particles (soot)
than when operating with conventional diesel fuel.
The Biofuel is more biodegradable. When using biofuel pay attention to the following points:
•The
Performance may be reduced slightly if you switch to driving with
biofuel.
•The Fuel consumption may increase slightly if you switch to driving
with biofuel.
Biodiesel conforming to the standard E 51 606 can be mixed in any
desired ratio with diesel fuel conforming to the standard EN 590.
We recommend refuelling with diesel fuel at temperatures below -10°C.
Caution
Filling the tank even only once with biofuel, which does not comply with
the standard standard E 51 606 , can result in damage to the fuel
system.
Operation in winter
Winter-grade diesel fuel
A different grade of diesel fuel is available at filling stations in winter than
during the summer. Using “summer-grade diesel fuel” at temperatures
below 0°C can result in operational problems because the diesel becomes
viscous as a result of paraffin separation.
It is therefore the case that DIN EN 590 prescribes diesel fuel class for
certain periods of the year which can also be purchased at the corre-
sponding time during the year. “Winter-grade diesel fuel” will still operate
properly even at a temperature of -20°C.
It is often the case in countries with different climatic conditions that diesel
fuels available have a different temperature characteristic. Škoda dealers
and filling stations in the country concerned will be able to provide you with
information regarding the diesel fuels available.
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•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter should never be allowed to let
the fuel tank to run completely empty. An irregular supply of fuel to the
engine can result in misfiring and unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust
system, which may result in overheating and damage to the catalytic
converter.
For the sake of the environment
The fuel tank is full just as soon as the pump nozzle switches off for the
first time, provided the nozzle has been operated properly. You should not
continue refuelling - otherwise the expansion chamber in the fuel tank will
also be filled with fuel. Fuel might flow out of the tank when it heats up.
Emergency release of fuel filler flap
If the electric lock is faulty, you can also unlock the fuel filler flap
manually. – Open the boot lid/luggage compartment door.
– Unscrew the clip attaching the right-hand side trim panel and
pull the trim panel off the body.
– Pull on the loop in direction of arrow in order to unlock the fuel filler flap ⇒fig. 152 .
Fig. 152 Luggage
compartment: Emer-
gency release of fuel
filler flap
WARNING
Reel up the belt webbing once again until it is fitted snugly against
the child seat.
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The bonnet is held in the opened position by a pressurized gas spring.
Caution
•Never open the bonnet using the handle - danger of causing damage.
•Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen
wipers are correctly in place against the windscreen. Otherwise, there is
a risk of damage to the paintwork.
Working in the en gine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in
the engine compartment!
There is a risk of injuries, scalding , accidents and fire when working
in the engine compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and
other fluids. For this reason, it is essential to comply with the
warning instructions st ated below and with the general applicable
rules of safety. The engine compartment of your car is a hazardous
area ⇒ .
WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is
flowing out of the engine compartmen t - risk of scalding! Wait long
enough until the steam or coolant has stopped escaping.
•For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed
when driving. One should therefore check that the lock has in fact
engaged properly after closing the bonnet.
•Stop your vehicle immediately wh ile driving if you notice that
the lock is not properly engaged and close the bonnet properly -
risk of an accident!
WARNING
•Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
•Apply the handbrake firmly.
•If your vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gear-
shift lever into Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox,
move the selector lever into position P.
•Allow the engine to cool down.
•Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
•Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids
(e.g. the antifreeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!
•Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the
battery.
•Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the
engine is still warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
•Never open the cap of the coolant expansion bottle as long as
the engine is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
•Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a
large cloth when opening it as protection for your face, hands and
arms from hot steam or hot coolant.
•In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work
when the engine is running there is an additional risk from rotating
parts (e.g. the V-ribbed belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the
high-voltage ignition system.
•Please also comply with the warning instructions stated below
when carrying out any essential work on the fuel system or on the
electrical system:
−Always separate the car battery from the electrical system.
− Do not smoke.
− Never carry out any work close to naked flames.
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Note
The location of the inspection points in the engine compartment of petrol
and diesel engines is practically identical.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The grade of engine oil should be selected in accordance
with precise specifications.
The engine of your vehicle has been factory-filled with a high-grade oil
which you can use throughout the year - except in extreme climatic
regions.
You can mix various oils together with each other when refilling with oil.
This does not, however, apply for models with flexible service intervals
(QG1).
Engine oils are, of course, undergoing continuous further development.
Thus the information stated in this Owner's Manual is only correct at the
time of publication.
Škoda dealers are constantly informed by Škoda Auto about current
changes. This why you should always have engine oil changed by your
Škoda dealer. Engine oil specifications for vehicles with fixed service intervals
(QG2)
Engine oil specifications for models with flexible service intervals
(QG1).
For further information - see Service Schedule.
Caution
Only the above-mentioned oils may be used on vehicles with flexible
service intervals (QG1). We recommend always refilling with oil of the
same specification since this will maintain the properties of the oil. In
exceptional cases, you must top up only once engine oil complying with
Specification VW 502 00 (only for petrol engines) or Specification VW 505
01 (only for diesel engines) to maximum 0.5 litres. You must not use other
engine oils - risk of engine damage!
DenominationPetrol engineDiesel engine
Multigrade high-
lubricity oilsVW 500 00
VW 502 00VW 505 01
VW 505 00 a)
a)This does not apply for PD engines (a unit injection engine). Further information -
see Technical Data.
Multigrade oilsVW 501 01
ACEA A2 b) or A3 b)
b)Only to be used in exceptional cases if the oils specified above are not available.
ACEA B3 b) or B4 b)
Specification
Petrol enginesVW 503 00
Diesel enginesVW 506 01
VW 506 00 a)
a)This does not apply for PD engines (a unit injection engine). Further information -
see Technical Data.
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Caution
The oil level must on no account extend beyond the range . Danger of
damaging the catalytic converter.
Replenishing engine oil
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening.
– Pour in a suitable grade of oil in portions of 0.5 litres
⇒page 205, “Engine oil specifications”.
– Inspect the oil level ⇒page 206.
– Carefully screw on the cap of the filler opening and push the dipstick in fully.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under
the conditions prevailing to top up with oil. Switch of the engine and
obtain professional assistance from a Škoda dealer.
The location of the engine oil filler opening is shown in the illustration of
the engine compartment ⇒page 204.
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must on no account be above the range ⇒page 206,
fig. 156 . Oil will otherwise be drawn in through the crankcase ventilation and may pass through the exhaust system to atmosphere. The oil may
combust in the catalytic converter and damage it.
Changing engine oil
The engine oil must be changed at the intervals stated in the Service
Schedule or according to the service interval indicator
⇒page 17.
Caution
You must not pour any additives into the engine oil - risk of engine
damage!
For the sake of the environment
•You must on no account pour oil into the ground or into the sewage
system.
•In view of the problems involved in properly disposing of old oil, the
material, equipment and the knowledge required for such work, we recom-
mend that you have the oil and oil filter change carried out by your Škoda
dealer.
WARNING
Avoid dripping oil onto hot parts of the engine when topping up will
oil - a risk of fire!
Aa
Aa
WARNING
Store old oil in a safe place out of the reach of children and unau-
thorized persons until you dispose of it properly.