2004 SKODA OCTAVIA TOUR wheel

105
SAFETY
Warning


It is therefore important to maintain
a distance from the steering wheel or
from the instrument panel (min. 15 cm)
to enable the occupants to be pro-
tected to the maximum possible extent
if the system is activated. In addition,
the front seats should always be cor-
rectly adjusted to the body size of the
occupant - see page 19.
Warning


The padded panel of the steering
wheel and the front passenger area of
the instrument panel between the mid-
dle and the right-hand vent (surface
with inscription „Airbag“) must not
have stickers attached, nor should
they be covered or modified in any
way. These parts should only be clea-
ned with a dry cloth or a cloth mois-
tened with water.

No modifications of any kind may
be undertaken on the parts of the
airbag system. All work on the airbag
system, including removing and in-
stalling system components during
other repair work (e.g. removing
steering wheel) should only be car-
ried out by Škoda Dealers.

It is not permitted to carry out any
modifications to any airbag compo-
nents as this could result in the
airbag being activated.

The operational life of the front
airbag modules is 15 years from the
date of manufacture of the car. After
this period, it is necessary to have
the modules renewed in a Škoda
Dealership.
Note
If the car or individual components of the
airbag system are scrapped, it is essential
to comply with the relevant safety regula-
tions. Škoda Dealers are acquainted with
these regulations.
If you do not make use of the seat belts
when driving, or if lean forward or adopt an
incorrect seated position, you are expos-
ing yourself to an increased risk of injury in
the event of an accident.

121
DRIVING TIPS
The full braking effect may also be delayed
when the car has been driven for some time
on heavily salted roads without using the
brakes, because the layer of salt on the
discs and pads has to be removed first.Warning
If a front spoiler, full-size wheel trims
etc., are retrofitted, it is necessary to
ensure that the flow of air to the front
brakes is not restricted - otherwise
the brakes may overheat.
Brake booster
The braking force boosts the pressure,
which you generate with the brake pedal.
The necessary pressure is only generated
when the engine is running. Warning
The brake booster only operates
when the engine is running.
Never switch off the engine before
the vehicle is stationary.
In the case that the brake booster is
not operating - e.g. because the vehi-
cle has to be towed or because there
is damage to the brake booster - the
brake pedal has to be depressed with
a significantly greater force, in order
to balance out the missing brake
boosting effect.Because if you do not stop as nor-
mal, this can cause an accident and
severe injuries.
Brake Assist*
The Brake Assist boosts the brake servo
effect during a brake application in a haz-
ardous situation and is able in this way to
assist the rapid build-up of brake pressure.
In emergency situations the majority of car
drivers do apply the brakes in time, but not
with the brake pedal force which is neces-
sary for achieving maximum deceleration.
Valuable braking distance is lost as a result!The Brake Assist is activated as soon as the
brake pedal is depressed very rapidly. A hig-
her brake servo assistance than is usual in
normal brake applications, is then available.
Consequently, it is possible to build up
within a very short time the brake pressure
which is required for achieving maximum
deceleration with only a correspondingly
slight counterforce on the brake pedal.Depress the brake pedal further for achiev-
ing the shortest possible braking distance. Do
not reduce the foot pressure on the pedal!The Brake Assist is able in this way to help
you in critical situations by building up the
brake pressure more rapidly and shorten-
ing the stopping distance. The advantages
offered by the ABS are fully exploited by the
Brake Assist. As soon as the brake pedal is
released, the Brake Assist function is swit-
ched off then automatically and the usual
service brake function is again available.
Warning

The Brake Assist is also not in a
position to overcome the physical
limits which apply to the braking dis-
tance.

This is something you should re-
member particularly when driving on
smooth or wet road surfaces.

Adapt your style of driving always
to the road condition and the traffic
situation. The increased safety which
the Brake Assist offers you must not
lead you to take any safety risk!

122DRIVING TIPSAnti-lock brake system (ABS)*The ABS plays a major part in increasing
the active safety of the vehicle.
The big advantage when compared with a
conventional brake system is that even
during a full brake application on a slippery
road surface the best possible steerability
is retained for the road condition because
the wheels do not lock.
However, one must not expect the ABS
system to shorten the braking distance
under all conditions.
How the ABS system works
An automatic test procedure is carried out
once the car has reached a speed of about
20 km/h. A pump noise may be audible for
about 1 second during this check.
When the turning speed of a wheel reaches
a level which is too low for the vehicle speed
and it tends to lock, the brake pressure to
this wheel is reduced. The brake pressure
is controlled individually for each wheel.
This ensures that the braking action is even
and that driving stability is retained to the
maximum possible extent.This control process makes itself felt by
a pulsing movement of the brake pedal
and is accompanied by noises. This is done
deliberately as a warning to the driver that a
wheel or wheels are in the locking range. The
brake pedal should remain depressed to en-
able the ABS to offer ideal control within this
range - on no account pump the brake pedal!
Warning
The ABS system can also not over-
come the physical limits. This has to
be born in mind, particularly on slip-
pery or wet roads. When the ABS is
operating in the control range, your
speed should immediately be adap-
ter to road and traffic conditions.
The increased amount of safety avail-
able should not tempt you into tak-
ing risks.
If a fault occurs in the ABS system, this is
indicated by a warning lamp - see page 60. Warning
If a fault exists, only the normal brake
system is operational. You should
drive to a Škoda Dealer as soon as
possible. Adapt your speed and driv-
ing style to the changed circum-
stances as the extent of the damage
to the ABS system is not known.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)*Cars fitted with the anti-lock brake system
(ABS)* can be equipped in addition with an
electronic differential lock.
The EDL system makes it much easier or,
in deed, at all possible to move off, accel-
erate and drive uphill even on unfavourable
road surfaces.
The EDL operates automatically - in other
words without any action on the part of the
driver.
It monitors the speed of the driven wheels
using the sensors of the ABS system.
If the road surface is slippery on one side,
a difference in speed exists between the
driven wheels. It is then necessary to pro-
duce more throttle, for example, when mov-
ing off on a hill, on a slippery road surface
etc. The EDL function compensates for the
difference in speed by braking the wheel
which is slipping and transmits the power
through the differential to the other driven
wheel.
This control process makes itself notice-
able by characteristic noises.

123
DRIVING TIPS
In order to achieve the optimal effect of
the EDL system, depress the accelera-
tor pedal and the clutch when starting
off to match road conditions.Warning
When accelerating on a smooth road
surface, for example on ice and
snow, depress the accelerator care-
fully.
The driven wheels may slip despite
the EDL and thus affect the driving
stability of the car.
The EDL is switched off automatically if
unusually severe stresses occur. The car
can continue to be driven and has the same
characteristics as a car without EDL. That
is why no indication is provided if the EDL
is switched off.
The EDL switches on again automatically
as soon as the brake has cooled down.
If the ABS warning lamp comes on, see
page 60, there might also be a fault in the
EDL. Drive to a Škoda Dealer as soon as
possible! Warning
Your driving style should always be
adapted to the condition of the road
and the traffic situation. The addi-
tional safety offered by the EDL must
not tempt you into taking a safety
risk!
Engine braking control (EBC)*The EBC operates in conjunction with the
ABS. It is intended to prevent the driven
wheels of the car being excessively sharply
braked when „braking with the engine“ as
a result of releasing the accelerator or shift-
ing down on a smooth road surface. The
EBC automatically increases the engine
speed in order to maintain optimal steer-
ability of the car even when „braking with
the engine“.
The four-wheel drive system of your car re-
quires no manual intervention on your part.
The force is distributed to the driven wheels
automatically and is optimally matched to
the handling of the car and to the particu-
lar road conditions.
The four-wheel drive concept is designed
for high engine output and provides your
car with excellent drivability both in normal
road conditions as well as in extreme con-
ditions such as driving on snow and ice.
It is important, however, to pay attention to
the following safety information:
All-wheel drive*

124DRIVING TIPSWarning
Your style of driving should always
be matched to the condition of the
road and the traffic situation. The
enhanced safety offered by the four-
wheel drive and ABS systems must
not tempt you to take any risks re-
garding your safety!
The braking power of the car is lim-
ited by the adhesion of the tyres and
is no different than that of a car with
front-wheel drive.
You should therefore not be tempted
to drive at too high a speed even
though the car still provides good
acceleration on smooth and slippery
road surfaces.It is particularly important to note on
wet road surfaces that the front wheels
may aquaplane at high speeds. In con-
trast to a vehicle fitted only with front-
wheel drive, the start of aquaplaning
is not indicated by the engine sud-
denly revving up. For this reason, do
not drive at too high a speed, but al-
ways match your speed to the road
conditions.
Use of winter tyresFour-wheel drive already offers good vehi-
cle traction in wintry road conditions with
the standard tyres. It is nevertheless rec-
ommended to fit winter or all-weather tyres
to all four wheels in order to improve trac-
tion and braking. For further information -
refer to page 157.Use of snow chainsSnow chains must also be fitted to a vehi-
cle with four-wheel drive if the use of snow
chains is mandatory. Snow chains must
only be fitted to the front wheels. For fur-
ther information regarding snow chains -
refer to page 157. The car is intended mainly for the transpor-
tation of persons and luggage, but it can
also be used to tow a trailer if the appropri-
ate technical equipment is fitted.
Detachable ball head*

Refer to the enclosed instructions for
attaching and detaching the ball head.
For further information - refer to p. 157.Towing a trailer

126DRIVING TIPSDriving instructions
To obtain the best possible handling of ve-
hicle and trailer, please note the following
points:

Try to avoid driving with an unladen ve-
hicle and a loaded trailer. If this cannot be
avoided, only drive slowly to allow for the
unfavourable weight distribution.

As the driving stability of vehicle and trai-
ler decreases when the speed increases,
do not drive at the maximum permissible
top speed in unfavourable road, weather or
wind conditions - particularly when going
downhill.
You should in any case immediately reduce
your speed as soon as you detect even the
slightest swaying of the trailer. On no ac-
count attempt to eliminate the swaying by
accelerating!

For safety reasons, you should not drive
faster than 80 km/h (50 mph). This also
applies in countries where higher speeds
are permitted.

Apply the brakes in good time! If the
trailer is fitted with an overrun brake, apply
the brakes gently at first, then increase the
pressure. This avoids any braking shocks
caused by the wheels of the trailer block-
ing. Shift down gears in good time before
driving downhill so that the engine can act
as a brake.

If it is necessary to drive a long uphill
section in a low gear with a very high en-
gine speed and at unusually high ambient
temperatures, keep a check on the cool-
ant gauge. If the needle of the gauge moves
into the upper range of the scale, reduce
the speed of your car immediately. If the
temperature and brake fluid level warning
light flash, however, stop and allow engine
to cool down by letting it idle for a few min-
utes. Pay attention to the further informa-
tion on p. 46.

The coolant temperature can be reduced
by switching on the heater.

The cooling effect of the radiator fan
cannot be increased by changing down,
because the speed of the fan is not depend-
ent on the engine speed. You should there-
fore not change down even when towing a
trailer as long as the engine can cope with-
out the vehicle speed dropping too much.
General notes

It is advisable to have the vehicle ser-
viced between the inspection intervals
if it is used frequently for towing a trailer.

The trailer and drawbar load figures on
the data plate of the towing bracket are for
test certification only. The correct figures for
the vehicle, which may be lower than the
above figures, are given in the vehicle do-
cuments.

130GENERAL MAINTENANCEWashing the carThe best protection for your car against
harmful environmental influences is fre-
quent washing and polishing.
How often your car requires to be treated
depends among other factors on how fre-
quently you use the car, where you park it
(garage, in the open, below trees etc.), the
time of year, the weather conditions and
other environmental influences.
The longer bird droppings, insect residues,
tree resin, road and industrial dust, tar
stains, soot particles, road salt and other
aggressive deposits remain on the paint-
work of your car, the more extreme will be
their destructive effect. High temperatures
caused by strong sun’s rays, intensify the
caustic effect. It may therefore be neces-
sary to wash the car once a week, but once
a month may also be sufficient with appro-
priate waxing.
It is essential to also thoroughly wash the
underside of the car after the end of the
winter period.Automatic car washes
The paintwork of your car is sufficiently re-
sistant to enable the car to be washed nor-
mally in automatic car washing plants with-
out any problems. The effect on the paint-
work, though, also depends greatly on the
design of the car wash, the filtering of the
washing water, the type of wash and care
products used etc. If the paintwork appears
mat after a car wash or even has scratches,
you should contact the operator of the plant.
If necessary, change the car wash you use.
Notes


Before washing your car in an automatic
car wash, there are no special precautions
necessary other than the usual measures
(closing windows and sliding roof, folding
down roof aerial etc.).
Warning
Do not tighten roof aerial in the lower
position

It is best to contact the operator of the
car wash if your car has any particular spe-
cial fittings - e.g. spoiler, roof rack, mobile
phone aerial etc.


After washing your car in an automatic car
wash with wax preservative, wipe the lips of
the windscreen wiper blades clean and also
clean the windscreen (also the rear window
on models fitted with rear window wiper).
Washing your car by hand
As a protection for the environment,
your car should only be washed at
washbays provided for this purpose.
Local regulations may in fact forbidwashing cars in certain areas outside ofsuch facilities.
First of all soften the dirt with plenty of wa-
ter and rinse off as well as possible.
Then, clean the car with a soft sponge,
washing glove or brush starting on the roof
and working down, applying only slight
pressure. Use a car wash shampoo only
for particularly stubborn dirt.
Thoroughly wash out the sponge or glove
at short intervals.
Clean wheels and door sills etc. last. Use
a second sponge if possible for such ar-
eas.
After washing the car, rinse it thoroughly
with water and finally chamois dry.

132GENERAL MAINTENANCEDo not affix any stickers from the inside
over the heating circuit to avoid damaging
the heating circuit of the rear window
heater .
Models fitted with all-wheel drive:
The adhesive sticker for identifying 4x4 mo-
dels on the rear window must only be re-
moved by a Škoda Dealer using a special
technology otherwise the rear window
heater might be damaged.Door, window , bonnet/tailgate sealsThe rubber seals remain supple and last
longer if they are treated from time to time
with a light film of a rubber care product.
They also will not then freeze up in winter!Plastic parts and synthetic leatherExterior plastic parts are cleaned by wash-
ing in a normal way and interior parts by
using a damp cloth. Should this not be ad-
equate, plastic parts and synthetic leather
must only be treated with special solvent-
free plastic cleaning and care products.
We recommend using a cleaning product
from Škoda original accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer.
Note
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material
and can damage it.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trimUpholstery cloth and cloth trim on the doors,
rear shelf, luggage compartment cover, head-
lining etc. are treated with special cleaning
products or with dry foam and a soft brush.Cleaning seat beltsKeep belts clean! If the belt webbing is
very dirty, this may prevent the inertia reel
belt from retracting properly.
Wash dirty belt webbing only with a mild
soap solution without taking the seat belts
out of the car.
Note
Dry inertia reel belts completely before re-
tracting.
Warning
Do not have the belts dry-cleaned be-
cause dry-cleaning products damage
the webbing material. Ensure that the
belts do not come into contact with
corrosive fluids.
Chrome partsFirst clean the chrome parts with a damp
cloth and then polish them with a soft, dry
cloth.
If it does not prove to be adequate, use a
chrome care product from Škoda original
accessories.
NoteDo not polish the chrome parts in a dusty en-
vironment, otherwise they can be scratched.Natural leatherLeather should be treated from time to time
in accordance with the instructions below,
depending on the amount of use. It is im-
portant to ensure that the leather must
not be treated on any account with sol-
vents, floor wax, shoe cream, stain re-
mover or similar products.
For normal cleaning of leather-trim steer-
ing wheels, leather seat covers etc., slightly
moisten a cotton or woollen cloth with wa-
ter and clean the soiled surfaces of the
leather. Severe soiling can be cleaned with
a mild soap solution (2 soup-spoonfuls of
neutral soap to 1 litre of water). It is very
important to ensure that the leather is not
moistened through at any point and that
no water is able to trickle through the stitch-
ing. Wipe the leather dry finally with a soft,
dry cloth.