2004 SKODA SUPERB brake fluid

Inspecting and Replenishing209
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 30 cm into the
lock - bonnet do not press down on it!
The bonnet is held in the opened position by a pressurized gas spring.
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 while driving if you notice that
the lock is not properly engaged and close the bonnet properly -
risk of an accident!
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 stated 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 compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long
enough until the steam or coolant has stopped escaping.
•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.
•Do not touch any hot engine parts - risk of burns!
•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.
•Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the
engine compartment.

Inspecting and Replenishing
210
•If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the
vehicle from rolling away and support it with suitable supporting
blocks: the car jack is not sufficient for this - risk of injury!
•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. Pl ease observe in addition the
following:
−Never touch the electrical cables of the ignition system.
− Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose items of clothing or
long hair from getting into the rotating parts of the engine -
Hazard! Therefore remove any jewellery beforehand, tie up your
hair and wear tight fitting clothing.
•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.
− Always keep a working fire extinguisher at hand.
Caution
When replenishing fluids in the engine, always ensure that the fluids are
on no account mixed up. This may result in major operating problems and
also vehicle damage!
Overview of the engine compartment
The main inspection points
Fig. 160 6-cylinder 2.8 ltr./ 142 kW petrol engine
Battery (below a cover) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coolant expansion bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil filler opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windshield washer fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Power steering reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
WARNING (continued)
A1218
A2212
A3217
A4215
A5213
A6223
A7181

Inspecting and Replenishing217
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•the warm engine compartment is heated up additionally by strong
sunlight.
WARNING
You must therefore be aware when working in the engine compart-
ment that the fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury!
Brake fluid
Inspecting the brake fluid level
You can also see the location of the brake fluid reservoir in the
engine compartment from the general view of the engine
compartment ⇒page 210. The brake fluid reservoir on right- hand steering models is positioned on the other side of the
engine compartment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet
⇒ in “Working in the engine compart-
ment” on page 209.
– Pull off the rubber seal ⇒fig. 163 partially away and lift the
cover slightly.
– Inspect the brake fluid level at the reservoir . The level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings. The markings are
indicated on the side of the reservoir.
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. In this case stop the car immediately and do not drive any
further! Contact a Škoda Dealer to obtain professional assistance.
WARNING
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 209, “Working in
the engine compartment” before working in the engine compart-
ment.
•If the fluid level has dropped below the MIN marking, do not
drive any further - risk of accident! Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain
professional assistance.
Fig. 163 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
AB
AC
AA

Inspecting and Replenishing
218
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.
One may only use new genuine brake fluid from Škoda Auto. The specifi-
cation 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.
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 and unauthorized
persons.
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.
The battery
Working on the battery
Particular care is required when carrying out any work on
the battery!
The battery is located in the engine compartment in the plenum
chamber below a cover.
Taking off cover
– Press the cover in direction of arrow ⇒fig. 164 .
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and burns when carrying out
any work on the battery and on the electrical system. It is essential to
comply with the warning instructions stated below ⇒ and with the
general applicable rules of safety.
Fig. 164 Engine
compartment: plenum
chamber - battery
cover

Index261
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Adjusting front seats manually . . . . . . . . . 70
electrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Head airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Alcantara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
An overview Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Antilock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Antilock brake system - ABS Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Emergency programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Automatic seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . 196
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . 184
B
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Brake Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Brake system
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Button on the driver's door Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
CargoFlex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
CargoFlex folding box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Changing oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Changing wheels around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Chassis number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Child safety locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41