2005 SKODA OCTAVIA brake

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
40
Note
If the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the warning light  comes on after switching on the ignition. The warning light must go out
after driving a short distance.
Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)* 
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is
switched on.
Components of the ESP system also include the Traction Control System
(TCS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), and the Antilock Brake System
(ABS).
The warning light comes on when driving when a control cycle is acti-
vated.
The warning lig ht will come on an d remains on if the ESP is switched off
or if there is a fault in the system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that
the ESP warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating
properly.
If the warning light
 comes on immediately after starting the engine, the
ESP system can be switched off for technical reasons. In this case, the
ESP system can be switched on again by switching the ignition on and off.
If the warning light goes out, the ESP system is fully functional again.
Further information on the ESP ⇒page 213, “Electronic stability
programme (ESP)*”.
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)*
The EDL is a part of the ESP. A fault in the EDL is indicated by the ESP
warning light in the instrument cluster. Have the vehicle inspected without delay by a Škoda dealer. Further information on the EDL
⇒page 214,
“Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)*”.
Note
If the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the warning light  comes on after switching on the ignition. The warning light must go out
after driving a short distance.
Dynamo 
The warning light  comes on after the ignition has been switched on. It
should go out after the engine has started.
If the warning light does not go out after the engine has started, or comes
on when driving, drive to the nearest specialist garage. The vehicle battery
will be discharged in this case so switch off all non-essential electrical
components.
Caution
If the warning light  comes on when driving and in addition the warning
light  (cooling system fault) also comes on in display, you must then
stop the car immediately and switch the engine off - risk of engine
damage!
Brake system 
The warning light  flashes or comes on if the brake fluid level is too low,
if there is a fault in the ABS or if the handbrake is applied.
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Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights41
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
If the warning light
 flashes (handbrake is not applied),
stop and check
the brake fluid level ⇒.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
STOP Brake fluid Owner's manual
If there is a fault in the ABS which also influences the function of the
normal brake system (e.g. distribution of brake pressure), the ABS
warning light
 comes on together with the brake system warning light . Be aware that not only the ABS but also another part of th brake
system is defective ⇒.
3 peeps sound as an additional warning signal.
One should get used to high pedal forces, long braking distances and long
free play of the brake pedal when driving to the next specialist garage.
For further information on the brake system ⇒page 216, “Brakes”.
Handbrake applied
The warning light
 also comes on if the handbrake is applied. An audible
warning is also given if you drive the vehicle for at least 3 seconds at a
speed of more than 6 km/h.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Handbrake on!
WARNING
•Pay attention to the following instructions ⇒page 248, “Working
in the engine compartment” before checking the brake fluid level
and opening the bonnet.
•If the brake system warning light  does not go out a few
seconds after switching on the ignition or comes on when driving,
stop immediately and check the brake fluid in the reservoir
⇒ page 256, “Brake fluid”. 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.
Seat belt warning light* 
The warning light  comes on after the ignition is switched on as a
reminder to fasten the seat belt. The warning light only goes out if the
driver has fastened his seat belt.
If you do not fasten the seat belt, a long warning signal sounds for 6
seconds.
If you do not fasten the seat belt, a warning signal sounds continuously at
a speed of more than 10 km/h.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Please fasten seatbelt!
For further information on the seat belts ⇒page 183, “Seat belts”.
WARNING (continued)
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Seats and Stowage
82
Seats and Stowage
Front seats
Basic information
The front seats have a wide range of different settings and can thus be
matched to the physical characteristics of the driver and front passenger.
Correct adjustment of the seats is particularly important for
•safely and quickly reaching the controls,
•a relaxed, fatigue-free body position,
•achieving the maximum protection offered by the seat belts and
the airbag system.
WARNING
•Never transport more occupants than the maximum seating in
the vehicle.
•Each occupant must correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to
the seat. Children must be fastened ⇒page 202, “Transporting chil-
dren safely” with a suitable restraint system.
•The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted
to match the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts
must always be correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal
protection for you and your occupants.
•Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being
driven - never place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the
window or on the surfaces of the seats. This is particularly impor-
tant for the front seat passenger. You will be exposed to increased
risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is deployed, you may suffer fatal
injuries when adopting an incorrect seated position!
•It is important for the driver and front passenger to maintain a
distance of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel.
Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag
system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard! The front
seats and the head restraints must always also be correctly
adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
•Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects
may get behind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre.
You would then no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or
accelerate.
WARNING (continued)
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Seats and Stowage91
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Remove the rear seats
You can enlarge the luggage compartment on vehicles with
divided rear seats* by removing the rear seat.
Removing
– Fold the rear seats forwards completely
– Press the wire clamps in the direction of the arrow ⇒fig. 69
and remove the rear seats from its holder.
Installing
– Press the wire clamp in the direction of the arrow and place the seat upholstery in its holder.
– Fold the rear seats back into its original position.
Armrest of rear seats*
– You can fold down the armrest at the loop to enhance occu- pant comfort ⇒fig. 70 .
Pedals
Concerning a secure depressing of the pedal, you should use only foot-
mats from the Škoda genuine accessories.
Operation of the pedals must not be hindered!
WARNING
•Greater pedal distances may be needed when there is a fault in
the brake system.
Fig. 69 Remove the
rear seatsFig. 70 Rear seats:
Armrest
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Seats and Stowage
92
•Do not place any footmats or other additional floor coverings in
the area of the pedals in order to ensure that all the pedals can be
fully depressed and are able to return unobstructed to their initial
position - risk of accident!
•There must be no objects on the floor which could roll under the
pedals. You would then no longer be able to apply the brakes,
operate the clutch or accelerator - risk of accident!
Luggage compartment
Loading the luggage compartment
Please observe the following in the interest of having good
handling characteristics of your vehicle:
– Distribute the items of luggage as evenly as possible.
– Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.
– Attach the items of luggage to the lashing eyes or the safety net* ⇒page 93.
In the event of an accident, there is such a high kinetic energy which is
produced by small and light objects that they can cause severe injuries.
The magnitude of the kinetic energy depends on the speed at which the
vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the object. The speed at which
the vehicle is travelling is in this case the more significant factor.
Example: In the event of a frontal collision at a speed of 50 km/h, an unse-
cured object with a weight of 4.5 kg produces an energy, which corre- sponds to 20 times its own weight. This means that it results in a weight
of approx. 90 kg. You can imagine the injuries that can occur, if this “bullet”
is flying through the interior compartment and hits an occupant.
WARNING
•Store the objects in the luggage compartment and attach them
to the lashing eyes.
•Loose objects in the passenger compartment can be thrown
forward during a sudden manoeuvre or in case of an accident and
can injure the occupants or other oncoming traffic. This risk is still
increased, if the objects which are flying around are hit by a
deployed airbag. In this case, the objects which are thrown back
can injure the occupants - hazard.
•Please note that the handling properties of your vehicle may be
affected when transporting heavy objects as a result of the
displacement of the centre of gravity. The speed and style of
driving must be adjusted accordingly.
•The items carried in the luggage compartment should be stored
in such a way that no objects are able to slip forward if there are any
sudden driving or braking manoeuvres undertaken - risk of injury!
•Never drive with the boot lid sli ghtly ajar or even fully opened
otherwise exhaust gases may get into the interior of the vehicle -
risk of poisoning!
•On no account exceed the permissible axle loads and the
permissible gross weight of th e vehicle - risk of accident!
•Never transport occupants in the luggage compartment!
Caution
Please ensure that the heating elements of the rear window heater are not
damaged as a result of objects sliding in this area.
WARNING (continued)
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Seats and Stowage
108
Further information ⇒page 270, “Accessories, changes and replacement
of parts”.
Storage compartments
An overview
You will find the following storage facilities in your vehicle:
WARNING
•Please do not place anything on top of the dash panel. Such
objects might slide or fall down wh en driving (when accelerating or
cornering) and may distract you from concentrating on the traffic
situation - risk of accident!
•Ensure that when driving no objects from the centre console ofr
from other storage possibilities may get into the footwell of the
driver. You would then no longer be able to apply the brakes,
operate the clutch or accelerator - risk of accident!
Storage compartment on the front passenger side
Opening and closing the storage compartment on the front
passenger side
– Press the handle of the lid ⇒fig. 98 - the lid folds down.
Storage compartment on the front passenger
side⇒page 108
Storage compartment on the driver's side⇒page 109
Storage compartment on the dash panel⇒page 110
Stowage compartment in front centre console*⇒page 110
Stowage compartment for spectacles*⇒page 111
Storage compartment in the front doors⇒page 111
Stowage compartment below front passenger
seat*⇒page 112
Front seat armrest with stowage compartment*⇒page 112
Stowage compartment in rear centre console*⇒page 113
Seat backrest with opening for skis*⇒page 114
Through-loading bag*⇒page 115
Side compartment*⇒page 116
Stowage compartment behind the rear seats
(estate car)⇒page 117
Clothes hooks*⇒page 117
Fig. 98 Dash panel:
Storage compartment
on the front passenger
side
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Seats and Stowage113
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Opening stowage compartment
– Open the lid of the armrest in the direction of arrow
⇒page 112, fig. 106 .
Closing stowage compartment
– Open the lid up to the stop, then you can fold it downwards.
Setting height
– First of all fold the lid to the bottom and lift it in the direction of arrow into one of the 4 fixed positions.
Adjusting in forward/back direction
– Push the lid into the desired position.
Opening air inlet
– Pull the lock in upward direction ⇒page 112, fig. 107 .
Closing air inlet
– Push the lock as far as the stop downwards.
On vehicles fitted with air conditioning, the storage compartment is
equipped with a lockable inlet for thermally treated (warmed-up) air.
At open air supply, air flows into the storage with a temperature which is
as high as the one out of the air outlet nozzles, depending on temperature
setting.
The air inlet in the storage compartment is connected to position

through adjustment of the control dial for air distribution. This position
causes the maximum amount of air to flow into the storage compartment
(depending on the rotary regulator position for the fan). You can use the storage compartment, for example, to temper drinks
cans, etc.
If you do not use the air inlet in the storage compartment, the end
cover should always be kept closed.
Note
Push the lid of the armrest up to stop to the rear before operating the
handbrake.
Stowage compartment in
rear centre console*
The storage compartment is equipped with a removeable insert.
– Open the storage compartment by pulling on the upper edge
of the storage compartment in the direction of arrow
⇒fig. 108.
AA
AA
Fig. 108 Centre
console at rear:
Storage compartment
AA
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Starting-off and Driving
140
WARNING
•When driving, the ignition key mu st always be in the ignition
lock in the position (ignition switched on) without the engine
running. This position is indicate d by the warning lights coming on.
If this is not the case, it could result in unexpected locking of the
steering wheel - risk of accident!
•Only remove the ignition key from the ignition lock when the
vehicle has come to a standstill (put on the handbrake or select the
selector lever position P). The steering lock might otherwise
engage unintentionally - risk of accident!
•Always withdraw the ignition key if you are going to leave the
vehicle, even for a short time. This is particularly important if chil-
dren are left in the vehicle. The children might otherwise start the
engine or switch on electrical equipment (e.g. power windows) -
risk of accident or injury!
Starting engine
General
You can only start the engine only using an original ignition
key.
•Place the gearshift lever into neutral (or place the selector lever to the
position P or N in the case of an automatic gearbox) and put on the hand-
brake firmly before starting the engine.
•The clutch pedal should be fully depressed when starting the engine
which means that the starter only has to crank the engine.
•Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts otherwise there may be
damage to the starter. The engine running noises may at first be louder for a short time after
starting the cold engine until oil pressure can be built up in the hydraulic
valve clearance compensation. This is quite normal and is not an oper-
ating problem.
If the engine does not start ...
You can use the battery of another vehicle as a jump-start aid
⇒page 281.
It is only possible to tow-start vehicles fitted with a manual gearbox. The
tow-starting distance must not be more than 50 metres ⇒page 286.
WARNING
•Never run the engine in non ventilated or enclosed areas. The
exhaust gases of the engine contain besides the odorless and
colourless carbon monoxide a poisonous gas - hazard! Carbon
monoxide can cause unconsciousness and death.
•Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.
Caution
•The starter may only be operated (ignition key position ), if the
engine is not running. If the starter is immediately operated after switching
off the engine, the starter or the engine can be damaged.
•Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as
long as the engine has not yet reached its normal operating temperature
- risk of damaging the engine!
•Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaust gas catalytic converter
should not be tow-started over a distance of more than 50 metres.
For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle is standing. Drive off right
away. Through this the engine reaches its operating temperature more
rapidly and the pollutant emissions are lower.
A2
A3
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