2006 SKODA OCTAVIA steering

Unlocking and locking
Vehicle key
Introductory information
Fig. 8
Key without remote control/key with remote control (remote control
key)
Two keys are provided with the vehicle. Depending on the equipment, your vehi-
cle can be equipped with keys without radio remote control » Fig. 8 -  or with
radio remote control»
Fig. 8 -  . WARNING
■ Always withdraw the key whenever you leave the vehicle - even if it is only
for a short time. This is particularly important if children are left in the vehicle.
The children might otherwise start the engine or operate electrical equipment
(e.g. power windows) - risk of injury!
■ Do not withdraw the ignition key from the ignition lock until the vehicle has
come to a stop. The steering lock might otherwise engage unintentionally -
risk of accident! CAUTION
■ Each key contains electronic components; therefore it must be protected
against moisture and severe shocks.
■ Keep the groove of the keys absolutely clean. Impurities (textile fibres, dust,
etc.) have a negative effect on the functionality of the locking cylinder and igni-
tion lock. Note
Please approach a ŠKODA Service Partner if you lose a key as they can obtain a
new one for you. Ð Replacing the battery in the remote control key
Fig. 9
Remote control key: Remove cover/remove battery
Each remote control key contains a battery that is located under the cover A
» Fig. 9. The battery needs replacing if red warning light
» Fig. 8 on page 26 -
 does not go on when you press a button on the remote control key. We recom-
mend that you ask a ŠKODA

Service Partner to replace the key battery. However,
if you would like to replace the discharged battery yourself proceed as follows.
› Flip out the key.
› Press off the battery cover with your thumb or using a flat screwdriver in the
region of arrows 1
» Fig. 9.
› Remove the discharged battery from the key by pressing the battery down-
wards in the region of arrow 2
.
› Insert the new battery. Ensure that the “+” symbol on the battery is facing up-
wards. The correct polarity is shown on the battery cover.
› Place the battery cover on the key and press it down until it clicks into place.
£
26 Using the system

Lights and visibility
Lights
ä
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Switching lights on and off 40
DAY LIGHT function (Daylight driving light) 40
Automatic driving lamp control 40
Cornering lights 41
Parking light 41
COMING HOME/LEAVING HOME function 41
Tourist light 42
Fog lights 42
Fog lights with the function CORNER 42
Rear fog light 43
Instrument lighting  43
Headlight beam adjustment  44
Switches for the hazard warning light system 44
Turn signal and main beam lever 45
On models fitted with right-hand steering the position of certain switches differs
from that shown in » Fig. 22
on page 40. The symbols which mark the switch
positions are identical, however.
The low beam continues to shine while the ignition is switched on and the light
switch is in the position  or  . After switching off the ignition, the low beam
is switched off automatically and only the side lights come on. The side lights also
go out after the ignition key is removed. WARNING
■ Never drive with only the side lights on! The side lights are not bright
enough to light up the road sufficiently in front of you or to be seen by other
oncoming traffic. Therefore always switch on the low beam when it is dark or
if visibility is poor.
■ The automatic driving lamp control 
 only operates as a support and does
not release the driver from his responsibility to check the light and, if necessa-
ry, to switch on the light depending on the light conditions. The light sensor
cannot, for example, detect rain or snow. Under these conditions we recom-
mend switching on the low beam or fog lights! CAUTION
■ The activation of the lights should only be undertaken in accordance with na-
tional legal requirements.
■ The driver is always responsible for the correct settings and use of the lights. Note
■ If the light switch is in the position , the ignition key is removed and the driv-
er's door is open, an audible warning signal will sound. The audible warning signal
is switched off by means of the door contact when the driver's door is closed (ig-
nition off), however, the side lights remain on to illuminate the parked vehicle if
necessary. ■ If there is a fault in the light switch, the low beam comes on automatically.
■ In the event of cool or humid weather conditions, the headlights can be misted
up from inside. The temperature difference between interior and external area of
the headlight lenses is decisive. When the driving lights are switched on, the light
outlet surfaces are free from mist after a short period, although the headlight
lenses may still be misted up in the peripheral areas. It also concerns reverse light
and turn signal lights. This mist has no influence on the life of the lighting system. Ð
39
Lights and visibility

Switching lights on and off
Fig. 22
Dash panel: Light switch
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 39.
Switching on the parking light
› Turn the light switch
» Fig. 22 to position .
Switching on the low beam and main beam
› Turn the light switch to position
.
› Push the main beam lever slightly forward in the spring-tensioned position to
switch on the main beam » Fig. 28 on page 45.
Switching off lights (except daytime running lights)
› Turn the light switch to position 0. ÐDAY LIGHT function (Daylight driving light)
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 39.
Switching on daytime running lights
› Turn the ignition on and turn the light switch to position 0 or
 .  .
Deactivating the daytime running lights
› Pull the turn signal light lever towards the steering wheel within 3
seconds of
switching on the ignition and at the same time, slide it downwards and hold it in
this position for at least 3

seconds.
ä
ä Activating the daytime running lights
› Pull the turn signal light lever towards the steering wheel within 3
seconds of
switching on the ignition and at the same time, slide it upwards and hold it in
this position for at least 3

seconds.
On vehicles with an information display, the daytime running lights can also be
activated or deactivated via the menu:
■ Settings
■ Lights & Vision
On vehicles with separate lights for daylight driving lights in the fog lights or in
the front bumper, the parking lights and the licence plate light do not come on
when activating the function daylight driving lights (neither front nor rear).
If the vehicle is not equipped with separate lights for daylight driving lights, the
combination of the low beam, the parking lights (front and rear) including the li-
cence plate light is used as daylight driving lights.
When the daylight driving lights are switched on, the illumination of the instru-
ment cluster is switched off, however, it is switched on in the position  when
it is dark and the low beam shines with full brightness (100 % of the perform-
ance). Ð Automatic driving lamp control
Fig. 23
Dash panel: Light switch
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 39.
Switching on
› Turn the light switch
» Fig. 23 to position .
Switching off
› Turn the light switch to the position 0,
 or . £
ä
40 Using the system

The fog lights with the function CORNER are adjusted according to the steering
angle or after switching on the turn signal light
1)
in the following circumstances:
› the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running or it moves with a speed of
maximum 40 km/h;
› the daytime running lights are not switched on;
› the low beam is switched on or the light switch is in the position
 and the
intensity of the ambient light causes the low beam to be switched on;
› the fog lights are not switched on;
› no reverse gear is engaged. Note
If the reverse gear is engaged during the active function CORNER, both fog lights
illuminate. ÐRear fog light
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 39.
Switching on
› First of all, turn the light switch to position
 or  » Fig. 24 on page 42.
› Pull the light switch to position 2
.
If the vehicle is not fitted with fog lights » page 42, the rear fog light is switched
on by turning the light switch to the position  or  and is pulled out directly to
the position 2
. This switch does not have two positions, but only one position.
The warning light 
lights up in the instrument cluster when the rear fog light is
switched on » page 18.
Only the rear fog light on the trailer lights up if the vehicle has a factory-fitted
towing device or a towing device from ŠKODA original accessories and it is driven
with a trailer and the rear fog light switched on.
The rear fog light is located in the rear light array on the driver's side. Ð
ä Instrument lighting 
Fig. 25
Dash panel: Instrument lighting
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 39.
›
Switch on the light.
› Turn the control dial
» Fig. 25 to the desired intensity of the instrument light-
ing.
The illumination intensity of the Information display »

page 15 is set automatical-
ly. It is only possible to adjust the instrument lighting with the control dial if the
light intensity drops below the set value of the light sensor. Ð
ä
1)
If both switch on versions are conflicting, for example if the steering wheel is turned to the left and
the right turn signal light is switched on, the turn signal light has the higher priority.
43
Lights and visibility

Turn signal and main beam lever
Fig. 28
Turn signal and main beam lever
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 39.
The parking light and headlight flasher are also operated with the turn signal and
main beam lever.
Right  and left  turn signal light
› Push the lever upwards A
» Fig. 28
or downwards B
.
› If you only wish to flash three times (the "convenience turn signal"), briefly
push the lever to the upper or lower pressure point and release again. This fea-
ture can be activated/deactivated via the information display » page 15.
› Turn signal for changing lanes - to only flash briefly, move the lever up or down
to the pressure point and hold it in this position.
Main beam 
› Switch on the low beam.
› Push the lever away from the steering wheel in the direction of arrow C
(spring-tensioned position).
› The main beam is switched off by pulling the lever towards the steering wheel
(spring-tensioned position) in the direction of arrow D
.
Headlight flasher 
› Pull the lever towards the steering wheel (spring-tensioned position) in the di-
rection of arrow D
- the main beam and warning light
 in the instrument clus-
ter come on.
Parking light 
Description of the operation » page 41
ä CAUTION
Only use the main beam or the headlight flasher if other road users will not be
dazzled. Note
■ The turn signal system only operates when the ignition is switched on. The cor-
responding warning light  or  in the instrument cluster also flashes.
■ The turn signal is automatically cancelled after negotiating a curve.
■ The warning light flashes at twice its normal rate if a bulb for the turn signal
light fails. Ð Interior light
Interior lighting - version 1
Fig. 29
Interior lighting - version 1
Switching on › Press switch A
» Fig. 29 towards the edge of the light, the symbol
 appears.
Switching off
› Press the switch A
»
Fig. 29
in the middle position O.
Operating with the door contact switch
› Press switch A
» Fig. 29 towards the middle of the light, the symbol
 ap-
pears.
Reading lights
› Press switch B
» Fig. 29 to switch the reading lights on or off.
£
45
Lights and visibility

CAUTION
■ In cold temperatures and during the winter, check before the journey or before
switching on the ignition that the wiper blades are not frozen to the windscreen.
If the windscreen wipers are switched on when the blades are frozen to the
windscreen, this may damage both the blades and windscreen wiper motor!
■ If the ignition is switched off while the windscreen wipers are switched on, the
windscreen wipers will continue wiping in the same mode after the ignition is
turned back on. The windscreen wipers could freeze up in cold temperatures be-
tween the time the ignition was turned off and when it was turned back on again.
■ Carefully detach frozen wiper blades from the front or rear window.
■ Remove snow and ice from the windscreen wipers before driving.
■ If the windscreen wipers are handled carelessly, there is a risk of damage to the
windscreen.
■ Replace the windscreen wiper blades once or twice a year for safety reasons.
These can be purchased from a ŠKODA Service Partner.
■ The ignition must not be switched on if the front windscreen wiper arms are fol-
ded out. The wiper blades would move back into their rest position and while do-
ing so damage the paintwork of the bonnet. Note
■ If the slower 2
» Fig. 35 on page 49 or the faster 3
wiper setting is switched
on and the vehicle speed decreases to below 4 km/h, the lower wiper step is
switched on automatically. At a speed increase of more than 8 km/h the previous
wiper setting is established again.
■ If there is an obstacle on the windscreen, the wiper will try to push away the
obstacle. If the obstacle continues to block the wiper, the wiper stops automati-
cally after 5 attempts to eliminate the obstacle, in order to avoid a damage to the
wiper. Remove the the obstacle and switch the wiper on again. ■ The windscreen washer nozzles for the windscreen are heated when the en-
gine is running and the outside temperature is less than approx. +10
°C.
■ The content of the windscreen washer fluid reservoir is 3 litres. On vehicles fit-
ted with the headlight cleaning system, the volume is 5.5
litres. On vehicles fitted
with auxiliary heating, the content of the windscreen wiper reservoir is 4.5 litres.
■ The wiper blades should be cleaned on a regular basis with a windscreen clean-
er to avoid any smears. The wiper blades should be cleaned with a sponge or
cloth if they are heavily soiled by insect residues, for example. Ð Activating the windscreen wipers and washers
Fig. 35
Windscreen wiper lever
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 48.
Flick wipe
›
If you only wish to wipe the windscreen
briefly, push the lever into the spring-
tensioned position 4
» Fig. 35. If the lever is held in the lower position for more
than 1 second, the wiper wipes faster.
Periodic wiping
› Position the lever upwards into position 1
» Fig. 35.
› Set the desired break between the individual wiper strokes with the switch A
.
Slow wipe
› Position the lever upwards into position 2
» Fig. 35.
Fast wipe
› Position the lever upwards into position 3
» Fig. 35.
Automatic wipe/wash for windscreen
› Pull the lever towards the steering wheel into the spring-tensioned position 5
» Fig. 35, the washer system is activated immediately, while the windscreen
wipers start wiping a little later. The wash system and the windscreen wiper op-
erate simultaneously at a speed of more than 120
km/h.
› Release the lever. The windscreen wash system stops and the wiper continues
for another 3 - 4 wiper strokes (depending on the period of spraying of the
windscreen). At a speed of more than 2 km/h, the wiper wipes once again 5 sec-
onds after the last wiper stroke in order to wipe the last drops from the wind-
screen. This feature can be activated/deactivated by a

ŠKODA specialist garage.
Rain sensor
› Place the lever in position 1
» Fig. 35.
£
ä
49
Lights and visibility

›
The sensitivity of the sensor can be set individually with the switch A
.
Wiping the rear window pane
› Push the lever away from the steering wheel into position 6
» Fig. 35 and the
windscreen wiper will operate every 6
seconds.
Automatic wipe/wash for the rear window
› Press the lever completely away from the steering wheel into the spring-ten-
sioned position 7
» Fig. 35, the washer system is activated immediately, while
the windscreen wiper starts wiping a little later. The wiper and washer system
will operate as long as the lever is held in this position.
› Release the lever. The washer system stops and the wiper continues for anoth-
er 2 to 3
wiper strokes (depending on the duration of the spraying process). The
lever will stay in position after releasing it 6
.
Switching windscreen wipers off
› Move the lever back into the home position 0
» Fig. 35.
Winter position
If the windscreen wipers are in rest position, they cannot be folded out from the
windscreen. For this reason we recommend adjusting the windscreen wipers in
winter so that they can be folded out from the windscreen easily.
This rest position is set as follows:
› Switch on the windscreen wipers.
› Switch off the ignition. The windscreen wipers remain in the position in which
they were when switching off the ignition.
The service position can also be used as a winter position » page 51.ÐAutomatic rear window wiper (Combi)
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 48.
If the windscreen wiper is in position 2
» Fig. 35 on page 49 or 3
the rear win-
dow is wiped every 30 or 10 seconds if the vehicle's speed exceeds 5
km/h.
When the rain sensor is active (the lever is in the position 1
) the function is only
active if the windscreen wipers operate in continuous mode (no break between
each wiping process). ä Activation/deactivation
The function of the automatic rear window wiper is activated/deactivated in the
information display in the menu:
■ Settings
■ Lights & Vision
■ Rear wiper Ð Headlight cleaning system
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 48.
The headlights are being cleaned after the windscreen has been sprayed for the
first time and fifth time, the low beam or main beam are switched on and the
windscreen wiper lever was held in the position 5
» Fig. 35 on page 49 for about
1 second.
The headlight washer nozzles are moved forward out of the bumper by the water
pressure for cleaning the headlights.
You should remove stubborn dirt (such as insect residues) from the headlight len-
ses at regular intervals, for example when refuelling. The following guidelines
must be observed » page 151, Headlight lenses.
To ensure the proper operation of the cleaning system during the winter, any
snow should be removed from the washer nozzle fixtures and ice should be
cleared with a de-icing spray. CAUTION
Never remove the nozzles from the headlight cleaning system by hand - risk of
damage! Ð
ä
50 Using the system

Seats and Stowage
Front seats
ä
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Manually adjusting the front seats 55
Adjusting front seats electrically 55
Storing setting 56
Assigning the remote control key to the memory button 56
Retrieving the seat and exterior mirror settings 56
The driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the pedals can be fully
pressed to the floor with slightly bent legs.
The seat backrest on the driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the
upper point of the steering wheel can be easily reached with slightly bent arms.
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
■ Only adjust the driver's seat when the vehicle is stationary - risk of accident!
■ Caution when adjusting the seat! You may suffer injuries or bruises as a re-
sult of adjusting the seat without paying proper attention. ■ As the electric front seats can also be adjusted when the ignition is switch-
ed off (even when the ignition key is withdrawn), never leave children unat-
tended in the car. ■ The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving otherwise
this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag system -
risk of injury! ■ Never carry more people than the number of seats in the vehicle. WARNING (Continued)
■ Each occupant must correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to the seat.
Children must be fastened » page 135, Transporting children 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 important 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 mini-
mum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly
protect you - hazard!
■ Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as they may get caught be-
hind the pedals when driving or applying the braking. You would then no lon-
ger be able to operate the clutch, brake or accelerate.
■ Do not transport any objects on the front passenger seat except objects
(e.g. child safety seat) provided for this purpose - risk of accident! Note
After a certain time, play can develop within the adjustment mechanism of the
backrest angle. Ð
54 Using the system