2007 SKODA OCTAVIA service interval

Lights and Visibility63
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
You should remove stubborn dirt (such
as insect residues) from the headlight
lenses at regular intervals, for example when refuelling. Please refer to the following
guidelines ⇒page 202, “The headlight lenses”.
You should remove any snow from the fixt ures of the washer nozzles and clear ice
in winter with a de-icing spray in order to ensure proper operation of the cleaning
system.
Replacing wiper blades fo r the windscreen wipers
One cannot fold out the wiper arms in the rest position from the wind-
screen. Before replacing the wiper arms you must put them into the
service position.
Service position for changing wiper blades
– Close the bonnet.
– Switch the ignition on and then again off.
– Then press the windscreen wiper lever in the position ⇒page 61,
fig. 54 within 20 seconds - the wiper ar ms move into the service posi-
tion. Taking off the wiper blade
– Fold windscreen wiper arm out from
the windscreen and position the
wiper blade at right angles to the wiper arm ⇒.
– Take off the wiper blade in direction of arrow ⇒fig. 55 ⇒ .
Attaching a wiper blade
– Push the new wiper blade over the wiper arm and turn the wiper blade into the vertical position.
– Check whether the wiper blade is correctly attached.
– Fold the windscreen wiper arms onto the window and switch on the ignition - the windscreen wiper arms move back into the rest position.
Wiper blades in proper condition are esse ntial to obtain good visibility. Wiper
blades should not be allowed to become dirtied by dust, insect remains and
preserving wax.
Juddering or smearing of the wiper blades could then be due to wax residues left
on the windscreen by vehicle washing in automatic vehicle wash systems. It is
therefore important to degrease the lips of the wiper blades after every pass
through an automatic vehicle wash system .
WARNING
•The ignition must not be switched on if the front windscreen wiper arms
are folded out. The wiper blades would move back into their rest position
and while doing so damage th e paintwork of the bonnet.
•If the windscreen wipers are handled carelessly, there is a risk of damage
to the windscreen.
•You should clean the wiper blades regularly with a windscreen cleaner in
order to avoid any smears. Clean a wiper blade with a sponge or cloth if it is
very dirty, for example from insect residues.
•Replace the wiper blades once or twice a year for safety reasons. The
wiper blades are available from Škoda Service Partners.
Fig. 55 Wiper blade for
the windscreen wiper
A4
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 63 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Airbag system171
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•There must not be any other persons (e.g. children) or animals between
the car occupant and the deployment ar ea of the head airbag. In addition,
none of the occupants should lean their head out of the window when
driving, or extend their arms and hands out of the window.
•The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the
deployment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens
etc. are attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the
head airbag is deployed.
•Installing impermissible accessories in the area of the head airbags may
considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the event of
it being deployed. When the deployed head airbag is inflated, parts of the
accessories fitted may in certain circumstances be thrown into the interior
of the car and cause injuries to the occupants ⇒page 229, “Accessories,
changes and replacement of parts”.
•Any work on the head airbag system including installing and removing
system components because of other re pair work (e.g. removing headliner)
must only be carried ou t by a specialist garage.
Deactivating an airbag
Deactivating airbags
If any airbags have been deactivated, switch them on again as soon
as possible so that they are able to again provide their proper protec-
tion.
There is the technical means installed within your vehicle to switch off the front,
side* or head airbag* (take out of commission).
This is why you should have the deactiva tion of the airbags carried out by a
specialist garage.
On vehicles equipped with the switch for deactivation of the airbags, you can deac-
tivate the front and side passenger airbag by means of this switch ⇒page 172. Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only for particular instances, such as if:
•you must
in exceptional cases use a child seat on the front passenger seat
where the child has its back to the directio n of travel of the vehicle (in some coun-
tries this must be in the direction of travel due to other legal regulations applying)
⇒ page 173, “Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats”
•you are not able to maintain the distance of at least 25 cm between middle of
steering wheel and chest, despite the driver seat being correctly adjusted,
•special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of a
physical disability,
•you have installed other seats (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
Monitoring the airbag system
The functionality of the airbag system is also monitored electronically, when one
airbag has been switched off
If the airbag was switched of f using diagnostic equipment:
•The warning light for the airbag system lights up for 4 seconds after switching
on the ignition and then flashes for 12 seconds afterwards in 2 second intervals.
Front passenger airbags switched off using the switch for front passenger
airbags* in stowage compartmen t on the front passenger side:
•The airbag warning light comes on in the instrument cluster for about 4 seconds
each time the ignition is switched on.
•Switching off airbags is indicated in the middle of the dash panel by the lighting
up of the indicator light   ⇒ page 172, fig. 173 .
Note
Your Škoda Service Partner will be able to advise you whether national legislation in
your country allows airbags in your vehi cle to be deactivated, and which ones.
WARNING (continued)
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 171 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Driving and the Environment
192
Avoiding full throttle
Driving more slowly means saving fuel.
Sensitive use of the accelera tor will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption
but also positively influence environmen tal pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid fully exploi ting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible.
Fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportion-
ally at high speeds.
The ⇒fig. 189 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle.
You will cut your fuel consumption by half if you only make use three-quarters of
the possible top speed of your vehicle.
Reducing idling
Idling also costs fuel.
It is worthwhile switching off the engine in a traffic jam or when waiting at a level
crossing or at traffic lights with a length y red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds
you will have saved more fuel than that is needed when you start the engine up
again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal operating
temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant em issions, though, are particularly high in the warming-up phase. This is why you
should drive off right after starting the
engine. Do avoid high engine revolutions at this time, however.
Regular servicing
A poorly tuned engine consumes an unnecessarily high amount of
fuel.
Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a specialist garge enables you to satisfy
one of the requirements for economical moto ring even before you set off on your
journey. Keeping your vehicle properly servic ed not only has a positive effect on the
safety of your vehicle and maintaining its value, but also saves on fuel.
A poorly tuned engine can result in a fu el consumption which is 10% higher than
normal.
The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according to the
Service schedule by a specialist garage.
Also check the oil level after refueling. Oil consumption is dependent to a consid-
erable extent on the load and speed of the engine. Oil consumption could be as
high as 0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving.
It is quite normal that a new engine ha s a higher oil consumption at first, and
reaches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is therefore not
possible to correctly assess the oil cons umption of a new vehicle until after you
have driven about 5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•You can achieve additional improvements in your fuel economy by using high-
lubricity oils.
•Check the ground below your car at regula r intervals to detect any leakages in
good time. Please have your vehicle inspected by a specialist garge if you find any
stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.
Fig. 189 Fuel consump-
tion in litres/100 km. and
speed in km/h.
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 192 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Towing a trailer197
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust
the mirrors so that they provide you with
an adequate field of view to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights.
Alter the setting as necessary with th e aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 55.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device.
It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the
luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Further information on the towing device ⇒page 198.
Note
•We recommend that you also have yo ur vehicle inspected between service
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.
•The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and
decoupling the trailer.
Driving Tips
Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.
– Do not, as far as possible, drive with your vehicle unladen and the
trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.
– Keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if the outside temper- ature is high.
Distribution of weight
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this
combination.
Driving speed
Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for coun-
tries in which higher speeds are allowed.
The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when
there are unfavourable road, weather or wind conditions, particularly near accident
black spots.
You must always reduce your speed immedi ately as soon as you detect even just
the slightest swaying of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
“swaying” by accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly . This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time before negotiating a down-
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake.
Engine overheating
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a
lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is
very high ⇒page 11.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or
even the red area of the scale, reduce yo ur speed immediately. Stop and switch off
the engine if the warning light
 in the instrument cluste r begins flashing. Wait a
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
⇒ page 215, “Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒page 28, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant
quantity ”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear
and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 197 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Inspecting and Replenishing
212
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 fact ory-filled with a high-grade oil which you
can use throughout the year - exce pt 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 co ntinuous further development. Thus the
information stated in this Owner's Manual is only correct at the time of publication.
Škoda Service Partners are informed by Škoda Auto a.s. about current changes. This
why you should always have engine oil changed by your Škoda Service Partner.
The specifications (VW standards) stated in the following must be indicated sepa-
rately or together with other specifications on the bottle.
Engine oil specifications for vehicles with fixed service intervals (QG0, QG2) Engine oil specifications for models with flexible service intervals (QG1)
Caution
Only the above-mentioned oils may be used on vehicles with flexible service inter-
vals (QG1). We recommend always refilling with oil of the same specification since
this will maintain the properties of the oi
l. 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 oi ls - risk of engine damage!
Note
•Before a long drive we recommend th at you purchase and carry with you
engine oil which complies with the specif ication for your vehicle. Consequently,
you will always have the correct engine oil for refilling.
•We recommend using a preservative fr om the Škoda original accessories
offered by your Škoda dealer.
•For further information - see Service shedule.
Engine oil specifications
Petrol engines
VW 501 01
VW 502 00
VW 504 00
ACEA A2
a) or A3 a)
a)Only to be used in exceptional cases if the oils specified above are not available.
Diesel engines
VW 505 01b)
VW 507 00c)
ACEA B3c), or B4a)
b)Only for engines without diesel particle filter ⇒page 26.c)Only for engines with diesel particle filter ⇒page 26.
Engine oil specifications
Petrol enginesVW 503 00
VW 504 00
Diesel enginesVW 506 01a)
VW 507 00
a)Only for engines without diesel particle filter ⇒page 26.
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 212 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Inspecting and Replenishing
214
– Inspect the oil level ⇒page 213.
– Carefully screw on the cap of the filler opening and push the dipstick
in fully.
WARNING
•Avoid dripping oil onto hot parts of the engine when topping up will oil -
a risk of fire!
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 210, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must on no account be above the range ⇒page 213. Oil will other-
wise be drawn in through the crankcase ventilation and may pass through the
exhaust system to atmosphere. The oil ma y 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 12.
WARNING
•Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required profes-
sional knowledge!
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 210, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
•Let the engine cool down - risk of burning from hot oil.
•Wear an eye protection - risk of caustic burns due to oil splashes.
•Oil is toxic! Store old oil in a safe place out of the reach of children and
unauthorized persons until you dispose of it properly.
Caution
You must not pour any additives into th e engine oil - risk of engine damage!
Damage, which results from such produc t, are excluded from the warranty.
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 prop erly disposing of old oil, the material,
equipment and the knowledge required fo r such work, we recommend that you
have the oil and oil filter change carr ied out by your Škoda Service Partner.
Note
After your skin has come in contact with the oil, you must thoroughly wash your
skin.
Cooling system
Coolant
The job of the coolant is to cool the engine.
The cooling system does not require an y maintenance under normal operating
conditions. The coolant consis ts of water with a concentration of coolant additive
of 40 %. This mixture not only provides antifreeze protection down to -25°C but
also protects the cooling and heating system from corrosion. It also prevents the
formation of scale and significantly increases the boiling point of the coolant.
You must therefore not reduce the concentration of antifreeze agent in the coolant
by adding water, also not during the summer months or in countries with a warm
climate. The concentration of coolant additive in the coolant must be at least
40%.
You can increase the amount of antifreeze in the coolant if a higher concentration
of antifreeze is necessary for climatic reasons but only up to 60% (antifreeze
protection down to approx. -40°C). The an tifreeze protection tails off above that
concentration.
Aa
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 214 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Index283
Petrol engines
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Power window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Power windows Button in front passenger door and in rear doors46
Buttons on the driver's door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
R
Radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Rear armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Rear window heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rear window heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rear-view mirror Exterior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Interior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Recharge battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Synchronisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Replacing fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Replacing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Roof aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Running in the car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
S
Safe securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Safety information Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Safety wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Saving electrical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Seat belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158, 162 Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
fastening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Seat heaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127, 133
Selector lever lock Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127, 133
Selector lever-emergency unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Selector lever-emergency unl ocking (DSG) . . . . . 137
Service Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Service Interval Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Setting temperature Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Stability system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
after fuel tank has run empty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Steering Driver-steering recommendation . . . . . . . . . 183
Steering force assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Storage compartment Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Sun screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Switching lights on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
T
Taking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Temperature outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Temporary spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
the first 1 500 kilometres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
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