
Lights and Visibility
58
Rear interior lighting*
The rear interior lighting ⇒fig. 47 is actuated by moving the switch to the symbol , O or to the middle position .
The same principles apply for the interior li ghting at the rear as for the for the inte-
rior lighting at the front ⇒page 57.
Note
We recommend having the bulb re placed by a specialist garage.
Front door warning light*
The warning light is located in the door trim panel below ⇒fig. 48 .
The warning light goes on every time the door is opened. The light goes out about
10 minutes after opening the door in order to avoid discharging the battery of the
vehicle.
There is a reflector installed on some vehicles instead of the warning light.
Luggage compartment light*
The lighting comes on automatically when the boot lid is opened. The luggage
compartment lighting will switch off agai n automatically if the boot lid remains
open for more than about 30 minutes.
Entry lighting*
The lighting is positioned on the bottom edge of the exterior mirror.
The light beam is directed towards the entry area of the front door.
The light comes on after the doors have been locked or on opening the boot lid. The
light goes out after switching on the ignition or up to 30 seconds after closing all the
doors, the bonnet and the boot lid.
If a door, the bonnet or the boot lid remains open, the light goes out within 2
minutes if the ignition is switched off.
WARNING
If the entry light comes on, do not touch its cover - risk of burns!
Fig. 47 Roof liner light at
the rear
Fig. 48 Front door:
Warning light
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 58 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Seats and Stowage75
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Seat heaters*
You can heat the surfaces of the seats and of the backrests of the front
seats and the two outer rear seats.
Front seats
– Heating on the driver's and front pasenger's seat can be switched on
and regulated by turning the control dial ⇒fig. 70 .
– The system is switched off by turning the control dial to the home position “0”. Rear seats
– You can switch on and adjust the heaters of the left and right rear seats
by turning the control ⇒fig. 71 .
– The system is switched off by turning the control dial to the home position “0”.
WARNING
If you have a subdued pain and/or te mperature sensitivity, e.g. through
medication, paralysis or because of ch ronic illness (e.g. diabetes), we
recommend not to use the seat heating. This can lead to burns on the back,
the posterior and the legs which are difficult to he al. If the seat heating is
used, we recommend to make regular breaks in your journey when driving
long distances, so that in specific cases as mentioned above the body can
recuperate from the stress of the journey. Please consult your doctor, who
can evaluate your specific condition.
Caution
•You should not kneel on the seats or othe rwise apply pressure at specific points
in order to avoid damaging the heating elements of the seat heaters.
•Do not clean the seats moist ⇒page 204.
Note
•The seat heating should only be switched on when the engine is running. This
has a significant effect of sa ving on the battery capacity.
•If the on-board voltage drops, the seat heating is switched off automatically, in
order to provide sufficient electrical energy for the engine control.
Pedals
Concerning a secure depressing of the pe dal, you should use only footmats from
the Škoda genuine accessories.
Fig. 70 Dash panel:
Control dial for heating
the front seats
Fig. 71 Centre console at
rear: Rotary controls for
heaters of rear seats
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 75 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Seats and Stowage89
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Using the power socket
– Take out the cigarette lighter.
– Insert the plug of the electrical a ppliance into the socket of the ciga-
rette lighter.
The 12 volt power socket can also be used to supply power to electrical accessories
with a power uptake up to 180 watts.
WARNING
•Take care when using the cigarette li ghter! Not paying proper attention
or incorrect use the cigarette lighter in an uncontrolled manner may result in
burns.
•The cigarette lighter and the power so cket also operates when the igni-
tion is switched off or the ignition key withdrawn. You should therefore
never leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Caution
Always use matching plugs to av oid damaging the power sockets.
Note
•Connecting electrical components when the engine is not running will
drain the battery of the vehicl e - risk of battery draining!
•Further information ⇒page 229, “Accessories, chan ges and replacement of
parts”.
Power socket in the luggage compartment (estate car)
– Open the cover of the power socket ⇒fig. 98 .
– Connect the plug of the electrical appliance to the socket.
You can only use the power socket for the connection of approved electrical acces-
sories with a power uptake up to 180 watt s. The vehicle battery will be discharged
in the process if the engine is stationary.
The same remarks apply here as for ⇒page 88.
Further information ⇒page 229, “Accessories, changes and replacement of
parts”.
Storage compartments
Overview
You will find the following storag e facilities in your vehicle:
Storage compartment on the front passenger side⇒page 90
Storage compartment on the driver's side⇒page 91
Storage compartment on the dash panel⇒page 91
Fig. 98 Luggage
compartment: Power
socket
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 89 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Heating and air conditioning system115
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
WARNING
•The auxiliary heating must never be operated in closed rooms - risk of
poisoning!
•The auxiliary heating must not be running during refueling - risk of fire.
•The exhaust pipe of the auxiliary heating is located on the underside of
the vehicle. Therefore do not place the vehicle, if you wish to operate the
auxiliary heating, in such a way that the exhaust gases of the auxiliary
heating can come easily into contact with inflammable materials (e.g. dry
grass) or easily inflammable su bstances (e.g. fuel run out).
Note
•If the auxiliary heating runs, the fuel consumption comes from the vehicle tank.
Therefore the auxiliary heating should not be operated, if there is very little fuel in
the tank.
•The exhaust pipe of the auxiliary heating, which is located on the underside of
the vehicle, must not be clogged and the exhaust flow must not be blocked.
•If the auxiliary heat ing and ventilation is running, the vehicle battery discharges.
If the auxiliary heating and ventilation has been operated several times over a
longer period, the vehicle must be driven a few kilometers in order to recharge the
vehicle battery.
•The auxiliary heating only sw itches the blower on, if it has achieved a coolant
temperature of approx. 50 °C.
•At low outside temperatures, this can resu lt in a formation of water vapour in
the area of the engine compartment. This is quite normal and is not an operating
problem.
•After switching off the auxiliary heating, the coolant pump runs for a short
period.
•The auxiliary heating and ventilation does not switch on or comes on, if the
vehicle battery indicate s a low loading state.
•The auxiliary heating (auxiliary heating) switches on, if in the information
display: Please refuel! is indicated or was indicated before switching off the igni-
tion.
•When driving, the auxiliary heating can only be switched on, if the exterior
temperature is lower than 5 °C.
•The air inlet in front of the windscreen mu st be free of ice, snow or leaves in
order to ensure that the auxiliary heating operates properly.
•So that the warm air can flow into the vehicle interior after switching on the
auxiliary heating (auxiliary heating), the control dial ⇒page 100, fig. 119 must
be turned up to the stop to the right when heating. With Climatic and Climatronic,
you can maintain the temperature norma lly selected by you (we recommend 22
°C). It is recommended to put the air flow in the position
. For heating and
climatic put the blower switch ⇒page 100, fig. 119 if necessary ⇒page 104,
fig. 122 in the position 2.
•On vehicles with DPF (die sel particle filter) the warm coolant heats up the
engine.
AA
AB
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 115 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Starting-off and Driving
118
Starting the 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 handbrake 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 ma y louder 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 no rmal and is not an operating problem.
If the engine does not start ...
You can use the battery of anothe r vehicle as a jump-start aid ⇒page 238.
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 242.
WARNING
•Never run the engine in non ventilat ed 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 uncon-
sciousness 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 oper ating temperature - risk of damaging the
engine!
•Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaust gas catalytic conver ter 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.
Petrol engines
These engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel/air
mixture for every external air temperature.
•Do not operate accelerator befo re and when starting engine.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start
right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the electrical fuel pump is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary ⇒page 243.
•Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
It may be necessary, if the engine is very hot, to slightly depress the accelerator
after the engine has started.
Diesel engines
Glow plug system
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period being
controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and outside temper-
ature.
The preglow indicator light
comes on after the igniti on has been switched on.
A3
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 118 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Starting-off and Driving119
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating
period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
•You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning light
has gone out.
•The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is
at a normal operating temperature or if th e outside temperature is above +5°C. This
means that you can start the engine right away.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start
right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the diesel preglow system is defect if the engine
still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary ⇒page 243.
•Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
Starting the engine after the fuel tank has run dry
It may take longer than normal to start the engine after refuelling if the fuel tank has
run completely dry - up to one minute. This is because the fuel system must first of
all be filled while the attempting to start the engine.
Switching off the engine
– The engine can be switched off by turning the ignition key from posi- tion ⇒page 117, fig. 132 into position .
WARNING
•Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary - risk of acci-
dent!
•The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater
physical effort for braking is required when engine is switched off. Because
if you do not stop as normal, this can cause an accident and severe injuries.
Caution
you should not switch the engine off right away at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated for a lengthy peri od at high loads but should be allowed
it to run at idling speed for about 2 minutes. This prevents any accumulation of heat
when the engine is switched off.
Note
•The radiator fan may continue running fo r a further 10 minutes or so after the
engine and the ignition have been switched off. The coolant fan may, however, also
switch on again after some time if the coolant temperature rises because of an
accumulation of heat in the engine or if the engine is warm and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by strong sunlight.
•This is why particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment ⇒page 210, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Shifting (manual gearbox)
Shift into reverse only when the car is stationary. Depress the clutch pedal and hold
it fully depressed. Wait a moment before engaging reverse gear in order to avoid
any shift noises.
A1
Fig. 133 The shift
pattern: 5-speed or 6-
speed manual gearbox
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 119 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Automatic gearbox127
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•When the engine is running and the vehicle is stationary, it is necessary
to hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever
(except P and N) since the power transmission is never completely inter-
rupted, also not when the engine is idling - the vehicle "creeps".
Selector lever positions
The selector lever position you have engaged is shown in the information display
of the instrument cluster with the co rresponding gear symbol highlighted ⇒
fig. 140 . In the positions D and S the gear you have already engaged will be addi-
tionally displayed on the display.
P - Parklock
The driven wheels are locked me chanically in this position.
The Parklock must only be engage d when the vehicle is stationary ⇒.
If you wish to move the select or lever into or out of this position, you must press the
Shiftlock button in the handle of the select or lever and at the same time depress the
brake pedal.
If the battery is used, the selector le ver cannot be moved out of the position P
⇒ page 130.
R - Reverse
Reverse gear must only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary and the engine
idling ⇒ .
The brake pedal must be depressed and at the same time the Shiftlock must be
pressed, if you wish to obtain the selector lever positions R, P or N.
When the ignition is switched on and the selector lever is in position R, the reverse
lights will come on.
N - Neutral
The transmission is in Neutral in this position.
The brake pedal must be depressed (if the le ver is in its position for longer than 2
seconds) in order to move the selector lever out of the position N into the position
D , with the ignition switched on, on a vehicle travelling at less than 5 km/hour or on
a stationary vehicle.
The brake pedal must be depressed (if the le ver is in its position for longer than 2
seconds) in order to move the selector lever out of the position N into the position
R , with the ignition switched on, on a vehicl e travelling at less than 5 km/hour or on
a stationary vehicle.
D - Drive, position for driving forward
When the selector lever is in this position, the forward gears are shifted up and
down automatically in line with engine load, vehicle speed and the dynamic shift
programme.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 139 Selector lever
Fig. 140 Information
display: Selector lever
positions
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 127 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Automatic gearbox
130
Shifting up gears
– One-touch forward of the selector lever (in the Tiptronic position)
⇒ page 129, fig. 141 .
Shifting down gears
– One-touch back of the selector lever (in the Tiptronic position) .
It is possible to switch over to manual both when the car is stationary and also when
driving.
When you accelerate, the gearbox shifts up automatically in gears 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
into the next higher gear just before the maximum permissible engine speed is
reached.
If you select a lower gear, the automatic gearbox does not shift down until there is
no risk of the engine overrevving. (Does not apply for the shifting from 2nd to 1st
gear.)
If you operate the kickdown function, the ge arbox shifts into a lower gear in line
with the vehicle speed and engine speed.
Emergency programme
An emergency programme exists in the event of a fault in the system.
The gearbox operates in a corresponding emergency programme if there are func-
tional faults in the gearbox electronics. This is indicated by all of the segments in the
display lighting up or going out.
It is possible to continue to move the se lector lever into all the positions. In the
positions D and S the gearbox remains engaged in the 3rd gear. It is also possible to
continue to engage reverse gear in the position R.
The manual shift programme (Tiptronic) is switched off in the emergency mode.
If the gearbox has switched over to emergency mode, drive to the nearest
specialist garage in order to have the fault rectified.
Selector lever-emergency unlocking
In case of interruption of the power supply (e.g. flat vehicle battery, defec-
tive fuse) or defect of the selector lever lock, the selector lever can no
longer be shifted from the position P in the normal way and the vehicle
can no longer be moved. The selector lever must be unlocked in case of
emergency.
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Open the stowage compartment in fr ont centre console* or the front
ashtray.
– Carefully pull up the front left and right cover.
– Pull up rear cover.
– Press with a narrow object (e.g. ignition key) the yellow plastic hoop -arrow- to the left.
– Simultaneously press the shiftlock bu tton in the handle of the selector
lever in the position N
7).
A+
A-
7)If the selector lever is moved again into the position P, it is once again blocked.
Fig. 143 Selector lever-
emergency unlocking
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 130 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM