2007 SKODA OCTAVIA brake pads

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights29
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
STOP Check coolant! Owner's manual (STOP! Check coolant! Owner's
manual)
WARNING
•If you must stop for technical reasons, then park the vehicle at a safe
distance from the traffic and switch off the engine and switch on the hazard
warning light system ⇒page 55.
•Take care when opening the coolant expa nsion bottle. If the engine is hot,
the cooling system is pressurized - risk of scalding! It is best to allow the
engine to cool down before removing the cap.
•Do not touch the coolant fan The coolant fan may switch on automati-
cally even if the ignition is off.
Thickness of the brake pads* 
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds 3) when the ignition is switched
on.
If the warning light
 comes on, contact a specialist garage immediately and have
the brake pads on all of the wheels inspected.
A peep sounds as an addi tional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*: Check brake pads!
Windshield washer fluid level*
The warning light  comes on when the ignition is switched on if there is insuffi-
cient fluid in the windshield wash er system. Top up with liquid ⇒page 221.
A peep sounds as an addi tional warning signal. The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
To p u p w a s h f l u i d !
Fuel reserve 
The warning light  comes on, if the fuel level is still below 8 litres.
A peep sounds as an ad ditional warning signal.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*: Please refuel! (Please refuel!)
Note
The Text in the information display* goes out only after refuelling and driving a
short distance.
Engine oil pressure 
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds 4) when the ignition is switched
on.
Stop the vehicle and switch the engine off if the warning light does not go off
after the engine has started or flashes while driving. Check the oil level and top up
with oil as necessary ⇒page 213.
3 peeps sound as an additional warning signal.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prev ailing to top up with oil. Keep the engine switched off and obtain
professional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe
engine damage.
Do not drive any further if the warning light flashes even if the oil is at the correct
level. Do not run the engine not at idling speed either. Contact the nearest specialist
garage to obtain professional assistance.
3)The warning light  on vehicles fitted with information display does not come on after
switching the ignition on, but only if a fault exists.4)The warning light  on vehicles fitted with information display does not come on after
switching the ignition on, but only if a fault exists or the engine oil level is too low.
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Starting-off and Driving
120
The reversing lights will come on once reverse gear is engaged, provided the igni-
tion is on.
WARNING
Never engage the reverse gear when driving - risk of accident!
Note
•One should not lay the hand on the shift lever while driving the vehicle. The
pressure of the hand will be transferred to the gearshift forks in the gearbox. This
can, over a period of time, lead to early wear of the gearshift forks.
•Depress the clutch pedal fully when chan ging gears, in order to avoid unneces-
sary wear and damage.
Handbrake
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up fully. Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly
and at the same time press in the
locking button ⇒fig. 134 .
– Hold the button pressed and push the handbrake lever down fully ⇒ .
The handbrake warning light  lights up when the handbrake is applied, provided
the ignition is on.
A warning signal sounds and the following text appears in the display* if you have
inadvertently driven off with the handbrake applied:
Handbrake on
The handbrake warning is activated if you drive at a speed of more than 6 km/h for
more than 3 seconds.
WARNING
•Please note that the handbrake must be fully released. A handbrake
which is only partially released can re sult in the rear brakes overheating
which will have a negative effect on the operation of the brake system - risk
of accident! In addition this can result in premature wear of the rear brake
pads.
•Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. The children might, for
example, release the handbrake or take the vehicle out of gear. The vehicle
might then move off - risk of accident!
Caution
After the car has come to a stop, always firs t of all apply the handbrake firmly before
then additionally engaging a gear (manual gearbox) or moving the selector lever
into position P (automatic gearbox).
Fig. 134 Centre console:
Handbrake
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 120 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Intelligent Technology
184
WARNING
Even with this additional function the vehicle cannot be steered automati-
cally! The driver is furthermore fully reponsible for the steering of the
vehicle!
Brakes
What has a negative effect on braking efficiency?
Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pads is greatly dependent on the operating conditions
of the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns
and over short distances or if you adopt a sporty style of driving, it may be neces-
sary to have the thickness of the brake pads inspected at a specialist garage
between the service inspections.
Wet roads or road salt
There may be a certain delay before the brakes take full effect under certain condi-
tions such as when driving through water, during heavy rain showers or after the
vehicle has been washed in an automatic vehicle wash, since the brake discs and
brake pads may be moist or even have a coating of ice on them in winter. You
should dry the brakes as soon as possib le (by applying and releasing the brakes
several times, if the road conditions and the traffic situation allows it).
There also may be a certain delay before the full braking efficiency is available when
driving on roads which have been treated wi th road salt if you have not used the
brakes for some considerable time beforeha nd. The layer of salt on the brake discs
and brake pads must first be rubb ed off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on th e bake pads occur if the vehicle has been
parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firmly applying the brakes at a fairly
high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corro-
sion is present ⇒. Faults in the brake surface
If you notice that the braking distance
has suddenly become longer and that the
brake pedal can be depressed further, it is possible that a brake circuit of the dual-
circuit brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist garage
without delay in order to have the problem rectified. Drive at a reduced speed while
on your way to the dealer and adapt your style of driving to the higher brake pedal
pressure required.
Low brake fluid level
An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake system. The
level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically ⇒page 32, “Brake system ”.
WARNING
•Only apply the brakes for the purpos e of drying and cleaning the brake
discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place any other road users
in jeopardy.
•When retrospectively mounting a front spoiler, solid wheel hubs etc. one
must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel brakes is not reduced
otherwise the braking sy stem could run too hot.
•Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking
efficiency until approximately 200 kilo metres. New brake pads must be first
“run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however,
compensate for this slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pres-
sure on the brake pedal. This guidelin e also applies to any new brake pads
installed at a future date.
Caution
•Never allow the brakes to ru b by applying slight pressure if you do not wish to
brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also result in a longer
braking distance and excessive wear.
•Before negotiating a steep downhill sect ion, please reduce your speed, shift
down into the next lower gear (manual ge arbox) or select a lower driving stage
(automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use of the braking power of the
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 184 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Driving and the Environment189
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Driving and the Environment
The first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwards
A new engine
The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres.
Up to 1 000 kilometres
– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the mamimum speed of the gear in use,
that is 3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.
From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres
– Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full
speed of the gear engaged, that is up to the maximum permissible
engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine has higher internal friction than later
until all of the moving parts have harmonized. The driving style which you adopt
during the first approx.1 500 kilometres plays a decisive part in the success of
running in your car.
You should not drive at unnecessarily high engine revolutions even after the
running-in period is complete. The maximum permissib le engine speed is marked
by the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up
into the next higher gear on a vehicle fitted with manual gearbox before the red
zone is reached. Extremely high engine revolutions are automatically governed, by
the way.
For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox the converse situation also applies: Do
not drive at engine revolutions which are too low. Shift down as soon as the engine
is no longer running smoothly.
Caution
All the speed and engine revolution figure s apply only when the engine is at its
normal operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when
the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.
For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear as
early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise levels
and protects the environment.
New tyres
New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. You should
take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly carefully.
New brake pads
Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking efficiency
until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first “run in” before
they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compensate for this
slightly reduced braking force by increa sing the pressure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future date.
During the running-in period , you should avoid excessive stresses on the brakes.
This includes, for example, violent braking, particularly from very high speeds, and
also when crossing mountain passes.
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 189 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

Inspecting and Replenishing217
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Brake fluid
Inspecting the brake fluid level
The brake fluid reservoir is located on the left of the engine compartment.
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 compartment” on
page 210.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir ⇒fig. 200 . The level must
be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-tear
and automatic adjustment of the br ake 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 situ-
ation where the brake fluid level is too low is indicated by the warning light

lighting up in the instrument cluster ⇒page 32. In this case stop the car immedi-
ately and do not drive any further! Co ntact a Škoda Dealer to obtain profes-
sional assistance.
WARNING
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 210, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
•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.
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. Th e 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 a.s. The specification
for the brake fluid is “FMVSS 116 DOT 4”.
We recommend that you have the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda Service Partner
as part of an Inspection Service.
WARNING
•Using old brake fluid can result in seve re stress on the brakes because of
the formation of vapour bubbles in th e brake system. This greatly impairs
the braking efficiency and thus al so the safety of your vehicle.
•Brake fluid is toxic! It must therefor e be kept safely in closed original
containers and well away from children and unauthorized persons.
Caution
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
Fig. 200 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
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Index279
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67, 155 electrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Recirculated air mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Head airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Alternator Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Antilock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Antilock brake system (ABS) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Automatic driving lamp control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Emergency programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130, 136
Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Selector lever-emergency unlocking . . . . . . . 130
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Automatic gearbox DSG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Selector lever-emergency unlocking . . . . . . . 137
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Automatic seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 218 change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Belt
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Bluetooth™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Brake Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Buttons for the central locking system . . . . . . . . . . 39
Buttons on the driver's door Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232, 237
Car state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
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Index
284
The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Thickness of brake pads
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 automatic gearbox DSG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Top Tether . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Towing protection monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
towing vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Tow-starting and towing vehicle Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131, 137
Traction Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Traction control system (TCS) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Two-way radio systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Tyre inflation pressure Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Tyres Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227U
Underbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Uphill-Start off-Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
V
Vanity mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Ventilation Auxiliary ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
W
Warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Warning symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Warning triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 with a high-pressure cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Washing vehicle by hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Wax treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Wheel Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Wheel trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223, 235
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Windows
de-icing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Windscreen washer nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Windscreen washer system Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Windscreen Wiper and Washer System Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Windshield washer fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Windshield wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Wiper blades Replacing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
X
Xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
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