2007 SKODA OCTAVIA TOUR winter tyres

118DRIVING TIPS
Driving economically while protecting the environmentVarious factors determine fuel consump-
tion, the impact on the environment and
wear-and-tear of the engine, brakes and
tyres.
Your personal style of driving
determines to a great extent the economi-
cal aspect and the development of exhaust
and noise:
Do not warm up engine when the vehicle is stationary.
At idling speed it takes a very long time until
the engine becomes operationally warm.
However, in the warm-up phase, wear and
the discharge of pollutants is particularly
high. For this reason, drive off immediately
the engine has started and avoid high en-
gine speeds.
The cold engine consumes approx. 15 - 20
litres/100 km of fuel immediately after start-
ing. Fuel consumption drops to 10 litres/100
km after just 1 kilometre. The engine
reaches its operating temperature (outside
temperature and engine dependent) only
after about 4 to 10 kilometres and the fuel
consumption then stabilizes. You should
therefore avoid driving short distances
whenever possible.
Avoid full throttle acceleration.
Accelerating with feeling not only consid-
erably improves fuel economy but also re-
duces the impact on the environment and
wear-and-tear.
Do not drive at unnecessarily highengine revs - change up as soon as
possible and only change down when the engine no longer runs smoothly.
Fuel consumption, for example, is more
than twice as high in 2nd gear than it is in
top gear. At the same time, the lower en-
gine speed means a reduction in engine
noise.
Try not to drive at maximum speed.
Fuel consumption, exhaust pollution and
noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you make use of approximately
only 3-quarters of top speed, your fuel con-
sumption will be reduced by about half.
Experience has shown that the loss in time
is only marginal.
Drive as smoothly as possible andlook well ahead.
Unnecessary acceleration and braking has
to be paid for with higher fuel consumption
and a greater impact on the environment.
Switch off the engine when stand-
ing in traffic (traffic lights, railway
crosses etc.).
Individual operating conditions
naturally also affect fuel consumption.
The following factors, for instance, are not
favourable to good fuel consumption:

High traffic density, particularly in large
towns with numerous traffic lights.

Frequent stop/start driving, always re-
starting and warming up the engine.

Driving in heavy, slow moving traffic in
low gear so that the engine speed is rela-
tively high in relation to the speed driven.
Obviously, fuel consumption is also affected
by factors over which the driver has no con-
trol. It is, for example, normal for fuel con-
sumption to increase in the winter or in
severe conditions such as poor roads, tow-
ing a trailer etc.

124DRIVING TIPSWarning
Your style of driving should always
be matched to the condition of the
road and the traffic situation. The
enhanced safety offered by the four-
wheel drive and ABS systems must
not tempt you to take any risks re-
garding your safety!
The braking power of the car is lim-
ited by the adhesion of the tyres and
is no different than that of a car with
front-wheel drive.
You should therefore not be tempted
to drive at too high a speed even
though the car still provides good
acceleration on smooth and slippery
road surfaces.It is particularly important to note on
wet road surfaces that the front wheels
may aquaplane at high speeds. In con-
trast to a vehicle fitted only with front-
wheel drive, the start of aquaplaning
is not indicated by the engine sud-
denly revving up. For this reason, do
not drive at too high a speed, but al-
ways match your speed to the road
conditions.
Use of winter tyresFour-wheel drive already offers good vehi-
cle traction in wintry road conditions with
the standard tyres. It is nevertheless rec-
ommended to fit winter or all-weather tyres
to all four wheels in order to improve trac-
tion and braking. For further information -
refer to page 157.Use of snow chainsSnow chains must also be fitted to a vehi-
cle with four-wheel drive if the use of snow
chains is mandatory. Snow chains must
only be fitted to the front wheels. For fur-
ther information regarding snow chains -
refer to page 157. The car is intended mainly for the transpor-
tation of persons and luggage, but it can
also be used to tow a trailer if the appropri-
ate technical equipment is fitted.
Detachable ball head*

Refer to the enclosed instructions for
attaching and detaching the ball head.
For further information - refer to p. 157.Towing a trailer

131
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
Notes

The car should not be standing in bright
sunshine when it is washed.

If a hose is used to spray down the car,
do not aim the jet of water directly at the
door locks and body panel gaps - otherwise
they may freeze up in winter.Washing the car with high-pressure
cleaners
It is essential to follow the instructions
for using high-pressure cleaners - particu-
larly as regards the pressure and spraying
distance.

Do not use round spray nozzles or so-
called „dirt shifters“!

The temperature of the water should not
be more than 60 °C.
WarningTyres must never be cleaned with
round jet nozzles. Damage may occur
even if only sprayed for a short time
or from a relatively large distance.WaxingGood wax treatment protects the paintwork
of your car from the environmental influ-
ences listed on the previous page under
„Washing the car“ and also from slight me-
chanical damage. The vehicle must be treated with a high-
quality hard wax polish at the latest, when
no more drops form on the clean paintwork.
Do not apply a new film of wax protection
until the body surface is dry. Even if a wax
preserver is used regularly, it is recom-
mended to protect the paintwork at least
twice a year with hard wax.
Warning
Never treat the windscreen or win-
dows with wax.
PolishingPolishing is only necessary if the paintwork
has become unattractive and it is no longer
possible to achieve a gloss with a wax pre-
server. If the polish used does not contain
any preserving elements, the paintwork
should then be treated with wax preserver.
Note
Mat painted parts and plastic parts must
not be treated with polish or hard wax.
We recommend using the products from
the Škoda range.
Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicle
in a dusty environment, otherwise the
paintwork can be scratched.
Paint damageMinor paint damage such as scratches,
rubs or stone chips, should be treated im-
mediately with paint (Škoda touch-up pen
or spray can) before rust can form.
This repair work can also of course be car-
ried out by a Škoda Dealer. The colour
code is stated on the car data sticker, see
page 181.WindowsUse only a plastic scraper to remove snow
and ice from windows and mirrors. The
scraper should not be moved back and for-
ward, but only pushed in one direction in
order to avoid scratches caused by dirt.
Residues of rubber, oil, grease, wax or sili-
cone sealant can be removed with a wind-
screen cleaner or special silicone remover.
The windows should also be cleaned at
regular intervals from the inside.
Do not use the same chamois leather for
drying the windows and for the paintwork
because residues of wax preservers will
cause smears on the surface of the win-
dows.
Never remove snow or ice from the win-
dows with warm or hot water - risk of
formation of cracks in the glass!

156GENERAL MAINTENANCE
Knowledge of the tyre inscription and
its meaning makes it easier to choose the
right tyres. Radial tyres have the following
inscription on the tyre wall:
e.g. 175 / 80 R 14 88 T
175 = Tyre width in mm
80 = Height/width ratio in %
R = Tyre design code for Radial
14 = Wheel diameter in inches
88 = Ply rating
T = Speed code
The following speed categories apply to
tyres:
Code letter Q - max. 160 km/h
Code letter R - max. 170 km/h
Code letter S - max. 180 km/h
Code letter T - max. 190 km/h
Code letter H - max. 210 km/h
Code letter V - max. 240 km/h
The tyres may be damaged if you drive
at more than the maximum speed for the
particular tyre.
The date of manufacture is also indicted
on the tyre wall (possibly only on the inside
of the wheel).
DOT 40.04 means that the tyre was manu-
factured in the 40
th calendar week of 2004.
Warning
Tyres which are more than 6 years
old, should only be used in excep-
tional cases and by adopting a cau-
tious style of driving.
If the car is retrofitted with tyres or wheels
other than the factory-fitted type, pay at-
tention to the following points:
Warning

For technical reasons, it is not per-
mitted on any account to use tyres
or wheels on your car which have not
been approved by the manufacturer
for the particular model.


Wheels and wheel bolts are matched
to each other. If different wheels are fit-
ted to the car (e.g. light alloy wheels or
wheels fitted with winter tyres), it is
then necessary to use the matching
wheel bolts of the correct length and
shape of spherical cap. In view of the
fact that the wheels and wheel bolts,
including security bolts, are matched
for all the wheels approved by the
manufacturer (sheet steel, steel and
light alloy wheels), never use wheel
bolts which are not approved by the
manufacturer. These are universal for
all types of approved wheels and are
tightened in the same way as described
in the section DO-IT-YOURSELF.

Using tyres and/or wheels which
have not been approved by the ma-
nufacturer for your model of car can
be detrimental to the safety of the
vehicle. It may also affect official ap-
proval for use of the vehicle on pub-
lic roads!

157
GENERAL MAINTENANCE

If wheel trims are subsequently fit-
ted, it is essential to ensure that the
air flow remains adequate for cool-
ing the brakes.
Škoda Dealers are informed of the techni-
cal possibilities for converting and retrofit-
ting tyres, wheels and wheel trims.Winter tyres
1)
Warning
In winter conditions, winter tyres will
significantly improve the handling of
your car.

Only radial-type winter tyres may be fit-
ted.1)Pay attention to any varying legal requirements
when using winter tyres.
Snow chains
2)
It is possible to fit snow chains to all the
tyre sizes listed (with the exception of tyre
sizes 205/60 R15 and 205/55 R16).
5.5J x 16 ET 36 wheels (Genuine Access-
ories) when used in combination with 205/
55 R16 tyres enable snow chains to be fit-
ted to the Octavia RS including other vehi-
cle models Octavia and Octavia Estate.
The chains must only be fitted to the
front wheels.
Use only fine-link chains which do not ex-
ceed more than 15 mm (including chain
lock).
We recommend purchasing the snow chains
as Genuine Accessories from a Škoda Dea-
ler.
The full wheel trim should be removed when
driving with snow chains.
Snow chains should be taken off when driv-
ing on roads free of snow as they other-
wise impair the handling of the car, dam-
age the tyre and are quickly destroyed.2)Please observe any varying legal requirements
in respect of the approved vehicle speed when
driving with snow chains.

To achieve the best possible handling
and grip, fit winter tyres to all four wheels
(same manufacturer, tyre size, tread pat-
tern).

Winter tyres largely lose their good grip
properties in winter if the tyre tread has
worn down to a depth of 4 mm. The follow-
ing speed restrictions apply to winter tyres.

You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed
category provided that you also do not drive
at a speed in excess of the maximum speed
for these tyres even if your car is able to be
driven at a higher actual maximum speed.
The tyres may be damaged if you drive at
a speed beyond the maximum speed rat-
ing of the tyres.

All-weather tyres may be used in winter
in place of winter tyres.

In the event of a puncture, refer to the
information for using the spare wheel on
page 156.
Summer tyres should also be fitted again in good time as an environ-
mental protection measure as the roll-
ing noises are normally less, tyre wearis reduced and fuel consumption is im-proved.
Further information is available from Škoda
Dealers.