Fuel181
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Fuel
Petrol
Grades of petrol
There are various grades of petrol. Please read ⇒page 227 in order to know which
grade of petrol your vehicle requires. You will also find the same information affixed
to the inside of the fuel filler flap of your vehicle ⇒page 182, fig. 170 .
A distinction is made between unleaded an d leaded petrol. All Škoda vehicles with
petrol engines are equipped with a catalyti c converter and must therefore be only
driven with unleaded petrol . Unleaded petrol complies with the standard
DINEN228 .
The individual grades of petr ol are distinguished by their octane number (RON).
Please adopt the following procedure if th e grade of petrol which you normally use
is not be available in exceptional circumstances:
•Engines which need unleaded premium petrol 95 RON can also be run on
unleaded regular petrol 91 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss in
performance.
•Engines which need unleaded premium plus petrol 98 RON can also be run
on unleaded regular petrol 95 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss in
performance. You can in exceptional circumstances also use unleaded regular
petrol of 91 RON in the event that neithe r unleaded premium petrol of 98 RON nor
95 RON is available. Refuel as soon as possible with unleaded premium plus of 98
RON or unleaded premium petrol of 95 RON.
If, in an emergency, the only fuel availa ble is one which has a lower octane number
than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine speeds and
lower engine loadings.
You can make unlimited use of fuel which has a higher octane number than that
required by the engine. There will, howeve r, be no advantages gained by this in
terms of engine performa nce and fuel consumption! The handling, performance and life of your engine are determined to a significant
extent by the quality of the fuel. Do not use any petrol additives.
Use a fuel
complying with the standard.
You can find further information on refuelling ⇒page 182, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.
•Operating the engine with petrol of a low octane number can result in engine
damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.
Diesel
Type of diesel
Your vehicle can be operated with diesel fuel, which complies with the standard
DIN EN 590 .
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar
products) in diesel fuel.
If the quality of the diesel fuel is poor, it is then necessary to drain the fuel filter
more often than stated in the Service schedule.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒page 182, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Use a fuel complying with the standard. Filling the tank even only once, which
does not comply with the standard, can result in damage to the fuel system.
•Water which has collected in the fuel filter can result in engine problems.
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Fuel183
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WARNING
Pay attention to any legal requirements if you do carry a spare canister in the
vehicle. We do not recommend carrying any fuel canisters in your vehicle for
safety reasons. The canister can be da maged in the event of an accident and
fuel may leak out.
Caution
•Remove any fuel which has spilled onto the paintwork of your vehicle immedi-
ately - risk of paint damage!
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter sh ould never be allowed to let the fuel
tank to run completely empty. An irregular supply of fuel to the engine can result in
misfiring and unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system, which may result in
overheating and damage to the catalytic converter.
•Make sure that the valve is not pressed into the filler tube when inserting the
pump nozzle into the filler tube. Otherwis e you are unintentionally filling up the
volume, which in case of heat can cause an expansion of the fuel. This can lead to
an overflow of fuel or damage to parts of the fuel reservoir.
•T h e f u e l t a n k i s f u l l j u s t a s s o o n a s t h e pump nozzle switches off for the first time,
provided the nozzle has been operated properly. Do not continue refuelling -
otherwise the expansion volume is filled up.
Emergency release of fuel filler flap
If the electric lock is faulty, you can also unlock the fuel filler flap manually.
– Open the boot lid/luggage compartment door.
– Unscrew the clip attaching the right-hand side trim panel and pull the trim panel off the body.
– Pull on the loop in direction of arro w in order to unlock the fuel filler
flap ⇒fig. 171 .
WARNING
When unlocking the fuel filler flap manually, pay attention to sharp edges of
the body - risk of injury!
B1Z-0042HB1Z-0042H
Fig. 171 Luggage
compartment: Emer-
gency release of fuel filler
flap
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WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi ng! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
•For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed when
driving. One should therefore check that the lock has in fact engaged prop-
erly after closing the bonnet.
•Stop your vehicle immediately while driv ing if you notice that the lock is
not properly engaged and close the bonne t properly - risk of an accident!
Caution
•Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are
correctly in place against the windscreen. Otherwise, there is a risk of damage to the
paintwork.
Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment!
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working in the
engine compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. For
this reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated
below and with the general applicable rules of safety. The engine compart-
ment of your car is a hazardous area ⇒ .
WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi ng! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
•Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
•Apply the handbrake firmly.
•If your vehicle is fitted with a ma nual gearbox, move the gearshift lever
into Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox, move the selector lever
into position P.
•Allow the engine to cool down.
•Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
•Do not touch any hot engine parts - risk of burns!
•Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the
antifreeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!
•Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
•Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
•Never open the cap of the coolant expa nsion bottle as long as the engine
is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
•Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a large cloth
when opening it as protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam
or hot coolant.
•Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine
compartment.
•If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is
not sufficient for this - risk of injury!
•In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the
engine is running there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. the V-
ribbed belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition
system. Please observe in addition the following:
−Never touch the electrical cabl es of the ignition system.
− Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose items of clothing or long hair
from getting into the rotating parts of the engine - Hazard! Therefore
remove any jewellery beforehand, tie up your hair and wear tight fitting
clothing.
WARNING (continued)
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Engine oil specifications for vehicles with fixed service intervals (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 oil. In exceptional cases, you must top up
only once engine oil complying with Sp ecification 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 from the Škoda original accessories
offered by your Škoda dealer.
•For further information - see Service shedule.
Check engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the le vel of oil in the engine.
Checking the oil level
– Park the vehicle on a horizontal surface.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ in “Working in the engine compartment” on
page 185.
– Wait a few minutes and pull out the oil dipstick.
– Wipe off the dipstick with a clean cloth and insert it again fully.
Specification
Petrol enginesVW 501 01
VW 502 00
VW 504 00
Diesel engines
VW 505 00a)
VW 505 01b)
VW 507 00c)
a)Not valid for PD engine (a unit injector engine) and engine with DPF (diesel particle
filter).
b)Not valid for engine with DPF (diesel pa rticle filter). Further information ⇒page 160,
“Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)”.
c)This does not apply for PDi engi nes (a unit injection engine).
Specification
Petrol enginesVW 503 00
VW 504 00
Diesel enginesVW 506 01a)
VW 507 00
a)Not valid for engine with DPF (diesel pa rticle filter). Further information ⇒page 160,
“Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)”.
Fig. 175 Dipstick
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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 14.
WARNING
•Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required profes-
sional knowledge!
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 185, “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 for such work, we recommend that you
have the oil and oil filter change carried 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 consist s 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 su mmer 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.
Vehicles exported to countries with a co ld climate (e.g. Sweden, Norway, Finland)
are already factory-filled with a coolant which offers antifreeze protection down to
about -35°C. In these countries the concentr ation of coolant additive should be at
least 50 %.
Coolant
The cooling system is filled at the works with coolant (purple in colour), which
complies with the specification TL-VW 774 F.
We recommend that you use the antifreeze agent - G12 PLUS (purple in colour).
Please contact your Škoda Se rvice Partner if you have any questions regarding the
coolant or if you wish to fill up with a different coolant.
Your Škoda Service Partner can also suppl y you with the correct coolant additives.
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system with water and as soon as possible arrange adjustment to correct the mixing
ratio of water and coolant additive again by a specialist garage.
Only use fresh coolant for topping up the system.
Do not fill up over the “MAX” marking! Exce
ss coolant which is heated up is forced
out of the cooling system through the pressu re relief valve in the cap of the coolant
compensation bottle.
Wait until the engine has cooled down for a system which has suffered a major loss
of coolant before pouring in coolant. Th is is necessary to avoid engine damage.
WARNING
•The cooling system is pressurized! Do not open the cap of the coolant
expansion bottle if the engine is still hot - risk of scalding!
•The coolant additive and thus all of the coolant is harmful to your health.
Avoid contact with the coolant. Coolant vapours are also harmful to the
health. It is important, therefore, to always safely store any coolant additive
in its original container out of the reach of children - risk of poisoning!
•If any splashes of coolant get into yo ur eyes, rinse out your eyes immedi-
ately with clear water and contact a doctor as soon as possible.
•You should also consult a doctor without delay if you have inadvertently
swallowed coolant.
Caution
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Switch the engine off and obtain
professional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe
engine damage.
For the sake of the environment
Do not re-use coolant if it is necessary to drain the coolant in the system. It should
be collected and disposed of in comp liance with environmental protection
regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan may switch on suddenly.
The radiator fan is driven by an electr ic motor and controlled by a thermostat
according to the coolant temperature.
The radiator fan may conti nue running for up to 10 mi nutes after the engine has
been switched off - even if the ignition is also off. It may also switch on suddenly
after a certain time, if
•the coolant temperature has risen because of an accumulation of heat or
•the warm engine compartmen t is heated up additionally by strong sunlight.
WARNING
You must therefore be aware when working in the engine compartment that
the fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury!
Brake fluid
Inspecting the brake fluid level
You can also see the location of the brake fluid reservoir in the engine
compartment from the general view of the engine compartment
B1Z-0042HB1Z-0042H
Fig. 177 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
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Battery
Working on the battery
Particular care is required when carrying out any work on the
battery!
The battery is located in the engine compartment in the plenum chamber
below a cover.
Taking off cover
– Press the cover in direction of arrow ⇒fig. 178 .
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, acci dents and burns when carrying out any work
on the battery and on the electrical system. For this reason, it is essential to comply
with the warning instructions ⇒ stated below and with the general applicable
rules of safety.
WARNING
•The battery acid is strongly corros ive and must, therefore, be handled
with the greatest of care. Always we ar protective gloves, eye and skin
protection when handling batteries. Corrosive fumes in the air irritate the
air passages and lead to conjunctivitis and inflammation of the air passages in the lungs. Battery acid corrodes de
ntal enamel and creates deep wounds
after contact with the skin which take a long time to heal. Repeated contact
with diluted acids causes skin diseases (inflammations, ulcers, slin cracks).
Acids coming into contact with water are diluted accompanied by significant
development of heat.
•Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery vent openings. Protect the eyes with safety glasses or a shield! There
is the danger of suffering blindness! If any battery electrolyte gets into your
eye, rinse out your eye immediately with clear water for several minutes.
Contact a doctor without delay.
•Splashes of acid on your skin or clothes should be neutralised as soon as
possible using soap suds and then rinsed with plenty of water. Contact a
doctor immediately if you swallow battery electrolyte.
•Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
•Hydrogen is released when you char ge a battery and a highly explosive
gas mixture is produced. An explosion can be caused through sparkling over
during unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is on.
•Bridging of the poles will create a short circuit (e.g. through metal
objects, cables). Possible consequences of a short circuit: Melting of lead
struts, explosion and burning of the battery, jets of acid spurting out.
•It is prohibited to work with a naked flame and light, to smoke or to carry
out any activities which produce sparks. Avoid creating sparks when
working with cables and electrical device s. Strong sparking represents a risk
of injury.
•Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch off the
engine, the ignition as well as all electrical components and disconnect the
negative cable (-) on the battery. If you wish to replace a bulb it is sufficient
to switch off the appropriate light.
•Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic
burns! Replace a frozen battery.
•Never use a battery which is damaged - risk of explosion! Immediately
replace a damaged battery.
B1Z-0042HB1Z-0042H
Fig. 178 Engine
compartment: plenum
chamber - battery cover
WARNING (continued)
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Inspecting the electrolyte level
The battery is practically maintenance-free under normal oper ating conditions.
We do, however, recommend that you have the electrolyte level inspected from
time to time by a specialist garage when outside temperatures are high or when
driving on long trips. You should also check the electrolyte level ⇒page 195 each
time the battery is charged.
The battery acid level will also be chec ked as part of the Inspection Service.
Operation in winter
The battery has to provide greater amounts of electricity during the winter. It also
has only part of the initial power output at low temperatures that it has at normal
temperatures.
A discharged battery may already freez e at temperatures just below 0°C.
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked by a specialist garage
before the start of the winter, and recharged if necessary.
Note
If the vehicle is not going to be driven for a period of some weeks when there is very
severe frost one should remove ⇒page 196 the battery and store it in a place
which is protected from frost. This prevents the battery from freezing up and
thereby being destroyed.
Charging the battery
A properly charged battery is essential for reliably starting the
engine.
–Read the warning notes ⇒ in “Working on the battery” on
page 193 and ⇒.
– Switch the ignition and all electrical components off. – Only for “quick-charging”: Disconnect
both battery cables (first of all
“negative”, then “positive”).
– Carefully attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals (red = “positive”, black = “negative”).
– You can now plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket
and switch on the charger.
– When charging is completed: switch the charger off and unplug the mains cable from the power socket.
– Only then should you disconnect the terminal clamps of the charger.
– Reconnect the cables to the battery (first of all “positive”, then “nega- tive”).
It is not normally necessary to disconnect the cables of the battery if you recharge
the battery using low amperages (as for example from a mini-charger). Please also
refer to the instructions from the charger manufacturer.
A charging current of 0.1 of the total battery capacity (or lower) is that which should
be used until full charging is achieved.
It is, however, necess ary to disconnect both cables be fore charging the battery with
high amperages, so-called “ quick-charging”.
“Quick-charging” a battery is dangerous ⇒ in “Working on the battery” on
page 193. It requires a special charger an d appropriate knowledge. We therefore
recommend that you have your battery qu ick-charged only by your specialist
garage.
A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0°C. ⇒. We
recommend that you no longer use a ba ttery which has thawed out because the
casing of the battery may be cracked through the formation of ice and this would
allow battery electrolyte to flow out.
The vent plugs of the battery should not be opened for charging.
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