2008 SKODA OCTAVIA light

Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle215
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Wheels
Steel wheels
You should also thoroughly wash the wheels and wheel trims when giving your
vehicle its regular wash. This prevents any brake dust, dirt and road salt from
sticking to the wheel hubs. You can remove stubborn brake abrasion adhering to
t h e w h e e l s w i t h a n i n d u s tr i a l c l e a n e r. To u c h u p a n y d a m a g e to t h e p a i n tw o r k o n th e
wheels before rust is able to form.
Light alloy wheels
Regular care of light alloy wheels is necessary in order to retain their decorative
appearance over long periods. It is part icularly important to remove regularly any
road salt and brake abrasion from light alloy wheels, otherwise the light metal will
suffer. Wash thoroughly and then treat the wheels with a protective product for light
alloy wheels which does not contain an y acidic components. We recommend to
apply a hard wax layer onto the wheel hub s every three months. You must not use
any products which cause abrasion when treating the wheel hubs. Any damage to
the paint layer on the wheel hubs must be touched up immediately.
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer.
WARNING
One should remember when cleaning th e wheels that moisture, ice and road
salt may adversely affect braking ef ficiency - risk of an accident!
Note
Severe layers of dirt on the wheels can also result in wheel imbalance. This may
show itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the steering
wheel which, in certain circumstances, ca n cause premature wear of the steering.
This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
Underbody protection
The underside of your vehicl e is protected for life against chemical and mechanical
influences.
One cannot, however, completely rule out damage to the protective layer when
driving so we recommend that you inspect the protective layer on the underside of
your vehicle and on the chassis at certain in tervals - this is best done at the begin-
ning and end of the winter - and to touch up any damaged areas.
Škoda Service Partners have suitable spray products available as well as the neces-
sary equipment and are familiar with the instructions for use. It is therefore best to
have such touch-up work or additional corrosion protection measures carried out
by a Škoda Service Partner.
WARNING
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents
for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converte rs, diesel particle filter or heat
shields. When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these
substances might ignite - risk of fire!
Protection of hollow spaces
All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protected for life
by a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not require to be inspected or re-treated. Please remove
any small amount of wax which flows out of the cavities at high temperatures with
a plastic scraper and clean the spot using petroleum cleaner.
WARNING
Safety and environmental protection regulations should observed when
using petroleum cleaner to re move wax - a risk of fire!
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
216
Engine compartment
Good corrosion protection is very importan t, particularly in winter when one often
drives over its salt-strewn roads. One should therefore clean the whole engine
compartment before and after the salt spre ading period and treat with preservative
in order to prevent the salt from being destructive.
Škoda Service Partners have the cleaning agents and preservatives recommended
by the manufacturer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter before
working on the engine compartment ⇒page 225, “Working in the engine
compartment”.
•Let the engine cool down before cleaning the engine compartment.
Caution
•Engine cleaning may be only be und ertaken when the ignition is off.
•It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine compart-
ment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by washing the engine has washed away petrol, and resi-
dues of grease and oil and should therefor e be cleaned by an oil separator. This is
why engine washing should only be undertake n in a specialist garage or at a fueling
station (when these are fitted with the required equipment).
Care of the interior of vehicle
Plastic parts, artificial leather and cloths
You can clean plastic parts and artificial le ather with a moist cloth. You should only
treat such parts with special solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products it
does prove to be adequate.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the doors, luggage compartment cover, head-
liner etc. are best treated with special cleaning products, using if necessary a dry
foam and a soft sponge or brush.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered
by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.
Fabric covers of electrically heated seats
Do not clean the seat covers moist as this may result in damage to the seat heating
system.
Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam.
Natural leather
Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.
Leather should be treated from time to time according the following
guidelines depending on how much it is used.
Normal cleaning
– Clean soiled areas of the leather with slightly moistened cotton or
woollen cloth.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle217
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Severe soiling
– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solu-
tion (2 spoonfuls of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
– Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point and that no water gets into the stitching of the seams.
– Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
Removing stains
– Remove fresh stains which are water-based (e.g. coffee, tea, juices,
blood etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household paper or use the
cleaner from the care set for a stain which has already dried in.
– Remove fresh stains on a fat base (e.g. butter, mayonnaise, chocolate
etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household cleaning paper or with the
cleaner from the care set if the stain has not yet penetrated into the
surface.
– Use a grease dissolver for grease stains which have dried in .
–Eliminate special stains (e.g. ball-point pens, felt pen, nail varnish,
dispersion paint, shoe cream etc.) with a special stain remover suit-
able for leather.
Leather care
– Treat the leather every six months with the leather care product avail- able from Škoda Service Partners.
– Apply only a small amount of the care product.
– Dry the leather off with a soft cloth
It is best to consult your Škoda Service Partner if you have any questions regarding
cleaning and care of the leather interior.
Caution
•You must on no account treat the leathe r with solvents (e.g. gasoline, turpen-
tine), floor wax, shoe cream or such like.
•Avoid leaving your vehicle for lengthy periods in bright sunlight in order to
avoid bleaching the leather. If you leave yo ur vehicle parked in the open for lengthy
periods, protect the leather from the direct rays of the sun by covering it over.
•Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-
edged belts may leave permanent scratches or signs of rubbing on the surface.
Note
•Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect regularly and each
time after cleaning the leather. The cream no urishes the leather, allows it to breathe
and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also creates surface protection.
•Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove fresh soiling each time this
occurs.
•Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
cream etc., as quickly as possible.
•Care also for the leather dye. Refreshen areas which have lost their colour with
a special coloured leather cream as required.
•The leather is a natural material with specific properties. During the use of the
vehicle, minor optical change s can occur on the leather parts of the covers (e. g
wrinkles or creases as a result of the stress of the covers).
Seat belts
– Keep the seat belts clean!
– Wash seat belts which have become soiled using a mild soapy solu-
tion.
– Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition.
Belt webbing which has become severely so iled may prevent the inertia reel from
reeling up the belt properly.
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Fuel219
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Fuel
Petrol
Grades of petrol
There are various grades of petrol. Please read ⇒ page 269, “Technical Data” 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 222, fig. 207 .
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 the 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.
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 222, “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.
Biofuel Ethanol E85*
Ethanol E85*
Only valid for vehicles with 1.6/75 kW MultiFuel engine.
Biofuel Ethanol E85 consists of 85% bi oethanol and 15% unleaded petrol
complying with the standard (DIN) EN 228.
Biofuel Ethanol E85 in accordance with th e standard (DIN) EN 228 can be mixed in
any desired ratio with unleaded petrol, see Owner's Manual.
Drive the vehicle for at least 5 minutes without interruption, if biofuel Ethanol E85
has been refuelled, so that the engine co ntrol unit can determine the share of the
biofuel in the fuel. During this period do not drive at top speed of your vehicle or
high engine speeds and not at full throttle . During this process decrease the idling
speed.
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.
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Fuel
220
Caution
•Even inadvertently filling the fuel tank with another biofuel such as Ethanol°E85
can result in damage to the fuel system.
•If you park the car for a lengthy period, fill with petrol complying with (DIN)
EN°228, because Ethanol E85 can contain lo w quantities of impurities, which can
lead to corrosion.
For the sake of the environment
If you use Ethanol E85, the CO2 emission of your vehicl e is lowered up to 5%.
Note
•When operating with Ethanol E85, the fuel consumption increases by approx
33%, as a lower quantity of energy is contained in the bioethanol than in unleaded
petrol.
•Biofuel Ethanol E85 contains only a low quantity of additives in contrast to
unleaded petrol. Therefore we recommend to fill up the tank with unleaded petrol
complying with EN 228 every 15 000 km (e.g. before the oil change) and run it
empty, so that the engine remains clean. Make sure not to use the whole content of
the tank ⇒page 222, “Refuelling”.
•The interval of 15 000 km applies for the oil change.
Operation in winter
If you use biofuel Ethanol E85 at very low temperatures, it is necessary to preheat
the engine before an engine start.
The power socket for the engine preheating is located in the front bumper next to
the fog light ⇒fig. 205 .
If an engine preheating is not possible at outside temperatures lower than -10 °C,
the share of unleaded petrol complying with EN 228 must be as high as possible.
Thus the cold start property of the engine is clearly improved.
If there is biofuel Etha nol E85 in the tank and the engine is not preheated, it can lead
at temperatures below -15°C to very poor or no starting of the engine.
For the sake of the environment
The use of engine preheating at temperatures below -10°C has a positive effect on
the fuel consumption and thus on the environment.
The outside temperatureDuration of engine preheating
lower than -10 °Cwe recommend up to 1 hour
lower than -15 °Cat least 1 hour
lower than -25 °Cat least 2 hour
Fig. 205 MultiFuel - power
socket
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Inspecting and replenishing225
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
– Grip with the hand under the radiator grille and lift up the bonnet.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening designed for it ⇒page 224, fig. 210 .
Closing the bonnet
– Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the bonnet support into the hold er designed to hold it.
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 20 cm into the lock - bonnet do not press down on it !
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 bonnet properly - risk of an accident!
Caution
Never open the bonnet using the hand le - danger of causing damage.
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.
•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:
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Inspecting and replenishing227
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Engine oil
Check engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the level 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 225.
– Wait a few minutes and pull out the oil dipstick.
– Wipe off the dipstick with a clea n cloth and insert it again fully.
– Then withdraw the dipstick ag ain and read off the oil level.
Oil level within range
– You must not top up the oil. Oil level within range
–You
may top up the oil. It is possible that the oil level may then be
within range after doing this.
Oil level within range
–You must top up the oil ⇒page 228. It is sufficient, once this is done,
to keep the oil level within range .
It is normal for the engine to consume oi l. The oil consumption may be as much as
0.5 ltr./1 000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which
you operate your vehicle. The oil consumpt ion may be slightly higher than this
during the first 5 000 kilometres.
One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every time
after the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches.
We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range - but not above this,
if the engine has been operating at hi gh loads, for example during a lengthy
motorway trip during the summer months, towing a trailer or negotiating a high
mountain pass.
The warning light in the instrument cluster* will indicate ⇒page 36, “Engine oil
pressure ” whether the oil level is too low. In this case, check the oil level as soon
as possible. Top up with an appropriate quantity of oil.
Caution
•The oil level must on no account ex tend beyond the range . Danger of
damaging the catalytic converter.
•Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prev ailing to top up with oil. Switch of the engine and contact and
obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage.
Note
Engine oil specifications ⇒page 269, “Technical Data”.
Fig. 212 Dipstick
AA
AB
AA
AC
AC
AA
AA
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Inspecting and replenishing229
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
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 concentr
ation of antifreeze agent in the coolant
by adding water, also not during the summ er 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 wh ich 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 factory-filled with co olant (purple in colour), which complies
with the specification TL-VW 774 G.
We recommend that you use the same c oolant additive - G12 PLUS-PLUS (purple
in colour) for toppi ng up the system.
Please contact your Škoda Service 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.
Caution
•Other coolant additives may cause operational problems which, in partic-
ular, involves significantly redu cing the anticorrosion effect.
•Any faults or problems resulting from corrosion may cause a loss of
coolant and, as a consequence of th is, result in major engine damage.
Inspecting the coolant level
The coolant expansion bottle is located in the engine compartment on
the right.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒page 224.
– Check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒fig. 213.
The coolant level when the engine is cold must lie between the
(MIN) and (MAX) markings. The level may also rise slightly above
the (MAX) marking when the engine is warm.
If the coolant level in the reservoir is too low, this is indicated by the warning light
in the instrument cluster ⇒page 37, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant quantity ”.
We nevertheless recommend in specting the coolant level directly at the reservoir
from time to time.
Loss of coolant
A loss of coolant is first and foremost an indication of a leak in the system. You
should not merely top up the coolant in the reservoir. It is also important to have
the cooling system inspected without delay by a specialist garage.
Fig. 213 Engine compart-
ment: Coolant expansion
bottle
Ab
Aa
Aa
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