2008 SKODA OCTAVIA brakes

Intelligent Technology197
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
vehicle and reduces the strain on the brakes
. Any additional braking should be done
intermittently, no t continuously.
Note
The hazard warning light system is switched on automatically in case of an emer-
gency braking at speeds greater than 60 km /h. The hazard warning light system is
switched off automatically after a ccelerating or driving off again.
Brake booster
The brake booster boosts the pressure which you generate with the brake pedal.
The necessary pressure is only gene rated when the engine is running.
WARNING
•Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary.
•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.
Antilock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels locking when braking.
General
The ABS contributes significan tly to enhancing the active safety of your vehicle.
Compared to a car not fitted with the ABS brake system, you are able to retain
optimal steering ability even during a fu ll brake application on a slippery road
surface because the wheels do not lock up.
You must not expect, however, that the br aking distance will be shorter under all
circumstances as a result of the ABS. Th e braking distance for example on gravel
and fresh snow, when you should anyway be driving slowly and cautiously, will be
longer. Operating principle
The brake pressure will be reduced on a wheel which is rotating at a speed which is
too low for the speed of the vehicle and tend
ing to lock. This control cycle is notice-
able from a pulsating movement of the brake pedal which is accompanied by
noises. This is consciously intended to provide the driver with the information that
the wheels are tending to lock (ABS control range). You must always keep the brake
pedal depressed to enable the ABS to optima lly control the brake application in this
braking range. Never interrupt the application of the brakes!
WARNING
•The ABS can also not overcome the physic al limits of your vehicle. Please
do not forget this, particularly when driv ing on icy or wet road surfaces. If the
ABS is operating within the control ra nge, adapt your speed immediately to
the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased
safety offered by the ABS must not tempt you to take greater risks than
otherwise - risk of an accident!
•The normal braking system is still fully functional if there is an ABS fault.
Visit a specialist garage as quickly as po ssible and adjust your style of driving
to take account of the ABS fault in the meantime since you will not know how
great the damage is.
Note
•A warning light comes on if a fault occurs in the ABS system  ⇒ page 38.
•Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or other assign-
ment of tyres and wheels) can in fluence the function of the ABS ⇒ page 243,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
Brake Assist*
During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake Assist increases
the braking force and thus makes it possible to rapidly produce the pressure
required in the brake system.
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Intelligent Technology
198
The majority of drivers do apply the brakes in good time in dangerous situations,
but do not depress the brake pedal with su fficient pressure. Consequently, it is not
possible for the car to achieve its maxi mum deceleration and the car covers a
greater distance than necessary.
The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake pedal. In such
cases, a much greater braking pressure ex ists than during a normal brake applica-
tion. This makes it possible, even with a relatively low resistance of the brake pedal,
to produce an adequate pressure in the brake system in the shortest possible time,
which is required for maximum deceleration of the car. You must apply the brake
pedal firmly and hold it in this position in order to achieve the shortest possible
braking distance.
The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emergency
situations by rapidly producing the pressure required in the brake system. It fully
exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of
the Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate in the normal
way.
The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If a fault occurs in the ESP, the Brake Assist
function is also not available. Further information on the ESP ⇒page 193.
WARNING
•The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your
car in terms of the braking distance required.
•Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.
•The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to
take a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Uphill-Start off-Assist*
The uphill-start off-assist makes it much easier to start off on steep hills. The system
assists a start off by holding the brake pr essure produced by the brake pedal actu-
ation for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore
move his foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and start off on the slope, without having to actuate the hand
brake. The brake pressure drops gradually
the more you operate the accelerator pedal. If the vehicle does not start off within
2 seconds, it starts to roll back.
The uphill-start off-assist is active in the ev ent of a 5% slope, if the vehicle door is
closed. It is alwa ys active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When
driving downhill, it is inactive.
Electromechanical power steering
The power steering enables you to steer the vehicle with less physical force.
With the electromechanical power steering, the steering assist is automatically
adapted to the speed and to the steering angle.
It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine
is not running (vehicle being towed in). The only difference is that greater physical
effort is required.
If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light
 or  lights up in the
instrument cluster ⇒page 35.
WARNING
Contact your specialist garage if the power steering is defective.
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Driving and the Environment201
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 fu el 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.
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Driving and the Environment
202
Catalytic converter
Proper operation of the emission co ntrol system (catalytic converter)
is of major significance for drivin g your vehicle in an environmen-
tally conscious way.
Please refer to the following guidelines:
– For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol
⇒ page 219, “Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty.
– Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.
– Do not pour too much oil into the engine ⇒page 228, “Replenishing
engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50 metres
⇒ page 253, “Tow-starting and towing vehicle”.
If you drive your vehi cle in a country in which unleade d petrol is not available, you
must have the catalytic converter replaced later when driving the vehicle into a
country in which use of a cata lytic converter is mandatory.
WARNING
•In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the catalytic
converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way that the catalytic
converter cannot come into contact with easily flammable materials below
the vehicle - a risk of fire!
•Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection
agents for the exhaust pipes, catalyti c converters or heat shields. Such
substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter should neve r be allowed to let the fuel
tank to run completely empty. An irregular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converter.
•Filling the tank even only once with le
aded petrol will result in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.
•If you detect misfiring, a drop in perf ormance or irregular engine running when
driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the
nearest specialist garage. The symptoms described may be caused by a fault in the
ignition system. Unburnt fuel may get in to the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even if the exhaust system is operating properly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may
be produced under certain operating condit ions of the engine. This depends on the
sulphur content of the fuel. It is often su fficient to refuel with unleaded premium-
grade petrol of a different brand or at a different filling station.
Driving in an economical and environmentally
conscious manner
General
Your personal style of driving is a major factor.
Your fuel consumption, any pollution of the environmental and the wear-and-tear
to the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:
•your personal style of driving,
•the conditions under which your vehicle is operated,
•technical aspects.
You can easily improve your fuel economy by 10 - 15 percent by driving in an
economical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a
number of tips on how to protect the en vironment and at the same time save
money.
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Towing a trailer209
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust
the mirrors so that they provide you with
an adequate field of view to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights.
Alter the setting as necessary with th e aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 64.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device.
It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the
luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Further information on the towing device ⇒page 210.
Note
•We recommend that you also have your vehicle inspected between service
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.
•The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and
decoupling the trailer.
Driving Tips
Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.
– Do not, as far as possible, drive with your vehicle unladen and the
trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.
– Keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if the outside temper- ature is high.
Distribution of weight
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this
combination.
Driving speed
Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for coun-
tries in which higher speeds are allowed.
The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when
there are unfavourable road, weather or wind conditions, particularly near accident
black spots.
You must always reduce your speed immedi ately as soon as you detect even just
the slightest swaying of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
“swaying” by accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly . This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time before negotiating a down-
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake.
Engine overheating
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a
lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is
very high ⇒page 18, “Coolant temperature gauge”.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or
even the red area of the scale, reduce yo ur speed immediately. Stop and switch off
the engine if the warning light
 in the instrument cluste r begins flashing. Wait a
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
⇒ page 229, “Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒page 37, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant
quantity ”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear
and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent
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Inspecting and replenishing
232
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 the brake system. This greatly impairs
the braking efficiency and thus also the safety of your vehicle.
•Brake fluid is toxic! It must therefore be kept safely in closed original
containers and well aw ay from children and unauthorized persons.
Caution
Brake fluid damages the pa intwork of the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
In view of the problems involved with prop er disposal of brake fluid, the special
tools and the professional knowledge required, you should have the brake fluid
replaced by a Škoda Service Partner.
Battery
Working on the battery
The battery is located in the engine compartment below a plastic cover*.
– Press the interlock on the side of the battery cover ⇒fig. 215 , fold the
battery cover out and pull it out.
– The installation of the battery cov er takes place in the reverse order.
Removal and installation of the battery is not recommended since it can, under
certain circumstances, lead to major damage. Contact a specialist garage.
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.
Fig. 215 Engine compart-
ment: The battery
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Index295
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Index
A
Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76, 164 electrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Recirculated air mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Head airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Alternator Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Antilock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Antilock brake system (ABS) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Emergency programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Selector lever-emergency unlocking . . . . . . . 140
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Automatic light control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Automatic seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 232 change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Belt Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144, 153 Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 224
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Brake Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Buttons for the central locking system . . . . . . . . . . 47
Buttons on the driver's door Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
C
Car jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246, 251
Car state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
unlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
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