2008 SKODA OCTAVIA head lights

Lights and Visibility
64
Headlamp range adjustment 
Once the low beam is switched on you can then adapt the range of
the headlights to the load of the vehicle.
– Turn the control dial ⇒fig. 60 until you have adjusted the low beam
so that oncoming traffic is not dazzled.
Settings
The positions correspond approximat ely to the following vehicle loads:
Front seats occupied, lu ggage compartment empty.
All seats occupied, luggage compartment empty.
All seats occupied, luggage compartment laden.
Driver seat occupied, luggage compartment laden.
Caution
Set the headlight beam adjustment in su ch a way as to avoid dazzling oncoming
traffic.
Note
Headlights fitted with Xenon bulbs* adapt automatically to the load and driving
state of the vehicle (e.g. accelerating, braking) when the ignition is switched on and
when driving. Vehicles which are equi pped with Xenon bulbs* do not have a
manual headlight range adjustment control.
Switch for hazard warning lights 
–Press switch  ⇒ fig. 61 to switch the hazard warning light system on
or off.
All the turn signal lights on the vehicle flash at the same time when the hazard
warning light system is switched on. The indicator light for the turn signals and the
indicator light in the switch also flash at the same time. You can also switch on the
hazard warning light system if the ignition is switched off.
The hazard warning light system is switch ed on automatically if an airbag is
deployed in the event of an accident.
Please comply with any legal requirements when using the hazard warning light
system.
Fig. 60 Dash panel: Lights
and Visibility
A-
A1
A2
A3
Fig. 61 Dash panel: Switch
for hazard warning lights
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Lights and Visibility65
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Note
Switch on the hazard warning light system if, for example:
•you encounter traffic congestion,
•your vehicle breaks down or an emergency situation occurs.
The turn signal   and main beam lever 
The parking lights and headlight flas her are also switched on and off
using the turn signal and main beam lever.
The turn signal and main beam lever perform the following functions:
Right
 and left  turn signal light
– Push the lever upwards or downwards ⇒fig. 62 .
– If you only wish to flash three times* (the so-called convenience turn signal), push the lever briefly up to the upper or lower pressure point
and release it. This function can be activated/deactivated in the infor-
mation display* ⇒page 26.
– Turn signal for changing lanes - in or der to only flash briefly, move the
lever up or down to the pressure po int and hold it in this position. Main beam

– Switch on the low beam.
– Push the lever forwards.
– Pull the lever back into the initial position in order to switch the main
beam off again.
Headlight flasher

– Pull on the lever of the steering wheel (sprung position) - the main beam and warning light in the instrument cluster come on.
Parking light

– Switch off the ignition.
– Push the lever up or down - the right-hand or left-hand parking light is switched on.
Information concerning the function of the lights.
•The turn signal system only operates when the ignition is switched on. The
corresponding indicator light  or  in the instrument cluster also flashes.
•The turn signal is automatically cancelled after negotiating a curve.
•The indicator light flashes at twice its normal rate if a bulb of the turn signal light
fails.
•The side light and rear light on the appropriate side of the vehicle are switched
on when the parking light is selected. The parking light only operates if the ignition
is switched off.
Caution
Use main beam or the headlight flasher only if this does not risk dazzling other road
users.
Fig. 62 Turn signal and main
beam lever
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Lights and Visibility
66
Note
•If you have switched on the right or left turn signal light and you switch off the
ignition, the parking light is not automatically switched on.
•Use only in accordance with the legal requirements the described lighting and
signal systems.
Interior lighting
Vehicle interior lighting front and rear*
The same principles apply for the lighti ng of the front and rear part of the
vehicle.
Switching the interior light on
– Press the switch to the left, the symbol
 ⇒ fig. 63 appears.
Switching the interior light off
– Press the switch into the middle position O.
– On the version without reading lights press the switch to the right, the symbol O appears. Door contact setting
– Press the switch to the right, the symbol
 appears.
– On the version without reading lights press the switch into the middle position
.
Reading lights*
– Press on one of the switches in order to switch the right or left reading light on or off.
The interior light comes on as soon as yo u unlock the car or open a door or when
the ignition key has been removed. The light goes out again about 30 seconds after
all the doors have been closed. The interior lighting is switched off when you lock
the car or switch the ignition on. This on ly applies when the switch for the corre-
sponding interior lights is stan ding n the door contact setting.
The interior lighting goes off after about 10 minutes when a door has been left open
in order to avoid discharging the battery of the vehicle.
If the switch is in the position
 (permanent lights), the interior lighting goes off at
the latest after 10 minutes in order to avoid discharging the battery of the vehicle.
Note
We recommend having these bulbs re placed by a specialist garage.
Lighting of the storage compartment on front passenger side*
– When opening the flap of the storage compartment on the front
passenger side the lighting in the storage compartment comes on.
– The light switches on automatically when the parking light is switched
on and goes out when the flap is closed.
Fig. 63 Detail of the head-
liner: Front and rear interior
lighting
AA
AA
AA
AA
AA
AB
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Lights and Visibility
68
Note
•The position and the shape of the switch can differ depending on equipment
installed in the vehicle.
•If the on-board voltage drop s, the rear window heater is switched off automat-
ically, in order to provide sufficient electrical energy for the engine control.
Sun visors
You can pull the sun visor for the driver or front passenger out of the fixture and
swivel it toward the door in the direction of the arrow ⇒fig. 66 . The vanity mirrors* in the sun visors are provided with covers. Push the cover in
direction of arrow .
On vehicles which are equipped with doub
le sun visor*, you can also unfold the
auxiliary visor after swivelling the sun visor⇒ fig. 67.
WARNING
The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the deploy-
ment area of the head airbags if any obje cts, such as ball-point pens etc. are
attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head
airbag is deployed.
Sun screen*
Fig. 66 Sun visor: swivelling
out
Fig. 67 Double sun visor
A1
A2
Fig. 68 Unroll the sun screen
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Lights and Visibility71
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
WARNING
•Properly maintained windscreen wiper blades are essential for clear visi-
bility and safe driving ⇒page 71.
•Do not use the windscreen washer sy stem at low temperatures, without
heating the windscreen beforehand. Otherwise the window cleaner could
freeze on the windscreen and re strict the view to the front.
•The rain sensor only operates as a support. The driver is not released
from the responsibility to set the function of the windscreen wipers manu-
ally depending on the visibility conditions.
Caution
In frosty weather, please first of all check whether the windscreen wiper blades are
not frozen to the windscreen before swit ching them on. Switching on windscreen
wipers when the blades are frozen to the windscreen may result in damage both to
the blades and the motor of the windscreen wipers!
Note
•If the slower or the faster wiper setting is switched on ⇒page 69, fig. 70
and the vehicle speed decreases to below 4 km/h, the lower wiper step is switched
on automatically. At a speed increase of more than 8 km/h the previous wiper
setting is esta blished again.
•If there is an obstacle on the windscre en, the wiper will try to push away the
obstacle. If the obstacle continues to block the wiper, th e wiper stops after 5 cycles,
in order to avoid a damage to the wiper. Remove the obstacle and and switch on
the wiper again.
Headlight cleaning system*
The headlights are being cleaned after the windscreen has been sprayed for the first
time and fifth time, the low beam or ma in beam are switched on and the wind-
screen wiper lever was he ld in the position ⇒page 69, fig. 70 for about 1
second. The headlight washer nozzles are moved forward out of the bumper by the water
pressure for cleaning the headlights.
You should remove stubborn dirt (such
as insect residues) from the headlight
lenses at regular intervals, for example when refuelling. Please refer to the following
guidelines ⇒page 214, “The headlight lenses”.
You should remove any snow from the fixtures of the washer nozzles and clear ice
in winter with a de-icing spray in order to ensure proper operation of the cleaning
system.
Replacing wiper blades for the windscreen wipers
One cannot fold out the wiper arms in the rest position from the wind-
screen. Before replacing the wiper arms you must put them into the
service position.
Service position for changing wiper blades
– Close the bonnet.
– Switch the ignition on and then again off.
– Then press the windscreen wiper lever in the position ⇒page 69,
fig. 70 within 20 seconds - the wiper arms move into the service posi-
tion.
A2A3
A5
Fig. 71 Wiper blade for the
windscreen wiper
A4
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Communication141
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Communication
Multifunction steering wheel*
Operate radio und navigation on the multifunction steering wheel
The driver can set the basic functions of the radio and navigation by simply oper-
ating the buttons located on the steering wheel so that he can concentrate on the traffic situation without being distracted as little as possible by operating the radio
and navigation
⇒fig. 159 .
This applies only if your vehicle has been installed with radio
14) or navigation at the
factory. You can of course operate the ra dio and navigation at the appliance. You
will find a description in the operating instructions of your radio system.
When the headlights are switched on, the steering wheel pushbuttons are then also
illuminated.
The buttons apply for the respective operating mode of the current radio or naviga-
tion.
By pressing the buttons, you can carry out the following functions:
Fig. 159 Multifunction
steering wheel: control
buttons
14)Does not apply for Radio Blues.
ButtonActionRadio, traffic informationCDThe CD changer / MP3Navigation
press brieflySwitch off/on tone
press button for a
long period of timeswitch off/on*
 turn upwardsIncrease volume
 turn down-
wardsDecrease volume
 press briefly
Changing to the next stored radio stationChanging to the next stored traffic infor-
mation
Interrupting the traffic report
Changing to the next title
A1
A1
A1
A1
A2
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Driving and the Environment203
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The fuel consumption can naturally also be
influenced by factors which are beyond
the driver's control. It is, for example, normal for the fu el consumption to increase
in winter and under worsened conditions such as poor road conditions, towing a
trailer, etc.
The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the
vehicle have already been built into the ve hicle at the works. Special attention has
been given to minimising ne gative effects on the environment. It is necessary to
take note of the guidelines given in this chapter in order to make best use of these
characteristics and to maintain their effectiveness.
The optimal engine speed should be obtain ed when accelerating, in order to avoid
a high fuel consumption an d resonance of the vehicle.
Looking ahead when driving
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.
Avoid accelerating and brakin g unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight you will not
need to brake so often and will also then not have to accelerate so much. Let your
vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this is possible, when you see that the next
set of traffic lights is at red.
Shifting gears and saving energy
Shifting up early saves on fuel.
Manual gearbox
– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.
– Always shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs.
Automatic gearbox
– Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Do not depress it beyond the
kickdown position, however.
An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up early. You will
consume more fuel if you drive at unnecessa rily high revolutions in any given gear.
The ⇒fig. 201 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in
the relevant gears. Fuel consumption in 1st gear is the highest, while that in 5th or
the 6th gear is the lowest.
Only depress the accelerator pedal slowly if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic
gearbox in order to automatically select an economic driving programme. You will
achieve good fuel economy by shifting up early and shifting down late.
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator* ⇒page 21.
Fig. 201 Fuel consumption
in litres/100 km. and speed in
km/h.
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Driving and the Environment
206
Keeping a log of your fuel consumption
If you really wish to ke ep a close check on your fuel consumption, it is best to enter
the figures in a logbook. This does not take much time but is a very worthwhile exer-
cise. It enables you to detect any change (positive and negative) at an early stage
and to take any appropriate action.
If you find that your fuel consumption is too high, you sh ould reflect on how, where
and in what conditions you have driven the vehicle since you last refuelled.
Environmental compatibility
Environmental protection has played a majo r role in the design, selection of mate-
rials and manufacture of your new Škoda. Particular emphasis has been paid to a
number of aspects, including:
Design measures
•Joints designed to be easily detached.
•Simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system.
•Improved purity of differ ent classes of materials.
•Identification of all plastic parts in accordance with VDA Recommendation 260.
•Reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission CO2.
•Minimum fuel leakage during accidents.
•Reduced noise.
Choice of materials
•Extensive use of recyclable material.
•Air conditioning filled with CFC-free refrigerant.
•No cadmium.
•No asbestos.
•Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics.
Manufacture
•Solvent-free cavity protection.
•Solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the production
plant to the customer.
•The use of solvent-free adhesives.
•No CFCs used in the production process.
•Without use of mercury.
•Use of water-soluble paints.
Motoring abroad
General
Other circumstances may exist abroad.
It is also possible, in ce rtain countries, that the Škod a Service Partner network is
limited or has not been established yet. This is the reason why obtaining certain
spare parts may be somewhat complicated and specialist garage personnel may
only be able to ma ke li mite d re pa irs. Škoda Auto a.s. i n the Czech Republic and rele -
vant importers are happy to provide info rmation about technical aspects of the
vehicle, required maintenance work and possibilities for getting repairs done.
Unleaded petrol
A vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with unleaded petrol
⇒ page 202. The automobile associations can provide you with information
regarding the locations of filling stations which offer unleaded petrol.
Headlight
The low beam of your headlights is set asym metrically. It illuminates the side of the
road on which you are driving to a greater extent. If you drive abroad on the other
side of the road, you wi ll dazzle oncoming traffic.
In order to prevent the dazzling of oncoming traffic, it is necessary that an adjust-
ment of the headlights is carried out by your Škoda Service Partner.
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