2008 SKODA OCTAVIA Media

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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Inspecting and replenishing233
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•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.
Caution
•You must only disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched off, otherwise
the electrical system (electronic compon ents) of the vehicle may be damaged.
When disconnecting the battery from the electrical system of the vehicle, first
disconnect the negative terminal (-) of the battery. Then disconnect the positive
terminal (+).
•When reconnecting the battery, first conne ct the positive terminal (+) and only
then the negative terminal (-) of the ba ttery. You must on no account connect the
cables wrongly - risk of a cable fire.
•Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the vehicle body
otherwise damage could occur to the paintwork.
•Do not place the battery in direct dayl ight in order to protect the battery
housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
For the sake of the environment
A removed battery is a special type of waste which is harmful to the environment -
contact your specialist garage regarding disposing of the battery.
Note
Please also refer to the guidelines ⇒page 235, also after connecting the battery.
Battery with a charge level indicator, the so-called magic eye
There is a so-called magic eye ⇒fig. 216 located on the top of the battery. The
“magic eye” changes its colour in line with the charge state of and electrolyte level
in the battery.
Air bubbles can influence the colour of th e “magic eye”. For this reason carefully
knock on the “magic eye” before carrying out the check.
•Green colour - the battery is adequately charged.
•Dark colour - the battery has to be charged
•Colourless or yellow colour - have th e battery checked by a Škoda dealer.
Batteries, which are more than 5 years old, must be replaced. We recommend you
have the electrolyte level inspected and adju sted to the correct level or the battery
replaced if necessary by a Škoda Service Partner.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 216 Battery with a
charge level indicator
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Wheels and Tyres237
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Wheels and Tyres
Wheels
General information
•New tyres do not offer optimal grip at first and should therefore be run in for
about 500 km at a moderate speed and an appropriately cautious style of driving.
You will also profit from longer tyre life.
•The tread depth of new tyres may differ because of design features and the
configuration of the tread (depending on the type of tyre and the manufacturer).
•Drive over curbs on the side of the road and other such obstacles slowly and,
where possible, at a right angles in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.
•Inspect your tyres from time to time for damage (punctures, cuts, splits and
bulges). Remove foreign bodies from the tyre profile.
•Damage to tyres and wheels is frequent ly not visible. Unusual vibrations or
pulling of the vehicle to one side could be a sign of tyre damage. Please reduce
your speed immediately and stop if you suspect that a wheel is damaged.
Inspect the tyres for signs of damage (bulges, splits, etc.). If no visible damage is
present, please drive at an appropriatel y slow speed and carefully to the nearest
specialist garage in order to have your vehicle inspected.
•Also protect your tyres from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
•Immediately replace any dust caps of the valves which have got lost.
•Mark wheels before removing them so th at their previous direction of running
can be maintained when mounted them again.
•Always store wheels or tyres which been removed in a cool, dry and, where
possible, dark place. Tyres which are not fixed to a wheel trim should be stored
upright.
Unidirectional tyres*
The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the tyre. This
indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre, and it is essential that the tyres are
fitted on to run in this direction. Only then are the tyres able to provide the optimal
properties in terms of grip, low noise, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning. Further information concerning
the use of unidirectional tyres ⇒page 241.
WARNING
•New tyres during the first 500 km do not offer optimal grip and should
therefore be run appropriately - risk of accident!
•Never drive with damaged tyres - risk of accident!
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.
Tyre life
The life of your tyres very much depends on the following points:
Tyre pressure
The working life of tyres will be shortened considerably if the tyres are insufficiently
or over-inflated and this will have an adverse effect on the handling of your vehicle.
Correctly inflated tyres are of partic ular importance when travelling at high speeds.
It is therefore good to check the pressure at least once a month and also before
Fig. 218 An opened fuel filler
flap with the tyre inflation
pressure table
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Wheels and Tyres
238
setting off on a long trip. Please do not forget the spare wheel when checking the
tyres.
The tyre inflation pressures for summer tyres are indicated on the inside of the fuel
filler flap ⇒page 237, fig. 218. The inflation pressures for winter tyres are 20 kPa
(0.2 bar) higher than those for summer tyres ⇒page 241.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle at all
times.
The tyre inflation pressure of the emergency spare wheel R 18 is 420 kPa (4.2 bar).
Always check the inflation pressure of ty res when cold. Do not reduce the higher
pressure of warm tyres. Adapt the inflation pressure of the tyres accordingly if your
vehicle is carrying a significantly higher payload.
Driving style
Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking (squealing tyres) increase wear-and-
tear on your tyres.
Balancing wheels
The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. There are a wide range of influences
when driving which may result in an imbalance and which makes themselves felt
through vibration in the steering.
You should have the wheels rebalanced since any imbalance increases wear-and-
tear on the steering, the suspension and tyres. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tyre is fitted and each time a tyre is repaired.
Wheel alignment errors
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front and re ar will not only increase wear-and-tear
on the tyres but will also has an adverse effect on vehicle safety. Contact your
specialist garage if you notice any unusual tyre wear.
WARNING
•If the inflation pressure is too low, the tyre must perform a greater flexing
work. At higher speeds the tyre will warm up as a result of this. This can
result in tread separation and even a tyre blowout.
•Immediately replace the damaged rims or tyres.
•Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional
cases and when adopting an approp riately cautious style of driving.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Wear indicators
The base of the tread of the original tyres has wear indicators 1.6 mm high, installed
at right angles to the direction of travel. These wear indicators are located at 6 - 8
points depending on the make and are evenly spaced around the circumference of
the tyre ⇒fig. 219 . Markings on the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”,
triangular symbols or other symbols identi fy the position of the wear indicators.
A remaining tread of just 1.6 mm, measured in the grooves of the tread next to the
wear indicators, means that your tyres have reached their legally permissible
minimum tread depth.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 219 Tyre tread with wear
indicators
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Breakdown assistance
246
The fire extinguisher must be checked by an authorised person or company annu-
ally (please observe the differing legal requirements).
WARNING
If the fire extinguisher is not correc tly attached, in case of sudden manoeu-
vres or an accident it can be “thrown” through the interior compartment and
cause injuries.
Note
•The fire extinguisher must comply with the relevant and valid legal require-
ments.
•Pay attention to the expiration date of the fire extinguisher. If the fire extin-
guisher is used after the expiration date, its proper function is no longer assured.
•The fire extinguisher is only supplied in certain countries within the scope of
delivery.
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit and the lifting jack, on which a note sticker is affixed, are stored
in a box in the spare wheel ⇒fig. 223 . There is also space here for the removable ball for the trailer towing device*. The bo
x is attached with a strap on the spare
wheel.
The vehicle tool kit contains the following parts (depending on equipment fitted):
•Hook for pulling off a full wheel trim,
•Plastic clip for a wheel bolt cover,
•Wheel wrench,
•To w i n g e y e ,
•Adapter for the wheel bolts lock.*
After using the lifting jack, screw in the arm of the lifting jack fully before placing it
back in its stowage area.
WARNING
•The factory-supplied lifting jack is only intended for your model of
vehicle. On no account attempt to lift a heavier vehicle or other loads - risk
of injury!
•Ensure that the vehicle tool kit is safely attached in the luggage compart-
ment.
Note
Ensure that the box is alwa ys secured with the strap.
Tyre repair kit*
The tyre repair kit is intended for the repair of minor tyre defects. The tyre repair kit
contains a compressor, inflation bottle, operating instructions and accessories.
The repair with the tyre repair kit is not at all intended to replace a permanent
repair on the tyre, this repair only serves to reach the next specialist garage. The
repair can be undertaken on the vehicle immediately. Please read the attached
instructions carefully before the repair.
The tyre repair kit is located in a textile bag. There is a velcro fastener on the under-
side of the bag, with which the bag is atta ched to the floor covering of the luggage
Fig. 223 Luggage compart-
ment: Storage compartment
for vehicle too kit
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