2008 SKODA OCTAVIA brake

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.
20A5Facelift.book Page 201 Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:13 PM

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.
20A5Facelift.book Page 202 Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:13 PM

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.
20A5Facelift.book Page 203 Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:13 PM

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
20A5Facelift.book Page 209 Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:13 PM

Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle211
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
General Maintenance
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
General
Proper care retains the value of your vehicle.
Regular and proper care retains the value of your vehicle. It may also be one of the
requirements for the acceptance of warran ty claims relating to corrosion damage
and paint defects on the bodywork.
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer. Please follow the instructions for use on the package.
WARNING
•Care products may be harmful to your health if not used according to the
instructions.
•Always store care products in a safe place, out of the reach of children -
risk of poisoning!
For the sake of the environment
•Always select environmentally-friendly pr oducts when purchasing vehicle care
products.
•Do not dispose of the packages with re sidues of care products in domestic
waste.
Care of the exterior of vehicle
Washing the vehicle
Frequent washing protects your vehicle.
The best protection for your vehicle agai nst harmful environmental influences is
frequent washing and wax treatment. How of ten you should wash your vehicle
depends on a wide range of factors, such as:
•Frequency of use,
•The parking situation (garage, below trees etc.),
•Season of the year,
•Weather conditions,
•Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust, tar,
soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to the paint-
work of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect can be. High
temperatures, such as those caused by in tensive sun's rays, accentuate this caustic
effect.
It may therefore be necessary, in certain circumstances, to wash the car once a
week . It may also be sufficient, however, to wash the car once a month followed
by appropriate wax treatment.
It is essential to also thoroughly wash the underside of your vehicle at the end of
the winter road salting and gritting period.
WARNING
When washing your vehicle in the wint er: Water and ice in the brake system
can affect the braking efficiency - risk of accident!
20A5Facelift.book Page 211 Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:13 PM

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!
20A5Facelift.book Page 215 Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:13 PM

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:
20A5Facelift.book Page 225 Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:13 PM

Inspecting and replenishing
226
− 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.
•Please also comply with the warning instructions st ated below when
carrying out any essential work on the fuel system or on the electrical
system:
−Always separate the car batter y from the electrical system.
− Do not smoke.
− Never carry out any work close to naked flames.
− Always keep a working fire extinguisher at hand.
Caution
When replenishing fluids in the engine, always ensure that the fluids are on no
account mixed up. This may result in major operating problems and also vehicle
damage!
Overview of the engine compartment
The main inspection points
Fig. 211 Petrol engine 1.8 ltr./118 kW TSI
Coolant expansion bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windshield washer fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil filler opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Battery (below a cover) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Note
The location of the inspection points in the engine compartment of petrol and
diesel engines is practically identical.
WARNING (continued)
A1229
A2235
A3228
A4227
A5231
A6232
20A5Facelift.book Page 226 Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:13 PM