2008 SKODA OCTAVIA traction control

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights37
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
enables you to drive to the nearest specialist garage by adopting a gentle style of
driving.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Engine fault Workshop! (Engine fault workshop!)
Coolant temperature/ Coolant quantity 
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds 5) w h e n th e i g ni t i o n i s s w i t c h e d o n .
The coolant temperature is too high or the coolant level too low if the warning light
 does not go out or flashes while driving.
3 peeps sound as an additional warning signal.
In this case stop and switch the engine off and check the coolant level; top up the
coolant as necessary.
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Keep the engine switched off and
obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to
severe engine damage.
If the coolant is within the specified range, the increased temperature may be
caused by an operating problem at the coolant fan. Check the fuse for the coolant
fan, replace it if necessary ⇒page 258, “Fuse assignment in engine compartment -
version 1” or ⇒ page 260, “Fuse assignment in en gine compartment - version 2”.
Do not continue driving if the warning light does not go off although the fluid is at
the correct level and also the fuse of the fa n is in proper order. Contact a specialist
garage to obtain assistance.
Please also refer to the additional instructions ⇒page 228, “Cooling system”.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*: Check coolant! Owner's manual
WARNING
•If you must stop for technical reasons, then park the vehicle at a safe
distance from the traffic and switch off the engine and switch on the hazard
warning light system ⇒page 64.
•Take care when opening the coolant expansion bottle. If the engine is hot,
the cooling system is pressurized - risk of scalding! It is best to allow the
engine to cool down before removing the cap.
•Do not touch the coolant fan The coolant fan may switch on automati-
cally even if the ignition is off.
Traction control system (TCS) 
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
The warning light comes on when driving when a control cycle is activated.
The warning light will come on and remains on if the TCS is switched off or if there
is a fault in the system.
The fact that the TCS system operates together with the ABS means that the TCS
warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly.
If the warning light
 comes on immediately after starting the engine, the TCS
system can be switched off for technical reasons. In this case, the TCS system can
be switched on again by swit ching the ignition on and off. If the warning light goes
out, the TCS system is fully functional again.
Further information about the TCS ⇒page 195, “Traction control system (TCS)”.
Note
If the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the warning light  comes
on after switching on the ignition. The warn ing light must go out after driving a short
distance.
5)The warning light  on vehicles fitted with information display does not come on after
switching the ignition on, but only if the coolant temperature is too high or the coolant level
is too low.
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Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
38
Electronic stability programme (ESP)*
The warning light  comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
Components of the ESP system also include the Traction Control System (TCS),
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), and the Antilock Brake System ABS (ABS).
The warning light comes on when driving when a control cycle is activated.
The warning light will come on and remains on if the ESP is switched off or if there
is a fault in the system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that the ESP
warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly.
If the warning light
 comes on immediately after starting the engine, the ESP
system can be switched off for technical reasons. In this case, the ESP system can
be switched on again by switching the ignition on and off. If the warning light goes
out, the ESP system is fully functional again.
Further information on the ESP ⇒page 193, “Electronic stability programme
(ESP)*”.
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)*
The EDL is a part of the ESP. A fault in the EDL is indicated by the ESP warning light
in the instrument cluster. Have the ve hicle inspected without delay by a Škoda
Service Partner. Further information on the EDL ⇒page 194, “Electronic Differen-
tial Lock (EDS)*”.
Note
If the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the warning light  comes
on after switching on the ignition. The warn ing light must go out after driving a short
distance.
Selector lever lock* 
If the green warning light  lights up, operate the brake pedal. This is necessary, in
order to be able to move the selector lever out of the position P or N. Further information about the selector lever lock
⇒page 134.
Tyre inflation pressure*
The warning light  lights up, if there is a substantial drop in inflation pressure in
one of the tyres. Reduce the speed and check or correct as soon as possible the
inflation pressure in the tyres ⇒page 237.
If the warning light flashes, there is a system fault. Visit the nearest specialist garage
and have the fault rectified.
Further information about tyre pressure-control system ⇒page 199.
WARNING
•When the warning light  lights up, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake manoeuvres. Please stop the vehicle
without delay at the nearest possible stop and inspect the tyres and their
inflation pressures.
•Under certain circumstances (e.g. sporty style of driving, wintry or
unpaved roads) the warning light  can be delayed or does not light up at
all.
Note
If the battery has been disc onnected, the warning light  comes on after switching
on the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a short distance.
Antilock brake system (ABS) 
The warning light  shows the functionality of the ABS.
The warning light comes on for a few seconds after the ignition has been switched
on or when starting the engine. The warnin g light goes out after an automatic check
sequence has been completed.
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Intelligent Technology193
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Driving Tips
Intelligent Technology
Electronic stability programme (ESP)*
General
General
The ESP aids you maintain control of your vehicle in situations in borderline driving
situations such as when negotiating a curve too fast. The risk of skidding is reduced
and your car thus offers greater driving stability depending on the conditions of the
road surface. This occurs at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
•Electronic Differential Lock (EDL),
•Traction control system (TCS),
•Driver-steering recommendation,
•Antilock brake system (ABS),
•Brake Assist,
•Uphill-Start off-Assist. Operating principle
The ESP switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also
processes additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive
sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehi
cle about its vertical axis, the lateral accel-
eration of the vehicle, the brakin g pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to ta ke is determined based on the steering
angle and the speed of the vehicle and is constantly compared with the actual
behaviour of the vehicle. If differences exis t, such as the car beginning to skid, the
ESP will automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces which take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of
a vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency for the rear of the vehicle to break
away) while occurs this is on the inner re ar wheel of a vehicle which tends to under-
steer (tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied
by noises.
The ESP operates in combination with the ABS ⇒page 197, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)”. If there is a fault in the ABS system, the ESP also does not operate.
The ESP warning light lights up in the instru ment cluster when there is a fault on the
ESP
 ⇒ page 38.
Switching off
You can switch the ESP off and on again as you wish, by pressing the button
⇒ fig. 197 . The ESP warning light lights up in th e instrument cluster when the ESP is
switched off
 ⇒ page 38.
The ESP should normally always be switched on. It may be good practice in certain
exceptional cases, such as when you wish to have wheel slip, to switch off the
system.
Examples:
Fig. 197 ESP switch
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Intelligent Technology195
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Traction control system (TCS)
The traction control system prevents the driven wheels from spinning
when accelerating.
General
The TCS makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate
and climb a steep hill when the conditio ns of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle
The TCS switches on automatically when th e engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the
ABS sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force transmitted to the road surface is
automatically adapted by redu cing the engine speed. This occurs at all speeds.
The TCS operates in combination with the ABS ⇒page 197, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)”. The TCS will not function if a fault exists in the ABS system.
The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the
TCS
 ⇒ page 37.
Switching off
You can switch the TCS off and on again as you wish by pressing the button
⇒ fig. 198 . The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when the TCS is
switched off
 ⇒ page 37. The TCS should normally always be switched on. It may be good practice in certain
exceptional cases, such as when you wish
to have wheel slip, to switch off the
system.
Examples:
•when driving with snow chains
•when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface
•when it is necessary to rock a car free when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the TCS again.
WARNING
You should always adjust your style of driving to the conditions of the road
surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered must not tempt
you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note
•All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-
free operation of the TCS. Differing rolling circumferences of the tyres can lead to
an undesirable reduction in the engine output.
•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 TCS ⇒page 243,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
Driver-steering recommendation*
The driver-steering recommendation is an additional function of the electronic
stability programme (ESP). This function indicates to the driver in critical situations
by means of slight steering wheel impulses the direction evaluated by the system,
in which the vehicle must be steered, so that it stabilizes. The driver-steering
recommendation is active when braking shar ply on different road surfaces and on
the right and left vehicle side.
Fig. 198 TCS switch
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Index
300
Top Tether . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
towing vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Tow-starting and towing vehicle
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Traction Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Traction control system (TCS) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Two-way radio systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Tyre inflation pressure Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Tyres Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
U
Underbody protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Uphill-Start off-Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
V
Vanity mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Ventilation
Auxiliary ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
W
Warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Warning symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Warning triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 with a high-pressure cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Washing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Washing vehicle by hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Wax treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Wheel Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Wheel trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237, 249
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Windows de-icing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Windscreen washer nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Windscreen washer system Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Windshield washer fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Windshield wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Winter tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Wiper blades
Replacing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
X
Xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
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