2008 SKODA OCTAVIA wheel size

Seats and Stowage
76
Seats and Stowage
Front seats
Basic information
The front seats have a wide range of different settings and can thus be matched to
the physical characteristics of the driver and front passenger. Correct adjustment of
the seats is particularly important for
•safely and quickly reaching the controls,
•a relaxed, fatigue-free body position,
•achieving the maximum protection offere d by the seat belts and the airbag
system.
WARNING
•Never transport more occupants than the maximum seating in the
vehicle.
•Each occupant must correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to the seat.
Children must be fastened ⇒page 184, “Transporting children safely” with
a suitable restraint system.
•The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.
•Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven - never
place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the
surfaces of the seats. This is particularly important for the front seat
passenger. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes
necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is
deployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated
position!
•It is important for the driver and front passenger to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean
that the airbag system will not be able to prop-
erly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints must
always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
•Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get
behind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then
no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate.
Adjusting the front seats
Adjusting a seat in a forward/back direction
– Pull the lever ⇒fig. 75 up and push the seat into the desired posi-
tion.
– Release the lever and push the seat further until the lock is heard to engage.
Adjusting height of seat*
– Lift the seat if required by pulling or pumping lever upwards.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 75 Controls at seat
A1
A1
A2
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Passive Safety
164
Before setting off
The driver is always fully respon sible for his occupants and for the
operating safety of the vehicle.
For your own safety and the safety of the people travelling with you, please pay
attention to the following points before setting off:
•Ensure that the lighting and the turn signal system are functioning properly.
•Inspect the tyre inflation pressure.
•Ensure that all the windows offer a good visibility to the outside.
•Safely attach the items of luggage ⇒page 85, “Loading the luggage compart-
ment”.
•Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedal.
•Adjust the mirror, the front seat and the head restraint to match your body size.
•Point out to your occupants that the head restraints must be adjusted to match
their body size.
•Protect the children in suitable child se ats with correctly fastened seat belts
⇒ page 184, “Transporting children safely”.
•Adopt the correct seated position ⇒page 164, “Correct seated position”. Also
inform your occupants to adop t the correct seated position.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly. Also inform your occupants to properly fasten the
seat belts ⇒page 170, “How are seat belts correctly fastened?”.
What influences the driving safety?
The driving safety is primarily dete rmined by the style of driving and
the personal behaviour of all the occupants.
The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occupants. If your driving safety is
effected, you place yourself and the oncomi ng traffic at risk. Please refer to the
following guidelines.
•Do not get distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by your
occupants or mobile phone calls.
•Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, e.g. through medication,
alcohol, drugs.
•Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
•Adjust the driving speed at all times to the road condition as well as to the traffic
and weather conditions.
•Take regular breaks on long journe ys - at the latest every two hours.
Correct seated position
Correct seated position for the driver
Correct seated position for the driver is important for safe and
relaxed driving.
Fig. 168 The correct distance
of the driver from the
steering wheel
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Passive Safety165
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident, we
recommend the following setting:
•Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and
your chest is at least 25 cm ⇒page 164, fig. 168 .
•Position the driver seat in the forward/back direction so that you are able to
press the pedals with your legs at a slight angle .
•Adjust the backrest so that you are able to reach the highest point of the steering
wheel with your arms at a slight angle.
•Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head ⇒fig. 169 .
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 170, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
Manual driver seat adjustment ⇒page 12, “Adjusting the front seats”.
Electrical driver seat adjustment ⇒page 77, “Adjusting front seats electrically*”.
WARNING
•The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.
•The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering
wheel ⇒page 164, fig. 168 . Not maintaining this minimum distance will
mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you -
hazard!
•When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the
outer edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering
wheel firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle
of the steering wheel or at the inner steering wheel edge). In such cases,
injuries to the arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver
airbag is deployed.
•The backrests must not be angled to o far back when driving otherwise
this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag system -
risk of injury!
•Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get
behind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then
no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate.
Correct seated position for the front passenger
The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm from
the dash panel so that the airbag offers the greatest possible safety
when an airbag is deployed.
For the safety of the front passenger and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
an accident, we recommend the following setting:
•Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible to the rear.
•Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head ⇒fig. 169 .
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 170, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
In exceptional cases the front pass enger airbag can be deactivated ⇒page 181,
“Deactivating an airbag”.
Fig. 169 The correct head
restraint adjustment for the
driver
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system177
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Important safety information regarding the front airbag system
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a
proper restraint system. If airbags are deployed in the event of an accident,
the child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!
•For the driver and front passenger it is important to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel ⇒fig. 180 . Not main-
taining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be
able to properly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints
must always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occu-
pant.
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 181, “Deactivating an airbag”
the front passenger airbag when attach ing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the ch ild is facing the direction of travel).
If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal
injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certain countries
national legal provisions also requir e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats.
•There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned
between the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag.
•The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash
panel on the passenger side must not be stuck onto, covered or modified in
any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth
moistened with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile phone
mounts, etc. may be attached to the covers of the airbag modules or be
located within the immediate area.
•No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
Any work on the airbag system includ ing installing and removing system
components because of other repair work (e.g. removing the steering
wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
•Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.
•Never place any objects on the surface of the front passenger airbag in
the dash panel.
Fig. 180 Safe distance to
steering wheel
WARNING (continued)
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Wheels and Tyres239
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
WARNING
•You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn do wn. The legally permissible minimum
tread depth should be observed.
•Worn tyres do not provide the necessary adhesion to the road surface at
high speeds on wet roads. One could experience “aquaplaning” (uncon-
trolled movements of the vehicle - “swimming” on a wet road surface).
Changing wheels around
If significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend changing
the front wheels around with the rear wheels as shown in the diagram ⇒fig. 220 .
You will then obtain approximately the same life for all the tyres.
It may be advantageous to swap the tyre s over “crosswise” when certain types of
wear characteristic ar ise on the running surface of the tyres (but not in the case of
unidirectional tyres). Škoda Service Pa rtners can provide you with details.
We recommend that you change the wheels around every 10 000 km in order to
achieve even wear on all wheels and to obtain optimal tyre life.
New tyres and wheels
Tyres and wheel rims are important design elements. One should therefore use the
tyres and wheel rims which have been released for use by Škoda Auto. They are
exactly matched to the vehicl e type and therefore contribu te significantly to good
road holding and safe driving characteristics ⇒.
Only fit radial tyres of the same type on all 4 wheels, size (rolling circumference)
and, if possible, the same tread pattern on one axle.
The Škoda Service Partners have access to the most current information about
which tyres we have released for use on your vehicle.
We recommend that you have any work rela ting to tyres or wheels carried out by
your Škoda Service Partner . Your dealer has all of th e necessary special tools and
replacement parts available plus the required specialist knowledge and is also in a
position to properly dispose of the old tyres. A large number of Škoda Service Part-
ners also have an attractive range of tyres and wheels available.
The tyre/wheel combinations which are appr oved for your vehicle are indicated in
your vehicle documents. Approval and lice nsing may differ according to the legis-
lation prevailing in individual countries.
Proper knowledge of the tyre data makes it easier for you to select the correct type
of tyre. Tyres do, for example, have the following inscription on their walls:
195 / 65 R 15 91 T
What this means is:
The following speed restrictions apply to tyres.
Fig. 220 Changing wheels
around
195Tyre wid th i n m m
65Height/width ratio in %
RCode letter for the type of tyre - R adial
15Diameter of wheel in inches
91Load index
TSpeed symbol
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Wheels and Tyres241
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•The wheel bolts must be clean and must turn easily. However, they must
never be treated with grease or oil.
•If the wheel bolts are tightened to a too low tightening torque, the rim
can lossen when the car is moving - risk of accident! A tightening torque
which is too high can damage the bolts and threads and this can result in
permanent deformation of the contact surfaces on the rims.
Caution
The prescribed tightening torque of the wheel bolts for steel and light alloy wheels
is 120 Nm.
Winter tyres
The handling of your vehicle will be significantly improved when driving on wintry
roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice, snow
and at temperatures below 7 °C because of their construction (width, rubber blend,
tread pattern). This partic ularly applies to vehicles which are equipped with low-
profile tyres or high-speed tyres (code index H or V on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four wheels to obtain the best handling char-
acteristics.
You must only fit those types of winter tyre which are approved for your vehicle. The
permissible sizes of winter tyres are stated in your vehicle documents. Approvals
may differ because of national legislation.
Please remember that the tyres should be in flated to 20 kPa (0.2 bar) more than is
the case for summer tyres ⇒page 237.
Winter tyres no longer offer the same winter performance once the tyre tread has
worn down to a depth of about 4 mm.
Ageing also causes winter tyres to lose most of their winter performance properties
- even in cases where the remaining tread depth is still clearly more than 4 mm.
Speed restrictions apply to winter tyres as well as to summer tyres ⇒page 239,
⇒ . You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed ca
tegory to your vehicle provided that you
also do not drive faster than the permissible maximum speed for such tyres, even
if the possible maximum speed of your vehicle is higher. The corresponding tyre
category can damage the tyres when exceeding the permissible maximum speed.
Please pay attention to the notes if you decide to fit winter tyres ⇒page 237.
You can also fit so-called “all-year tyres” instead of winter tyres.
Please contact your specialist garage if there are any points which are not clear who
will be able to provide you with information regarding the maximum speed for your
tyres.
WARNING
You must on no account drive your car at more than the permissible
maximum speed for your winter tyres - risk of an accident resulting from
tyre damage and loss of control over your car.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres on again in good ti me since summer tyres offer you better
grip and handling on roads which are free of snow and ice as well as ar tempera-
tures below 7 °C - the braking distance is shorter, there is less tyre noise, tyre wear
is reduced and fuel consumption is reduced.
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.
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, lo w noise, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Should it be necessary to fit on a spare wheel in exceptional cases with a tyre not
dedicated to the running dire ction or in opposite running direction, please adopt a
WARNING (continued)
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Wheels and Tyres
242
cautious style of driving as the tyre is no longer able to provide optimal grip and
handling in such a situation. This particul arly important on wet roads. Please refer
to the notes ⇒page 247, “Spare wheel*”.
You should have the defective tyre replac ed as soon as possible and restore the
correct direction of rotation on all tyres
Snow chains
Snow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
When driving on wintry roads, snow chains improve not only traction, but also the
braking performance.
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the following
wheel/tyre combinations:
Remove the full wheel trims if you wish to fit snow chains to the wheels.
Observe the national legal requirements relating to the maximum vehicle speed
with snow chains.
WARNING
Please pay attention to the information in the supplied fitting instructions of
the snow chain manufacturer.
Caution
You must take the chains off as soon as you drive on roads which are free of snow.
They adversely affect the handling of your vehicle, damage the tyres and are rapidly
destroyed.
Note
We recommend that you use snow chains from the Škoda genuine accessories.
Wheel sizeDepth (D)Tyre si z e
6J x 15a)
a)Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 15 mm.
47 mm195/65
6,5J x 15a)50 mm195/65
6J x 16a)50 mm205/55
6J x 17b)
b)Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 9 mm.
45 mm205/50
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