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WARNING
•The cooling system is pressurized! Do not open the cap of the coolant
expansion bottle if the engine is still hot - risk of scalding!
•The coolant additive and thus all of the coolant is harmful to your health.
Avoid contact with the coolant. Coolant vapours are also harmful to the
health. It is important, therefore, to always safely store any coolant additive
in its original container out of the reach of children - risk of poisoning!
•If any splashes of coolant get into yo ur eyes, rinse out your eyes immedi-
ately with clear water and contact a doctor as soon as possible.
•You should also consult a doctor without delay if you have inadvertently
swallowed coolant.
Caution
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Switch of the engine and contact
and obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage.
For the sake of the environment
Do not re-use coolant if it is necessary to drain the coolant in the system. It should
be collected and disposed of in comp liance with environmental protection
regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan may switch on suddenly.
The radiator fan is driven by an electric motor and controlled according to the
coolant temperature.
The radiator fan may continue running fo r up to 10 minutes after the engine has
been switched off - even if the ignition is also off. It may also switch on suddenly
after a certain time, if
•the coolant temperature ha s risen because of an accumulation of heat or
•the warm engine compartmen t is heated up additionally by strong sunlight.
WARNING
You must therefore be aware when working in the engine compartment that
the fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury!
Brake fluid
Inspecting the brake fluid level
The brake fluid reservoir is located on the left of the engine compartment.
The brake fluid reservoir on right-hand steering models is positioned on
the other side of the engine compartment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒page 209, “Working in the engine compartment”.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir ⇒fig. 190 . The level must
be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-tear
and automatic adjustment of the br ake pads, and is perfectly normal.
Fig. 190 Engine compart-
ment: Brake fluid reservoir
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Inspecting and Replenishing217
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The battery is located in a plastic ho using in the engine compartment or
in the left side of the luggage compartment.
Battery in the engine compartment
– Press the interlock on the side of the battery cover ⇒page 216,
fig. 191 , fold the battery cover out and pull it out.
– The installation of the battery cover takes place in the reverse order.
Battery in the luggage compartment
– You can open the compartment with the symbol
by turning the
securing pins e. g with a coin or usin g a flat screwdriver in direction of
arrow ⇒fig. 192 .
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 corrosive 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.
•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.
Fig. 192 Luggage compart-
ment: Battery behind the
cover
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Inspecting the electrolyte level
The battery is practically maintenance-free under normal oper ating conditions.
We do, however, recommend that you have the electrolyte level inspected from
time to time by a Škoda Service Partner when outside temperatures are high or
when driving on long trips. You shou ld also check the electrolyte level ⇒page 219
each time the battery is charged.
The battery acid level will also be chec ked as part of the Inspection Service.
Operation in winter
The battery has to provide greater amounts of electricity during the winter. It also
has only part of the initial power output at low temperatures that it has at normal
temperatures.
A discharged battery may already freez e at temperatures just below 0°C.
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked by a Škoda dealer
before the start of the winter, and recharged if necessary.
WARNING
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic
burns. Replace a frozen battery.
Charging the battery
A properly charged battery is essential for reliably starting the
engine.
–Read the warning notes ⇒ in “Working on the battery” on
page 216 and ⇒.
– Switch the ignition and all electrical components off.
– Only for “quick-charging”: Disconnect both battery cables (first of all
“negative”, then “positive”). – Carefully attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery
terminals (red = “positive”, black = “negative”).
– You can now plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket
and switch on the charger.
– When charging is completed: switch the charger off and unplug the mains cable from the power socket.
– Only then should you disconnect the terminal clamps of the charger.
– Reconnect the cables to the battery (first of all “positive”, then “nega- tive”).
It is not normally necessary to disconnect the cables of the battery if you recharge
the battery using low amperages (as for example from a mini-charger). Please also
refer to the instructions from the charger manufacturer.
A charging current of 0.1 of the total battery capacity (or lower) is that which should
be used until full charging is achieved.
It is, however, necess ary to disconnect both cables be fore charging the battery with
high amperages, so-called “ quick-charging”.
“Quick-charging” a battery is dangerous ⇒ in “Working on the battery” on
page 216. It requires a special charger an d appropriate knowledge. We therefore
recommend that you have your battery qu ick-charged only by your Škoda Service
Par tner.
A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0°C ⇒. We
recommend that you no longer use a ba ttery which has thawed out because the
casing of the battery may be cracked through the formation of ice and this would
allow battery electrolyte to flow out.
The vent plugs of the battery should not be opened for charging.
WARNING
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic
burns. Replace a frozen battery.
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Caution
•On no account should you add radiator antifreeze or other additives to the
windscreen washer fluid.
•If the vehicle is fitted with headligh t cleaning system, you should only add
cleaning products which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the headlights
to the windscreen washer fluid. Please co ntact your Škoda Service Partner, who will
tell you which cleaning agent you can use.
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Wheels and Tyres223
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
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 222, fig. 195 . The inflation pressures for winter tyres are 20 kPa
(0.2 bar) higher than those for summer tyres ⇒page 226.
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 im balance 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 rear 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.
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. 196 . Markings on the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”,
triangular symbols or other symbols identify 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
•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).
Fig. 196 Tyre tread with wear
indicators
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The date of manufacture
is als o stated o n the tyre wa ll (pos si bl y only on the inside
of wheel):
DOT ... 20 08...
means, for example, that the tyre was ma nufactured in the 20th week of the year
2008.
Any spare wheel which differs from the tyres fitted to the vehicle (e.g. winter tyres
or low-profile tyres) should only be used only for a short time in the event of a
puncture and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving. It should be
replaced as quickly as possible by a normal wheel.
WARNING
•Only use those tyres or wheel rims which have been approved for your
model of Škoda Auto a.s. vehicle. Failure to observe this instruction will
adversely affect the road safety of your vehicle - risk of accident! Approval
and licencing of your vehicle on publ ic roads may also become void as a
result.
•You must on no account drive at a hi gher speed than is permissible for
your tyres - risk of an accident resulting from tyre damage and loss of control
over your vehicle.
•Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional
cases and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.
•Never fit tyres which have already be en used without having adequate
knowledge of their previous history. Tyres age even if they have not been
used at all or only very little. A spare tyre must only be used in exceptional
cases and only then when adopting an appropriately cautious style of
driving.
•Do not, where possible, replace indivi dual tyres but at least replace them
on both wheels of a given axle at the same time. Always fit the tyres with the
deeper tread depth to the front wheels.
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of in conf ormity with the appropriate regulations.
Note
It is not normally possible to fit wheels from other models of cars for technical
reasons. This may also apply in certain circumstances to the wheels of the same
type of vehicle.
Wheel bolts
Wheels and wheel bolts are matched to each other in terms of design. Each time
you fit other wheels - e.g. light alloy wheels or wheels with winter tyres - you must
therefore also use the matching wheel bolts of the correct length and shape of
spherical cap. This is essent ial to ensure that the wheels are tightly fitted and that
the brake system operates properly.
If you retrofit wheel trims (or have this done), please also ensure that an adequate
flow of air remains assured for cooling the brake system.
The Škoda Service Partners are instructed in the technical possibilities which exist
regarding converting or retrofitting wheels, tyres and wheel trim.
WARNING
•In case of incorrect treatment of th e wheel bolts, the wheel can loosen
when the car is moving - risk of accident!
•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.
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Wheels and Tyres227
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When driving on wintry roads, snow chains improve not only traction, but also the
braking performance.
For technical reasons, it is only permissi
ble to fit snow chains with the following
wheel/tyre combinations:
Only use fine-link snow chains . They must not project more than 9 mm -
including the chain lock.
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 hand ling 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 s iz e
7J x 1645 mm205/55
6J x 1745 mm205/50
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Breakdown assistance229
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Breakdown assistance
Breakdown assistance
First-aid box*
First-aid box
The compartment for stowing the first-aid bo x is located in the right of the luggage
compartment ⇒fig. 198 .
Note
Pay attention to the use-by-date of the contents of the first-aid box.
Warning triangle
The warning triangle can be attached to the trim panel of the rear wall with rubber
straps ⇒fig. 199 .
Fire extinguisher*
The fire extinguisher is attached with straps in a holder under the driver seat.
Please read carefully the instructions which are atta ched to the fire extin-
guisher.
The fire extinguisher must be checked by an authorised person or company annu-
ally (please observe the differing legal requirements).
Fig. 198 Compartment for
stowing first-aid boxFig. 199 Placing of the
warning triangle
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