2008 SKODA SUPERB light

Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
198
Automatic vehicle wash systems
The paintwork of the vehicle is sufficiently resistant that the vehicle can be washed
normally in automatic vehicle wash plants without any problem. The actual stress
to which the paintwork is subjected, however, depends greatly on the design of the
vehicle wash system, the filtering of the water and the type of washing and care
products used. If the paintwork of your vehicle appears mat after being washed or
even has scratches, point this out to the operator of the vehicle wash plant. Use a
different vehicle wash plant, if necessary.
There are no particular points to note be fore washing your vehicle in such a plant
other than the usual precautionary measur es (closing windows and sliding/tilting
roof, moving any factory-fitted aerials down flat against the bodywork, etc.).
If you have any particular atta ch e d p a r t s f i t te d t o y o u r c a r - s u ch a s s p o i l e r, ro o f ra ck
system, two-way radio aerial - it is best to first of all consult the operator of the car
wash plant.
It is important to degrease the lips of the windscreen wiper rubbers after passing
through the automatic vehicle wash system.
Caution
Do not screw the swivelling down roof aeri al tight before washing the vehicle in an
automatic vehicle wash sy stem - risk of damage!
Washing vehicle by hand
It is important to first soften the dirt with plenty of water and rinse it off as thor-
oughly as possible before wa shing your vehicle by hand.
One should then clean the vehicle using a soft washing sponge, washing glove or
a washing brush and only slight pressure. Work from the top to the bottom -
beginning with the roof. Only place slight pressure on the vehicle paintwork during
cleaning Only use a car shampoo for stubborn dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.
Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for such areas. Rinse off the vehicle well after giving it a wash and dry it off using a chamois leather.
WARNING
•The ignition should always be switched off when you wash your vehicle -
risk of accident!
•Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when you
are cleaning the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel
trims - risk of cuts.
Caution
•Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight - risk of paint damage.
•Ensure that the jet of water is not aimed directly at the locks or at the door and
panel joints if you spray your vehicle in winter down with a hose - risk of freezing.
•Do not use any insect sponges, rough ki tchen sponges or similar cleaning prod-
ucts - risk of damage to the surface of paintwork.
For the sake of the environment
Only wash your vehicle at washing bays specifically reserved for this purpose. This
ensures that no water which may be cont aminated by oil flows into the sewage
system. It is not even permitted to wash your vehicle in certain areas except at such
specific washing bays.
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
When you wash your vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, it is essential to comply
with the instructions for use of the cleaning equipment. This applies in particular to
the pressure used and to the spraying distance . Maintain a sufficiently large
distance to soft materials such as rubber hoses or insulation material.
On no account use circular spray nozzles or so-called dirt cutters!
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle199
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
WARNING
It is particularly important that you do not clean tyres with circular spray
jets. Visible but also invisible damage to tyres may occur even at a relatively
large spraying distance and if sprayed only for a short time - risk of accident!
Caution
The water containing wax must be no hott er than 60°C, otherwise the vehicle can
be damaged.
Wax treatment
Good wax treatment is an effective way of protecting the paintwork from harmful
environmental influences an d minor mechanical damage.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-qua lity hard wax polish at the latest, when
no more drops form on the clean paintwork.
A new layer of a high-quality hard wax polish can be applied to the clean bodywork
after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver regularly we still
recommend that you treat the paintwork of the vehicle at least twice a year with
hard wax.
Caution
Never apply wax to the windows.
Polishing
Polishing is only necessary if the paintwor k of your vehicle has become unattractive
and if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax preserver if the polish you use does not
contain any preserving elements ⇒page 199.
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer.
Caution
•You must not treat mat painted parts or plastic with polishing products or hard
wax.
•Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicle in a dusty environment, otherwise
the paintwork can be scratched.
Chrome parts
First clean the chrome parts with a damp clotch and then polish them with a soft,
dry cloth. If it does not prove to be adequate, use a chrome care product from
Škoda original accessories.
Caution
Do not polish the chrome parts in a du sty environment, otherwise they can be
scratched.
Paint damage
Slight damage to paintwork such as scratche s, scuffs or traces of chip damage must
be touched up immediately with paint (Škoda painting pen) before any corrosion
can result. You can of course have this wo rk carried out by a Škoda Service Partner.
Škoda Service Partners have a range of matching touch-up pens or spray cans
available in the colo ur of your vehicle.
The paint number of the original paintwor k of your vehicle is indicated on the
vehicle data sticker ⇒page 255.
Any corrosion which has already have formed must be removed thoroughly. Apply
a corrosion protection primer and then the paint to the affected point. You can of
course have this work carried out by a Škoda Service Partner.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
200
Plastic parts
External plastic parts are cleaned by normal washing. Plastic parts and synthetic
leather can also be treated with special solvent-free plastic cleaning agents if a
damp cloth is not sufficient. Paint care pr oducts are not suitable for plastic parts.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.
Windows
Only use a plastic ice scraper for removing snow and ice from the windows and
mirrors. You should not move the ice scraper forward and backward but in one
direction on the window which you are clea ning in order to avoid any damage to
the surface of the glass.
You can best remove residues of rubber, oil, grease, wax or silicone by using a
special window cleaner or a special silicone remover.
You should also clean the windows regularly from the inside.
Do not use window leathers which you have used to polish the vehicle body to dry
off the windows. Residues of preservati ves in the window leather can dirty the
window and reduce visibility.
Do not affix any stickers over the inside of the rear window to avoid damage to the
heating elements of the rear window heater .
We recommend using a preservative from Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Never remove snow or ice from the glass parts with warm or hot water - risk of
formation of cracks in the glass!
The headlight lenses
Please do not use any aggres sive cleaning or chemical solvent pr oducts - risk of
damage to the plastic lenses Please use soap and clean warm water.
Caution
Never wipe the headlights dry and do not use any sharp objects for cleaning the
plastic lenses, this may result in damage to the protective paintwork and conse-
quently in formation of cracks on the head light lenses, e.g through effect of chem-
ical products.
Door and window seals
The rubber seals on the doors, boot lid, bonnet and windows remain supple and
last longer if you treat them from time to time with a rubber care product (e.g. with
a spray with silicone-free oil). You also avoid premature wear of the seals and
prevent leakages in this way. It is also easier to open the doors. Rubber seals which
are well cared for also do not stick together in cold winter weather.
Locks
We recommend that you use the spray from Škoda original accessories with
regreasing and anticorrosive effect for de-icing locks.
Note
When washing your vehicle, ensure that as little water as possible gets into the
locks.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle201
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 partic ularly important to remove any road salt
and brake abrasion from light alloy wheels every two weeks, otherwise the surface
will suffer. Wash thoroughly and then treat the wheels with a protective product for
light alloy wheels which does not contain any acidic components. You should
provide the wheel hubs with a hard wax la yer 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!
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
202
Engine compartment
Good corrosion protection is very importan t, particularly in winter when one often
drives over its salt-strewn roads. One should therefore clean the whole engine
compartment before and after the salt spre ading period and treat with preservative
in order to prevent the salt from being destructive.
Škoda Service Partners have the cleaning agents and preservatives recommended
by the manufacturer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter before
working on the engine compartment ⇒page 209, “Working in the engine
compartment”.
•Let the engine cool down before cleaning the engine compartment.
Caution
•Engine cleaning may be only be und ertaken when the ignition is off.
•It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine compart-
ment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by washing the engine has washed away petrol, and resi-
dues of grease and oil and should therefor e be cleaned by an oil separator. This is
why engine washing should only be undertake n in a specialist garage or at a fueling
station (when these are fitted with the required equipment).
Care of the interior of vehicle
Plastic parts, artificial leather and cloths
You can clean plastic parts and artificial le ather with a moist cloth. You should only
treat such parts with special solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products it
does prove to be adequate.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the doors, luggage compartment cover, head-
liner etc. are best treated with special cleaning products, using if necessary a dry
foam and a soft sponge or brush.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered
by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.
Fabric covers of electrically heated seats
Do not clean the seat covers moist as this may result in damage to the seat heating
system.
Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam.
Natural leather
Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.
Leather should be treated from time to time according the following
guidelines depending on how much it is used.
Normal cleaning
– Clean soiled areas of the leather with slightly moistened cotton or
woollen cloth.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle203
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Severe soiling
– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solu-
tion (2 spoonfuls of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
– Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point and that no water gets into the stitching of the seams.
– Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
Removing stains
– Remove fresh stains which are water-based (e.g. coffee, tea, juices,
blood etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household paper or use the
cleaner from the care set for a stain which has already dried in.
– Remove fresh stains on a fat base (e.g. butter, mayonnaise, chocolate
etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household cleaning paper or with the
cleaner from the care set if the stain has not yet penetrated into the
surface.
– Use a grease dissolver for grease stains which have dried in .
–Eliminate special stains (e.g. ball-point pens, felt pen, nail varnish,
dispersion paint, shoe cream etc.) with a special stain remover suit-
able for leather.
Leather care
– Treat the leather every six months with the leather care product avail- able from Škoda Service Partners.
– Apply only a small amount of the care product.
– Dry the leather off with a soft cloth
It is best to consult your Škoda Service Partner if you have any questions regarding
cleaning and care of the leather interior.
Caution
•You must on no account treat the leathe r with solvents (e.g. gasoline, turpen-
tine), floor wax, shoe cream or such like.
•Avoid leaving your vehicle for lengthy periods in bright sunlight in order to
avoid bleaching the leather. If you leave yo ur vehicle parked in the open for lengthy
periods, protect the leather from the direct rays of the sun by covering it over.
•Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-
edged belts may leave permanent scratches or signs of rubbing on the surface.
Note
•Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect regularly and each
time after cleaning the leather. The cream no urishes the leather, allows it to breathe
and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also creates surface protection.
•Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove fresh soiling each time this
occurs.
•Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
cream etc., as quickly as possible.
•Care also for the leather dye. Refreshen areas which have lost their colour with
a special coloured leather cream as required.
•The leather is a natural material with specific properties. During the use of the
vehicle, small optical changes can occur on the leather parts of the covers (e. g
wrinkles as a result of the stress of the covers).
Seat belts
– Keep the seat belts clean!
– Wash seat belts which have become soiled using a mild soapy solu-
tion.
– Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition.
Belt webbing which has become severely so iled may prevent the inertia reel from
reeling up the belt properly.
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Fuel205
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Fuel
Petrol
Grades of petrol
There are various grades of petrol. Please read ⇒page 255, “Technical Data” in
order to know which grade of petrol your vehicle requires. You will also find the
same information affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap of your vehicle
⇒ page 206, fig. 184 .
A distinction is made between unleaded an d leaded petrol. All Škoda vehicles with
petrol engines are equipped with a catalyti c converter and must therefore be only
driven with unleaded petrol . Unleaded petrol complies with the standard
DINEN228 .
The individual grades of petr ol are distinguished by their octane number (RON).
Please adopt the following procedure if th e grade of petrol which you normally use
is not be available in exceptional circumstances.
•Engines which need unleaded premium petrol 95 RON can also be run on
unleaded regular petrol 91 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss in
performance.
If, in an emergency, the only fuel availa ble is one which has a lower octane number
than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine speeds and
lower engine loadings.
You can make unlimited use of fuel which has a higher octane number than that
required by the engine. There will, howeve r, be no advantages gained by this in
terms of engine performa nce and fuel consumption!
The handling, performance and life of your engine are determined to a significant
extent by the quality of the fuel. Do not use any petrol additives. Use a fuel
complying with the standard.
You can find further information on refuelling ⇒page 206, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.
•Operating the engine with petrol of a low octane number can result in engine
damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.
Diesel
Diesel fuel
Your vehicle can be operated with diesel fuel, which complies with the standard
DIN EN 590 .
Fuel additives
You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar
products) in diesel fuel.
If the quality of the diesel fuel is poor, it is then necessary to drain the fuel filter
more often than stated in the Service schedule.
You can find information on refuelling ⇒page 206, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•Use a fuel which complies with the standard DINEN590. Filling the tank even
only once, which does not comply with th e standard, can result in damage to the
fuel system.
•Water which has collected in the fuel fi lter can result in engine problems.
•Your vehicle is not adapted for use of biofuel (RME), therefore this fuel must not
be refuelled and driven. Using this fuel (RME) can lead to damage to the engine or
the fuel system.
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Inspecting and Replenishing
212
Oil level within range
–You must not top up the oil.
Oil level within range
–You may top up the oil. It is possible that the oil level may then be
within range after doing this.
Oil level within range
–You must top up the oil ⇒page 212. It is sufficient, once this is done,
to keep the oil level is within range .
It is normal for the engine to consume oil. The oil cons umption may be as much as
0.5 l/1 000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which
you operate your vehicle. The oil consumpt ion may be slightly higher than this
during the first 5 000 kilometres.
One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every time
after the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches.
We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range if the engine has been
operating at high loads, for example during a lengthy motorway trip during the
summer months, towing a trailer or negotiating a high mountain pass, but not
above this .
The warning light in the instrument cluster* will indicate ⇒page 35, “Engine oil
level* ” whether the oil level is too low. In this case, check the oil level as soon as
possible. Top up with an a ppropriate quantity of oil.
Caution
•The oil level must on no account ex tend beyond the range . Danger of
damaging the catalytic converter.
•Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prevailing to top up with oil. Switch of the engine and contact and
obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage.
Replenishing engine oil
– Inspecting the engine oil level ⇒page 211.
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening.
– Pour in a suitable grade of oil in portions of 0.5 litres ⇒page 210.
– Inspect the oil level ⇒page 211, “Check engine oil level”.
– Carefully screw on the cap of the filler opening and push the dipstick in fully.
WARNING
•Avoid dripping oil onto hot parts of the engine when topping up will oil -
a risk of fire!
•Read and observe the warning notes ⇒page 209, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must on no account be above the range ⇒page 211. Oil will other-
wise be drawn in through the crankcase ventilation and may pass through the
exhaust system to atmosphere. The oil ma y combust in the catalytic converter and
damage it.
Changing engine oil
The engine oil must be changed at the intervals stated in the Service schedule or
according to the service interval indicator ⇒page 12, “Service Interval Display”.
WARNING
•Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required profes-
sional knowledge!
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