2009 SKODA OCTAVIA technical data

Towing a trailer
208
Towing a trailerTo w i n g a t r a i l e rTechnical requirements The towing device must satisfy
certain technical requirements.
Your vehicle is designed primarily for tr
ansporting persons and luggage. It can,
however, also be used for towing a traile
r - provided certain te
chnical equipment is
fitted. If your vehicle has already been supplied with a
factory-fitted
towing device then
everything that is necessary
for towing a trailer in technical terms, and in terms of
the law, has already been taken into account. Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin po
wer socket for the electrical connection
between the vehicle and trailer. If th
e trailer which you wish to tow has a
7-pin
connector
, you can use a suitable adapter
18) from Škoda original accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordan
ce with the manufacturer's specifications
if a towing device is retrofitted. Authorised Škoda Service Partners are familiar with details relating to retrofitting a towing device and for any necessary
modifications to the cooling system.
WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device from Škoda original acces- sories installed by an authorised Škoda Service Partner. He is familiar with all the relevant details relating to retrofitting such equipment. There is a risk of an accident if the towing device is not properly fitted!
General Maintenance There are a number of points to
pay attention to when towing a
trailer.Trailer load The permissible trailer load must
on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appropriatel
y steeper inclines and desc
ents if you do not make
full use of the perm
issible trailer load.
The trailer loads specified only apply for
altitudes
up to 1 000 metres above mean
sea level. The fact that the engine power ou
tput drops with increasing height due to
a lowering of air pressure and thus the abil
ity to climb, means that the towed weight
must be reduced by 10% for every further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea level. The towed weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle and the (laden) trailer together. One should take this into account before driving up to higher alti- tudes. The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device are merely test data for the tow
ing device The data relating to your
vehicle, which is often less than this test data, can be found in your vehicle registration documents. Distribution of the load Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that any heavy items are located as close as possible to the axle. Secure
the items to prevent them slipping.
Tyre inflation pressure Select the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for that of “fully laden”, ⇒ page 238. The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to the trailer adjust in accord- ance with the manufacturer's recommendation. Exterior mirrors You have to have additional
exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the
traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exterior mirrors
18)In some countries the adapter is
supplied with the towing device.
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Towing a trailer
209
Using the system
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Technical 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 63. 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 yo
ur 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 temper
ature 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, particul
arly 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 36, “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
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
211
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General MaintenanceTaking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicleGeneralProper 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 purcha
sing vehicle care
products.•
Do not dispose of the packages with re
sidues of care products in domestic
waste.
Care of the exterior of vehicleWashing the vehicle Frequent washing protects your vehicle.The best protection for your vehicle agai
nst harmful environmen
tal 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!
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
213
Using the system
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Technical 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 treatmentGood 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 a
pplied 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.PolishingPolishing is only necessary if the paintwor
k of your vehicle ha
s 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 213.
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 partsFirst 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 damageSlight 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 authorised Škoda Service
Par tners. The authorised Škoda Service Partne
rs have a range of matching
touch-up pens
or
spray cans
available in the colour of your vehicle.
The paint number of the orig
inal paintwork of your ve
hicle is indicated on the
vehicle data sticker
⇒page 272.
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
authorised Škoda Service Partners.
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
215
Using the system
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Technical Data
WheelsSteel wheels You should also thoroughly wash the wheels and wheel trims when giving your vehicle its regular wash. This prevents an
y 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 th
e 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 protectionThe 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. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have suitable
spray products
available as
well as the necessary 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 an authorised 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 spacesAll 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
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Using the system
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Technical 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 an authorised Škoda Service Partner.
– Apply only a small amount of the care product. – Dry the leather off with a soft clothIt is best to consult an authorised Škod
a Service Partner if you have any questions
regarding cleaning and care of the
leather interior in your vehicle.
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 pe
riods 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, minor optical change
s can occur on the leather parts of the covers (e. g
wrinkles or creases 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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Fuel
219
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FuelPetrolGrades of petrolThere are various grades of petrol. Please read
⇒page 271, “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 222, fig. 206
.
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 the 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 whic
h 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 performance 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 222, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•
Filling the tank even only once with lead
ed petrol will result in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.•
Operating the engine with petrol of a lo
w octane number can result in engine
damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.Biofuel Ethanol E85*Ethanol E85* Only valid for vehicles with
1.6/75°kW MultiFuel engine.
Biofuel Ethanol E85 consists of 85% bioethanol and 15% unleaded petrol complying with the standard (DIN) EN°228. Biofuel Ethanol E85 in accordance with th
e standard (DIN) EN 2
28 can be mixed in
any desired ratio with unleade
d petrol, see Owner's Manual.
Drive the vehicle for at leas
t 5 minutes without interrupti
on, if biofuel Ethanol E85
has been refuelled, so that the engine co
ntrol unit can determine the share of the
biofuel in the fuel. During this period do
not drive at top speed
of your vehicle or
high engine speeds and not at full throttle
. During this process
decrease the idling
speed.
WARNING
Pay attention to any legal requirements if you do carry a spare canister in the vehicle. We do not recommend carrying
any fuel canisters in your vehicle for
safety reasons. The canister can be da
maged in the event of an accident and
fuel may leak out.
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Fuel
221
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Note
An extension cable used for
connecting to the electrical
network is located in the
luggage compartment.DieselDiesel fuelYour 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 p
oor, it is then necessary to drain the
fuel filter

more often than stated in the Service schedule. You can find information on refuelling
⇒page 222, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•
Only use fuel which complies with the standard
DINEN590
. Filling the tank
even only once, which does not comply with
the 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 biodiesel, therefore this fuel must not be
refuelled and driven. Using this biodiesel ca
n lead to damage to the engine or the
fuel system.
Operation in winterWinter-grade diesel fuel A different grade of diesel fuel is available at filling stations in winter than during the summer. Using “summer-grade diesel fuel” at temperatures below 0°C can result in operational problems because the diesel be
comes viscous as a result of paraffin
separation. It is therefore the case that DIN EN 590
prescribes diesel fuel class for certain
periods of the year which can also be pu
rchased at the corres
ponding time during
the year. “Winter-grade diesel fuel” will still operate properly even at a temperature of -20°C. It is often the case in countries with different climatic conditions that diesel fuels available have a different temperature characteristic. The authorised Škoda Service Partners and filling stations in the country concerned will be able to provide you with information regarding the diesel fuels available. Prewarming fuel The vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter prewarming system. This secures operation of a vehicle using diesel fuel down to an environmental temperature of -25°C.
Caution
It is not permitted to add the various fuel
additives on the market, including petrol,
to diesel fuel in order to
improve its flow properties.
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