2009 SKODA OCTAVIA warning

Intelligent Technology
196
WARNING
Even with this function the vehicle ca
nnot steer itself! The
driver is further-
more responsible for the steering of the vehicle!BrakesWhat has a negative effect on braking efficiency?Wear-and-tear Wear-and-tear to the brake pads is greatly dependent on the operating conditions of the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns and over short distances or if you adopt a
sporty style of driving, it may be neces-
sary to have the thickness of the brake
pads inspected at a specialist garage
between the service inspections. Wet roads or road salt There may be a certain delay before the br
akes take full effect under certain condi-
tions such as when driving through water,
during heavy rain
showers or after the
vehicle has been washed in
an automatic vehicle wash, since the brake discs and
brake pads may be moist or even have a
coating of ice on them in winter. You
should dry the brakes as soon as possib
le by applying and releasing the brakes
several times. There also may be a certain delay before the
full braking efficiency is available when
driving on roads which have been treated wi
th road salt if yo
u have not used the
brakes for some considerable time beforeha
nd. The layer of salt on the brake discs
and brake pads must first be rubb
ed off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on th
e bake pads occur if
the vehicle has been
parked for a long period and if you do
not make much use of the braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by
firmly applying the brakes at a fairly
high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corro- sion is present
⇒
.
Faults in the brake surface If you notice that the braking distance
has suddenly become longer and that the
brake pedal can be depressed further, it is
possible that a brake circuit of the dual-
circuit brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist garage without delay in order to have the problem rectified. Drive at a reduced speed while on your way to the dealer and adapt your style of driving to the higher brake pedal pressure required. Low brake fluid level An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake system. The level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically
⇒page 40, “Brake system
”.
WARNING
•
Only apply the brakes for the purpos
e of drying and cleaning the brake
discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place any other road users in jeopardy.•
When retrospectively mounting a front
spoiler, solid wheel hubs etc. one
must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel brakes is not reduced otherwise the braking sy
stem could run too hot.
•
Allow for the fact that new brake pads
do not achieve th
eir full braking
efficiency until approximately 200 kilo
metres. New brake pads must be first
“run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compensate for this slightly reduced
braking force by increasing the pres-
sure on the brake pedal. This guidelin
e also applies to any new brake pads
installed at a future date.
Caution
•
Never allow the brakes to ru
b by applying slig
ht pressure if you do not wish to
brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also result in a longer braking distance and excessive wear.•
Before negotiating a steep downhill sect
ion, please reduce your speed, shift
down into the next lower gear (manual ge
arbox) or select a lower driving stage
(automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use of the braking power of the
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Intelligent Technology
197
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
vehicle and reduces the strain on the brakes
. Any additional braking should be done
intermittently, no
t continuously.
Note
The brake light flashes automa
tically in case of an em
ergency braking at speeds
g re a t e r t h a n 6 0 k m /h o r w i t h t he i n t e r v e n t i o n o f th e A BS , w h i ch l a s t s l o n g e r th a n 1 .5 seconds. After the speed was reduced belo
w 10 km/h or the vehicle was stopped,
the brake light stops flashing and the hazard warning light system switches on. The hazard warning light system is switched
off automatically after accelerating or
driving off again.Brake boosterThe brake booster boosts the pressure which you generate with the brake pedal. The necessary pressure is only gene
rated when the engine is running.
WARNING
•
Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary.
•
The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater
physical effort for braking is required
when engine is switched off. Because
if you do not stop as normal, this can cause an accident and severe injuries.Antilock brake system (ABS)ABS prevents the wheels locking when braking.General The ABS contributes significan
tly to enhancing the active
safety of your vehicle.
Compared to a vehicle not fitted with the ABS brake system, you are able to retain optimal steering ability even during a fu
ll brake application on a slippery road
surface because the wheels do not lock up. You must not expect, however, that the br
aking distance will be shorter under all
circumstances as a result of the ABS. Th
e braking distance for example on gravel
and fresh snow, when you should anyway be driving slowly and cautiously, will be longer. Operating principle The brake pressure will be reduced on a wheel which is rotating at a speed which is too low for the speed of the vehicle and tend
ing to lock. This control cycle is notice-
able from a
pulsating movement of the brake pedal
which is accompanied by
noises. This is consciously intended to provide the driver with the information that the wheels are tending to lock (ABS control range). You must always keep the brake pedal depressed to enable the ABS to optima
lly control the brake application in this
braking range. Never interrupt the application of the brakes!
WARNING
•
The ABS can also not overcome the physic
al limits of your vehicle. Please
do not forget this, particularly when driv
ing on icy or wet road surfaces. If the
ABS is operating within the control ra
nge, adapt your speed immediately to
the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered by the ABS must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!•
The normal braking system is still fully
functional if there is an ABS fault.
Visit a specialist garage as quickly as po
ssible and adjust yo
ur style of driving
to take account of the ABS fault in the meantime since you will not know how great the damage is.
Note
•
A warning light comes on if a fault occurs in the ABS system
 ⇒page 38.
•
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 ABS
⇒page 244,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
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Intelligent Technology
198
Brake Assist*During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake Assist increases the braking force and thus makes it possible to rapidly produce the pressure required in the brake system. The majority of drivers do
apply the brakes in good time in dangerous situations,
but do not depress the brake pedal with su
fficient pressure. Consequently, it is not
possible for the vehicle to achieve its maximum deceleration and the vehicle covers a greater distance than necessary. The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake pedal. In such cases, a much greater braking pressure ex
ists than during a normal brake applica-
tion. This makes it possible, even with a relatively low resistance of the brake pedal, to produce an adequate pressure in the brake system in the shortest possible time, which is required for maximum deceleration of the vehicle. You must apply the brake pedal firmly and hold it in this po
sition in order to achieve the shortest
possible braking distance. The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emergency situations by rapidly producing the pressure
required in the brake system. It fully
exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of the Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate in the normal way. The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If a fault occurs in the ESP, the Brake Assist function is also not available.
Further information on the ESP
⇒page 193.
WARNING
•
The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your
vehicle in terms of the braking distance required.•
Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.•
The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to
take a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Uphill-Start
off-Assist*
The uphill-start off-assist makes it much easier to start off on steep hills. The system assists a start off by holding the brake pr
essure produced by the brake pedal actu-
ation for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore move his foot from the brake pedal to th
e accelerator pedal and start off on the
slope, without having to actuate the hand
brake. The brake pressure drops gradually
the more you operate the accelerator pedal. If the vehicle does not start off within 2 seconds, it starts to roll back. The uphill-start off-assist is active in the ev
ent of a 5% slope, if the vehicle door is
closed. It is alwa
ys active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When
driving downhill, it is inactive.Electromechanical power steeringThe power steering enables you to steer
the vehicle with le
ss physical force.
With the electromechanical power steering, the steering assist is automatically adapted to the speed and to the steering angle. It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine is not running (vehicle being towed in). The
only difference is that greater physical
effort is required. If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light
 or  lights up in the
instrument cluster
⇒page 35.
WARNING
Contact your specialist
garage if the power steering is defective.
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Intelligent Technology
199
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Tyre inflation pressu
re-control system*
The tyre inflation pressure-control system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors the speed and also the rolling circumference
of the individual wheels. If the rolling
circumference of a wheel is changed, the warning light
 lights up in the instru-
ment cluster
⇒page 38 and an audible signal sound
s. The rolling circumference of
the tyre can change if:•
the tyre inflation pressure is too low,
•
the structure of the tyre is damaged,
•
the vehicle is loaded on one side,
•
the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when
driving uphill or downhill),•
snow chains are mounted,
•
the temporary spare wheel is mounted,
•
one wheel per axle was changed.
Basic setting of tyre inflation pressure-control system After changing the tyre inflation pressures or after changing one or several wheels, a basic setting of the system must be carried out as follows.•
Inflate all tyres to the specified inflation pressure
⇒page 238.
•
Switch on the ignition.
•
Press button
⇒fig. 198
for more than 2 seconds. While pressing the
button, the warning light
 lights up. At the same time the memory of the system
is erased and the new calibration is star
ted, which is confirmed with an audible
signal and then the warning light
 goes out.
•
If the warning light
 does not go out after the basic setting, there is a fault in
the system. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage. Warning light
 lights up
If the tyre inflation pressure of at least on
e wheel is insufficiently inflated in compar-
ison to the stored basic value, the warning light
 ⇒
lights up.
Warning light
 flashes
If the warning light flashes, there is a system fault. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage.
WARNING
•
When the warning light
 lights up, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake mano
euvres. Please stop the vehicle
without delay at the nearest possible stop and inspect the tyres and their inflation pressures.•
The driver is responsible for the correc
t tyre inflation pressures. For this
reason, the tyre inflation pressures must be checked regularly.•
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.•
The tyre inflation pressure-control system does not take away the
responsability from the driver for the correct tyre inflation pressure.
Note
The tyre inflation pressure-control system:•
does not replace the regular tyre inflatio
n pressure control, because the system
cannot detect an even pressure loss,
Fig. 198 Button for setting the tyre inflation pressure control value
 
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Intelligent Technology
200
•
cannot warn in case of very rapid tyre inflation pressure loss, e.g. in case of
sudden tyre damage. In this case carefully
bring the vehicle to a standstill without
sudden steering movements and without sharp braking.Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)In the diesel particle filter the resulting soot particles are collected and burnt during the combustion of diesel fuel.Code
7GG
, 7MB
or
7MG
on the vehicle data sticker, see
⇒
fig. 199
, indi-
cates that your vehicle is equipped with
a diesel particle filter. The vehicle
data sticker is located on the floor of the luggage compartment and is also stated in the Service schedule.The diesel particle filter filters the soot particles completely from the exhaust. The soot is collected in the diesel particle filter and burnt regularly. To assist this proce-dure, we recommend not to drive
regularly over short distances.
If the diesel particle filter is clogged or there is a fault, it is indicated by the warning light

.
WARNING
•
The diesel particle filter achieves
very high temperatures. Therefore do
not park at points where the hot filter comes into direct contact with dry grass or other combustible materials - risk of fire!•
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection
agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic
converters, diesel particle filter or
heat shields. When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances might ignite - risk of fire.
Note
•
When using diesel fuel with high sulphur
content the life of the diesel particle
filter is clearly reduced. A specialist garage
will be able to tell you which countries
use only diesel fuel wi
th high sulphur content.
Fig. 199 Vehicle data sticker
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Driving and the Environment
202
Catalytic converterProper operation of the emission co
ntrol system (catal
ytic converter)
is of major significance for drivin
g your vehicle in an environmen-
tally conscious way.Please refer to the following guidelines: – For vehicles with petrol engine
only refuel with unleaded petrol
⇒
page 219, “Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty. – Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle. – Do not pour too much oil into the engine
⇒
page 228, “Replenishing
engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a
distance of more than 50 metres
⇒
page 253, “Tow-starting and towing vehicle”.
If you drive your vehi
cle in a country in which unleaded
petrol is not available, you
must have the catalytic converter replaced
later when driving the vehicle into a
country in which use of a cata
lytic converter is mandatory.
WARNING
•
In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the catalytic
converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way that the catalytic converter cannot come into contact with
easily flammable materials below
the vehicle - a risk of fire!•
Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection
agents for the exhaust pipes, catalyti
c converters or heat shields. Such
substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution
•
On vehicles fitted with
a catalytic converter, never let the fuel tank run
completely empty. An irregular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust sy
stem and damage the catalytic converter.
•
Filling the tank even only once with le
aded petrol will resu
lt in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.•
If you detect misfiring, a drop in performance or irregular engine running when
driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the nearest specialist garage. The symptoms described may be caused by a fault in the ignition system. Unburnt fuel may get in
to the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even if the exhaust system is operating properly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may be produced under certain op
erating conditions of the en
gine. This depends on the
sulphur content of the fuel. It is often su
fficient to refuel with unleaded premium-
grade petrol of a different brand or at a different filling station.Driving in an economical and environmentally conscious mannerGeneral Your personal style of driving is a major factor.Your fuel consumption, any pollution of
the environmental and the wear-and-tear
to the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:•
your personal style of driving,
•
the conditions under which
your vehicle is operated,
•
technical aspects.
You can easily improve your fuel economy by 10 - 15 percent by driving in an economical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a
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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
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
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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