2009 SKODA OCTAVIA brakes

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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Driving and the Environment
201
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving and the EnvironmentThe first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwardsA new engine The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres.Up to 1 000 kilometres – Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the
maximum speed of the gear in use,
that is 3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.– Avoid high engine revolutions. – Do not tow a trailer. From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres – Increase the power output of the engine
gradually
up to the full
speed of the gear engaged, that
is up to the maximum permissible
engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine
has higher internal
friction than later
until all of the moving parts have harmonized. The driving style which you adopt during the first approx.1 500 kilometres
plays a decisive part in the success of
running in yo
ur vehicle.
You should not drive at unnecessarily
high engine revolutions
even after the
running-in period is
complete. The maximum permissib
le engine spee
d is marked
by the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up into the next higher gear on a vehicle
fitted with manual gearbox before the red
zone is reached.
Extremely
high engine revolutions are automatically governed, by
the way. For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox
the converse situation also applies: Do
not drive at engine revolutions which are
too low
. Shift down as soon as the engine
is no longer running smoothly.
Caution
All the speed and engine revolution figure
s apply only when the engine is at its
normal operating temperature. Never rev up
an engine which is cold, neither when
the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.
For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear as early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise levels and protects the environment.New tyresNew tyres have to be “run in” since they do
not offer optimal grip at first. You should
take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly carefully.New brake padsAllow for the fact that new brake pads do
not achieve their full braking efficiency
until approximately 200 kilometres. 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 pressure on the brake pedal. This guideline also applies to any new
brake pads installed at a future date.
During the running-in period, you should
avoid excessive stresses on the brakes.
This includes, for example, violent braking,
particularly from very high speeds, and
also when crossing mountain passes.
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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
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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Inspecting and replenishing
232
We recommend that you have the brake fluid replaced by a
Škoda Service Partner

as part of an Inspection Service.
WARNING
•
Using old brake fluid can result in seve
re stress on the brakes because of
the formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system. This greatly impairs the braking efficiency and thus also the safety of your vehicle.•
Brake fluid is toxic! It must therefore be kept safely in closed original
containers and well aw
ay from children and unauthorized persons.
Caution
Brake fluid damages the pa
intwork of the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
In view of the problems involved with prop
er disposal of brake fluid, the special
tools and the professional knowledge required, you should have the brake fluid replaced by a Škoda Service Partner.BatteryWorking on the battery
The battery is located in the engine
compartment in a polyester cover or
in a plastic cover*. – Open the battery cover in direction of arrow
⇒
fig. 214
or press the
interlock on the side of the battery cover
⇒
fig. 215
, fold the cover up
and remove the battery.
– The installation of the battery cov
er takes place in the reverse order.
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 corros
ive 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 dental 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).
Fig. 214 Engine compart- ment: Polyester cover of the vehicle battery
Fig. 215 Engine compart-ment: Plastic cover of the vehicle battery
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Index295
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Index
AAbroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Active driver-steering recommendation . . . . . . . 195
Adjusting seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75, 164
electrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Adjusting the steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Recirculated air mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Front airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Head airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Alternator
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Antilock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Antilock brake system (ABS)
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Auto Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Emergency programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Kickdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Selector lever-emergency unlocking . . . . . . . 138
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Automatic light control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Automatic seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Automatic vehicle wash systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Automatic wiper/washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
AUX-IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
BBattery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, 232
change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Inspecting the electrolyte level . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Operation in winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Before setting off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Belt
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143, 153
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 224
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Boot lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Brake
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Brake pads
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Button for the central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Buttons on the driver's door
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
CCar state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
CD changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
unlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
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