2009 SKODA OCTAVIA check engine

Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
40
Brake system

The warning light
 flashes or comes on if the brake fluid level is too low, if there
is a fault in the ABS or if
the handbrake is applied.
If the warning light
 flashes and an audible signal sounds three times (handbrake
is not applied),
stop
and check the brake fluid level
⇒
.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Brake fluid Owner's manual
If there is a fault in the ABS which also in
fluences the function of the brake system
(e.g. distribution of brake pressure), the ABS warning light
 comes on and at the
same time the brake system warning light starts flashing
. Be aware that not only
the ABS but also another part of th brake system is defective
⇒
.
An audible signal sounds three times as an additional warning signal.One should get used to high pedal forces, long braking distances and long free play of the brake pedal when driving to the next specialist garage. For further information on the brake system
⇒page 196, “Brakes”.
Handbrake applied The warning light
 also comes on if the handbrake is applied. An audible warning
is also given if you drive the vehicle for at least 3 seconds at a speed of more than 6 km/h. The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Release parking brake!
WARNING
•
Pay attention to the following instru
ctions before checking the brake
fluid level and opening the bonnet
⇒page 225, “Working in the engine
compartment”.•
If the brake system warning light
 does not go out a few seconds after
switching on the ignition or comes on when driving, stop immediately and check the brake fluid in the reservoir
⇒page 231. If the fluid level has
dropped below the MIN marking, do not
drive any further - risk of accident!
Obtain professional assistance.Alternator

The warning light
 comes on after the ignition has been switched on. It should go
out after the engine has started. If the warning light does not go out after
the engine has started, or comes on when
driving, drive to the nearest specialist garage. The vehicle battery will be discharged in this case so switch off all non-essential electrical components.
Caution
If the warning light
 comes on when driving and in
addition the warning light

(cooling system fault) also comes on in display, you must then stop the car imme- diately and switch the engine off - risk of engine damage!Engine oil level

Warning light
 lights up
If the warning light
 lights up, the quantity of oil in the engine is probably too low.
Check as soon as possible the oil level or top up
⇒page 228, “Replenishing engine
oil” with engine oil. A peep sounds as an additional warning signal.The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Check oil level!
The warning light will go out if the bonnet is
left open for more than 30 seconds. If
no engine oil has been replenished, the
warning light will come on again after
driving about 100 km.
WARNING (continued)
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Heating and air conditioning system
115
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
For the sake of the environment
When you economize on fuel, you
also reduce pollutant emissions.
Operational problemsIf the cooling system does not operate at outside temperatures higher than +5 °C, there is a problem in the system. The reasons for this may be:•
The fuse on the air conditioning system
has blown. Check the fuse, replace it if
necessary
⇒page 258.
•
The cooling system has switched off automatically for a short time because the
coolant temperature of the engine is too hot
⇒page 18.
If you are not able to rectify the operat
ional problem yourself, or if the cooling
capacity decreases, switch the cooling sy
stem off. Contact a specialist garage.
Climatronic* (automatic air conditioning)Description The Climatronic system is a combin
ation of an automatic heating,
fresh air and cooling system which provides optimal comfort for the occupants of the car.The Climatronic maintains fully automatically a convenience temperature. This is achieved by automatically varying the temperature of the outflowing air, the blower stages and the air distribution. The system also takes into account sunlight which eliminates the need to alte
r the settings manually. The
automatic mode

⇒ page 117 ensures maximum wellbeing of th
e occupants at all times of the year.
Description of Climatronic system The cooling operates only if the following conditions are met:•
engine running,
•
outside temperature above approx. +2°C,
•
switched on.
If the cooling system is switched on, th
e temperature and air humidity drops in the
vehicle. The wellbeing of the occupants of
the car is enhanced as a result of this
particularly at high outside temperatur
es and a high air humidity. The system
prevents the windows misting up during the cold season of the year. The heating effect is dependent upon th
e coolant temperature, thus full heat
output only occurs when the engine has reached its operating temperature. It is possible to briefly activate recirc
ulated air mode in order to enhance the
cooling effect
⇒page 118.
The air inlet in front of the windscreen must
be free of ice, snow or leaves in order
to ensure that the heating and cooling systems operate properly. The AC compressor is switched off at a hi
gh coolant temperature in order to provide
cooling at a high load of the engine. After switching on the cooling
Condensation
from the evaporator of the air condi-
tioning may drip down and form a puddle be
low the vehicle. This is quite normal
and not an indication of a leak! Recommended setting for all periods of the year:•
Set the desired temperature, we recommend 22 °C.
•
Press the button
⇒page 116, fig. 141
.
•
Move the air outlet vents
3 and
4, so that the air flow
is directed slightly
upwards. Aeration of the vehicle when ignition is switched off* On models fitted with power sliding/tilting roof with solar cells, the fresh air blower is automatically switched over
to “solar mode” if the sun ray's are sufficient after
switching off the ignition. The solar cells on
the sliding/tilting roof deliver power for
the fresh air blower. This supplies the interior of the car with fresh air. For an optimum ventilation, the air outlet vents
3 and
4 must be opened
⇒ page 108, fig. 137
.
The ventilation functions only when
the sliding/tilting roof is closed.
AC
AUTO
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Starting-off and Driving
124
Starting the engineGeneral You can only start the engine only using an original ignition key.•
Place the gearshift lever into neutral (or place the selector lever to the position
P or N in the case of an automatic gearbox)
and put on the handbrake firmly before
starting the engine.•
The clutch pedal should be fully depressed when starting the engine which
means that the starter only has to crank the engine.•
Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts otherwise there may be damage
to the starter. The engine running noises ma
y louder at first be louder for a short time after
starting the cold engine until oil pressure
can be built up in the hydraulic valve
clearance compensation. This is quite no
rmal and is not an operating problem.
If the engine does not start ... You can use the battery of anothe
r vehicle as a jump-start aid
⇒page 252.
It is only possible to tow-start vehicles
fitted with a manual gearbox. The tow-
starting distance must not be more than 50 metres
⇒page 256.
WARNING
•
Never run the engine in non ventilat
ed or enclosed areas. The exhaust
gases of the engine contain besides the odorless and colourless carbon monoxide a poisonous gas - hazard!
Carbon monoxide can cause uncon-
sciousness and death.•
Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.Caution
•
The starter may only be operated (ignition key position ), if the engine is not
running. If the starter is i
mmediately operated
after switching off the engine, the
starter or the engine can be damaged.
•
Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as the
engine has not yet reached its normal oper
ating temperature - risk of damaging the
engine!•
Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaus
t gas catalytic conver
ter should not be
tow-started over a distance of more than 50 metres.
For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehi
cle is standing. Drive off right away.
Through this the engine reaches its operating temperature more rapidly and the pollutant emissions are lower.Petrol enginesThese engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel/air mixture for every external air temperature.•
Do not operate accelerator befo
re and when starting engine.
•
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start
right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.•
It is possible that the fuse on the electrical fuel pump is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary
⇒page 258.
•
Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
It may be necessary, if the engine is
very hot
, to slightly depress the accelerator
after the engine has started.Diesel enginesGlow plug system Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period being controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and outside temper-ature. The preglow indicator light
 comes on after the igniti
on has been switched on.
A3
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Starting-off and Driving
125
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.•
You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning light

has gone out.•
The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is
at a normal operating temperature or if th
e outside temperature is above +5°C. This
means that you can start the engine
right away
.
•
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start
right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.•
It is possible that the fuse on the diesel
preglow system is defect if the engine
still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary
⇒page 258.
•
Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
Starting the engine after the fuel tank has run dry It may take longer than normal to start the
engine after refuelling if the fuel tank has
run completely dry - up to one minute. This is because the fuel system must first of all be filled while the attempting to start the engine.Switching off the engine– The engine can be switched off by turning the ignition key from posi-
tion into
⇒
page 123, fig. 146
.
WARNING
•
Never switch off the engine before the
vehicle is stationary - risk of acci-
dent!•
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.
Caution
you should not switch the engine off right
away at the end of yo
ur journey
after the
engine has been operated for a lengthy peri
od at high loads but should be allowed
it to run at idling speed for about 2 minutes
. This prevents any accumulation of heat
when the engine is switched off.
Note
•
The radiator fan may conti
nue running for a further 10
minutes or
so after the
engine and the ignition have
been switched off. The coolant fan may, however, also
switch on again after some time if the
coolant temperature rises because of an
accumulation of heat in the engine or
if the engine is warm and the engine
compartment is additionally
heated by strong sunlight.
•
This is why particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment
⇒page 225, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Shifting (manual gearbox)Shift into reverse only when the vehicle is
stationary. Depress the clutch pedal and
hold it fully depressed. Wait a moment be
fore engaging reverse gear in order to
avoid any shift noises.
A1
Fig. 147 The shift pattern: 5- speed or 6-speed manual gearbox
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Driving and the Environment
204
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator*
⇒page 21.
Avoiding full throttle Driving more slowly means saving fuel.Sensitive use of the accelera
tor will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption
but also positively influence environmen
tal pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid fully exploi
ting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible.
Fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportion- ally at high speeds. The
⇒fig. 201
shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle.
You will cut your fuel consumption by half
if you only make use three-quarters of
the possible top speed of your vehicle.Reducing idling Idling also costs fuel.It is worthwhile switching off the engine in
a traffic jam or when waiting at a level
crossing or at traffic lights with a length
y red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds
you will have saved more fuel than that
is needed when you start the engine up
again. If an engine is only idling it takes much
longer for it to reach its normal operating
temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though, are particularly high in the warming-up phase. This is why you
should drive off right after starting the
engine. Do avoid high engine re
volutions at this time, however.
Regular servicing A poorly tuned engine consumes an unnecessarily high amount of fuel.Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a specialist garge enables you to satisfy one
of the requirements for economical moto
ring even before you set off on your
journey. Keeping your vehicle properly servic
ed not only has a positive effect on the
safety of your vehicle and maintaining its value, but also saves on
fuel
.
A poorly tuned engine can result in a fu
el consumption which is 10% higher than
normal. The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according to the Service schedule by a specialist garage. Also check the
oil level
after refueling.
Oil consumption
is dependent to a consid-
erable extent on the load and speed of
the engine. Oil consum
ption could be as
high as 0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving. It is quite normal that a new engine ha
s a higher oil consumption at first, and
reaches its lowest level only
after a certain running in
time. It is therefore not
possible to correctly assess the oil cons
umption of a new vehicle until after you
have driven about 5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•
You can achieve additional improvements
in your fuel economy by using high-
lubricity oils.•
Check the ground below your vehicle at re
gular intervals to detect any leakages
in good time. Please have yo
ur vehicle inspected by a specialist garge if you find any
stains caused by oil or
other fluids on the floor.
Fig. 201 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
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Driving and the Environment
205
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Avoid driving short distances Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption.– Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is cold.The engine and catalytic converter mu
st first have reached their optimal
operating
temperature
in order to effectively reduce fu
el consumption and pollutant emis-
sions. The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately after starting. Fuel co
nsumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The
engine reaches its operating temperat
ure (outside temperature and engine
dependent) only after about
4 to 10
kilometres and the fuel consumption then
stabilizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible. An important factor in this connection is also the
ambient temperature
. The
⇒ fig. 202
shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the one
hand at +20°C and on the other hand at
-10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel
consumption in winter than in summer.Checking tyre inflation pressures Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.Always ensure that your tyres are inflated
to the correct pressure at all times. The
rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is too low. This will not
only increase fuel consumption but also
tyre wear and the driving behaviour will
worsen. Always check the inflation pressure of the tyres when
cold
.
Do not drive with
winter tyres
all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel.
Winter tyres are also louder.No unnecessary ballast Transporting ballast costs fuel.The fact that every kilogram of extra
weight
increases your fuel consumption
means that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid trans- porting any unnecessary ballast. It is particularly in town traffic, when one
is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle
weight will have a significant effect upon
the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb
here is that an increase in weight of 100
kilograms will cause an increase in fuel
consumption of about 1
litre/100 kilometres.
You may frequently also leave a
roof rack fitted
on just out of convenience,
although you no longer need it. The incr
eased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle
causes it to use about 10% more fuel th
an normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h,
even when you are not carr
ying a load on the roof.
Saving electricity Generating electricity costs fuel.– Switch off electrical components as
soon as you no longer need them.
When the engine is running, the alternator
generates and supplies
electrical power.
The greater the load on the alternator as a result of having a large number of elec-trical components switched on, the more
fuel will be consumed for operating the
alternator.
Fig. 202 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km at different temperatures
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Driving and the Environment
206
Keeping a log of your fuel consumptionIf you really wish to ke
ep a close check on your
fuel consumption
, it is best to enter
the figures in a logbook. This does not take
much time but is a very worthwhile exer-
cise. It enables you to detect any change
(positive and negative) at an early stage
and to take any appropriate action. If you find that your fuel
consumption is too high, you sh
ould reflect on how, where
and in what conditions you have driven
the vehicle since you last refuelled.
Environmental compatibilityEnvironmental protection has played a majo
r role in the design, selection of mate-
rials and manufacture of your new Škoda.
Particular emphasis
has been paid to a
number of aspects, including: Design measures•
Joints designed to
be easily detached.
•
Simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system.
•
Improved purity of differ
ent classes of materials.
•
Identification of all plastic parts in
accordance with VDA Recommendation°260.
•
Reduced fuel consumption
and exhaust emission CO
2.
•
Minimum fuel leakage during accidents.
•
Reduced noise.
Choice of materials•
Extensive use of recyclable material.
•
Air conditioning filled wi
th CFC-free refrigerant.
•
No cadmium.
•
No asbestos.
•
Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics.
Manufacture•
Solvent-free cavity protection.
•
Solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the production
plant to the customer.•
The use of solvent-free adhesives.
•
No CFCs used in the production process.
•
Without use of mercury.
•
Use of water-soluble paints.
Motoring abroadGeneral Other circumstances may exist abroad.It is also possible, in certain countries, that the Škoda Service Partner network is limited or has not been established yet.
This is the reason why obtaining certain
spare parts may be somewhat complicate
d and specialist garage personnel may
o n l y b e a b l e t o m a ke l i m i te d re p a i rs . Š ko d a A u to i n t h e C z e c h R e pu b l i c a n d re l e v a n t importers are happy to provide information
about technical aspects of the vehicle,
required maintenance work and possibilities for getting repairs done.Unleaded petrolA vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with unleaded petrol ⇒ page 202. The automobile associations can provide you with information regarding the locations of filling stations which offer unleaded petrol.HeadlightThe low beam of your headlights is set asym
metrically. It illuminates the side of the
road on which you are driving to a greater
extent. If you drive abroad on the other
side of the road, you wi
ll dazzle oncoming traffic.
In order to prevent the dazzling of oncoming
traffic, it is necessary that an adjust-
ment of the headlights is carried out by
your authorised Škoda Service Partner.
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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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