2009 SKODA OCTAVIA warning

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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Inspecting and replenishing
233
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Acids coming into contact with water are diluted accompanied by significant development of heat.•
Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery vent openings. Prot
ect the eyes with safety glasses or a shield! There
is the danger of suffering blindness! If
any battery electrol
yte gets into your
eye, rinse out your eye immediately
with clear water for several minutes.
Contact a doctor without delay.•
Splashes of acid on your skin or clothes should be neutralised as soon as
possible using soap suds and then rinsed with plenty of water. Contact a doctor immediately if you swallow battery electrolyte.•
Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
•
Hydrogen is released when you char
ge a battery and a highly explosive
gas mixture is produced. An explosion
can be caused through sparkling over
during unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is on.•
Bridging of the poles will create a short circuit (e.g. through metal
objects, cables). Possible consequences of a short circuit: Melting of lead struts, explosion and burning of the battery, jets of acid spurting out.•
It is prohibited to work with a naked flame and light, to smoke or to carry
out any activities which produce sparks. Avoid creating sparks when working with cables and electrical device
s. Strong sparking represents a risk
of injury.•
Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch off the
engine, the ignition as well as all electrical components and disconnect the negative cable (-) on the battery. If you wish to replace a bulb it is sufficient to switch off the appropriate light.•
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic
burns! Replace a frozen battery.•
Never jump-start the batteries which
have a too low electrolyte level -
risk of explosion and caustic burns!•
Never use a battery which is damaged
- risk of explosion! Immediately
replace a damaged battery.
Caution
•
You must only disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched off, otherwise
the electrical system (electronic components) of the vehicle may be damaged. When disconnecting the battery from the el
ectrical system of the vehicle, first
disconnect the negative terminal (-) of th
e battery. Then disconnect the positive
terminal (+).•
When reconnecting the battery, first conne
ct the positive terminal (+) and only
then the negative terminal (-) of the batt
ery. You must on no account connect the
cables wrongly - risk of a cable fire.•
Ensure that battery acid does not come
into contact with the vehicle body
otherwise damage could
occur to the paintwork.
•
Do not place the battery in direct dayl
ight in order to protect the battery
housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
For the sake of the environment
A removed battery is a special type of waste which is harmful to the environment - contact your specialist garage regarding disposing of the battery.
Note
Please also refer to the guidelines
⇒page 236, also after connecting the battery.
WARNING (continued)
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Inspecting and replenishing
235
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Note
•
Batteries with three-tone indicator, which are mounted as of factory, are
marked with a code which always begins with
1J0
, 7N0
or 3B0
. The exact marking
can be e.g.
1J0 915 105 AC
.
•
Replacement batteries with three-tone
indicator, which were obtained from
Škoda original accessories, are marked with the code
000 915 105 Ax
, whereby
“x” stands for a variable. The exact marking can be e.g.
000 915 105 AB
.
Inspecting the electrolyte levelThe battery is practically
maintenance-free
under normal oper
ating conditions.
We do, however, recommend that you have
the electrolyte level inspected from
time to time by a Škoda Service Partner when outside temperatures are high or when driving on long trips. You should also have the electrolyte level
⇒page 235
checked each time the battery is charged. The electrolyte level of the battery will al
so be checked as part of the Inspection
Service.Operation in winterThe battery has to provide greater amounts of
electricity during the winter. It also
has only part of the initial power output at
low temperatures that it has at normal
temperatures. A discharged battery may already freez
e at temperatures just below 0°C.
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked by a Škoda Service Partner before the start of the winter and recharged if necessary.
WARNING
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic burns. Replace a frozen battery.
Charging the battery A properly charged battery is esse
ntial for reliably starting the
engine.– Read the warning notes
⇒
in “Working on the battery” on
page 232 and
⇒
.
– Switch the ignition and a
ll electrical components off.
– Only for “quick-charging”: Disconnect
both battery cables (first of all
“negative”, then “positive”).
– Carefully attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery
terminals (red = “positive”, black = “negative”).
– You can now plug the mains cable of
the charger into the power socket
and switch on the charger.
– When charging is completed: switch the charger off and unplug the
mains cable from the power socket.
– Only then should you disconnect the terminal clamps of the charger.– Reconnect the cables to the battery (first of all “positive”, then “nega-
tive”).
It is not normally necessary
to disconnect the cables of the battery if you recharge
the battery using low amperages (as for example from a
mini-charger
). Please also
refer to the instructions from the charger manufacturer. A charging current of 0.1 of the total battery
capacity (or lower)
is that which should
be used until full charging is achieved. It is, however, necess
ary to disconnect both cables be
fore charging the battery with
high amperages, so-called “
quick-charging
”.
“Quick-charging” a battery is
dangerous
⇒
in “Working on the battery” on
page 232. It requires a special charger and appropriate knowledge. We therefore recommend that you have your battery qu
ick-charged only by your Škoda Service
Par tner.
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Inspecting and replenishing
236
A discharged battery may already
freeze
at temperatures just below 0°C
⇒
. We
recommend that you no longer use a ba
ttery which has thawed out because the
casing of the battery may be cracked thro
ugh the formation of ice and this would
allow battery electrolyte to flow out. The vent plugs of the battery should not be opened for charging.
WARNING
•
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic
burns. Replace a frozen battery.•
Never charge a battery which has a to
o low electrolyte level - risk of
explosion and caustic burns.Disconnecting and reconnecting the batteryOn disconnecting and reconnecting the batte
ry the following functions are initially
deactivated or are no longer able to operate fault-free. We recommend having the vehicle checked
by a Škoda Service Partner to ensure
full functionality of all electrical systems.Replacing the batteryYou should only replace a battery with a
new battery of the same capacity, voltage
(12 V), amperage and of the same size. Škoda Service Partners have a range of suit- able batteries available.
We recommend that you only have an ol
d battery disposed of by your Škoda
Service Partner since it does require special disposal.
For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain poisonous substances such
as sulphuric acid and lead. They must
be disposed of in accordance with loca
l environmental protection regulations and
on no account as domestic waste.Windshield washer systemThe windshield washer reserv
oir contains the cl
eaning fluid for th
e windscreen or
rear window and for the headlamp cleaning system*. The reservoir is located at the front right of the engine compartment
⇒fig. 217
.
The
filling level
of the container is 3 litres, 5.5 li
tres on vehicles which also have a
headlight washing system. Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and headlights. We therefore recommend using clean washing water together with the screen cleaner from Škoda genuine accessories (in winter
additionally with antifreeze) which is
capable of removing stubborn
dirt. Follow the instructio
ns for use on the packaging
when using screen cleaning products. You should always add antifreeze to the
cleaning water in winter even if your
vehicle is fitted with heated
windscreen washer nozzles*.
Operation
Operating measure
Electrical power window (operational faults)
⇒page 55
Enter radio code number
see Radio Operating Instructions
Set hours
⇒page 21
Data in the multi-functional indicator* are deleted.
⇒ page 21
Fig. 217 Engine compart- ment: Windshield washer fluid reservoir
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Inspecting and replenishing
237
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
It is also possible in exceptional cases to use methylated spirits when no screen cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methylated spirits must not be more than 15 %. Please note, howeve
r, that the antifreeze protection at this
concentration is only adequate down to -5°C.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes
⇒page 225, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
•
On no account should you add radiator
antifreeze or other additives to the
windscreen washer fluid.•
If the vehicle is fitted with headligh
t cleaning system, you should only add
cleaning products which do
not attack the poly
carbonate coating of the headlights
to the windscreen washer fluid. Please co
ntact your Škoda Service Partner, who will
tell you which cleaning agent you can use.
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Wheels and Tyres
238
Wheels and TyresWheelsGeneral information•
New tyres do not offer optimal grip at first and should therefore be run in for
about 500 km at a moderate speed and an appropriately cautious style of driving. You will also profit from longer tyre life.•
The tread depth of new tyres may differ because of design features and the
configuration of the tread (d
epending on the type of tyre and the manufacturer).
•
Drive over curbs on the side of the road
and other such obstacles slowly and,
where possible, at a right angle in order
to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.
•
Inspect your tyres from time to time
for damage (punctures, cuts, splits and
bulges). Remove foreign bodi
es from the tyre profile.
•
Damage to tyres and wheels is frequent
ly not visible. Unus
ual vibrations or
pulling of the vehicle to one side
could be a sign of tyre damage.
Please reduce
your speed immediately and stop if
you suspect that a wheel is damaged.

Inspect the tyres for signs of damage (bulges,
splits, etc.). If no
visible damage is
present, please drive at an appropriately slow speed and carefully to the nearest specialist garage in order to have your vehicle inspected.•
Also protect your tyres from cont
act with oil, grease and fuel.
•
Immediately replace any dust caps of
the valves which have got lost.
•
Mark wheels before removing them so th
at their previous direction of running
can be maintained when
mounted them again.
•
Always store wheels or tyres which been removed in a cool, dry and, where
possible, dark place. Tyres which are not
fixed to a wheel trim should be stored
upright. Unidirectional tyres* The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the tyre. This indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre, and it is essential that the tyres are fitted on to run in this direction. Only then are the tyres able to provide the optimal properties in terms of grip, low no
ise, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Further information concerning th
e use of unidirectional tyres
⇒page 242.
WARNING
•
New tyres during the first 500 km do not offer optimal grip and should
therefore be run appropriately - risk of accident!•
Never drive with damaged tyres - risk of accident!Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.Tyre lifeThe life of your tyres very much depends on the following points: Tyre pressure The working life of tyres will be shortened co
nsiderably if the tyres are insufficiently
or over-inflated and this will have an advers
e effect on the handling of your vehicle.
Correctly inflated tyres are of partic
ular importance when travelling at
high speeds
.
It is therefore good to check the pressure
at least once a month and also before
Fig. 218 An opened fuel filler flap with a tyre size and tyre inflation pressure table
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Wheels and Tyres
239
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
setting off on a long trip. Please do not
forget the spare wheel when checking the
tyres. The tyre inflation pressures for
summer tyres
are indicated on the inside of the fuel
filler flap
⇒page 238, fig. 218
. The inflation pressures for
winter tyres
are 20 kPa
(0.2 bar) higher than those for summer tyres
⇒page 242.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle at all times. The tyre inflation pressure of the emergency spare wheel R 18 is 420 kPa (4.2 bar).Always check the inflation pressure of ty
res when cold. Do not reduce the higher
pressure of warm tyres. Adapt the inflation pressure of the tyres accordingly if your vehicle is carrying a significantly higher payload. Driving style Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking (squealing tyres) increase wear-and- tear on your tyres. Balancing wheels The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. There are a wide range of influences when driving which may result in an im
balance and which makes themselves felt
through vibration in the steering. You should have the wheels rebalanced since any imbalance increases wear-and- tear on the steering, the suspension and tyres. A wheel must also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted and each time a tyre is repaired. Wheel alignment errors Incorrect wheel alignment at the front and rear will not only increase wear-and-tear on the tyres but will also has an adverse effect on vehicle safety. Contact your specialist garage if you no
tice any unusual tyre wear.
WARNING
•
If the inflation pressure is too low,
the tyre must perform a greater flexing
work. At higher speeds the tyre will warm up as a result of this. This can result in tread separation and even a tyre blowout.•
Immediately replace the damaged rims or tyres.
•
Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional
cases and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.Wear indicatorsThe base of the tread of the original tyres has wear indicators 1.6 mm high, installed at right angles to the direction of travel. These wear indicators are located at 6 - 8 points depending on the make and are evenly spaced around the circumference of the tyre
⇒fig. 219
. Markings on the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”,
triangular symbols or other symbols identi
fy the position of the wear indicators.
A remaining tread of just 1.6 mm, measured in the grooves of the tread next to the wear indicators, means that your tyres have reached their legally permissible minimum tread depth.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 219 Tyre tread with wear indicators
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Wheels and Tyres
240
WARNING
•
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn do
wn. The legally permissible minimum
tread depth should be observed.•
Worn tyres do not provide the necessary adhesion to the road surface at
high speeds on wet roads. One could experience “aquaplaning” (uncon- trolled movements of the vehicle - “swimming” on a wet road surface).Changing wheels aroundIf significantly greater wear is present on
the front tyres, we recommend changing
the front wheels around with the rear wheels as shown in the diagram
⇒fig. 220
.
You will then obtain approximately the same life for all the tyres. It may be advantageous to swap the tyre
s over “crosswise” when certain types of
wear characteristic ar
ise on the running surface of the tyres (but not in the case of
unidirectional tyres). The co-workers of the authorised Škoda Service Partners are extensively familiar with the combination possibilites. We recommend that you change the wheels around every 10 000 km in order to achieve even wear on all wheels and to obtain optimal tyre life.
New tyres and wheelsTyres and wheel rims are important design elements. One should therefore use the tyres and wheel rims which have been re
leased for use by Škoda Auto. They are
exactly matched to the vehicle type and therefore contribute significantly to good road holding and safe driving characteristics
⇒
.
Only fit radial tyres of the same type on
all 4 wheels, size (rolling circumference)
and, if possible, the same tread pattern on one axle. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have access to the most current information about which tyres we have rele
ased for use on your vehicle.
We recommend that you have any work rela
ting to tyres or wheels carried out by
an authorised Škoda Service Partner
. The authorised Škoda Service Partners
have all of the nece
ssary special tools and replacem
ent parts available plus the
required specialist knowledge and are also in a position to properly dispose of the old tyres. A large number of authorised Škoda Service Partners also have an attrac- tive range of tyres and wheels available. The tyre/wheel combinations which are appr
oved for your vehicle are indicated in
your vehicle documents. Approval and lice
nsing may differ according to the legis-
lation prevailing in individual countries. Proper knowledge of the tyre data makes it easier for you to select the correct type of tyre. Tyres do, for exam
ple, have the following
inscription
on their walls:
195 / 65 R 15 91 T
What this means is: The following
speed restrictions
apply to tyres.
Fig. 220 Changing wheels around
195
Tyre w idt h in mm
65
Height/width ratio in %
R
Code letter for the type of tyre -
R adial
15
Diameter of wheel in inches
91
Load index
T
Speed symbol
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