2009 SKODA OCTAVIA oil

Inspecting and replenishing
227
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Engine oilCheck engine oil level The dipstick indicates the level of oil in the engine.Checking the oil level – Ensure that the vehicle is positioned on a level surface. – Switch the engine off. – Open the bonnet
⇒
in “Working in the engine compartment” on
page 225.
– Wait a few minutes and pull out the oil dipstick.– Wipe off the dipstick with a clea
n cloth and insert it again fully.
– Then withdraw the dipstick ag
ain and read off the oil level.
Oil level within range – You must
not
top up the oil.
Oil level within range –You
may
top up the oil. It is possible that the oil level may then be
within range after doing this.
Oil level within range –You
must
top up the oil
⇒
page 228. It is sufficient, once this is done,
to keep the oil level within range .
It is normal for the engine to consume oi
l. The oil consumption may be as much as
0.5 l/1 000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which you operate your vehicle. The oil consumpt
ion may be slightly higher than this
during the first 5 000 kilometres. One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every time after the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches. We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range -
but not above this
,
if the engine has been operating at hi
gh loads, for example during a lengthy
motorway trip during the summer months,
towing a trailer or negotiating a high
mountain pass. The warning light in the instrument cluster* will indicate
⇒page 35, “Engine oil
pressure

” whether the oil level is too low. In this case, check the oil level as soon
as possible. Top up with an appropriate quantity of oil.
Caution
•
The oil level must on no account ex
tend beyond the range . Danger of
damaging the cata
lytic converter.
•
Do not continue your journey
if for some reason it is not possible under the
conditions prev
ailing to top up with oil.
Switch of the engine and contact
and
obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage.
Note
Engine oil specifications
⇒page 271, “Technical Data”.
Fig. 211 Dipstick
AA
AB
AA
AC
AB
AA
AA
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Inspecting and replenishing
228
Replenishing engine oil– Inspecting the engine oil level
⇒
page 227.
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening. – Pour in a suitable grade of oil in portions of 0.5 litres
⇒
page 274,
“Engine oil specifications”.
– Inspect the oil level
⇒
page 227.
– Carefully screw on the cap of the
filler opening and push the dipstick
in fully.
WARNING
•
Avoid dripping oil onto hot parts of the engine when topping up will oil -
a risk of fire!•
Read and observe the warning notes
⇒page 225, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must on no account extend beyond the range
⇒page 227. Oil will
otherwise be drawn in through the crankc
ase ventilation and may pass through the
exhaust system to atmosphere. The oil ma
y combust in the cata
lytic converter and
damage it.Changing engine oilThe engine oil must be changed at the intervals stated in the Service schedule or according to the service interval indicator
⇒page 20, “Service Interval Display”.
WARNING
•
Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required profes-
sional knowledge!
•
Read and observe the warning notes
⇒page 225, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.•
Let the engine cool down - risk of burning from hot oil.
•
Wear an eye protection - risk of caustic burns due to oil splashes.
•
Oil is toxic! Store old oil in a safe place out of the reach of children and
unauthorized persons until you dispose of it properly.
Caution
You must not pour any additives into th
e engine oil - risk of engine damage!
Damage, which results from such produc
t, are excluded from the warranty.
For the sake of the environment
•
You must on no account pour oil into
the ground or into the sewage system.
•
In view of the problems involved in prop
erly disposing of old oil, the necessary
special tools and the knowledge required for such work, we recommend that you have the oil and oil filter change carried out by an authorised Škoda Service Partner.
Note
After your skin has come in contact with the oil, you must thoroughly wash your skin.Cooling systemCoolant The job of the coolant is to cool the engine.The cooling system does not require an
y maintenance under normal operating
conditions. The coolant consis
ts of water with a concentration of coolant additive
of 40 %. This mixture not only provides
antifreeze protection down to -25°C but
AA
WARNING (continued)
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Inspecting and replenishing
229
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
also protects the cooling and heating system from corrosion. It also prevents the formation of scale and significantly increases the boiling point of the coolant. You must therefore not reduce the concentr
ation of antifreeze agent in the coolant
by adding water, also not during the summ
er months or in countries with a warm
climate.
The concentration of coolant additive in the coolant must be at least
40%. You can increase the amount of antifreeze
in the coolant if a higher concentration
of antifreeze is necessary for climatic
reasons but only up to 60% (antifreeze
protection down to approx. -40°C). The an
tifreeze protection tails off above that
concentration. Vehicles exported to countries with a co
ld climate (e.g. Sweden, Norway, Finland)
are already factory-filled with a coolant wh
ich offers antifreeze protection down to
about -35°C. In these countries the concentr
ation of coolant additive should be at
least 50 %. Coolant The cooling system is factory-filled with co
olant (purple in colour), which complies
with the specification TL-VW 774 G. We recommend that you use the same c
oolant additive - G12 PLUS-PLUS (purple
in colour) for toppi
ng up the system.
Please contact an authorised Škoda Service Partner if you have any questions regarding the coolant or if you wish to fill up with a different coolant. An authorised Škoda Service Partner can al
so supply you with the correct coolant
additives.
Caution
•
Other coolant additives may cause operational problems which, in partic-
ular, involves significantly redu
cing the anticorrosion effect.
•
Any faults or problems resulting from corrosion may cause a loss of
coolant and, as a consequence of th
is, result in major engine damage.
Inspecting the coolant levelThe coolant expansion bottle is loca
ted in the engine compartment on
the right. – Switch the engine off. – Open the bonnet
⇒
page 224.
– Check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
⇒
fig. 212
.
The coolant level when the engine is cold must lie between the (MIN) and (MAX) markings. The level may also rise slightly above the (MAX) marking when the engine is warm.
If the coolant level in the reservoir is too low, this is indicated by the warning light in the instrument cluster
⇒page 36, “Coolant temperat
ure/ Coolant quantity
”.
We nevertheless recommend in
specting the coolant level directly at the reservoir
from time to time. Loss of coolant A loss of coolant is first and foremost an
indication of a leak
in the system. You
should not merely top up the coolant in the
reservoir. It is also important to have
the cooling system inspected without delay by a specialist garage.
Fig. 212 Engine compart- ment: Coolant expansion bottle
Ab
Aa
Aa
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Inspecting and replenishing
230
Losses can only occur through the pressure
relief in the cap of the coolant expan-
sion bottle which is completely free of leak
s if the coolant boils as a result of over-
heating and is forced out of the cooling system.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes
⇒page 225, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
One should contact a specialist garage as soon as possible if the source of over-heating itself cannot be
determined and removed, since there may be grave
damage to the engine.Replenishing the coolant– Switch the engine off. – Allow the engine to cool down. – Place a cloth over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir
⇒
page 229, fig. 212
and unscrew the cap
carefully
by turning it to the
left
⇒
.
– Top up the coolant. – Screw the cap tight until it is heard to lock.The coolant which you use for replenishing the system, must comply with one specific specification
⇒page 228. Do not use an alternative additive if the coolant
additive G12 PLUS is not available in exceptional cases. Just top up the system with water and as soon as possible arrange ad
justment to correct the mixing ratio of
water and coolant additive again by a specialist garage. Only use fresh coolant for topping up the system.
Do not fill up over the “MAX” marking! Excess coolant which is heated up is forced out of the cooling system through the pressure relief valve in the cap of the coolant compensation bottle. Wait until the engine has cooled down for a system which has suffered a major loss of coolant before pouring in coolant. This is necessary to avoid engine damage.
WARNING
•
The cooling system is pressurized! Do not open the cap of the coolant
expansion bottle if the engine is
still hot - risk of scalding!
•
The coolant additive and thus all of the coolant is harmful to your health.
Avoid contact with the coolant. Coolant vapours are also harmful to the health. It is important, therefore, to always safely store any coolant additive in its original container out of the reach of children - risk of poisoning!•
If any splashes of coolant get into yo
ur eyes, rinse out
your eyes immedi-
ately with clear water and contact a doctor as soon as possible.•
You should also consult a doctor without delay if you have inadvertently
swallowed coolant.
Caution
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the conditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Switch of the engine and contact

and obtain professional assistance from a specialist garage.
For the sake of the environment
Do not re-use coolant if it is necessary to
drain the coolant in the system. It should
be collected and disposed of in comp
liance with environmental protection
regulations.
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Inspecting and replenishing
231
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Radiator fan The radiator fan may switch on suddenly.The radiator fan is driven by an electr
ic motor and controlled according to the
coolant temperature. The radiator fan may continue running fo
r up to 10 minutes after the engine has
been switched off - even if
the ignition is also off. It
may also switch on suddenly
after a certain time, if•
the coolant temperature has risen beca
use of an accumulation of heat or
•
the warm engine compartment is heated
up additionally by
strong sunlight.
WARNING
You must therefore be aware when work
ing in the engine compartment that
the fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury!Brake fluidInspecting the brake fluid level
The brake fluid reservoir is located on the left of the engine compartment. The brake fluid reservoir on right-hand steering models is positioned on the other side of the engine compartment. – Switch the engine off. – Open the bonnet
⇒
page 224.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir
⇒
fig. 213
. The level must
be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-tear and automatic adjustment of the br
ake pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the fluid level drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” marking. If the brake fluid level is too low, this is indicated by the warning light
⇒page 40, “Brake
system
” lighting up in the instru
ment cluster. In this case
stop immediately and
do not drive any further! Obtain professional assistance.
WARNING
•
Read and observe the warning notes
⇒page 225, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.•
If the fluid level has dropped below
the MIN marking, do not drive any
further - risk of accident! Obtain professional assistance.Replacing brake fluidBrake fluid absorbs moisture. This causes the fluid to absorb moisture from the surrounding air over a period of time. Excessive water in the brake fluid may be the cause of corrosion in the brake system. Th
e water content also lowers the boiling
point of the brake fluid.
This is why brake fluid must be replaced every two
years. One may only use new genuine brake fluid
from Škoda Auto. The specification for
the brake fluid is “FMVSS 116 DOT 4”.
Fig. 213 Engine compart- ment: Brake fluid reservoir
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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
242
•
The wheel bolts must be clean and must
turn easily. However, they must
never be treated with grease or oil.•
If the wheel bolts are tightened to a too low tightening torque, the rim
can lossen when the car is moving - risk of accident! A tightening torque which is too high can damage the bolts and threads and this can result in permanent deformation of the contact surfaces on the rims.
Caution
The prescribed tightening torque of the wheel bolts for steel and light alloy wheels is 120 Nm.Winter tyresThe handling of your vehicle will be signi
ficantly improved when driving on wintry
roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres do not offer the same grip on ice, snow and at temperatures below 7 °C because of
their construction (width, rubber blend,
tread pattern). This particularly applie
s to vehicles which
are equipped with
low-
profile tyres
or high-speed tyres
(code index H or V on wall of tyre).
Winter tyres must be mounted on all four
wheels to obtain the
best handling char-
acteristics. You must only fit those types of winter tyre
which are approved for your vehicle. The
permissible
sizes of winter tyres
are stated in your vehicle documents. Approvals
may differ because of
national legislation.
Please remember that the tyres should be in
flated to 20 kPa (0.2 bar) more than is
the case for summer tyres
⇒page 238.
Winter tyres no longer offer the
same winter performance once the
tyre tread
has
worn down to a depth of about 4 mm. Ageing
a l s o c a u s e s w i n t e r t y re s t o l o s e m o s t
of their winter performance properties
- even in cases where the remaining tread depth is still clearly more than 4 mm. Speed restrictions
apply to winter tyres as
well as to summer tyres
⇒page 240,
⇒
.
You can fit winter tyres of a lower speed ca
tegory to your vehicle provided that you
also do not drive faster than the permissible maximum speed for such tyres, even if the possible maximum speed of your ve
hicle is higher. The
corresponding tyre
category can damage the tyres when ex
ceeding the permissible maximum speed.
Please pay attention to the notes if
you decide to fit winter tyres
⇒page 238.
You can also fit so-called “all-year tyres” instead of winter tyres.Please contact your specialist garage if there are any points which are not clear who will be able to provide you with information regarding the maximum speed for your tyres.
WARNING
You must on no account drive your car at more than the permissible maximum speed for your winter tyres -
risk of an accident resulting from
tyre damage and loss of control over your car.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres on again in good time since summer tyres offer you better grip and handling on roads which are free of snow and ice as well as ar tempera- tures below 7 °C - the braking distance is shorter, there is less tyre noise, tyre wear is reduced and fuel consumption is reduced.
Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres.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. On
ly then are the tyres able to provide the
optimal properties in terms of grip, lo
w noise, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Should it be necessary to fit on a spare
wheel in exceptional cases with a tyre not
dedicated to the running direction or in o
pposite running direct
ion, please adopt a
WARNING (continued)
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Accessories, changes and replacement of parts
244
Accessories, changes and replacement of partsAccessories and replacement partsŠkoda vehicles have been bu
ilt according to the latest discoveries in safety engi-
neering. Thus one should not change the
condition in which the vehicle was deliv-
ered from the manufacturer without some thought. The following guidelines should be observed when a vehicle is to be retrofitted with accessories, have technical chan
ges made to it or a par t has to be replaced at some
time in the future.•
Advise should always be obtained from an authorised Škoda Service Partner
before
buying any accessories and
before
making any technical changes
⇒
.
•
This is particularly the case when accessories are bought in a foreign country.
•
Škoda Genuine Accessories and Skoda original parts can be bought from
authorised Škoda Service Partners who also professionally undertake the assembly of parts which were not purchased there.•
All Škoda original accessories which are listed in the catalogue of original acces-
sories such as spoilers, transport systems, child seats, etc., are homologized.•
Radios, aerials and other electrical acce
ssories should only be installed by
authorised Škoda Service Partners.•
The guidelines issued by Škoda Auto must be observed when making technical
changes.•
This is to ensure that no technical damage
occurs to the vehicl
e, that travelling
and operating safety are maintained and that the chnages are permissible. The authorised Škoda Service Partners undertake this work professionally or refer it to a specialist company in special cases. Any damage which is done caused by technical changes made without consulting a Skoda dealer is
excluded from the guarantee.
WARNING
•
We advise you, in your own interest, to only use Škoda Genuine Accesso-
ries and Škoda original parts which have
been expressly approved for use on
your Škoda. Reliability, safety and suitabiliity have been established for these Škoda original parts.•
We cannot guarantee suitability of installation into your vehicle of other
products despite keeping a constant ey
e on market developments (also not
in the case where there is an attest
ation or permission can be produced).
Technical changesInterference on the electronic components and their software can lead to opera- tional faults. This interference can also im
pair not directly affected systems because
of the networking of the electronic co
mponents. This means that the operating
safety of your vehicle can
be considerably jeopardized,
a greater wear of vehicle
parts can occur and finally the vehi
cle registration
documents expire.
We trust that you will understand that Šk
oda Auto cannot be
liable for damage
resulting from unprofessional work. We therefore recommend that you have al
l work carried out using Škoda original
parts at authorised Škoda Service Partners.
WARNING
Work or modifications on your vehicle, which have been carried out unpro-fessionally, can cause operational faults - risk of accident!Vehicles of the group N1The vehicle of the group N1 is a box car
which is designed and manufactured for the
transportation of goods.
WARNING (continued)
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