2009 SKODA OCTAVIA ESP

Intelligent Technology
194
•
when driving with snow chains
•
when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface
•
when it is necessary to rock a vehicle when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the ESP again.
WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehicle. Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of driving to the condition of the
road surface and the traffic situation.
This particularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than other- wise - risk of an accident!
Note
•
All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-
free operation of the ESP. Differing rolling
circumferences of the tyres can lead to an
undesirable reduction in the engine output.•
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or other assign-
ment of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP
⇒page 244,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)* The electronic differential lock pr
events an individual wheel from
slipping.Models fitted with ESP are equipped with electronic differential lock (EDL). General The EDL makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate and climb a steep hill when the conditio
ns of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle The EDL is activated automatically, that is
without any action on the part of the
driver. It monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS sensors. Should only
one
drive wheel begin spinning on a slippery surface there will be an
appreciable difference in the speed of the driven wheels. The EDL function brakes the slipping wheel and the differential transmits a greater driving force to the other driven wheel. This control proces
s is also accompanied by noises.
Overheating of the brakes The EDL switches off
automatically if unusually severe
stresses exist in order to
avoid excessive heat generation in the
disc brake on the wheel which is being
braked. The vehicle can continue to be driv
en and has the same characteristics as a
vehicle not fitted with EDL. The EDL switches on again
automatically as soon as the brake has cooled down.
WARNING
•
Carefully depress the accelerator when accelerating on uniformly slip-
pery road surfaces, such as ice and sn
ow. The driven wheels might still spin
despite the EDL and affect the stability
of the vehicle - risk of an accident!
•
You should always adapt your style of driving to the condition of road
surface and to the traffic situation even
when your vehicle is fitted with EDL.
The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note
•
If the ABS or ESP warning light comes on,
this may also indicate a fault in the
EDL. Please have the vehicle inspected as soon as possible by a specialist garage.•
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 EDL
⇒page 244,
“Accessories, changes and
replacement of parts”.
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Intelligent Technology
195
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Traction control system (TCS) The traction control system prevents
the driven wheels from spinning
when accelerating.General The TCS makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate and climb a steep hill when the conditio
ns of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle The TCS switches on automatically when th
e engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force transmitted to the road surface is automatically adapted by redu
cing the engine speed. Th
is occurs at all speeds.
The TCS operates in combination with the ABS
⇒page 197, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)”. The TCS will not function if a fault exists in the ABS system. The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the TCS
 ⇒page 37.
Switching off You can switch the TCS off and on again
as you wish by pressing the button
⇒ fig. 197
. The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when the TCS is
switched off
 ⇒page 37.
The TCS should normally always be switched on. It may be good practice in certain exceptional cases, such as when you wish
to have wheel slip, to switch off the
system. Examples:•
when driving with snow chains
•
when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface
•
when it is necessary to rock a vehicle when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the TCS again.
WARNING
You should always adjust your style of driving to the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note
•
All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-
free operation of the TCS. Differing rolling circumferences of the tyres can lead to an undesirable reduction in the engine output.•
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 TCS
⇒page 244,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.Active driver-steering recommendation (DSR)*Vehicles with ESP are equi
pped with active driver-steering recommendation (DSR).
This function indicates to the driver in critical situations a steering recommendation in order to stabilise the vehicle. The active driver-steering recommendation is acti-vated, for example, on the right and left
vehicle side when
braking sharply on
different road surfaces.
Fig. 197 TCS switch
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Intelligent Technology
196
WARNING
Even with this function the vehicle ca
nnot steer itself! The
driver is further-
more responsible for the steering of the vehicle!BrakesWhat has a negative effect on braking efficiency?Wear-and-tear Wear-and-tear to the brake pads is greatly dependent on the operating conditions of the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns and over short distances or if you adopt a
sporty style of driving, it may be neces-
sary to have the thickness of the brake
pads inspected at a specialist garage
between the service inspections. Wet roads or road salt There may be a certain delay before the br
akes take full effect under certain condi-
tions such as when driving through water,
during heavy rain
showers or after the
vehicle has been washed in
an automatic vehicle wash, since the brake discs and
brake pads may be moist or even have a
coating of ice on them in winter. You
should dry the brakes as soon as possib
le by applying and releasing the brakes
several times. There also may be a certain delay before the
full braking efficiency is available when
driving on roads which have been treated wi
th road salt if yo
u have not used the
brakes for some considerable time beforeha
nd. The layer of salt on the brake discs
and brake pads must first be rubb
ed off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on th
e bake pads occur if
the vehicle has been
parked for a long period and if you do
not make much use of the braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by
firmly applying the brakes at a fairly
high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corro- sion is present
⇒
.
Faults in the brake surface If you notice that the braking distance
has suddenly become longer and that the
brake pedal can be depressed further, it is
possible that a brake circuit of the dual-
circuit brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist garage without delay in order to have the problem rectified. Drive at a reduced speed while on your way to the dealer and adapt your style of driving to the higher brake pedal pressure required. Low brake fluid level An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake system. The level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically
⇒page 40, “Brake system
”.
WARNING
•
Only apply the brakes for the purpos
e of drying and cleaning the brake
discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place any other road users in jeopardy.•
When retrospectively mounting a front
spoiler, solid wheel hubs etc. one
must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel brakes is not reduced otherwise the braking sy
stem could run too hot.
•
Allow for the fact that new brake pads
do not achieve th
eir full braking
efficiency until approximately 200 kilo
metres. New brake pads must be first
“run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compensate for this slightly reduced
braking force by increasing the pres-
sure on the brake pedal. This guidelin
e also applies to any new brake pads
installed at a future date.
Caution
•
Never allow the brakes to ru
b by applying slig
ht pressure if you do not wish to
brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also result in a longer braking distance and excessive wear.•
Before negotiating a steep downhill sect
ion, please reduce your speed, shift
down into the next lower gear (manual ge
arbox) or select a lower driving stage
(automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use of the braking power of the
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Intelligent Technology
198
Brake Assist*During a severe brake application (e.g. if a hazard exists), the Brake Assist increases the braking force and thus makes it possible to rapidly produce the pressure required in the brake system. The majority of drivers do
apply the brakes in good time in dangerous situations,
but do not depress the brake pedal with su
fficient pressure. Consequently, it is not
possible for the vehicle to achieve its maximum deceleration and the vehicle covers a greater distance than necessary. The Brake Assist is activated by the very quick operation of the brake pedal. In such cases, a much greater braking pressure ex
ists than during a normal brake applica-
tion. This makes it possible, even with a relatively low resistance of the brake pedal, to produce an adequate pressure in the brake system in the shortest possible time, which is required for maximum deceleration of the vehicle. You must apply the brake pedal firmly and hold it in this po
sition in order to achieve the shortest
possible braking distance. The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emergency situations by rapidly producing the pressure
required in the brake system. It fully
exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of the Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate in the normal way. The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If a fault occurs in the ESP, the Brake Assist function is also not available.
Further information on the ESP
⇒page 193.
WARNING
•
The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your
vehicle in terms of the braking distance required.•
Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.•
The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to
take a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Uphill-Start
off-Assist*
The uphill-start off-assist makes it much easier to start off on steep hills. The system assists a start off by holding the brake pr
essure produced by the brake pedal actu-
ation for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore move his foot from the brake pedal to th
e accelerator pedal and start off on the
slope, without having to actuate the hand
brake. The brake pressure drops gradually
the more you operate the accelerator pedal. If the vehicle does not start off within 2 seconds, it starts to roll back. The uphill-start off-assist is active in the ev
ent of a 5% slope, if the vehicle door is
closed. It is alwa
ys active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When
driving downhill, it is inactive.Electromechanical power steeringThe power steering enables you to steer
the vehicle with le
ss physical force.
With the electromechanical power steering, the steering assist is automatically adapted to the speed and to the steering angle. It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine is not running (vehicle being towed in). The
only difference is that greater physical
effort is required. If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light
 or  lights up in the
instrument cluster
⇒page 35.
WARNING
Contact your specialist
garage if the power steering is defective.
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Intelligent Technology
199
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Tyre inflation pressu
re-control system*
The tyre inflation pressure-control system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors the speed and also the rolling circumference
of the individual wheels. If the rolling
circumference of a wheel is changed, the warning light
 lights up in the instru-
ment cluster
⇒page 38 and an audible signal sound
s. The rolling circumference of
the tyre can change if:•
the tyre inflation pressure is too low,
•
the structure of the tyre is damaged,
•
the vehicle is loaded on one side,
•
the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when
driving uphill or downhill),•
snow chains are mounted,
•
the temporary spare wheel is mounted,
•
one wheel per axle was changed.
Basic setting of tyre inflation pressure-control system After changing the tyre inflation pressures or after changing one or several wheels, a basic setting of the system must be carried out as follows.•
Inflate all tyres to the specified inflation pressure
⇒page 238.
•
Switch on the ignition.
•
Press button
⇒fig. 198
for more than 2 seconds. While pressing the
button, the warning light
 lights up. At the same time the memory of the system
is erased and the new calibration is star
ted, which is confirmed with an audible
signal and then the warning light
 goes out.
•
If the warning light
 does not go out after the basic setting, there is a fault in
the system. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage. Warning light
 lights up
If the tyre inflation pressure of at least on
e wheel is insufficiently inflated in compar-
ison to the stored basic value, the warning light
 ⇒
lights up.
Warning light
 flashes
If the warning light flashes, there is a system fault. Have the vehicle inspected by your nearest specialist garage.
WARNING
•
When the warning light
 lights up, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake mano
euvres. Please stop the vehicle
without delay at the nearest possible stop and inspect the tyres and their inflation pressures.•
The driver is responsible for the correc
t tyre inflation pressures. For this
reason, the tyre inflation pressures must be checked regularly.•
Under certain circumstances (e.g. sporty style of driving, wintry or
unpaved roads) the warning light
 can be delayed or does not light up at
all.•
The tyre inflation pressure-control system does not take away the
responsability from the driver for the correct tyre inflation pressure.
Note
The tyre inflation pressure-control system:•
does not replace the regular tyre inflatio
n pressure control, because the system
cannot detect an even pressure loss,
Fig. 198 Button for setting the tyre inflation pressure control value
 
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Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
214
Plastic partsExternal plastic parts are cleaned by norm
al washing. Plastic
parts and synthetic
leather can also be treated with
special solvent-free plastic cleaning agents
if a
damp cloth is not sufficient. Paint care pr
oducts are not suitable for plastic parts.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack th
e material and can damage it.
WindowsOnly use a plastic ice scraper for removing snow and ice from the windows and mirrors. You should not move the ice scraper forward and backward but in one direction on the window which you are clea
ning in order to avoid any damage to
the surface of the glass. You can best remove residues of rubber,
oil, grease, wax or
silicone by using a
special window cleaner or a special silicone remover. You should also clean the windows regularly from the inside.Do not use window leathers
which you have used to polish the vehicle body to dry
off the windows. Residues of preservati
ves in the window leather can dirty the
window and reduce visibility. Do not affix any stickers over the inside of the rear window to avoid damage to the heating elements of the rear window heater
.
We recommend using a preservative from
Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Never remove snow or ice from the glass
parts with warm or hot water - risk of
formation of cracks in the glass!
The headlight lensesPlease do not use any aggres
sive cleaning or
chemical solvent pr
oducts - risk of
damage to the plastic lenses
Please use
soap and clean warm water.
Caution
Never
wipe the headlights dry and do not
use any sharp objects for cleaning the
plastic lenses, this may result in damage
to the protective paintwork and conse-
quently in formation of cracks on the head
light lenses, e.g through effect of chem-
ical products.Door and window sealsThe rubber seals on the doors, boot lid,
bonnet and windows remain supple and
last longer if you treat them from time to
time with a rubber care product (e.g. with
a spray with silicone-free oil). You also avoid premature wear of the seals and prevent leakages in this way. It is also easier to open the doors. Rubber seals which are well cared for also do not stick together in cold winter weather.Locking cylinderWe recommend that you use the spray from Škoda original accessories with regreasing and anticorrosive effect
for de-icing lo
cking cylinders.
Note
When washing your vehicle, ensure that as
little water as possible gets into the
locks.
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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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