2009 SKODA OCTAVIA service

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
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
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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Wheels and Tyres
241
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The date of manufacture
is als o stated o n the tyre wa ll (pos si bl y only on the
inside

of wheel):
DOT ... 20 09...
means, for example, that the tyre was ma
nufactured in the 20th week of the year
2009. Any
spare wheel
which differs from the tyres fitted to the vehicle (e.g. winter tyres
or low-profile tyres) should only be used for a short time in the event of a puncture and when adopting an appropriately cautious
style of driving. It should be replaced
as quickly as possible by a normal wheel.
WARNING
•
Only use those tyres or wheel rims which have been approved for your
model of Škoda Auto vehicle. Failure to observe this instruction will adversely affect the road safety of your vehicle - risk of accident! Approval and licencing of your vehicle on publ
ic roads may also become void as a
result.•
You must on no account drive at a hi
gher speed than is permissible for
your tyres - risk of an accident resulting from tyre damage and loss of control over your vehicle.•
Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional
cases and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.•
Never fit tyres which have already be
en used without having adequate
knowledge of their previous
history. Tyres age even if they have not been
used at all or only very little. A spare tyre must only be used in exceptional cases and only then when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving.•
Do not, where possible, replace indivi
dual tyres but at least replace them
on both wheels of a given axle at the sa
me time. Always fit the tyres with the
deeper tread depth to the front wheels.
For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed
of in conformity with
the appropriate regulations.
Note
It is not normally possible to fit wheels
from other models of cars for technical
reasons. This may also apply in certain
circumstances to the wheels of the same
type of vehicle.Wheel boltsWheels and
wheel bolts
are matched to each other in terms of design. Each time
you fit other wheels - e.g. light alloy wheels
or wheels with winter tyres - you must
therefore also use the matching wheel bolts of the correct length and shape of spherical cap. This is essent
ial to ensure that the wheels are tightly fitted and that
the brake system operates properly. If you retrofit
wheel trims
(or have this done), please also ensure that an adequate
flow of air remains assured for cooling the brake system. The authorised Škoda Service Partners are instructed in the technical possibilities which exist regarding converting or retrofitting tyres, wheels and wheel trims.
WARNING
•
In case of incorrect treatment of th
e wheel bolts, the
wheel can loosen
when the car is moving - risk of accident!
Speed symbol
Permissible maximum speed
S
180 km/h
T
190 km/h
H
210 km/h
V
240 km/h
W
270 km/h
Y
300 km/h
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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Breakdown assistance
252
– Reinstall the full wheel trim/wheel cap after removing the adapter or
place the cap onto the safety wheel bolt.
– Have the
tightening torque
checked
w i t h a t o rq u e w re n c h a s s o o n a s
possible. Steel and light alloy wheels must be tightened to a tightening torque of
120 Nm
.
The safety wheel bolts on vehicles fitted with them (one safety wheel bolt per wheel) can only be loosened or tigh
ten up by using the adapter provided.
It is meaningful to note the code numbe
r hammered into the rear side of the
adapter or the rear side of the safety wheel bolts. You can obtain a replacement adapter from an authorised Škoda Service Partner, if necessary, by quoting this number. We recommend that you always carry the
adapter for the wheel bolts with you in
the vehicle. It should be st
owed in the vehicle tool kit.
Caution
Damage can occur to the adapter and safety
wheel bolt if the safety wheel bolt is
tightened up too much.
Note
The set of safety wheel bolts can be obta
ined from an authorised Škoda Service
Par tner.Jump-startingInitial stepsYou can use the battery of another vehicl
e for jump-starting yours if the engine
does not start because the battery on your
vehicle is flat. You will require jump-start
cables for this purpose.
Both batteries must have a rated voltage of 12 V. The
capacity
(Ah) of the battery
supplying the power must not be signific
antly less than the capacity of the
discharged battery
in your vehicle.
Jump-start cables Only use jump-start cables which have an
adequately large cross-section and insu-
lated terminal clamps. Please pay attent
ion to the manufacturer's instructions.
Positive cable -
colour coding in the
majority of cases red.
Negative cable -
colour coding in the majority of cases black.
WARNING
•
A discharged battery may already freeze
at temperatures just below 0°C.
In case of frozen battery carry out no jump-starting - risk of explosion!•
Please pay attention to the warning instructions relating to working in
the engine compartment
⇒page 225, “Working in the engine compart-
ment”.
Note
•
There must not be any contact between the two vehicles otherwise current may
flow as soon as the negative terminals are connected.•
The discharged battery must be proper
ly connected to the system of the
vehicle.•
Switch off any mobile phone, pay attent
ion to the instructions for use of the
mobile phone in such a situation.•
We recommend purchasing jump-start cabl
es from Škoda Service Partners as a
Škoda original accessory or from retailers who sell branded batteries.
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