2009 SKODA OCTAVIA TOUR length

Driving and the Environment
140
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 exploiting the top speed
of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel
consumption, pollutant emissi
ons and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at
high speeds. The
⇒fig. 142
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 em
issions, 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. 142 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
s2g8.b.book Page 140 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM

Towing a trailer
145
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 51. 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 146.
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 16.
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 165, “Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒page 30, “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
s2g8.b.book Page 145 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM

Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
153
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Removing stains – Remove fresh stains which are
water-based
(e.g. coffee, tea, juices,
blood etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household paper or use the cleaner from the care set for a
stain which has already dried in.
– Remove fresh stains on a
fat base
(e.g. butter, mayonnaise, chocolate
etc.) with an absorbent cloth or household cleaning paper or with the cleaner from the care set if the stain has not yet penetrated into the surface.
– Use a grease dissolver for
grease stains which have dried in
.
–Eliminate
special stains
(e.g. ball-point pens, felt pen, nail varnish,
dispersion paint, shoe cream etc.) with a special stain remover suit-able for leather.
Leather care – Treat the leather every six months with the leather care product avail-
able from specialist garages.
– Apply only a small amount of the care product.– Dry the leather off with a soft clothWe recommend that you consult a speciali
st garage if you have any questions
regarding cleaning and care of the
leather interior in your vehicle.
Caution
•
You must on no account treat the leather with solvents (e.g. gasoline, turpen-
tine), floor wax, shoe cream or such like.•
Avoid leaving your vehicle for lengthy pe
riods in bright sunlight in order to
avoid bleaching the leather. If
you leave your vehicle parked in the open for lengthy
periods, protect the leather from the direct
rays of the sun by covering it over.
•
Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing
such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-
edged belts may leave permanent scratche
s or signs of rubbing on the surface.
Note
•
Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect regularly and each
time after cleaning the leather. The cream no
urishes the leather, allows it to breathe
and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also creates surface protection.•
Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove fresh soiling each time this
occurs.•
Remove fresh stains such as those from
ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
cream etc., as quickly as possible.•
Care also for the leather dye. Refreshen
areas which have lost their colour with
a special coloured leather cream as required.•
The leather is a natural material with specific properties. During the use of the
vehicle, minor optical change
s can occur on the leather parts of the covers (e. g
wrinkles or creases as a result of the stress of the covers).Seat belts– Keep the seat belts clean! – Wash seat belts which have become
soiled using a mild soapy solu-
tion.
– Inspect the seat belts regularly to
ensure they are in good condition.
Belt webbing which has become severely so
iled may prevent the inertia reel from
reeling up the belt properly.
WARNING
•
The seat belts must not be removed for cleaning.
•
Never clean the seat belts chemically
as dry cleaning may destroy the
fabric. The seat belts must also not be allowed to come into contact with corrosive liquids (such as acids etc.).•
Seat belts which have damage to
the webbing, the connections, the
inertia reel or the lock should be
replaced by a specialist garage.
s2g8.b.book Page 153 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM

Inspecting and replenishing
163
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Check 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 160.
– 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 163. 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 if the engine has been operating at high loads, for example during a lengthy motorway trip during the summer months, towing a trailer or
negotiating a high mountain pass,
but not
above this
.
The warning light in the instrument cluster
will indicate whether the oil level is too
low
⇒page 31. 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 the engine off
and obtain profes-
sional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe engine damage.Replenishing engine oil– Inspecting the engine oil level
⇒
page 163.
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening
⇒
fig. 152
.
– Pour in a suitable grade of oil in portions of 0.5 litres
⇒
page 162,
“Engine oil specifications”.
Fig. 152 DipstickA1
AaAb
Aa
Ac
Ab
Aa
Aa
A2
s2g8.b.book Page 163 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM

Wheels and Tyres
176
The date of manufacture
is a lso s tated on the tyre wal l (poss ibly o nl y on the
inside

of wheel):
DOT ... 50 08...
means, for example, that the tyre was manufactured in the 50th week of the year 2008. If the
spare wheel*
differs from the tyres fitted to the vehicle (e.g. winter tyres or
low-profile tyres), the spare wheel* 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 quickl
y 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 public roads may also become void as a result.•
You must on no account drive at a higher speed than is permissible for
y our t yre s - ris k of a n ac cid e n t re su lti ng fro m ty re d a m ag e a nd lo ss o f c ont rol 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 been used without having adequate
knowledge of their previous history. Ty
res 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 same 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 specialist garages are informed abou
t the technical possibilities which exist
regarding converting or retrofitti
ng wheels, tyres 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!•
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 wh
eel bolts for steel and light alloy wheels
is 120 Nm.
s2g8.b.book Page 176 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM

Technical Data
203
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
DimensionsDimensions (mm)
OCTAVIA
CO M B I
Length
4507
4513
Width
1731
1731
Width including
exterior mirror
1984
1984
Height
1431/1455
a)
a)The value corresponds to the status with rough road package.
1457/1481
a)
Wheel base
2512
2512
Tr a c k g a u g e f r o n t / r e a r
1513/1494
1513/1494
Clearance
134
134
s2g8.b.book Page 203 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM