2009 SKODA SUPERB ignition

Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
216
Engine compartmentGood corrosion protection is very importan
t, particularly in winter when one often
drives over its salt-strewn roads. One should therefore clean the whole engine compartment before and after the salt spre
ading period and treat with preservative
in order to prevent the salt from being destructive. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have the cleaning agents and preservatives recommended by the manufacturer and also the required equipment.
WARNING
•
It is necessary to observe the guidelines given in the chapter before
working on the engine compartment
⇒page 223, “Working in the engine
compartment”.•
Let the engine cool down before
cleaning the engine compartment.
Caution
•
Engine cleaning may be only be und
ertaken when the ignition is off.
•
It is recommended to cover the generator before washing the engine compart-
ment.
For the sake of the environment
The dirty water produced by
washing the engine has washed away petrol, and resi-
dues of grease and oil and should therefor
e be cleaned by an oil separator. This is
why engine washing should only be undertake
n in a specialist garage or at a fueling
station (when these are fitted with the required equipment).
Care of the interior of vehiclePlastic parts, artificial leather and clothsYou can clean plastic parts and artificial le
ather with a moist cloth. You should only
treat such parts with special
solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products
it
does prove to be adequate. Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the
doors, luggage compartment cover, head-
liner etc. are best treated with special
cleaning products, using if necessary a
dry
foam
and a soft sponge or brush.
We recommend using a cleaning product
from Škoda genuine accessories offered
by your Škoda dealer.
Caution
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it.Fabric covers of electrically heated seatsDo
not clean
the seat covers moist as this may result in damage to the seat heating
system. Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam.Natural leather Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.Leather should be treated from time
to time according the following
guidelines depending on how much it is used. Normal cleaning – Clean soiled areas of the leather
with slightly moistened cotton or
woollen cloth.
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Inspecting and replenishing
223
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WARNING
•
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi
ng! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.•
For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed when
driving. One should therefore check that
the lock has in fact engaged prop-
erly after closing the bonnet.•
Stop your vehicle immediately while driv
ing if you notice that the lock is
not properly engaged and close the bonne
t properly - risk of an accident!
Caution
Ensure that the arms of the windscreen
wipers are correctly
in place against the
windscreen before opening the bonnet otherwise damage could occur to the paintwork.Working in the engine compartment Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine compartment!There is a risk of injuries, scalding,
accidents and fire when working in the
engine compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. For this reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated below and with the general applicable
rules of safety. The engine compart-
ment of your car is a hazardous area
⇒
.
WARNING
•
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi
ng! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.•
Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
•
Apply the handbrake firmly.
•
If your vehicle is fitted with a ma
nual gearbox, move the gearshift lever
into Neutral, or if it is fitted with
automatic gearbox, move the selector lever
into position P.•
Allow the engine to cool down.
•
Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
•
Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the
antifreeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!•
Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
•
Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!•
Never open the cap of the coolant expa
nsion bottle as long
as the engine
is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!•
Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a large cloth
when opening it as protection for your
face, hands and arms from hot steam
or hot coolant.•
Do not let objects, such as e.g cleani
ng cloth or tools lie in the engine
compartment.•
If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is not sufficient for this - risk of injury!•
In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the
engine is running there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. the V- ribbed belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition system. Please observe in addition the following.
− Never touch the electrical cabl
es of the ignition system.
− Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose items of clothing or long hair from getting into the rotating parts of the engine - Hazard! Therefore remove any jewellery beforehand, tie up your hair and wear tight fitting clothing.
•
Please also comply with the warnin
g instructions stated below when
carrying out any essential work on th
e fuel system or on the electrical
system.
WARNING (continued)
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Inspecting and replenishing
228
system with water and as soon as possible
arrange adjustment 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! Exce
ss 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. Th
is 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 assistan
ce 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.
Radiator fan The radiator fan may switch on suddenly.The radiator fan is driven by an electric motor and controlled according to the coolant temperature. The radiator fan may continue running for
up to 10 minutes after the engine has
been switched off - even if the ignition is
also off. It may al
so switch on suddenly
after a certain time, if•
the coolant temperature has risen because 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
Fig. 205 Engine compart- ment: Brake fluid reservoir
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Inspecting and replenishing
230
The battery is located under a plastic cover in the engine compartment or in the left side of the luggage compartment. Battery in the engine compartment – Press the interlock on the side of the battery cover
⇒
page 229,
fig. 206
, fold the battery cover out and pull it out.
– The installation of the battery co
ver takes place in the reverse order.
Battery in the luggage compartment – You can open the compartment with the symbol

by turning the
locks e.g with a coin or using a flat screwdriver in direction of arrow ⇒
fig. 207
.
Removal and installation of the battery
is not recommended since it can, under
certain circumstances, le
ad 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). 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. Protect the eyes
with safety glasses or a shield! There
is the danger of suffering blindness!
If any battery electr
olyte 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 batter
y 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 el
ectrical 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.
Fig. 207 Luggage compart- ment: Battery behind the cover
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Inspecting and replenishing
231
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
•
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 compon
ents) of the vehicle may be damaged.
When disconnecting the battery from the electrical system of the vehicle, first disconnect the negative terminal (-) of
the battery. Then disconnect the positive
terminal (+).•
When reconnecting the battery, first conn
ect the positive terminal (+) and only
then the negative terminal (-) of the ba
ttery. 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 233, also after connecting the battery.
Battery with two-tone indicatorAn indicator for the electrolyte level, the so-called magic eye
⇒fig. 208
, is located
on the top of the battery. The indicator change
s its colour in line with the electrolyte
level in the battery. Air bubbles can influence the colour of the
indicator. For this reason carefully knock
on the indicator before carrying out the check.•
Black colour - electrolyte level is correct.
•
Colourless or light yellow colour - electr
olyte level too low, the battery must be
replaced. Batteries, which are more than 5 years old, must be replaced. We recommend you have the battery checked or repl
aced by a specialist garage.
Caution
If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will discharge because certain electrical components consume electricity (e.g. control units) also in idle state. You can prevent the discharging of the battery by discon- necting the negative terminal or charging
the battery constant
ly with a very low
charging current. Please also refer to
the notes when working on the battery
⇒ page 229, “Working on the battery”.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 208 The battery: magic eye
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Inspecting and replenishing
233
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Charging the battery A properly charged battery is essential for reliably starting the engine.–Read the warning notes
⇒
in “Working on the battery” on
page 229 and
⇒
.
– Switch the ignition and all
electrical components off.
– Only for “quick-charging”: Disconnect
both battery cables (first of all
“negative”, then “positive”).
– Carefully attach the terminal clam
ps 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 ampera
ges (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 batter
y capacity (or lower) is that which should
be used until full charging is achieved. It is, however, necessary to disconnect both
cables before charging the battery with
high amperages, so-called “
quick-charging
”.
“Quick-charging” a battery is
dangerous
⇒
in “Working on the battery” on
page 229. It requires a special charger and appropriate knowledge. We therefore re c o m m e n d t h a t y o u h a v e y o u r b a t t e r y q u i c k - c h a rg e d o n l y b y a n a u t h o ri s e d Š ko d a Service Partner.
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 through the formation of ice and this would allow battery electrolyte to flow out. The vent plugs of the battery shou
ld not be opened for charging.
WARNING
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic burns. Replace a frozen battery.Disconnecting and reconnecting the batteryOn disconnecting and reconnecting the battery the following functions are initially deactivated or are no longer able to operate fault-free. We recommend having the vehicle checked by an authorised 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. The authorised Škoda Service Partners have a range of suitable batteries available. We recommend that you only have an old
battery disposed of by an authorised
Škoda Service Partner since it does require special disposal.Operation
Operating measure
Electrical power window
(operational faults)
⇒page 56
Enter radio code number
see Radio Operating Instructions
Set hours
⇒page 21
Data in the multi-functional indicator* are deleted.
⇒ page 21
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Breakdown assistance
251
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Start engineIt is important to connect the jump
-start cables in the correct order.
Connecting positive terminals – Attach one end to the positive terminal
⇒
fig. 222
of the
discharged battery .
– Attach the other end to the positive terminal of the battery
supplying the power .
Connecting negative term
inal and engine block
– Attach one end to the negative
terminal of the battery supplying
the power .
– Attach the other end to a solid metal part which is connected
firmly to the engine block, or
to the engine block itself.
Starting engine – Start the engine of the vehicle providing current and run the engine at
idling speed.
– Now start the engine of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
– Interrupt the attempt at starting an engine after 10 seconds if it does
not start right away and wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
– Disconnect the cables on the engine in exactly the
reverse order
they
were connected up.
WARNING
•
The non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps must never make contact
with each other. Furthermore, the cable connected to the positive terminal of the battery must not come into contact with electrically conducting parts of the vehicle - risk of a short circuit!•
Do not affix the jump starting cables to the negative terminal of the
discharged battery. There is the risk
of detonating gas seeping out the
battery being ignited by the strong
spark which results from the engine
being started.•
Run the jump-start cables so that th
ey cannot be caught
by any rotating
parts in the engine compartment.•
Do not bend over the batteries - risk of caustic burns!
•
The vent screws of the battery cells must be tightened firmly.
•
Keep any sources of ignition (naked
flame, smouldering cigarettes etc.)
away from the battery - risk of an explosion!•
Never jump-start the batteries which have a too low electrolyte level -
risk of explosion and caustic burns!
Fig. 222 Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicle: A - flat vehicle battery, B - battery providing current
A1AAA2AB
A3
AB
A4
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Breakdown assistance
252
Jump-starting on vehicles with jump-starting pointFor vehicles with the 3.6 ltr./191 kW FS
I engines, the positive terminal of
the battery supplying the power can only be connected to the jump-starting point in the engine compartment of the vehicle which must be started by means of a jump-starting cable
⇒
fig. 223
!
– Open the protective cap of the ju
mp-starting point in direction of
arrow.
– Connect the positive terminal of
the battery supplying the power with
the jump-starting point.
– Attach the negative terminal of the battery supplying the power to a
solid metal part which is connected fi
rmly to the engine block or to the
engine block itself.
–Start the engine
⇒
page 251.
– After the engine start, close the
protective cap of the jump-starting
point.
Tow-starting and towing vehicleGeneralPlease pay attention to the following in
structions if you are going to use a
tow rope: Driver of the towing vehicle – Do not drive off until the tow rope is taught. – Release the clutch particularly gent
ly when starting off or depress the
accelerator particularly gently if yo
ur vehicle is fitted with an auto-
matic gearbox.
Driver of the towed vehicle – Switch the ignition on so that th
e steering wheel is not blocked and
you can also operate the turn signal
lights, the headlight flasher, the
windscreen wipers and windscreen washer system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position
N
if your vehicle is fitted
with an automatic gearbox.
– Note that the brake servo unit and po
wer steering only operate if the
engine is running. You will require
significantly greater physical force
to depress the brake pedal and to steer the vehicle if the engine is not running.
– Ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught.Tow rope or tow bar A tow
bar
is safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimizes any shocks. You can
use a tow
rope
only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The tow rope must be elastic to protect
the vehicle. Thus one should only use
plastic fibre rope or a rope made
out of a similarly elastic material.
Fig. 223 Detail of the engine compartment: Jump-starting point
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