
Starting-off and Driving
93
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The handbrake warning is acti
vated if you drive at a speed of more than 6 km/h for
more than 3 seconds.
WARNING
Please note that the handbrake must be fully released. A handbrake which
is only partially released can result in the rear brakes overheating which will have a negative effect on the operation of
the brake system - risk of accident! In
addition this can result in premature wear of the rear brake pads.
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. The children might, for
example, release the handbrake or take
the vehicle out of gear. The vehicle
might then move off - risk of accident!
Caution
After the car has come to a stop, always firs
t of all apply the handbrake firmly before
then additionally engaging a gear (manual gearbox) or moving the selector lever into position
P (automatic gearbox).
Parking aid*The parking aid provides a warning of obstacles behind the vehicle.The audible parking aid determines the di
stance between the rear bumper and an
obstacle located behind the vehicle with the
aid of ultrasound sensors. The sensors are
integrated in the rear bumper.
Range of sensors The clearance warning begins at a distance
of about 160 cm from the obstacle (area
fig. 97
). The interval between the warning si
gnals becomes shorter as the clearance
is reduced. A continuous tone sounds from
a distance of approx. 30
cm (area ) - danger area.
You should not reverse any further after this signal sounds!
If the vehicle is
equipped with a factory-fitted
towing device*, the border of the danger area starts -
continuous tone - 5 cm further behind th
e vehicle. The vehicle can be extended
through an installed deta
chable towing device.
Activating The parking aid is activated automatically when
reverse gear
is engaged and the igni-
tion is turned on. This
is confirmed by a brief acknowledgement signal.
Deactivating The parking aid is deactivated by disengaging the reverse gear or by switching the igni- tion off.
WARNING
The parking aid is not a substitute for
the driver paying proper attention and
it is always the driver's responsibility
to take care when parking the vehicle or
carrying out similar manoeuvres.
You should therefore satisfy yourself, before reversing, that there is no small
obstacle, such as a rock, thin post, trai
ler drawbar etc., behind your vehicle.
Such an obstacle might not be within the range detected by the sensors.
Under certain circumstances, surfaces of certain objects and types of
clothing cannot reflect the signal of the parking aid. Thus, these objects or people who wear such clothing are not recognised by the sensors of the parking aid.
Note
The parking aid does not operate if you
are towing a trailer (applies to models
which feature a factory-fitted towing device*).
A system fault is indicated if a warning signal sounds for about 5 seconds after
switching the ignition on and engaging reverse gear and there is no obstacle close to
Fig. 97 Parking aid: Range of sensors
AA
AB
s3j8.a.book Page 93 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Automatic gearbox
99
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
– Press the Shiftlock button (button in ha
ndle of the selector lever), move the
selector lever into the desired position, e.g. in
D, and then release the Shiftlock
button.
– Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator
.
Stop– The selector lever position
N does not have to be selected when stopping just for
a short time, such as at a cross roads. It is absolutely sufficient to hold the stopped vehicle stationary by depressing the foot
brake. The engine can, however, be
allowed just to idle.
Parking– Depress the brake pedal and hold it depressed. – Apply the handbrake firmly.– Press and Shiftlock button in the selector lever, move the selector lever to
P and
then release the Shiftlock button.
The engine can only be
started
when the selector lever is in position
P or N page 90.
At temperatures below -10 °C the engine can only be started in the selector lever posi- tion
P.
It is sufficient to engage selector lever position
P when parking on a flat surface. When
parking on a slope you should first apply
the handbrake firmly and then move the
selector lever into position
P. This is to ensure that there is no excessive pressure acting
on the lock mechanism and that it is easier to subsequently move the selector lever out of position
P.
If the selector lever position
N is selected by accident while driving it is first necessary
to release pressure on the accelerator pedal and wait for idling speed of the engine to be reached before engaging a drive position in the selector lever.
WARNING
Do not depress the accelerator when changing the position of the selector
lever if the car is stationary and the
engine is running - risk of accident!
Never move the selector lever into position R or P when driving - risk of an
accident!
If you are stopping at a hill (downhill section), never try to hold the car
stationary with the gear engaged by mean
s of the “accelerator”, this means by
letting the clutch slip. This can lead to ov
erheating of the clutch
. If there is a risk
of overheating of the clutch due to overlo
ad, the clutch is op
ened automatically
and the vehicle rolls backward - risk of accident!
If yo u m us t s to p a t a sl ope , d e pre s s a nd ho ld t he b ra ke pe d a l , s o t ha t y ou c a n
prevent the vehicle from rolling back.
Caution
The double clutch on the automatic gear
box DSG is equipped with an overload
protection. If you make use of the uphill func
tion on a vehicle which is stationary or
driving slowly uphill, it will result in an
increase of thermal stress of the clutches.
In the event that they overheat, the warning light
and a warning text
page 24
appear in the information display*. In such a case bring the vehicle to a stop, switch off the engine and wait until the warning light and the warning go out - risk of gearbox damage! You can continue the trip as soon as the warning light and the warning go out.Selector lever positionsFig. 100 Selector lever / information display: Selector lever positionsThe selector lever position you have engaged is shown in the information display of the instrument cluster with the corr
esponding gear symbol highlighted
fig. 100
- on
WARNING (continued)
s3j8.a.book Page 99 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Intelligent Technology
139
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
General The EDL makes it much easier, and sometimes
at all possible, to start off, accelerate
and climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface are unfavourable. Operating principle The EDL is activated automaticall
y, 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 greate
r driving force to the other driven wheel.
This control process 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 driven 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 slippery
road surfaces, such as ice and snow. 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 TCS 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 th
e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can in
fluence the function of the EDL
page 184, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
BrakesWhat has a negative effect on braking efficiency?Wear-and-tear Wear-and-tear to the brake pa
ds 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 necessary to
have the thickness of the brake pads insp
ected at a specialist garage between the
service inspections. Wet roads or road salt There may be a certain delay before the brakes
take full effect un
der certain conditions
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 possible 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 with
road salt if you have not used the brakes
for some considerable time beforehand. The
layer of salt on the brake discs and brake
pads must first be rubbed 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 firm
ly applying the brakes at a fairly high
speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corrosion 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 possib
le 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.
s3j8.a.book Page 139 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Towing a trailer
153
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Detachable ball head The ball rod is detachable on
vehicles with towing devi
ce and suppliable from Škoda
original accessories. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Note
We recommend that you also have your
vehicle inspected between service inter-
vals if you tow a trailer frequently.
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and decou-
pling the trailer.
Keep the mechanism of the ball head of
the towing device clean and take proper
care of it with a suitable preservative.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 temperature gauge if the outside temperature 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 combina- tion. Driving speed Do not drive faster than 80 km/h for safety
reasons. This also a
pplies for countries in
which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the
vehicle + trailer comb
ination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allo
wed speed should not be used when there
are unfavourable road, weather or wind cond
itions as well as on downhill sections.
You must always reduce your speed immediat
ely 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 downhill 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 engi
ne 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 your speed immediately. Stop and switch off the engine if the warning light
in the instrument cluster begins flashing. Wait a few
minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
page 170,
“Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines
page 29, “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 of the
engine speed. One should also not drop a gear
for this reason when towing a trailer as
long as the engine can manage th
e slope without any drop in speed.
s3j8.a.book Page 153 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
158
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 preserva
tive from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer.
Caution
Never remove snow or ice from the glass pa
rts with warm or hot water - risk of
formation of cracks in the glass!
When removing snow or ice from the windows and mirror lenses make sure not to
damage the paintwork of the vehicle.The headlight lensesPlease do not use any aggressi
ve cleaning or chemical so
lvent products for cleaning
the front headlights - 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 consequently in
formation of cracks on the headlight lenses, e.g through effect of chemical 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 locking cylinders.
Note
When washing your vehicle, ensure that as
little water as possible gets into the locking
cylinders.WheelsSteel wheels You should also thoroughly wash the wheels
and wheel trims when giving your vehicle
its regular wash. This prevents any brake dust, dirt and road salt from sticking to the wheel hubs. You can remove stubborn brake
abrasion adhering to the wheels with an
industrial cleaner. Touch up
any damage to the paintwork on the wheels before rust is
able to form. Light alloy wheels Regular care of light alloy wh
eels is necessary in order to retain their decorative
appearance over long periods. It is particul
arly important to remove any road salt and
brake abrasion from light alloy wheels every two weeks, otherwise the surface will suffer. Wash thoroughly and then treat the wheels with a protective product for light alloy wheels which does not
contain any acidic componen
ts. You should provide the
wheel hubs with a hard wax layer every thre
e months. You must not use any products
which cause abrasion when treating the wheel hubs. Any damage to the paint layer on the wheel hubs must be touched up immediately. We recommend using a preservative from Šk
oda genuine accessories offered by your
Škoda dealer.
WARNING
One should remember when cleaning th
e wheels that moisture, ice and road
salt may adversely affect braking ef
ficiency - risk of an accident!
Note
Severe layers of dirt on the wheels can also
result in wheel imbalance. This may show
itself in the form of a wheel vibration which
is transmitted to the steering wheel which,
in certain circumstances, can
cause premature wear of the
steering. This means it is
necessary to remove the dirt.
s3j8.a.book Page 158 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the vehicle
160
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the d
oors, luggage compartment cover, headliner
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 th
e material and can damage it.
Fabric covers of elec
trically heated seats
Do
not clean
the seat covers moist as this may re
sult in damage to the seat heating
system. Clean such covers using specia
l agents, for example dry foam.
We recommend using a cleaning product from Škoda genuine accessories offered by your Škoda dealer.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 co
tton or woollen cloth.
Severe soiling– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth
dipped in a mild soap
y solution (2 spoon-
fuls of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
– Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point and that no water gets
into the stitching of the seams.
– Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
Removing stains– Remove fresh stains which are
water-based
(e.g. coffee, tea, juices, blood etc.)
with an absorbent cloth or household pape
r 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 pe
netrated into the surface.
– Use a grease dissolver for
grease stains which have dried in
.
–Eliminate
special stains
(e.g. ball-point pens, felt pe
n, nail varnish, dispersion
paint, shoe cream etc.) with a special stain remover suitable for leather.
Leather care– Treat the leather every six months with
the leather care product available from
specialist garages.
– Apply only a small amount of the care product.– Dry the leather off with a soft cloth We recommend that you consult your Škoda Se
rvice Partner, if you have any questions
regarding cleaning and care of the leather interior. We recommend using a cleaning product fr
om Škoda genuine accessories offered by
your Škoda dealer.
Caution
You must on no account treat the leather wi
th solvents (e.g. gasoline, turpentine),
floor wax, shoe cream or such like.
Avoid leaving your vehicle for lengthy period
s 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 ra
ys of the sun by covering it over.
Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing su
ch as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-edged
belts may leave permanent scratches or signs of rubbing on the surface.
s3j8.a.book Page 160 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM

Fuel
164
WARNING
Pay attention to any legal requirements if you do carry a spare canister in the vehicle. We do not recommend carrying any fuel canisters in your vehicle for safety reasons. The canister can be damaged
in the event of an accident and fuel
may leak out.
Caution
Remove any fuel which has spilled onto th
e paintwork of your vehicle immediately
- risk of paint damage!
On vehicles fitted with a catalytic converte
r, never let the fuel tank run completely
empty. An irregular supply of fuel to the engine can result in misfiring and unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system, which may
result in overheating and damage to the
catalytic converter.
Make sure that the valve is not pressed into the filler tube when inserting the pump
nozzle into the filler tube.
Otherwise you are unintentiona
lly filling up the volume,
which in case of heat can caus
e an expansion of the fuel. This can lead to an overflow
of fuel or damage to parts of the fuel reservoir.
The fuel tank is full just as soon as th
e pump nozzle switches off for the first time,
provided the nozzle has been operated prop
erly. Do not continue refuelling - other-
wise the expansion volume is filled up.
Note
The fuel tank has a
capacity of about
45 litres
, containing a reserve of
7litres
.
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Inspecting and replenishing
169
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Caution
You must not pour any additives into the en
gine oil - risk of engine damage! Damage,
which results from such product,
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 th
e 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 any maintenance under normal operating condi- tions. The coolant consists of water with a
concentration of coolant additive of 40 %.
This mixture not only provides
antifreeze protection down to -25°C but 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 concentration of antifreeze agent in the coolant by adding water, also not during the summer mo
nths 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 antifreeze prot
ection tails off above that concentration.
Vehicles exported to countries with a cold
climate (e.g. Sweden, Norway, Finland) are
already factory-filled with a coolant which offers antifreeze protection down to about -35°C. In these countries the concentration of coolant additive should be at least 50%.
Coolant The cooling system is factory-
filled with coolant (purple in colour), which complies
with the specification TL-VW 774 G. We recommend that you use the coolant addi
tive G13 (purple in colour) for topping
up the system. We recommend that you contact your Škoda
Service Partner if yo
u have any questions
regarding the coolant or if you wish
to fill up with a different coolant.
A specialist garage can also supply
you with the correct coolant additives.
Coolant capacity
Caution
Other coolant additives may cause operational problems which, in particular,
involves significantly reduci
ng the anticorrosion effect.
Petrol engines
Content
1.2 ltr./44 kW - EU5
5,5
1.2 ltr./51 kW - EU5 / EU2 DDK
5,5
1.4 ltr./63 kW - EU5
5,5
1,6 ltr./77 kW - EU4 / EU2 DDK
5,5
1.4 ltr./132 kW TSI - EU5
6,6
1.2 ltr./63 kW TSI - EU5
7,7
1.2 ltr./77 kW TSI - EU5
7,7
Diesel engines
Content
1.2 ltr./55 kW TDI CR DPF - EU5
6,6
1.6 ltr./55 kW TDI CR DPF - EU5
8,4
1.6 ltr./66 kW TDI CR DPF - EU5
8,4
1.6 ltr./77 kW TDI CR DPF - EU5
8,4
s3j8.a.book Page 169 Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:10 PM