2010 SKODA OCTAVIA sensor

Airbag system
154
Function of the side airbags
Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by fully inflated
side airbags.When the side airbags are deployed, the head airbag* and the belt tensioner are also
automatically deployed on the relevant side fig. 137 .
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with gas. The airbags inflate in fractions of a
second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the
event of an accident.
A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly
normal and is not an indicati on of a fire in the vehicle.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully inflated airbag and
the risk of injury to the entire upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) is reduced on the
side facing the door.Important safety information on the side airbag
Correct use of the airbag system cons iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING

It is essential to always switch off page 157, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attachin g a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated.
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the
appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.

Your head should never be positioned in the deployment area of the side
airbag. You might suffer severe injuries in the event of an accident. This applies
in particular to children who are transported without using a suitable child
safety seat page 161, “Child safety and side airbag*”.

If children adopt an incorrect seated position when travelling, they may be
exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This can result
in serious injuries page 159, “What you should know about transporting
children!”.

There must not be any further persons, animals as well as objects posi-
tioned between the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No
accessories, such as a can holder, should be attached to the doors.

The airbag control unit operates togeth er with the pressure sensors, which
are attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried
out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional installa-
tion of loudspeakers). Resulting damage s can have a negative affect on the
operation of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels
must only be carried out by a specialist garage.

In the event of a side collision, the side airbags will not function properly, if
the sensors cannot measure the increasi ng air pressure inside the doors,
because the air can escape through lar ge, non-sealed openings in the door
panel.
Never drive with removed inner door panels.
 Never drive, if parts of the inner do or panel have been removed and the
remaining openings have not been properly sealed.
 Never drive, if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, only if
the loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed.
 Always make sure that the openings are covered or filled, if additional
loudspeakers or other equipment part s are installed in the inner door
panels.
Fig. 137 Inflated side airbag
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
156
Function of the head airbags
The risk of injury to the head and neck area is reduced in the event of a
side collision by fully inflated head airbags.In the case of a side collision the head airbag is deployed together with the relevant
side airbag  fig. 139 and the belt tensioner on the side of the car on which the acci-
dent occurs.
If the system is deployed, the airbags are filled with propellant gas and extend over the
entire area of the side wind ow including the door pillar fig. 139 .
The protection offered by the head airbags is thus available simultaneously both to the
front occupants of the car seated on the side on which the accident occurs, as well as
to the rear occupants. Any impact of the head against parts of the interior or objects
outside of the car, is cushioned by the in flated head airbag. The reduction in any
impact to the head and the resultant minimi zing of any movements of the head addi-
tionally reduce the risk of injuries to the neck area. The head airbag also offers addi-
tional protection in the case of an offset impact by covering the front door pillar.
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously
deployed.
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second an d at a high speed in order to be able to
offer that additional protection in the even t of an accident. A grey white, non harmful
gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication
of a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety information on the head airbag
Correct use of the airbag system cons iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING

It is essential to always switch off page 157, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the chil d is facing the direction of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy ed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated.
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the
appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.

There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head airbags
which might prevent the airbags from inflating properly.

Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing.
In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up items of
clothing.

The airbag control unit operates to gether with the sensors, which are
attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out
at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional installation of
loudspeakers). Resulting damages can have a negative affect on the operation
of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must only be
carried out by a specialist garage.

There must not be any other persons (e.g. children) or animals between the
car occupant and the deployment area of the head airbag. In addition, none of
the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driving, or
extend their arms and hands out of the window.

The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the deploy-
ment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens etc. are
attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head
airbag is deployed.

Installing impermissible accessories in the area of the head airbags may
considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the event of it
Fig. 139 Inflated head airbag
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Intelligent Technology167
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralThe ESP aids you in maintaining control of your vehicle in situations in which the
vehicle is driving at its dynamic limits, such as entering a curve fast. The risk of skidding
is reduced and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the
conditions of the road surface. The system operates at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL),

Traction control system (TCS),

active driver-steering recommendation (DSR),

Antilock brake system (ABS),

Brake Assist,

Uphill Start Assist
The ESP system cannot be switched off, only the TCS system can be switched off by
pressing the button fig. 149 , the warning light
 lights up. Operating principle
The ESP switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also proc-
esses additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the
rotational velocity of the vehicle about its ve
rtical axis, the lateral acceleration of the
vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering
angle and the speed of the vehicle and is co nstantly compared with the actual behav-
iour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the vehi cle beginning to skid, the ESP will
automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces wh ich take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of a
vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency for the rear of the vehicle to break away)
while occurs this is on the inner rear wh eel of a vehicle which tends to understeer
(tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by
noises.
During an intervention of the system, the warning light
 flashes in the instrument
cluster page 32.
The ESP operates in combination with the ABS page 171, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)”. If there is a fault in the ABS system, the ESP also does not operate.
The ESP warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the
ESP
  page 32.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 surfac e and the traffic situation. This partic-
ularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. The increased safety
Fig. 149 ESP switch
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Intelligent Technology
168
offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an acci-
dent!
Note

All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circum ferences of the tyres can lead to an unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.

Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP page 214, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL and XDL)*
The electronic differential lock prev ents an individual wheel from slip-
ping.Models fitted with ESP ar e 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 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 automatica lly 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.
XDL function (only for Octavia RS)
The XDL function is an extension to the electronic differential lock. The XDL function
does not respond to traction, but to the relief of the inner front wheel during fast
cornering. An active brake intervention on the brake of the inner wheel prevents it from
spinning. Thus, the trac tion is improved and the vehicle continues to follow the desired
track.
WARNING

Carefully depress the accelerator when accelerating on uniformly slippery
road surfaces, such as ice and snow. Th e 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 another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the EDL page 214, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
WARNING (continued)
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Intelligent Technology169
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 th e conditions 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 auto-
matically adapted by reducing the engine speed. The system operates at all speeds.
The TCS operates in combination with the ABS page 171, “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 instru ment cluster when there is a fault on the
TCS
  page 32.
During an intervention of the system, the TCS warning light
 flashes in the instru-
ment cluster page 32.
Switching off
You can switch the TCS off and on again as you wish by pressing the button fig. 150 .
The TCS warning light lights up in the instru ment cluster when the system is switched
off
  page 32. 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 unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.

Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the TCS page 214, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
Active driver-steering recommendation (DSR)*Vehicles with ESP are equipped with active driver-steering recommendation (DSR).
This function indicates to the driver in crit ical situations a steering recommendation in
order to stabilise the vehicle. The active driver-steering recommendation is activated,
for example, on the right and left vehicle si de when braking sharply on different road
surfaces.
WARNING
Even with this function the vehicle cann ot steer itself! The driver is furthermore
responsible for the steering of the vehicle!
Fig. 150 TCS switch
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Intelligent Technology
172
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 167.
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 situ-
ation.

The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to take
a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Uphill Start Assist*The uphill start assist makes it easier to start off on steep hills. The system assists a start
off by holding the brake pressure produced by the brake pedal actuation for approx. 2
seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore move his foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and start off on the slope, without having to
actuate the handbrake. 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 assist is active as of a 5 % slope, if the driver door is closed. It is always
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 instru-
ment cluster page 30.
WARNING
Contact your specialist garage if the power steering is defective.Tyre pressure monitoring system*The tyre pressure monitoring system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors the
speed and also the rolling circumference of the individual wheels. If the rolling circum-
ference of a wheel is changed, the warning light
 lights up in the instrument cluster
 page 33 and an audible signal sounds. 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,
Fig. 151 Button for setting the tyre
inflation pressure control value
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