
Seats and Stowage
68
Adjusting lumbar support*
– Turn the wheel until you have set the most comfortable curvature of the seat
upholstery in the area of your spine.
The driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the pedals can be fully pressed
to the floor with slightly bent legs.
The seat backrest on the driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the upper
point of the steering wheel can be easi ly reached with slightly bent arms.
WARNING
Only adjust the driver seat when the vehicle is stationary - risk of injury!
Take care when adjusting the seat! Adjusting the seat without care can lead
to bruises or injuries.
The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving otherwise
this will affect proper operation of the se at belts and of the airbag system - risk
of injury!
Adjusting front seats electrically*Adjusting seatsFig. 56 Side view: Controls for adju sting the seat / seat setting switchAdopt the correct seated position before setting page 67.
Adjusting a seat in a forward/back direction– Press the switch fig. 56 forwards or backwards .Set the height of the seat cushion– Press the switch upwards or downwards.Adjust the angle of the seat cushion– Press the switch at the front or at the back .Adjusting the seat backrest– Press the switch in the direction of the desired setting.Adjusting lumbar support– Press the switch front fig. 56 in order to enlarge the curvature of the lumbar
support.
– Press the switch rear in order to reduce the curvature of the lumbar support.
– Press the switch top in order to adjust the curvature of the lumbar support higher.
– Press the switch bottom in order to adjust the curvature of the lumbar support lower.
Switch is operated in order to move the seat up/down and forward/back, while
switch is operated in order to move the seat backrest forward or back.
WARNING
Only adjust the driver seat when the ve hicle is stationary - risk of injury!
Caution when adjusting the seat! You ma y suffer injuries or bruises as a
result of adjusting the seat without paying proper attention.
In view of the fact that the seats can also be adjusted when the ignition is
switched off (even when ignition key withdrawn), you should never leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle.
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Seats and Stowage75
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
weight. This means that it results in a weight of approx. 90 kg. You can imagine the inju-
ries that can occur, if this “bullet” is fl
ying through the interior compartment and hits
an occupant.
WARNING
Stow the objects in the luggage compartment and attach them to the
lashing eyes.
Loose objects in the passenger compartment can be thrown forward during
a sudden manoeuvre or in case of an accident and can injure the occupants or
other oncoming traffic. This risk is still increased, if the objects which are flying
around are hit by a deployed airbag. In this case, the objects which are thrown
back can injure the occupants - hazard.
Please note that the handling properti es of your vehicle may be affected
when transporting heavy objects as a result of the displacement of the centre of
gravity. The speed and style of driv ing must be adjusted accordingly.
The items carried in the luggage compar tment should be stowed in such a
way that no objects are able to slip fo rward if there are any sudden driving or
braking manoeuvres undertaken - risk of injury!
Never drive with the boot lid fully open ed or slightly ajar otherwise exhaust
gases may get into the interior of the vehicle - risk of poisoning!
On no account exceed the permissible axle loads and the permissible gross
weight of the vehicle - risk of accident!
Never transport occupants in the luggage compartment!Caution
Please ensure that the heating elements of the rear window heater are not damaged
as a result of objects sliding in this area.
Note
Tyre pressure must be adjusted to the load page 208.
Vehicles of category N1On vehicles of the category N1, which are no t fitted with a protective grille, a lashing
set which complies with the standard EN 12195 (1 - 4) must be used for fastening the
load.Lashing eyesFig. 65 Luggage compartment: Lashing eyes Octavia / CombiEyes are located on the sides of the luggage compartment for lashing the goods to be
loaded.
You can also attach a floor fixing net* to these eyes for holding small objects.
The floor fixing net* together with the installation instruction are stowed in a container
under the floor covering of the luggage compartment behind the spare wheel.
WARNING
The load to be transported must be fixed in place in such a way that it cannot
move during the journey and when braking.
If the items of luggage or objects are attached to the lashing eyes with
unsuitable or damaged lashing straps, inju ries can occur in the event of braking
manoeuvres or accidents. In order to prevent the items of luggage being thrown
forward, always use suitable lashing st raps which are firmly attached to the
lashing eyes.
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Seats and Stowage
76Note
On vehicles in the version Octavia, the to p front lashing eyes are located behind the
seat backrest page 75, fig. 65 - left.Fixing nets - Net programme Octavia*Fig. 66 Fixing net: Horizontal pocket / vertical pocketFixing examples of the fixing net as a horizontal pocket fig. 66 - left and a vertical
pocket fig. 66 - right.
The fixing net is stowed in a storage compartment behind the spare wheel under the
floor covering of the luggage compartment.
WARNING
The whole strength of the net makes it possible to load the pocket with objects
of up to 1,5 kg in weight. Heavy objects are not secured sufficiently - risk of
injury and net damage!
Caution
Do not place any objects with sharp edges in the nets - risk of net damage.
Fixing nets - Net programme Combi*Fig. 67 Fixing net: Vertical pocket / division of the luggage compartmentFixing examples of the fixing net as a horizontal pocket fig. 67 - left and as a division
of the luggage compartment with the aid of the net fig. 67 - right.
The fixing net is stowed in a storage co mpartment behind the spare wheel under the
floor covering of th e luggage compartment.
WARNING
The whole strength of the net makes it possible to load the pocket with objects
of up to 1,5 kg in weight. Heavy objects are not secured sufficiently - risk of
injury and net damage!
Caution
Do not place any objects with sharp edge s in the nets - risk of net damage.
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Seats and Stowage77
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Folding double hooks* (Octavia)Folding double hooks for attaching small items of luggage, such as bags etc. are
provided on one or both sides of the luggage compartment depending on the equip-
ment installed in the vehicle fig. 68 .
An item of luggage weighing up to 5 kg ca n be attached to each side of the double
hook.Folding hooks (Combi)Folding hooks for attaching small items of luggage, such as bags etc., are provided on
both sides of the luggage compartment fig. 69 .
An item of luggage weighing up to 10 kg can be attached to the hook.
Fixing floor covering of the luggage compartmentFig. 70 Luggage compartment: Fixing of the floor covering Octavia / CombiThere is a loop (Octavia) or there are hook s (Combi) located on the floor covering of
the luggage compartment. You can fix the raised floor cover with a hook to the luggage
compartment cover (Octavia) fig. 70 - left, as if one needs to reach the spare wheel
or to the frame of the boot lid (Combi) fig. 70 - right.Luggage net* (Octavia)The luggage net is designed for the tranportation of lighter objects.
WARNING
In the storage net you must only stow objects (up to a total weight of 1.5 kg).
Heavy objects are not secured sufficiently - risk of injury!
Fig. 68 Luggage compartment: Folding
double hooksFig. 69 Luggage compartment: folding
hooks
Fig. 71 Luggage compartment: Luggage
net
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Heating and air conditioning system
94
Heating and air conditioning systemAir outlet ventsThe information provided is valid for all vehicles.Fig. 104 Air vents at the front
Fig. 105 Air vents at the rearOpen air outlet vents– Turn the vertical thumbwheel (not when in the end position).
Close air outlet vents– Turn the vertical wheel into the end position.Redirecting air flow– Swivel upward or downward the grille of the vents in order to change the direction
of the air flow using the vertically arranged thumbwheel.
– Turn the horizontal thumbwheel on the vent to the right or left in order to change
the air flow to the appropriate side.
The air outlet vents 3, 4 fig. 104 and 6 fig. 105 can be closed and opened individ-
ually.
The air outlet vents 6 are only fitted on vehicles with higher centre console.
Warmed, unwarmed or cooled air will flow out of the air outlet vents according to the
setting of the regulator of the heating or the air conditioning system* and the atmos-
pheric conditions.
Note
The air outlet vents 2 ensure in the ventilation and cooling mode for a comfortable
(no-draught) ventilation of the interior of the vehicle, also if the air outlet vents 4 are
closed.
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Starting-off and Driving107
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Starting-off and DrivingSetting steering wheel positionFig. 110 Adjustable steering wh eel: Lever below steering columnYou can set the height and the forward/back position of the steering wheel to the
desired position.
– Adjust the driver seat page 11.
– Pull the lever below the steering wheel down fig. 110 - left .
– Set the steering wheel to the desired position (concerning height and forward/back position).
– Push the lever upwards as far as the stop.
WARNING
You must not adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving!
The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel
fig. 110 - right. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the
airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
For safety reasons the lever must always be firmly pushed up to avoid the
steering wheel altering its po sition unintentionally when driving - risk of acci-
dent!
If you adjust the steering wheel furthe r towards the head, you will reduce
the protection offered by the driver airbag in the event of an accident. Check
that the steering wheel is aligned to the chest.
When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock po sition. Never hold the steering wheel
firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the
steering wheel or at the inne r steering wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to the
arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver airbag is deployed.
Ignition lockPetrol engines
- ignition switched off, engine off, the steering can be locked.
- ignition switched on
- start engine
Diesel engines - interruption of fuel supply, ignition swit ched off, engine off, the steering can be
locked.
- heating glow plugs on, ignition switched on
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 111 Ignition lock positions
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Starting-off and Driving
108
You should not switch on any major elec trical components during the heating
period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
- start engine
Applies to all models:
Position
To lock the steering , with the ignition key withdrawn, turn the steering wheel until the
steering locking pin is heard to engage. You should always lock the steering as a general
rule if you leave your vehicle. This acts as a deterrent against possible theft of your
vehicle .
Position
Move the steering wheel back and forward a little if the ignition key cannot, or cannot
easily be turned into this position, in order to release the steering lock.
Position
The engine is started in this position. At th e same time switched on low beam or main
beam or other electrical components wi th major power consumption are briefly
switched off. The ignition key moves back into position when one releases the key.
The ignition key must be turned back into position each time before starting the
engine again. The starter repeat lock in th e ignition lock prevents the starter being
engaged when the engine is r unning and thus getting damaged.
Ignition key withdrawal lock (automatic gearbox)
You can only withdraw the ignition key after switching off the ignition if the selector
lever is in position P.
WARNING
When driving, the ignition key must always be in the position (ignition
switched on) without the engine running. This position is indicated by the
warning lights coming on. If this is not the case, it could result in unexpected
locking of the steering wh eel - risk of accident!
Only remove the ignition key from the ignition lock when the vehicle has
come to a standstill (by applying the handbrake or moving the selector lever
into the position P). The steering lock can engage imme diately - risk of acci-
dent!
Always withdraw the ignition key if you are going to leave the vehicle, even
for a short time. This is particularly important if children are left in the vehicle.
The children might otherwise start the engi ne or switch on electrical equipment
(e.g. power windows) - risk of accident or injury!
Starting the engineGeneral
You can only start the engine only using an original ignition key.
Place the gearshift lever into neutral (or place the selector lever to the position P or
N in the case of an automatic gearbox) and put on the handbrake firmly before starting
the engine.
Before starting, it is necessary to depres s the clutch pedal and to hold it pressed
until the engine starts. If you start the engi ne without depressing the clutch pedal, the
engine does not start and a message is shown in the display of the instrument cluster
to remind you of th e necessity to depress the clutch pedal.
Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts otherwise there may be damage to
the starter.
The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time after starting
the cold engine until oil pressure can be built up in the hydraulic valve clearance
compensation. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.
If the engine does not start ...
You can use the battery of anothe r vehicle as a jump-start aid page 221.
It is only possible to tow-start vehicles fi tted with a manual gearbox. The tow-starting
distance must not be more than 50 metres page 225.
WARNING
Never run the engine in non ventilated or enclosed areas. The exhaust gases
of the engine contain besides the odorless and colourless carbon monoxide a
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WARNING (continued)
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Automatic gearbox
116
Automatic gearboxAutomatic gearbox*Information for driving with the 6-speed automatic gearbox*
Your car is equipped with a conv entional 6-speed automatic gearbox.The maximum speed is reached in the 5th gear. The 6th gear serves as an economic
driving programme, which is intended to redu ce the fuel consumption. Shifting up and
down through the gears is performed automa tically. You can also, however, switch the
gearbox over into the Tiptronic mode. This mode makes it possible for you to also shift
gears manually page 120.Starting-off and Driving– Depress the brake pedal fully and keep it depressed.
– Press the Shiftlock button (button in ha ndle of the selector lever), move the
selector lever into the desired position, e.g. D page 118, and then release the
Shiftlock button.
– Wait a moment until the gearbox has shif ted (a slight engagement nudge can be
felt).
– 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 108.
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 driv e 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!
When the engine is running and the vehi cle is stationary, it is necessary to
hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever (except
P and N) since the power transmission is never completely interrupted, also not
when the engine is idling - the vehicle creeps.
Information for driving with the automatic gearbox DSG*
The abbreviation DSG means Direct shift gearbox (Direct shift gearbox). Two independent clutches are needed for the power transmission between the engine
and the gearbox. These replace the torque converter of the conventional automatic
gearbox. Their shifting is matched in such a way that there are no jerks when shifting
the gear and the power transmission of the engine to the front wheels is not inter-
rupted. Shifting up and down through the gears is performed automatically. You can
also, however, switch the gearbox over into the Tiptronic mode. This mode makes it
possible for you to also shift gears manually page 120.
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