The brief instruction
14
Opening the bonnetFig. 13 Radiator grille: Locking lever / se curing the bonnet with the bonnet support– Pulling on the locking lever in direction of arrow fig. 13 will unlock the
bonnet.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening designed for it.
Further information page 196, “Opening and closing the bonnet.”.Inspecting the engine oil level Engine oil must not be refilled.
Engine oil can be refilled.
Engine oil must be refilled. Further information
page 198, “Check engine oil level”.
A1
A2
Fig. 14 Dipstick
AAABACs43s.1.book Page 14 Thursday, May 13, 2010 1:21 PM
Starting-off and Driving
110
The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater phys-
ical effort for braking is required when en gine is switched off. Because if you do
not stop as normal, this can cause an accident and severe injuries.Caution
you should not switch the engine off right away at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated for a lengthy period at high loads but should be allowed it
to run at idling speed for about 2 minutes. This prevents any accumulation of heat
when the engine is switched off.
Note
The radiator fan may continue running fo r a further 10 minutes or so after the
engine and the ignition have been switched off. The coolant fan may, however, also
switch on again after some time if the co olant temperature rises because of an accu-
mulation of heat in the engine or if the engine is warm and the engine compartment is
additionally heated by strong sunlight.
This is why particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment page 197, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Shifting (manual gearbox)
Shift into reverse only when the vehicle is stationary. Depress the clutch pedal and hold
it fully depressed. Wait a mo ment before engaging reverse gear in order to avoid any
shift noises.
The reversing lights will come on once reverse gear is engaged, provided the ignition is
on.
WARNING
Never engage the reverse gear when driving - risk of accident!
Note
One should not lay the hand on the shift lever while driving the vehicle. The pres-
sure of the hand will be transferred to the gearshift forks in the gearbox. This can, over
a period of time, lead to earl y wear of the gearshift forks.
Depress the clutch pedal fully when changi ng gears, in order to avoid unnecessary
wear and damage.
HandbrakeApplying the handbrake– Pull the handbrake lever up fully.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 112 The shift pattern: 5-speed or 6-
speed manual gearbox
Fig. 113 Centre console: Handbrake
s43s.1.book Page 110 Thursday, May 13, 2010 1:21 PM
Inspecting and replenishing
196
Inspecting and replenishingEngine compartmentBonnet remote releaseBonnet remote release– Pull the unlocking lever below the dash panel on the driver's side fig. 160 .
The bonnet jumps out of its lock as a result of the spring force. A locking lever appears
at the same time in the radiator grille.Opening and closing the bonnet.Fig. 161 Radiator grille: Locking lever / se curing the bonnet with the bonnet support
Opening the bonnet– Unlock the bonnet fig. 160 .
– 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.
– Pulling on the locking leve r in direction of arrow fig. 161 will unlock the
bonnet.
– Grip with the hand under the radiator grille and lift up the bonnet.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening designed for
it.Closing the bonnet– Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the bonnet support into the holder designed to hold it.
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 20 cm into the lock - bonnet do
not press down on it !
WARNING
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of the
engine compartment - risk of scalding! 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 properly
after closing the bonnet.
Stop your vehicle immediately while driving if you notice that the lock is not
properly engaged and close the bonnet properly - risk of an accident!Caution
Never open the bonnet using the locking lever - danger of causing damage.
Fig. 160 Bonnet release lever
A1
A2
s43s.1.book Page 196 Thursday, May 13, 2010 1:21 PM
Inspecting and replenishing197
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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, acci dents 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 safe ty. The engine compartment 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 scalding! 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 manual 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 anti-
freeze 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 su ddenly start running!
Never open the cap of the coolant expans ion 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 cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine
compartment.
If you wish to work under the vehicl e, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks; the lifting 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 fr om 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 it ems 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 the fu el system or on the electrical system:
Always separate the car battery from the electrical system.
Do not smoke.
Never carry out any work close to naked flames.
Always keep a working fire extinguisher at hand.Caution
When replenishing fluids in the engine, always ensure that the fluids are on no account
mixed up. This may result in major oper ating problems and also vehicle damage!
WARNING (continued)
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Inspecting and replenishing
202WARNING
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 orig-
inal 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 the engine off and obtain
professional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe
engine damage.
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 compliance 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 also switch on suddenly after a
certain time, if
the coolant temperature has risen beca use of an accumulation of heat or
the warm engine compartment is heated up additionally by strong sunlight.
WARNING
You must therefore be aware when working in the engine compartment that the
fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury!Brake fluidInspecting the brake fluid levelThe brake fluid reservoir is located on the left of the engine compartment. The brake
fluid reservoir on right-hand steering models is positioned on the other side of the
engine compartment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet page 196.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir fig. 165 . The level must be between
the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-tear and
automatic adjustment of the brak e pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in th e brake system, however, if the fluid level
drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” marking. If the
brake fluid level is too low, this is indicated by the warning light page 34, “Brake
system ” lighting up in the instru ment cluster. In this case stop immediately and do
not drive any further! Obtain professional assistance.
Fig. 165 Engine compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
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Inspecting and replenishing207
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
We recommend having the vehicle checked by a Škoda Service Partner to ensure full
functionality of all electrical systems.
Replacing the batteryYou should only replace a battery with a ne
w battery of the same capacity, voltage (12
V), amperage and of the same size. Škoda Service Partners have a range of suitable
batteries available.
We recommend that you only have an old ba ttery disposed of by your Škoda Service
Partner since it does require special disposal.
For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain poisonous substances such as sulphuric acid and lead. They must be
disposed of in accordance with local environmental protection regulations and on no
account as domestic waste.
In view of the problems involved with it s proper disposal, we recommend having
the battery replaced by a specialist garage.
Windshield washer systemThe windshield washer reservoir contains the cleaning fluid for the windscreen or rear
window and for the headlamp cleaning system*. The reservoir is located at the front
right of the engine compartment fig. 168 . The
filling level of the container is about 3 litres and about 5.5 litres on vehicles which
have a headlight washing system.
Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and headlights. We
therefore recommend using clean washing water together with the screen cleaner
from Škoda genuine accessories (in winter additionally with antifreeze) which is
capable of removing stubborn dirt. Follow the instructions for use on the packaging
when using screen cleaning products.
You should always add antifreeze to the cleaning water in winter even if your vehicle is
fitted with heated wind screen washer nozzles*.
It is also possible in exceptional cases to use methylated spirits when no screen cleaner
with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methylated spirits must not be more
than 15 %. Please note, however, that the anti freeze protection at this concentration is
only adequate down to -5°C.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes page 197, “Working in the engine
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
On no account should you add radiator an tifreeze or other additives to the wind-
screen washer fluid.
If the vehicle is fitted with a headlight cleaning system, you should only add
cleaning products which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the headlights to
the windscreen washer fluid. Please contac t your Škoda Service Partner, who will tell
you which cleaning agent you can use.
Fig. 168 Engine compartment: Wind-
shield washer fluid reservoir
s43s.1.book Page 207 Thursday, May 13, 2010 1:21 PM
Index267
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
RRadiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Rear armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73, 90
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Rear window heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rear window heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rear-view mirror Exterior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Interior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Recharge battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Recommendation for changing gears . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Synchronisation process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Replacing fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Replacing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Roof aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Running in the car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175SSafe securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Safety information Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Safety wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Saving electrical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Seat belt height adjuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145, 148
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
fastening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Seat heaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Selector lever lock Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Selector lever-emergency unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Service Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Service Interval Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Setting temperature Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Stability system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 after fuel tank has run empty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Steering active driver-steering recommendation . . . . 169 Steering force assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Storage compartment
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Sun screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Switching lights on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
TTaking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
TCS Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125, 132
Temperature outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Temporary spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
the first 1 500 kilometres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
The roof luggage rack system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Thickness of brake pads Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Top Tether . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
towing vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Tow-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
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