Heating and air conditioning system
86
Operational problemsIf all the symbols on the display of the au tomatic air conditioning system flash for
approx. 15 seconds after switching on the igniti on, then there is a fault in the system -
visit a specialist garage.
If the cooling system does not oper ate, the following faults may exist:
the outside temperature is lower than +5°C,
The compressor of the automatic air conditioning system was temporarily
switched off due to a too high temperature of the coolant,
a blown fuse.
Check the fuse, replace it if necessary page 177. If a blown fuse is not the source of
the fault, switch the Climatronic off and have it checked.
If the cooling capacity decreases, switch the Climatronic off and have it checked.
s2rc.book Page 86 Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:58 AM
Starting-off and Driving89
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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
poisonous gas - hazard! Carbon monoxide can cause unconsciousness and
death.
Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.Caution
The starter may only be operated (ignitio n key position ), if the engine is not
running. If the starter is immedi ately operated after switching off the engine, the starter
or the engine can be damaged.
Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as the
engine has not yet reached its normal oper ating temperature - risk of damaging the
engine!
Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaust gas catalytic converter should not be tow-
started over a distance of more than 50 metres.For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle is standing. Drive off right away. Through
this the engine reaches its operating temperature more rapidly and the pollutant emis-
sions are lower.Petrol enginesThese engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel-air mixture
for every external air temperature.
Do not depress accelerator before and when starting engine.
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start right
awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
It is possible that the fuse on the electric al fuel pump is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary page 177.
Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance. It may be necessary, if the engine is
very hot, to slightly depress the accelerator after
the engine has started.
Diesel enginesGlow plug system
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period being
controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and outside tempera-
ture.
The preglow indicator light
comes on after the ignition has been switched on.
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating
period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning light
has
gone out.
The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is at a
normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature is above +5°C. This
means that you can start the engine right away.
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start right
awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
It is possible that the fuse on the diesel preglow system is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary page 177.
Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
Starting the engine after the fuel tank has run dry
It may take longer than normal to start the engine after refuelling if the fuel tank has
run completely dry - up to one minute. This is because the fuel system must first of all
be filled while the attempting to start the engine.
Switching off the engine– The engine can be switched off by tu rning the ignition key into position
page 87, fig. 100 .
A3
A1
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Starting-off and Driving
90WARNING
Never switch off the engine before the ve hicle is stationary - risk of accident!
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 148, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Shifting
Shift into reverse only when the vehicle is stationary. Depress the clutch pedal and
hold it fully depressed. Wait a moment 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.
Fig. 101 Shift pattern on models
fitted with 5-speed manual
gearbox
Fig. 102 Centre console: Hand-
brake
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Towing a trailer135
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights. Alter
the setting as necessary with the ai
d of the headlight beam adjuster page 48.
Detachable ball head
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device. It is
stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the
luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Further information on the towing device page 136.
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.
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/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for countries
in which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when there
are unfavourable road, weather or wind cond
itions, particularly near accident black
spots.
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 153,
“Inspecting the coolant level”.
Please refer to the following guidelines page 28, “Coolant temperature/coolant
level ”.
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.
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Inspecting and replenishing
154WARNING
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 in “Working in the engine compartment” on page 148.
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir fig. 149 . 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
lighting up in the
Fig. 149 Engine compartment:
Brake fluid reservoir
s2rc.book Page 154 Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:58 AM
Index
200
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Climatronic
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Recirculated air mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Setting temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Climatronic (automat ic air conditioning) . . . . . . . . 82
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Clothes hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Cockpit General view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Convenience operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Converting/masking over headlights . . . . . . . . . . 133
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Coolant quantity Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Coolant temperature/coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Correct seated position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Cup holder front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
DDeactivatingan airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Defrosting rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
De-icing the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Detachable towing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Diesel engines Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Direction indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Door Child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Driving economically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129EEDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Electric sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Electrically adjustable exterior mirror . . . . . . . . . . 54
Electronic Differential Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 34 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Electronic stability programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Electronic stability programme (ESP) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Emergency wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Engine
starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Engine compartment Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Engine electronics Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Engine revolutions counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Environmental compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129, 132
ESP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Exhaust gas Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Exhaust gas inspection Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Explanations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Exterior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Exterior mirror heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
FFirst-aid box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fixing net Combi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Octavia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
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