2011 SKODA OCTAVIA maintenance

Important safety information on the head airbag
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury! WARNING
● It is essential to always switch off ⇒ page 145 , Deactivating an airbag the
front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front pas-
senger 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 child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if
the front passenger airbag is deployed. When transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations re-
garding 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. Nev-
er leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of cloth-
ing. In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up
items of clothing.
● The airbag control unit operates together with the sensors, which are at-
tached 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 opera-
tion 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 air-
bag 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
being deployed. When the deployed head airbag is inflated, parts of the acces- WARNING (Continued)
sories fitted may in certain circumstances be thrown into the interior of the
car and cause injuries to the occupants ⇒

 page 197, Accessories, changes and
replacement of parts.
● Any work on the head airbag system including installing and removing sys-
tem components because of other repair work (e.g. removing headliner) must
only be carried out by a specialist garage. 
Deactivating an airbag Deactivating airbags If any airbags have been deactivated, switch them on again as
soon as possible so that they are able to again provide their proper
protection.
There is the technical means installed within your vehicle to switch off the front,
side or head airbag (take out of commission).
This is why you should have the deactivation of the airbags carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.
On vehicles equipped with the switch for deactivation of the airbags, you can de-
activate the front passenger airbag by means of this switch ⇒

 page 146.
Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only for particular instances, such as if:
● You must in exceptional cases use a child seat on the front passenger seat
where the child is seated with its back to the direction of travel (in some countries
this must be in the direction of travel due to other legal regulations applying)
⇒  page 147,

Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats ;
● you are not able to maintain the distance of at least 25 cm between middle of
steering wheel and chest, despite the driver seat being correctly adjusted;
● special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of
a physical disability;
● you have installed other seats (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
Monitoring the airbag system
The functionality of the airbag system is also monitored electronically when one
airbag has been switched off. £ 145
Airbag system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Transporting children safely
What you should know about transporting children! An introduction to the subject Accident statistics have revealed that children are generally more
safely transported on the rear seats than on the front passenger
seat.
Children who are less than 1.50 m in height and who weigh less than 36 kg should,
under normal circumstances, sit on the rear seat (take note of any national legal
provisions which differ from this). They should be secured there by means of a
child restraint system or by using the existing seat belts depending on their body
size and weight. The child seat should be mounted behind the front passenger
seat for safety reasons.
The physical principle of an accident does, of course, also apply to children
⇒
 page 135, The physical principle of a frontal collision. They differ from adults in
that their muscles and bone structure of children are not yet fully developed. Thus
children are exposed to increased risk of injury.
Children should be transported by using special child safety seats in order to re-
duce this risk of injury.
Only use child safety seats which are officially approved, suitable for children and
which comply with the standard ECE-R 44, which classifies child safety seats into
5 groups ⇒ page 149, Classification of child seats into groups. Child restraint sys-
tems which have been tested for conformity to ECE-R 44 standard have a non-de-
tachable test seal (a large E within a circle and below this the test number) attach-
ed to the seat.
We recommend that you use child safety seats from the ŠKODA Original Accesso-
ries range. These child seats were developed and also tested for use in ŠKODA
vehicles. They fulfil the ECE-R 44 standard. WARNING
Always comply with national legal provisions and instructions from the rele-
vant child safety seat manufacturer when installing and using a child seat
⇒

 page 147. Note
National legal provisions, which deviate from the information contained in these
operating instructions, take precedence over the information contained in the op-
erating instructions. 
Important safety information regarding the use of child safety
seats Correct use of child safety seats considerably reduces the risk of in-
jury!
WARNING
● All the occupants of the car - in particular children - must wear a seat belt
when the car is moving.
● Children who are less than 1.50 m in height and who weigh less than 36 kg
must not use a normal seat belt without a child restraint system, otherwise
this may result in injuries to the stomach and neck areas. Comply with the na-
tional legal requirements.
● One should never carry children, and also not babies! - on one's lap.
● You can transport a child safely in a suitable child safety seat ⇒
 page 149,
Child seat!
● Only one child may be fastened with a seat belt into a child safety seat.
● Never leave the child sitting unattended in the seat.
● Certain outside climatic conditions can cause life-threatening tempera-
tures in the vehicle.
● Never allow your child to be transported in a vehicle without the use of a
suitable restraint system.
● Children should also never stand up in a vehicle or kneel on the seats
when the vehicle is moving. In the event of an accident the child will be
thrown through the vehicle and may as a result suffer fatal injuries, and also
injure other occupants. £ 147
Transporting children safely Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Child safety and side airbag
Children must never be seated in the deployment area of the side
airbags and head airbags.
Fig. 131 Seated position of an unprotected child at risk from side airbag/Child properly pro-
tected by safety seat
In the event of a side collision, the side airbags offer the vehicle occupants en-
hanced protection.
The side airbags are inflated in fractions of a second in order to be able to provide
this protection ⇒
 page 142, Function of the side airbags.
The airbag develops such a strong force that an occupant who has not adopted an
upright seated position may suffer injuries from the airbag or as a result of objects
which are located within the deployment area of the side airbag.
This applies particularly to children if they are not transported in accordance
with legal requirements.
The child is protected when seated in a child safety seat matching its age. Ade-
quate room is available between the child and the deployment area of the side
airbag and head airbag. The airbag offers optimal protection. WARNING
● It is essential to always switch off ⇒ page 145
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 child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a
risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger
airbag is deployed. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat,
please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of
child safety seats.
● When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with
the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
● Children must never be seated with their head in the deployment area of
the side airbag - risk of injury!
● Do not place any objects within the deployment area of the side airbag -
risk of injury! 
Child seat Classification of child seats into groups Only child safety seats which have an official approval and are suit-
able for the child, may be used.
ECE-R 44 standard applies to child safety seats. ECE-R means: Economic Commis-
sion for Europe - Regulation.
Child safety seats which have been tested for conformity to ECE-R 44 standard
have a non-detachable test seal (a large E within a circle and below this the test
number) attached to the seat.
Child safety seats are classified in 5 groups: Group Weight
0 0 - 10 kg ⇒ page 150
0+ up to 13 kg ⇒ page 150
1 9 - 18 kg ⇒ page 150
2 15 - 25 kg ⇒ 
page 151 3 22 - 36 kg ⇒ 
page 151 £ 149
Transporting children safely Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Child seats in which the child is facing with its back towards the direction of
travel should not be used on the front passenger seat when the vehicle is fitted
with a front passenger airbag
⇒
 page 148, Use of child safety seats on the front
passenger seat. WARNING
● It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag at a special-
ist garage or with the switch for front passenger airbag when attaching in ex-
ceptional circumstances a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where
the child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel ⇒

 page 146, Switch
for the front passenger airbag.
● Please comply with any differing national legal regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats.
● If this is not done, a child seated on the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag or airbags are de-
ployed.
● You should have the front passenger airbag (or airbags) reactivated just as
soon as you no longer use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat. 
Child safety seats in Group 2 Fig. 134 Child seat in Group 2 installed
on the rear seat facing the direction of
travel
For children up to about 7 years of age weighing between 15 and 25 kg the opti-
mal solution is a child safety seat in combination with the three-point seat belt
⇒  fig. 134. WARNING
● When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with
the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
Switch off the front passenger airbag if necessary at a specialist garage or
switch it off with the switch for front passenger airbag ⇒

 page 146, Switch for
the front passenger airbag.
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must run approximately across the mid-
dle of the shoulder and fit snugly against the chest. It must on no account run
across the neck. The lap part of the seat belt must run across the pelvis and
fits snugly; it must not run over the belly. Tighten the belt webbing over your
hip if necessary.
● Please comply with any differing national legal regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats. 
Child safety seats in Group 3 Fig. 135 Child seat in Group 3 installed
on the rear seat facing the direction of
travel
For children of about 7 years of age weighing between 22 and 36 kg and of a
height of less than 150
cm, the optimal solution is a child safety seat (seat bolster)
in combination with the three-point seat belt ⇒ fig. 135 .
Children who are more than 1.50 m in height or who weigh more than 36 kg can
use normal seat belts without a seat bolster. £ 151
Transporting children safely Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Attaching child seat using the “Top Tether” system
Fig. 137 Rear seat: Top Tether
IIn certain countries national legal provisions also require the equipment of the
rear seat with fixing eyes for child seat using the “Top Tether” system ⇒ fig. 137.
Always perform the installation and removal of the child seat using the “Top Teth-
er” system as stated in the instructions from the manufacturer of the child seat. WARNING
● Attach the child seats with the
“Top Tether” system only to the points pro-
vided for this purpose ⇒  fig. 137.
● On no account should you equip your vehicle, e.g. mount screws or other
anchorage points.
● Pay attention to the important safety information regarding the use of
child seats. Note
Store the remaining part of the belt for the “Top Tether” system in a textile pock-
et, which is located at the child seat.  153
Transporting children safely Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehi-
cle. Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of
driving to the condition of the road surface and the traffic situation. This par-
ticularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. 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 prob-
lem-free operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circumferences of the tyres can
lead to an undesirable reduction in the engine output.
● Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combi-
nation of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP ⇒
 page 197, Ac-
cessories, changes and replacement of parts. 
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL and XDL) The electronic differential lock prevents an individual wheel from
slipping.
General
The EDL makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, acceler-
ate and climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface are unfavoura-
ble.
Operating principle
The EDL is activated automatically, 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 sen-
sors. 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 greater 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.
XDL function (only for Octavia RS)
The XDL function is an extension to the electronic differential lock. The XDL func-
tion 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 pre-
vents it from spinning. Thus, the traction 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. 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 sur-
face 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 other-
wise - risk of an accident! Note
● If the ABS or ESP warning light comes on, this may also indicate a fault in the
EDL. Have the vehicle inspected by your specialist garage as soon as you can.
● Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combi-
nation of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the EDL ⇒

 page 197, Ac-
cessories, changes and replacement of parts.  155
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Brakes
What has a negative effect on braking efficiency?
Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pads 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 inspected 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 under certain con-
ditions 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 the bake pads occur if the vehicle has
been parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the braking sys-
tem.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firmly applying the brakes at a fairly
high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corro-
sion 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 possible that a brake circuit of the dual-
circuit brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist ga-
rage 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 high-
er brake pedal pressure required. Low brake fluid level
An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake system. The
level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically
⇒ page 28, Brake system . WARNING
● Only apply the brakes for the purpose of drying and cleaning the brake
discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place any other road users in
jeopardy.
● When retrospectively mounting a front spoiler, solid wheel hubs etc. one
must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel brakes is not reduced oth-
erwise the braking system could run too hot.
● Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking ef-
ficiency until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first
“run in
” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however,
compensate for this slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pressure
on the brake pedal. This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed
at a future date. CAUTION
● Never allow the brakes to rub by applying slight pressure if you do not wish to
brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also result in a lon-
ger braking distance and excessive wear.
● Before negotiating a steep downhill section, please reduce your speed, shift
down into the next lower gear (manual gearbox) or select a lower driving stage
(automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use of the braking power of
the vehicle and reduces the strain on the brakes. Any additional braking should be
done intermittently, not continuously. Note
The brake light flashes automatically in case of an emergency braking at speeds
greater than 60 km/h or with the intervention of the ABS, which lasts longer than
1.5 seconds. After the speed was reduced below 10 km/h or the vehicle was stop-
ped, the brake light stops flashing and the hazard warning light system switches
on. The hazard warning light system is switched off automatically after accelerat-
ing or driving off again.  157
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The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emer-
gency 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 154.WARNING
● The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your car
in terms of the braking distance required.
● Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.
● 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 gradu-
ally 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 down-
hill, it is inactive. 
Electromechanical power steering The power steering enables you to steer the vehicle with less 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 en-
gine 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
instrument cluster ⇒
 page 24. WARNING
Contact your specialist garage if the power steering is defective. 
Tyre pressure monitoring system Fig. 140 Button for setting the tyre in-
flation pressure control value
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
circumference of a wheel is changed, the warning light
 in the instrument clus-
ter ⇒ page 27 and an acoustic 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,
● one wheel per axle was changed.
Basic setting of the system
After changing the tyre inflation pressures, after changing one or several wheels,
the position of a wheel on the vehicle (e.g. exchanging the wheels between the
axles) or when the warning light lights up while driving, a basic setting of the sys-
tem must be carried out as follows. £ 159
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