2011 SKODA OCTAVIA ECO mode

Storage compartment on the front passenger side
Fig. 75 Dash panel: Storage compart-
ment on the front passenger side
Opening and closing the storage compartment on the front passenger side
– Press the handle of the lid ⇒ fig. 75 - the lid folds down.
– Raise the lid and press it until the catch is heard to engage.
There is a holder for a pen and note book on the inside of the lid. WARNING
● The storage compartment must always be closed when driving for safety
reasons.
● Do not place any beverages into the cup holder while driving. Spilled bev-
erages can damage the electrical system and the upholstery. Hot beverages
may result in burns. 
Cooling of storage compartment on front passenger side Fig. 76 Storage compartment: Using
cooling system–
Open or close the air supply using the control dial ⇒ fig. 76.
Opening the air supply when the air conditioning system is switched on allows
cooled air to flow into the storage compartment.
Opening the air inlet when the air conditioning system is on causes fresh or interi-
or air to flow into the storage compartment.
We recommend that you close the air supply if it is operating in the heating mode
or if you are not using the cooling system for the storage compartment. 
Storage compartment on the driver's side Fig. 77 Dash panel: Storage compart-
ment on the driver's side
– The storage compartment is opened by lifting the handle and folding open in
the direction of arrow ⇒
 fig. 77. WARNING
The storage compartment must always be closed when driving for safety rea-
sons. 78
Seats and Stowage

Heating and air conditioning system
Introduction
Description and information The heating effect is dependent upon the coolant temperature, thus full heat out-
put only occurs when the engine has reached its operating temperature.
If the cooling system is switched on, the temperature and air humidity drops in
the vehicle. The well-being of the occupants of the car is enhanced as a result of
this particularly at high outside temperatures and a high air humidity. The system
prevents the windows misting up during the cold season of the year.
It is possible to briefly activate recirculated air mode in order to enhance the cool-
ing effect - air-conditioning system ⇒ page 90
, Climatronic ⇒ page 93.
The air inlet in front of the windscreen must be free of ice, snow or leaves in order
to ensure that the heating and cooling systems operate properly.
After switching on the cooling Condensation from the evaporator of the air condi-
tioning may drip down and form a puddle below the vehicle. This is quite normal
and not an indication of a leak! WARNING
● For your own safety and that of other road users, ensure that all the win-
dows are free of ice, snow and misting. Please familiarize yourself about how
to correctly operate the heating and ventilation systems, how to demist and
defrost the windows, as well as with the cooling mode.
● You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period of time,
as

“stale” air may result in fatigue in the driver and occupants, divert your at-
tention and also cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an accident
increases. Switch recirculated air mode off as soon as the windows begin
misting up. Note
● The used air streams out through the air removal openings in the luggage
compartment.
● We recommend that you do not smoke in the vehicle when the recirculating air
mode is operating since the smoke which is drawn at the evaporator from the in-
terior of the vehicle forms deposits in the evaporator of the air conditioning sys- tem. This produces a permanent odour when the air conditioning system is oper-
ating which can only be eliminated through considerable effort and expense (re-
placement of compressor).
● Please refer to the information regarding the recirculated air mode for heating
⇒

  page 88 and/or for air-conditioning system ⇒ page 90 or Climatronic
⇒  page 93.
● To ensure the heating system, air conditioning system or Climatronic work per-
fectly, the air outlet vents must not be covered by any objects. 
Using the air conditioning system economically The compressor on the air conditioning system uses power from the engine when
in cooling mode which will effect the fuel consumption.
It recommended to open the windows or the doors of a vehicle for which the inte-
rior has been strongly heated through the effect of direct sunlight in order to al-
low the heated air to escape.
The cooling system should not be switched on while travelling when the window
is open.
The desired interior temperature can also be achieved without switching in the
cooling system just by switching to fresh air mode. For the sake of the environment
When you economize on fuel, you also reduce pollutant emissions. 
Operational problems If the cooling system does not operate at outside temperatures higher than +5 °C,
there is a problem in the system. The reasons for this may be:
●
The fuse on the air conditioning system has blown. Check the fuse, replace it if
necessary ⇒ page 211.
● The cooling system has switched off automatically for a short time because
the coolant temperature of the engine is too hot ⇒ page 11.
If you are not able to rectify the operational problem yourself, or if the cooling ca-
pacity decreases, switch the cooling system off. Contact a specialist garage.  85
Heating and air conditioning system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Heating
Using the system The heating system delivers air into the interior of the vehicle and
warms it as required.
Fig. 93 Heating: Control elements
Setting temperature
–
Turn the control dial A
⇒  fig. 93 to the right in order to increase the tempera-
ture.
– Turn the control dial A to the left in order to increase the temperature.
Controlling blower
– Turn the blower switch B into one of the positions, 1 to 4, in order to switch
the blower on. –
Turn the blower switch B into position 0 in order to switch the blower off.
– If you wish to shut off the fresh air supply, use the button 1 - recirculated air
mode ⇒ page 88

.
Control for air distribution
– You can adjust the direction of the inlet air flow ⇒
 page 86 using air distribu-
tion regulator C .
Rear window heater
– Press button 2 . Further information
⇒ page 52, Rear window heater
.
Auxiliary heating (parking heating)
– Press the button 3 in order to directly switch on/off the auxiliary heating
(auxiliary heating and ventilation). Further information ⇒

 page 94, Auxiliary
heating (auxiliary heating and ventilation).
All controls apart from the control dial B can be set to any desired intermediate
position.
The blower should always be on to prevent the windows from misting up. Note
If the air distribution is positioned towards the windows, the total amount of air is
used to defrost the windows and thus no air will be fed to the footwell. This can
lead to restriction of the heating comfort. 
Set heating Recommended basic settings of heating controls for:
£ 87
Heating and air conditioning system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Set-up Setting of the control dial
Button
1 Air outlet vents 3
A B C
Defrosting the windscreen and side
windows To the right up to the
stop 3
 Do not switch on Open and align with the side win-
dowFree windscreen and side windows
from mist
Desired temperature 2 or 3

  Do not switch on Open and align with the side win-
dowThe fastest heating To the right up to the
stop 3
 Briefly switched on Opening
Comfortable heating Desired temperature 2 or 3
   Do not switch on Opening
Fresh air mode - ventilation To the left up to the
stop Desired position
 Do not switch on Opening
Note
● Controls A ,
B ,
C and the button
1 ⇒ fig. 93
.
● Air outlet vents 3 ⇒ fig. 91.
● We recommend that you leave the air outlet vents 4 ⇒ fig. 91 in the opened
position. 
Recirculated air mode In recirculated air mode air is sucked out of the interior of the vehi-
cle and then fed back into the interior.
Recirculated air mode prevents polluted air outside the vehicle from getting into
the vehicle, for example when driving through a tunnel or when standing in a traf-
fic jam.
Switching recirculated air mode on
– Press the button  - the warning light lights up in the button
⇒ fig. 93 .
Switching recirculated air mode off
– Press again the button  - the warning light in the button goes out.
The recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution con-
trol C is in position
 ⇒  fig. 93. You can also switch recirculated air mode on
again from this setting by repeatedly pressing pushbutton  . WARNING
You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period of time, as
“stale
” air may result in fatigue in the driver and occupants, divert your atten-
tion and also cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an accident in-
creases. Switch recirculated air mode off as soon as the windows begin mist-
ing up. 
Air conditioning system (manual air conditioning
system) Description The air conditioning system is a combined cooling and heating sys-
tem. It makes it possible to optimally control the air temperature at
any season of the year.
Description of the air conditioning system
It is important for your safety and for your driving comfort that the air conditioning
system is operating properly. £88
Heating and air conditioning system

The cooling only operates if button
AC ⇒ 
fig. 94 1 is pressed, and the following
conditions are met:
● engine running,
● outside temperature above approx. +2 °C and
● blower switch switched on (positions 1 to 4).
Air at a temperature of about 5 °C may flow out of the vents under certain circum-
stances when the cooling system is operating. Lengthy and uneven distribution of
the air flow out of the vents and large differences in temperature, for example
when getting out of the vehicle, can result in chills in sensitive persons. Note
● We recommend that you have the air conditioning system cleaned by a spe-
cialist garage once every year. 
Using the system Fig. 94 The air conditioning system: Control elements
Setting temperature
–
Turn the control dial A
⇒
 fig. 94 to the right in order to increase the tempera-
ture.
– Turn the control dial A to the left in order to increase the temperature.
Controlling blower
– Turn the blower switch B into one of the positions, 1 to 4, in order to switch
the blower on. –
Turn the blower switch B into position 0 in order to switch the blower off.
– If you wish to shut off the fresh air supply, use the button 
4 - recirculated
air mode ⇒

 page 90.
Control for air distribution
– You can adjust the direction of the inlet air flow ⇒
 page 86 using air distribu-
tion regulator C .
switching cooling on and off
– Press the button AC
1 ⇒
 
fig. 94 . The warning light lights up in the button.
– When you again press the switch AC , the cooling system is switched off. The
warning light in the button goes out.
Rear window heater
– Press button 
2 . Further information
⇒
 page 52, Rear window heater.
Auxiliary heating (parking heating)
– Press the button 
3 in order to directly switch on/off the auxiliary heating
(auxiliary heating and ventilation. Further information ⇒ page 94

, Auxiliary
heating (auxiliary heating and ventilation). Note
● The whole heat output will be needed to defrost the windscreen and side win-
dows. No warm air will be fed to the footwell. This can lead to restriction of the
heating comfort.
● The warning light AC lights after activation, even if not all of the conditions for
the function of the cooling system have been met. As a result, the readiness for
cooling is signalled when all conditions are satisfied ⇒

 page 88, Description of the
air conditioning system.  89
Heating and air conditioning system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Setting air conditioning system
Recommended basic settings of the control elements of the air conditioning sys-
tem for the respective operating modes: Set-up Setting of the control dial Button
Air outlet vents 3
A B C 1 4
Defrost windscreen and side
windows - free from mist
a) Desired tempera-
ture 3 or 4
 Is activated auto-
matically b) Do not switch on Open and align with the side
windowThe fastest heating To the right up to
the stop 3
 Switched off Briefly switched on Opening
Comfortable heating Desired tempera-
ture 2 or 3
   Switched off Do not switch on Opening
The fastest cooling To the left up to
the stop briefly 4, then
2 or 3  Activated Briefly switched on Opening
Optimal cooling Desired tempera-
ture 1, 2 or 3
 Activated Do not switch on Open and align to the roof
Fresh air mode - ventilation To the left up to
the stop Desired position
 Switched off Do not switch on Opening
a)
In countries with high humidity, we recommend you do not use this setting. This can result in heavy cooling of the window glass and the following fogging from outside.
b) The warning light in the 1 button lights after activation, even if not all of the conditions for the function of the cooling system have been met. As a result, the readiness for cooling is signalled when all conditions
are satisfied ⇒ page 88
, Description of the air conditioning system. Note
● Controls A ,
B ,
C and the
1 button and
4 ⇒
 
fig. 94 .
● Air outlet vents 3 ⇒ fig. 91.
● We recommend that you leave the air outlet vents 4 ⇒ fig. 91 in the opened
position. 
Recirculated air mode In recirculated air mode air is sucked out of the interior of the vehi-
cle and then fed back into the interior.
Recirculated air mode prevents polluted air outside the vehicle from getting into
the vehicle, for example when driving through a tunnel or when standing in a traf-
fic jam. Switching recirculated air mode on
– Press the button 
4 ⇒ fig. 94
the warning light lights up in the button.
Switching recirculated air mode off
– Press again the button  - the warning light in the button goes out.
The recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution con-
trol C is in position  ⇒

 fig. 94 . You can also switch recirculated air mode on
again from this setting by repeatedly pressing pushbutton  .
£90
Heating and air conditioning system

WARNING
You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period of time, as
“stale ” air may result in fatigue in the driver and occupants, divert your atten-
tion and also cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an accident in-
creases. Switch recirculated air mode off as soon as the windows begin mist-
ing up. 
Climatronic (automatic air conditioning) Description The Climatronic system is an automatic heating, fresh air and cool-
ing system which provides optimal comfort for the occupants of the
car.
The Climatronic maintains fully automatically a convenience temperature. This is
achieved by automatically varying the temperature of the outflowing air, the
blower stages and the air distribution. The system also takes into account sun-
light which eliminates the need to alter the settings manually. The automatic
mode
⇒

 page 92 ensures maximum well-being of the occupants at all times of
the year.
Description of Climatronic system
The cooling operates only if the following conditions are met:
● engine running,
● outside temperature above approx. +2 °C,
● AC switched on.
The AC compressor is switched off at a high coolant temperature in order to pro-
vide cooling at a high load of the engine.
Recommended setting for all periods of the year:
● Set the desired temperature, we recommend 22 °C.
● Press the button AUTO
⇒  fig. 95 .
● Move the air outlet vents 3 and 4 so that the air flow is directed slightly up-
wards. Note
● We recommend that you have Climatronic cleaned by a specialist garage once
every year.
● On vehicles equipped with a factory-fitted radio or radio navigation system,
the information of the Climatronic is also shown on the display. This function can
be switched off, see operating instructions of the radio or the radio navigation
system. 
Overview of the control elements The controls enable a separate setting of the temperature for the
left and right side.
Fig. 95 Climatronic: Control elements
The buttons
Defrost windscreen intensively  Air flow to the windows
 Air flow to head
 Air flow in the footwell
 Recirculated air mode
 with air quality sensor
Rear window heater  £
1 2
3
4
5
6 91
Heating and air conditioning system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Recirculated air mode
In recirculated air mode air is sucked out of the interior of the vehi-
cle and then fed back into the interior. When the automatic air dis-
tribution control is switched on, an air quality sensor measures the
concentration of pollutants in the drawn in air.
Recirculated air mode prevents polluted air outside the vehicle from getting into
the vehicle, for example when driving through a tunnel or when standing in a traf-
fic jam. If a considerable increase in concentration of pollutants is recognized by
the air quality sensor, when the automatic air distribution control is switched on,
the air distribution control will temporarily be switched off. If the concentration of
pollutants decreases to the normal level, the air distribution control is automati-
cally switched off so that fresh air can be guided into the vehicle interior.
Switching recirculated air mode on
– Press the button repeatedly  until the warning light on the left side of the
button lights up.
Switch on automatic air distribution control
– Press the button repeatedly  until the warning light on the right side of the
button lights up.
Switch off automatic air distribution control temporarily
– If the air quality sensor does not switch on the air distribution control auto-
matically when there is a nauseating smell, you can switch it on yourself by
pressing the button  . The warning light lights up in the button on the left
side.
Switching recirculated air mode off
– Press the button AUTO or press the button
 repetitively, until the warning
lights in the button go out. WARNING
You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period of time, as
“stale ” air may result in fatigue in the driver and occupants, divert your atten-
tion and also cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an accident in-
creases. Switch recirculated air mode off as soon as the windows begin mist-
ing up. Note
● If the windscreen mists up, press the button 
1 ⇒
 
fig. 95 . After the wind-
screen has been demisted, press the button AUTO .
● The automatic air distribution control operates only if the outside temperature
is higher than approx. 2 °C. 
Controlling blower There are a total of seven blower stages available.
The Climatronic system controls the blower stages automatically in line with the
interior temperature. You can also, however, adapt the blower stages manually to
suit your particular needs.
–
Press again the button  on the left side (reduce blower speed) or on the
right side (increase blower speed).
If you switch off the blower, the Climatronic is switched off.
The set blower speed is displayed above the button  when the respective num-
ber of warning lights come on. WARNING
● “Stale air
” may result in fatigue in the driver and occupants, reduce atten-
tion levels and also cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an acci-
dent increases.
● Do not switch the Climatronic system off for longer than necessary.
● Switch the Climatronic system on as soon as the windows mist up. 
Defrosting windscreen Defrosting windscreen - switching on
– Press the button 
⇒  fig. 95 .
Defrosting windscreen - switching off
– Once again press the button  or the button
AUTO .
The temperature control is controlled automatically. More air flows out of the air
outlet vents 1.  93
Heating and air conditioning system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data