2011 SKODA OCTAVIA battery

Replacing brake fluid
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. This causes the fluid to absorb moisture from the
surrounding air over a period of time. Excessive water in the brake fluid may be
the cause of corrosion in the brake system. The water content also lowers the
boiling point of the brake fluid.
Only new genuine brake fluid from
ŠKODA may be used.
The brake fluid must comply with one of the following standards or specifications:
● VW 50114
● FMVSS 116 DOT4
● DIN ISO 4925 CLASS 4
We recommend that you have the brake fluid replaced by an authorised ŠKODA
Service Partner as part of an Inspection Service. WARNING
Using old brake fluid can result in severe stress on the brakes because of the
formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system. This greatly impairs the
braking efficiency and thus also the safety of your vehicle. CAUTION
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle. For the sake of the environment
Due to issues with disposal, the special tools and knowledge required, we recom-
mend you have the brake fluid replaced by an authorised ŠKODA Service Partner.
Battery General information Improper handling of the vehicle battery can cause damage. We therefore recom-
mend you have work on the vehicle battery carried out by an authorised
ŠKODA
service partner. There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and burns when carrying out any
work on the battery and on the electrical system. For this reason, it is essential to
comply with the warning instructions ⇒  stated below and with the general ap-
plicable rules of safety. WARNING
● The battery acid is strongly corrosive and must, therefore, be handled with
the greatest of care. Always wear protective gloves, eye and skin protection
when handling batteries. Corrosive fumes in the air irritate the air passages
and lead to conjunctivitis and inflammation of the air passages in the lungs.
Battery acid corrodes dental enamel and creates deep wounds after contact
with the skin which take a long time to heal. Repeated contact with diluted
acids causes skin diseases (inflammations, ulcers, slin cracks). Acids coming in-
to contact with water are diluted accompanied by significant development of
heat.
● Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery vent openings. Protect the eyes with safety glasses or a shield! There
is the danger of suffering blindness! If any battery electrolyte gets into your
eye, rinse out your eye immediately with clear water for several minutes. Con-
tact a doctor without delay.
● Splashes of acid on your skin or clothes should be neutralised as soon as
possible using soap suds and then rinsed with plenty of water. If acid was
swallowed, seek immediate medical attention.
● Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
● Hydrogen is released when you charge a battery and a highly explosive gas
mixture is produced. An explosion can be caused through sparkling over dur-
ing unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is on.
● Bridging of the poles will create a short circuit (e.g. through metal objects,
cables). Possible consequences of a short circuit: Melting of lead struts, explo-
sion and burning of the battery, jets of acid spurting out.
● It is prohibited to work with a naked flame and light, to smoke or to carry
out any activities which produce sparks. Avoid creating sparks when working
with cables and electrical devices. Strong sparking represents a risk of injury.
● Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch off the en-
gine, the ignition as well as all electrical components and disconnect the neg-
ative cable (-) on the battery. If you wish to replace a bulb it is sufficient to
switch off the appropriate light. £ 187
Inspecting and Replenishing Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING (Continued)
● Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic
burns! Replace a frozen battery.
● Never jump-start the batteries which have a too low electrolyte level - risk
of explosion and caustic burns!
● Never use a battery which is damaged - risk of explosion! Immediately re-
place a damaged battery. CAUTION
● You must only disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched off, otherwise
the electrical system (electronic components) of the vehicle may be damaged.
When disconnecting the battery from the electrical system of the vehicle, first dis-
connect the negative terminal (-) of the battery. Then disconnect the positive ter-
minal (+).
● When reconnecting the battery, first connect the positive terminal (+) and only
then the negative terminal (-) of the battery. You must on no account connect the
cables wrongly - risk of a cable fire.
● Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the vehicle body oth-
erwise damage could occur to the paintwork.
● Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the battery hous-
ing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
● If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will
discharge This is because certain electrical components consume electricity (e. g.
control units) also in idle state. You can prevent the discharging of the battery by
disconnecting the negative terminal or charging the battery constantly with a very
low charging current. For the sake of the environment
A removed battery is a special type of waste which is harmful to the environment
- contact your specialist garage regarding disposing of the battery. Note
● Please also refer to the guidelines ⇒ page 190
, also after connecting the bat-
tery.
● You should replace batteries older than 5 years. Battery cover
Fig. 154 Engine compartment: Polyester cover of the vehicle battery/plastic cover of the ve-
hicle battery
The battery is located in the engine compartment in a polyester cover
⇒ fig. 154 -
left or in a polyester cover ⇒

 fig. 154 - right.
– Open the battery cover in direction of arrow 1
⇒
 fig. 154 or press the interlock
2 on the side of the battery cover, fold the cover up and remove the battery.
– The installation of the battery cover takes place in the reverse order.
The edge of the polyester battery cover ⇒

 fig. 154 - left is inserted between the
battery and the side wall of the battery cover when working on the battery. 
Battery control Fig. 155 The battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
The battery is practically maintenance-free under normal operating conditions. £188
Inspecting and Replenishing

We recommend you have the electrolyte level checked by a specialist garage from
time to time, especially in the following cases.
● High outside temperatures.
● Long daily drives
● After each charge ⇒  page 189.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, the so-called mag-
ic eye ⇒ fig. 155 , the electrolyte level can be determined by looking at the change
in colour.
Air bubbles can influence the colour of the indicator. For this reason carefully
knock on the indicator before carrying out the check.
● Black colour - electrolyte level is correct.
● Colourless or light yellow colour - electrolyte level too low, the battery must be
replaced. Note
● The battery electrolyte level is periodically checked by an authorised
ŠKODA
Service Partner as part of the Inspection Service.
● For technical reasons, on vehicles with the description “AGM”, the electrolyte
level cannot be checked.
● Vehicles with a “START-STOP” system are fitted with a battery control unit for
checking the energy level for the recurring engine start. 
Operation in winter The battery has to provide greater amounts of electricity during the winter. It also
has only part of the initial power output at low temperatures that it has at normal
temperatures.
A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0 °C.
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked by a specialist ga-
rage before the start of winter and recharged if necessary. WARNING
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic burns.
Replace a frozen battery. Charging the battery A properly charged battery is essential for reliably starting the en-
gine.
– Read the warning notes ⇒
  in General information on page 187 and ⇒
  .
– Switch the ignition and all electrical components off.
– Only for “quick-charging”: Disconnect both battery cables (first of all “nega-
tive
”, then “positive”).
– Carefully attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals
(red = “positive

”, black = “negative”).
– You can now plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket and
switch on the charger.
– When charging is completed: switch the charger off and unplug the mains ca-
ble from the power socket.
– Only then should you disconnect the terminal clamps of the charger.
– Reconnect the cables to the battery (first of all “positive”, then “negative”).
It is not normally necessary to disconnect the cables of the battery if you recharge
the battery using low amperages (as for example from a mini-charger). Please al-
so refer to the instructions from the charger manufacturer.
A charging current of 0.1 of the total battery capacity (or lower) is that which
should be used until full charging is achieved.
It is, however, necessary to disconnect both cables before charging the battery
with high amperages, so-called

“quick-charging ”.
“Quick-charging” a battery is dangerous ⇒  in General information on page 187.
It requires a special charger and specialist knowledge. We recommend having the
quick charging of vehicle batteries undertaken by a specialist garage.
A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0

°C ⇒  . We
recommend that you no longer use a battery which has thawed out because the
casing of the battery may be cracked through the formation of ice and this would
allow battery electrolyte to flow out.
The vent plugs of the battery should not be opened for charging. £ 189
Inspecting and Replenishing Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
● Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic
burns. Replace a frozen battery.
● Never charge a battery which has a too low electrolyte level - risk of explo-
sion and caustic burns. CAUTION
On vehicles with the “START/STOP” system, the pole terminal of the charger must
not be connected directly to the negative terminal of the vehicle battery, but only
to the engine earth ⇒ fig. 172. 
Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery On disconnecting and reconnecting the battery the following functions are initially
deactivated or are no longer able to operate fault-free.
Operation Operating measure
Electrical power window (operational faults) ⇒ page 41
Enter the car stereo/radio navigation system
code number see operating instructions for the
car stereo/radio navigation sys-
tem
Setting the clock ⇒ page 13
Data in the multi-functional indicator are de-
leted. ⇒ page 14
We recommend having the vehicle checked by an authorised ŠKODA Service Part-
ner to ensure full functionality of all electrical systems.

Replacing the battery When replacing a battery, the new new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12
V), amperage and be the same size. Suitable types of vehicle battery
are available from an authorised ŠKODA Service Partner.
We recommend you have a battery change carried out by an authorised ŠKODA
Service Partner, who will properly install the new battery and dispose of the origi-
nal one. CAUTION
Vehicles with a “START-STOP” system are fitted with a special battery type which
allows the battery control unit to check the energy level for recurring engine start.
This battery must only be replaced by a battery of the same type. For the sake of the environment
Batteries contain poisonous substances such as sulphuric acid and lead. For this
reason, it must be disposed of properly. Under no circumstances must it be dis-
posed of in the communal rubbish. 
Automatic consumer shut-off Under heavy load on the vehicle battery, the vehicle electrical system manage-
ment automatically takes various measures to avoid draining the vehicle battery.
●
The idling speed is raised to allow the generator to deliver more electricity to
the electrical system.
● If necessary, some electrical consumers are limited in their performance or are
temporarily switched off completely. Note
Despite such intervention by the vehicle electric system management, the vehicle
battery may be drained. For example, when the ignition is switched on a long time
with the engine turned off or the side or parking lights are turned on during lon-
ger parking. 
Windshield washer system Fig. 156 Engine compartment: Wind-
shield washer fluid reservoir
£190
Inspecting and Replenishing

–
On vehicles fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever into Neu-
tral.
– Start the engine and run it in idle.
– Plug the connector 9 into 12 Volt socket ⇒
 page 76.
– Switch on the air compressor with the ON and OFF switch 8 .
– Allow the air compressor to run until reaching a pressure of 2.0 - 2.5 bar. Maxi-
mum run time of 8 minutes ⇒  !
– Switch off the air compressor with the ON and OFF switch.
– If you cannot reach an air pressure of 2.0 – 2.5 bar, unscrew the tyre inflation
hose 5 from the tyre valve.
– Drive the vehicle approx. 10 metres forwards or backwards to allow the sealing
agent to distribute in the tyre.
– Screw the tyre inflation hose of the air compressor 5 firmly back onto the
tyre valve and repeat the inflation procedure.
– If you cannot reach the required tyre inflation pressure here either, this means
the tyre has sustained too much damage. You cannot seal with tyre with the
breakdown kit ⇒  .
– Switch off the air compressor with the ON and OFF switch.
– Remove the tyre inflation hose 5 from the tyre valve.
After reaching a tyre inflation pressure of 2.0 – 2.5 bar, drive at a maximum speed
of 80 km/h (50

mph).
Check the tyre inflation pressure after driving 10 minutes ⇒ page 206, Check after
driving for 10 minutes. WARNING
● During inflation, the tyre inflation hose and air compressor may get hot-
risk of injury!
● Do not place hot tyre inflation hoses or hot air compressors on flammable
materials - risk of fire!
● If you cannot inflate the tyre to at least 2.0 bar, this means the damage
sustained was too serious. The sealing agent cannot be used to seal the tyre.
Do not drive the vehicle. Get professional assistance. CAUTION
Switch off the air compressor after running 8 minutes at the latest - danger of
overheating! Allow the air compressor to cool a few moments before switching it
on again. 
Check after driving for 10 minutes Check the tyre inflation pressure after driving 10 minutes.
If the tyre inflation pressure is 1.3 bar or less:
–
Do not drive the vehicle! You cannot properly seal with tyre with the break-
down kit.
– Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain professional assistance.
If the tyre inflation pressure is 1.3 bar or more:
– Adjust the tyre inflation pressure to the correct value (see inside of fuel filler
cap).
– Continue driving carefully to the nearest specialist garage at a maximum
speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). 
Jump-starting Initial steps You can use the battery of another vehicle for jump-starting yours if the engine
does not start because the battery on your vehicle is flat. You will require jump-
start cables for this purpose.
Both batteries must have a rated voltage of 12 V. The capacity
(Ah) of the battery
supplying the power must not be significantly less than the capacity of the dis-
charged battery in your vehicle.
Jump-start cables
Only use jump-start cables which have an adequately large cross-section and in-
sulated terminal clamps. Please pay attention to the manufacturer's instructions.
Positive cable - colour coding in the majority of cases red.
Negative cable -

colour coding in the majority of cases black. £206
Breakdown assistance

WARNING
● A discharged battery may already freeze at temperatures just below 0 °C.
In case of frozen battery carry out no jump-starting - risk of explosion!
● Please pay attention to the warning instructions relating to working in the
engine compartment ⇒ page 181, Working in the engine compartment
.Note
● There must not be any contact between the two vehicles otherwise current
may flow as soon as the negative terminals are connected.
● The discharged battery must be properly connected to the system of the vehi-
cle.
● Switch off any mobile phone, pay attention to the instructions for use of the
mobile phone in such a situation.
● We recommend you buy jump-start cables from a car battery specialist. 
Start engine Fig. 171 Jump-starting using the battery
from another vehicle: A - flat vehicle bat-
tery, B - battery providing current
It is important to connect the jump-start cables in the correct order.
Connecting positive terminals
– Attach one end 1
⇒
 fig. 171 to the positive terminal of the discharged battery
A .
– Attach the other end 2 to the positive terminal of the battery supplying the
power B . Connecting negative terminal and engine block
– Attach one end 3 to the negative terminal of the battery supplying the power
B .
– Attach the other end 4 to a solid metal part which is connected firmly to the
engine block, or to the engine block itself.
Starting engine
– Start the engine of the vehicle providing current and run the engine at idling
speed.
– Now start the engine of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
– Interrupt the attempt at starting an engine after 10 seconds if it does not start
right away and wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
– Disconnect the cables on the engine in exactly the reverse order they were
connected up. WARNING
● The non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps must never make contact
with each other. In addition, the jump-start cable connected to the positive
terminal of the battery must not come into contact with electrically conduct-
ing parts of the vehicle - risk of short circuit!
● Do not affix the jump starting cables to the negative terminal of the dis-
charged battery. There is the risk of detonating gas seeping out the battery
being ignited by the strong spark which results from the engine being started.
● Run the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any rotating
parts in the engine compartment.
● Do not bend over the batteries - risk of caustic burns!
● The vent screws of the battery cells must be tightened firmly.
● Keep any sources of ignition (naked flame, smouldering cigarettes etc.)
away from the battery - risk of an explosion!
● Never jump-start the batteries which have a too low electrolyte level - risk
of explosion and caustic burns! 207
Breakdown assistance Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Jump-starting in vehicles with the “START-STOP” system
Fig. 172 Jump-starting on vehicles with
the START-STOP system
On vehicles with the “START STOP” system, the negative cable of the charger
must never be connected directly to the negative pole of the vehicle battery, but
only to the engine earth ⇒ fig. 172. 
Towing the vehicle General Vehicles with manual transmission can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope
or with the front or rear wheels raised.
Vehicles with automatic transmission can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow
rope or with the front wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised at rear, the automatic
gearbox is damaged!
Vehicles with four-wheel drive can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope or
with the front wheels raised.
A tow bar
is safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimizes any shocks. You
can use a tow rope only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
Refer to the following guidelines when towing:
Driver of the towing vehicle
– Release the clutch particularly gently when starting off or depress the acceler-
ator particularly gently if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
– On vehicles with manual transmission, only push down on the accelerator ped-
al once the rope is taught. The maximum towing speed is
50 km/h.
Driver of the towed vehicle
– Switch the ignition on so that the steering wheel is not blocked and you can
also operate the turn signal lights, the headlight flasher, the windscreen wip-
ers and windscreen washer system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N if your
vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is
running. You will require significantly greater physical force to depress the brake
pedal and to steer the vehicle if the engine is not running.
When using a tow rope, always ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught. CAUTION
● Do not tow start the engine - danger of damaging the engine. On vehicles with
a catalytic converter, unburnt fuel may get into the catalytic converter where it
may ignite. This in turn may damage or destroy the catalytic converter. You can
use the battery of another vehicle as a jump-start aid ⇒ page 206, Jump-starting
.
● If the gearbox of your vehicle no longer contains any oil because of a defect,
your vehicle must only be towed in with the driven wheels raised clear of the
ground, or on a special vehicle transporter or trailer.
● The vehicle must be transported on a special vehicle or trailer if it is not possi-
ble to tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance is greater
than 50

km.
● To protect both vehicles when tow-starting or towing, the tow rope should be
elastic. Thus one should only use plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a similar-
ly elastic material.
● One should be constantly vigilant not to allow impermissibly high towing
forces or jerky loadings. There is always a risk of excessive stresses and damage
resulting at the points to which you attach the tow rope or tow bar when you at-
tempt to tow a vehicle which is not standing on a paved road.
● Attach the tow rope or the tow bar only to the towing eyes provided for this
purpose ⇒ page 209

, Front towing eye and ⇒ page 210, Rear towing eye. £208
Breakdown assistance

Fuses and light bulbs
Electric fuses Replacing fuses in the dash panel Defect fuses must be replaced.
Fig. 176 Fuse cover: left side of the dash
panel
Individual electrical circuits are protected by fuses. The fuses are located on the
left side of the dash panel behind the safety cover and under the cover in the en-
gine compartment on the left.
– Switch the ignition off and also the electrical component affected.
– Use a screwdriver to take off the fuse cover on the side of the dash panel
⇒  fig. 176 or the fuse cover in the engine compartment ⇒ page 211.
– Find out which fuse belongs to the relevant component ⇒ page 213, Fuse as-
signment in the dash panel or ⇒ page 212, Fuse assignment in engine compart-
ment.
– Take the plastic clip out of its fixture in the fuse cover, insert it onto the re-
spective fuse and pull out this fuse.
– Defect fuses can be detected by their melted metal strips. Replace the defect
fuse by a new fuse of the same ampere number.
– Fit on the fuse cover again.
We recommend that you always have the small box of replacement fuses in your
vehicle. You can obtain replacement fuses from the range of

ŠKODA Original Parts
or from a specialist garage. Colour coding of fuses Colour Maximum amperage
light brown 5
brown 7,5
red 10
blue 15
yellow 20
white 25
green 30
orange 40
red 50
CAUTION
● Never attempt to
“repair” fuses and also do not replace them with a fuse of a
higher amperage - risk of fire! This may also cause damage at another part of the
electrical system.
● Have the electrical system checked as quickly as possible by a specialist ga-
rage if a newly inserted fuse blows again after a short time. 
Fuse cover in engine compartment Fig. 177 Fuse cover in engine compart-
ment
On some vehicles, the battery cover must be removed before removing the fuse
cover ⇒ page 188

. £ 211
Fuses and light bulbs Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data