2011 SKODA OCTAVIA tow

The armrest is adjustable for height and length.
Opening storage compartment
–
Open the lid of the armrest in the direction of arrow ⇒  fig. 84 - left.
Closing storage compartment
– Open the lid up to the stop, then you can fold it downwards.
Setting height
– First of all fold the lid to the bottom and lift it in the direction of arrow into one
of the 4 fixed positions.
Adjusting in forward/back direction
– Push the lid into the desired position.
Opening air inlet
– Pull the lock A in upward direction.
Closing air inlet
– Push the lock A as far as the stop downwards.
On vehicles fitted with air conditioning, the storage compartment is equipped
with a lockable inlet for thermally treated (warmed-up) air.
At open air supply, air flows into the storage with a temperature which is as high
as the one out of the air outlet nozzles, depending on temperature setting.
The air inlet in the storage compartment is connected to position  through ad-
justment of the control dial for air distribution. This position causes the maximum
amount of air to flow into the storage compartment (depending on the rotary reg-
ulator position for the fan).
You can use the storage compartment, for example, to temper drinks cans, etc.
If you do not use the air inlet in the storage compartment, the end cover should
always be kept closed. Note
Push the lid of the armrest up to stop to the rear before operating the handbrake. Rear seat armrest with storage compartment
Fig. 85 Armrest of rear seats:
The armrest includes a storage compartment. You open the compartment by
pressing the button on the front side and raising the cover ⇒

 fig. 85 . 
Stowage compartment in rear centre console Fig. 86 Centre console at rear: Stowage
compartment
The storage compartment is equipped with a removable insert.
– Open the storage compartment by pulling on the upper edge of the storage
compartment A in the direction of arrow
⇒ fig. 86 . WARNING
The storage compartment is not a substitute for the ashtray and must also
not be used for such purposes - risk of fire! 81
Seats and Stowage Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Seat backrest with opening for skis
Fig. 87 Rear seats: Handle of lid/luggage compartment: Unlock button
After folding open the armrest and the lid, an opening in the seat backrest be-
comes visible through which you can push the removable through-loading bag
with skis. You can fold open the armrest and the lid from the passenger or lug-
gage compartment.
Opening from passenger compartment
– Fold down the armrest of the rear seat at the loop ⇒  page 66.
– Pull the handle up to the stop in upward direction and fold open the lid down-
wards ⇒

 fig. 87 - left.
Opening from luggage compartment
– Push the unlock button downwards ⇒
 fig. 87 - right and fold the lid (with arm-
rest) to the front.
Closing
– Fold the lid and the armrest up to the stop in upward direction - the lid must
click into place audibly.
Ensure that the armrest is always locked into place after closing. You can recog-
nize this on the fact that the red field above the unlocking button A of the lug-
gage compartment is not visible. WARNING
The opening for the skis is solely used for transporting skis which are placed
in a properly secured removable through-loading bag ⇒

 page 82. Through-loading bag The removable through-loading bag is solely used for transporting
skis. Fig. 88 Securing the removable
through-loading bag
Loading
– Open the boot lid/luggage compartment door.
– Fold the rear armrest and the cover in the seat backrest downwards
⇒ page 82, Seat backrest with opening for skis

.
– Place the empty removable through-loading bag in such a way that the end of
the bag with the zip lies in the boot.
– Push the skis into the removable through-loading bag from the luggage com-
partment ⇒  .
Securing
– Tighten the strap A on the free end around the skis in front of the bindings
⇒  fig. 88 .
– Fold the seat backrest a little forward.
– Guide the securing strap B through the opening in the seat backrest around
the upper part of the seat backrest.
– Then push the seat backrest back into the upright position until the locking
button clicks into place - check by pulling on the seat backrest.
– Insert the securing strap B into the lock
C until it is heard to lock in place.
On vehicles fitted with a luggage net partition, guide the securing strap B around
the housing when the net partition is rolled up. After fixing the luggage net parti-
tion in place, it is not longer possible to unroll the luggage net partition. £82
Seats and Stowage

WARNING
● After placing skis into the through-loading bag, you must secure the bag
with the securing strap B .
● The strap A must hold the skis tight.
● Make sure that the strap A holds the skis in front of the binding (see also
imprint on the removable through-loading bag). Note
● The through-loading bag is foreseen for four pairs of skis. The total weight of
the skis which are transported must not exceed 17 kg.
● You must put the skis and the sticks in the removable through-loading bag
with the tips facing the rear.
● If there are several pairs of skis in the removable through-loading bag, ensure
that the bindings are positioned at the same height.
● Carefully fold the empty (dry) through-loading bag together, place it in the lug-
gage compartment and secure it to prevent it slipping. The removable through-
loading bag must never be folded together or stowed when moist. 
Side compartment Fig. 89 Luggage compartment: Side
compartment
– You can open the compartment by turning the locks in the direction of arrow.
The CD changer is housed in this compartment. Stowage compartment behind the rear seats (Estate car)
Fig. 90 Removing the storage compart-
ment
Removing
– First remove the foldable luggage compartment cover ⇒  page 70.
– Grasp the housing with both hands and remove it by pulling in direction of ar-
row ⇒ fig. 90 .
Install
– Push the housing up to the stop into the catch.
– Re-insert the foldable luggage compartment cover. WARNING
Only place small and light objects up to a total weight of 3 kg into the storage
compartment. In the event of a vehicle collision heavy objects could be thrown
out of the compartment - risk of injuries! For this reason, the front part of the
luggage compartment cover must always cover over the storage compart-
ment. 
Clothes hooks The clothes hooks are located on the middle pillar and on the handle of the head-
liner above each of the rear doors.
£ 83
Seats and Stowage Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
● Ensure that any clothes hanging from the hooks do not impair your vision
to the rear.
● Use the hooks for hanging only light items of clothing and ensure that
there are no heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● The maximum permissible load of the hooks is 2 kg.
● Do not use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing otherwise this
will interfere with the protection offered by the head airbag. 84
Seats and Stowage

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

After selecting the menu
Factory setting in the menu Aux. heating, it is possible
to return to the factory setting. 
Radio remote control The auxiliary heating (auxiliary heating and ventilation) can be
switched on or off with the remote control. Fig. 97 Auxiliary heating: Radio remote control/bottom of the radio remote control with the
battery cover
–
For switching on, press the button ON .
– For switching off, press the button OFF .
The transmitter and the battery are housed in the housing of the remote control.
The receiver is located in the interior of the car.
If the battery is properly charged, the effective range is up to 600

m. For switching
on or off the auxiliary heating, hold the remote control vertically with the antenna A
⇒  fig. 97 towards the top. You must not cover over the antenna with the fin-
gers or the palm of the hand. Obstacles between the radio remote control and the
vehicle, bad weather conditions and a weaker battery can clearly reduce the
range.
The auxiliary heating can only be switched on or off with the radio remote control,
if the distance between the radio remote control and the vehicle is at least 2 m.
Warning light in the radio remote control
The warning light in the radio remote control ⇒ fig. 97

indicates after a keystroke
if the remote control signal was received by the auxiliary heating and if the bat-
tery is adequately charged. Display warning light Description
Lights up green for 2 seconds. The auxiliary heating was switched on.
Lights up red for 2 seconds. The auxiliary heating was switched off.
Slowly flashes green for 2 seconds. The ignition signal was not received.
Quickly flashes green for 2 seconds. The auxiliary heating is blocked, e. g
because the tank is nearly empty or
there is a fault in the auxiliary heating.
Flashes red for 2 seconds. The switch off signal was not received.
Lights up orange for 2 seconds, then
green or red. The battery is weak, however the
switching on or off signal was received.
Lights up orange for 2 seconds, then
flashes green or red. The battery is weak, however the
switching on or off signal was not re-
ceived.
Flashes orange for 5 seconds. The battery is discharged, however the
switching on or off signal was not re-
ceived. CAUTION
There are electronic components in the radio remote control, protect the remote
control against water, severe shocks and direct sun rays. 
Changing the battery of the radio remote control If the warning light of the radio remote control indicates a weak or discharged
battery,
⇒ fig. 97, it must be replaced. The battery is located under a cover on the
back of the radio remote control.
– Insert a flat, blunt object, such as a coin, into the gap of the battery cover, turn
it against the direction of the arrow up to the mark, and unlock the cover
⇒ fig. 97 - right.
– Change the battery, replace the battery cover and lock it by moving it in the
direction of the arrow. For the sake of the environment
Dispose of a used battery in accordance with environmental regulations. £96
Heating and air conditioning system

Starting-off and Driving
Setting steering wheel position Fig. 98 Adjustable steering wheel: Lever below the steering wheel/safe distance to the
steering wheel
You can set the height and the forward/back position of the steering wheel to the
desired position.
– Adjust the driver seat ⇒  page 60, Adjusting the front seats.
– Pull the lever below the steering wheel down ⇒ fig. 98 - left ⇒
  .
– Set the steering wheel to the desired position (concerning height and forward/
back position).
– Push the lever upwards as far as the stop. WARNING
● You must not adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving!
● The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel
⇒ fig. 98 - right. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the air-
bag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
● For safety reasons the lever must always be firmly pushed up to avoid the
steering wheel altering its position unintentionally when driving - risk of acci-
dent! WARNING (Continued)
● If you adjust the steering wheel further towards the head, you will reduce
the protection offered by the driver airbag in the event of an accident. Check
that the steering wheel is aligned to the chest.
● When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel
firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the
steering wheel or at the inner steering wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to
the arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver airbag is de-
ployed. 
Ignition lock Fig. 99 Ignition lock positions
Petrol engines 1 - ignition switched off, engine off, the steering can be locked.
2 - ignition switched on
3 - start engine
Diesel engines 1 - interruption of fuel supply, ignition switched off, engine off, the steering can
be locked.
2 - heating glow plugs on, ignition switched on
● You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating
period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily. £98
Starting-off and Driving

CAUTION
● The starter may only be operated (ignition key position 3 ), if the engine is not
running. If the starter is immediately 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 operating temperature - risk of damag-
ing the engine!
● 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.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 emissions are lower. 
Petrol engines These engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel-air
mixture for every external air temperature.
●
Do not operate 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 electrical fuel pump is defect if the engine
still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary ⇒ page 211.
● 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 engines Glow 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 temper-
ature.
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 away and 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 211.
● 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 turning the ignition key into position 1 ⇒ 
fig. 99 . WARNING
● Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary - risk of acci-
dent!
● The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater
physical effort for braking is required when engine 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 al-
lowed it to run at idling speed for about 2

minutes. This prevents any accumula-
tion of heat when the engine is switched off. £100
Starting-off and Driving