2011 SKODA OCTAVIA ESP

Head airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
What you should know about transporting children! . 147
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Attaching a child seat using the “ISOFIX” system . . . . 152
Attaching child seat using the “Top Tether” system . . 153
Driving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Electronic stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Antilock brake system (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Uphill Start Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Electromechanical power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Tyre pressure monitoring system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Diesel particle filter (diesel engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Driving and the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
The first 1 500 kilometres and afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Driving in an economical and environmentally
conscious manner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Environmental compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Motoring abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Driving through bodies of water on roads . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Technical requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Driving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 General Maintenance
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the
vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Care of the exterior of vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Care of the interior of vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Biofuel Ethanol E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Inspecting and Replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Wheels and Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Accessories, changes and replacement of parts . 197
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Breakdown assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Breakdown assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
First-aid box and Warning triangle (Octavia) . . . . . . . . . 198
First-aid box and warning triangle (Estate car) . . . . . . . 198
Fire extinguisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Tyre repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Towing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Fuses and light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Electric fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Technical data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Used abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Identification details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Fuel consumption according to the ECE standards and
EU guidelines
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine oil specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine 1.2 l/77 kW TSI - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Engine 1.4 l/59 kW - EU4, EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Engine 1.4 l/90 kW TSI - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Engine 1.6 l/75 kW - EU2, EU4, EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Engine 1.8 l/112 kW TSI - EU5, EU2 DDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine 1.8 l/118 kW TSI - EU5, EU2 DDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine 2.0 l/147 kW TSI - EU5, EU2 DDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine 1.6 l/77 kW TDI CR - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Engine 1.9 l/77 kW TDI PD - EU4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Engine 2.0 l/81 kW TDI CR - EU4, EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Engine 2.0 l/103 kW TDI CR - EU4, EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Engine 2.0 l/125 kW TDI CR - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Multi-purpose vehicles (AF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2394
Table of Contents

Layout of this Owner's Manual (explanations)
The Owner's Manual has been systematically designed, in order to make it easy
for you to find and absorb the information you require.
Chapters, table of contents and subject index
The text of the Owner's manual is divided into relatively short sections which are
combined into easy-to-read chapters. The chapter you are reading at any particu-
lar moment is always highlighted at the bottom right of the page.
The Table of contents is arranged according to the chapters and the detailed Sub-
ject index at the end of the Owner's Manual helps you to rapidly find the informa-
tion you are looking for.
Sections The majority of Sections apply to all models.
Since there is a wide range of different equipment and options available it is clear-
ly unavoidable, despite dividing the contents into sections, that mention may be
made of equipment which is not fitted to your vehicle.
Brief information and instructions Each section has a Heading.
This is followed by Brief information (in large italic lettering), which tells you the
subject which is dealt with in this section.
Most of the illustrations are accompanied by an Instruction (in large letters) which
explains to you in a straightforward way the action you have to take. Work steps
which have to be carried out begin with a hyphen.
Direction indications
All direction indications such as
“left”, “right”, “front”, “rear” relate to the direction
of travel of the vehicle.
Explanation of symbols  End of a section.
£ The section is continued on the next page.
Notes
All four kinds of notes, which are used in the text, are always stated at the end of
the respective section. WARNING
The most important notes are marked with the heading WARNING. These
WARNING
notes draw your attention to a serious risk of accident or injury.
While reading the text you will frequently encounter a double arrow followed
by a small triangle with an exclamation mark. This symbol is intended to draw
your attention to a WARNING note at the end of the section to which you must
pay careful attention. CAUTION
A Caution note draws your attention to the possibility of damage to your vehicle
(e.g. damage to gearbox), or points out general risks of an accident. For the sake of the environment
An Environmental note draws your attention to environmental protection as-
pects. This is where you will, for example, find tips aimed at reducing your fuel
consumption. Note
A normal Note draws your attention in a general way to important information for
the operation of your vehicle. 6
Layout of this Owner's Manual (explanations)

Instruments and warning lights
General information WARNING
● Concentrate fully at all times on your steering! As the driver you are fully
responsible for road safety.
● Operate the controls in the instrument cluster never while driving, but only
when the vehicle is stationary! 
Overview of the instrument cluster Fig. 2 Instrument cluster
Engine revolutions counter ⇒  page 11
Speedometer ⇒  page 11
Coolant temperature gauge ⇒ page 11
Display
– with counter for distance driven ⇒ page 12
– with Service Interval Display ⇒ page 12
– with digital clock ⇒ page 13
1 2
3
4 –
with Multi-functional display ⇒ page 14
– with Information display ⇒
 page 17
Button for the selection of the mode (turn button)/the setting (press button):
– Set hours/minutes
– Activating/deactivating the second speed in mph or km/h £
5 10
Instruments and warning lights

Auto Check Control
Car state The Auto Check Control carries out a check of certain functions and vehicle com-
ponents. The check is performed constantly when the ignition is switched on,
both when the vehicle is stationary, as well as when driving.
Some operational faults, urgent repairs, service work or other information appear
in the display of the instrument cluster. The displays are shown with a red or yel-
low light symbol depending on the priority of the message.
The red symbols indicate danger (priority 1) while the yellow symbols indicate a
warning (priority 2). Information for the driver may also appear in addition to the
symbols ⇒ page 21.
There is at least one error message when the term Vehicle status is displayed in
the menu. After selecting this menu the first of the error messages is displayed.
Several error messages are shown on the display under the message e.g. 1/3. This
indicates that the first of a total of three error messages is displayed. Investigate
the displayed faults as soon as possible.
As long as the operational faults are not rectified, the symbols are always indica-
ted again. After the first display, the symbols are indicated without information for
the driver.
If a fault occurs, a warning signal will also sound in addition to the symbol and
text in the display:
● Priority 1 - three warning signals
● Priority 2 - one warning signal 
Red symbols A red symbol signals danger.
– Bring the vehicle to a stop.
– Switch the engine off.
– Investigate the function indicated.
– Obtain professional assistance.
Meaning of the red symbols:  Engine oil pressure too low ⇒ 
page 25  Overheated clutches of the automatic gear-
box DSG ⇒ page 29
Three successive warning signals will sound if a red symbol appears.

Yellow symbols A yellow symbol signals a warning.
Check the relevant function as soon as possible.
The meaning of the yellow symbols:  Check engine oil level,
engine oil sensor faulty
⇒ page 29
 Problem with en-
gine oil pressure It is also important to have the vehicle inspected
without delay by a specialist garage. The informa-
tion about the maximum permissible engine speed is displayed together with this symbol. In certain countries, if a yellow symbol appears
one warning signal will sound as
well.
If several operational faults of priority 2 exist, the symbols appear one after the
other and are each illuminated for about 5 seconds. 
Set-up You can change certain settings by means of the information display. The current
setting is shown on the information display in the respective menu at the top be-
low the line.
You can select the following information (depending on the equipment installed
on the vehicle):
●
Language
● MFD Data
● Convenience
● Lights & Vision
● Time
● Winter tyres £ 19
Instruments and warning lights Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data


Low beam
⇒ page 23
 Rear fog light
⇒ page 23
 Speed regulating system
⇒ page 23
 Failure of the light bulbs
⇒ page 23
 Diesel particle filter (diesel engine)
⇒ page 23
 Airbag system
⇒ page 24
 Control system for exhaust
⇒ page 24
  Electromechanical power steering
⇒ page 24
 Engine oil pressure
⇒ page 25
 EPC fault light (petrol engine)
⇒ page 25
 Glow plug system (diesel engine)
⇒ page 25
 Coolant temperature/coolant level
⇒ page 25
 Traction control system (TCS)
⇒ page 26
 Electronic stability programme (ESP)
⇒ page 26
 Switch off traction control system (TCS)
⇒ page 26
 Selector lever lock
⇒ page 27
 Tyre pressure
⇒ page 27
 Antilock brake system (ABS)
⇒ page 27 
Bonnet
⇒ page 27
 Seat belt warning light
⇒ page 28
 Boot lid
⇒ page 28
 Open door
⇒ page 28
 Fluid level in windshield washer system
⇒ page 28
 Brake system
⇒ page 28
 Handbrake
⇒ page 29
 Generator
⇒ page 29
 Engine oil level
⇒ page 29
 Fuel reserve
⇒ page 29 WARNING
● If you do not pay attention to the warning lights coming on and the corre-
sponding descriptions and warning notes, this may result in severe body inju-
ries or major vehicle damage.
● The engine compartment of your car is a hazardous area. There is a risk of
injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working in the engine compart-
ment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. It is also essential
to observe all warnings ⇒
 page 181, Working in the engine compartment. Note
● The arrangement of the indicator lights depends on the model version. The
symbols shown in the following functional description are to be found as indicator
lights in the instrument cluster.
● Operational faults are shown in the instrument cluster as red symbols (priority
1 - danger) or yellow symbols (priority 2 - warning). 22
Instruments and warning lights

Do not continue your journey
if for some reason it is not possible under the con-
ditions prevailing to top up with coolant. Keep the engine switched off and obtain
professional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe
engine damage.
If the coolant is within the specified range, the increased temperature may be
caused by an operating problem at the coolant fan. Check the fuse for the coolant
fan, replace it if necessary ⇒
 page 212, Fuse assignment in engine compartment.
Do not continue driving if the warning light does not go off although the fluid is
at the correct level and also the fuse of the fan is in proper order. Contact a spe-
cialist garage to obtain assistance.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒ page 184, Cooling system.
The following text will be displayed in the information display: Check coolant! Owner's manual! Check coolant! Car documentation! WARNING
● If you must stop for technical reasons, then park the vehicle at a safe dis-
tance from the traffic and switch off the engine and switch on the hazard
warning light system ⇒ page 49.
● Take care when opening the coolant expansion bottle. If the engine is hot,
the cooling system is pressurized - risk of scalding! It is best to allow the en-
gine to cool down before removing the cap.
● Do not touch the coolant fan The coolant fan may switch on automatically
even if the ignition is off. 
Traction control system (TCS) The warning light
 comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
The warning light comes on when driving when a control cycle is activated.
The warning light lights up permanently if there is a fault in the TCS system.
The fact that the TCS system operates together with the ABS means that the TCS
warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly.
If the warning light 
comes on immediately after starting the engine, the TCS
system can be switched off for technical reasons. In this case, the TCS system can
be switched on again by switching the ignition on and off. If the warning light
goes out, the TCS system is fully functional again.
Further information about the TCS ⇒ page 156, Traction control system (TCS)

. Note
If the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the warning light  comes
on after switching on the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a
short distance. 
Anti-spin regulation (ASR)  The TCS system is switched off by pressing the button
⇒ fig. 139 and the warning
light  lights up. 
Electronic stability programme (ESP)  The warning light
 comes on for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
When the ESP helps to stabilise the vehicle, the warning light  flashes in the in-
strument cluster.
The warning light lights up permanently if there is a fault in the ESP system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that the ESP
warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly.
If the warning light  comes on immediately after starting the engine, the ESP
system can be switched off for technical reasons. In this case, the ESP system can
be switched on again by switching the ignition on and off. If the warning light
goes out, the ESP system is fully functional again.
Further information on the ESP ⇒

 page 154, Electronic stability programme (ESP).
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
The EDL is a part of the ESP. A fault in the EDL is indicated by the lighting up of
the ESP warning light in the instrument cluster. Have the vehicle inspected imme-
diately by your specialist garage. Further information on the EDL ⇒ page 155,
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL and XDL). Note
If the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the warning light  comes
on after switching on the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a
short distance. 26
Instruments and warning lights

●
Doors,
● Ignition lock,
● Vehicle inclination ⇒  page 38,
● Vehicle interior⇒  page 38,
● A drop in voltage of the on-board power supply,
● Socket of the factory-fitted towing device.
An alarm is immediately triggered if either of the two battery terminals is discon-
nected while the anti-theft alarm system is activated.
How is the alarm switched off?
You switch the alarm off if you unlock the vehicle with the radio remote control or
if you switch the ignition on. Note
● The working life of the alarm siren is 6 years. More detailed information is
available by a specialist garage.
● Before leaving the car, check that all the doors, windows and the electric slid-
ing/tilting roof are properly closed in order to ensure that the anti-theft alarm sys-
tem is fully operational.
● Coding of the radio remote control and the receiver unit precludes the use of
the radio remote control from other vehicles. 
Interior monitor and Towing protection monitoring Fig. 19 Button for interior monitor and
towing protection monitoring
Switch off the interior monitor and towing protection monitoring
– Switch off the ignition.
– Open the driver door. –
Press the button  at the centre column on the driver side ⇒ fig. 19, the sym-
bol  which lights up in the button changes from red to orange.
– Lock the vehicle within 30 seconds.
The interior monitor and the towing protection monitoring are switched on again
automatically the next time the car is locked. Note
● You can switch the interior monitor and the towing protection monitoring off if
there is a possibility that movements from (e.g. children or animals) inside the ve-
hicle interior or if the vehicle must be transported (e.g. by train or ship) or towed,
might trigger the alarm.
● You can also switch off the interior monitor and the towing protection moni-
toring, by deactivating the safe securing system ⇒

 page 32.
● The opened storage compartment for spectacles reduces the effectiveness of
the interior monitor. In order to ensure the function of the interior monitor to be
fully operational, always close the storage compartment for spectacles before
locking the vehicle. 
Power windows Buttons on the driver's door Fig. 20 Buttons on the driver's door
The power windows operate only when ignition is switched on.
Opening a window
– A window is opened by pressing lightly on the respective button in the door.
The process stops when one releases the button. £38
Unlocking and locking

–
Additionally you can open the window automatically (fully opened) by pressing
the button up to the stop. Renewed pressing of the button causes the window
to stop immediately.
Closing a window
– A window is closed through pulling lightly on the respective button in the
door. The closing process stops when one releases the button.
– Additionally you can close the window automatically (fully closed) by pulling
the button up to the stop. Renewed pulling of the button causes the window
to stop immediately.
The buttons for the individual windows are located in the armrest of the driver's
door ⇒
 fig. 20, front passenger seat and in the rear doors ⇒ page 40.
Buttons for the power windows in the armrest for the driver A Button for the power window in the driver's door
B Button for the power window in the front passenger's door
C Button for the power window at the rear right door
D Button for the power window at the rear left door
S Safety switch
Safety pushbutton
You can deactivate the buttons for power windows at rear doors by pressing the
safety pushbutton S
⇒  fig. 20 . The buttons for power windows at rear doors are
activated again by pressing the safety pushbutton S again.
If the buttons for the rear doors are deactivated, the indicator light  in the safe-
ty switch S lights up. WARNING
● If you lock the vehicle from the outside, do not leave any person in the ve-
hicle since it is no longer possible to open the windows from the inside in an
emergency.
● The system is fitted with a force limiter ⇒ page 40
. If there is an obstacle,
the closing process is stopped and the window goes down by several centime-
tres. You should then take particular care when closing the windows! You may
otherwise suffer severe injuries as a result of getting an arm, for example,
jammed in the window!
● It is recommended to deactivate the electrically operated power windows
in the rear doors (safety pushbutton) S ⇒
 
fig. 20 when children are being
transported on the rear seats. CAUTION
● Keep the window glass clean to ensure correct function of the electric win-
dows.
● In the event of a freezing up of the windscreen, first of all eliminate the ice
⇒

  page 172 and then operate the power windows otherwise the power window
mechanism could be damaged. Note
● After switching the ignition off, it is still possible to open or close the windows
for a further 10 minutes. During this time the automatic closing and opening func-
tions of the window will operate. The power windows are switched off completely
once you open the driver or front passenger door.
● When driving always use the existing heating, air conditioning and ventilation
system for ventilating the interior of the vehicle. If the windows are opened, dust
as well as other dirt can get into the vehicle and in addition the wind noise is more
at certain speeds.  39
Unlocking and locking Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data