2011 SKODA OCTAVIA radiator

Note
● The radiator fan may continue running for a further 10 minutes or so after the
engine and the ignition have been switched off. The coolant fan may, however, al-
so switch on again after some time if the coolant temperature rises because of an
accumulation of heat in the engine or if the engine is warm and the engine com-
partment is additionally heated by strong sunlight.
● This is why particular care is required when carrying out any work in the en-
gine compartment ⇒
 page 181, Working in the engine compartment. 
Shifting (manual gearbox) Fig. 100 The shift pattern: 5-speed or 6-
speed manual gearbox
Shift into reverse only when the car is stationary. Depress the clutch pedal and
hold it fully depressed. Wait a moment before engaging reverse gear in order to
avoid any shift noises.
The reversing lights will come on once reverse gear is engaged, provided the igni-
tion is on. WARNING
Never engage the reverse gear when driving - risk of accident! Note
● One should not lay the hand on the shift lever while driving the vehicle. The
pressure of the hand will be transferred to the gearshift forks in the gearbox. This
can, over a period of time, lead to early wear of the gearshift forks.
● Depress the clutch pedal fully when changing gears, in order to avoid unneces-
sary wear and damage. Pedals Operation of the pedals must not be hindered!
WARNING
● In the driver's footwell, only a footmat, which is attached to the two corre-
sponding attachment points, may be used.
● No objects are allowed in the driver's footwell – risk of obstruction or limi-
tation in operating the pedal! Note
● Greater brake pedal distances may be needed when there is a fault in the
brake system.
● Use only footmats from the range of ŠKODA Original Accessories, which are at-
tached at two attachment points. 
Handbrake Fig. 101 Centre console: Handbrake
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up fully.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and at the same time press in the locking
button ⇒

 fig. 101 .
– Hold the button pressed and push the handbrake lever down fully ⇒  .
£ 101
Starting-off and Driving Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Inspecting and Replenishing
Engine compartment
Bonnet remote release Fig. 148 Bonnet release lever
Bonnet remote release
– Pull the unlocking lever below the dash panel on the driver's side ⇒  fig. 148 .
The bonnet jumps out of its lock as a result of the spring force. A locking lever ap-
pears at the same time in the radiator grille. 
Opening and closing the bonnet. Fig. 149 Radiator grille: Locking lever/securing the bonnet with the bonnet support
Opening the bonnet
–
Unlock the bonnet ⇒
 fig. 148 . –
Ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are correctly in place against
the windscreen before opening the bonnet otherwise damage could occur to
the paintwork.
– Pulling on the locking lever in direction of arrow 1 ⇒
 fig. 149
will unlock the
bonnet.
– Grip with the hand under the radiator grille and lift up the bonnet.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening 2 de-
signed for it.
Closing the bonnet
– Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the bonnet sup-
port into the holder designed to hold it.
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 20 cm into the lock - bonnet
do not press down on it!
– Check whether the bonnet is properly closed. WARNING
● Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
● For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed when driv-
ing. One should therefore check that the lock has in fact engaged properly af-
ter closing the bonnet.
● Stop your vehicle immediately while driving if you notice that the lock is
not properly engaged and close the bonnet properly - risk of an accident! CAUTION
Never open the bonnet using the locking lever - danger of causing damage. 180
Inspecting and Replenishing

Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the en-
gine compartment!
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working in the en-
gine compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. For this
reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated below and
with the general applicable rules of safety. The engine compartment of your car
is a hazardous area ⇒
  .
WARNING
● Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
● Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
● Apply the handbrake firmly.
● If your vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever in-
to Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox, move the selector lever in-
to position

P.
● Allow the engine to cool down.
● Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
● Do not touch any hot engine parts - risk of burns!
● Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the an-
tifreeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!
● Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
● Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
● Never open the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir so long as the en-
gine is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
● Cover over the cap of the reservoir with a large cloth when opening it as
protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam or hot coolant.
● Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine com-
partment. WARNING (Continued)
● If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is not
sufficient for this - risk of injury!
● In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the en-
gine is running there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. the V-ribbed
belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition system.
Please observe in addition the following:
–Never touch the electrical cables of the ignition system.
– Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose items of clothing or long hair from
getting into the rotating parts of the engine - Hazard! Therefore remove
any jewellery beforehand, tie up your hair and wear tight fitting clothing.
● Please also comply with the warning instructions stated below when car-
rying out any essential work on the fuel system or on the electrical system.
–Always separate the car battery from the electrical system.
– Do not smoke.
– Never carry out any work close to naked flames.
– Always keep a working fire extinguisher at hand. CAUTION
When replenishing fluids in the engine, always ensure that the fluids are on no ac-
count mixed up. This may result in major operating problems and also vehicle
damage!  181
Inspecting and Replenishing Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING (Continued)
● If any splashes of coolant get into your eyes, rinse out your eyes immedi-
ately with clear water and contact a doctor as soon as possible.
● You should also consult a doctor without delay if you have inadvertently
swallowed coolant. CAUTION
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible under the condi-
tions prevailing to top up with coolant. Switch the engine off and obtain profes-
sional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe en-
gine damage. For the sake of the environment
Do not re-use coolant if it is necessary to drain the coolant in the system. It should
be collected and disposed of in compliance with environmental protection regula-
tions. 
Radiator fan The radiator fan may switch on suddenly.
The radiator fan is driven by an electric motor and controlled according to the
coolant temperature.
The radiator fan may continue running for up to 10 minutes after the engine has
been switched off - even if the ignition is also off. It may also switch on suddenly
after a certain time, if
● the coolant temperature has risen because of an accumulation of heat or
● the warm engine compartment is heated up additionally by strong sunlight. WARNING
You must therefore be aware when working in the engine compartment that
the fan may switch on suddenly - risk of injury! Brake fluid
Inspecting the brake fluid level Fig. 153 Engine compartment: Brake flu-
id reservoir
The brake fluid reservoir is located on the left of the engine compartment. The
brake fluid reservoir on right-hand steering models is positioned on the other side
of the engine compartment.
– Switch the engine off.
– Open the bonnet ⇒ page 180 .
– Inspect the brake fluid level in the reservoir ⇒
 fig. 153 . The level must be be-
tween the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-tear
and automatic adjustment of the brake pads, and is perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the fluid lev-
el drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” marking. If
the brake fluid level is too low, this is indicated by the warning light lighting up in
the instrument cluster ⇒ page 28, Brake system . In this case stop immediately
and do not drive any further! Obtain professional assistance. WARNING
● Read and observe the warning notes ⇒
 page 181, Working in the engine
compartment before working in the engine compartment.
● If the fluid level has dropped below the MIN marking, do not drive any fur-
ther - risk of accident! Contact a Škoda dealer to obtain professional assis-
tance. 186
Inspecting and Replenishing

The windshield washer reservoir contains the cleaning fluid for the windscreen or
rear window and for the headlamp cleaning system. The reservoir is located at the
front right of the engine compartment ⇒
 fig. 156 .
The filling level of the container is about 3 litres and about 5.5 litres on vehicles
which have a headlight washing system.
Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and headlights.
We therefore recommend using clean washing water together with the screen
cleaner from ŠKODA Original Accessories (in winter additionally with antifreeze)
which is capable of removing stubborn dirt. Follow the instructions for use on the
packaging when using screen cleaning products.
You should always add antifreeze to the cleaning water in winter even if your ve-
hicle is fitted with heated windscreen washer nozzles.
It is also possible in exceptional cases to use methylated spirits when no screen
cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methylated spirits must
not be more than 15 %. Please note, however, that the antifreeze protection at
this concentration is only adequate down to -5 °C. WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes ⇒ page 181, Working in the engine com-
partment
before working in the engine compartment. CAUTION
● On no account should you add radiator antifreeze or other additives to the
windscreen washer fluid.
● If the vehicle is fitted with a headlight cleaning system, you should only add
cleaning products which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the head-
lights to the windscreen washer fluid. Please contact an authorised

ŠKODA Serv-
ice Partner who will help you select a suitable cleaning agent.  191
Inspecting and Replenishing Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Overview of the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . 182
P Paint
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Paint damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Parking aid Front and rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Parking light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Parking the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Passive Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Payload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Petrol engines Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Polishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Button in the driver's door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Button in the front passenger door and in the rear doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Operational faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
with central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
R Radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Rear-view mirror Exterior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Interior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Rear armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66, 81
Rear fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Rear window
heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Rear window heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Recharge battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Recommendation for changing gears . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Synchronisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Removing the seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Replacement of parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Replacing fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Replacing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Roof aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Running in the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
S
Safe securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Safety information Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Safety wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Saving electrical energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Seat belt height adjuster Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
fastening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
taking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Seat belt warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Seat heaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Selector lever-emergency unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Selector lever lock Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Service reminder indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Setting temperature
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Setting the clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Side airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Side lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Stability system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
START-STOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 after fuel tank has run empty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Petrol engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
START STOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Steering active driver-steering recommendation . . . . . . . 156
Steering force assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Storage compartment Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Storage facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Sun screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Switch off Anti-spin regulation (ASR) Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
T Tailgate Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Taking care of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116, 122
Temperature outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The first 1 500 kilometres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 242
Index