2011 SKODA OCTAVIA spare wheel

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

–
Distribute the items of luggage as evenly as possible.
– Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.
– Attach the items of luggage to the lashing eyes or the fixing net ⇒ page 67.
In the event of an accident, there is such a high kinetic energy which is produced
by small and light objects that they can cause severe injuries. The magnitude of
the kinetic energy depends on the speed at which the vehicle is travelling and on
the weight of the object. The speed at which the vehicle is travelling is in this case
the more significant factor.
Example: In the event of a frontal collision at a speed of 50 km/h, an unsecured
object with a weight of 4.5 kg produces an energy, which corresponds to 20 times
its own weight. This means that it results in a weight of approx. 90 kg. You can
imagine the injuries that can occur, if this
“bullet” is flying through the interior
compartment and hits an occupant. WARNING
● Store the objects in the luggage compartment and attach them to the
lashing eyes.
● Loose objects in the passenger compartment can be thrown forward dur-
ing a sudden manoeuvre or in case of an accident and can injure the occupants
or other oncoming traffic. This risk is still increased, if the objects which are
flying around are hit by a deployed airbag. In this case, the objects which are
thrown back can injure the occupants - hazard.
● Please note that the handling properties of your vehicle may be affected
when transporting heavy objects as a result of the displacement of the centre
of gravity. The speed and style of driving must be adjusted accordingly.
● The items carried in the luggage compartment should be stored in such a
way that no objects are able to slip forward if there are any sudden driving or
braking manoeuvres undertaken - risk of injury!
● Never drive with the boot lid fully opened or slightly ajar otherwise ex-
haust gases may get into the interior of the vehicle - risk of poisoning!
● On no account exceed the permissible axle loads and the permissible gross
weight of the vehicle - risk of accident!
● Never transport occupants in the luggage compartment! CAUTION
Make sure that transported objects with sharp edges do not damage the follow-
ing:
● heating elements in the rear window,
● elements of the aerial integrated in the rear window (Octavia),
● elements of the aerial integrated in the rear side windows (Estate car). Note
Tyre pressure must be adjusted to the load ⇒ page 192
.
Vehicles of category N1 On vehicles of the category N1, which are not fitted with a protective grille, a lash-
ing set which complies with the standard EN

12195 (1 - 4) must be used for fasten-
ing the load. 
Lashing eyes Fig. 52 Luggage compartment: Lashing eyes Octavia/Estate car
Eyes are located on the sides of the luggage compartment for lashing the goods
to be loaded.
You can also attach a floor fixing net to these eyes for holding small objects.
The floor fixing net and the installation instruction are located in a container un-
der the floor covering of the luggage compartment behind the spare wheel. £ 67
Seats and Stowage Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
● The load to be transported must be fixed in place in such a way that it can-
not move during the journey and when braking.
● If the items of luggage or objects are attached to the lashing eyes with un-
suitable or damaged lashing straps, injuries can occur in the event of braking
manoeuvres or accidents. In order to prevent the items of luggage being
thrown forward, always use suitable lashing straps which are firmly attached
to the lashing eyes. Note
The upper front lashing eyes are located underneath the folding rear seat back-
rest ⇒
 fig. 52. 
Fixing nets - Net programme Octavia Fig. 53 Fixing net: Horizontal pocket/vertical pocket
Fixing examples of the fixing net as a horizontal pocket
⇒ fig. 53

- left and a verti-
cal pocket ⇒ fig. 53 - right.
The fixing net is stowed in a storage compartment behind the spare wheel under
the floor covering of the luggage compartment. WARNING
● The whole strength of the net makes it possible to load the pocket with
objects of up to 1.5 kg in weight. Heavy objects are not secured sufficiently -
risk of injury and net damage!
● The load to be transported must be fixed in place in such a way that it can-
not move during the journey and when braking. CAUTION
Do not place any objects with sharp edges in the nets - risk of net damage. 
Fixing nets - Net programme Estate car Fig. 54 Fixing net: Vertical pocket/division of the luggage compartment
Fixing examples of the fixing net as a horizontal pocket
⇒ fig. 54 - left and as a
division of the luggage compartment with the aid of the net ⇒ fig. 54 - right.
The fixing net is stowed in a storage compartment behind the spare wheel under
the floor covering of the luggage compartment. WARNING
● The whole strength of the net makes it possible to load the pocket with
objects of up to 1.5 kg in weight. Heavy objects are not secured sufficiently -
risk of injury and net damage!
● The load to be transported must be fixed in place in such a way that it can-
not move during the journey and when braking. CAUTION
Do not place any objects with sharp edges in the nets - risk of net damage. 68
Seats and Stowage

Folding double hooks (Octavia)
Fig. 55 Luggage compartment: Folding
double hooks
Folding double hooks for attaching small items of luggage, such as bags etc. are
provided on one or both sides of the luggage compartment depending on the
equipment installed in the vehicle ⇒
 fig. 55. CAUTION
An item of luggage weighing up to 5 kg can be attached to each side of the double
hook. 
Folding hooks (Estate car) Fig. 56 Luggage compartment: folding
hooks
Folding hooks for attaching small items of luggage, such as bags etc., are provided
on both sides of the luggage compartment ⇒ fig. 56 . CAUTION
An item of luggage weighing up to 7.5 kg can be attached to the hook. Fixing floor covering of the luggage compartment
Fig. 57 Luggage compartment: Fixing of the floor covering Octavia/Estate car
There is a loop (Octavia) or there are hooks (Estate car) located on the floor cover-
ing of the luggage compartment. You can fix the raised floor cover with a hook to
the luggage compartment cover (Octavia) ⇒ fig. 57 - left, as if one needs to reach
the spare wheel or to the frame of the boot lid (Estate car) ⇒
 fig. 57 - right. 
Luggage net (Octavia) Fig. 58 Luggage compartment: Luggage
net
The luggage net is designed for the transportation of lighter objects. WARNING
● In the storage net you must only stow objects (up to a total weight of 1.5
kg). Heavy objects are not secured sufficiently - risk of injury!
● No objects with sharp edges should be stored in the luggage net, because
they can damage the luggage net. 69
Seats and Stowage Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emer-
gency situations by rapidly producing the pressure required in the brake system. It
fully exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the
function of the Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate
in the normal way.
The Brake Assist is part of the ESP system. If a fault occurs in the ESP, the Brake
Assist function is also not available. Further information on the ESP
⇒ page 154.WARNING
● The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your car
in terms of the braking distance required.
● Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.
● The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to
take a greater safety risk than otherwise. 
Uphill Start Assist The uphill start assist makes it easier to start off on steep hills. The system assists
a start off by holding the brake pressure produced by the brake pedal actuation
for approx. 2 seconds after releasing the brake pedal. The driver can therefore
move his foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and start off on the
slope, without having to actuate the handbrake. The brake pressure drops gradu-
ally the more you operate the accelerator pedal. If the vehicle does not start off
within 2 seconds, it starts to roll back.
The uphill start assist is active as of a 5 % slope, if the driver door is closed. It is
always active on slopes when in forward or reverse start off. When driving down-
hill, it is inactive. 
Electromechanical power steering The power steering enables you to steer the vehicle with less physical force.
With the electromechanical power steering, the steering assist is automatically
adapted to the speed and to the steering angle.
It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the en-
gine is not running (vehicle being towed in). The only difference is that greater
physical effort is required. If there is a fault in the power steering, the warning light
 or  lights up in the
instrument cluster ⇒
 page 24. WARNING
Contact your specialist garage if the power steering is defective. 
Tyre pressure monitoring system Fig. 140 Button for setting the tyre in-
flation pressure control value
The tyre pressure monitoring system compares with the aid of the ABS sensors
the speed and also the rolling circumference of the individual wheels. If the rolling
circumference of a wheel is changed, the warning light
 in the instrument clus-
ter ⇒ page 27 and an acoustic signal sounds.
The rolling circumference of the tyre can change if:
● the tyre inflation pressure is too low,
● the structure of the tyre is damaged,
● the vehicle is loaded on one side,
● the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when
driving uphill or downhill),
● snow chains are mounted,
● the temporary spare wheel is mounted,
● one wheel per axle was changed.
Basic setting of the system
After changing the tyre inflation pressures, after changing one or several wheels,
the position of a wheel on the vehicle (e.g. exchanging the wheels between the
axles) or when the warning light lights up while driving, a basic setting of the sys-
tem must be carried out as follows. £ 159
Intelligent Technology Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Towing a trailer
Technical requirements Your vehicle is designed primarily for transporting persons and luggage. It can,
however, also be used for towing a trailer - provided certain technical equipment
is fitted.
If your vehicle has been
factory-fitted with a towing device or has a towing device
from ŠKODA Original Accessories, then the towing device satisfies all technical
and legal requirements.
Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power socket for the electrical connection be-
tween the vehicle and trailer. If the trailer which you wish to tow has a 7-pin con-
nector, you can use a suitable adapter from
ŠKODA Original Accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's specifica-
tions if a towing device is retrofitted.
Authorised ŠKODA Service Partners can provide detailed information about retro-
fitting a towing device and for any necessary modifications to the cooling system. WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device from ŠKODA Original Acces-
sories installed by an authorised
ŠKODA Service Partner. He is familiar with all
the relevant details relating to retrofitting such equipment. There is a risk of
an accident if the towing device is not properly fitted! 
General Maintenance Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appropriately steeper inclines and descents if you do not make
full use of the permissible trailer load.
The trailer loads specified only apply for
altitudes up to 1000 metres above mean
sea level. The fact that the engine power output drops with increasing height due
to a lowering of air pressure and thus the ability to climb, means that the towed
weight must be reduced by 10 % for every further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea level. The towed weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle and
the (laden) trailer together. One should take this into account before driving up to
higher altitudes.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device
are merely test data for the towing device The data relating to your vehicle,
which is often less than this test data, can be found in your vehicle registration
documents.
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that any heavy items are located as
close as possible to the axle. Secure the items to prevent them slipping.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for that of

“fully laden”
⇒  page 192. The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to the trailer adjust in ac-
cordance with the manufacturer's recommendation.
Exterior mirrors
You have to have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the
traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exterior mirrors
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust the mirrors so that they provide you
with an adequate field of view to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights.
Alter the setting as necessary with the aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒  page 49.
Detachable ball head
The ball head is detachable on vehicles with towing device and can be obtained
from ŠKODA Original Accessories. It is stowed together with separate fitting in-
structions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle. Note
● We recommend that you also have your vehicle inspected between service in-
tervals if you tow a trailer frequently.
● The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and de-
coupling the trailer. 168
Towing a trailer

Wheels and Tyres
Wheels
General information ●
New tyres do not offer optimal grip at first. They should therefore be run in for
about 500 km at a moderate speed and an appropriately cautious style of driving.
You will also profit from longer tyre life.
● The tread depth of new tyres may differ because of design features and the
configuration of the tread (depending on the type of tyre and the manufacturer).
● Drive over curbs on the side of the road and other such obstacles slowly and,
where possible, at a right angle in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.
● We recommend you Inspect your tyres and rims from time to time for damage
(punctures, cuts, splits and bulges). Remove foreign bodies from the tyre profile.
● Damage to tyres is frequently not visible. Unusual vibrations or pulling of the
vehicle to one side could be a sign of tyre damage. Please reduce your speed im-
mediately and stop if you suspect that a wheel is damaged. Inspect the tyres for
signs of damage (bulges, splits, etc.) If no visible damage is present, please drive
at an appropriately slow speed and carefully to the nearest specialist garage in or-
der to have your vehicle inspected.
● Also protect your tyres from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
● Immediately replace any dust caps of the valves which have got lost.
● Mark wheels before removing them so that their previous direction of running
can be maintained when mounted them again.
● Always store wheels or tyres which been removed in a cool, dry and, where
possible, dark place. Tyres which are not fixed to a wheel trim should be stored
upright.
Unidirectional tyres
The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the tyre.
This indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre, and it is essential that the tyres
are fitted on to run in this direction. Only then are the tyres able to provide the
optimal properties in terms of grip, low noise, wear-and-tear and aquaplaning.
Further information concerning the use of unidirectional tyres ⇒

 page 196. WARNING
● New tyres during the first approximately 500 km do not offer optimal grip
and should therefore be run appropriately - risk of accident!
● Never drive with damaged tyres - risk of accident! Note
Please observe the various differing legal requirements regarding tyres. 
Tyre life Fig. 157 An opened fuel filler flap with a
tyre size and tyre inflation pressure ta-
ble
The life of your tyres very much depends on the following points:
Tyre pressure
The working life of tyres will be shortened considerably if the tyres are insuffi-
ciently or over-inflated and this will have an adverse effect on the handling of
your vehicle.
Correctly inflated tyres are of particular importance when travelling at high
speeds . It is therefore good to check the tyre pressure, including that of the spare
wheel, at least once a month and also before setting off on a long trip.
The tyre inflation pressures for summer tyres are indicated on the inside of the
fuel filler flap ⇒ fig. 157. The inflation pressures for winter tyres are 20

kPa
(0.2 bar) higher than those for summer tyres ⇒ page 195. £192
Wheels and Tyres

The tyre inflation pressure for tyres of the tyre size 205/50 R17, which are inten-
ded to be used with snow chains, is identical to the tyre inflation pressure for
tyres of the tyre size 225/45
R17, see ⇒ fig. 157.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle at
all times.
The tyre inflation pressure of the emergency spare wheel R 18 is 420 kPa
(4.2 bar).
Always check the inflation pressure of tyres when cold. Do not reduce the higher
pressure of warm tyres. Adapt the inflation pressure of the tyres accordingly if
your vehicle is carrying a significantly higher payload.
Driving style
Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking (squealing tyres) increase wear-
and-tear on your tyres.
Balancing wheels
The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. There are a wide range of influences
when driving which may result in an imbalance and which makes themselves felt
through vibration in the steering.
You should have the wheels rebalanced since any imbalance increases wear-and-
tear on the steering, the suspension and tyres. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tyre is fitted and each time a tyre is repaired.
Wheel alignment errors
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front and rear will not only increase wear-and-
tear on the tyres but will also has an adverse effect on vehicle safety. Contact
your specialist garage if you notice any unusual tyre wear. WARNING
● If the inflation pressure is too low, the tyre must perform a higher rolling
resistance. At higher speeds the tyre will warm up as a result of this. This can
result in tread separation and even a tyre blowout.
● Immediately replace the damaged rims or tyres.
● Tyres which are 6 years old or more should only be fitted in exceptional ca-
ses and when adopting an appropriately cautious style of driving. For the sake of the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption. Wear indicators
Fig. 158 Tyre tread with wear indicators
The base of the tread of the original tyres has wear indicators 1.6 mm high, instal-
led at right angles to the direction of travel. These wear indicators are located at 6
- 8 points depending on the make and are evenly spaced around the circumfer-
ence of the tyre ⇒ fig. 158 . Markings on the walls of the tyres through the letters
“TWI”, triangular symbols or other symbols identify the position of the wear indi-
cators.
A remaining tread of just 1.6 mm, measured in the grooves of the tread next to the
wear indicators, means that your tyres have reached their legally permissible mini-
mum tread depth. WARNING
● You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down. The legally permissible minimum tread
depth should be observed.
● Worn tyres do not provide the necessary adhesion to the road surface at
high speeds on wet roads. One could experience “
aquaplaning” (uncontrolled
movements of the vehicle - “swimming” on a wet road surface). 193
Wheels and Tyres Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data