2011 SKODA OCTAVIA tow bar

Seats and Stowage
Front seats
Basic information The front seats have a wide range of different settings and can thus be matched
to the physical characteristics of the driver and front passenger.
Correct adjustment of the seats is particularly important for:
● safely and quickly reaching the controls,
● a relaxed, fatigue-free body position,
● achieving the maximum protection offered by the seat belts and the airbag
system. WARNING
● Never transport more occupants than the maximum seating in the vehicle.
● Each occupant must correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to the seat.
Children must be fastened ⇒
 page 147, Transporting children safely with a
suitable restraint system.
● The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven - never
place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the surfaces
of the seats. This is particularly important for the front seat passenger. You
will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the
brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is deployed, you may suffer
fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated position!
● It is important for the driver and front passenger to maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel. Not maintaining this
minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to proper-
ly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints must always
also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant. WARNING (Continued)
● Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get be-
hind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then no
longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate.
● Do not transport any objects on the front passenger seat except objects
(e.g. child safety seat) provided for this purpose - risk of accident! 
Adjusting the front seats Fig. 42 Controls at seat
Adjusting a seat in a forward/back direction
– Pull the lever 1
⇒
 fig. 42 up and push the seat into the desired position.
– Release the lever 1 and push the seat further until the lock is heard to en-
gage.
Adjusting height of seat
– Lift the seat if required by pulling or pumping lever 2 upwards.
– Lower the seat if required by pushing or pumping lever 2 downwards.
Adjust the angle of the seat backrest
– Relieve any pressure on the seat backrest (do not lean on it) and turn the
handwheel 3 to adjust the angle of the backrest.
Adjusting lumbar support
– Turn the wheel 4 until you have set the most comfortable curvature of the
seat upholstery in the area of your spine. £60
Seats and Stowage

The driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the pedals can be fully
pressed to the floor with slightly bent legs.
The seat backrest on the driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the
upper point of the steering wheel can be easily reached with slightly bent arms.
WARNING
● Only adjust the driver seat when the vehicle is stationary - risk of injury!
● Take care when adjusting the seat! Adjusting the seat without care can
lead to bruises or injuries.
● The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving other-
wise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag sys-
tem - risk of injury! 
Adjusting front seats electrically
Adjusting seats Fig. 43 Side view: Controls for adjusting the seat/seat setting switch
Adopt the correct seated position before setting ⇒ page 60
.
Adjusting a seat in a forward/back direction
– Press the switch A
⇒
 fig. 43 forwards or backwards 1 .
Set the height of the seat cushion
– Press the switch A upwards or downwards. Adjust the angle of the seat cushion
–
Press the switch A at the front in the direction of arrow
2 or at the back in
the direction of arrow 3 .
Adjusting the seat backrest
– Press the switch B in the direction of the desired setting.
Adjusting lumbar support
– Press the switch C at the front in order to enlarge the curvature of the lum-
bar support.
– Press the switch C rear in order to reduce the curvature of the lumbar sup-
port.
– Press the switch C top in order to adjust the curvature of the lumbar support
higher.
– Press the switch C bottom in order to adjust the curvature of the lumbar sup-
port lower.
Switch A is operated in order to move the seat up/down and forward/back, while
switch B is operated in order to move the seat backrest forward or back.
WARNING
● Only adjust the driver seat when the vehicle is stationary - risk of injury!
● Caution when adjusting the seat! You may suffer injuries or bruises as a re-
sult of adjusting the seat without paying proper attention.
● In view of the fact that the seats can also be adjusted when the ignition is
switched off (even when ignition key withdrawn), you should never leave chil-
dren unattended in the car.
● The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving other-
wise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag sys-
tem - risk of injury! Note
If the movement of the seat is inadvertently interrupted during an adjustment,
once again press the switch in the appropriate direction and continue with the ad-
justment of the seat to the end.  61
Seats and Stowage Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Install
–
Position the luggage net partition housing into the mounts in the rear seat
backrests.
– Push the luggage net partition housing in the opposite direction of arrow 1as far as the stop.
– Fold the rear seats back into its original position. WARNING
Pay attention that the rear seat backrest is correctly interlocked. It is only
then that the three-point seat belt for the middle seat can reliably fulfil its
function. 
The roof rack Description CAUTION
● Only use roof racks approved by ŠKODA.
● If you use other roof rack systems or if the roof bars are not properly fitted,
then any damage which may result to your car is not covered by the warranty
agreements. It is therefore essential to pay attention to the fitting instructions
supplied with the roof luggage rack system.
● On models fitted with a power sliding/tilting roof, ensure that the opened slid-
ing/tilting roof does not strike any items of luggage transported on the roof.
● Ensure that the opened boot lid does not collide with the roof load. For the sake of the environment
The increased aerodynamic drag results in a higher fuel consumption. Note
If a vehicle is not factory-equipped with a roof rack, it can be purchased from the
ŠKODA Original Accessories Lashing points (Octavia)
Fig. 66 Attachment points for base roof
carrier
Perform the assembly and the disassembly according to the attached instructions. Note
● If you have any questions, please contact a specialist garage.
● The figure is not valid for an estate car. 
Roof load Distribute the weight evenly over the roof luggage rack system. The maximum
permissible roof load (including roof rack system) of
75 kg and the maximum per-
missible total weight of the vehicle should not be exceeded.
You cannot make full use of the permissible roof load if you use a roof luggage
rack system with a lower load carrying capacity. The load transported on the roof
luggage rack system must not exceed the weight limit which is stated in the fit-
ting instructions. WARNING
● The items which you transport on the roof bar system must be reliably at-
tached - risk of accident!
● You must on no account exceed the permissible roof load, the permissible
axle loads and the permissible gross weight of your vehicle - risk of accident!
● Please note that the handling properties of your vehicle change when you
transport heavy or bulky items on the roof bar system as a result of the dis-
placement of the centre of gravity and the increased wind attack area - risk of
accident! You must absolutely adapt your style of driving and the speed of the
vehicle to the specific circumstances. 73
Seats and Stowage Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
● The parking aid is not a substitute for the driver paying proper attention
and it is always the driver's responsibility to take care when parking the vehi-
cle or carrying out similar manoeuvres.
● You should therefore satisfy yourself, before reversing, that there is no
small obstacle, such as a rock, thin post, trailer drawbar etc., behind your vehi-
cle. Such an obstacle might not be within the range detected by the sensors.
● Under certain circumstances, surfaces of certain objects and types of
clothing cannot reflect the signal of the parking aid. Thus, these objects or
people who wear such clothing are not recognised by the sensors of the park-
ing aid. Note
● The parking aid does not operate if you are towing a trailer (applies to models
which feature a factory-fitted towing device).
● If a warning signal sounds for about 3 seconds after switching the ignition on
and engaging reverse gear, and there is no obstacle close to your car, this indi-
cates a system fault. Have the fault rectified by a specialist workshop.
● The sensors must be kept clean and free of ice to enable the parking aid to
operate properly. 
Front and rear parking aid The parking aid provides a warning of obstacles in front and behind
the vehicle. Fig. 103 Activating the parking aid/detection range of the front sensors The audible parking aid determines the distance between the front or rear bump-
er and an obstacle with the aid of ultrasound sensors. The sensors are integrated
in the front and rear bumper. The signal tones for the front parking aid sound
higher as standard than for the rear parking aid. The tones of the parking aid can
be adapted in the menu of the Information display ⇒ page 19.
Range of sensors
The distance warning begins at a distance of about 120 cm from the obstacle in
front of the vehicle (area A ⇒ 
fig. 103) and about 160 cm from the obstacle behind
the vehicle (area A ⇒ fig. 102
). The interval between the warning signals becomes
shorter as the clearance is reduced.
A continuous tone sounds from a distance of approx. 30 cm (area B ) - danger
area. From this moment on do not continue driving! If the vehicle is equipped with
a factory-fitted towing device, the border of the danger area starts -

continuous
tone - 5 cm further away from the vehicle. The vehicle can be extended through
an installed detachable towing device.
On factory-fitted radio navigation systems and car stereos, the distance to the ob-
struction can also be shown graphically in the display. On vehicles with a factory-
fitted towing device, the rear sensors are deactivated when towing a trailer. The
driver is informed about this by a graphic display (vehicle towing a trailer) in the
radio or the radio navigation display. In some factory fitted radios or radio naviga-
tion systems, you can configure the system to reduce the playback volume when
the parking aid is active, see the owner's manual for the radio or radio navigation
system. This makes it easier to hear the parking aid.
Activating
The parking aid is activated when the reverse gear is engaged and the ignition is
switched on or by pressing the button ⇒ fig. 103 - left, the symbol  lights up in
the button. The activation is confirmed by a brief acknowledgement signal.
Deactivating
The parking aid is deactivated after pressing the button 
⇒
 fig. 103 - left, or at a
speed of more than 10 km/h - the symbol  in the button is no longer illuminated. £ 103
Starting-off and Driving Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
● The parking aid is not a substitute for the driver paying proper attention
and it is always the driver's responsibility to take care when reversing the ve-
hicle or carrying out similar manoeuvres.
● You should therefore satisfy yourself, before reversing, that there is no
small obstacle, such as a rock, thin post, trailer drawbar etc., in front or behind
your vehicle. Such an obstacle might not be within the range detected by the
sensors.
● Under certain circumstances, surfaces of certain objects and types of
clothing cannot reflect the signal of the parking aid. Thus, these objects or
people who wear such clothing are not recognised by the sensors of the park-
ing aid. Note
● Only the front parking aid operates if you are towing a trailer (applies only to
models which feature a factory-fitted towing device).
● If a warning signal sounds for about 3 seconds after activating the system and
there is no obstacle close to your car, this indicates a system fault. The fault is
confirmed additionally when the symbol  flashes in the button ⇒ fig. 103 - left.
Have the fault rectified by a specialist workshop.
● The sensors must be kept clean and free of ice to enable the parking aid to
operate properly.
● If the parking aid is activated and the selector lever of the automatic gearbox
is in the position P , warning signal indicates interruption (vehicle can no longer
move). 
Cruise control system (CCS) Introduction The cruise control system (CCS) maintains a constant speed, more than 30 km/h
(20 mph), once it has been set, without you having to depress the accelerator
pedal. This is only possible within the range which is permitted by the power out-
put and braking power of the engine. The cruise control system makes it possible
- particularly on long journeys - for you to rest your
“accelerator foot”. WARNING
● For safety reasons, the cruise control system must not be used in dense
traffic or on unfavourable road surfaces (such as icy roads, slippery roads,
loose gravel) - risk of accident!
● In order to prevent unintentional use of the cruise control system, always
switch off the system after use. Note
● Models fitted with a manual gearbox: Always depress the clutch pedal if you
switch on the cruise control system when the gearbox is in Neutral! Otherwise the
engine can rev up unintentionally.
● The cruise control system is not able to maintain a constant speed when driv-
ing on steep downhill sections. The weight of the vehicle increases the speed at
which it travels. One should shift down in good time to a lower gear or slow the
vehicle down by applying the foot brake.
● It is not possible on vehicles fitted with an automatic gearbox to switch on the
cruise control system if the selector lever is in the position P, N or R. 
Storing a speed Fig. 104 Operating lever: Rocker button
and switch of the cruise control system
The cruise control system is operated by means of the switch A
⇒  fig. 104 and
the rocker button B in the left lever of the multi-functional switch.
– Press the switch A into the position ON.
– After the desired speed has been reached, press the rocker button B into the
SET position. £104
Starting-off and Driving

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

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