2011 SKODA ROOMSTER technical data

A new layer of a high-quality hard wax polish can be applied to the clean body-
work after it has dried thoroughly. Even if you use a wax preserver regularly we
still recommend that you treat the paintwork of the vehicle at least twice a year
with hard wax.
CAUTION
Never apply wax to the windows. 
Polishing Polishing is only necessary if the paintwork of your vehicle has become unattrac-
tive and if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax preservers.
You must treat the paintwork with a wax preserver if the polish you use does not
contain any preserving elements ⇒
 page 142, Wax treatment. CAUTION
● You must not treat mat painted parts or plastic with polishing products or hard
wax.
● Do not polish the paintwork of the vehicle in a dusty environment, otherwise
the paintwork can be scratched. 
Chrome parts First clean the chrome parts with a damp cloth and then polish them with a soft,
dry cloth. If this method does not completely clean chrome parts, use a specific
chrome care product.
CAUTION
Do not polish the chrome parts in a dusty environment, otherwise they can be
scratched. 
Paint damage Slight damage to paintwork such as scratches, scuffs or traces of chip damage
must be touched up immediately with paint (Škoda painting pen)
before any cor-
rosion can result. You can of course have this work carried out by authorised
ŠKODA Service Partners.
The authorised

ŠKODA Service Partners have a range of matching touch-up pens
or spray cans available in the colour of your vehicle. The paint number of the original paintwork of your vehicle is indicated on the ve-
hicle data sticker ⇒

 page 192.
Any corrosion which has already have formed must be removed thoroughly. Apply
a corrosion protection primer and then the paint to the affected point. You can of
course have this work carried out by authorised ŠKODA Service Partners. 
Plastic parts External plastic parts are cleaned by normal washing. Plastic parts and synthetic
leather can also be treated with special solvent-free plastic cleaning agents if a
damp cloth is not sufficient. Paint care products are not suitable for plastic parts. CAUTION
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it. 
Windows Only use a plastic ice scraper for removing snow and ice from the windows and
mirrors. You should not move the ice scraper forward and backward but in one di-
rection on the window which you are cleaning in order to avoid any damage to the
surface of the glass.
You can best remove residues of rubber, oil, grease, wax or silicone by using a
special window cleaner or a special silicone remover.
You should also clean the windows regularly from the inside.
Do not use window leathers which you have used to polish the vehicle body to dry
off the windows. Residues of preservatives in the window leather can dirty the
window and reduce visibility.
Do not affix any stickers over the inside of the rear window to avoid damage to
the heating wires of the rear window heater . CAUTION
● Never remove snow or ice from the glass parts with warm or hot water - risk of
formation of cracks in the glass!
● When removing snow or ice from the windows and mirror lenses make sure
not to damage the paintwork of the vehicle.  143
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Protection of hollow spaces
All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protected for
life by a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not require to be inspected or re-treated. Please remove
any small amount of wax which flows out of the cavities at high temperatures
with a plastic scraper and clean the stains using petroleum cleaner. WARNING
Safety and environmental protection regulations should observed when using
petroleum cleaner to remove wax - a risk of fire! 
Care of the interior of vehicle Plastic parts, artificial leather and cloths You can clean plastic parts and artificial leather with a moist cloth. You should on-
ly treat such parts with special solvent-free plastic cleaning and care products it
does prove to be adequate.
Upholstery cloth and cloth trim on the doors, luggage compartment cover, head-
liner etc. are best treated with special cleaning products, using if necessary a dry
foam and a soft sponge or brush. CAUTION
Solvent-free cleaners attack the material and can damage it. 
Fabric covers of electrically heated seats Do not clean
the seat covers moist as this may result in damage to the seat heat-
ing system.
Clean such covers using special agents, for example dry foam. Natural leather Natural leather requires quite particular care and attention.
Leather should be treated from time to time according the following guidelines
depending on how much it is used.
Normal cleaning
– Clean soiled areas of the leather with slightly moistened cotton or woollen
cloth.
Severe soiling
– Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solution (2
spoonfuls of natural soap to 1 litre of water).
– Ensure that the leather is not soaked through at any point and that no water
gets into the stitching of the seams.
– Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
Removing stains
– Remove fresh stains which are water-based (e.g. coffee, tea, juices, blood etc.)
with an absorbent cloth or household paper or use the cleaner from the care
set for a stain which has already dried in.
– Remove fresh stains on a fat base (e.g. butter, mayonnaise, chocolate etc.)
with an absorbent cloth or household cleaning paper or with the cleaner from
the care set if the stain has not yet penetrated into the surface.
– Use a grease dissolver for grease stains which have dried in .
– Eliminate special stains (e.g. ball-point pens, felt pen, nail varnish, dispersion
paint, shoe cream etc.) with a special stain remover suitable for leather.
Leather care
– Treat the leather every six months with a special leather care product.
– Apply only a small amount of the care product.
– Dry the leather off with a soft cloth £ 145
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Fuel
Petrol
Unleaded petrol Your vehicle can only be operated with
unleaded petrol, which complies with the
standard EN 228 (In Germany: standard DIN 51626 - 1 or E10 for unleaded fuel with
octane rating 95 RON and 91 RON or DIN 51626 - 2 or E5 for unleaded fuel with
octane rating 95 RON and 98 RON). On the inside of the fuel filler flap, you will
find the information regarding the RON required by your engine ⇒
 fig. 120 - right.
Prescribed fuel - unleaded petrol 95/91 RON
Use unleaded fuel with the octane rating 95 RON. You can also use unleaded pet-
rol 91 RON, but this leads to a slight loss in performance.
If, in case of necessity, the vehicle must be refuelled with petrol of a lower octane
number than the one prescribed, you must continue driving at medium engine
speeds and low engine load. Driving at high engine revs or a high engine load can
severely damage the engine! Refuel as soon as possible with petrol of the prescri-
bed octane number.
Prescribed fuel - unleaded petrol min. 95 RON
Use unleaded fuel with the octane rating 95 RON.
In case of necessity, you can refuel with petrol with the octane rating 91 RON if
petrol with the octane rating 95 RON is not available. You must continue driving at
medium engine speeds and minimum engine load. Driving at high engine revs or a
high engine load can severely damage the engine! Refuel as soon as possible with
petrol of the prescribed octane number.
Even in case of necessity, you must not use petrol of a lower octane number than
91 RON, otherwise the engine can be severely damaged!
You can find further information on refuelling ⇒ page 148.
Unleaded petrol with higher octane number
You can make unlimited use of unleaded petrol which has a higher octane number
than the one prescribed.
On vehicles with prescribed unleaded petrol 95/91 RON, the use of petrol with a
higher octane number than 95 RON does not result in a noticeable power increase
or a lower fuel consumption. On vehicles with prescribed unleaded petrol
min. 95 RON, the use of petrol with a
higher octane number than 95 RON does not result in a power increase or a lower
fuel consumption.
Prescribed fuel - unleaded petrol 98/95 RON
Use unleaded fuel with the octane rating 98 RON. You can also use unleaded pet-
rol 95 RON, but this leads to a slight loss in performance.
In case of necessity, you can refuel with petrol with the octane rating 91 RON of
unleaded fuel with octane rating 98

RON or 95 RON is not available. You must
continue driving at medium engine speeds and minimum engine load. Driving at
high engine revs or a high engine load can severely damage the engine! Refuel as
soon as possible with petrol of the prescribed octane number.
Even in case of necessity, you must not use petrol of a lower octane number than
91 RON, otherwise the engine can be severely damaged!
Fuel additives
Your vehicle can only be operated with unleaded petrol, which complies with the
standard EN 228 (in Germany: standard DIN 51626 - 1 or E10 for unleaded fuel with
octane rating 95 RON and 91 RON or DIN 51626 - 2 or E5 for unleaded fuel with
octane rating 95 RON and 98 RON). These meet all requirements for troublefree
engine operation. Therefore, we do not recommend the use of fuel additives. CAUTION
● All
ŠKODA vehicles with petrol engines are equipped with a catalytic converter
and must be driven only with unleaded petrol. Filling the tank even only once with
leaded petrol will result in the catalytic converter being destroyed!
● If you use petrol with a lower octane number than the one prescribed, the en-
gine can be severely damaged!
● The use of improper fuel additives can cause serious damage to the engine or
the catalytic converter. In no case may fuel additives with metal components be
used, especially not with manganese and iron content.
● Fuels with metallic content may not be used. Risk of engine or catalytic con-
verter damage!
● LRP (lead replacement petrol) fuels with metallic components may not be
used. Risk of engine or catalytic converter damage!  147
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–
Press the fuel tank flap closed.
The correct grade of fuel for your vehicle as well as the tyre size and inflation
pressures are stated on a sticker affixed to the inside of the fuel filler flap. Further
information on fuel ⇒
 page 147.WARNING
Pay attention to any legal requirements if you do carry a spare canister in the
vehicle. We do not recommend carrying any fuel canisters in your vehicle for
safety reasons. The canister can be damaged in the event of an accident and
fuel may leak out. CAUTION
● Remove any fuel which has spilled onto the paintwork of your vehicle immedi-
ately - risk of paint damage!
● On vehicles fitted with a catalytic converter, never let the fuel tank run com-
pletely empty. An irregular supply of fuel to the engine can result in misfiring and
unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system, which may result in overheating
and damage to the catalytic converter.
● Make sure that the valve is not pressed into the filler tube when inserting the
pump nozzle into the filler tube. Otherwise you are unintentionally filling up the
volume, which in case of heat can cause an expansion of the fuel. This can lead to
an overflow of fuel or damage to parts of the fuel reservoir.
● The fuel tank is full just as soon as the pump nozzle switches off for the first
time, provided the nozzle has been operated properly. Do not continue refuelling -
otherwise the expansion volume is filled up. Note
The fuel tank has a capacity of about 55 litres, containing a reserve of 7 litres. 149
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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.
● 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! WARNING (Continued)
● 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! 
Overview of the engine compartment The main inspection points.
Fig. 123 Diesel engine 1.6 ltr./77 kW
£ 151
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–
Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening.
– Pour in a suitable grade of oil in portions of 0.5 litres ⇒ page 194 .
– Inspect the oil level ⇒ page 152.
– Carefully screw on the cap of the filler opening and push the dipstick in fully. WARNING
● Avoid dripping oil onto hot parts of the engine when topping up will oil - a
risk of fire!
● Read and observe the warning notes ⇒
 page 150, Working in the engine
compartment before working in the engine compartment. For the sake of the environment
The oil level must on no account be above the range a ⇒ page 152. Oil will other-
wise be drawn in through the crankcase ventilation and may pass through the ex-
haust system to atmosphere. The oil may combust in the catalytic converter and
damage it. 
Changing engine oil The engine oil must be changed at the intervals stated in the Service schedule or
according to the service interval indicator
⇒ page 12. WARNING
● Only carry out the engine oil change, if you have the required professional
knowledge!
● Read and observe the warning notes ⇒
 page 150, Working in the engine
compartment before working in the engine compartment.
● First of all, let the engine cool down, wear an eye protection and gloves -
risk of caustic burns due to hot oil. CAUTION
You must not pour any additives into the engine oil - risk of engine damage! Dam-
age, which results from such product, are excluded from the warranty. For the sake of the environment
● You must on no account pour oil into the ground or into the sewage system.
● In view of the problems involved in properly disposing of old oil, the necessary
special tools and the knowledge required for such work, we recommend that you
have the oil and oil filter change carried out by an authorised

ŠKODA Service Part-
ner. Note
After your skin has come in contact with the oil, you must thoroughly wash your
skin. 
Cooling system
Coolant The job of the coolant is to cool the engine.
The cooling system does not require any maintenance under normal operating
conditions. The coolant consists of water with a concentration of coolant additive
of 40 %. This mixture not only provides antifreeze protection down to -25 °C but
also protects the cooling and heating system from corrosion. It also prevents the
formation of scale and significantly increases the boiling point of the coolant.
You must therefore not reduce the concentration of antifreeze agent in the cool-
ant by adding water, also not during the summer months or in countries with a
warm climate. The concentration of coolant additive in the coolant must be at
least 40 %.
You can increase the amount of antifreeze in the coolant if a higher concentration
of antifreeze is necessary for climatic reasons but only up to 60 % (antifreeze pro-
tection down to approx. -40 °C). The antifreeze protection tails off above that con-
centration.
Vehicles exported to countries with a cold climate (e.g. Sweden, Norway, Finland)
are already factory-filled with a coolant which offers antifreeze protection down
to about -35 °C. In these countries the concentration of coolant additive should be
at least 50 %.
Coolant
The cooling system is factory-filled with coolant (purple in colour), which complies
with the specification TL-VW

774 G. £ 153
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CAUTION
One should contact a specialist garage as soon as possible if the source of over-
heating itself cannot be determined and removed, since there may be grave dam-
age to the engine. 
Replenishing the coolant –
Switch the engine off.
– Allow the engine to cool down.
– Place a cloth over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir ⇒  fig. 125 and un-
screw the cap carefully by turning it to the left ⇒  .
– Top up the coolant.
– Screw the cap tight until it is heard to lock.
The coolant which you use for replenishing the system, must comply with one
specific specification ⇒ page 153, Coolant. Do not use an alternative additive if the
specified coolant additive is not available in exceptional cases. Just top up the sys-
tem with water and as soon as possible arrange adjustment to correct the mixing
ratio of water and coolant additive again by a specialist garage.
Only use fresh coolant for topping up the system.
Do not fill up over the

“MAX” marking! Excess coolant which is heated up is forced
out of the cooling system through the pressure relief valve in the cap of the cool-
ant compensation bottle.
Wait until the engine has cooled down for a system which has suffered a major
loss of coolant before pouring in coolant. This is necessary to avoid engine dam-
age. WARNING
● The cooling system is pressurized! Do not open the cap of the coolant ex-
pansion bottle if the engine is still hot - risk of scalding!
● The coolant additive and thus all of the coolant is harmful to your health.
Avoid contact with the coolant. Coolant vapours are also harmful to the
health. It is important, therefore, to always safely store any coolant additive in
its original container out of the reach of children - risk of poisoning! 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! 155
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There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and burns when carrying out any
work on the battery and on the electrical system. For this reason, it is essential to
comply with the warning instructions ⇒  stated below and with the general ap-
plicable rules of safety. WARNING
● The battery acid is strongly corrosive and must, therefore, be handled with
the greatest of care. Always wear protective gloves, eye and skin protection
when handling batteries. Corrosive fumes in the air irritate the air passages
and lead to conjunctivitis and inflammation of the air passages in the lungs.
Battery acid corrodes dental enamel and creates deep wounds after contact
with the skin which take a long time to heal. Repeated contact with diluted
acids causes skin diseases (inflammations, ulcers, slin cracks). Acids coming in-
to contact with water are diluted accompanied by significant development of
heat.
● Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery vent openings. Protect the eyes with safety glasses or a shield! There
is the danger of suffering blindness! If any battery electrolyte gets into your
eye, rinse out your eye immediately with clear water for several minutes. Con-
tact a doctor without delay.
● Splashes of acid on your skin or clothes should be neutralised as soon as
possible using soap suds and then rinsed with plenty of water. If acid was
swallowed, seek immediate medical attention.
● Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
● Hydrogen is released when you charge a battery and a highly explosive gas
mixture is produced. An explosion can be caused through sparkling over dur-
ing unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is on.
● Bridging of the poles will create a short circuit (e.g. through metal objects,
cables). Possible consequences of a short circuit: Melting of lead struts, explo-
sion and burning of the battery, jets of acid spurting out.
● It is prohibited to work with a naked flame and light, to smoke or to carry
out any activities which produce sparks. Avoid creating sparks when working
with cables and electrical devices. Strong sparking represents a risk of injury.
● Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch off the en-
gine, the ignition as well as all electrical components and disconnect the neg-
ative cable (-) on the battery. If you wish to replace a bulb it is sufficient to
switch off the appropriate light. WARNING (Continued)
● Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic
burns! Replace a frozen battery.
● Never jump-start the batteries which have a too low electrolyte level - risk
of explosion and caustic burns!
● Never use a battery which is damaged - risk of explosion! Immediately re-
place a damaged battery. CAUTION
● You must only disconnect the battery if the ignition is switched off, otherwise
the electrical system (electronic components) of the vehicle may be damaged.
When disconnecting the battery from the electrical system of the vehicle, first dis-
connect the negative terminal (-) of the battery. Then disconnect the positive ter-
minal (+).
● When reconnecting the battery, first connect the positive terminal (+) and only
then the negative terminal (-) of the battery. You must on no account connect the
cables wrongly - risk of a cable fire.
● Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the vehicle body oth-
erwise damage could occur to the paintwork.
● Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the battery hous-
ing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
● If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will
discharge This is because certain electrical components consume electricity (e. g.
control units) also in idle state. You can prevent the discharging of the battery by
disconnecting the negative terminal or charging the battery constantly with a very
low charging current. For the sake of the environment
A removed battery is a special type of waste which is harmful to the environment
- contact your specialist garage regarding disposing of the battery. Note
● Please also refer to the guidelines ⇒ page 159
, also after connecting the bat-
tery.
● You should replace batteries older than 5 years.  157
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