Page 177 of 252

The ŠKODA Service Partners are up-to-date on the legally required tests and
will prepare the vehicle for the tests as part of a service operation if required,
or will be responsible for carrying out these tests. The specialist garages can
carry out the specified tests directly, if required by the customer, if they are
authorised to do so. This saves you time and money.
Even if you want to take your vehicle to an officially approved test centre for
prior checking in preparation of a legally required test, we recommend that you
consult the service consultant of your ŠKODA Service Partner beforehand.
Based on their appraisal, the service consultant will tell you which areas you
should focus on in order to ensure that your vehicle will pass the technical test
without any problems. This allows you to avoid additional expenses resulting
from a possible subsequent test.
ŠKODA Service Partners
Read and observe
on page 173 first.
ŠKODA Service Partners are equipped with modern, specially developed tools
and equipment. Here, trained specialists have access to a comprehensive
range of ŠKODA Original Parts and ŠKODA Original Accessories for carrying out
modifications, repairs and technical alterations.
All ŠKODA service partners operate according to the latest guidelines and in-
structions from ŠKODA AUTO a.s. All service and repair work is therefore car-
ried out on time and to the appropriate quality. Adhering to these instructions
and guidelines helps ensure road safety and helps keep your vehicle in a good
technical condition.
ŠKODA Service Partners are therefore properly prepared to service your vehicle
and to provide quality work. We therefore advise you to have all modifications,
repairs and technical alterations to your vehicle carried out by a ŠKODA Service
Partner.
ŠKODA Original parts
Read and observe
on page 173 first.
We recommend the use of ŠKODA Genuine Parts for your vehicle, since these
parts are approved by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. They correspond exactly to ŠKODA
AUTO a.s. specifications in respect of design, dimensional accuracy and materi-
al and are identical to the components used in the batch production.
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. can guarantee the safety, suitability, and long life of these
products. We therefore recommend that you only use ŠKODA Genuine Parts.
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. supplies the market with a complete range of ŠKODA Genu-
ine Parts not only while the model is still in production but with wear-and-tear parts for at least 15 years after the end of series production and with all other
vehicle parts for at least 10 years.
ŠKODA service partners are liable for any defects in ŠKODA original parts for a
period of 2 years after sale in accordance with materials defect liability under
the law unless otherwise agreed in the purchase agreement. You should keep
the confirmed warranty certificate and the receipt for these components for
this period, so that the commencement of the warranty term may be verified.
Body repairs
ŠKODA vehicles are designed so that if the body suffers damage, it is only nec-
essary to replace those parts which are in fact damaged.
Before you decide to have damaged body parts replaced, however, you should first contact your specialist garage to determine whether or not such parts can
also be repaired. Repairs to body parts are usually cheaper.
ŠKODA Original accessories
Read and observe
on page 173 first.
If you wish to fit accessories to your vehicle, you should remember the follow-ing:
We recommend that you use ŠKODA Genuine Accessories in your vehicle.
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. offers a warranty on the reliability, safety and suitability for
your particular vehicle of these accessories. Although we constantly monitor
the market, we are not able to assess or offer a warranty on other products
even though in some instances such products may have a type approval or
may have been approved by a nationally recognised approval authority.
All accessory products go through a fastidious process of technical develop-
ment (technical tests) and quality inspection (customer tests), and only if all
tests are positive does the product become a ŠKODA Genuine Accessory.
Our ŠKODA Genuine Accessories service also provides expert advice and pro-
fessional fitting if requested by the customer.
ŠKODA Service Partners are liable for any defects in ŠKODA Genuine Parts for a
period of 2 years after installation or delivery in accordance with materials de-
fect liability legislation, unless otherwise agreed in the purchase contract or in
174General Maintenance
Page 178 of 252

any other agreements. You should keep the confirmed warranty certificate and
the receipt for these accessories for this period, so that the commencement of
the warranty term may be verified.
In addition, ŠKODA Service Partners also stock a range of suitable car care
products as well as those parts which are subject to natural wear and tear,
such as tyres, batteries, bulbs and wiper blades.
Note
The accessories authorized by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. will be offered by the ŠKODA
Partners in all countries where ŠKODA AUTO a.s. has a sales and service net- work. This will usually be in the form of a printed catalogue of Original ŠKODA
Accessories, in the form of separate printed brochures or in the form of offers
for ŠKODA Genuine Accessories on the ŠKODA Partner's website.
Spoiler
Read and observe
on page 173 first.
If your new vehicle is fitted with a spoiler on the front bumper in combination
with the spoiler on the luggage compartment lid, then the following instruc-
tions must be adhered to.
› For safety reasons, the vehicle must only be fitted with a spoiler on the front
bumper in combination with the associated spoiler on the luggage compart-
ment lid.
› This kind of spoiler cannot be left on the front bumper either on its own, in
combination with another spoiler not on the luggage compartment lid or in
combination with an unsuitable spoiler on the luggage compartment lid.
› We recommend that you consult the ŠKODA service partner for any repairs to
or replacement, addition or removal of spoilers.
WARNING■ If work on your vehicle's spoilers is not carried out properly, this can lead
to operational faults - risk of accident and serious injuries.■
If a front spoiler, full wheel trim, etc. is mounted retrospectively, it must
be ensured that the air supply to the front wheel brakes is not reduced.
The front brakes may overheat, which can have a negative impact on the
functioning of the braking system – there is a risk of an accident!
Airbags
Read and observe
on page 173 first.
The system components of the airbag system can be situated in the front
bumper, doors, front seats, roof lining or body.
WARNINGAny work on the airbag system including the installation and removal of
system components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering
wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.■
Modifications, repairs and technical alterations that have been carried out
unprofessionally can cause damage and operational faults, and can also se-
riously impair the effectiveness of the airbag system – risk of accident and
fatal injury!
■
The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been deployed.
Airbag modules cannot be repaired.
WARNINGInformation on the use of the airbag system■It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system, as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.■
Never install any airbag parts into the vehicle that have been removed
from old cars or have been recycled.
■
Never install damaged airbag parts in the vehicle. The airbags may then
not be deployed properly or even at all in the event of an accident.
■
No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
WARNING■ A change to the vehicle's wheel suspension, including the use of non-ap-
proved wheels and tyre combinations, can alter the functioning of the air-
bag system - risk of accident and fatal injury!■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or the bodywork.
175Car care
Page 179 of 252

WARNINGThe airbag control unit operates using pressure sensors located in the front
doors. For this reason, no adjustments may be carried out to the doors or
door panels (e.g. installation of additional loudspeakers). Resulting damage
can have a negative impact on the function of the airbag system. Any work
on the front doors and door panels must be carried out by a specialist ga-
rage. The following guidelines must be observed.■
Never drive with inner door panels removed.
■
Never drive if parts of the inner door panel have been removed and the
resulting openings have not been properly sealed.
■
Never drive if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, unless
the loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed.
■
Always make sure that the openings are covered or filled if additional
loudspeakers or other equipment parts have been installed in the inner
door panels.
Washing vehicle
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Washing by hand
176
Automatic car wash systems
177
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
177
The best way to protect your vehicle against harmful environmental influences
is frequent washing.
How often the vehicle should be washed depends on factors such as:
› Frequency of use.
› Parking situation (garage, under trees etc.).
› Season.
› Weather conditions.
› Environmental influences.
The longer insect residues, bird droppings, tree sap, road and industrial dust,
tar, soot particles, road salt and other aggressive deposits remain adhering to
the paintwork of your vehicle, the more detrimental their destructive effect
can be. High temperatures, such as those caused by intensive sun's rays, ac-
centuate this caustic effect.
It is essential to also thoroughly clean the underside of the vehicle at the end
of the winter.WARNING■ When washing your vehicle in the winter: Water and ice in the braking
system can affect the braking efficiency – risk of accident!■
Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is switched off – risk of accident!
CAUTION
Do not wash your vehicle in bright sunlight – risk of paint damage.
For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle at washing bays intended for this purpose.
Washing by hand
Read and observe
and on page 176 first.
Soak the dirt with plenty of water and rinse as well as possible.
Clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, a washing glove or a washing brush .
Work from the top to the bottom - starting with the roof.
Only use a car shampoo for stubborn dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.
Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for such
areas.
Give the vehicle a good rinse after washing it and dry it off using a chamois
leather.
CAUTION
■ When washing the car by hand, protect your hands and arms from sharp-
edged metal parts (e.g. when cleaning the underfloor, the inside of the wheel
housings or the wheel trims, etc.) - There is a risk of cuts!■
Only apply slight pressure when cleaning the vehicle's paintwork.
176General Maintenance
Page 180 of 252

Automatic car wash systemsRead and observe
and on page 176 first.
The usual precautionary measures must be taken before washing the vehicle
in an automatic car wash system (e.g. closing the windows and the sliding/tilt-
ing roof etc.).
If your vehicle is fitted with any particular attached parts, such as a spoiler,
roof rack system, two-way radio aerial etc., it is best to consult the operator of
the car wash system beforehand.
After an automatic wash with wax treatment, the lips of the wipers should be
cleaned with cleaning agents specially designed for the purpose, and then de-
greased.
WARNINGFold in the exterior mirrors to prevent damage before washing the vehicle
in an automatic car wash system. Never manually fold in electric exterior
mirrors - always use the electric controls.
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
Read and observe
and on page 176 first.
When washing the vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, the instructions for
use of the equipment must be observed. This applies in particular to the pres-
sure used and to the spraying distance .
Maintain a sufficiently large distance to the parking aid sensors and soft mate-
rials such as rubber hoses or insulation material.
WARNINGNever use circular spray nozzles or dirt cutters!
CAUTION
■ If washing the vehicle in the winter using a hose or high-pressure cleaner,
ensure that the jet of water is not aimed directly at the locking cylinders or the
door/panel joints – risk of freezing!■
To avoid damaging the parking aid sensors while cleaning with high-pressure
cleaners or steam jets, the sensors must only be directly sprayed for short pe-
riods while a minimum distance of 10 cm must be observed.
■ The temperature of the water used for cleaning must not exceed 60 °C – risk
of damaging the vehicle.■
See also Washing cars with decorative films using a high-pressure clean-
er » page 179 .
Taking care of your vehicle exterior
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Taking care of your vehicle's paintwork
178
Plastic parts
178
Rubber seals
178
Chrome parts
178
Decorative films
179
Windows and exterior mirrors
179
Headlight lenses
179
Door lock cylinders
179
Cavity protection
180
Jack
180
Wheels
180
Towing device and mounting recess
180
Underbody protection
180
We recommend using vehicle care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
These are available from ŠKODA Partners. The usage instructions on the pack-
age must be observed.
WARNING■ Vehicle care products may be harmful to your health if not used according
to the instructions.■
Always keep the vehicle care products safe from people who are not com-
pletely independent, e.g. children - there is a danger of poisoning!
■
Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when clean-
ing the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel trims –
risk of cuts!
177Car care
Page 181 of 252

CAUTION■Do not use any insect sponges, rough kitchen sponges or similar cleaning
products – risk of damaging the paintwork surface.■
Cleaner that contain solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
For the sake of the environment
Used cans of vehicle care product represent hazardous waste that is harmful
to the environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national
legislation.
Note
Because of the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any poten-
tial problems with the cleaning and care of your vehicle exterior, we recom-
mend that cleaning and care of your vehicle be carried out by a ŠKODA Service
Partner.
Taking care of your vehicle's paintwork
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
Minor paint damage such as scratches, scuffs or stone chips should be treatedimmediately if possible, using touch-up pens or sprays.
Preserving the vehicle paintwork
A thorough wax treatment provides the vehicle's paintwork with highly effec-
tive protection against harmful environmental influences.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-quality hard wax polish at the latest, when no more drops form on the clean paintwork.
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.
Polishing
Polishing is necessary if the vehicle's paintwork has become unattractive and
if it is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax preservatives.
If the polish does not contain any preserving elements, the paint must be trea- ted with a preservative afterwards.
CAUTION■ Never apply wax to the windows.■Mat painted or plastic parts must not be treated with polishing products or
hard waxes.■
Do not polish the paintwork in a dusty environment - risk of paint scratches.
■
Do not apply any paint care products to door seals or window guides.
■
If possible, do not apply any paint care products to parts of the bodywork
that come into contact with door seals or window guides.
Plastic parts
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
Clean plastic parts with a damp cloth.
If this method does not completely clean the plastic parts, use cleaning prod-
ucts specially designed for this purpose.
CAUTION
Do not use paint care products on plastic parts.
Rubber seals
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
All door seals and window guides are factory-treated with a colourless mattvarnish layer to prevent the freezing of painted body parts and to protect
against driving noise.
Do not treat the door seals and window guides with any products.
CAUTION
Applying additional treatments to the seals can corrode the protective coating,
and driving noise may occur.
Chrome parts
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
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.
178General Maintenance
Page 182 of 252

CAUTIONDo not polish the chrome parts in a dusty environment - risk of surface
scratches.
Decorative films
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
Wash the films with a mild soap solution and clean, warm water. Never use
harsh cleaning products or chemical solvents, as this could damage the films.
The following instructions must be followed when washing the vehicle with a
high-pressure cleaner:
› The minimum distance between the nozzle and the vehicle body should be
50 cm.
› Keep jet perpendicular to the film surface.
› The maximum water temperature is 50 °C.
› The maximum water pressure is 80 bar.
CAUTION
In the winter months, do not use an ice scraper to remove ice and snow from
the areas with films. Do not use any other objects to remove frozen layers of
snow or ice – risk of film damage.
Windows and exterior mirrors
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
Use a plastic ice scraper for removing snow and ice from the windows and mir-
rors.
Regularly clean windows from the inside with clean water.
Dry the glass surfaces with a clean chamois leather or a cloth intended for this
purpose.
When drying the windows after washing the vehicle, do not use window leath-
ers that have been used to polish the bodywork. Residues of preservatives in
the window leather can make the window dirty and reduce visibility.
CAUTION■ The ice scraper should not be moved forward and backward but in one direc-
tion to avoid any damage to the surface of the glass.■
Snow or ice that is contaminated with coarse dirt such as fine gravel, sand or
salt must not be removed from the windows and mirrors – there is a risk of
damage to the surface of the windows and mirrors.
■
Do not remove snow or ice from glass parts using warm or hot water – risk of
cracks forming in the glass.
■
When removing snow or ice from windows and mirror lenses ensure that the
paintwork of the vehicle is not to damage.
■
Do not clean the inside of the windows with sharp-edged objects or corro-
sive and acidic cleaning agents – there is a risk of damaging the heating ele-
ments or window aerial.
Headlight lenses
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
Clean plastic front headlight lenses using clean, warm water and soap.
CAUTION
■Never wipe headlights to dry.■Do not use any sharp objects to clean the plastic lenses, as this may damage
the protective paintwork and consequently cause cracks to form on the head-
light lenses.■
Do not use any harsh cleaning products or chemical solvents to clean the
headlights, as this could damage the headlight lenses.
Door lock cylinders
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
Specific products must be used for de-icing door lock cylinders.
CAUTION
When washing your vehicle, ensure as little water as possible gets into the
locking cylinders.179Car care
Page 183 of 252

Cavity protectionRead and observe
and on page 177 first.
All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protectedfor life by a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not need to be inspected or re-applied.
If any small amount of wax flow out of the cavities at high temperatures, these
must be removed with a plastic scraper and the stains cleaned using a petrole-
um cleaner.
WARNINGSafety regulations should be observed when using petroleum cleaner to re-
move wax – risk of fire!
Jack
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
The jack is maintenance-free.
If necessary, the moving parts of the jack should be lubricated with a suitable lubricant.
Wheels
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
Wheel rims
Also thoroughly wash the wheel rims when washing the vehicle on a regular basis.
Regularly remove salt and brake abrasion, otherwise the rim material will be
corroded.
Damage to the paint layer on the wheel rims must be touched up immediately.
Light alloy wheels
After washing thoroughly and treat the wheel rims with a protective product
for light alloy wheels. Products which cause abrasion must not be used to
treat the wheel rims.
CAUTIONSevere layers of dirt on the wheels can also result in wheel imbalance. This
may show itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the
steering wheel which, in certain circumstances, can cause premature wear of
the steering. This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
Towing device and mounting recess
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
Close the mounting recess with the cap to prevent any ingress of dirt.
If dirt is present, clean the inner surfaces of the mounting recess and treat
with a suitable preservative.
Always check the ball head before hitching a trailer. Apply a suitable grease, if
necessary.
Fit the protective cap when stowing away the ball head to protect the luggage
compartment against dirt.
CAUTION
Apply grease to the inner part of the mounting recess. Make sure you do not
remove any grease.
Underbody protection
Read and observe
and on page 177 first.
The underside of your vehicle is protected for life against chemical and me-
chanical influences.
When driving, it cannot be guaranteed that no damage to the protective layer
will occur.
We recommend having the protective layer underneath the vehicle and the
chassis checked — preferably before the beginning of winter and at the end of
winter.
WARNINGNever use additional underbody protection or anti-corrosion agents for ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converters, diesel particle filters or heat shields.
When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances may ignite - risk of fire!180General Maintenance
Page 184 of 252

Taking care of the interior
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Natural leather
181
Synthetic leather, fabrics and Alcantara ®
182
Seat covers
182
Seat belts
183
Regular and proper care helps to ensure efficiency and maintain the
value of
your vehicle.
We recommend using vehicle care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
These are available from ŠKODA Partners. The usage instructions on the pack-
age must be observed.
WARNING■ Vehicle care products may be harmful to your health if not used according
to the instructions.■
Always keep the vehicle care products safe from people who are not com-
pletely independent, e.g. children - there is a danger of poisoning!
CAUTION
■ Be sure to check clothing for colourfastness to avoid any damage or visible
stains on the material (leather), panels and textiles.■
Remove fresh stains such as those from ball-point pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc., from the material (leather), panels and textiles as quickly as possi-
ble.
■
Air fresheners and scents can be hazardous to heath when the temperature
inside the vehicle is high.
■
Do not attach scent dispensers or air fresheners to the dash panel – risk of
damage to the dash panel.
■
Do not stick any stickers on the inside of the rear windows, the rear side win-
dows and in the vicinity of the heating elements on the windscreen or near the
window aerial. These may get damaged.
■
Do not clean the roof panelling with a brush – risk of damage to the surface
of the panelling.
■
Cleaner that contain solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
■
Apply only a small amount of the cleaning and care product.
For the sake of the environmentUsed cans of vehicle care product represent hazardous waste that is harmful
to the environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national
legislation.
Note
Because of the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any poten-
tial problems with the cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle, we rec-
ommend that cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle be carried out by
a ŠKODA Service Partner.
Natural leather
Read and observe
and on page 181 first.
Leather is a natural material with specific properties, and requires regular
cleaning and maintenance.
The leather should be cleaned on a regular basis depending on the amount of
wear-and-tear.
Dust and dirt in the pores and folds act as abrasive materials. This leads to se-
vere corrosion and the premature brittleness of the leather surface.
We recommend that you remove dust regularly and at short intervals using a
cloth or vacuum cleaner.
Clean soiled leather surfaces with a water-dampened cotton or woollen cloth
and then dry with a clean, dry cloth »
.
Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth soaked in a mild soap solution (2 ta-
blespoons of neutral soap to 1 litre of water).
To remove stains, use a cleaning agent specially designed for this purpose.
Treat the leather regularly and at suitable intervals using a suitable leather
care product.
CAUTION
■ Ensure that no part of the leather is soaked through during cleaning and that
no water gets into the seams. Otherwise, the leather could become brittle or
cracked.■
Avoid leaving the vehicle for lengthy periods in bright sunlight to avoid the
leather from bleaching. If the vehicle is parked in the open for lengthy periods,
protect the leather from direct sunlight by covering it.
181Car care