2011 SKODA SUPERB ESP

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

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

CAUTION■Even one filling of the tank with petrol that does not meet the standards can
lead to serious damage to parts of the exhaust system!■
If a fuel other than unleaded fuel which complies to the above mentioned
standards (e.g. leaded petrol) is used by mistake, do not start the engine or
switch on the ignition! Engine parts could be significantly damaged!
CAUTION
■ If, in an emergency, the vehicle has to be refuelled with petrol of a lower oc-
tane number than the one prescribed, the journey must only be continued at
medium engine speeds and a low engine load. Driving at high engine revs or a
high engine load can severely damage the engine! Refuel using petrol of the
prescribed octane number as soon as possible.■
Engine parts can be damaged if petrol with a lower octane number than the
one prescribed is used.
■
Even in the event of an emergency, petrol of a lower octane number than 91
RON must not be used, otherwise the engine can be severely damaged!
CAUTION
In no case may fuel additives with metal components be used, especially not
with manganese and iron content. There is a risk of causing considerable
damage to parts of the engine or exhaust system!
CAUTION
Fuels with metal components, such as LRP (lead replacement petrol) must
not be used. There is a risk of causing considerable damage to parts of the
engine or exhaust system!
Note
■ Unleaded petrol that has a higher octane number than that required by the
engine can be used without limitations.■
The use of petrol with an octane rating higher than 95 RON in does not re-
sult in either a noticeable increase in power nor lower fuel consumption in ve-
hicles for which unleaded petrol 95/91, 92 or 93 RON is specified.
■
On vehicles using prescribed unleaded petrol of min. 95 RON, the use of pet-
rol with a higher octane number than 95 RON can increase the power and re-
duce fuel consumption.
Diesel fuel
Read and observe
and on page 183 first.
The vehicle can only be operated with diesel fuel that meets the EN 5901)
standard.
All diesel engines can be operated using diesel fuel with a maximum of 7% bi-
odiesel (B7)2)
.
On the Indian market, your vehicle will only be able to run on diesel fuel com-
pliant with standard IS 1460/Bharat IV. If diesel fuel which complies with this
standard is not available, you can refuel with diesel fuel according to standard
IS 1460/Bharat III in case of emergency.
Operation in winter - Winter-grade diesel fuel
In the cold season, only use “winter-grade diesel fuel” which will still operate
properly even at a temperature of -20 °C.
It is often the case in countries with different climatic conditions that diesel
fuels available have a different temperature characteristic. ŠKODA Partners
and filling stations in the relevant country will be able to provide you with in-
formation regarding the diesel fuels available.
Preheating fuel
The vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter preheating system. This secures opera-
tion of a vehicle using diesel fuel down to an environmental temperature of
-25 °C.
Diesel fuel additives
The diesel fuel in accordance with the prescribed standards meets all the con-
ditions for a smooth running engine. We therefore recommend that no diesel
fuel additives are used. This can result in considerable damage to parts of the
engine or the exhaust system. 
1)
In Germany also DIN 51628, in Austria ÖNORM C 1590, in Russia GOST R 52368-2005 / EN 590:2004.
2)
In Germany complying with standard DIN 52638, in Austria ÖNORM C 1590, in France EN 590.
185Inspecting and replenishing

CAUTION■Just filling the tank once with diesel fuel that does not comply with the
standard, can cause severe damage to parts of the engine, the fuel and ex-
haust system!■
If a different fuel other than diesel fuel, which complies to the above men-
tioned standards (e.g. petrol) is used, do not start the engine or switch on the
ignition! Engine parts could be significantly damaged!
■
Water which has collected in the fuel filter can cause engine faults.
CAUTION
■ The vehicle cannot be operated with biofuel RME, therefore this fuel must
not be filled in the tank and used for driving the vehicle. The use of biofuel
RME can cause considerable damage to parts of the engine or fuel system.■
Do not mix any fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar
agents), into the diesel. This can result in considerable damage to parts of the
engine or the exhaust system!
Engine compartment
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Opening and closing the bonnet
187
Engine compartment overview
188
Radiator fan
188
Windscreen washer system
188WARNINGInjuries or scolding or risks of accident or fire may occur when working in
the engine compartment. For this reason, it is essential to comply with the
warning instructions outlined below and with the general applicable safety
rules. The engine compartment of your car is a hazardous area!WARNINGInstructions before beginning work in the engine compartment■Turn off the engine and withdraw the ignition key.■
Firmly apply the handbrake.
WARNING (Continued)■ If the vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever in-
to Neutral, or if the vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox, move the
selector lever into position P.■
Allow the engine to cool.
■
Never open the bonnet if you can see steam or coolant escaping from the
engine compartment – risk of scalding! Wait until no more steam or coolant
is escaping.
WARNINGInformation for working in the engine compartment■Keep all people, especially children, away from the engine compartment.■
Never touch the radiator fan while the engine is still warm. The fan might
suddenly start running!
■
Do not touch any hot engine parts – risk of burns!
■
The coolant is harmful to health.
■
Avoid contact with the coolant.
■
Coolant vapours are harmful to health.
■
Never open the end cover of the coolant expansion reservoir while the
engine is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
■
When opening the end cover of the coolant expansion reservoir, cover it
with a cloth to protect your face, hands and arms from hot steam or hot
coolant.
■
If any coolant splashes into your eyes, immediately rinse out your eyes
with clear water and contact a doctor as soon as possible.
■
Always keep the coolant in the original container, safe from people who
are not completely independent, especially children - there is a danger of
poisoning!
■
Consult a doctor immediately if coolant is swallowed.
■
Never spill fluids on the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the antifreeze con-
tained in the coolant) may ignite!
WARNINGInformation for working in the engine compartment with the engine run-
ning■
Pay particular attention to rotating engine parts (e.g. V-ribbed belt, gen-
erator, radiator fan) and the high voltage ignition system – risk to life!
■
Never touch the electric wiring on the ignition system. 
186General Maintenance

SymbolMeaningKeep fire, sparks, open flames and lit cigarettes well clear of the
vehicle battery.When charging the vehicle battery, a highly explosive gas mixture
is produced.Keep children away from the vehicle battery.WARNINGThere is risk of injuries, poisoning, chemical burns, explosions or fire when
working on the battery and on the electrical system. It is essential to com-
ply with the generally applicable rules of safety as well as the warning in-
structions outlined below.■
Keep the vehicle battery away from people who are not completely inde-
pendent, especially children.
■
Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery vent openings. Protect your eyes by wearing safety goggles or a
face shield – risk of blindness!
■
Always wear protective gloves, eye and skin protection when handling
the vehicle battery.
■
The battery acid is strongly corrosive and must, therefore, be handled
with the greatest of care.
■
Corrosive fumes in the air irritate the air passages and lead to conjunctivi-
tis and inflammation of the air passages in the lungs.
■
Battery acid corrodes dental enamel and, if it comes into contact with the
skin, causes deep wounds that take a long time to heal. Repeated contact
with diluted acids causes skin diseases (inflammations, ulcers, skin cracks).
■
If any battery acid comes into contact with your eyes, rinse the affected
eye immediately with clean water for several minutes and consult a doctor
immediately!
■
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 you swal-
low battery acid, consult a doctor immediately!
WARNING■ It is prohibited to work with naked flames or lights.■It is prohibited to smoke or carry out any activities that produce sparks.■
Never use a damaged vehicle battery – risk of explosion!
WARNING (Continued)■Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – risk of explosion and
chemical burns!■
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with insufficient acid levels – risk of
explosion and chemical burns.
WARNING■ When you charge a battery, hydrogen is released, and a highly explosive
gas mixture is also produced. An explosion can be caused through sparkling
over during unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is
on.■
Creating a bridge between the poles on the battery (e.g. with a metal ob-
ject or cable) creates a short circuit - risk of melting the lead bars, and risk
of explosion, battery fire and acid splashes.
■
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 and all electrical components and disconnect the negative
terminal (-) on the battery.
CAUTION
Improper handling of the battery can lead to damage. We recommend having
all work on the vehicle battery carried out by a specialist garage.
CAUTION
■ The vehicle battery must only be disconnected if the ignition is switched off,
otherwise the vehicle's electrical system (electronic components) can be dam-
aged. When disconnecting the battery from the electrical system, first of all
disconnect the negative terminal (-) of the battery, and then the positive ter-
minal (+).■
When connecting the battery to the electrical system, first of all connect the
positive terminal (+) of the battery, and then the negative terminal (-). Under
no circumstances must the battery cables be connected incorrectly – risk of a
cable fire.
■
Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork – risk
of damage to the paintwork.
■
Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the vehicle bat-
tery housing from the effects of ultra-violet light. 
194General Maintenance

■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. Prevent the battery from discharging by
disconnecting the battery's negative terminal (-) or continuously charging the
battery with a very low charging current.■
If the vehicle is frequently used for making short trips, the vehicle battery
will not have time to charge up sufficiently and may discharge.
For the sake of the environment
A vehicle battery that has been removed is a special type of hazardous waste.
These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regulations.
Note
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
Open cover
Fig. 169
Polyester cover of the vehicle battery / plastic cover of the vehi-
cle battery
Read and observe
and on page 194 first.
The battery is located in the engine compartment, with some equipment under
a polyester cover » Fig. 169or in the left side compartment of the luggage com-
partment » page 101 .
Battery in the engine compartment
›
Open the battery cover in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 169 - 
or press
the catch on the side of the battery cover in the direction » Fig. 169 - 
.
›
fold the cover up and remove.
The battery cover is installed in reverse order.
Battery in the boot
The battery is located in the left side compartment with the symbol
 » page 101 .
Checking the battery electrolyte level
Fig. 170
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
Read and observe and on page 194 first.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, » Fig. 170 the
colouring of the display can indicate the acidic level.
Air bubbles can influence the colour of the indicator. For this reason carefully knock on the indicator before carrying out the check.
› Black colour - electrolyte level is correct.
› Colourless or light yellow colour - electrolyte level too low, the battery must
be replaced.
Vehicles with a START STOP system are fitted with a battery control unit for
checking the energy level for the recurring engine start.
We recommend that you have the acid level checked regularly by a specialist garage, especially in the following cases.
› High external temperatures.
› Longer day trips.
› After each charge.
Winter time
The vehicle battery only has some of its starting power at low temperatures. A
discharged vehicle battery may freeze at temperatures just below 0 °C .
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked and, if necessary,
recharged by a specialist garage before the start of the winter. 
195Inspecting and replenishing

NoteWe recommend having the vehicle checked by a specialist garage in order to
ensure full functionality of all electrical systems.
Automatic load deactivation
Read and observe
and on page 194 first.
The vehicle voltage control unit automatically prevents the battery from dis-
charging when the battery is put under high levels of strain. This may be no-
ticed from the following.
› The idling speed is raised to allow the generator to deliver more electricity to
the electrical system.
› Where necessary, large convenience consumers such as seat heaters and
rear window heaters have their power limited or are shut off completely in
the event of an emergency.
CAUTION
■ Despite such intervention by the vehicle electric system management, the
vehicle battery may be drained. For example, when the ignition is switched on
a long time with the engine turned off or the side or parking lights are turned
on during longer parking.■
Consumers that are supplied via a 12-V power socket can cause the vehicle
battery to discharge when the ignition is switched off.
Note
Driving comfort is not impaired by consumers being deactivated. The driver is
often not aware of it having taken place.Wheels
Tyres and wheel rims
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Service life of tyres
198
Unidirectional tyres
199
Spare and temporary spare wheel
200
Full wheel trim
200
Wheel bolts
201
Only use tyres or wheel rims that have been approved by ŠKODA for your mod-
el of vehicle.
WARNINGThe national legal regulations must be observed for the use of tyres.WARNINGInstructions for the use of tyres■For the first 500 km, new tyres do not yet provide optimum grip, and ap-
propriate care should therefore be taken when driving – risk of accident!■
For reasons of driving safety, do not replace tyres individually.
■
Never exceed the maximum permissible load bearing capacity of moun-
ted tyres.
■
Never exceed the maximum permissible speed for the mounted tyres.
■
An incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear impairs handling.
■
Unusual vibrations or pulling of the vehicle to one side could be a sign of
tyre damage. If there is any doubt that a wheel is damaged, immediately re-
duce your speed and stop! If no external damage is evident, drive slowly
and carefully to the nearest specialist garage to have the vehicle checked.
WARNINGInformation regarding tyre damage or wear■Never use tyres if you do not know anything about the condition and age.■
Never drive with damaged tyres – there is the risk of an accident occur-
ring. 
197Wheels

WARNING (Continued)■You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down.■
Worn tyres impair necessary adhesion to the road surface, particularly at
high speeds on wet roads. This could lead to “aquaplaning” (uncontrolled
vehicle movement – “swimming” on a wet road surface).
WARNING■ Having the correct tyre inflation pressure is always the driver's responsi-
bility.■
Too low or too high inflation pressure impairs handling.
■
If the inflation pressure is too low, the tyre will have to overcome a higher
rolling resistance. This will cause a significant increase in the temperature
of the tyre, especially at higher speeds. This can result in tread separation
and a tyre blowout.
■
In the event of very fast tyre inflation pressure loss, such as a sudden tyre
failure, an attempt should be made to bring the vehicle carefully to a stop
without sudden steering movements and without any hard braking.
CAUTION
■ If a spare wheel is used that is not identical to the fitted tyres, the following
must be observed » page 200, Spare and temporary spare wheel .■
The tyres must be protected from contact with substances such as oil,
grease and fuel, which could damage them. If the tyres come into contact with
these substances, then we recommend you have this checked out in a special-
ist workshop.
■
If, in the case of puncture occurring, the spare tyre with a non-bound direc-
tion or an opposite direction of rotation must be mounted, then drive carefully.
The best properties of the tyre are no longer present in this situation.
For the sake of the environment
■ Old and unserviceable tyres are classified in a special environmentally haz-
ardous category. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legis-
lation.■
Tyres that are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Note
■ We recommend that any work on the wheels or tyres be carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.■
We recommend that you use wheel rims, tyres, full wheel trims and snow
chains from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
Service life of tyresFig. 171
Principle sketch: Tyre tread with wear indicators/open fuel filler
flap with a table detailing the tyre sizes and tyre inflation pressures
Fig. 172
Replacing wheels
Read and observe and on page 197 first.
The service life of tyres depends on the inflation pressure, driving style and
other circumstances.
Tyre pressure
Check the tyre pressure, including that of the spare wheel, at least once a
month and also before setting off on a long journey.
The tyre pressures for tyres are shown on the inside of the fuel filler
flap » Fig. 171 –
.
The tyre pressure for the spare wheel should correspond to the highest pres-
sure specified for your vehicle.
Always check the inflation pressure when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the
higher pressure on warm tyres. 
198General Maintenance