2012 SKODA OCTAVIA heater

We recommend that you leave the air outlet vents 3 » Fig. 82 on page 82 in the
opened position.
Recirculated air mode
Recirculated air mode prevents polluted air outside the vehicle from getting into the vehicle, for example when driving through a tunnel or when standing in a
traffic jam.
Switching on/off
›
Press the button  and the warning light underneath the button illuminates.
›
Press the button  again, the warning light underneath the button goes out.
Recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution control
C
» Fig. 84 on page 83 is turned to position 
. Recirculated air mode can be
switched on again from this setting by repeatedly pressing the button .
WARNINGDo not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period of time, as “stale”
air can cause fatigue of the driver and passengers, reduce attention levels andalso cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an accident increases.
Switch off recirculated air mode as soon as the windows start to mist up.

Air conditioning system (manual air conditioning
system)
Introductory information
The cooling system only operates if the button 

» Fig. 85 on page 84 is press-
ed, and the following conditions are met:
› engine running;
› outside temperature above approx. 2
℃;
› blower switch switched on (positions 1-6).
Under certain circumstances, air at a temperature of about 5 °C can flow out of
the vents when the cooling system is switched on. Lengthy and uneven distribu-
tion of the air flow out of the vents and large differences in temperature, for ex-
ample when getting out of the vehicle, can result in chills in sensitive persons.
If the desired interior temperature can also be achieved without activating the
cooling system, fresh air mode should be selected.
Note
We recommend that you have the air conditioning system cleaned by a ŠKODA
specialist garage once every year.
Control elements
Fig. 85
Air conditioning: Control elements
Functions of the individual controls » Fig. 85 :
Set the temperature (turn to the left: Turn to the right to reduce the tem-
perature: increase temperature)
Set the blower stage (stage 0: Blower off, stage 6: the highest blower stage)
Set the direction of the air outlet » page 82
Depending on equipment:
Switch the windscreen heater on/off 

» page 52
Switch the auxiliary heating on/off 
» page 89
Switch the cooling system on/off (The indicator light in or underneath the
button lights up/goes out)
Switch the rear window heater on/off » page 52
Open/close the fresh air supply » page 85 
ABC184Using the system

›Press the button
 again, the warning light underneath the button goes out.
Recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution controlC
» Fig. 85 on page 84 is turned to position . Recirculated air mode can be
switched on again from this setting by repeatedly pressing the button .
WARNINGDo not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period of time, as “stale”
air can cause fatigue of the driver and passengers, reduce attention levels andalso cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an accident increases.
Switch off recirculated air mode as soon as the windows start to mist up.

Climatronic (automatic air conditioning system)
Introductory information
The Climatronic in automatic mode ensures the best-possible setting of the tem-
perature of the outflowing air, the blower stage and air distribution.
The system also takes sunlight into account, which eliminates the need to alter
the settings manually.
Recommended setting for all periods of the year:
›
Set the desired temperature, we recommend 22 °C.
›
Press the button AUTO
» Fig. 86 on page 86.
›
Move the air outlet vents 3 and 4 » Fig. 82 on page 82 so that the air flow is
directed slightly upwards.
Cooling conditions
The cooling system only operates if the following conditions are met: › engine running;
› outside temperature above approx. +2 °C;
› 

» Fig. 86 on page 86 switched on.
The AC compressor is switched off at a high coolant temperature in order to pro-
vide cooling at a high load of the engine.

Control elementsFig. 86
Climatronic: Control elements
Functions of the individual controls » Fig. 86 :
Adjust the temperature for the left side or for both sides » page 87
Adjust the blower speed » page 88
Adjust the temperature for the right side » page 87
Display the temperature setting for the left side
Display the temperature setting for the right side
Depending on equipment:
Switch the auxiliary heating on/off 

» page 89
Switching off Climatronic OFF
Control the seat heater on the front left seat
» page 62
Air flow to the windows
Air flow to the upper body
Air flow in the footwell Switch automatic air distribution control on/off » page 87
Control the seat heater on the front right seat » page 62
Switch the intensive windscreen heater on/off » page 88
Switch the rear window heater on/off » page 52
Switch the windscreen heater on/off » page 52
Adjust Climatronic in the Infotainment
Switch the temperature setting in Dual mode on/off » page 87
ABC123SETUPDUAL86Using the system

›The engine is also preheated when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
not running;
› It warms up the coolant by burning fuel from the vehicle tank. The coolant
warms up the air, which (if the blower speed is not set to zero) flows into the passenger compartment.
Auxiliary ventilation
The auxiliary ventilation enables fresh air to flow into the vehicle interior by
switching off the engine, whereby the interior temperature is effectively de-
creased (e.g. with the vehicle parked in the sun).WARNING■ The auxiliary heating must never be operated in closed rooms - risk of poi-
soning!■
The auxiliary heating must not be running during refuelling - risk of fire.
■
The exhaust pipe of the auxiliary heating is located on the underside of the
vehicle. Therefore, if you wish to operate the auxiliary heating, do not park the vehicle in such a way that the exhaust gases can come into contact with high-
ly flammable materials (e.g. dry grass) or easily inflammable substances (e.g.
spilt fuel).
CAUTION
■ The running auxiliary heater consumes fuel from the vehicle tank and automati-
cally controls the filling level. If only a low quantity of fuel is present in the fuel
tank, the function of the auxiliary heating is blocked.■
The exhaust pipe of the auxiliary heating, which is located on the underside of
the vehicle, must not be clogged and the exhaust flow must not be blocked.
■
If the auxiliary heating and ventilation is running, the vehicle battery discharges.
If the auxiliary heating and ventilation has been operated several times over a
longer period, the vehicle must be driven a few kilometres in order to recharge
the vehicle battery.
Note
■ The auxiliary heating only switches the blower on, if it has achieved a coolant
temperature of approx. 50 °C.■
At low outside temperatures, this can result in a formation of water vapour in
the area of the engine compartment. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.
■
The air inlet in front of the windscreen must be free of e.g. ice, snow or leaves
to ensure that the auxiliary heating and cooling system operates properly.

Switching on/offFig. 87
Button for switching on/off the system directly on the operating
part of the air conditioning/Climatronic
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 88.
Switching on
Manually using the button on the operating part of
the air conditioning/Climatronic. The warning light in the button lights up.» Fig. 87Manually using the radio remote control.» page 90 Automatically through the configured and activated
departure time.» page 90
Switching off
Manually using the button on the operating part of
the air conditioning/Climatronic. The warning light in the button goes out.» Fig. 87Manually using the radio remote control.» page 90 Automatically when the pre-set departure time is
reached or when the pre-set run time has elapsed.» page 90 Automatically when the indicator light lights up .» page 10 Automatically when the charge state of the vehicle
battery dropped too far.» page 176
After switching the system off, the auxiliary heating will continue running a little
while longer in order to burn the remaining fuel in the auxiliary heater. Exhaust
fumes from the system will thus be directed outside. 
89Heating and air conditioning system

After switching off the auxiliary heating, the coolant pump runs for a short period.
The auxiliary heater does not switch on: › when the following appears in the instrument cluster display, or the the follow-
ing was displayed before the ignition was turned off: Please refuel. Range: ...
km or PLEASE REFUEL ;
› when the charge state of the vehicle battery is too low;
› when no pre-set time is activated.
setting
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 88.
Information on the setting » Bedienungsanleitung Infotainment, chapter Setting
vehicle systems (CAR button) .
Before the setting is started, check the correct time and date settings.
Checking the settings
When the departure time is activated, the indicator light in the button 
lights up
for around 10 seconds after the ignition is turned off.

Remote control
Fig. 88
Auxiliary heater: Radio remote control
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 88.
Explanation of graphicAAerialBBattery coverCWarning lightSwitch on the auxiliary heatingSwitch off the auxiliary heating
The transmitter and the battery are housed in the housing of the remote control.
The receiver is located in the interior of the vehicle.
When the battery is fully charged, the range of the remote control is a few hun-
dred metres. Obstacles between the radio remote control and the vehicle, bad
weather conditions and a weaker battery can clearly reduce the range.
To switch the auxiliary heating on or off, hold the remote control vertical, with the
aerial pointing upwards. The antenna must not be covered with the fingers or the palm of the hand during this process.
The auxiliary heating can only be switched on/off safely using the radio remote control, if the distance between the radio remote control and the vehicle is at
least 2 m.
After pressing the button, the warning light in the remote control gives the
user different kinds of feedback:
Display warning light C » Fig. 88DescriptionLights up green for around 2 seconds.The auxiliary heating was switched on.Lights up red for around 2 seconds.The auxiliary heating was switched off.Slowly flashes green for around 2 sec-
onds.The ignition signal was not received.Quickly flashes green for around 2 sec-
onds.The auxiliary heating is blocked, e. g
because the tank is nearly empty or
there is a fault in the auxiliary heating.Flashes red for around 2 seconds.The switch off signal was not received.Lights up orange for around 2 seconds,
then green or red.The battery is weak, however the
switching on or off signal was received.Lights up orange for around 2 seconds,
then flashes green or red.The battery is weak, however the
switching on or off signal was not re-
ceived.Flashes orange for around 5 seconds.The battery is discharged, however the
switching on or off signal was not re-
ceived. 90Using the system

Avoiding full throttleFig. 96
Principle sketch: Fuel consump-
tion in litres/100 km. and speed
in km/h
The slower you drive, the more the fuel savings.
Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consump- tion but also positively influence environmental pollution and wear of your vehi-
cle.
The maximum speed of your vehicle should, as far possible, never be used. Fuel
consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at
high speeds.
The » Fig. 96 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle.
Fuel consumption will be halved if only three-quarters of the possible top speed
of your vehicle is used.

Reducing idling
Idling also costs fuel.
In vehicles not equipped with the START-STOP system, turn off the engine when
in a traffic jam, at a level crossing or traffic lights with longer wait times.
Even after just 30-40 seconds you will have saved more fuel than that is needed
when you start the engine up again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal operating
temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though, are particularly
high in the warming-up phase. Therefore, start driving as soon as the engine has
started. whereby high engine speeds should be avoided.

Avoid short distancesFig. 97
Principle sketch: Fuel consump-
tion in l/100 km at different tem-
peratures
Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption. We therefore recommend avoiding distances of less than 4 km if the engine is cold.
A cold engine consumes the most fuel immediately after the start. Fuel consump- tion drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The consumption stabilises once the engine and catalytic converter have reached their operating tempera-
ture.
An important factor in this connection is also the ambient temperature. The im-
age » Fig. 97 shows the different levels of fuel consumption after driving a certain
distance at a temperature of +20 °C and a temperature of -10 °C.
Your vehicle has a higher fuel consumption in Winter than in Summer.

Convenience consumers
The convenience consumers include:
› The air conditioning system;
› Rear window heater;
› Windscreen heater;
› Heating of the external mirror;
› Rear fog light;
› Fog lights;
› Heated front seats;
› Auxiliary heating (parking heating).
We recommend you keep the convenience consumers on for as long as necessary. 
102Using the system

The automatic start procedure takes place again. The warning light goes out.
Further information on automatic transmission Engine shut down takes place when the selector lever is in positions P, D/S , N
and in Tiptronic mode.
When the selector lever is in position P the engine remains shut down after you
release the brake pedal. Start the engine by pressing the gas pedal or by choosing
a different gear and releasing the brake pedal.
If the selector lever is moved into position R during the STOP phase , the engine
will re-start.
To prevent the engine from starting unintentionally when selecting the position
R , switch rapidly from the position D/S to position P.
The system detects a movement of the vehicle due to the large steering angle or
when the selector lever is moved into position R (e.g. when parking) - no auto-
matic engine shutdown takes place.
The type of braking procedure can influence whether the STOP phase takes place
or not. No STOP phase takes place when the vehicle is moving at low speed (e.g.
during a traffic jam or when tuning) and remains stationary after pressing the
brake pedal lightly. Engine shutdown takes place if you press the brake pedal
down with more force.
Operational conditions of the system
Fig. 114
Instrument cluster display: En-
gine shut down is not currently
available
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 121.
The START-STOP system is very complex. Some of the procedures are hard to
check without servicing.
No engine shut down is carried out
Before each STOP phase, the system checks whether certain conditions have
been met. No engine shut down takes place in the following situations.
› The engine has not reached the minimum temperature for START STOP mode.
› The temperature inside the vehicle has not reached the desired temperature
set in the air-conditioning system/heating.
› The external temperature is very low/high.
› The windscreen heater is switched on
» page 52.
› The intensive windscreen heater (Climatronic)
» page 86 or windscreen heater/
ventilation is switched on with the maximum air temperature setting (manual
air conditioning system) » page 85.
› The parking aid/Park Assist is switched on.
› The charge state of the vehicle battery is too low.
› The stationary vehicle is on a steep slope or a steep downhill section.
› The idling speed is too high.
The following indicator light 
- » Fig. 114 appears in the instrument cluster dis-
play.
The automatic start procedure takes place again
During the STOP phase, the engine fires up without any active driver intervention,
e.g. in the following situations.
› The vehicle begins to roll, e.g. on a slope.
› The difference between the temperature setting of the air-conditioning sys-
tem/heating and the temperature of the interior is too large.
› The windscreen heater is switched on
» page 52.
› The intensive windscreen heater (Climatronic)
» page 86 or windscreen heater/
ventilation is switched on with the maximum air temperature setting (manual
air conditioning system) » page 85.
› The brake pedal was pressed several times (the pressure in the braking system
is too low).
› The charge state of the vehicle battery is too low.
› The current consumption is too high.
123Assist systems

Plastic partsFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 159.
Plastic parts can be cleaned using a damp cloth. If this does not prove to be ade-quate, the parts can be treated with special solvent-free plastic cleaning prod-
ucts .
Paint care products are not suitable for plastic parts.

De-icing windows and exterior mirrors
Fig. 143
Fuel filler flap: Ice scraper
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 159.
A scraper to remove snow and ice from the windows and mirrors is located on the inside of the fuel filler flap . Remove the scraper from the fuel filler flap in the di-
rection of the arrow » Fig. 143.
Clean the windows from the inside on a regular basis. Dry the glass surfaces with a clean chamois leather or a cloth intended for thispurpose.
When drying the windows after washing the vehicle, do not use window leathers
that have been used to polish the bodywork. Residues of preservatives in the
window leather can dirty the window and reduce visibility.
CAUTION■ The ice scraper should not be moved forward and backward but in one direction
to avoid any damage to the surface of the glass.■
Snow or ice that is contaminated with coarse dirt such as fine gravel, sand, and
salt must not be removed from the window glass and mirrors – risk of damage to
the surface of the windows and mirrors.
■
Never remove snow or ice from glass parts using warm or hot water – risk of
formation of cracks in the glass!
■
When removing snow or ice from windows and mirror lenses ensure that the
paintwork of the vehicle is not to damage.

Radio reception and aerial
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 159.
Car parks, tunnels, tall buildings or mountains can disrupt the radio signal even causing it to fail completely.
With factory-fitted radios and navigation, the aerial for the radio reception can be installed at different locations in the vehicle:
› on the inside of the rear window along with the rear window heater;
› on the inside of the rear side windows;
› on the roof.

Headlight lenses
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 159.
Use soap and clean water to clean the plastic headlight lenses.
CAUTION
■ Never wipe the headlights dry and do not use any sharp objects to clean the
plastic lenses, this may damage the protective paintwork and consequently cause
the formation of cracks on the headlight lenses.■
Do not use any aggressive cleaning or chemical solvent products to clean the
headlights – risk of damaging the headlight lenses.

162General Maintenance

We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range A, but not above , if
the engine has been operating at high loads, for example, during a lengthy motor-
way trip during the summer months, towing a trailer or negotiating a high moun- tain pass.
The warning light in the instrument cluster will indicate whether the oil level is too low » page 15 . Check the oil level using the dipstick as soon as possible. Add
oil accordingly.WARNINGDo not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible  to top up
the engine oil under the prevailing conditions! Switch off the engine and seek
assistance from a ŠKODA specialist garage.
CAUTION
The oil level must on no account extend beyond the range A » Fig. 149 - Risk of
damaging the exhaust system!
Replenishing the engine oil
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 169.
›
Check the engine oil level » page 172.
›
Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening » Fig. 148 on page 172.
›
Replenish the oil in portions of 0.5 litres in accordance with the correct specifi-
cations » page 209 .
›
Check the oil level » page 172.
›
Carefully screw on the oil filler opening cap and push the dipstick in fully.

Changing engine oil
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 169.
The engine oil must be changed at the intervals stated in the Service schedule or
according to the service interval indicator » page 11.
CAUTION
Do not pour any additives into the engine oil - Risk of serious engine damage!
Damage, which results from such product, are excluded from the warranty.
Note
If your skin has come into contact with oil, it must be washed thoroughly.
Coolant
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 169.
The coolant consists of water with a concentration of coolant additive. This mix-
ture guarantees antifreeze protection, protects the cooling/heater system
against corrosion and prevents the formation of scale.
Vehicles exported to countries with a mild climate are already factory-filled with
a coolant which offers antifreeze protection down to about -25 ℃. In these coun-
tries the concentration of coolant additive should be at least 40 %.
Vehicles exported to countries with a cold climate are already factory-filled with a
coolant which offers antifreeze protection down to about -35 °C. In these coun-
tries the concentration of coolant additive should be at least 50 %.
If a higher concentration of antifreeze is required for climatic reasons, the amount
of coolant additive can only be increased up to a maximum of 60 % (antifreeze
protection down to approx. -40 °C).
When refilling, only use the same antifreeze written on the antifreeze expansion tank » Fig. 150 on page 174. 
173Inspecting and replenishing