2012 SKODA OCTAVIA towing

NoteIf you lose the key, please get in touch with a ŠKODA Partner.
Setting the ready position
Fig. 100
Setting the ready position/ready position
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 106.
Before installing always adjust the ball rod in the ready position.
›
Turn the key so that its red mark
1
» Fig. 100 becomes visible.
›
Grab the ball rod underneath the protective cap
2
.
›
Press the trigger pin
3
as far as the stop in the direction of the arrow - at the
same time push the lever
4
downwards as far as it will go in the direction of
the arrow.
The lever remains locked in this position.
CAUTION
In the ready position, the key cannot be removed nor turned into a different posi-
tion.
Installing the ball rodFig. 101
Insert the ball rod/lock up the lock, and put the lock cover on
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings
on page 106.
›
Pull of the cap
4
» Fig. 99 on page 106 downwards.
›
Set the ball rod into the ready position.
›
Grab the ball rod from underneath » Fig. 101 and insert into the mounting re-
cess until it audibly clicks » .
The lever
1
» Fig. 101 automatically turns upwards and the trigger pin
2
comes
out (its red and green part is visible) » .
If the lever
1
does not turn automatically, or if the trigger pin
2
does not come
out, remove the ball rod from the mounting recess by turning the lever down-
wards as far as it can go. Clean the wedge surfaces on the ball rod and the
mounting recess.
›
Lock the lock on the operating lever by turning the key by 180° to the right (see
green marking
3
is visible) and remove the key in the direction of the arrow.
›
Insert the cap
4
on the lock in the direction of the arrow » .
›
Check the ball rod for proper attachment » page 108.
WARNING■
Keep your hands outside the lever's range of motion when attaching the ball
rod- risk of finger injuries!■
Never attempt to pull the operating lever violently upwards to turn the key.
Doing so would mean the ball rod is not attached correctly! 107Towing a trailer

CAUTION■After removing the key, always replace the cap on the lock of the operating lev-
er - risk the lock may get contaminated.■
Keep the mounting recess of the towing device clean at all times. Such dirt pre-
vents the ball rod from being attached securely!
■
After removing the ball rod, always place the cap on the mounting recess.

Check proper attachment
Fig. 102
Check the proper attachment of
the ball rod
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 106.
Before each use of the ball rod, check that it is attached properly.
Check whether:
› the lever
1
is right at the top
» Fig. 102;
› the trigger pin
2
is completely exposed (both its red and green part is visible);
› the key has been removed;
› the cap
3
is on top of the lock of the operating lever;
› after “shaking” it heavily, the ball rod does not come attached from the mount-
ing recess.
WARNINGDo not use the towing device unless the ball rod was properly locked!

Removing the ball rodFig. 103
Unlock the operating lever of the ball rod/removing the ball rod
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 106.
›
Remove the cap
1
» Fig. 103 from the lock on the ball rod in the direction of
the arrow.
›
Unlock the lock on the operating lever by turning the key 180° to the left so that
the red marking
2
becomes visible.
›
Grab hold of the ball rod from underneath.
›
Press the trigger pin
3
as far as the stop in the direction of the arrow - at the
same time push the lever
4
downwards as far as it will go in the direction of
the arrow.
The ball rod is released in this position and falls freely into the hand. If it does not
fall freely into the hand, use your other hand to push it upwards.
At the same time, the ball rod latches into the ready position and is thus ready to
be re-inserted into the mounting recess »
.
›
Place the cap
4
» Fig. 99 on page 106 on the mounting recess.
WARNINGNever allow the ball rod to remain unsecured in the boot. This could cause
damage in a sudden braking manoeuvre and put the safety of the occupants
at risk! 108Using the system

CAUTION■If the lever is held firm and not pushed downwards as far as it can go, it will go
back up after the ball rod is removed and will not latch into the ready position.
The ball rod then needs to be brought into this position before the next time it is installed.■
Stow the ball rod in the ready position with the key inserted in the box. When
doing so, make the side opposite to the inserted key face downwards - risk of damaging the key!
■
Do not use excessive force when handling the operating lever (e.g. do not climb
on it)!
Note
Remove any dirt from the ball rod before stowing it away in the box with the ve-
hicle tool kit.
Operation and maintenance
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 106.
Seal the mounting recess with the cap to prevent any ingress of dirt.
Always check the ball head before hitching a trailer. Use a suitable lubricating grease where necessary.
Include the protective cap when stowing away the ball rod to protect the boot
from getting contaminated.
In the event of dirt, clean the surfaces of the mounting recess and treat with a
suitable preservative.
CAUTION
Apply lubricating grease to the upper part of the mounting recess. Make sure you
do not remove any grease.
Loading a trailer
The vehicle/trailer combination must be balanced. whereby the maximum permis- sible drawbar load must be utilised. If the drawbar load is too low, it jeopardisesthe performance of the vehicle/trailer combination.
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that heavy items are located as
close to the axle as possible. Secure the items from slipping.
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trail-
er is laden. Drive at a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this
combination.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for a “full load” » page 182,
Tyre life .
Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must not be exceeded under any circumstan-
ces » page 207 , Technical data .
The trailer loads specified apply only to altitudes up to 1 000 metres above mean
sea level.
The engine output falls as the height increases, as does the ability to climb.
Therefore, for every additional 1 000 m in height (every one begun), the maximum
permissible towed weight must be reduced by 10 %.
The towed weight comprises the actual weight of the (loaded) towing vehicle and the (loaded) trailer.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device are merely test data for the towing device. The vehicle-specific values are de-tailed in the vehicle documents.WARNING■ Do not exceed the maximum permissible axle and drawbar load and the
maximum permissible total or towed weight of the vehicle and the trailer -
risk of accident and serious injuries!■
Always drive particularly carefully with the trailer.
■
Slipping loads can significantly affect the stability and safety of the vehicle/
trailer combination - risk of accident and serious injuries!

109Towing a trailer

Driving with a trailerFig. 104
Swivel out the 13-pin power
socket
›
Before hitching the trailer to the vehicle, hold on to the 13-pin power socket in the area
A
» Fig. 104 and swivel it out in the direction of the arrow.
›
Remove the protective cap
5
» Fig. 99 on page 106 upwards before hitching
the trailer to the vehicle.
Safety eye
The purpose of the safety eye
2
» Fig. 99 on page 106 is to attach the break-
away cable of the trailer.
When attaching the breakaway cable to the safety eye, it must sag freely in all
trailer positions (sharp bends, in reverse, etc.).
Exterior mirrors
You have to have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the
traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. The national legal
requirements must be observed.
Headlights
The headlight settings must be checked before starting a journey with a coupled
trailer. If necessary, adjust the settings with the headlight beam adjust-
ment » page 44 .
Driving speed
For safety reasons, do not drive faster than 80 km/h when hitching a trailer.
Immediately reduce your speed as soon as even the slightest swaying of the trail- er is detected. Never attempt to stop the trailer from “swaying” by accelerating.
Brakes
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first, then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking.
On downhill sections shift down a gear in good time to also use the engine as a
brake.
Trailer stabilisation
The trailer stabilisation is an extension of the stabilisation control that works in
conjunction with the counter-steering assistance to reduce the amount the trail-
er "sways".
After turning on the ignition, the ESC warning light  in the instrument cluster
lights up for about 2 seconds longer than the ABS warning light.
Prerequisites: › The towing device is assembled or retrofitted ex works;
› The ESC system is active. The warning light
 or  in the instrument cluster is
not illuminated;
› The trailer is electrically connected to the towing vehicle by means of the trailer
socket;
› The speed is higher than approx. 60 km/h;
› The trailer has a fixed drawbar;
› The ESC system works for both braked and unbraked trailers.
A trailer is connected to the anti-theft alarm system, when: › the vehicle is factory-fitted with an anti-theft alarm system and a towing de-
vice;
› the trailer is electrically connected to the towing vehicle by means of the trailer
socket;
› the electrical system of the vehicle and trailer is fully functional;
› the vehicle is locked with the car key and the anti-theft alarm system is activa-
ted.
When the vehicle is locked, the alarm is activated as soon as the electrical con-
nection to the trailer is interrupted.
Always switch off the anti-theft alarm system before a trailer is connected/dis- connected » page 35, Anti-theft alarm system .
Engine overheating
If the needle for the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or the red area of the scale, the speed must be reduced immediately.
Stop and switch off the engine if the warning light 
in the instrument cluster
lights up. Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant » page 174.
The following guidelines must be observed » page 15, Coolant temperature/cool-
ant level 
.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating. 110Using the system

WARNING■Never use the safety eye to tow a vehicle!■The increased safety offered by the trailer stabilisation must not tempt you
to take greater risks than otherwise.■
Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic sit-
uation.
■
Improper or incorrectly connected electric cables can energise the trailer and
cause functional faults to the vehicle's entire electrical system as well as acci-
dents and severe injuries.
■
All work on the electrical system must be carried out only by ŠKODA special-
ist garages.
■
Never directly connect the trailer's electrical system with the electrical con-
nections for the tail lights or other current sources.
CAUTION
■ The trailer stabilisation need not be able to correctly detect all of driving situa-
tions.■
Trailers that sway slightly are not always detected by the trailer stabilisation
and thus are not stabilised accordingly.
■
Release the pressure on the accelerator pedal if the system is being regulated.
■
Avoid abrupt and sudden driving/braking manoeuvres.
Note
■ Contact between the breakaway cable and the safety eye can result in mechan-
ical wear on the protective surface of the eye. Such wear does not impair the
functioning of the safety eye and is not a fault. It is excluded from the warranty
coverage.■
If you tow a trailer frequently, have your car inspected between service inter-
vals too.
■
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and decou-
pling the trailer.
■
For technical reasons, trailers with rear LED lights cannot be connected to the
anti-theft alarm system.

111Towing a trailer

Explanation of graphic - range of sensors in the vicinity of the vehicleArea » Fig. 107Range of sensors a)A120 cmB90 cmC160 cmD90 cmEb)90 cma)
These are only the approximate ranges of sensors.
b)
Applies only for vehicles with 12 sensors.
The interval between the acoustic signals becomes shorter as the clearance is re-
duced. A continuous tone sounds from a distance of approx. 30 cm - danger area.
From this moment on do not continue driving!
The length of the vehicle can be increased with an installed detachable towing
device. The danger area thus begins at a distance of around 35 cm on vehicles
equipped with a factory-fitted towing device.
Towing a trailer
On vehicles equipped with a factory-fitted towing device, only the areas
A
and
B
» Fig. 107 of the system are active when operating a trailer, there is no road
display.
Activation/deactivation
The system is automatically activated when you shift into reverse or after press-
ing the button 

» Fig. 107 . The symbol 
lights up in the button; activation is
confirmed by a brief acoustic signal.
The system is deactivated by moving out of reverse gear, by pressing the button 
or automatically at a speed exceeding 10 km/h (the symbol 
in the button
goes out).
On vehicles which only have rear sensors, the system can only be deactivated by
moving out of reverse gear.
Automatic system activation when driving forward
The compact display of the parking aid can be displayed in the area of the Info- tainment display » Fig. 108 - 
.
Automatic activation takes place at a speed below around 10 km/h under the fol- lowing conditions:
› the distance to the obstacle at the front is less than around 90 cm;
› the distance to the obstacle at the rear or to the side of the vehicle is less than
around 30 cm.
Acoustic signals are sounded as of a distance from the obstacle of around 50 cm.
Automatic display can be activated/deactivated in the Infotainment » operating
instructions for Infotainment , chapter Setting vehicle systems (CAR button) .
Road display
The display of the upcoming road changes depending on the steering angleA
» Fig. 108 -  .
Obstacles appearing on the road are represented by the colours:
› the distance to the obstacle is less than around 30 cm - red;
› the distance to the obstacle is greater than around 30 cm - yellow;
Obstacles which do not appear on the road are represented by the following col-
ours:
› the distance to the obstacle is less than around 30 cm - red;
› the distance to the obstacle is greater than around 30 cm - white.
The road ahead is displayed when a forward gear or Neutral is engaged or the se-
lector lever is in position N.
The road behind the vehicle is displayed when reverse gear is engaged or the se-
lector lever is in position R.
WARNING■
The parking aid is not a substitute for the driver paying proper attention and
it is always the driver's responsibility to take care when reversing the vehicle or carrying out similar manoeuvres. Pay particular attention to small children
and animals as they are not recognised by the parking aid sensors.■
You should satisfy yourself before reversing that there is no small obstacle,
such as a rock, thin post, trailer drawbar etc., in front or behind your vehicle.
Such obstacles may not be recognised by the parking aid sensors.
■
Under certain circumstances, surfaces of certain objects and types of cloth-
ing cannot reflect the signals from the parking aid. Thus, these objects or peo-
ple who wear such clothing are not recognised by the parking aid sensors.
■
External sound sources can have a detrimental effect on the parking aid.
Under unfavourable conditions, objects or people may not be recognised. 
115Assist systems

Steering
In the Sport driving mode, the steering force assistance » page 93 is reduced
somewhat. This helps keep the vehicle on the best possible track when driving in
a sporty driving style.
Engine (drive)
The engine and transmission respond more dynamically or more relaxed to move- ments of the gas pedal based on what driving mode was set. In the Eco driving
mode, automatic transmission allows you to drive in the Neutral posi- tion » page 130 . When the Cruise Control System is active, the selected driving
mode can have an influence on driving behaviour when accelerating.
Dynamic cornering lights
The headlights adjust to the more dynamic driving style in the Sport driving
mode. Dynamic cornering lights is deactivated in the Eco driving mode.
Air conditioning (Climatronic)
In the Eco driving mode, the air conditioning system works more efficiently whilst
still maintaining the desired interior temperature.WARNING■ Setting the driving mode while driving can distract you from other traffic -
risk of accident.■
Concentrate fully at all times on your driving! As the driver you are fully re-
sponsible for the operation of your vehicle.
■
Adjust the speed and driving style to the current visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions.
Note
■ The Eco driving mode is not available when towing a trailer. When the vehicle is
connected electrically to a trailer and is in the Eco driving mode, the Normal driv-
ing mode is configured automatically.■
On vehicles with automatic transmission, the gear is automatically set to mode
S » page 129 when selecting driving mode Sport or, in Eco driving mode, to mode
E .
■
The driver can change some vehicle functions irrespective of the selected driv-
ing mode. For instance, in the driving mode Eco , the driver can switch the auto-
matic transmission to the mode S.

ProActive passenger protection
ProActive passenger protection increases the protection offered to passengers in situations which could lead to a collision or rollover.
The system is automatically activated each time the ignition is switched on and
works at speeds of over 30 km/h.
In critical driving situations (e.g. during an emergency brake or sudden change in direction), the following steps can be taken separately or combined in order to re-
duce the risk of serious injury:
› Front passenger seatbelt or front passenger and driver's seatbelts are automat-
ically tensioned strongly over the body;
› Door panels in the side doors and the sliding/tilting roof (if open) are automati-
cally closed up to a gap of around 5 cm from the edge.
Once the critical driving situation has passed, the tension on the seatbelts will be released again.
All functions of the system are available when:
› the system is activated in Infotainment
» operating instructions for Infotain-
ment , chapter Setting vehicle systems (CAR button) ;
› the TCS is switched on
» page 113;
› the
Sport driving mode is not selected » page 124.
If the system cannot function correctly, the following message will appear in the
instrument cluster display:
ProActive passenger protection not available.
or ProActive passenger protection: funct. restricted.
Seek help from a ŠKODA specialist garage.WARNING■ Adjust the speed and driving style to the current visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions. The increased safety offered by ProActive passenger pro-
tection must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise – risk of an
accident! 125Assist systems

N – Neutral
The brake pedal must be depressed to move the selector lever out of the position
N (if the lever is in this position for longer than 2 seconds) into the position D/S or
R when the vehicle is travelling at less than 5 km/h and the ignition is switched
on.D/S
- mode for driving forward (Normal program)/mode for driving forward
(Sport program)
The system switches from one mode to the other by moving the selector lever in- to the spring-tensioned position  » Fig. 120 .
In the D or S mode, the forward gears are shifted up and down, depending on the
selected driving mode, engine load, driving speed and dynamic shifting program.
In the S mode, shifting up later into a higher gear makes it possible to fully exploit
the power potential of the engine. The gearbox also then shifts down at higher engine speeds as in the position D.
The brake pedal must be depressed to move the selector lever into position D/S
from Nwhen the vehicle is travelling at less than 5 km/h.

Manual shifting of gears (Tiptronic)
Fig. 121
Selector lever and multifunction steering wheel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 129.
Tiptronic mode makes it possible to manually shift gears with the selector lever or
multifunction steering wheel.
It may be of benefit, e.g. when towing a trailer or driving in mountains to adapt
the gearbox ratios manually to the driving situations.
Switching to manual shifting›Push the selector lever to the right out of position D/S. The selector lever posi-
tion you have engaged appears in the instrument cluster display.
Shifting up gears›
Press the selector lever forwards
+
» Fig. 121 .
›
Pull the right rocker switch +
» Fig. 121 towards the multifunction steering
wheel.
Shifting down gears
›
Press the selector lever backwards
-
» Fig. 121 .
›
Pull the left rocker switch -
» Fig. 121 towards the multifunction steering wheel.
Temporarily switching to manual shifting
›
If the selector lever is in position D/S, pull the left rocker switch -
» Fig. 121 or
the right rocker switch + towards the multifunction steering wheel.
›
Manual shifting switches off if the rocker switches
- or + are not actuated for 1
minute or more. You can also switch off the temporary switch-over to manual shifting by pressing the right rocker switch +
for more than 1 second.
It is possible to switch to manual shifting when the car is stationary and when
driving.
When accelerating, the gearbox automatically shifts up into the higher gear just before the maximum permissible engine speed is reached.
If a lower gear is selected, the gearbox does not shift down until there is no risk
of the engine overrevving.

Selector lever lock
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 129.
With the ignition on, the selector lever is locked when it is in the positions P and
N . The indicator light 
» page 20 , Selector lever lock 
illuminates in the instru-
ment cluster. The brake pedal must be depressed to move the selector lever out
of this position.
The selector lever is not locked when quickly moving across the position N (e.g.
from R to D/S ). This, for example, helps to rock out a vehicle that is stuck. The se-
lector lever lock will click into place if the lever is in the N position for more than 2
seconds without the brake pedal being pressed. 
131Automatic gearbox