2012 SKODA OCTAVIA trailer

Towing a trailer
Towing device
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Description
106
Setting the ready position
107
Installing the ball rod
107
Check proper attachment
108
Removing the ball rod
108
Operation and maintenance
109
If your vehicle has already been factory-fitted with a towing device or is fitted
with a towing device from ŠKODA Original Accessories, then it meets all of the
technical requirements and national legal provisions for towing a trailer.
Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin power socket for the electrical connection be-tween the vehicle and trailer. If the trailer that is to be towed has a 7-pin connec-
tor , you can use a suitable adapter from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
The maximum trailer drawbar load is 75 kg/h.
WARNING■
Before each time you make a journey when using the ball rod, check that it
is seated correctly and is secured in the mounting recess.■
Do not operate the ball rod if it is not correctly inserted in the mounting re-
cess.
■
Do not operate the towing device if it is damaged or incomplete.
■
Do not perform any modifications or changes to the towing device.
■
Never release the ball rod while the trailer is still coupled.
CAUTION
■ If there is an error in the trailer lighting system, check the fuses in the fuse box
in the dashboard. » page 200■
Handle the ball rod carefully to avoid damaging the paintwork on the bumper.
Note■
After coupling the trailer and connecting up the power socket, check the rear
lights on the trailer to ensure they work.■
If you have any questions, please contact a ŠKODA Partner.

Description
Fig. 99
Carrier of the towing device/ball rod
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 106.
The ball rod can be removed and can be found in the spare wheel well or in a
compartment for the spare wheel in the boot » page 188.
Explanation of graphic
13-pin power socket
Safety eye
Mounting recess
Cap
Dust cap
Ball rod
Operating lever
Lock cap
Trigger pin
Keys
Locking ball 
1234567891011106Using the system

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■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

Assist systems
Brake assist systems
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Stabilisation Control (ESC)
112
Antilock brake system (ABS)
113
Traction control system (TCS)
113
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
114WARNING■ A lack of fuel can cause irregular engine running or cause the engine to shut
down. The brake assist systems would then be without function – risk of acci-
dent!■
Adjust the speed and driving style to the current visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions. The increased safety offered by the brake assist systems must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise – risk of an accident!
■
In the event of an ABS fault, visit a ŠKODA specialist garage immediately.
Adjust your style of driving according to the damage to the ABS as you will not know how great the damage is and the limitation it is placing on the braking
efficiency.
CAUTION
■ All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres approved by the manufactur-
er to ensure the brake assist systems operate correctly.■
Changes to the vehicle (e.g. to the engine, brakes, chassis) can influence the
functionality of the brake assist systems » page 165.
Note
If a fault occurs in the ABS system, the ESC, ASR and EDL also do not work. An
ABS fault is indicated with the warning light  » page 17 .
Stabilisation Control (ESC)Fig. 105
ESC system: TCS button
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 112.
The ESC system helps to maintain control of the vehicle in situations where it is
being operated at its dynamic limits, such as a sudden change to the direction of
travel. The risk of skidding is reduced and your car thus offers greater driving sta-
bility depending on the conditions of the road surface.
The ESC system is automatically activated each time the ignition is switched on.The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering angle and the speed of the vehicle and is constantly compared with the actualbehaviour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the car beginning to skid,
the ESC system will automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
During an intervention of the system, the warning light 
flashes in the instru-
ment cluster.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stabilisation control
(ESC) :
› Antilock brake system (ABS),
› Traction control (TCS),
› Electronic differential lock (EDL)
› Active driver-steering recommendation (DSR),
› Brake assistant (HBA)
› Hill hold control (HHC);
› “Multicollision brake”;
› Trailer stabilisation (TSA)
» page 110, Driving with a trailer .
The ESC system cannot be deactivated. In the Infotainment or with the button 
» Fig. 105 only the TCR can be deactivated » operating instructions for Info-
tainment , chapter Setting vehicle systems (CAR button) .
112Using the system

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

WARNING■Automatic brake assist only works as an element of the assist function. The
driver must always be ready to brake the vehicle him/herself.■
Automatic brake assist is ended after around 1.5 seconds. Depress the brak-
ing pedal so that the vehicle does not start moving by itself.

Information for the driver
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 116.
The information for the driver appears in the instrument cluster display.
Park Assist stopped. Speed too high.
The speed under 40 km/h (parallel parking) /20 km/h (perpendicular parking). This
message is only displayed at speeds up to around 50 km/h. When the speed ex-
ceeds 50 km/h, activate the system again with the button 
.
Speed too high. Take over steering!
The parking procedure was ended because the speed was exceeded. Park with a
max. speed of 7 km/h.
Park Assist stopped. Driver steer. intervent.
The parking procedure is terminated due to a driver steering intervention.
Park Assist stopped. ASR deactivated.
The parking procedure cannot be carried out because the TCS system is deactiva-
ted. Activate the TCS.
ASR deactivated. Take over steering!
The parking procedure was ended because TCS was deactivated during the park-
ing procedure.
Trailer: Park Assist stopped.
The parking procedure cannot be carried out because a trailer is hitched.
Time limit exceeded. Take over steering! The parking procedure was ended because the time limit of 6 minutes waspassed.
Park Assist currently not available.
The system cannot be activated because a fault exists on the vehicle. Seek help
from a ŠKODA specialist garage.
Park Assist stopped. currently not available.
The parking procedure was ended because a fault exists on the vehicle. Seek help
from a ŠKODA specialist garage.
Park Assist faulty. Workshop!
The parking procedure is not possible because a fault exists in the system. Seek help from a ŠKODA specialist garage.
Park Assist stopped. Take over steering!
Assume control of the steering. Complete the parking procedure without using the system.
ASR intervention. Take over steering!
The parking procedure is terminated by a TCS intervention.
Park Assist: indicate and engage reverse!
The prerequisites for manoeuvring out of a parking space using the system have
been met. Switch on the turn signals and shift into reverse.
Please take over steering and drive on.
The manoeuvring procedure out of a parallel parking space has ended. Assume
control of the steering.
Aut. parking space exit not possible. Space too small.
The manoeuvring procedure using the system is not possible. The parking gap is
too small.
Braking intervention. Speed too high.
The driving speed during the parking procedure was too high - automatic brake
assist is initiated.
Cruise control system (CCS)
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects: Storing a speed
120
Changing a stored speed
120
Switching off the cruise control system temporarily
121
Switching off the cruise control system completely
121
Displays in the instrument cluster display
121

119Assist systems