2012 SKODA OCTAVIA steering

Leather care
Treat the leather roughly every six months with a suitable leather care product.
Apply only a small amount of the cleaning and care product.
Dry off the leather with a soft, dry cloth.
Use a care cream with light blocker and impregnation effect on a regular basis and each time after cleaning. The cream nourishes the leather, allows it to
breathe and keeps it supple and also provides moisture. It also creates surface
protection.
Clean the leather every 2 to 3 months, remove any fresh stains as they occur. Also look after the leather dye. Refresh any areas with a special coloured leather cream as required.
The leather is a natural material with specific properties. During the use of the ve- hicle, minor visible changes can occur on the leather parts of the covers (e. g wrin- kles or creases as a result of the stress of the covers).
CAUTION
■ 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.■
Sharp-edged objects on items of clothing such as zip fasteners, rivets, sharp-
edged belts, jewellery and pendants may leave permanent scratches or signs of
rubbing on the surface.
■
The use of a mechanical steering wheel lock may damage the leather surface of
the steering wheel.

Seat belts
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 159.
Keep the seat belts clean!
Clean dirty seat belts using a mild soapy solution and remove coarse dirt with a soft brush!
Check the condition of all the seat belts on a regular basis. Belt webbing which has become severely soiled may prevent the inertia reel from
reeling up the belt properly.
WARNING■ The seat belts must not be removed for cleaning.■Never clean the seat belts chemically as chemical cleaning products could
destroy the fabric. The seat belts must also not be allowed to come into con-
tact with corrosive liquids (such as acids etc.).■
Seat belts which have damage to the webbing, connections, inertia reel or
lock should be replaced by a ŠKODA specialist garage.
■
Inertia reel belts must be completely dried before being reeled up.

Accessories, changes and replacement of parts
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Repairs and technical modifications
166
Changes and impairments of the airbag system
166
If you want to retrofit your vehicle with accessories, if a vehicle part is to be re-
placed with a new one, or when needing to make technical changes, the follow-
ing instructions must be observed.
› Always seek advice from a ŠKODA Partner
before purchasing any accessories or
parts and before making any technical changes »
.
› Technical modifications must satisfy the latest guidelines and advice issued by
ŠKODA.
› We recommend you have any modifications and adjustments on the vehicle car-
ried out by a ŠKODA Partner. Partners can provide more detailed information
and also carry out all the necessary work professionally and correctly.
› Only install such parts whose version and properties meet factory-installed
parts on the vehicle.
Adhering to the advice given will prevent any kind of damage to the vehicle, and
its travelling and operating safety will be maintained. The vehicle also complies
with German road transport regulations (StVZO). 
165Taking care of and cleaning the vehicle

CAUTION■If a spare wheel is used that is not identical to the fitted tyres, the following
must be observed » page 184, Spare wheel .■
Protect the tyres from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
■
Replace lost dust caps.
■
If, in the event of a puncture, it is necessary to fit a spare wheel with a tyre
without a dedicated running direction or the opposite running direction, drive carefully as the optimum characteristics of the tyre are no longer applicable in
this situation.
■
The tyre control display does therefore not replace the regular tyre inflation
pressure control, as the system cannot detect an even loss of pressure.
■
The system cannot warn in case of very rapid tyre inflation pressure loss, e.g. in
case of sudden tyre damage. In this case carefully bring the vehicle to a standstill
without sudden steering movements or sharp braking.
■
To ensure a proper functioning of the tyre control display, it is necessary to re-
peat the basic setting every 10 000 km or once a year.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Note
■ We recommend that any work on the wheels or tyres is carried out by a ŠKODA
Partner.■
We recommend that you use wheel rims, tyres, full wheel trims and snow chains
from ŠKODA Original Accessories.

Tyre lifeFig. 155
Tyre tread with wear indicators/Open fuel filler flap with a table de-
tailing the tyre size and tyre inflation pressure
Fig. 156
Changing wheels around
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 181.
The life of tyres depends on the inflation pressure, driving style, and other cir-
cumstances. If you follow the advice below you can extend the life of your tyres.
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 inflation pressures for summer tyres are indicated on the inside of the
fuel filler flap » Fig. 155 –
. The inflation pressures for
winter tyres are 20 kPa
(0.2 bar) higher than those for summer tyres.
The tyre pressure should be at the highest pressure specified for your vehicle at all times. 
182General Maintenance

Always check the inflation pressure when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the
higher pressure of warm tyres.
With greater payload, adjust the tyre inflation pressure accordingly.
Driving style
Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking increase the wear of your tyres.
Balancing wheels
The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. When driving, there are a wide range
of influences which may result in an imbalance. This may make itself felt by a vi-
bration in the steering.
Have the wheels rebalanced after replacing the tyres.
Wheel alignment errors
An incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear leads to excess wear on the tyres.
Tyre damage
Drive over curbs and other such obstacles slowly and, where possible, at a right
angle in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.
We recommend checking your tyres and wheel rims for damage (punctures, cuts,
splits and bulges, etc.) on a regular basis. Remove foreign bodies (e.g. small
stones) from the tyre profile immediately.
Changing wheels around
If significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend chang-
ing the front wheels around with the rear wheels as shown in the dia- gram » Fig. 156 . You will then obtain approximately the same life for all the tyres.
We recommend that you change the tyres around every 10 000 km in order to
achieve even wear on all tyres and to obtain optimal tyre life.
Storing tyres
Mark them previously used tyres so that you are able to fit them on again to run in the same direction.
Always store wheels or tyres in a cool, dry and, where possible, dark place. Tyres which are not fixed to a wheel trim should be stored upright.
Wear indicators
The base of the tread of the tyres has 1.6 mm high wear indicators installed.
These wear indicators are located multiple times depending on the make and are evenly spaced around the circumference of the tyre » Fig. 155 – 
. Markings on
the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”, triangular symbols or other sym-
bols identify the position of the wear indicators.
New tyres and wheels
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 181.
Only fit radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and the same
tread pattern on one axle on all 4 wheels.
The tyre/wheel combinations which are approved for your vehicle are indicated in
your vehicle documents.
Where possible replace tyres by axle. Always fit the tyres with the deeper tread
depth to the front wheels.
Explanation of tyre markings 195/65 R 15 91 T
What this means is:
195Tyre width in mm » Fig. 155 on page 182 - 65Height/width ratio in % » Fig. 155 on page 182 - RCode letter for the type of tyre – Radial » Fig. 155 on page 182 - 15Diameter of wheel in inches » Fig. 155 on page 182 - 91Load index » TSpeed symbol »
The date of manufacture is stated on the tyre wall (possibly only on the inside of
wheel ). e.g.
DOT ... 20 12...
means, for example, that the tyre was manufactured in the 20th week of 2012.
Speed symbol
This indicates the maximum permissible vehicle speed with mounted tyres for the respective category.
160 km/h
170 km/h
180 km/h
190 km/h
200 km/h
210 km/h 
QRSTUH183Wheels

While pressing the button, the warning light  lights up. At the same time the
system memory is erased and the new calibration is started, which is confirmed
with an audible signal and then the warning light  goes out.
If the warning light  does not go out after the calibration, this indicates a sys-
tem fault. Seek help from a ŠKODA specialist garage.
The rolling circumference of the tyre can change if: › the tyre inflation pressure is too low;
› the structure of the tyre is damaged;
› the vehicle is loaded on one side;
› the wheels of an axle are loaded heavily (e.g. when towing a trailer or when
driving uphill or downhill);
› snow chains are mounted;
› the spare wheel is mounted;
› one wheel per axle was changed.WARNING■
When the warning light  illuminates, immediately reduce the speed and
avoid sudden steering and brake manoeuvres. Stop the vehicle as soon as
possible and inspect the tyres and their inflation pressure.■
Under certain circumstances (e.g. sporty style of driving, wintry or unpaved
roads) the warning light  can be delayed or does not light up at all.

Wheel bolts
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 181.
Wheels and wheel bolts are matched to each other in terms of design. Each time
you fit other wheels, e.g. light alloy wheels or wheels with winter tyres, you must
also use the matching wheel bolts of the correct length and shape of spherical cap. This is essential to ensure that the wheels are tightly fitted and that the
brake system operates properly.

Winter tyres
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 181.
The handling of your vehicle will be significantly improved when driving on wintry roads if you fit winter tyres. Summer tyres on ice, snee and at temperatures be-
low 7 °C have less grip. This is especially true of low-profile tyres or high-speed
tyres .
To achieve the best possible handling properties, winter tyres must be fitted on
all 4 wheels, the minimum tread depth must be 4 mm and tyres must be no older than 4 years.
Winter tyres of a lower speed category can be used provided that the permissible
maximum speed of these tyres is not exceeded even if the possible maximum
speed of the vehicle is higher.
The winter tyres speed limit is set in the menu » operating instructions for Info-
tainment , chapter Setting vehicle systems (CAR button) .
For the sake of the environment
Fit the summer tyres on again in good time as they provide better handling prop-
erties, a shorter braking distance, less tyre noise, and reduced tyre wear on roadswhich are free of snow and ice as well as at temperatures above 7 °C. The fuelconsumption is also lower.
Snow chains
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 181.
When driving on wintry roads, snow chains improve not only traction, but also the
braking performance.
Snow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the following wheel/tyre combinations.
Wheel sizeDepth (D)Tyre size6J x 15 a)43 mm195/65 R156J x 16 b)48 mm205/55 R166J x 17b)48 mm205/50 R17a)
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 13 mm.
b)
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 12 mm.
Remove the full wheel trims before installing the snow chains. 
186General Maintenance

›If the engine does not start, terminate the attempt to start the engine after
10 seconds and wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the process.›
Disconnect the cables in exactly the reverse order to the one described above.

Jump-starting in vehicles with the START-STOP system
Fig. 168
Engine compartment: Earth
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 195.
On vehicles with the START-STOP system, the jump-start cable of the charger
must never be connected directly to the negative pole of the vehicle battery, but
only to the engine earth » Fig. 168.

Towing the vehicle

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Front towing eye
197
Rear towing eye
197
Vehicles a towing device
198
Vehicles with manual transmission may be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope
or with the front or rear wheels raised.
Vehicles with automatic transmission may be towed in with a tow bar or a tow
rope or with the front wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised at rear, the automatic
gearbox is damaged!
A tow bar is the safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimises any shocks.
Only use a tow rope if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The following guidelines must be observed.
Driver of the tow vehicle›
Release the clutch particularly gently when starting off or depress the accelera-
tor particularly gently if the vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
›
On vehicles with a manual transmission, only push down on the accelerator pedal once the rope is taught.
The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
Driver of the towed vehicle
›
Switch on the ignition so that the steering wheel is not blocked and so that the
turn signal lights, horn, windscreen wipers and windscreen washer system can be switched on.
›
Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N if the ve-
hicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Please note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the en-
gine is running. If the engine is not running, significantly more physical force is re- quired to depress the brake pedal and steer the vehicle.
If using a tow rope, ensure that it is always kept taught.
CAUTION
■ Do not tow start the engine - danger of damaging the engine! On vehicles with
a catalytic converter, unburnt fuel may get into the catalytic converter where it
may ignite. This in turn may damage or destroy the catalytic converter. The bat-
tery from another vehicle can be used as a jump-start aid » page 195, Jump-start-
ing .■
If the gearbox of your vehicle no longer contains any oil because of a defect,
your vehicle must only be towed in with the driven wheels raised clear of the
ground, or on a special vehicle transporter or trailer.
■
The vehicle must be transported on a special vehicle or trailer if it is not possible
to tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance is greater than
50 km.
■
To protect both vehicles when tow-starting or towing, the tow rope should be
elastic. Thus one should only use plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a simi-
larly elastic material. 
196Do-it-yourself

Fuses in the dash panelFig. 171
Storage compartment in the dash panel/schematic diagram of the
fuse box
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 199.
The fuse box can be found behind the stowage compartment in the left-hand
part of the dash panel.
Replacing fuses
›
Opening the stowage compartment » page 73.
›
Grab hold of the stowage compartment in the area of the arrows » Fig. 171.
›
Fold out the stowage compartment by pulling in the direction of arrow
1
.
›
Replace the appropriate fuse.
›
Fold back the stowage compartment by pressing into the secured position in
the dash panel in the direction of arrow
2
.
›
Close the stowage compartment.
Fuse assignment in the dash panel
No.Power consumer1Not assigned2Not assigned3Not assigned4Not assigned5Data bus control unit6Alarm sensorNo.Power consumer
7
Control unit for the air conditioning system, heating, receiver for re-
mote control for the auxiliary heating, selector lever for the automatic gearbox, relay for the rear window heater, replay for the windscreen
heater8Light switch, rain sensor, diagnostic socket9Haldex clutch10Touchscreen11Heated rear seats12Radio13Heated rear seats14Air blower for air conditioning,heating15Electric steering lock16Signal amplifier for telephone, telephone preinstallation17Instrument cluster18Not assigned19KESSY control unit20Steering wheel module21Radio accessories22Luggage compartment door opening23Light - right24Panorama roof25Control unit for central locking front door right, power windows - left26Heated front seats27Music amplifier28Towing device29Not assigned30Belt tensioner - driver's side31Headlight - left32Parking aid (Park Assist)33Airbag 200Do-it-yourself

Index
A
ABS Function
113
Warning light17
Accessories165
Active driver-steering recommendation (DSR)112
Adjusting Exterior mirror
58
Interior mirror57
Adjusting seats139
Adjustment Seat
60
Aerial160
see Radio reception162
Airbag146
Deployment146
Front airbag147
Head airbag150
Knee airbag148
Side airbag149
Airbag system146
Air conditioning system Air outlets
82
Climatronic86
Manual air conditioning system84
Air outlets82
Alarm35
Anti-theft alarm system35
Antilock brake system113
Armrest Front
76
rear64
Ashtray70
Assist systems ABS
17, 113
Cruise control systems (CCS)119
EDL114
ESC17, 112
Headlight assist47
Lane Assist126
Park Assist116
Parking aid114
ProActive passenger protection125
Select driving mode124
START/STOP121
TCS16, 113
Auto Check Control12
Automatic driving lamp control45
Automatic gearbox Dynamic shift programme
132
Emergency programme132
Kickdown132
Selector lever-emergency unlocking133
Selector lever lock131
Selector lever positions130
Starting-off and driving130
Tiptronic131
Automatic load deactivation180
Automatic transmission129
Auxiliary heating and cooling system Switching on/off
89
Auxiliary heating (auxiliary heating and ventila- tion)
88
setting90
B
Ball rod Check attachment
108
installing107
Ready position107
removing108
Battery Replacing the battery in the remote control(aux-
iliary heating)
91
Before setting off138
Belt tensioners145
Bonnet Closing171
Opening171
Boot Cover
67
Fastening elements65
Fixing of the floor covering66
Light65
see Boot lid37
Boot lid37
Automatic locking38
Brake booster97
Brake fluid Checking
175
Brake pads Indicator light
20
Brakes Brake assist systems
112
Brake booster97
Handbrake98
Running in100
Warning light14
Braking Brake fluid
175
Information for braking97
Breakdown kit192
Break recommendation see Fatigue detection
27
Bulbs Replacing
202
Button in the driver's door Electrical power windows
38
C
Car computer see Multifunction display
22
Car jack188
Carrier68
Catalytic converter100
Central locking button32
212Index

Hazard warning light system49
Headlight beam adjustment44
Headlight flasher45
Main beam45
parking light45
Parking light44
Rear fog light48
Replacing bulbs202
Tourist light46
Turn signal light45
Lights Low beam
44
switching on and off44
Warning lights12
Loads207
Locking Remote control
32
Locking and unlocking from the inside32
Lock the vehicle Keys
31
Luggage compartment Emergency unlocking
38
Fixing nets66
Folding double hooks66
Unlocking the luggage compartment lid38
M
Mirror Exterior mirror
58
Vanity53
Mobile phone134
Multicollision brake112
Multifunction display Functions
22
Memory22
Select data22
Multimedia135
AUX137
MEDIA IN137
USB137
N
Nets
66
O
Oil refer to Engine oil
172
Onboard computer see Multifunction display
22
Operation in winter De-icing windows
162
Diesel fuel169
Vehicle battery179
Outside temperature21
Overview Engine compartment
172
Warning lights12
P
Paint see Paint damage
161
Paint damage161
Parking automatic brake assist
116
Manoeuvring out of a parallel parking space116
Park Assist116
Parking aid114
Parking ticket holder80
Passive Safety138
Pedals99
Petrol refer to Fuel
168
Polishing the paintwork refer to Taking care of your vehicle
161
Power sockets 12 V
71
230 V71
Power steering93
Power windows Button in the front passenger door40
Preservation refer to Taking care of your vehicle
161
ProActive passenger protection125
R
Radiator fan
175
Radio reception Aerial
162
Functional fault162
Raise vehicle191
Rear mirror56
Exterior mirror58
Interior mirror57
Rear seats Seat backrest
63
Rear window - heating52
Recirculated air mode Climatronic
87
Manual air conditioning system85
Recommended gear21
Refuelling167
Fuel167
Regulation Headlight beam
44
Remote control32
Auxiliary heating (auxiliary heating)90
Synchronisation process33
Remote control key Replacing the battery
28
Replacement of parts165
replacing Vehicle battery
179
Replacing bulbs
202
Fuses199
The rear window wiper blade56
Wiper blades56
215Index