2013 SKODA CITIGO page 136

A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-tear
and automatic adjustment of the brake pads.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the fluid lev-
el drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” marking.
If the brake fluid level is too low, this is shown by the indicator light  » page 16 ,
 Braking system lighting up in the instrument cluster.
Changing
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 133.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. Over time it therefore absorbs moisture from the
environment.
Excessive water in the brake fluid may be the cause of corrosion in the brake sys-
tem.
The water content lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid.
The brake fluid must comply with the following standards or specifications: › VW 50114;
› FMVSS 116 DOT4.

Vehicle battery

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Checking the battery electrolyte level
135
Operation in winter
136
Charging
136
Replace
137
Disconnecting and reconnecting
137
Automatic load deactivation
137Warning symbols on the vehicle batterySymbolImportanceAlways wear eye protection.Battery acid is severely caustic. Always wear gloves and eye protec-
tion.Keep fire, sparks, open flames and lit cigarettes well clear of the ve-
hicle 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 comply
with the general applicable safety rules as well as the warning instructions
outlined below.■
Keep children away from the vehicle battery.
■
Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the bat-
tery 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 conjunctivitis
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 imme-
diately!
■
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 swallow
battery acid, consult a doctor immediately! 
134General Maintenance

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 ga-
rage, especially in the following cases.
› High external temperatures.
› Longer day trips.
› After each charge.
CAUTION
For technical reasons, on vehicles with the description “AGM”, the electrolyte lev-
el cannot be checked.
Note
The battery acid level is also checked regularly by a specialist garage as part of
the inspection service.
Operation in winter
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 134.
The vehicle battery only has a proportion of the starting power in lower tempera-
tures. A discharged vehicle battery may already freeze at temperatures just be-
low 0 °C .
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked and, if necessary, re-
charged by a specialist garage before the start of the winter.

Charging
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 134.
A properly charged vehicle battery is essential for reliably starting the engine.
› Switch off the ignition and all of the electrical components.›Only when performing a “quick-charge”, disconnect both battery cables (first
“negative”, then “positive”).›
Attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals (red = “posi- tive”, black = “negative”).
›
Plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket and switch on thedevice.
›
After charging has been successful: Switch off the charger and remove themains cable from the power socket.
›
Only then disconnect the charger's terminal clamps.
›
Reconnect the cables to the battery (first “positive”, then “negative”).
It is not necessary to disconnect the cables of the battery if you recharge the ve-
hicle battery using low amperages (for example from a mini-charger). Refer to the
instructions of the charger manufacturer .
A charging current of 0.1 multiple of the total vehicle battery capacity (or lower) must be used until full charging is achieved.
It is necessary to disconnect both cables before charging the battery with high
amperages, known as “ rapid charging”.
The vent plugs of the vehicle battery should not be opened for charging.
WARNING“Quick-charging” the vehicle battery is dangerous and requires a special
charger and specialist knowledge.
CAUTION
On vehicles with the START/STOP system, the pole terminal of the charger must
not be connected directly to the negative terminal of the vehicle battery, but only
to the engine earth » page 152, Jump-starting in vehicles with the START-STOP
system .
Note
We therefore recommend that vehicle batteries be rapid charged by a specialist
garage.
136General Maintenance

The operating weight also contains the weight of the driver (75 kg), the weight ofthe operating fluids, the tool kit, and a fuel tank filled to 90 % capacity.
It is possible to calculate the approximate loading capacity from the differencebetween the permissible total weight and the operating weight »
.
The payload consists of the following components: › Passengers
› All items of luggage and other loads
› Roof load including roof rack system
› Equipment not included in the operating weight.
Fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions according to ECE standards and EU
directives
The measurement of the intra-urban cycle begins with a cold start of the engine.
Afterwards standard urban driving is simulated.
In the extra-urban driving cycle, the vehicle is accelerated and decelerated in all gears, corresponding to daily routine driving conditions. The driving speed variesbetween 0 and 120 km/h.
The calculation of the combined fuel consumption considers a weighting of about 37 % for the intra-urban cycle and 63 % for the extra-urban cycle.
WARNINGDo not exceed the specified maximum permissible weights – risk of accident
and damage!
Note
■ If required, you can find out the precise weight of your vehicle at a specialist ga-
rage.■
The fuel consumption and emission values have been determined in accordance
with rules and under conditions set out by legal or technical requirements for de-
termining operational and technical data for motor vehicles.
■
Depending on the range of equipment, style of driving, traffic situation, weather
influences and vehicle condition, consumption values may deviate from the indi-
cated values.

Dimensions
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 161.
Vehicle dimensions (mm)
Length3563Width1641/1645 a)Width including exterior mirror1910Height1478/1463 b)
/1480 c)Clearance136/121 b)
/134 c)Wheel base2420/2421 c)Track gauge front/rear1428/1424a)
Valid for vehicles with rear side doors.
b)
Applies to vehicles with a Green-tec package.
c)
Valid for vehicles with CNG operation.

162Technical data