2013 SKODA OCTAVIA tow

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 head in the ready position with the key inserted in the box. When
doing so, make the side opposite to the inserted key face downwards – there is a
risk of damaging the key.
■
Do not use excessive force when handling the operating lever (e.g. do not climb
on it)!
Note
■ We recommend putting the protective cover onto the ball head before removing
the tow bar.■
Remove any dirt from the ball rod before stowing it away in the box with the
vehicle tool kit.

Use and care
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 169.
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.
Trailer
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Loading a trailer
172
Driving with a trailer
173
Trailer stabilisation
174
Anti-theft alarm system
174WARNINGAlways drive particularly carefully with the trailer.

Loading a trailer
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 172.
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 jeopardises the 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 229,
Service life of tyres .
Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must not be exceeded under any circumstan-
ces » page 263 , Technical data .
The trailer loads specified apply only to altitudes up to 1000 metres above mean
sea level. 
172Driving

The engine output falls as the height increases, as does the ability to climb.
Therefore, for every additional 1000 m in height (or part), the maximum permissi- ble towed weight must be reduced by 10%.
The towed weight is made up of the actual weights of the loaded towing vehicleand 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 injury.■
Slipping loads can significantly impair the stability and safety of the vehicle/
trailer combination – risk of accident and serious injury.

Driving with a trailer
Fig. 157
Swivel out the 13-pin power
socket
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 172.
Before the journey
›
Grip the 13-pin socket at point
A
and swing out in the direction of ar-
row » Fig. 157 .
›
Lift off protective cap
5
» Fig. 152 on page 169 .
After the journey
›
Grip the 13-pin socket at point
A
and swing in the opposite direction to the ar-
row » Fig. 157 .
›Place the protective cover 5
» Fig. 152 on page 169 onto the tow bar.
Safety eye
The purpose of the safety eyelet B
» Fig. 157 is to attach the breakaway 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 front of the vehicle may lift up when a trailer is being towed and the head-
lights may dazzle other road users.
Adjust the headlights using the headlight beam control » page 55, Side lights and
low beam .
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.
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 display » page 22 is
lit. Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant » page 222.
The following guidelines must be observed » page 22, 
Coolant .
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating. 
173Towing a trailer

WARNING■Never use the safety eye to tow a vehicle!■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.
■
Work on the electrical system must only be carried out by specialist garages.
■
Never directly connect the trailer's electrical system with the electrical con-
nections for the tail lights or other current sources.
Note
■ After coupling the trailer and connecting up the power socket, check the rear
lights on the trailer to ensure they work.■
If there is an error in the trailer lighting system, check the fuses in the fuse box
in the dashboard » page 253.
■
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.

Trailer stabilisation
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 172.
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.
Function requirements for trailer stabilisation.
The trailer was shipped from the factory or purchased from the ŠKODA genu-
ine accessories.
The ESC system is active. (The warning light  is lit up in the instrument clus-
ter or  not ).
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 rigid drawbar.WARNINGThe increased safety offered by the trailer stabilisation must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise.
CAUTION
■ The trailer stabilisation need not be able to correctly detect all of driving situa-
tions.■
Trailers that sway slightly may not always be detected by the trailer stabilisa-
tion and are thus not stabilised accordingly.
■
Release the pressure on the accelerator pedal if the system is being regulated.
■
Avoid abrupt and sudden driving/braking manoeuvres.
Note
The trailer stabilisation works for both braked and unbraked trailers.
Anti-theft alarm system
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 172.
If the vehicle is locked, the alarm is activated when the electrical connection to
the trailer is interrupted.
Always switch off the anti-theft alarm system before a trailer is coupled or uncou- pled » page 42 . 
174Driving

Conditions for including a trailer in the anti-theft alarm system.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 functional.
the vehicle is locked with the vehicle key and the anti-theft alarm system is
activated.
Note
For technical reasons, trailers with rear LED lights cannot be connected to the an-
ti-theft alarm system.175Towing a trailer

Seat belts
Using seat belts
Introduction
Fig. 159
Driver wearing seat belt
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
The physical principle of a head-on collision
181
Fastening and unfastening seat belts
182
Belt height adjustment on the front seats
183
Seat belts that are fastened correctly offer good protection in the event of an ac-
cident. They reduce the risk of an injury and increase the chance of survival in the
event of a major accident.
Correctly fastened seat belts hold occupants of the car in the correct seated posi-
tion » Fig. 159 .
The seat belts reduce the kinetic energy (energy of motion) to a considerable ex-
tent. They also prevent uncontrolled movements which, in turn, may well result in
severe injuries.
The occupants of a vehicle who have fastened and correctly adjusted their seat belt profit to a major extent from the fact that the kinetic energy is as much as
possible absorbed by the belts.
The structure of the front end of the vehicle and other passive safety measures,
such as the airbag system, also contribute to reducing the kinetic energy in the
best possible way. The energy produced is thus absorbed and there is less risk of injury.
Particular safety aspects must be observed when transporting children in the ve-
hicle » page 193 .WARNING■
Fasten your seat belt before each journey – even when driving in town! This
also applies to the people seated at the rear – risk of injury!■
Expectant women must also always wear a seat belt. This is the only way of
ensuring optimal protection for the unborn child » page 182, Fastening and
unfastening seat belts .
■
The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
are correctly seated » page 177, Correct seated position .
■
The seat backrests of the front seats must not be tilted too far to the rear
otherwise the seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions to ensure that the webbing of the seat
belts is properly routed.■
Always ensure that the webbing of the seat belts is properly routed. Seat
belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in
minor accidents.
■
Adjust the height of the belt in such a way that the shoulder part of the belt
is roughly positioned across the middle of your shoulder – on no account
across your neck.
■
A seat belt which is hanging too loose can result in injuries as your body is
moved forward by the kinetic energy produced in an accident and is then sud-
denly held firm by the belt.
■
The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. specta-
cles, ball-point pens, keys, etc.). Such objects can cause injury.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for handling the seat belts is properly.■The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
or chafe against any sharp edges.■
Make sure you do not catch the seat belt in the door when closing it. 
180Safety

In the event of a side collision the head airbag is deployed together with the rele-
vant side airbag and the front seat belt tensioner on the side of the car on which
the accident occurs.
When deployed, the airbag covers the window area of the front and rear doors, as well as the area of the door pillar » Fig. 169 -  .
Head impact with interior parts is reduced by the inflated head airbag. The reduc- tion in any impact to the head and the resultant minimizing of any movements of
the head additionally reduce the risk of injuries to the neck area.
The head airbag also offers additional protection in the case of an offset impact by covering the front door pillar.WARNINGGeneral■There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head airbags
which might prevent the airbags from inflating properly.■
Only hang light items of clothing on the hooks fitted in the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of cloth-
ing. Additionally, clothes hangers must not be used to hang up items of cloth-
ing.
■
The installation of impermissible accessories in the vicinity of the head air-
bags can considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the
event of it being deployed. When the deployed head airbag is inflated, parts of
the accessories fitted could, conditions permitting, be thrown into the interior
of the car and injure the occupants » page 200.
■
The sun visors must not be swivelled towards the side windows in the de-
ployment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens, etc.
are attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head
airbag is deployed.
■
There must no other persons (e.g. children) or animals between the passen-
ger and the deployment area of the head airbag. In addition, none of the occu-
pants should lean their head out of the window when driving, or extend their
arms and hands out of the window.
WARNINGThe airbag control unit operates using pressure sensors located in the front
doors. For this reason, no adjustments may be carried out to the doors or door
panels (e.g. installation of additional loudspeakers). Resulting damage can have a negative impact on the function of the airbag system. Any work on thefront doors and door panels must be carried out by a specialist garage. The
following guidelines must be observed.■
Never drive with inner door panels removed.
■
Never drive if parts of the inner door panel have been removed and the re-
sulting openings have not been properly sealed.
■
Never drive if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, unless the
loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed.
■
Always make sure that the openings are covered or filled if additional loud-
speakers or other equipment parts have been installed in the inner door pan-
els.
■
Always have work carried out by a ŠKODA service partner or a professional
specialist garage.
Note
In vehicles with head airbags, the word AIRBAG can be seen on the B column
cladding.
Deactivating airbags
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Deactivating airbags
191
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
191
190Safety

Specifications and capacity (in l) for vehicles with fixed service intervalsPetrol enginesSpecificationFilling level1.2 l/63, 77 kW TSI
VW 502 00
4.01.4 litres/103 kW TSI1.8 ltr./132 kW TSI5.22.0 ltr./162 kW TSI5.7Diesel enginesSpecificationFilling level1.6 l/66, 77, 81 kW TDIVW 507 00a)4.62.0 l/105, 110, 135 kW TDIa)
Engine oil VW 505 01 can optionally be used in diesel engines without a
DPF.
CAUTION
■
If the above engine oils are not available, a different engine oil can be used in
an emergency. To prevent damage to the engine, a max. 0.5 l only of the follow-
ing engine oils may be used until the next oil change: ■ For petrol engine models: ACEA A3/ACEA B4 or API SN/API SM;
■ For diesel engine models: ACEA C3 or API CJ-4.
Checking the oil level
Fig. 184
Dipstick
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 219.
The dipstick indicates the engine oil level » Fig. 184.
Checking the oil level
Ensure that the vehicle is positioned on a level surface and the engine has
reached its operating temperature.›
Switch off the engine.
Wait a few minutes until the engine oil flows back into the oil trough.
›
Open the bonnet.
›
Pull out the dipstick.
›
Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth and insert it again to the stop.
›
Pull the dipstick out again and check the oil level.
Oil level within range
A
No oil must be refilled.
Oil level within range
B
Oil can be refilled. Afterwards, the oil level can lie in the range
A
.
Oil level within range
C
Oil must be replenished if the oil level is in the range
B
or lower.
The engine consumes a little oil. The oil consumption may be as much as 0.5 l/
1000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which you
operate your vehicle. Consumption may be slightly higher than this during the
first 5000 kilometres.
The oil level must be checked at regular intervals. We recommend after each time
you refuel or prior to making a long journey.
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 icon 
is displayed in the instrument cluster if the oil level is too
low » page 23 . Check the oil level using the dipstick as soon as possible. Add oil
accordingly.
CAUTION
The oil level must not exceed level A » Fig. 184 - risk of damaging the exhaust
system!
220General Maintenance

›The wheels of one axle are loaded more 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.
For vehicles with Infotainment 1)
it can be determined which tyres should be
checked » Manual Infotainment , chapter Vehicle settings (key CAR) .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  may light up after a delay, or not at all.
CAUTION
■
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 10000 km or once a year.

Spare wheel
Fig. 192
Luggage compartment: Spare
wheel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 228.
The spare wheel is located in a well under the floor covering in the boot and is
fixed in place with a special bolt » Fig. 192.
Take out wheel
›
Open the boot lid.
›
Raise the floor covering in the boot » page 99.
›
Remove the box with the tool kit.
›
Pull out safety lock
1
» Fig. 192 in the direction of the arrow.
›
Unscrew the
2
bolt in a counterclockwise direction.
›
Remove the wheel.
Store wheel away
›
Place the replaced wheel into the spare wheel well with the wheel rim pointing
downward.
›
Screw in bolt
2
» Fig. 192 in a clockwise direction, until the wheel is secure.
›
Insert safety lock
1
» Fig. 192 in the opposite direction to which the arrow is
pointing.
›
Place the box with the tool kit back into the spare wheel and secure it with the
tape.
›
Fold back the floor covering in the boot » page 99.
›
Shut the boot lid.
Install a wheel having the appropriate version and dimensions as soon as possi-
ble.
If the dimensions or design of the spare wheel differ from the tyres fitted to the
vehicle (e.g. winter tyres or low-profile tyres), it must only be used briefly in the
event of a puncture and if an appropriately cautious style of driving is adop-
ted »
.
Temporary spare wheel
A yellow warning label is displayed on the rim of the temporary spare wheel.
Please note the following if you intend to use the temporary spare wheel. › The warning label must not be covered after installing the wheel.
› Be specially attentive when driving.
› The inflation pressure for the temporary spare wheel is identical to the maxi-
mum inflation pressure of the standard tyres.
› Only use this temporary spare wheel to reach the nearest specialist garage, as it
is not intended for long-term use. 

1)
Does not apply to vehicles with the Infotainment Blues and Swing system.
232General Maintenance