2013 SKODA RAPID SPACEBACK charging

AbbreviationsAbbreviationDefinitionrpmEngine revolutions per minuteA2DPa Bluetooth software profile for a one-way transfer of audio
dataABSAnti-lock brake systemAGAutomatic gearboxAGMVehicle battery typeTCSTraction controlCO 2 in g/kmdischarged quantity of carbon dioxide in grams per driven
kilometreDPFDiesel particle filterDSGAutomatic double clutch gearboxEDLElectronic differential lockECEEconomic Commission for EuropeEPCEPC fault lightESCElectronic Stability ControlEUEuropean UnionGSMGlobal System for Mobile communicationsHBAHydraulic brake assistHHCUphill start assistkWKilowatt, measuring unit for the engine outputMDIInputs for connecting external devicesMFDMultifunction displayMGManual gearboxMPIGasoline engine with a multi-point fuel injectionN1Panel van intended exclusively or mainly for the transporta-
tion of goodsNmNewton meter, measuring unit for the engine torquePINpersonal identification numberSIM carda card for the identification of the mobile network operatorAbbreviationDefinitionTDI CRDiesel engine with turbo charging and common rail injection
systemTSIPetrol engine with turbocharging and direct injection5Abbreviations

CAUTION■Do not continue your journey if the fluid level has dropped below the “MIN”
marking » Fig. 127 on page 138 ,  do not continue to drive - risk of accidents!
Seek help from a specialist garage.■
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
Note
■ The brake fluid is changed as part of a compulsory inspection service.■We recommend using brake fluids from the ŠKODA Original Accessories
range.
Checking the brake fluid level
Fig. 127
Engine compartment: Brake fluid
reservoir
Read and observe and on page 137 first.
The fluid can be checked if the following conditions are met.
The vehicle is standing on a horizontal surface.
The engine is turned off.
The bonnet is open.
Checking the level
›
Check the level of brake fluid in the reservoir » Fig. 127.
The level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
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
level drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” mark-
ing.
Too low brake fluid level is indicated by the warning light lighting up in the
instrument cluster as well as the relevant notification being dis-
played » page 31 , 
Brake system .
Specification
Read and observe
and on page 137 first.
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:
Opening the cover
139
Checking the battery electrolyte level
140
Charging
140
Replacing
141
Disconnecting and reconnecting
141
Automatic load deactivation
141
The vehicle battery represents a power source for the motor to start and for
the supply of electrical consumers in the car.
Warning symbols on the vehicle battery
SymbolMeaningAlways wear eye protection!Battery acid is severely caustic. Always wear gloves and eye pro-
tection!Keep fire, sparks, open flames and lit cigarettes well clear of the
vehicle battery!When charging the vehicle battery, a highly explosive gas mixture
is produced!Keep children away from the vehicle battery! 138General Maintenance

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 com-
ply with the general applicable safety rules as well as the warning instruc-
tions outlined below.■
Keep the vehicle battery away from people who are not completely inde-
pendent, especially children.
■
Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery 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 conjunctivi-
tis 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.
■
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
immediately!
■
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!
WARNING■ The use of open flames and light should be avoided.■Smoking and radio triggering activities should be avoided.■
Never use a damaged vehicle battery – risk of explosion!
■
Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – risk of explosion and
chemical burns!
■
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with insufficient acid levels – risk of
explosion and chemical burns.
CAUTION
■ Improper handling of the vehicle battery may cause damage.■Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork – risk
of damage to the paintwork.■ If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3-4 weeks, the battery will
discharge. Prevent the battery from discharging by disconnecting the battery's
negative terminal (-) or continuously charging the battery with a very low
charging current.■
Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the vehicle bat-
tery housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
■
If the vehicle is frequently used for making short trips, the vehicle battery
will not have time to charge up sufficiently and may discharge.
For the sake of the environment
A vehicle battery that has been removed is a special type of hazardous waste.
These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regulations.
Note
■ We recommend having all work on the vehicle battery carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.■
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
Opening the cover
Fig. 128
Engine compartment: Battery
cover
Read and observe and on page 139 first.
The battery is located in the engine compartment » Fig. 128.
›
Open the cover in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 128.
The battery cover is installed in reverse order.
139Inspecting and replenishing

Checking the battery electrolyte levelFig. 129
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
Read and observe and on page 139 first.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, » Fig. 129the
colouring of the display can indicate the acidic level.
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 garage, especially in the following cases.
› High external temperatures.
› Longer day trips.
› After each charge.
Winter time
The vehicle battery only has a proportion of the starting power in lower tem-
peratures. A discharged vehicle battery may already freeze at temperatures
just below 0 °C .
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked and, if necessary,
recharged by a specialist garage before the start of the winter.
Note■ The battery acid level is also checked regularly by a specialist garage as part
of the inspection service.■
For technical reasons, on vehicles with the description “AGM”, the electrolyte
level cannot be checked.
Charging
Read and observe
and on page 139 first.
A properly charged vehicle battery is essential for reliably starting the engine.
A charging operation can be performed if the following conditions are satis-
fied.
The engine is turned off.
The ignition is switched off.
All consumers are turned off.
The bonnet is open.
“Fast charging” with high currents
›
Disconnect both battery cables (first of all “negative”, then “positive”).
›
Attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals (red =
“positive”, black = “negative”).
›
Plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket and switch on the
device.
›
After charging has been successful: Switch off the charger and remove the
mains cable from the power socket.
›
Only then disconnect the charger's terminal clamps.
›
Reconnect the cables to the battery (first “positive”, then “negative”).
Charging with low voltages
It is not necessary to disconnect the cables from the battery if you recharge
the vehicle battery, 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 low-
er) must be used until full charging is achieved.
The vent plugs of the vehicle battery should not be opened for charging. 
140General Maintenance

WARNING■When you charge a battery, hydrogen is released, and a highly explosive
gas mixture is also produced. An explosion can be caused through sparkling
over during unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is
on.■
Creating a bridge between the poles on the battery (e.g. with metal ob-
jects - cables) creates a short circuit - risk of damage to the battery, explo-
sion and burning of the battery, jets of acid spurting out.
■
Avoid creating sparks when working with cables and electrical devices.
Strong sparking represents a risk of injury.
■
Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch off the en-
gine, the ignition and all electrical consumers and disconnect the negative
terminal (-).
■
“Quick-charging” the vehicle battery is dangerous and requires a special
charger and specialist knowledge.
■
We therefore recommend that vehicle batteries be “rapidly charged” by a
specialist garage.
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 158, Jump-starting in vehicles with the
START-STOP system .
Replacing
Read and observe
and on page 139 first.
The new vehicle battery must have the same capacity, voltage, current and
size as the original battery. Suitable vehicle battery types can be purchased
from a specialist garage.
We recommend having the battery replaced by a specialist garage, where the
new vehicle battery will be installed properly and the original battery will be
disposed of in accordance with national regulations.
Disconnecting and reconnecting
Read and observe
and on page 139 first.
Disconnecting
›
Switch off the ignition.
›First, disconnect the negative terminal (-) first, then the positive (+) terminal
of the battery.
Connecting›
First, connect the positive (+) first, then the negative (-) battery terminal.
After disconnecting and re-connecting the vehicle battery, the following func-
tions or devices are partially or completely inoperative.
Function / deviceCommissioningRadio and/or navigation systemEnter code number » User radio
manual and/or » navigation
system user manualTime settings» page 29
CAUTION
■ Disconnect the vehicle battery only with the ignition turned off - there is a
risk of damaging the electrical system of the vehicle.■
Under no circumstances must the battery cables be connected incorrectly –
risk of a cable fire.
Note
■ After disconnecting and re-connecting the vehicle battery, we recommend
having the vehicle checked by a specialist to ensure that the full functionality
of all electrical systems is guaranteed.■
The data of the multi-function display will be reset.
Automatic load deactivation
Read and observe
and on page 139 first.
The vehicle voltage control unit automatically prevents the battery from dis-
charging when the battery is put under high levels of strain. This manifests it-
self by the following.
› The idling speed is raised to allow the generator to deliver more electricity to
the electrical system.
› Where necessary, large convenience consumers such as seat heaters and
rear window heaters have their power limited or are shut off completely in
the event of an emergency. 
141Inspecting and replenishing

Brake fluid137
Checking138
Information messages31
brake pedal (automatic gearbox) indicator light
36
brakes Driving in
104
Brakes Brake booster
99
Brake fluid138
Braking and stabilisation systems106
Handbrake100
Information messages31
Brakes and parking99
Braking Information on braking
99
Breakdown kit155
bulb rear lamp
170
Bulbs Replacing
166
Buttons in the driver's door Electric power windows
51
C
Car computer See multifunction display
39
Care and maintenance119
Car park ticket holder69
Carrier83
Cavity protection125
Central locking45
Central locking button48
Change Engine oil
134
Changing Front turn signal bulb
168
Wheels151
Changing a wheel Follow-up work153
Preliminary work151
Removing and attaching a wheel152
Charging a vehicle battery140
Check Fit ball head properly
114
Checking Battery electrolyte level
140
Brake fluid138
Coolant137
Engine oil135
Oil level135
Windscreen washer fluid134
Checks Statutory checks
119
Children and safety20
Child safety Side airbag
21
Child safety lock48
Child seat Classification
22
ISOFIX22
on the front passenger seat20
TOP TETHER23
Use of child seats22
Use of ISOFIX child seats23
Chrome parts see vehicle care
124
Cigarette lighter70
cleaning chrome parts
124
Cleaning Alcantara
128
and maintaining belts128
artificial leather128
headlight glasses125
materials128
natural leather127
plastic parts124
seats covers of the electrically heated seats128
wheels126
Cleaning safety belt
128
Cleaning seat covers
128
Cleaning the interior artificial leather
128
Seat covers128
Cleaning the outside of the vehicle Decorative films
124
Cleaning the vehicle exterior Cavity protection
125
Door locking cylinder125
Headlight glasses125
Under-body protection126
wheels126
Windows and external mirrors125
Cleaning vehicle122
Cleaning vehicle exterior123
Plastic parts124
Rubber seals124
Vehicle paint work123
Wiper blades126
Clean interior Safety belt
128
clean outside of vehicle chrome parts
124
Climatronic air distribution control
85
Operating elements87
Clothes hook74
Cockpit 12-Volt power outlet
71
Ashtray71
Cigarette lighter70
General view25
Lights58
storage compartments68
useful equipment68
181Index

TCSOperation106
Technical data172
Telephone89
Tiptronic103
Tools150
TOP TETHER23
Towing158
Towing device Description
112
Use and care115
Towing eye Front
159
Rear160
Towing protection50
Traction Control System (TCS)106
Trailer116
13-pin power socket116
driving with a trailer116
Loading116
Safety eyelet116
Trailer operation112
Transport Luggage compartment
75
Roof rack system83
Transporting68
Transporting children safely20
Turn signal55
Turn signal system Warning light
36
two-way radio systems89
Tyre inflation pressure Warning light
35
Tyre load-bearing capacity Refer to Wheels
145
tyre pressure monitor display
146
setting146
Tyre repair Check pressure157
Preparations156
Sealing and inflating the tyre156
Tyres142
Inflation pressure143
new104
New144
Refer to Wheels144
Sizes143
Tyre wear indicator143
U
Under-body Vehicle care
126
Under-body protection126
Unlocking Individual settings
47
Key47
Remote control46
Unlocking and locking45
USB96
Used vehicles Acceptance and recycling
121
Useful equipment Ashtray
71
Car park ticket holder69
Cigarette lighter70
Clothes hook74
Cup holders70
Glasses compartment73
Multimedia holder72
Storage compartment68
Using the information system37
Using the selector lever102
V
Variable loading floor
80
Folding up82
Inserting81
Lower position81
Parking position82
Removing81
Upper position80
Vehicle battery Automatic load deactivation
141
charging140
Checking the battery electrolyte level140
Cover139
Operation in winter140
Replacing141
Safety instructions138
vehicle care chrome parts
124
Vehicle care Alcantara
128
Artificial leather128
Cavity protection125
Cleaning vehicle exterior123
Cleaning wheels126
Decorative films124
Door locking cylinder125
Headlight glasses125
Interior care126
Maintenance123
Materials128
Natural leather127
Plastic parts124
Polishing vehicle paint work123
Rubber seals124
Safety belt128
Seat covers128
Under-body protections126
washing122
Vehicle Condition see Auto Check Control
29
Vehicle data sticker172
Vehicle data sticker and nameplate Vehicle data sticker and nameplate
172
Vehicle dimensions174
Vehicle height174
187Index