
CAUTION■When washing the car by hand, protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged
metal parts (e.g. when cleaning the undertray, exhaust system, the inside of the
wheel housings or the wheel trims etc.) - there is a risk of cutting yourself.■
Only apply slight pressure when cleaning the vehicle's paintwork.
Automatic car wash systems
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 149.
The usual precautionary measures must be taken before washing the vehicle in
an automatic car wash system (e.g. closing the windows and the sliding/tilting
roof etc.).
If your vehicle is fitted with any particular attached parts, such as a spoiler, roof
rack system, two-way radio aerial etc., it is best to consult the operator of the car
wash system beforehand.
After an automatic wash with wax treatment, the lips of the wipers should be cleaned with cleaning agents specially designed for the purpose, and then de-
greased.
WARNINGFold in the exterior mirrors to prevent damage before washing the vehicle in
an automatic car wash system.
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 149.
When washing the vehicle with a high-pressure cleaner, the instructions for use
of the equipment must be observed. This applies in particular to the pressure
used and to the spraying distance .
Maintain a sufficiently large distance to the parking aid sensors and soft materials
such as rubber hoses or insulation material.
WARNINGNever use circular spray nozzles or dirt cutters!
CAUTION
■ If washing the vehicle in the winter using a hose or high-pressure cleaner, en-
sure that the jet of water is not aimed directly at the locking cylinders or the
door/panel joints – risk of freezing!■
To avoid damaging the parking aid sensors while cleaning with high-pressure
cleaners or steam jets, the sensors must only be directly sprayed for short periods
while a minimum distance of 10 cm must be observed.
■
The temperature of the water used for cleaning must not exceed 60 °C – risk of
damaging the vehicle.
■
See also Washing cars with decorative films using a high-pressure clean-
er » page 152 .
Taking care of your vehicle exterior
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Taking care of your vehicle's paintwork
151
Plastic parts
151
Rubber seals
152
Chrome parts
152
Decorative films
152
Windows and exterior mirrors
152
Headlight lenses
153
Door lock cylinders
153
Cavity protection
153
Wheels
153
Underbody protection
154
Regular and proper care help to retain the efficiency and value of your vehicle. It
may also be one of the requirements for the acceptance of warranty claims relat- ing to corrosion damage and paint defects on the bodywork.
150General Maintenance

■When removing snow or ice from windows and mirror lenses ensure that the
paintwork of the vehicle is not to damage.■
Do not clean the inside of the windows with sharp-edged objects or corrosive
and acidic cleaning agents – there is a risk of damaging the heating elements or
window aerial.
Headlight lenses
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 150.
Clean plastic front headlight lenses using clean, warm water and soap.
CAUTION
■ Never wipe headlights to dry.■Do not use any sharp objects to clean the plastic lenses, as this may damage
the protective paintwork and consequently cause cracks to form on the headlight lenses.■
Do not use any harsh cleaning products or chemical solvents to clean the head-
lights, as this could damage the headlight lenses.
Door lock cylinders
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 150.
Specific products must be used for de-icing door lock cylinders.
CAUTION
When washing your vehicle, ensure as little water as possible gets into the lock-
ing cylinders.
Cavity protection
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 150.
All the cavities of your vehicle which are at risk from corrosion are protected for life by a layer of protective wax applied in the factory.
This wax protection does not need to be inspected or re-applied.
If any small amount of wax flow out of the cavities at high temperatures, these
must be removed with a plastic scraper and the stains cleaned using a petroleum cleaner.WARNINGSafety regulations should be observed when using petroleum cleaner to re-
move wax – risk of fire!
Wheels
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 150.
Wheel rims
Also thoroughly wash the wheel rims when washing the vehicle on a regular ba- sis.
Regularly remove salt and brake abrasion, otherwise the rim material will be cor-
roded.
Damage to the paint layer on the wheel rims must be touched up immediately.
Light alloy wheels
After washing thoroughly and treat the wheel rims with a protective product for
light alloy wheels. Products which cause abrasion must not be used to treat the
wheel rims.
CAUTION
Severe layers of dirt on the wheels can also result in wheel imbalance. This may
show itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the steering
wheel which, in certain circumstances, can cause premature wear of the steering.
This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
153Car care

Natural leatherFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 154.
Leather is a natural material with specific properties, and requires regular clean-
ing and maintenance.
The leather should be cleaned on a regular basis depending on the amount of
wear-and-tear.
Dust and dirt in the pores and folds act as abrasive materials. This leads to severe corrosion and the premature brittleness of the leather surface.
We recommend that you remove dust regularly and at short intervals using a
cloth or vacuum cleaner.
Clean soiled leather surfaces with a water-dampened cotton or woollen cloth and
then dry with a clean, dry cloth »
.
Clean severely soiled areas with a cloth soaked in a mild soap solution (2 table-
spoons of neutral soap to 1 litre of water).
To remove stains, use a cleaning agent specially designed for this purpose.
Treat the leather regularly and at suitable intervals using a suitable leather care
product.
CAUTION
■ Ensure that no part of the leather is soaked through during cleaning and that
no water gets into the seams. Otherwise, the leather could become brittle or
cracked.■
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. Such damage cannot be subsequently recognised as a
justified complaint.
■
The use of a mechanical steering wheel lock may damage the leather surface of
the steering wheel.
■ 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.■
Some clothing materials, e.g. dark denim, do not have sufficient colour fastness.
This can cause damage or clearly visible discolouration to seat covers, even when used correctly. This applies particularly to light-coloured seat covers. This does
not relate to a fault in the seat cover, but rather to poor colour fastness of the
clothing textiles.
Note
When using the vehicle, minor visible changes may occur to the leather parts of
the covers (e.g. wrinkles or creases) as a result of the stress applied to the covers.
Synthetic leather, fabrics and Alcantara ®
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings
on page 154.
Artificial leather
Clean artificial leather with a damp cloth.
If this method does not completely clean the artificial leather, use a mild soap sol-ution or cleaning products specially designed for this purpose.
Fabric
Clean upholstery cover materials and cloth trims on doors, boot cover, etc. using
specific cleaning agents, e.g., dry foam.
Use a soft sponge, brush, or commercially available microfibre cloth.
Use a cloth and special detergent to clean the headlining.
Remove any lumps on the cover fabric and any fabric residue using a brush.
Remove stubborn hair using a “cleaning glove”.
Alcantara ®
Dust and fine dirt particles in pores, creases and seams may chafe and damage the surface.
If you leave your vehicle parked in the open for lengthy periods, protect the Al-
cantara ®
seat upholstery from direct sunlight to prevent fading.
Minor changes in colour caused by use are normal.
155Car care

CAUTION■Do not use leather cleaners on Alcantara ®
seat upholstery.■Do not use solvents, floor wax, shoe cream, stain remover or similar agents on
Alcantara ®
seat upholstery.■
Avoid leaving the vehicle in bright sunlight for long periods of time in order to
stop the fabric from bleaching. If the vehicle is parked outside for long periods of
time, cover the fabric to protect it from direct sunlight.
■
Some clothing materials, e.g. dark denim, do not have sufficient colour fastness.
This can cause damage or clearly visible discolouration to seat covers, even when used correctly. This applies particularly to light-coloured seat covers. This does
not relate to a fault in the seat cover, but rather to poor colour fastness of the clothing textiles.
Seat covers
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 154.
Electrically heated seats
Do not clean the covers by moistening, as this can damage the seat heating sys-
tem.
Use a specific cleaning agent such as dry foam or similar to clean the covers.
Seats without seat heating
Thoroughly vacuum the seat covers with a vacuum cleaner before cleaning.
Clean the seat covers with a damp cloth or cleaning products specially designed for this purpose.
Indented points arising on the fabrics by everyday use, can be removed by brush- ing against the direction of hair with a damp brush.
Always clean all parts of the covers, so that there are no visible edges. Then allow the seat to dry completely.
CAUTION
■ Regularly remove dust from the seat covers using a vacuum cleaner.■Electrically heated seats must not be dried after cleaning by switching on the
heater.■
Do not sit on wet seats - risk of seat deformation.
■
Always clean the seats “from seam to seam”.
Seat belts
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 154.
The belt webbing must always be kept clean.
Wash dirty seat belts with mild soapy water.
Remove coarse dirt with a soft brush.
Dirty belt webbing may impair the correct functioning of the inertia reel.
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 not be allowed to come into contact with corrosive liq-
uids (e.g. acids).
■
Check the condition of all the seat belts on a regular basis. If any damage to
the belt webbing, seat belt connections, inertia reel or lock is detected, the
seat belt must be replaced by a specialist garage.
■
The seat belts must be fully dried before being rolled up.
156General Maintenance

NoteThe fuel tank has a capacity of about 55 litres, containing a reserve of approx.
7 litres .
Unleaded petrol
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 157.
Your vehicle can only be operated with unleaded petrol complying with EN 2281)
.
All petrol engines can be operated using petrol with a maximum of 10% bioetha-
nol (E10) .
Specified fuel - unleaded petrol 95/91 or 92 or 93 RON Use unleaded fuel with an octane rating of 95 RON. Unleaded petrol with the oc-
tane ratings 91, 92 or 93 RON can also be used, but may result in a slight loss in
performance.
Prescribed fuel - unleaded petrol min. 95 RON
Use unleaded fuel with an octane rating of 95 RON or higher.
In an emergency, if unleaded petrol with an octane rating of 95 RON is not availa-
ble, you may refuel with petrol with an octane rating of 91, 92 or 93 RON »
.
Prescribed fuel - unleaded petrol 98/(95) RON
Use unleaded fuel with an octane rating of 98 RON or higher. Unleaded petrol
95 RON can also be used but results in a slight loss in performance.
In an emergency, if unleaded petrol with an octane rating of 98 RON or 95 RON is
not available, you may refuel with petrol with an octane rating of 91 or 92 or 93
RON »
.
Fuel additives
Unleaded petrol complying with EN 228 1)
meets all the conditions for a smooth-
running engine. We therefore recommend that no fuel additives are used. This
can result in considerable damage to parts of the engine or the exhaust system.
CAUTION■ Even filling the tank with leaded petrol that does not meet the standard once
can lead to serious damage to parts of the exhaust system.■
Do not start the engine or switch on the engine if you have refuelled in error
with a fuel other than unleaded fuel which complies to the standards referred to
above (e.g. leaded petrol). Engine parts could be significantly damaged. We rec-
ommend that you have the fuel system cleaned by a specialist garage.
CAUTION
■ If, in an emergency, the vehicle has to be refuelled with petrol of a lower octane
number than the one prescribed, the journey must only be continued at medium
engine speeds and a low engine load. Driving at high engine revs or a high engine
load can severely damage the engine! Refuel using petrol of the prescribed oc-
tane number as soon as possible.■
Engine parts can be damaged if petrol with a lower octane number than the one
prescribed is used.
■
Petrol of an octane rating lower than 91 RON must not be used, even in the
event of an emergency, otherwise the engine could be severely damaged.
CAUTION
■ In no case may fuel additives with metal components be used, especially not
with manganese and iron content. LRP(lead replacement petrol) fuels with metal-
lic constituents may not be used. There is a risk of causing considerable damage
to parts of the engine or exhaust system.■
Fuels with metallic constituents may not be used. There is a risk of causing con-
siderable damage to parts of the engine or exhaust system.
1)
In Germany also DIN 51626-1 or E10 for unleaded petrol with octane rating 95 or 91 or DIN 51626-2 or
E5 for unleaded petrol with octane rating 95 or 98.
158General Maintenance

CAUTIONAlways top up using the correct specification of fluids. This may result in major
operating problems and also vehicle damage!
For the sake of the environment
In view of the requirements for the environmentally friendly disposal of fluids and the special tools and knowledge required for such work, we recommend that flu-
ids be changed by a specialist garage.
Note
■ Please consult a specialist garage for any questions relating to fluids.■Fluids with the correct specifications can be purchased from ŠKODA Original Ac-
cessories.
Opening and closing the bonnet
Fig. 126
Bonnet release lever/release lever
Fig. 127
Securing the bonnet
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 159.
Opening
›
Pull the release lever under the dash panel in the direction of the arrow
1
» Fig. 126 .
Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are
correctly in place against the windscreen otherwise the paintwork could be dam- aged.
›
Press the release lever in the direction of the arrow
2
» Fig. 126 and the bon-
net is unlocked.
›
Grab hold of the bonnet and lift.
›
Take the bonnet prop out of its bracket and secure the opened bonnet by in- serting the end of the prop in the opening
3
» Fig. 127 provided.
Closing
›
Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the bonnet prop into the bracket provided.
›
Let the bonnet drop into the lock carrier lock from a height of around 20 cm – do
not push it in .
WARNINGCheck that the bonnet is closed properly.
CAUTION
Never open the bonnet by the locking lever » Fig. 126
.
161Inspecting and replenishing

Engine compartment overviewFig. 128
Principle sketch: Engine compartment
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings
on page 159.
Coolant expansion reservoir
166
Windscreen washer fluid reservoir
162
Engine oil filler opening
165
Engine oil dipstick
164
Brake fluid reservoir
167
Vehicle battery
168
Note
The location of the inspection points in the engine compartment of petrol and
diesel engines is practically identical.
123456Radiator fan
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 159.
The radiator fan is powered by an electric motor. Operation is controlled accord-
ing to the temperature of the coolant.
WARNINGAfter switching off the ignition, the fan may intermittently continue to oper-
ate for approx. 10 minutes.
Windscreen washer system
Fig. 129
Engine compartment: Wind-
screen washer fluid reservoir
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 159.
The windscreen washer fluid reservoir is located in the engine compartment and
contains the cleaning fluid for the windscreen and rear window and for the head- light cleaning system.
The capacity of the container is about 3.5 litres and about 5.4 litres on vehicles
that have a headlight washing system 1)
.
Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and headlights. We recommend using clean water together with a screen cleaner from the range
of ŠKODA Original Accessories (with antifreeze in winter), which will remove any
stubborn dirt.
1)
In some countries, 5.4 litres applies for both variants.
162General Maintenance

The washing water should always be mixed with antifreeze in winter even if thevehicle has heated windscreen washer nozzles.
Under exceptional circumstances, methylated spirits can also be used if no screen
cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methylated spirits must
not be more than 15 %. The freeze protection at this concentration is sufficient only to -5 °C.
CAUTION
■ Under no circumstances must radiator antifreeze or other additives be added to
the windscreen washer fluid.■
If the vehicle is fitted with a headlight cleaning system, only cleaning products
which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the headlights must be added
to the windscreen washer fluid.
■
Do not remove the filter from the windscreen washer fluid reservoir when refill-
ing, as this may cause contamination of the liquid transportation system, leading
in turn to a windscreen washer system malfunction.
Engine oil
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Specifications and capacity
163
Checking the oil level
164
Replenishing
165
Changing
165
The engine has been factory-filled with a high-grade oil that can be use through-
out the year - except in extreme climate zones.
The engine oils are undergoing continuous further development. Thus the infor-
mation stated in this Owner's Manual is only correct at the time of publication.
ŠKODA Service Partners are informed about the latest changes by the manufac-
turer. We therefore recommend that the oil change be completed by a ŠKODA
Service Partner.
The specifications (VW standards) stated in the following can be indicated sepa-
rately or together with other specifications on the bottle.
The oil capacities include oil filter change. Check the oil level when filling; do not
over fill. The oil level must be between the markings » page 164.WARNING■
The engine compartment of your car is a hazardous area. The following
warning instructions must be followed at all times when working in the en-
gine compartment » page 159.■
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible to top
up the engine oil under the prevailing conditions! Switch off the engine and
seek assistance from a specialist garage.
■
Do not drive on if the oil level is above range
A
» Fig. 130 on page 164.
Switch off the engine and seek assistance from a specialist garage.
CAUTION
Do not pour any additives into the engine oil – risk of serious damage to the en-
gine parts!
Note
■ Before a long drive we recommend that you purchase and carry with you engine
oil which complies with the specification for your vehicle.■
We recommend that you use oils from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
■
If oil comes into contact with your skin, the affected area must be washed thor-
oughly.
Specifications and capacity
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 163.
Specifications and capacity (in l) for vehicles with flexible service intervals
Petrol enginesSpecificationCapacity1.2 litres/51 kWVW 503 00, VW 504 002.81.2 litres/63 kW TSIVW 504 003.91.2 litres/77 kW TSIVW 504 003.91.4 litres/63 kWVW 503 00, VW 504 003.2 163Inspecting and replenishing