2013 SKODA ROOMSTER maintenance

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

Diesel enginesa)SpecificationCapacity1.2 litres/55 kW TDI CRVW 507 004.31.6 litres/66 kW TDI CR DPFVW 507 004.31.6 litres/77 kW TDI CR DPFVW 507 004.3a)
Engine oil VW 505 01 can optionally be used in diesel engines
without DPF
Specifications and capacity (in l) for vehicles with fixed service intervals
Petrol enginesSpecificationCapacity1.2 litres/51 kWVW 501 01, VW 502 002.81.2 litres/63 kW TSIVW 502 003.91.2 litres/77 kW TSIVW 502 003.91.4 litres/63 kWVW 501 01, VW 502 003.21.6 litres/77 kWVW 501 01, VW 502 003.6
If the oils specified above are not available, oils according to ACEA A2 or ACEA A3
can be used once for refilling.
Diesel engines a)SpecificationCapacity1.2 litres/55 kW TDI CRVW 507 004.31.6 litres/66 kW TDI CR DPFVW 507 004.31.6 litres/77 kW TDI CR DPFVW 507 004.3a)
Engine oil VW 505 01 can optionally be used in diesel engines
without DPF
If the oils specified above are not available, oils according to ACEA B3 or ACEA B4
can be used once for refilling.
CAUTION
Only the above-mentioned oils can be used on vehicles with flexible service inter- vals. We recommend always refilling with oil of the same specification since thiswill maintain the properties of the oil. In exceptional cases, a maximum of 0.5 l ofspecification VW 502 00 (only for petrol engines) or specification VW 505 01 (only
for diesel engines) engine oil can be used to refill once. Other engine oils must not be used - there is risk of engine damage.
Checking the oil levelFig. 130
Dipstick
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 163.
The dipstick indicates the engine oil level » Fig. 130.
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 sump.
›
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. The oil level may lie in range
A
.
Oil level within range
C
The engine must be topped up with oil so that the oil level at least reaches range
B
.
The engine burns some oil. The oil consumption may be as much as 0.5 l/1 000 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 5 000
kilometres. 
164General Maintenance

■A coolant additive that does not comply with the correct specifications can sig-
nificantly reduce the corrosion protection.■
Any faults resulting from corrosion may cause a loss of coolant and can conse-
quently result in major engine damage!
■
Do not fill the coolant above the mark
A
» Fig. 131 on page 166.
■
If a fault causes the engine to overheat, we recommend visiting a specialist ga-
rage, as otherwise serious engine damage may occur.

Capacity
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 165.
Coolant capacity (in litres) 1)
Petrol enginesCapacity1.2 litres/51 kW5.51.2 litres/63 kW TSI7.71.2 litres/77 kW TSI7.71.4 litres/63 kW5.51.6 litres/77 kW5.5Diesel enginesCapacity1.2 ltr./55 kW TDI CR DPF6.61.6 litres/66 kW TDI CR DPF8.41.6 litres/77 kW TDI CR DPF8.4

Checking the coolant levelFig. 131
Engine compartment: Coolant
expansion reservoir
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 165.
The coolant expansion bottle is located in the engine compartment.
›
Switch off the engine.
›
Open the bonnet » page 161.
›
Check the level of coolant at the coolant expansion vessel » Fig. 131. The cool-
ant level when the engine is cold must lie between the
B
(MIN) and
A
(MAX)
markings. The level may also rise slightly above the
A
(MAX) marking when the
engine is warm.
If the coolant level in the coolant expansion tank is too low, this is indicated by
the warning light 
lighting up in the instrument cluster » page 22, 

Coolant .
We still recommend inspecting the coolant level directly at the reservoir from
time to time.
Loss of coolant
A loss of coolant is first and foremost an indication of a leak in the system. Do
not merely top up the coolant. Have the cooling system checked by a specialist
garage.


1)
The coolant capacity is approximately 1 Litre greater on vehicles that are fitted with an auxiliary heat-
er (auxiliary heating and ventilation).
166General Maintenance

ChangingFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 167.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. Over time it therefore absorbs moisture from theenvironment.
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:
Open cover
169
Checking the electrolyte level
170
Operation in winter
170
Charging
170
Disconnecting or reconnecting
171
Replacing
171
Automatic load deactivation
171
Warning symbols on the vehicle battery
SymbolMeaning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.SymbolMeaning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 generally applicable rules of safety as well as the warning instruc-
tions 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, slin 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!
WARNING■ It is prohibited to work with naked flames or lights.■It is prohibited to smoke or carry out any activities that produce sparks.■
Never use a damaged vehicle battery – risk of explosion!
■
Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – risk of explosion and
chemical burns! 
168General Maintenance

Checking the electrolyte levelFig. 134
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 168.
We recommend that you have the acid level checked regularly by a specialist ga-
rage, especially in the following cases.
› High outside temperatures.
› Long daily drives
› After each charge
» page 170.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, known as the
magic eye » Fig. 134, the electrolyte level can be determined by looking at the
change in colour.
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.
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.
■
Vehicles with a START-STOP system are fitted with a battery control unit for
checking the energy level for the recurring engine start.

Operation in winter
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 168.
The vehicle battery only has some of its starting power at low temperatures. A
discharged vehicle battery may freeze at temperatures just below 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 168.
A properly charged vehicle battery is essential for reliably starting the engine.
›
Switch off the ignition and all of the electrical components.
›
Disconnect both battery cables (“negative” first, then “positive”) only when
“rapid charging” the battery.
›
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 thecharger on.
›
Once charging is complete: 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”).
It is not necessary to disconnect the battery cables if you are recharging the vehi-
cle battery using low amperages (for example from a mini-charger). Refer to the
charger manufacturer's instructions .
A charging current of 0.1 multiple of the total vehicle battery capacity (or lower)
must be used until full charging is achieved.
Both cables must be disconnected before charging the battery with high amper-
ages, known as “ rapid charging”.
The vent plugs of the vehicle battery should not be opened for charging. 
170General Maintenance

Wheels
Tyres and wheel rims
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Service life of tyres
173
New tyres
174
Unidirectional tyres
175
Tyre pressure monitor
175
Spare wheel
176
Full wheel trim
177
Wheel bolts
177
Hubcaps
177
Wheel bolts
178WARNING■ The national legal regulations must be observed for the use of tyres.■Observe the national legal regulations relating to the use of snow chains
and the maximum vehicle speed with snow chains.WARNINGThe following instructions for the use of tyres must be observed.■For the first 500 km, new tyres do not yet provide optimum grip, and appro-
priate care should therefore be taken when driving – risk of accident!■
Only use radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and tread
pattern on all four wheels.
■
For reasons of driving safety, do not replace tyres individually.
■
Never exceed the maximum permissible load bearing capacity for fitted
tyres – risk of accident!
■
Never exceed the maximum permissible speed for fitted tyres – risk of acci-
dent!
WARNING (Continued)■ Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear impairs handling – risk of acci-
dent!■
Unusual vibrations or pulling of the vehicle to one side could be a sign of
tyre damage. If there is any doubt that a wheel is damaged, immediately re-
duce your speed and stop! If no external damage is evident, drive slowly and
carefully to the nearest specialist garage to have the vehicle checked.
■
Only use tyres or wheel rims that have been approved by ŠKODA for your
model of vehicle. Failure to observe this instruction may impair the road safety
of your vehicle – risk of accident!
WARNINGObserve the following information regarding tyre damage and wear.■Never use tyres if you do not know anything about the condition and age.■
Never drive with damaged tyres – risk of accident!
■
Immediately replace damaged wheel rims or tyres.
■
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down.
■
Worn tyres impair necessary adhesion to the road surface, particularly at
high speeds on wet roads. This could lead to “aquaplaning” (uncontrolled ve- hicle movement – “swimming” on a wet road surface).
WARNINGObserve the following information regarding the tyre inflation pressure.■The tyre control display does not absolve the driver of the responsibility to
ensure the correct tyre inflation pressure. Check the tyre inflation pressure at
regular intervals.■
Insufficient or excessive inflation pressure impairs handling – risk of acci-
dent!
■
If the inflation pressure is too low, the tyre will have to overcome a higher
rolling resistance. This will cause a significant increase in the temperature of
the tyre, especially at higher speeds. This can result in tread separation and a
tyre blowout. 
172General Maintenance

Always check the inflation pressure when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the
higher pressure of warm tyres.
With greater additional load, 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, however, there are a
range of factors that may result in an imbalance. This may become apparent by
“vibration” in the steering.
Have the wheels rebalanced after replacing the tyres.
Wheel alignment errors
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear leads to excess wear of the tyres.
Tyre damage
Drive over kerbs and other such obstacles slowly and at right angles wherever
possible 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 tread immediately.
Replacing wheels
If significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend swap-
ping the front wheels with the rear wheels as shown in the diagram » Fig. 136.
You will then obtain approximately the same life for all the tyres.
We recommend that you swap the tyres every 10,000 km in order to achieve evenwear on all tyres and to ensure optimal service life for the tyres.
Storing tyres
Identify disassembled tyres so that the previous direction of rotation can be
maintained if the tyres are reassembled.
Always store wheels or tyres in a cool, dry place that is as dark as possible. 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 arranged evenly spaced around the circumference of the tyre a number of times depending on the make » Fig. 135 - 
. Markings on the
walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”, triangular symbols or other symbols identify the position of the wear indicators.Tyre age
Tyres age and lose their original characteristics, even if they are not being used.
Therefore, we recommend not using summer or winter tyres older than 6 or 4 years old respectively.
New tyres
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 172.
Only use radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and tread pat-
tern on one axle on all four 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
185/65 R 14 86 T
What this means is:
185Tyre width in mm » Fig. 135 on page 173 - 65Height/width ratio in % » Fig. 135 on page 173 - RCode letter for the tyre construction – Radial » Fig. 135 on page 173
- 14Diameter of wheel in inches » Fig. 135 on page 173 - 86Load index » TSpeed symbol »
The date of manufacture is stated on the tyre wall (possibly on the inside). e.g.
DOT ... 10 13...
means, for example, that the tyre was manufactured in the 10th week of 2013.
Load index
This indicates the maximum permissible load for each individual tyre. 487 kg
515 kg
530 kg 
838586174General Maintenance

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. a racy style of driving, wintry or unpaved
roads), the warning light  may be delayed or does not light up 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 loss of tyre pressure, e.g. in the
event of a sudden puncture. In this case carefully bring the vehicle to a standstill without sudden steering movements or sharp braking.
■
The basic setting must be repeated every 10,000 km or once a year to ensure
proper functioning of the tyre pressure monitor.

Spare wheel
Fig. 138
Boot: Spare wheel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 172.
The spare wheel is located in a well under the floor covering in the luggage com-
partment and held by a special nut » Fig. 138.
Taking the wheel out
›
Open the tailgate.
›
Lift up the floor in the luggage compartment.
›
Remove the box with the tool kit.
›
Unscrew the nut » Fig. 138 anticlockwise.
›Take out the wheel.
Stowing the wheel›
Stow the replaced wheel in the spare wheel well with the rim facing down.
›
Screw on the nut » Fig. 138 clockwise until the wheel is safely secured.
›
Replace the box with the tool kit into the spare wheel and secure it with the
tape.
›
Fold back the floor in the luggage compartment.
›
Close the boot lid.
Fit a wheel in the appropriate dimensions and design as soon as possible.
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 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 particularly observant when driving.
› The inflation pressure for the temporary spare wheel is identical to the maxi-
mum inflation pressure for the standard tyres.
› Only use this temporary spare wheel to reach the nearest specialist garage, as it
is not intended for long-term use.
WARNING■ Never use the temporary spare wheel if it is damaged.■If the dimensions or design of the temporary spare wheel differ from the fit-
ted tyres, never drive faster than 80 km/h (or 50 mph).■
Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
CAUTION
Observe the instructions on the warning sticker on the temporary spare wheel.
176General Maintenance