
Washing by handFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 196.
Soak the dirt with plenty of water and rinse as well as possible.
Clean the vehicle with a soft sponge, a washing glove or a washing brush . Work
from the top to the bottom - starting with the roof.
Only use a car shampoo for stubborn dirt.
Wash out the sponge or washing glove thoroughly at short intervals.
Clean wheels, door sills and similar parts last. Use a second sponge for such
areas.
Give the vehicle a good rinse after washing it and dry it off using a chamois leath- er.
CAUTION
■ When washing the car by hand, protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged
metal parts (e.g. when cleaning the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings
or the wheel trims, etc.) - risk of cuts!■
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 196.
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. Never manually fold in electric exterior mirrors - always use the electric controls.
Washing with a high-pressure cleaner
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 196.
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 199 .
197Car care

Taking care of your vehicle exterior
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Taking care of your vehicle's paintwork
198
Plastic parts
199
Rubber seals
199
Chrome parts
199
Decorative films
199
Windows and exterior mirrors
200
Headlight lenses
200
Door lock cylinders
200
Cavity protection
200
Wheels
201
Underbody protection
201
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.
We recommend using vehicle care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories.These are available from ŠKODA Partners. The usage instructions on the package must be observed.
WARNING■ Vehicle care products may be harmful to your health if not used according to
the instructions.■
Always store vehicle care products safely, in particular out of the reach of
children – risk of poisoning!
■
Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when cleaning
the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel trims – risk of
cuts!
CAUTION
■ Do not use any insect sponges, rough kitchen sponges or similar cleaning prod-
ucts – risk of damaging the paintwork surface.■
Cleaner that contain solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
For the sake of the environmentUsed vehicle care product cans represent hazardous waste that is harmful to the
environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regula- tions.
Note
Due to the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any potential prob-
lems with the cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle, we recommend
that cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle be carried out by a ŠKODA service partner.
Taking care of your vehicle's paintwork
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 198.
Minor paint damage such as scratches, scuffs or stone chips should be treated im-
mediately if possible, using touch-up pens or sprays .
Preserving the vehicle paintwork
A thorough wax treatment provides the vehicle's paintwork with highly effective
protection against harmful environmental influences.
The vehicle must be treated with a high-quality hard wax polish at the latest,when no more drops form on the clean paintwork.
A new layer of a high-quality hard wax polish can be applied to the clean body- work after it has dried thoroughly.
Even if you use a wax preserver regularly we still recommend that you treat the paintwork of the vehicle at least twice a year with hard wax.
Polishing
Polishing is necessary if the vehicle's paintwork has become unattractive and if it
is no longer possible to achieve a gloss with wax preservatives.
If the polish does not contain any preserving elements, the paint must be treated with a preservative afterwards.
198General Maintenance

Windows and exterior mirrorsFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 198.
Use a plastic ice scraper for removing snow and ice from the windows and mir-
rors.
Regularly clean windows from the inside with clean water. Dry the glass surfaces with a clean chamois leather or a cloth intended for thispurpose.
When drying the windows after washing the vehicle, do not use window leathers
that have been used to polish the bodywork. Residues of preservatives in the
window leather can make the window dirty and reduce visibility.
CAUTION
■ The ice scraper should not be moved forward and backward but in one direction
to avoid any damage to the surface of the glass.■
Snow or ice that is contaminated with coarse dirt such as fine gravel, sand or
salt must not be removed from the windows and mirrors – there is a risk of dam-
age to the surface of the windows and mirrors.
■
Do not remove snow or ice from glass parts using warm or hot water – risk of
cracks forming in the glass.
■
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 198.
Clean plastic front headlight lenses using clean, warm water and soap.
CAUTION■ Never wipe headlights with a dry cloth.■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 198.
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 198.
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, thesemust 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!
200General Maintenance

■Do not stick any stickers on the inside of the rear windows, the rear side win-
dows and in the vicinity of the heating elements on the windscreen or near the
window aerial. These may get damaged.■
Do not clean the roof panelling with a brush – risk of damage to the surface of
the panelling.
■
Cleaner that contain solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
■
Apply only a small amount of the cleaning and care product.
For the sake of the environment
Used vehicle care product cans represent hazardous waste that is harmful to the
environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regula- tions.
Note
Due to the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any potential prob-
lems with the cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle, we recommend
that cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle be carried out by a ŠKODA service partner.
Natural leather
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 201.
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.
Artificial leather, cloths and Alcantara ®
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings
on page 201.
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.
202General Maintenance

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 roof trim.
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 covers from the direct rays of the sun to prevent fading.
Minor changes in colour caused by use are normal.
CAUTION
■ Do not use any leather cleaners on Alcantara ®
seat covers.■For Alcantara ®
seat covers do not use any solvents, floor wax, shoe cream, stain
remover, or similar agents.■
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 201.
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 201.
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.
203Car care

Inspecting and replenishing
Fuel
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Refuelling
204
Unleaded petrol
205
Diesel fuel
206
The correct grades of fuel for your vehicle are stated on a sticker affixed to the
inside of the fuel filler flap » Fig. 160 on page 204 -
.
WARNINGThe national legal requirements must be observed if carrying a spare canister
in the vehicle. We do not recommend carrying any fuel canisters in your vehi-
cle for safety reasons. in the event of an accident, these canisters can become damaged and fuel may escape – risk of fire!
CAUTION
■ Never drive until the fuel tank is completely empty! The irregular supply of fuel
can cause misfiring, which can result in considerable damage to parts of the en-
gine and the exhaust system.■
Immediately remove any fuel that has spilled onto the vehicle's paintwork – risk
of paint damage!
■
If the vehicle was not purchased in the country where it was intended to be op-
erated, you should check whether the fuel specified by the manufacturer is of-
fered in the country where the vehicle will be operated. You should also perhaps
check whether the manufacturer has recommended a different fuel for operation
of the vehicle in the corresponding country. Is this not the case, then you must
check whether it is permitted by the manufacturer to operate the vehicle with an-
other fuel type.
RefuellingFig. 160
Open fuel filler flap/fuel filler flap with cap unscrewed
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings
on page 204.
Before refuelling, switch off the auxiliary heating system (auxiliary heating and ventilation) » page 108.
›
Press on the fuel filler flap in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 160 -
.
›
Unscrew the filler cap by turning it in a counterclockwise direction and place the
cap onto the top of the fuel filler flap » Fig. 160 -
.
›
Insert the pump nozzle into the fuel filler tube as far as it will go.
The fuel tank is full just as soon as the pump nozzle switches off for the first time »
.
›
Remove the pump nozzle from the fuel filler tube and put it back in the pump.
›
Insert the filler cap onto the fuel filler neck and screw it in a clockwise direction
until it clicks into place.
›
Close the fuel filler flap until it clicks into place.
Check that the fuel filler flap is closed properly.
CAUTION
The fuel tank is full just as soon as the pump nozzle switches off for the first time, provided the nozzle has been operated properly. Do not continue filling the
fuel tank otherwise the expansion volume is filled up. 204General Maintenance

WARNING (Continued)■If you intend to work underneath the vehicle, you must secure the vehicle
from rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks; the car jack
is not sufficient – risk of injury!■
Never cover the engine with additional insulation material (e.g. with a cover)
– risk of fire!
■
The bonnet must always be properly closed when driving. Therefore, the
lock must always be checked after closing the bonnet in order to ensure that
it has engaged properly.
■
If you notice that the lock is not properly engaged while driving, stop the ve-
hicle immediately and close the bonnet – risk of accident!
CAUTION
Always 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 bonnetFig. 161
Bonnet release lever/release lever
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings
on page 206.
Opening
›
Pull the release lever under the dash panel in the direction of the arrow
1
» Fig. 161 .
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. 161 and the bonnet
is unlocked.
›
Grasp the bonnet and lift up until it is held open by the pressurised gas spring.
Closing
›
Pull the bonnet down far enough to overcome the force of the pressurised gas spring.
›
Close the bonnet from a height of approximately 20 cm with a slight swing
WARNINGCheck that the bonnet is closed properly.
CAUTION
Never open the bonnet using the locking lever » Fig. 161
.
208General Maintenance

When working on the battery, the edge of the polyester battery cover1 » Fig. 167 is inserted between the battery and the side wall of the battery cov-
er.
Battery in the engine compartment›
Open the battery cover in the direction of the arrow
1
or press the interlock on
the side of the battery cover in the direction of the arrow
2
» Fig. 167 , fold the
cover up and remove.
The battery cover is installed in reverse order.
Battery in the boot
The battery is located in the left side compartment with the symbol » Fig. 90
on page 90.
Checking the battery electrolyte level
Fig. 168
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 215.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, the so-called
magic eye » Fig. 168, 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.
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.
Winter time
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.
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.
Charging
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 215.
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 the
device.
›
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”).
217Inspecting and replenishing