Inspecting and replenishing
Fuel
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Refuelling
196
Unleaded petrol
197
Diesel fuel
198
The correct grades of fuel for your vehicle are stated on a sticker affixed to the
inside of the fuel filler flap » Fig. 155 on page 196 -
.
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. 155
Open tank lid / tank cap
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 196.
Before refuelling, switch off the auxiliary heating system (auxiliary heating and ventilation) » page 98.
Vehicles with lockable fuel filler flap
›
Press on the flap in the range
1
» Fig. 155 -
and open the tank lid in the ar-
row direction.
›
Unscrew the filler cap in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 155 -
.
›
Place the filler cap onto the top of the fuel filler flap » Fig. 155 -
.
›
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.
›
Place the filler cap onto the fuel filler neck and turn it in the opposite direction
to the arrow until it securely engages » Fig. 155 -
.
›
Close the fuel filler flap until it clicks into place.
Check that the fuel filler flap is closed properly.
Vehicles without lockable fuel filler flap
›
Press on the flap in the range
1
» Fig. 155 -
and open the tank lid in the ar-
row direction.
›
Hold the filler cap with your hand and unlock by turning the key in the direction
of the arrow » Fig. 155 -
.
›
Unscrew the filler cap in the direction of the arrow » Fig. 155 -
.
›
Place the filler cap onto the top of the fuel filler flap
» Fig. 155 -
.
196General Maintenance
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 components may not be used. There is a risk of causing considerable damage
to parts of the engine or exhaust system!■
Fuels with metallic content may not be used. There is a risk of causing consider-
able damage to parts of the engine or exhaust system!
Note
■ Unleaded petrol that has a higher octane number than that required by the en-
gine can be used without limitations.■
On vehicles with prescribed unleaded petrol 95/91, 92 or 93 RON, the use of
petrol with a higher octane number than 95 RON does not result in a noticeable
power increase or a lower fuel consumption.
■
On vehicles using prescribed unleaded petrol of min. 95 RON, the use of petrol
with a higher octane number than 95 RON can increase the power and reduce
fuel consumption.
Diesel fuel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 196.
The vehicle can only be operated with diesel fuel that meets the EN 5901)
stand-
ard.
All diesel engines can be operated using diesel fuel with at most 7% biodiesel
(B7) 2)
.
On the Indian market, your vehicle will only be able to run on diesel fuel compli-
ant with standard IS 1460/Bharat IV. If diesel fuel which complies with this stand-
ard is not available, you can refuel with diesel fuel according to standard IS 1460/
Bharat III in case of emergency.
Operation in winter - Winter-grade diesel fuel
In the cold season, only use “winter-grade diesel fuel” which will still operate properly even at a temperature of -20 °C.
It is often the case in countries with different climatic conditions that diesel fuels
available have a different temperature characteristic. ŠKODA Partners and filling
stations in the relevant country will be able to provide you with information re-
garding the diesel fuels available.
Preheating fuel
The vehicle is fitted with a fuel filter preheating system. This secures operation of
a vehicle using diesel fuel down to an environmental temperature of -25 °C.
Diesel fuel additives
Additives, so-called “flow improvers ” (petrol and similar agents) should not be mixed with the diesel fuel. This can cause serious damage to engine or exhaust
system parts.
CAUTION
■ Just filling the tank once with diesel fuel that does not comply with the stand-
ard, can cause severe damage to parts of the engine, the fuel and exhaust sys-
tem!■
If a different fuel other than diesel fuel, which complies to the above mentioned
standards (e.g. petrol) is used by mistake do not start the engine or switch on the
ignition! Extensive damage to engine parts can occur! We recommend that you
have the fuel system cleaned by a specialist garage.
■
Water which has collected in the fuel filter can cause engine faults.
CAUTION
■ The vehicle cannot be operated with biofuel RME, therefore this fuel must not
be refuelled and driven. The use of biofuel RME can cause considerable damage
to parts of the engine or fuel system.■
Do not mix any fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar
agents) into the diesel. This can result in considerable damage to parts of the en-
gine or the exhaust system!
1)
In Germany also DIN 51628, in Austria ÖNORM C 1590, in Russia GOST R 52368-2005 / EN 590:2004.
2)
In Germany according to the DIN 52638 standard, in Austria ÖNORM C 1590, in France EN 590.
198General Maintenance
›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. 163 , fold the
cover up and remove.
The battery cover is installed in reverse order.
The edge of the polyester battery cover is inserted between the battery and theside wall of the battery cover when working on the battery.
Checking the battery electrolyte level
Fig. 164
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 207.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator » Fig. 164 , 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 carefullyknock 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 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 207.
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 thedevice.
›
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”).
It is not necessary to disconnect the cables of the battery if you recharge the ve-
hicle battery using low amperages (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 lower) must be used until full charging is achieved.
209Inspecting and replenishing
It is necessary to disconnect both cables before charging the battery with high
amperages, known as “ rapid charging”.
The vent plugs of the vehicle battery should not be opened for charging.WARNING“Quick-charging” the vehicle battery is dangerous and requires a special
charger and specialist knowledge.
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 228, Jump-starting in vehicles with the START-STOP
system .
Note
We therefore recommend that vehicle batteries be rapid charged by a specialist
garage.
Replacing
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 207.
The new vehicle battery must have the same capacity, voltage, current and the
same 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 dis-
posed of in accordance with national regulations.
Disconnecting and reconnecting
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 207.
On disconnecting and reconnecting the vehicle battery, the following functions
are initially deactivated or are no longer able to operate fault-free.
OperationOperating measureElectrical power window (operational faults)» page 44Panoramic sliding roof (operational faults)» page 234Enter the radio/navigation system code num-
ber» User manual of the radio
or » user manual of the naviga-
tion systemSetting the clock» page 13Data in the multifunction display are deleted.» page 25
Note
We recommend having the vehicle checked by a specialist garage in order to en-
sure full functionality of all electrical systems.
Automatic load deactivation
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 207.
The vehicle voltage control unit automatically prevents the battery from discharg-
ing when the battery is put under high levels of strain. This manifests itself 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.
CAUTION
■ Despite such intervention by the vehicle electric system management, the vehi-
cle battery may be drained. For example, when the ignition is switched on a long
time with the engine turned off or the side or parking lights are turned on during longer parking.■
Consumers that are supplied via a 12-V power socket can cause the vehicle bat-
tery to discharge when the ignition is switched off.
210General Maintenance
Wheels
Tyres and wheel rims
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Service life of tyres
213
New tyres
214
Unidirectional tyres
215
Tyre pressure monitor
215
Spare wheel
216
Full wheel trim
217
Wheel bolts
217
Wheel bolts
217WARNINGThe national legal regulations must be observed for the use of tyres.WARNINGInstructions for the use of tyres■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!
■
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear impairs handling – risk of acci-
dent!
WARNING (Continued)■ 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!
WARNINGInformation regarding tyre damage or 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).
WARNINGInformation on tyre 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.
212General Maintenance
WARNINGInformation on the wheel bolts■The wheel bolts must be clean and must turn easily. Never treat them with
grease or oil.■
The prescribed tightening torque of the wheel bolts for steel and light alloy
wheels is 120 Nm.
■
If the wheel bolts are tightened to a too low tightening torque, the rim can
come loose when the car is moving – risk of accident! A tightening torque
which is too high can damage the bolts and threads and this can result in per-
manent deformation of the contact surfaces on the rim.
■
In case of incorrect treatment of the wheel bolts, the wheel can loosen
when the car is moving – risk of accident!
WARNINGInformation on the spare wheel■Only use the spare wheel while absolutely necessary.■
Never drive with more than one spare wheel mounted.
■
The snow chains cannot be used on the spare wheel.
CAUTION
■ If a spare wheel is used that is not identical to the fitted tyres, the following
must be observed » page 216, Spare wheel .■
Protect the tyres from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
■
Replace lost valve caps.
■
If, in the event of a puncture, it is necessary to fit a spare wheel with a tyre
without a dedicated running direction or with the opposite direction of rotation, drive carefully as the optimal characteristics of the tyre are no longer applicable in
this situation.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres that are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Note
■ We recommend that any work on the wheels or tyres be carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.■
We recommend that you use wheel rims, tyres, full wheel trims and snow chains
from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
Service life of tyresFig. 165
Principle sketch: Tyre tread with wear indicators/open fuel filler
flap with a table detailing the tyre sizes and tyre inflation pressures
Fig. 166
Replacing wheels
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 212.
The service life of tyres depends on the inflation pressure, driving style and other
circumstances. Following the advice below can extend the service life of your
tyres.
Tyre pressure
Check the tyre pressure, including that of the spare wheel, at least once a month and also before setting off on a long journey.
The tyre pressures for tyres are shown on the inside of the fuel filler
flap » Fig. 165 –
.
The tyre pressure for the spare wheel should correspond to the highest pressure
specified for your vehicle.
213Wheels
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 a
“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 perpendicularly 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 replac-
ing the front wheels with the rear wheels as shown in the diagram » Fig. 166. 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 even
wear 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 located multiple times depending on the make and are evenly spaced around the circumference of the tyre » Fig. 165 -
. Markings on
the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”, triangular symbols or other sym- bols 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 212.
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
225/50R 17 91 T
What this means is:
CaptionMeaning225Tyre width in mm » Fig. 165 on page 213 - 50Height/width ratio in % » Fig. 165 on page 213 - RCode letter for the type of tyre – Radial » Fig. 165 on page 213 - 17Diameter of wheel in inches » Fig. 165 on page 213 - 91Load 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. 580 kg
615 kg
630 kg
899192214General Maintenance
Winter tyresFirst read and observe the introductory information given on page 217.
Fitting winter tyres will significantly improve the handling of your vehicle when
driving in wintry road conditions. Summer tyres have less grip on ice, snow and at
temperatures below 7 °C. This is especially true of vehicles fitted with wide tyres
or high-speed tyres .
In order to achieve the best possible handling properties, winter tyres must be fit-
ted on all 4 wheels, the minimum tread depth must be 4 mm and tyres must be
no older than 4 years.
Winter tyres of a lower speed category can be used provided that the permissible
maximum speed of these tyres is not exceeded even if the possible maximum speed of the vehicle is higher.
The speed limit for winter tyres can be set in the MAXI DOT display in the menu
item Winter tyres » page 29 .
For the sake of the environment
Fit the summer tyres on again in good time as they provide better handling prop-
erties, a shorter braking distance, less tyre noise, and reduced tyre wear on roadswhich are free of snow and ice as well as at temperatures above 7 °C. The fuelconsumption is also lower.
Snow chains
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 217.
When driving in wintry road conditions, snow chains improve not only traction,
but also the braking performance.
The use of snow chains on vehicles with front-wheel drive and on vehicles with
four-wheel drive differs.
Vehicles with front-wheel drive
Snow chains must only be mounted on the front wheels.
For technical reasons, it is only permissible to fit snow chains with the following wheel/tyre combinations.
Wheel sizeDepth (D)Tyre size6J x 1650 mm205/557J x 1645 mm205/556J x 1745 mm205/50
Vehicles with four-wheel drive
Snow chains can be used on the front wheels as on vehicles with front-wheel
drive.
In order to increase the traction (start-up properties), the use of snow chains is
also technically permissible on the rear axle (this means on the front and rear axle
at the same time) for the following wheel/tyre combinations.
Wheel sizeDepth (D)Tyre size6J x 1650 mm205/557J x 1645 mm205/556J x 1745 mm205/50
The use of snow chains is only technically permissible on the rear axle for the fol-
lowing standard wheel/tyre combinations.
Wheel sizeDepth (D)Tyre size7J x 1645 mm215/607J x 1745 mm225/50
When fitting snow chains on the front and rear axle at the same time, the maxi-
mum speed is limited to 50 km/h.
Only fit snow chains with links and locks not larger than 12 mm.
WARNINGObserve the national legal regulations relating to the use of snow chains and
the maximum vehicle speed with snow chains.
CAUTION
■ The chains must be removed when driving on roads which are free of snow.
They adversely affect the handling of your vehicle, damage the tyres and are rap-
idly destroyed.■
Remove the full wheel trims » page 217 before installing the snow chains.
218General Maintenance