2014 SKODA OCTAVIA Owner's Manual

It is also important that rear passengers fasten their seat belts, as they could
otherwise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner in the
event of an accident.
Rear seat passengers who have not fastened their seat belts are a danger not
only to themselves but also to those seated at the front » Fig. 4 – 
.
Fastening and unfastening seat belts
Fig. 5
Fastening/unfastening the seat belt
Fig. 6
Routing of belt webbing over the shoulders and the lap belt/Rout-
ing of belt webbing for an expectant mother
Read and observe
on page 12 first.
Fasten
›
Correctly adjust the front seat and head restraint 1)
before fastening the seat
belt » page 9 .
›Use the lock tongue to slowly pull the webbing over your chest and pelvis.›Insert the lock tongue into the belt buckle for the seat
» Fig. 5 -  until it
audibly clicks into place.›
Pull on the belt to check that it has engaged correctly in the lock.
A plastic knob in the belt webbing holds the belt tongue in a position which is
easy to get hold of.
It is important that the belt is properly routed to ensure seat belts offer the
maximum protection.
The shoulder part of the seat belt must never run across the neck but must
roughly run over the middle of the shoulder and fit snugly against the chest.
The lap part of the belt must run across the pelvis, must not be positioned
across the stomach and must always fit snugly » Fig. 6 -
 .
Expectant women must also always wear a seat belt. This is the only way of
ensuring optimal protection for the unborn child.
With pregnant women, the lap part of the belt must be positioned as low as
possible on the pelvis to avoid exerting any pressure on the lower abdo-
men » Fig. 6 -
 .
Release
Release the seat belt only when the vehicle is stationary.
›
Press the red button in the belt buckle » Fig. 5 -
 ; the lock tongue pops out.
›
Manually guide the belt back so that it is easier to fully roll up the webbing,
the seat belt does not twist.
CAUTION
When releasing the seatbelt ensure that the tongue of the lock does not dam-
age the door trim or other parts of the interior.1)
Not valid for sport seats.
14Safety

Belt height adjustment on the front seatsFig. 7
Front seat: Seat belt height ad-
juster
Read and observe on page 12 first.
The seat belt height adjuster makes it possible to adjust the routing of the
front seat belts in the area of the shoulder to the body size.
›
Press the seat belt height adjuster and move up or down in the desired di-
rection » Fig. 7.
›
Then pull firmly on the belt to ensure that the seat belt height adjuster has
correctly locked in place.
Inertia reel and belt pretensioners
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Intertia reel
15
Belt tensioners
15
Intertia reel
Each seat belt is equipped with an inertia reel.
When pulling slowly on the seat belt, the belt can move freely. When pulling
sharply on the seat belt, the movement is locked by the inertia reel.
The belts also block when during full braking, when the car accelerates, when
driving downhill and when cornering.
WARNINGIf the seat belt does not lock when pulling sharply on it, have it inspected
immediately by a specialist garage.Belt tensioners
Safety for the driver and front passenger wearing their seat belts is enhanced
by the belt tensioners fitted to the inertia reels of the front three-point seat
belts.
The three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a frontal
collision of a certain severity. The belt tensioners can also be deployed if the
seat belts are not fastened.
The seat belts are automatically tensioned on the impact side in the event of a
side-on collision of a certain severity.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the event of minor frontal collisions, side
and rear-end collisions, in the case of a rollover and also not in accidents in
which no major forces are produced from the front.WARNING■ Any work on the belt tensioner system, including removal and installation
of system components because of other repair work, must only be carried
out by a specialist garage.■
The protective function of the system is only adequate for a single acci-
dent. If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then necessary to re-
place the entire system.
Note
■ Smoke is generated when the belt tensioners are deployed. This is not an in-
dication of a fire in the vehicle.■
When disposing of the vehicle or parts of the belt tensioner system, it is im-
portant to comply with national legal requirements. ŠKODA service partners
are familiar with these regulations and will be able to provide you with de-
tailed information.
15Seat belts

Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
System description
16
Airbag deployment
16WARNING■ An airbag can only offer you optimal protection in combination with a
fastened seat belt .■
The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but instead forms part of
the complete passive vehicle safety concept.
■
To ensure passengers are protected with the greatest possible effect
when the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be correctly adjusted to
match the body size » page 9, Correct and safe seated position .
■
If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased
risk of injury in the event of an accident.
WARNINGInformation on the use of the airbag system■If there is a fault, the airbag system must be checked by a specialist ga-
rage immediately. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activa-
ted in the event of an accident.■
No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
■
Any work on the airbag system including the installation and removal of
system components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering
wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or bodywork.
■
It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.
■
The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one ac-
cident. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been de-
ployed.
System description
Read and observe
on page 16 first.
The functional status of the airbag system is indicated by the indicator light 
in the instrument cluster » page 38.
When the airbags are deployed they fill with gas and inflate.
A grey white or red, non-harmful gas is released when the airbag is inflated.
This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
The airbag system consists – depending on the vehicle equipment – of the
following modules.
› Electronic control unit.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger
» page 17.
› Driver’s knee airbag
» page 18.
› Side airbags
» page 19.
› Head airbags
» page 20.
› Airbag warning light in the instrument cluster
» page 38.
› Key switch for the front passenger airbag
» page 21.
› Warning light for the front passenger airbag/activation in dash panel cen-
tre » page 21 .
Note
■
The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.■If you sell your vehicle, provide the complete vehicle documentation to the
new owner. Please note that the information relating to the possibility of de-
activating the front passenger airbag must be included!■
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to
comply with the national legal requirements.
Airbag deployment
Read and observe
on page 16 first.
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to beable to offer that additional protection in the event of an accident.
The airbag system is only functional when the ignition is switched on.
In certain accident situations, the several airbags may be deployed simultane-
ously. 
16Safety

The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions,
rear-end collisions, tilting of the vehicle and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to generally determine which deployment conditions apply to
the airbag system in every situation. An important role is played by factors
such as the type of object that the vehicle hits (hard/soft), the impact angle,
vehicle speed, etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which
occurs. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and activates the
relevant restraint system.
If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is measured during the collision
remains below the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit,
the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe dam-
age to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe frontal
collision.
› Driver’s front airbag.
› Front passenger airbag.
› Driver’s knee airbag.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe side collision.
› Front side airbag on the side of the accident.
› Rear side airbag on the side of the accident.
› Head airbags on the side of the accident.
When an airbag is deployed, the following occurs.
› The interior lighting illuminates (if the switch for the interior lighting is in the
door contact position).
› The hazard warning lights are switched on.
› All the doors are unlocked.
› The fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.
Airbag overview

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Front airbags
17
Driver’s knee airbag
18Side airbags19Head airbags20
Front airbags
Fig. 8
Locations of the airbags / gas filled airbags
Fig. 9
Safe distance to steering wheel
In the event of a severe frontal collision, the front airbag system offers addi-
tional protection for the head and chest area of the driver and front passenger.
The driver's front airbag is located in the steering wheel, the front passenger
airbag is located in the instrument panel above the glove compartment » Fig. 8
-  .
The airbags inflate in front of the driver and front passenger when they are
deployed » Fig. 8 -
 . The forward movement of the driver and of the front
passenger is cushioned when they make contact with the fully inflated airbag
and the risk of injury to head and chest is thus reduced. 
17Airbag system

WARNINGInformation on correct seated position■It is important that the driver and front passenger maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm to the steering wheel or dashboard A
» Fig. 9 . Not maintain-
ing this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able
to properly protect you – hazard! The front seats and the head restraints
must always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occu-
pant.
■
The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to
injuries if the sitting position or seated position is not correct.
■
There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned be-
tween the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag.
WARNINGFront airbag and transporting children■Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a
proper restraint system. If airbags are deployed in the event of an accident,
the child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!■
The front passenger airbag must be deactivated if using a rear-facing
child seat on the front passenger seat » page 21, Deactivating airbags . If
this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal
injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. When transporting a child
on the front passenger seat, pay attention to any relevant national regula-
tions regarding the use of child safety seats.
WARNINGGeneral information■The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash pan-
el on the passenger side must not have stickers attached, be covered or
modified in any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a cloth
that is dry or has been moistened with water. No objects such as cup hold-
ers, mobile phone mounts, etc. must be attached to the covers of the air-
bag modules or be located within their immediate vicinity.■
Never place objects on the surface of the front passenger airbag module
in the dash panel.
Note■ In vehicles with a driver's front airbag, the text  can be seen on the
steering wheel.■
In vehicles with a front passenger airbag, the text 
can be seen on the
dash panel on the passenger side.
Driver’s knee airbag
Fig. 10
Installation of the airbag / Gas-filled Airbag / Safe distance be-
tween the legs and the instrument panel
The driver's knee airbag offers adequate protection for the driver's legs.
The driver's knee airbag
A
is located in the lower part of the dash panel below
the steering column » Fig. 10.
In the event of a severe frontal collision, the driver's knee airbag and front air-
bags are deployed.
The forward movement of the body is cushioned when it makes contact with
the fully inflated airbag
B
and the risk of injury to the legs of the driver is thus
reduced. 
18Safety

WARNING■Adjust the driver's seat in a forward/back direction so that there is a gap
of at least 10 cm between the legs C and the instrument panel in the vi-
cinity of the knee airbag » Fig. 10. If it is not possible to meet this require-
ment due to your body size, visit a specialist garage.■
The surface of the airbag module in the lower part of the dash panel be-
low the steering column not have stickers attached, be covered or modified
in any other way. This part should only be cleaned with a cloth that is dry or
has been moistened with water. No objects must be attached to the cover
of the airbag module or located within the immediate vicinity.
■
Do not attach any bulky and heavy objects (bunch of keys etc.) to the igni-
tion key. These can be ejected by the knee airbag when it is deployed and
can cause injuries.
Note
In vehicles with a driver's knee airbag, the text  can be seen on the side
panel on the driver's side.
Side airbags
Fig. 11
Installation of airbags in front/rear seat
Fig. 12
Inflated airbags
In the event of severe side collisions, the side airbag system provides addition-
al protection for the upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of passengers in
the vehicle.
The front side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the seat backrests of
the front seats » Fig. 11 -
 .
The rear side airbags are located between the entrance area and the seat
backrest » Fig. 11-
 .
When the side airbags are deployed, the head airbag and belt tensioner are al-
so automatically deployed on the relevant side.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully inflated
airbag » Fig. 12 and the risk of injury to the entire upper body (chest, stomach
and pelvis) is reduced on the side facing the door.
WARNINGInformation on correct seated position■Your head should never be positioned in the deployment area of the side
airbag. You might suffer severe injuries in the event of an accident. This ap-
plies in particular to children who are transported without using a suitable
child safety seat » page 24, Child safety and side airbag .■
There must not be any further persons, animals or objects positioned be-
tween the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No accesso-
ries, such as cup holders, should be attached to the doors.
■
If children adopt an incorrect seated position when travelling, they may
be exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This
can result in serious injuries » page 22, Child seat . 
19Airbag system

WARNING■The airbag control unit operates using pressure sensors located in the
front doors. For this reason, no adjustments may be carried out to the
doors or door panels (e.g. the installation of additional loudspeakers). Fur-
ther information » page 179, Airbags .■
Ensure that there are no excessive forces, such as violent knocks, kicks
etc., impact on the backrests of the seats otherwise the system may be
damaged. The side airbags would not be deployed in such a case!
■
Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passen-
ger seats must only be of the type expressly authorized by ŠKODA. In view
of the fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use of
non-approved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the pro-
tective function of the side airbag.
■
Any damage to the original seat covers in the area of the side airbag mod-
ule must be repaired immediately by a specialist garage.
■
The airbag modules in the front seats must not display any damage,
cracks or deep scratches. It is not permissible to use force in order to open
the modules.
Note
■ In vehicles with side front airbags, a label with the text  is located on
the front seat backrests.■
In vehicles with rear side airbags, the text 
can be seen between the en-
trance area and the rear seat rest.
Head airbags
Fig. 13
Location of the head airbag/gas-filled head airbag
In the event of a severe side collision, the head airbag system offers additional
protection for the head and neck area of passengers.
The head airbags are positioned above the doors on both sides of the vehicle
interior » Fig. 13 -  .
In the event of a side collision the head airbag is deployed together with the
relevant side airbag and the front seat belt tensioner on the side of the car on
which the accident occurs.
When deployed, the airbag covers the window area of the front and rear doors,
as well as the area of the door pillar » Fig. 13 - 
.
Head impact with interior parts is reduced by the inflated head airbag. The re-
duction in any impact to the head and the resultant minimizing of any move-
ments of the head additionally reduce the risk of injuries to the neck area.WARNING■ There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head air-
bags which might prevent the airbags from inflating properly.■
Only hang light items of clothing on the hooks fitted in the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of
clothing. Additionally, clothes hangers must not be used to hang up items
of clothing.
■
The installation of impermissible accessories in the vicinity of the head
airbags can considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in
the event of it being deployed. When the deployed head airbag is inflated,
parts of the accessories fitted could, conditions permitting, be thrown into
the interior of the car and injure the occupants » page 177.
■
The sun visors must not be swivelled towards the side windows in the
deployment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens,
etc. are attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if
the head airbag is deployed.
■
There must not be any further persons, animals or objects positioned be-
tween the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. In addition,
none of the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driv-
ing, or extend their arms and hands out of the window.
Note
In vehicles with head airbags, the text  can be seen on the B column clad-
ding.20Safety

Deactivating airbags
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Deactivating airbags
21
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
21
Deactivating airbags
Deactivating an airbag should be considered in cases such as the ones
outlined below.
› If using a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat (due to different
legal regulations, the airbag must be deactivated if using a forward-facing
child seat in some countries) » page 22, Transporting children safely .
› If not being able to maintain a distance of at least 25 cm between the middle
of the steering wheel and chest, despite the driver's seat being correctly ad-
justed.
› If special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because
of a physical disability.
› If other seats have been installed (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side air-
bags).
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated
switch » page 21 , Deactivating the front passenger airbag .
We recommend that you ask a ŠKODA service partner to deactivate any other
airbags as appropriate.
Monitoring the airbag system
The functionality of the airbag system is monitored electronically even if one
of the airbags is switched off.
Airbag was switched off using diagnostic equipment
› The warning light
 lights up for approx. 4 seconds after switching on the
ignition and then flashes again for approx. 12 seconds.
Front passenger airbag switched off with the key switch in the storage com-
partment
› The warning light
 comes on for about 4 seconds after the ignition has
been switched on.
› The warning light


» Fig. 14 on page 21 -
 comes on after the ignition
has been switched on.
Note■ The national regulations for switching off airbags must be observed.■A ŠKODA service partner will be able to inform you which, if any, of your vehi-
cle's airbags can or must be deactivated.
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
Fig. 14
Key-operated switch for the front passenger airbag/warning light
for the front passenger airbag
Only the front passenger airbag is deactivated with the key switch.
Switching off
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Fold the key bit out completely for the radio key » .
›
Carefully insert the key into the key slot in the key switch as far as the stop.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch carefully into the position
 » Fig. 14 - 
.
›
Pull the key out of the slot in the key switch » .
›
Close the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Check that the warning light 

underneath the text 
 » Fig. 14 - 
lights up after the ignition is switched on.
Switching on
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Fold the key bit out completely for the radio key » .
›
Carefully insert the key into the key slot in the key switch as far as the stop.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch carefully into the position
 » Fig. 14 - 
.
›
Pull the key out of the slot in the key switch » .
21Airbag system