2014 SKODA OCTAVIA ESP

Vehicle battery
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Opening the cover
201
Checking the battery electrolyte level
201
Charging
202
Replacing
202
Disconnecting and reconnecting
202
Automatic load deactivation
203
The vehicle battery represents a power source for the motor to start and for
the supply of electrical consumers in the car.
Warning symbols on the vehicle battery
SymbolMeaningAlways wear eye protection!Battery acid is severely caustic. Always wear gloves and eye pro-
tection!Keep fire, sparks, open flames and lit cigarettes well clear of the
vehicle battery!When charging the vehicle battery, a highly explosive gas mixture
is produced!Keep children away from the vehicle battery!WARNINGThere is a risk of injuries, poisoning, chemical burns, explosions or fire
when carrying out any work on the battery and on the electrical system.
The general applicable safety rules and the following warnings must be ob-
served without exception.■
Keep the vehicle battery away from people who are not completely inde-
pendent, especially children.
WARNING (Continued)■ Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery vent openings. Protect your eyes by safety glasses 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 conjunctivi-
tis and inflammation of the air passages in the lungs.
■
Battery acid corrodes dental enamel and creates deep wounds after con-
tact with the skin which take a long time to heal.
■
If any battery electrolyte comes into contact with your eyes, rinse the rel-
evant eye immediately with clear water for several minutes - consult a doc-
tor immediately!
■
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, seek immediate medical assistance!
WARNING■ The use of open flames and light should be avoided.■Smoking and radio triggering activities should be avoided.■
Never use a damaged vehicle battery – risk of explosion!
■
Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – risk of explosion and
caustic burns!
■
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with an electrolyte level that is too low
– risk of explosion and caustic burns.
CAUTION
■ Improper handling of the vehicle battery may cause damage.■Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork – risk
of damage to the paintwork.■
If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will
discharge. Prevent the battery from discharging by disconnecting the battery's
negative terminal 
or continuously charging the battery with a very low
charging current. 
200General Maintenance

■Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the vehicle bat-
tery housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.■
If the vehicle is frequently used for making short trips, the vehicle battery
will not have time to charge up sufficiently and may discharge.
For the sake of the environment
A vehicle battery that has been removed is a special type of hazardous waste.
These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regulations.
Note
■ We recommend having all work on the vehicle battery carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.■
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
Opening the cover
Fig. 190
Polyester cover of vehicle bat-
tery
Read and observe and on page 200 first.
The battery is located in the engine compartment. For some equipment var-
iants, it is located underneath a polyester cover » Fig. 190.
›
Fold out the cover on the battery in the direction of the arrow.
The battery cover is installed in reverse order.
Checking the battery electrolyte levelFig. 191
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
Read and observe and on page 200 first.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator » Fig. 191, the
electrolyte level can be determined by looking at the change in colour of this
display.
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
garage, 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 tem-
peratures. A discharged vehicle battery may already freeze at temperatures
just below 0 °C .
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked and, if necessary,
recharged by a specialist garage before the start of the winter. 
201Inspecting and replenishing

›Firstly disconnect the battery's negative terminal
, followed by the positive
terminal .
Connecting›
Firstly connect the battery's positive terminal 
, followed by the negative
terminal 
.
After disconnecting and re-connecting the vehicle battery, the following func- tions or devices are partially or completely inoperative.
Function / deviceOperating measureElectrical power windows» page 66Panorama sliding/tilting roof» page 68Sun screen» page 70
Radio or navigation system
Enter code » Operating instruc-
tions for Infotainment Radio
or » Operating instructions for
Infotainment NavigationTime settings» page 33
CAUTION
■ Disconnect the vehicle battery only with the ignition turned off - there is a
risk of damaging the electrical system of the vehicle.■
Under no circumstances must the battery cables be connected incorrectly –
risk of a cable fire.
Note
■ After disconnecting and re-connecting the vehicle battery, we recommend
having the vehicle checked by a specialist to ensure that the full functionality
of all electrical systems is guaranteed.■
The data of the multi-function display will be reset.
Automatic load deactivation
Read and observe
and on page 200 first.
The vehicle voltage control unit automatically prevents the battery from dis-
charging when the bettery is subjected to heavy loads. This manifests itself by
the following.
› The idling speed is raised to allow the generator to deliver more electricity to
the electrical system.
› Where appropriate large convenience consumers, e.g. seat heaters, rear win-
dow heaters, have their power limited or in case of emergency shut off com-
pletely.
CAUTION
■ Despite such intervention by the vehicle electric system management, the
vehicle 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 which are supplied via a 12 V socket can cause the vehicle battery
to discharge when the ignition is switched off.
Note
Driving comfort is not disrupted by any shutting off of consumers. Often the
driver is not aware of it having taken place.203Inspecting and replenishing

Label with prescribed tyre inflation pressure values » Fig. 192
Position of the CNG label
Inflation pressure for half load
Inflation pressure for increased driving comfort at half load
Inflation pressure for full load
As a result of adjusting the pressure to the value C
for increased driving com-
fort, fuel consumption may slightly increase.
Checking the tyre pressures
Check the tyre pressure, including that of the spare wheel, at least once a
month and also before setting off on a long journey.
Always check the inflation pressure when the tyres are cold. Do not reduce the
higher pressure on warm tyres.
In vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring, tyre pressure values must be saved
each time the pressures are changed » page 167.
WARNING■
Having the correct tyre inflation pressure is always the driver's responsi-
bility.■
Too low or too high inflation pressure impairs handling.
■
If the inflation pressure is too low, the tyre must perform a greater rolling
resistance. At higher speeds the tyre will warm up as a result of this. This
can result in tread separation and a tyre blowout.
■
In the event of very fast pressure loss, e.g. in the event of sudden tyre
damage, an attempt should be made to bring the vehicle carefully to a stop
without sudden steering movements and without any hard braking.
For the sake of the environment
Tyres which are insufficiently inflated increase your fuel consumption.
Note
In some countries, the vehicles have a label without pictograms.
Tyre wear
Read and observe
on page 204 first.
The tyre wear depends on the tyre pressure, the driving style and other condi-
tions.
Attention to the following notes may affect tyre wear.
ABCDDriving style
Fast cornering, sharp acceleration and braking increase the wear of your tyres.
Wheel balance
The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. When driving, there are a wide
range of influences which may result in an imbalance. This may become appa-
rent by a “vibration” in the steering. If this is the case, have the wheels
checked by a specialist garage.
Have the wheels rebalanced after replacing or repairing the tyres.
Setting the vehicle geometry
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear leads to excess wear on the
tyres and impairs driving safety. In the event of prominent tyre wear, we rec-
ommend that you have the setting of the vehicle geometry checked at a spe-
cialist garage.WARNING■ An incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear impairs handling.■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 tyre damage is evident, drive slow-
ly and carefully to the nearest specialist garage to have the vehicle
checked.205Wheels

Manufacturer-approved tyre variants
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Explanation of the tyre labelling
207
Octavia
208
Octavia GreenLine
208
Octavia G-TEC
209
Octavia Scout
209
Octavia RS
209
Approved tyre variants must be selected firstly for the model variant (Octavia
GreenLine, Octavia Scout etc.) and then according to the engine size of your
vehicle. If the model variant of your vehicle cannot be found in a separate
module, then the approved tyre variants must be selected according to the en-
gine size of your vehicle in module » page 208, Octavia .
Only fit radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and the same
tread pattern on one axle on all 4 wheels.
When fitting new tyres, the tyres must be replaced axle by axle.
The information listed in the table corresponds to the information available at
the time of going to press.
The approved tyre/rim combinations for your vehicle can be found in the sales
and technical vehicle documentation.
Explanation of the tyre labelling
Explanation of tyre markings
For example, 195/65 R 15 91 T means:
195Tyre width in mm65Height/width ratio in %RCode letter for the type of tyre – Radial15Diameter of wheel in inches91Load indexTSpeed symbol
The date of manufacture is stated on the tyre wall (possibly on the inside).
For example, DOT ... 11 14... means that the tyre was manufactured in the 11th
week of 2014.
The marking M+Smeans that the associated tyre is suitable for winter use.
Load index
The load index indicates the maximum permissible load for each individual
tyre.Load index8889909192939495Load
(In kg)560580600615630650670690
Speed symbol
The maximum speed symbol indicates the maximum permissible vehicle speed
with fitted tyres in each category.
Speed iconSTUHVWYMaximum speed
(in km/h)180190200210240270300WARNING■ Never exceed the maximum permissible load bearing capacity of moun-
ted tyres.■
Never exceed the maximum permissible speed for the mounted tyres.
CAUTION
The information about load index and speed symbol can be found in the in the
sales and technical vehicle documentation.207Wheels

Octavia G-TEC
Authorised tyre variantsEngine typeTyre sizeMinimal
Load indexMinimal
Speed symbol
1.4 l/81 kW TSI
205/55 R1691H205/50 R1789H225/45 R1791H225/40 R1892Y
Octavia Scout
Authorised tyre variants
Engine typeTyre sizeMinimal
Load indexMinimal
Speed symbol
1.8 l/132 kW TSI
205/60 R1692V205/55 R1691V205/50 R1789V205/55 R1791V225/50 R1794V
2.0 l/110 kW TDI CR
205/60 R1692V205/55 R1691V205/50 R1789V205/55 R1791V225/50 R1794V
2.0 l/135 kW TDI CR
205/60 R1692V205/55 R1691V205/50 R1789V205/55 R1791V225/50 R1794VOctavia RS
Authorised tyre variantsEngine typeTyre sizeMinimal
Load indexMinimal
Speed symbol
2.0 l/162 kW TSI
205/50 R1789W225/45 R1791W225/40 R1892Y225/35 R1988Y
2.0 l/135 kW TDI CR
205/50 R1789V225/45 R1791V225/40 R1892Y225/35 R1988Y
Winter operation
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Winter tyres
209
Snow chains
210
Winter tyres
Summer tyres on ice, snee and at temperatures below 7 °C have less grip. This
is especially true of low-profile tyres or high-speed tyres .
The handling of your vehicle will be significantly improved when driving on
wintry roads if you fit winter tyres.
To ensure the best possible handling, winter tyres must be fitted to all four
wheels. The minimum tread depth is 4 mm.
Winter tyres (marked with M+S and a peak/snowflake symbol) of a lower speed
category can be used provided that the maximum permissible speed of these
tyres is not exceeded even if the maximum possible speed of the vehicle is
higher. 
209Wheels

Vehicles with manual transmission may be towed in with a tow bar or a tow
rope or with the front or rear wheels raised.
Vehicles with automatic transmission may be towed in with a tow bar or a tow
rope or with the front wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised at rear, the auto-
matic gearbox is damaged!
Driver of the tow vehicle›
Engage the clutch gently when starting off or depress the accelerator partic-
ularly gently if the vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
›
Only then approach correctly when the rope is taut.
The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
Driver of the towed vehicle
›
Switch on the ignition so that the steering wheel is not locked and so that
the turn signal lights, windscreen wipers and windscreen washer system can
be used.
›
Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N if the
vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Please note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the
engine is running. If the engine is not running, significantly more physical force
is required to depress the brake pedal and steer the vehicle.
If using a tow rope, ensure that it is always kept taught.
Both drivers should be familiar with the problems which might possibly occur while a vehicle is being towed. Unskilled drivers should not attempt to tow in
another vehicle or to be towed in.
The vehicle must be transported on a special breakdown vehicle or trailer if it
is not possible to tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing dis-
tance is greater than 50 km.
WARNING■ When towing, respect the national legal provisions, especially those
which relate to the identification of the towing vehicle and the vehicle be-
ing towed.■
When towing, exercise increased caution.
■
Spiral tow ropes must not be used for towing » Fig. 207- 
, the towing
eye may unscrew out of the vehicle - risk of accident.
■
The tow rope should not be twisted - risk of accident.
CAUTION■ Do not tow start the engine – there is a risk of damaging the engine and the
catalytic converter. The battery from another vehicle can be used as a jump-
start aid » page 220 , Jump-starting .■
If the gearbox no longer contains any oil, your vehicle must only be towed
with the front axle raised clear of the ground or on a breakdown vehicle or
trailer.
■
To protect both vehicles when tow-starting or towing, the tow rope should
be elastic. Thus one should only use plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a
similarly elastic material.
■
There is always a risk of excessive stresses and damage resulting at the
points to which you attach the tow rope or tow bar when you attempt to tow a
vehicle which is not standing on a paved road.
■
Attach the tow rope or the tow bar to the towing eyes » page 222
or » page 223 to the detachable ball head of the towing equip-
ment » page 169 .
Note
We recommend using a tow rope from ŠKODA Original Accessories available
from a ŠKODA Partner.
Front towing eye
Fig. 208
Removing the cap / installing the towing eye
Read and observe
and on page 222 first.
Removing/installing the cap
›
Press on the cap in the area of arrow
1
» Fig. 208 .
›
Remove the cap in the direction of arrow
2
. 
222Do-it-yourself

Fuses and light bulbs
Fuses
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Fuses in the dash panel – LHD
228
Fuses in the dash panel – RHD
229
Assignment of the fuses in the dash panel
229
Fuses in the engine compartment
230
Assignment of fuses in the engine compartment
231
Individual electrical circuits are protected by fuses.
Switch off the ignition and the corresponding power consuming device before
replacing a fuse.
Find out which fuse belongs to the component that is not operat-
ing » page 229 , Assignment of the fuses in the dash panel or » page 231 , As-
signment of fuses in the engine compartment .
Electrically adjustable seats are protected by automatic circuit breakers, which
switch on again automatically after a few seconds after the overload has been
eliminated.
Fuse colourMaximum amperagelight brown5dark brown7.5red10blue15yellow/blue20white25green/pink30orange/green40red50WARNINGAlways read and observe the warnings before completing any work in the
engine compartment » page 192.CAUTION■
“Never repair” fuses, and do not replace them with fuses of a higher amper-
age – risk of fire! This may also cause damage at other points in the electrical
system.■
If a newly inserted fuse blows again after a short time, have the electrical
system checked as quickly as possible by a specialist garage.
■
A blown fuses is recognisable by the molten metal strip. Replace the faulty
fuse with a new one of the same amperage.
Note
■
We recommend always carrying replacement fuses in the vehicle. A box of
replacement fuses can be purchased from ŠKODA Original Accessories.■
There can be several power consuming devices for one fuse.
■
Multiple fuses may exist for a single power consuming device.
Fuses in the dash panel – LHD
Fig. 219
Storage compartment on the
driver's side: LHD
Read and observe and on page 228 first.
On left-hand drive vehicles, the fuse box is located behind the storage com-
partment in the left-hand section of the dash panel.
Replacing fuses
›
Open the storage compartment » page 95.
›
Grab hold of the storage compartment in the area of the arrows » Fig. 219.
›
Fold out the storage compartment by pulling in the direction of arrow
1
.
›
Remove the plastic clip under the cover of the fuse box in the engine
room » Fig. 223 on page 231 .
›
Place the clip onto the respective fuse and pull the fuse out.
›
Insert a new fuse.
›
Replace the bracket at the original position. 
228Do-it-yourself