2014 SKODA RAPID Battery

Checking the battery electrolyte levelFig. 124
Electrolyte level indicator
Read and observe and on page 145 first.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator » Fig. 124, 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.
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.
Charging
Read and observe
and on page 145 first.
A properly charged vehicle battery is essential for reliably starting the engine.A charging operation can be performed if the following conditions are satis-
fied.
The engine is turned off.
The ignition is switched off.
All consumers are turned off.
The bonnet is open.
“Fast charging” with high currents
›
Disconnect both battery cables (first of all “negative”, then “positive”).
›
Attach the terminal clamps of the charger to the battery terminals (red =
“positive”, 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 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”).
Charging with low voltages
It is not necessary to disconnect the cables from the battery if you recharge
the vehicle battery, 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 low-
er) must be used until full charging is achieved.
The vent plugs of the vehicle battery should not be opened for charging. 
146General Maintenance

WARNING■When you charge a battery, hydrogen is released, and a highly explosive
gas mixture is also produced. An explosion can be caused through sparkling
over during unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is
on.■
Creating a bridge between the poles on the battery (e.g. with metal ob-
jects - cables) creates a short circuit - risk of damage to the battery, explo-
sion and burning of the battery, jets of acid spurting out.
■
Avoid creating sparks when working with cables and electrical devices.
Strong sparking represents a risk of injury.
■
Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch off the en-
gine, the ignition and all electrical consumers and disconnect the negative
terminal 
.
■
“Quick-charging” the vehicle battery is dangerous and requires a special
charger and specialist knowledge.
■
We therefore recommend that vehicle batteries be “rapidly charged” by a
specialist garage.
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 163, Jump-starting using the battery from
another vehicle .
Replacing
Read and observe
and on page 145 first.
The new vehicle battery must have the same capacity, voltage, current and
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
disposed of in accordance with national regulations.
Disconnecting and reconnecting
Read and observe
and on page 145 first.
Disconnecting
›
Switch off the ignition.
›First, disconnect the negative terminal
 first, then the positive  terminal
of the battery.
Connecting›
First, connect the positive 
first, then the negative 
battery terminal.
After disconnecting and re-connecting the vehicle battery, the following func-
tions or devices are partially or completely inoperative.
Function / deviceOperating measureRadio or navigation systemEnter code number » User radio
manual or » navigation system
user manualTime 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 145 first.
The vehicle voltage control unit automatically prevents the battery from dis-
charging when the battery is put under high levels of strain. This manifests it-
self 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. 
147Inspecting and replenishing

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 that are supplied via a 12-V power socket can cause the vehicle
battery to discharge when the ignition is switched off.
Note
Driving comfort is not impaired by consumers being deactivated. The driver is
often not aware of it having taken place.Wheels
Tyres and wheel rims
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Notes on using wheels
148
Tyre pressure
149
Tyre wear
149
Tyre wear indicator and wheels exchange
150
Tyre damage
150
Unidirectional tyres
151
Only use tyres or wheel rims that have been approved by ŠKODA for your mod-
el of vehicle.
WARNINGThe national legal regulations must be observed for the use of tyres.WARNINGFor reasons of driving safety, do not replace tyres individually.
For the sake of the environment
Old and unserviceable tyres are classified in a special environmentally hazard- ous category. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal reg-
ulations.
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.
Notes on using wheels
Read and observe
on page 148 first.
During the first 500 km, new tyres do not offer optimum grip and appropriate
care should therefore be taken when driving. 
148General Maintenance

›Use the valve remover 2 to unscrew the valve core and place it on a clean
surface (rag, paper, etc.).
Sealing and inflating the tyre
Read and observe
on page 160 first.
Sealing
›
Forcefully shake the tyre inflater bottle
10
» Fig. 137 on page 161 back and
forth several times.
›
Firmly screw the inflation hose
3
onto the tyre inflator bottle
10
in a clock-
wise direction. The film on the cap is pierced automatically.
›
Remove the plug from the inflation hose
3
and plug the open end fully onto
the tyre valve.
›
Hold the bottle
10
with the bottom facing upwards and fill all of the sealing
agent from the tyre inflator bottle into the tyre.
›
Remove the empty tyre inflator bottle from the valve.
›
Screw the valve core back into the tyre valve using the valve remover
2
.
Inflating
›
Screw the tyre inflation hose
7
» Fig. 137 on page 161 of the air compressor
firmly onto the tyre valve.
›
Start the engine and run it in idle.
›
Plug the connector
6
into 12 Volt socket » page 76, 12-Volt power outlet .
›
Switch on the air compressor with the ON and OFF switch
9
.
›
Allow the air compressor to run until a pressure of 2.0 - 2.5 bar is achieved.
Maximum run time of 8 minutes » .
›
Switch off the air compressor.
›
If you cannot reach an air pressure of 2.0 – 2.5 bar, unscrew the tyre inflation
hose
7
from the tyre valve.
›
Drive the vehicle 10 metres forwards or backwards to allow the sealing agent
to “distribute” in the tyre.
›
Firmly screw the tyre inflation hose
7
back onto the tyre valve and repeat
the inflation process.
›
If you cannot reach the required tyre inflation pressure here either, this
means the tyre has sustained too much damage. You cannot seal with tyre with the breakdown kit »
.
›
Switch off the air compressor.
›
Remove the tyre inflation hose
7
from the tyre valve.
Once a tyre inflation pressure of 2.0 – 2.5 bar is achieved, continue the journey
at a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).
WARNING■ If you cannot inflate the tyre to at least 2.0 bar, this means the damage
sustained was too serious. The sealing agent cannot be used to seal the
tyre. 
Do not drive the vehicle. Seek help from a specialist garage.■
The tyre inflation hose and air compressor may get hot as the tyre is be-
ing inflated – there is a risk of burning.
CAUTION
Switch off the air compressor after running 8 minutes at the latest – there is a
risk of overheating. Allow the air compressor to cool a few minutes before
switching it on again.
Notes for driving with tyre repaired
Read and observe
on page 160 first.
The inflation pressure of the repaired tyre must be checked after driving for 10minutes.
If the tyre pressure is 1.3 bar or less
›
 Do not continue to drive! You cannot properly seal with tyre with the
breakdown kit.
If the tyre pressure is 1.3 bar or more
›
Set the tyre pressure back to the correct value.
›
Continue driving carefully to the nearest specialist garage at a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).
WARNING■ A tyre filled with sealant has the same driving characteristics as a stand-
ard tyre.■
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h (50 mph).
■
Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
Jump-starting
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicle
163

162Do-it-yourself

The battery of another vehicle can be used to jump-start your vehicle if the en-
gine will not start because the battery is flat.WARNING■ Pay attention to the warning instructions relating to working in the en-
gine compartment » page 137.■
A discharged vehicle battery may already freeze at temperatures just be-
low 0 °C. If the battery is frozen, do not jump start with the battery of an-
other vehicle – there is a risk of explosion.
■
Keep any sources of ignition (naked flame, smouldering cigarettes, etc.)
away from the battery – risk of explosion!
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with insufficient acid levels – risk of
explosion and chemical burns.
■
The vent screws of the battery cells must be tightened firmly.
Note
We recommend you buy jump-start cables from a car battery specialist.
Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicle
Fig. 138
Jump-starting: A – flat battery, B
– battery providing current
Fig. 139
Engine earth: START-STOP system
Read and observe on page 163 first.
The starting process using the battery of another vehicle requires the use of
jumper cables.
The jump-start cables must be attached in the following sequence.
›
Attach clamp
1
to the positive terminal of the discharged battery
A
» Fig. 138 .
›
Attach clamp
2
to the positive terminal of the battery supplying power
B
.
›
Attach clamp
3
to the negative terminal of the battery supplying power
B
.
›
Attach the clamp
4
to a solid metal component firmly connected to the en-
gine block or to the engine block itself.
Starting engine
›
Start the engine on the vehicle providing the power and allow it to idle.
›
Start the engine of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
›
If the engine does not start, halt the attempt to start the engine after 10 sec-
onds and wait for 30 seconds before repeating the process.
›
Remove the jumper cables exactly in the reverse sequence as for clamping.
On vehicles with the START-STOP system, the jump-start cable of the charger
must never be connected directly to the negative pole of the vehicle battery,
but only to the engine earth.
› 1.2 l/63 kW TSI and 1.2 l/77 kW TSI engines
» Fig. 139 -

› 1.4 l/90 kW engine
» Fig. 139 -

› 1.6 l/77 kW TDI CR engine
» Fig. 139 -

Both batteries must have a rated voltage of 12 V. The capacity (Ah) of the bat-
tery supplying the power must not be significantly less than the capacity of
the discharged battery in your vehicle.
Jump-start cables
Only use jump-start cables which have an adequately large cross-section and
insulated terminal clamps. Observe the instructions of the jumper lead manu-
facturer.
Positive cable – colour coding in the majority of cases is red.
Negative cable – colour coding in the majority of cases is black. 

163Emergency equipment and self-help

WARNING■Do not clamp the jump-start cable to the negative terminal of the dis-
charged battery. There is the risk of detonating gas seeping out the battery
being ignited by the strong spark which results from the engine being star-
ted.■
The non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps must never touch each
other – there is a risk of short circuit.
■
The jump-start cable connected to the positive terminal of the battery
must not come into contact with electrically conducting parts of the vehicle
– there is a risk of short circuit.
■
Route the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any rotat-
ing parts in the engine compartment.
■
There must not be any contact between the two vehicles otherwise cur-
rent may flow as soon as the negative terminals are connected.
Towing the vehicle
 Introduction
Fig. 140
Braided tow rope / Spiral tow rope
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Front towing eye
165
Rear towing eye
165
Vehicles with a tow hitch
165
For towing a braided tow rope is to be used » Fig. 140- 
.
When towing, the following guidelines must be observed.
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.
■
For towing no spiral tow rope is to be used » Fig. 140- 
, the towing eye
may unscrew out of the vehicle - there is a risk of accidents.
■
The tow rope should not be twisted - there is a risk of accidents. 
164Do-it-yourself

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 162 , 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 165
or » page 165 to the detachable ball head of the towing equip-
ment » page 116 .
Note
We recommend using a tow rope from ŠKODA Original Accessories, which is
available from a ŠKODA Partner.
Front towing eye
Fig. 141
Removing the cap/installing the towing eye
Read and observe
and on page 164 first.
Removing/installing the cap
›
Press on the cap in the direction of the arrow
1
» Fig. 141 .
›
Remove the cap in the direction of the arrow
2
.
›
After unscrewing the cap of the towing eye, insert the cap in the region of
the arrow
1
and then press the opposite side of the cap.
The cap must engage firmly.
Removing/installing the towing eye›
Manually screw the towing eye as far as it will go in the direction of the ar-
row
3
» Fig. 141 » .
For tightening purposes, we recommend, for example, using the wheel
wrench, towing eye from another vehicle or a similar object that can be pushed through the eye.
›
Unscrew the towing eye against the direction of the arrow
3
.
WARNINGThe towing eye must always be screwed in fully and firmly tightened, oth-
erwise the towing eye can tear when towing in or tow-starting.
Rear towing eye
Fig. 142
Rear towing eye
Read and observe and on page 164 first.
The rear towing eye is located below the bumper on the right.
Remove the protective cap before using the towing eye. » Fig. 142. Replace the
protective cap after using the towing eye.
Vehicles with a tow hitch
Read and observe
and on page 164 first.
For vehicles with a factory-fitted towing device, the pre-installed detachabletow-bar may be used » page 116, Hitch .
Towing the vehicle using the towing device is a viable alternative solution to
using the towing eye. 
165Emergency equipment and self-help

CAUTIONThe detachable ball rod and/or the vehicle can be damaged if an unsuitable
tow bar is used.
Remote control
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Replacing the battery in the remote control key
166
Synchronising the remote control
166
CAUTION
■ The replacement battery must have the same specification as the original
battery.■
We recommend having faulty rechargeable batteries replaced by a ŠKODA
service partner.
■
Pay attention to the correct polarity when changing the battery.
For the sake of the environment
Dispose of the used battery in accordance with national legal provisions.
Replacing the battery in the remote control key
Fig. 143
Remove cover/take out battery
Read and observe
on page 166 first.
The battery change is carried out as follows.
›
Flip out the key.
› Press off the battery cover A
» Fig. 143 with your thumb or using a flat
screwdriver in the region of the arrows 1.›
Remove the discharged battery from the key by pressing the battery down in
the region of the arrow
2
.
›
Insert the new battery.
›
Insert the battery cover
A
and press it down until it clicks audibly into place.
The key has to be synchronised if the vehicle cannot be unlocked or locked
with the remote control key after replacing the battery » page 166.
Note
If a key has an affixed decorative cover, this will be destroyed when the bat-
tery is replaced. A replacement cover can be purchased from a ŠKODA Partner.
Synchronising the remote control
Read and observe
on page 166 first.
If the vehicle does not unlock when pressing the remote control, the key may
not be synchronised. This can occur when the buttons on the remote control
key are actuated a number of times outside of the operative range of the
equipment or the battery in the remote control key has been replaced.
Synchronise the key as follows.
›
Press any button on the remote control key.
›
Unlock the door with the key in the lock cylinder within 1 minute of pressing the button.
Emergency unlocking/locking
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Locking the door without a locking cylinder
167
Unlocking the tailgate
167
Selector lever-emergency unlocking
167166Do-it-yourself