2014 SKODA SUPERB Battery

WARNING (Continued)■Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the vehicle's
battery.■
Always make sure that no jewellery, loose clothing or long hair can get
caught in rotating engine parts – risk to life! Always remove any jewellery,
tie back long hair and wear tight fitting clothing before completing any
work.
WARNINGInformation for working on the fuel system or the electrical system■Always disconnect the vehicle battery from the electrical system.■
Do not smoke.
■
Never work near open flames.
■
Always have a functioning fire extinguisher nearby.
WARNING■ Read and observe the information and warning instructions on the fluid
containers.■
Keep the working fluids in sealed original containers and safe from peo-
ple who are not completely independent, e.g. children.
■
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!
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 fluids be changed by a specialist garage.
Note
■ Please consult a specialist garage for any questions relating to fluids.■Fluids with the proper specifications can be purchased from the ŠKODA Origi-
nal Accessories or from the ŠKODA Genuine Parts ranges.Opening and closing the bonnetFig. 160
Bonnet release lever/release lever
Read and observe
and on page 182 first.
Open flap
›
Pull the release lever under the dash panel in the direction of the arrow
1
» Fig. 160 .
Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers
are correctly in place against the windscreen otherwise the paintwork on the
flap could be damaged.
›
Press the release lever in the direction of the arrow
2
to unlock the bonnet.
›
Grasp the bonnet and lift up until it is held open by the pressurised gas
spring.
Close the flap
›
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
WARNING■ Check that the bonnet is closed properly.■If you notice that the lock is not properly engaged while driving, stop the
vehicle immediately and close the bonnet – risk of accident!
CAUTION
Never open the bonnet by the locking lever » Fig. 160.183Inspecting and replenishing

Engine compartment overviewFig. 161
Principle sketch: Engine compartment
Read and observe
and on page 182 first.
Image description » Fig. 161
Coolant expansion reservoir
188
Windscreen washer fluid reservoir
184
Engine oil filler opening
187
Engine oil dipstick
186
Brake fluid reservoir
189
Battery (below a cover)
189
Note
The location of the inspection points in the engine compartment of petrol and
diesel engines is practically identical.
Radiator fan
Read and observe
and on page 182 first.
The radiator fan is powered by an electric motor. Operation is controlled ac-
cording to the temperature of the coolant.
123456WARNINGAfter switching off the ignition, the fan may intermittently continue to op-
erate for approx. 10 minutes.
Windscreen washer system
Fig. 162
Engine compartment: Wind-
screen washer fluid reservoir
Read and observe and on page 182 first.
The windscreen washer fluid reservoir is located in the engine compart-
ment » Fig. 162 .
This contains the cleaning fluid for the windscreen or rear window and for the
headlight cleaning system.
The capacity of the reservoir is about 3 litres or about 5.5 litres on vehicles that
have a headlight cleaning system 1)
.
Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and head-
lights. We recommend using clean water together with a screen cleaner from
the range of ŠKODA Original Accessories (with antifreeze in winter), which will
remove any stubborn dirt.
In Winter, the washing water should always be mixed with antifreeze even if
the vehicle has heated windscreen washer nozzles.
Under exceptional circumstances, methylated spirits can also be used if no
screen cleaner with antifreeze is available. The concentration of methylated
spirits must not be more than 15 %. The freeze protection at this concentration
is sufficient only to -5 °C. 
1)
In some countries, 5.5 ltr. applies for both variants.
184General Maintenance

Brake fluid
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Checking the brake fluid level
189
Changing
189WARNING■ The engine compartment of your car is a hazardous area. The following
warning instructions must be followed at all times when working in the en-
gine compartment » page 182.■
Do not continue your journey if the fluid level has fallen below the MIN
marking » Fig. 165 on page 189 , 
- there is a risk of an accident. Seek help
from a specialist garage.
■
Do not use used brake fluid - the function of the brake system may be im-
paired – risk of accident!
CAUTION
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
Note
■ The brake fluid is changed as part of a compulsory inspection service.■We recommend using brake fluids from the ŠKODA Original Accessories
range.
Checking the brake fluid level
Fig. 165
Engine compartment: Brake fluid
reservoir
Read and observe and on page 189 first.
The brake fluid reservoir is located in the engine compartment » Fig. 165.
›Switch off the engine.›Open the bonnet.›
Check the level of brake fluid in the reservoir
» Fig. 165.
The level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
A slight drop in the fluid level results when driving due to normal wear-and-
tear and automatic adjustment of the brake pads.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the fluid
level drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” mark-
ing.
If the brake fluid level is too low, this is shown by the indicator light

» page 33 ,
 Brake system
lighting up in the instrument cluster.
Changing
Read and observe
and on page 189 first.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture. Over time it therefore absorbs moisture from the
environment.
Excessive water in the brake fluid may be the cause of corrosion in the brake
system.
The water content lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid.
The brake fluid must comply with the following standards or specifications: › VW 50114;
› FMVSS 116 DOT4.
Vehicle battery

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Open cover
191
Checking the battery electrolyte level
191
Charging
192
Replace
192
Disconnecting or reconnecting
192
Automatic load deactivation
193

189Inspecting and replenishing

Warning symbols on the vehicle batterySymbolImportance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 risk of injuries, poisoning, chemical burns, explosions or fire when
working on the battery and on the electrical system. It is essential to com-
ply with the general applicable safety rules as well as the warning instruc-
tions outlined below.■
Keep the vehicle battery away from people who are not completely inde-
pendent, especially children.
■
Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
battery vent openings. Protect your eyes by wearing safety goggles 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, if it comes into contact with the
skin, causes deep wounds that take a long time to heal. Repeated contact
with diluted acids causes skin diseases (inflammations, ulcers, slin cracks).
■
If any battery acid comes into contact with your eyes, rinse the affected
eye immediately with clean water for several minutes and consult a doctor
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 swal-
low battery acid, consult a doctor immediately!
WARNING■ It is prohibited to work with naked flames or lights.■It is prohibited to smoke or carry out any activities that produce sparks.■
Never use a damaged vehicle battery – risk of explosion!
■
Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – risk of explosion and
chemical burns!
■
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with insufficient acid levels – risk of
explosion and chemical burns.
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 a metal ob-
ject or cable) creates a short circuit - risk of melting the lead bars, and risk
of explosion, battery fire and acid splashes.
■
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 components and disconnect the negative
terminal (-) on the battery.
CAUTION
Improper handling of the battery can lead to damage. We recommend having
all work on the vehicle battery carried out by a specialist garage.
CAUTION
■ The vehicle battery must only be disconnected if the ignition is switched off,
otherwise the vehicle's electrical system (electronic components) can be dam-
aged. When disconnecting the battery from the electrical system, first of all
disconnect the negative terminal (-) of the battery, and then the positive ter-
minal (+).■
When connecting the battery to the electrical system, first of all connect the
positive terminal (+) of the battery, and then the negative terminal (-). Under
no circumstances must the battery cables be connected incorrectly – risk of a
cable fire.
■
Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork – risk
of damage to the paintwork. 
190General 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 has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will
discharge. This is because certain electrical components consume electricity
(e. g. control units) also in idle state. Prevent the battery from discharging by
disconnecting the battery's negative terminal (-) or continuously charging the
battery with a very low charging current.
■
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
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
Open cover
Fig. 166
Engine compartment: Polyester cover of the vehicle battery/
plastic cover of the vehicle battery
Read and observe
and on page 190 first.
The battery is located in the engine compartment in a polyester cover
1
» Fig. 166 , in a plastic cover
2
» Fig. 166 or in the left side of the
boot » page 99 .
When working on the battery, the edge of the polyester battery cover
1
» Fig. 166 is inserted between the battery and the side wall of the battery
cover.
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. 166 ,
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
 » page 99 .
Checking the battery electrolyte level
Fig. 167
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
Read and observe and on page 190 first.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator » Fig. 167, 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
garage, especially in the following cases.
› High external temperatures.
› Longer day trips.
› After each charge. 
191Inspecting and replenishing

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 190 first.
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 =
“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”).
It is not necessary to disconnect the cables of the battery if you recharge the
vehicle 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 low-
er) must be used until full charging is achieved.
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 208, Jump-starting in vehicles with the
START-STOP system .
Note
We therefore recommend that vehicle batteries be rapid charged by a special-
ist garage.
Replace
Read and observe
and on page 190 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 or reconnecting
Read and observe
and on page 190 first.
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 62Panoramic sliding roof (operational faults)» page 214Enter the radio/navigation system code
number» User manual of the radio
or » user manual of the naviga-
tion system 192General Maintenance

OperationOperating measureSetting the clock» page 30Data in the multifunction display are de-
leted.» page 41
Note
We recommend having the vehicle checked by a specialist garage in order to
ensure full functionality of all electrical systems.
Automatic load deactivation
Read and observe
and on page 190 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.
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:
Service life of tyres
194
New tyres
195
Unidirectional tyres
196
Tyre pressure monitor
196
Spare and temporary spare wheel
197
Full wheel trim
198
Wheel bolts
198
Wheel bolts
198WARNINGThe 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 ap-
propriate 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 ac-
cident!
■
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear impairs handling – risk of
accident!
■
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! 
193Wheels

Jump-starting
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicle
207
Jump-starting in vehicles with the START-STOP system
208
Jump-starting vehicles with the vehicle battery in the boot
208WARNING■ 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.■
Pay attention to the warning instructions relating to working in the en-
gine compartment » page 182.
■
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.
■
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.
■
Route the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any rotat-
ing parts in the engine compartment.
■
Do not bend over the battery – there is a risk of caustic burns.
■
The vent screws of the battery cells must be tightened firmly.
■
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.
CAUTION
■ There must not be any contact between the two vehicles otherwise current
may flow as soon as the negative terminals are connected.■
The discharged battery must be properly connected to the system of the ve-
hicle.
■
We recommend you buy jump-start cables from a car battery specialist.
Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicleFig. 182
Jump-starting: A – flat battery, B
– battery providing current
Read and observe and on page 207 first.
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. Jump-start cables are required for
this purpose.
The jump-start cables must be attached in the following sequence.
›
Attach clamp
1
to the positive terminal of the discharged battery
A
» Fig. 182 .
›
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.
›
Disconnect the cables in exactly the reverse order to the one described
above.
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. 
207Emergency equipment and self-help