
Brake fluid
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Checking the brake fluid level
112
Specification
112
The brake fluid reservoir is located in the engine compartment » Fig. 111 on
page 112 .
WARNING■
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 106.■
Do not use used brake fluid - the function of the brake system may be im-
paired – risk of accident!
CAUTION
■ Do not continue your journey if the fluid level has dropped below the “MIN”
marking » Fig. 111 on page 112 , do not continue driving - there is a risk of an
accident! Seek help from a specialist garage.■
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle.
Note
The brake fluid is changed as part of a compulsory inspection service.
Checking the brake fluid level
Fig. 111
Brake fluid reservoir
Read and observe and on page 112 first.
The fluid can be checked if the following conditions are met.
The vehicle is standing on a horizontal surface.
The engine is turned off.
The bonnet is open.
Checking the level
›
Check the level of brake fluid in the reservoir » Fig. 111.
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.
Too low brake fluid level is indicated by the warning light illuminating in the
display of the instrument cluster » page 34,
Braking system
.
Specification
Read and observe
and on page 112 first.
To ensure the optimal functioning of the braking system, only use a brake fluid
meeting the standard VW 501 14 (this standard meets the requirements of
FMVSS 116 DOT4).
Note
We recommend using brake fluids from the ŠKODA Original Accessories range.
Vehicle battery
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Checking the battery electrolyte level
114
Charging
114
Replace
115
112General Maintenance

Disconnecting and reconnecting115
Automatic load deactivation
115
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
SymbolImportanceAlways 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.
WARNING (Continued)■ 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 swallow battery acid, consult a doctor immediately!
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
chemical burns!
■
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
■
Never jump-start vehicle batteries with insufficient acid levels – risk of
explosion and chemical 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.
■
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.
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.
113Inspecting and replenishing

Checking the battery electrolyte levelFig. 112
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
Read and observe and on page 113 first.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, the electrolyte
level can be determined by looking at the change in the 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.
Checking
Black colour – electrolyte level is correct.
Colourless or light yellow colour – electrolyte level too low, the battery must
be replaced.
For technical reasons, the electrolyte level cannot be checked on vehicles with
the designation “AGM” .
Vehicles with the START-STOPsystem are fitted with a battery control unit for
checking the energy level for recurring engine starts.
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.
NoteThe battery acid level is also checked regularly by a specialist garage as part of
the inspection service.
Charging
Read and observe
and on page 113 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.
114General 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 129.
Replace
Read and observe
and on page 113 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 you have the battery replaced by a specialist garage.
Disconnecting and reconnecting
Read and observe
and on page 113 first.
Disconnecting
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Disconnect the negative terminal
first and then the positive
terminal of
the battery.
Connecting›Connect the positive terminal 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 measureRadioEnter code » Owner´s Manual
RadioTime 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 113 first.
The vehicle's electrical system automatically prevents the battery from dis-
charging when the battery is being heavily used. 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.
115Inspecting and replenishing

Central locking button40
Change engine oil
109
Change engine oil
109
Changing Bulb in the tail light
141
Front turn signal bulb139
light bulb in tail light141
Low beam and high beam bulb - halogen head- lights
139
Wheels123
Changing a wheel Follow-up work
126
Preliminary work123
Changing wheels Wheel removal and fix
126
Charging a vehicle battery114
Checking Battery electrolyte level
114
Brake fluid112
Coolant111
Engine oil109
Oil level109
Windscreen washer fluid108
Checks Statutory checks
92
Children and safety19
Child safety Side airbag
21
Child safety lock42
Child seat Classification
21
ISOFIX22
on the front passenger seat20
TOP TETHER24
Use of child seats22
Use of ISOFIX child seats23
Chrome parts Refer to vehicle maintenance
98
Cigarette lighter60
City Safe Drive89
Disable/Enable90
Operation89
warning symbol38
Clean Anodized parts
98
Chrome parts98
Cleaning Alcantara
101
and maintaining belts102
artificial leather101
headlight glasses98
materials101
natural leather100
plastic parts98
seats covers of the electrically heated seats101
wheels99
Cleaning safety belt
102
Cleaning seat covers
101
Cleaning the interior artificial leather
101
Seat covers101
Cleaning the vehicle exterior Cavity protection
99
Decorative films97
Door locking cylinder99
Headlight glasses98
Protective films97
Under-body protection99
Vehicle paintwork97
wheels99
Windows and external mirrors98
Cleaning vehicle95
Cleaning vehicle exterior96
Anodized parts98
Chrome parts98
Plastic parts98
Rubber seals98
Wiper blades100
Clean interior Safety belt
102
Clothes hook63
CNG105
Fuel reserve display29
refuelling104
Refuelling104
Sticker105
Cockpit 12-Volt power outlet
61
Ashtray61
Cigarette lighter60
General view27
Light50
storage compartments58
useful equipment58
compartments58
Components of the puncture repair kits127
Compressed natural gas see CNG
105
Computer see multi-function display
31
Conserving the vehicle paintwork see vehicle care
97
convenience turn signal48
Coolant110
Checking111
Replenishing111
Warning light35
Correct routing of seat belt
12
Correct seated position8
Front passenger10
Rear seats10
Correct seat position Driver
9
Counter for distance driven30
148Index

Spare wheel119
stow123
take out123
Speed symbol See Wheels
120
Spoiler94
Stabilisation system85
Stability Control (ESC)85
Staring engine Jump-starting
129
START-STOP77
control symbol38
Jump-starting129
Manually deactivating/activating the system78
operation77
START-STOP system77
Starting engine Jump-starting
129
Start the engine76
Stating and turning off the engine75
Steering wheel correct posture
9
setting9
Stopping80
Storage58
Storage compartment in the front centre console
59
on the driver's side58
on the front passenger side62
with cover on the passenger side62
Storage compartments58
Stowage compartment on front of the rear seats
64
Sunblind operation
46
Sun visors51
Switch off the ignition76
Switch on the ignition76
T
Tachometer
29
Taking care of the vehicle Pressure Washer
96
Taking care of your vehicle Automatic car wash system
96
Washing by hand95
Wash system96
TCS Operation
85
Technical data142
Tiptronic see automatic gearbox
82
Tools122
Top speed146
TOP TETHER24
Towing130
Towing device95
Towing eye131
Traction control (TCS)85
Transport Luggage compartment
64
Roof rack67
Transporting58
Transporting children safely19
Triangle122
Turn signal48
Turn signal system Warning light
38
Two-way radio systems72
Tyre Damage
119
Explanation of the label120
see wheels120
Tyre load-bearing capacity See Wheels
120
Tyre pressure117
Warning light36
Tyre pressure monitoring90
Display36
Save tyre pressure values91
Tyre repair General notes
128
Preparations128
Pressure test129
Sealing and inflating the tyre128
Tyres116
new83
Tyre pressure117
Wear and tear118
Wear indicator118
Tyre size120
see wheels120
U
Under-body Vehicle care
99
Under-body protection99
Unlock Key
40
Unlocking Remote control
40
Unlocking and locking39
Used vehicles Acceptance and recycling
95
Useful equipment Ashtray
61
Car park ticket holder58
Cigarette lighter60
Clothes hook63
Cup holders59
Multimedia holder62
Storage compartment58
V
Vehicle battery Automatic load deactivation
115
charging114
153Index