2015 SKODA OCTAVIA Short term

›Switch on the ignition
» page 121.
The steering column lock is unlocked.
If the ignition switch can not be turned on, then turn the steering wheel back and forth slightly and thereby unlock the steering lock.
Turning ignition on/off and starting the engine
Fig. 142
Positions of the vehicle key in the ignition lock
Read and observe and on page 120 first.
Positions of the vehicle key in the ignition lock » Fig. 142
Ignition switched off, engine switched off
Ignition switched on
Starting engine
Switching ignition on/off
›
Turn key to position
2
.
The ignition is switched on.
›
Turn key to position
1
.
The ignition is switched off.
Procedure for starting the engine
›
Firmly apply the handbrake.
›
For vehicles with manual transmission , shift gear stick to neutral, depress
the clutch pedal and hold it there until the engine starts.
›
On vehicles with automatic transmission , place the selector lever in position
P or N and depress the brake pedal until the engine starts.
›
Turn the key into position
3
as far as it will go - the engine's starting proce-
dure will commence (do not touch the accelerator).
›
Release the key, the engine will start automatically.
After letting go, the vehicle key will return to position
2
.
123If the engine does not start within 10 seconds, turn the key to position 1. Re-
peat the start-up process after approx. half a minute.
For vehicles with diesel engines, the glow plug warning light 
goes on dur-
ing starting. The engine starts after the warning light goes out.
Note
■ The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time after
starting the cold engine. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.■
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heat-
ing period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
Stopping the engine
Read and observe
and on page 120 first.
›
Stop the vehicle » page 128, Parking .
›
Turn key to position
1
» Fig. 142 on page 121 .
The engine and the ignition are switched off simultaneously.
For vehicles with automatic transmission, the ignition key can only be removed if the selector lever is in position P .
CAUTION
Do not switch the engine off immediately at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated over a prolonged period at high loads but leave it to
run at an idling speed for about 1 minute. This prevents any possible accumula-
tion of heat when the engine is switched off.
Note
After switching off the ignition, the radiator fan may intermittently continue to
operate for approx. 10 minutes.121Starting-off and Driving

WARNINGNever let the vehicle roll with locked steering lock - there is a risk of acci-
dent!
Switching ignition on / off
Read and observe
and on page 122 first.
›
Press the button » Fig. 143 on page 122 briefly.
The ignition is switched on or off.
On vehicles fitted with a manual gearbox, the clutch pedal must not be de-
pressed while switching the ignition on or off, otherwise the system would try
to start.
On vehicles fitted with a automatic gearbox, the brake pedal must not be de-
pressed while switching the ignition on or off, otherwise the system would try
to start.
If the driver's door is opened while the ignition is on, an audible signal sounds
and the following message appears in the instrument cluster display.
Ignition switched on.IGNITION STILL ON
When leaving the vehicle always switch off the ignition.
Starting the engine
Read and observe
and on page 122 first.
Procedure for starting the engine
›
Firmly apply the handbrake.
›
For vehicles with manual transmission , shift gear stick to neutral, depress
the clutch pedal and hold it there until the engine starts.
›
On vehicles with automatic transmission , place the selector lever in position
P or N and depress the brake pedal until the engine starts.
›
Press the starter button » Fig. 143 on page 122 briefly – the engine starts au-
tomatically.
In vehicles with diesel engines after pressing the button, the glow plug warn-
ing light  lights up. The engine starts after the warning light goes out.
Note■
The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time after
starting the cold engine. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.■
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heat-
ing period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
Switching off the engine
Read and observe
and on page 122 first.
Switching off
›
Stop the vehicle » page 128, Parking .
›
Press the button » Fig. 143 on page 122 briefly.
The engine and the ignition are switched off simultaneously.
Emergency shut-down
If necessary and in exceptional cases, the engine may even be turned off while
driving.
›
Press the starter button » Fig. 143 on page 122 for longer than 1 second or
twice within 1 second.
After the emergency stop of the engine, the steering lock will remain un-
locked.
CAUTION
Do not switch the engine off immediately at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated over a prolonged period at high loads but leave it to
run at an idling speed for about 1 minute. This prevents any possible accumula-
tion of heat when the engine is switched off.
Note
After switching off the ignition, the radiator fan may intermittently continue to
operate for approx. 10 minutes.123Starting-off and Driving

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.
■
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.
Opening the cover
Fig. 209
Polyester cover of vehicle bat-
tery
Read and observe and on page 201 first.
The battery is located in the engine compartment. For some equipment var- iants, it is located underneath a polyester cover » Fig. 209.
›
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 level
Fig. 210
Vehicle battery: Electrolyte level
indicator
Read and observe and on page 201 first.
On vehicles with a vehicle battery fitted with a colour indicator, 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.
Check
Black colour – electrolyte level is correct.
Colourless or light yellow colour – electrolyte level too low, the battery must
be replaced.
For technical reasons, on vehicles with the description “AGM”, the electrolyte
level cannot be checked.
Vehicles with the START STOP system 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. 

202General Maintenance

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.
Charging
Read and observe
and on page 201 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 of all “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.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 components 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 or additional heating (auxiliary heat-
ing), do not connect the pole terminal of the charger directly to the negative
terminal of the vehicle battery, but rather only to the engine earth » page 219,
Jump-starting using the battery from another vehicle .
Replacing
Read and observe
and on page 201 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 201 first.
Disconnecting
›
Switch off the ignition. 
203Inspecting and replenishing

Fig. 225
Engine earth: START-STOP sys-
tem
Read and observe on page 219 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. 224 .
›
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 part which is connected firmly to the en-
gine block or to the engine block itself.
On vehicles with the START-STOP system » Fig. 225, connect the jump-start
cable to the engine's earthing point.
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, terminate the attempt to start the engine after
10 seconds and wait for 30 seconds before repeating the process.
›
Remove the jump-start cables exactly in the reverse sequence as for attach-
ing.
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.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 – 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
– risk of short circuit!
■
Route the jump-start cables so that they cannot be caught by any rotat-
ing parts in the engine compartment.
Towing the vehicle
 Introduction
Fig. 226
Braided tow ropes/spiral tow rope
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Front towing eye
221
Rear towing eye
222
Vehicles with a tow hitch
222
A braided tow rope must be used for towing » Fig. 226- 
.
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. 
220Do-it-yourself