2016 SKODA OCTAVIA Air bags

Safety
Passive Safety
General information
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Before setting off
12
Driving safety
12
In this section of the instructions you will find important information on the
subject of passive safety. We have combined everything here which you
should be familiar with, for example, regarding seat belts, airbags, safety of children and anything similar.
Other important safety information can also be found in the subsequent sec-
tions of this Owner's Manual. Therefore, the Owner's Manual should always be
kept in the vehicle.
Before setting off
For your own safety and the safety of the people travelling with you, please
pay attention to the following points before setting off.
▶ Check the lights and turn signal lights are functioning correctly.
▶ Check the wiper function and the wiper blades for wear. Check the wind-
screen washer fluid level.
▶ Ensure that all of the windows offer good visibility to the outside.
▶ Adjust the rear-view mirror so that vision to the rear is guaranteed. Ensure
that the mirrors are not covered.
▶ Check the tyre inflation pressure.
▶ Check the engine oil, brake fluid and coolant level.
▶ Secure all items of luggage.
▶ Do not exceed the permissible axle loads and permissible gross weight of the
vehicle.
▶ Close all doors as well as the bonnet and boot lid.
▶ Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedals.
▶
Protect children using a suitable child seat » page 22, Transporting children
safely .
▶ Adopt the correct seated position. Tell your passengers to assume the cor-
rect seated position » page 12, Correct and safe seated position .
Driving safety
For safety in traffic, the following precautions must be observed. ▶ Do not become distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, (e.g. by
your passengers or mobile phone calls).
▶ Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, (e.g. due to medication, al-
cohol, drugs or similar).
▶ Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
▶ Always adjust the driving speed to the road, traffic and weather conditions.
▶ Take regular breaks on long journeys (at least every two hours).
Correct and safe seated position
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Driver’s correct seated position
13
Adjusting the steering wheel position
13
Passenger’s correct seating position
14
Passengers’ correct seating position on the rear seats
14
Always assume the correct seated position before setting off and do not
change this position while driving. Also advise your passengers to adopt the
correct seated position and not to change this position while the car is moving.
The following list contains instructions for the Passenger which, if not ob-
served, may cause serious injuries or death. ▶ Do not lean against the dash panel.
▶ Do not put your feet on the dash panel.
The following list contains instructions for all Passengers which, if not ob-
served, may cause serious injuries or death.
▶ Do not sit only on the front area of the seat.
▶ Do not sit facing to one side.
▶ Do not lean out of the window.
▶ Do not put your limbs out of the window.
▶ Do not put your feet on the seat upholstery. 
12Safety

WARNING■The front seats and all head restraints must be adjusted to match the
body size at all times and the seat belt must always be fastened properly to
provide the most effective levels of protection to the passengers.■
Each occupant must correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to the seat.
Children must be fastened » page 22, Transporting children safely with a
suitable restraint system.
■
The seat backrests must not be tilted too far back when driving, as this
will impair the function of the seat belts and of the airbag system – risk of
injury!
WARNINGBy sitting incorrectly, the occupant is risking life-threatening injuries.
Driver’s correct seated position
Fig. 2
Correct seated position for the driver/correct steering wheel posi-
tion
Read and observe
on page 13 first.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident,
the following instructions must be observed.
Adjust the driver’s seat in the forward/back direction so that the pedals
can be fully depressed with slightly bent legs.
For vehicles equipped with driver knee airbags, adjust the driver's seat in a
forward/back direction so that there is a gap of at least 10 cm between the
legs and the dashboard in the vicinity of the knee airbag » Fig. 2 -
B
.
Adjust the seat backrest so that the highest point of the steering wheel
can be reached with your arms at a slight angle.
Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering
wheel and your chest is at least 25 cm » Fig. 2 - A.
Adjust the headrest so that the top edge of the headrest is at the same
level as the upper part of your head (not for seats with integrated headr-
ests) » Fig. 2 - C
.
Correctly fasten the seat belt » page 15, Using seat belts .
WARNING■
Maintain a distance of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel, and a dis-
tance of at least 10 cm between the legs and the dash panel at the height
of the knee airbag. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that
the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you – hazard!■
When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the out-
er edge in the “9 o'clock” and “3 o'clock” position » Fig. 2. Never hold the
steering wheel in the “12 o'clock” position or in any other way (e.g. in the
middle, inner edge of the steering wheel or similar). Otherwise, you could
sustain serious injury to the arms, hands and head if the airbag is activated.
■
Ensure there are no objects in the driver's footwell as they may get be-
hind the pedals while driving. You would then no longer be able to operate
the clutch, brake or acceleration pedals.
Adjusting the steering wheel position
Fig. 3
Adjusting the steering wheel position
Read and observe
on page 13 first.
The height and forward/back position of the steering wheel can be adjusted.
›
Swing the safety lever under the steering wheel in the direction of arrow
1
» Fig. 3 . 

13Passive Safety

Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
System description
18
Airbag deployment
19
Safety instructions
19
The airbag system provides, as a supplement to the seat belts, additional oc-
cupant protection during severe frontal and side-on collisions.
The airbag will only provide optimum protection in conjunction with wearing
the seat belt, the airbag is not a substitute for the seat belts .
The functional status of the airbag system is indicated by the indicator light 
in the instrument cluster » page 35.
System description
Fig. 7
Airbag installation points
Airbag installation points » Fig. 7
Front airbags
Driver’s knee airbag
Front side airbags
ABCRear side airbags
Head airbags
Front airbags - the forward thrust of the driver and of the front passenger is
cushioned when they make contact with the fully-inflated airbag, and the risk
of injury to head and chest is thus reduced.
The front airbags can be identified by the lettering 
featured on the steer-
ing wheel and on the dash panel on the passenger side.
Driver´s knee airbag - The forward movement of the body is cushioned when
it makes contact with the fully inflated airbag, and the risk of injury to the legs
of the driver is thus reduced.
The knee airbag is provided with the lettering  on the dashboard on the
driver's side.
Side airbags - The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunged into the
fully inflated airbag. The risk of injury to the entire upper body (chest, stomach
and pelvis) is reduced on the side facing the door.
The side air bags are marked by a label with the lettering  on the front
seat backrests. The rear side airbags are provided with the lettering  in be-
tween the entrance area and the rear seat backrest.
Head airbags - The forward movement of the body is cushioned when it
makes contact with the fully inflated airbag, and the risk of injury to head and
chest is thus reduced.
The head airbags are provided with the lettering marked on the B-pillar
cladding.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the airbag system consists of the
following parts. ▶ Individual airbags.
▶ Warning light in the instrument cluster
» page 35.
▶ Key switch for the front passenger airbag » page 21.
▶ Warning light for the front passenger airbag in the middle of the dash panel
» page 21 .DE18Safety

Airbag deploymentFig. 8
Inflated airbags
The airbag system is only functional when the ignition is switched on.
When triggered, the airbag fills with gas and unfolds. The inflation of the air- bag is carried out in a fraction of a second.
When the airbag inflates, smoke is released. This is not a sign of a fire in the
vehicle.
Triggering conditions
It is not possible to generally determine which deployment conditions apply to
the airbag system in every situation. The important factors here are the hard-
ness of the object with which the vehicle collides, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed etc.
A decisive factor in the deployment of the airbags is the degree of deceleration
at the time. If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is measured during
the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified in the
control unit, the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer
severe damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe frontal
collision.
▶ Driver’s front airbag.
▶ Front passenger airbag.
▶ Driver’s knee airbag.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe side collision.
▶ Front side airbag.
▶ Rear side airbag.
▶ Head airbag.
When an airbag is deployed, the following occurs.
▶ The hazard warning lights are switched on.
▶ All the doors are unlocked.
▶ The fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.
▶ The interior light comes on (if the automatic operation of the interior light is
switched on - switch 
).
When there is no air bag deployment?
With minor frontal and side collisions, rear collision, overturning of the vehicle
or vehicle roll-over there is no airbag deployment.
Safety instructions
Fig. 9
Safe distance from the steering
wheel and dash panel
WARNINGGeneral information■The seat belts and the airbag system can only offer optimum protection
if the driver and passengers are seated properly » page 12 .■
The airbag unleashes enormous force when triggered, which can lead to
serious injuries or fatalities if the driver and passengers are not seated
properly. This applies in particular to children who are transported without
using a suitable child safety seat » page 24.
■
If there is a fault, have the airbag system checked immediately by a spe-
cialist garage. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activated in
the event of an accident. 
19Airbag system

WARNING (Continued)■If the airbag has been deployed, the airbag system must then be replaced.■In the area of the front airbag and the knee airbag, the surface of the
steering wheel and the dashboard should be cleaned using only a dry cloth
or one that has been dampened with water.WARNINGInformation about the front airbags■For the driver and front passenger, it is important to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel or the panel » Fig. 9 - A
, If you do
not keep this distance, it means that the airbag system cannot protect you
- There is a risk to life! The front seats and the head restraints must always
also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
■
The front passenger airbag must be deactivated if using a rear-facing
child seat on the front passenger seat » page 21, Airbag deactivation . If
this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal
injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed.
■
No other persons, animals or objects should be placed in front of the oc-
cupants in the front seats in the deployment area of the front airbags.
■
The steering wheel and the surface of the dash panel on the passenger
side must not be plastered, covered or modified in any way. No parts (e.g.
cup holders, mobile phone mounts etc.) may be mounted near the airbag
installation points and in the airbag deployment area.
■
Never place objects on the surface of the dash panel on the passenger
side.
WARNINGInformation about knee airbags■Adjust the driver's seat in a forward/back direction so that there is a gap
of at least 10 cm between the legs and the dashboard in the vicinity of the
knee airbag » Fig. 9 - B
. If it is not possible to meet this requirement due to
your body size, visit a specialist garage.
■
The surface of the airbag module in the lower part of the dash panel be-
low the steering column not have stickers attached, be covered or modified
in any other way. Nothing may be attached to the cover of the airbag mod-
ule or located within the immediate vicinity.
■
Do not attach any bulky and heavy objects (bunch of keys etc.) to the igni-
tion key. These can be ejected by the knee airbag when it is deployed and
can cause injuries.
WARNINGInformation on side and head airbags■No objects (e.g. sun visors turned towards the windows) should be loca-
ted in the deployment area of the side and head airbags. No accessories
(e.g. cup holders etc.) should be fitted to the doors - risk of injury!■
Hang only light clothing on the hooks in the vehicle, do not leave any
heavy or sharp objects in the pockets. Do not use hangers to hang up
clothes.
■
The airbag system operates using pressure sensors located in the front
doors. For this reason, no adjustments may be carried out to the doors or
door panels (e.g. installation of additional loudspeakers). Further informa-
tion » page 241 .
■
No excessive force, e.g. through blows, kicks etc. should be applied to the
seat backrests - there is a risk of damage to the side airbags. The side air-
bags would not be deployed in such a case!
■
Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passen-
ger seats must only be of a type expressly authorised by ŠKODA AUTO. In
view of the fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use
of non-approved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the
protective function of the side airbag.
■
Any damage to the original seat covers or stitching at the installation
points for the side airbags should be immediately repaired by a specialist
company.
WARNINGInformation on the use of the airbag system■Any work on the airbag system, including the installation and removal of
system components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering
wheel), must only be carried out by a specialist garage. Further information
» page 241 .■
No changes of any sort should be made to parts of the airbag system, the
front bumper or the bodywork.
■
Do not manipulate individual parts of the airbag system, as this might re-
sult in the airbag being deployed.
20Safety

Airbag deactivation
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Deactivating airbags
21
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
21
Deactivating airbags
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated switch
» Fig. 10 on page 21 -
 .
We recommend that you ask a ŠKODA service partner to deactivate any other
airbags as appropriate.
A warning light  indicates that the airbag has been deactivated
» page 35.
Deactivating an airbag should be considered in cases such as the ones
outlined below. ▶ If a child seat must be used on the front passenger seat, where the child is
transported facing towards the rear » page 22.
▶ If not being able to maintain a distance of at least 25 cm between the middle
of the steering wheel and chest, despite the driver's seat being correctly ad-
justed.
▶ If special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because
of a physical disability.
▶ If other seats have been installed (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side air-
bags).
WARNINGIf an airbag is deactivated at the time of the vehicle being sold, the pur-
chaser must be informed!Deactivating the front passenger airbagFig. 10
Key-operated switch for the front passenger airbag/warning light
for the front passenger airbag
Switch positions » Fig. 10 -

The front passenger airbag is deactivated - after the ignition is switched
on, the indicator light » Fig. 10
illuminates -

The front passenger airbag is switched on - after switching on the ignition,
the warning light illuminates for 65 seconds 

Switch off
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Fold the key bit out completely for the radio key » .
›
Carefully insert the key into the key slot in the key switch as far as the stop.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch carefully into the position
.
›
Pull the key out of the slot in the key switch
» .
›
Close the storage compartment on the front passenger side.
›
Check that the warning light

 lights up after the ignition is switched on.
Switching on
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Fold the key bit out completely for the radio key » .
›
Carefully insert the key into the key slot in the key switch as far as the stop.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch carefully into the position
.
›
Pull the key out of the slot in the key switch
» .
›
Close the storage compartment on the front passenger side.
›
Check that the warning light

 lights up after the ignition is switched on. 
21Airbag system

 Emission control systemRead and observe
on page 33 first.
 lights up – there is a fault in the emission control system. The system
makes it possible to drive on in emergency mode - there may be a noticeable
reduction in engine performance.
▶ You can drive on, exercising appropriate caution. Seek assistance from a spe-
cialist garage immediately.
Preheating unit (diesel)
Read and observe
on page 33 first.
 flashes – there is a fault in the engine management system. The system
makes possible operation emergency mode - there may be a noticeable reduc-
tion in engine performance.
There is a fault in the glow plug system if the warning light  does not come
on or illuminates continuously.
▶ You can drive on, exercising appropriate caution. Seek assistance from a spe-
cialist garage immediately.
 EPC warning light (petrol)
Read and observe
on page 33 first.
 lights up – there is a fault in the engine management system. The system
makes it possible to drive on in emergency mode - there may be a noticeable
reduction in engine performance.
▶ You can drive on, exercising appropriate caution. Seek assistance from a spe-
cialist garage immediately.
Safety systems
Read and observe
on page 33 first.
System fault
 lights up - there is a fault in the airbag system.
Error: AirbagAIRBAG ERROR▶
Seek help from a specialist garage.
The front passenger airbag has been disabled with the key switch
 illuminates for around 4 seconds after the ignition has been switched on.
One of the airbags or a belt tensioner has been disabled by the diagnostic
tool
 illuminates for around 4 seconds after the ignition is switched on and then
flashes for approximately 12 seconds.Airbag/ belt tensioner deactivated.AIRBAG/ BELT TENSIONER OFF
ProActive passenger protection
 illuminates and the following message is shown in the information cluster
display.
Proactive passenger protection not available.PROACTIVE PASSENGER PROTECT NOT AVAIL
or
Proactive passenger protection: function restricted.LIMITED PROACTIVE PASSENGER PROTECT
The seat belt for the driver and front passenger needs to be replaced.
▶ Seek help from a specialist garage.
WARNINGWhen a fault in the airbag system occurs, there is a risk of the system not
being triggered in the event of an accident. Therefore, this must be
checked immediately by a specialized garage.
Tyre pressure
Read and observe
on page 33 first.
Change of tyre pressure values
 lights up - there was a pressure change in one of the tyres.
An audible signal sounds as a warning. ▶ Immediately reduce speed and avoid sudden steering and braking manoeu-
vres.
▶ Stop the vehicle, turn the ignition off and check the tyres and their inflation
pressure » page 261 . 
35Instruments and warning lights

NoteWhile driving with an accessory connected to the trailer socket (e.g. trailer,
bike carrier) only the equipment is illuminated by the fog light. The towing de-
vice must be installed at the factory or from the ŠKODA original accessories.
Fog lights with CORNER function
Read and observe
on page 64 first.
The CORNER function automatically switches on the fog lights on the respec-tive side of the vehicle (e.g. when cornering), if the following conditions are
met.
The turn signal is switched on or the front wheels are turned sharply 1)
.
The vehicle speed is below 40 km/h.
The low beam is switched on.
The fog lights are not switched on.
The two fog lights are switched on when you shift into the reverse gear.
COMING HOME / LEAVING HOME
Read and observe
on page 64 first.
The function COMING HOME ensures that the vehicle's environment is illumi-
nated after switching off the ignition and opening the driver's door.
The function LEAVING HOME ensures that the vehicle's environment is illumi-
nated after unlocking the vehicle with the radio remote control unit.
The function switches the light on only if there is poorer visibility and the light
switch is in the position .
The two functions can be activated/deactivated and set in the Infotainment
menu 

→

→
Light
.
CAUTION
■
Poorer visibility is evaluated by a sensor mounted below the windscreen in
the holder of the rear-view mirror. Do not cover the sensor - the system can be
affected.■
If this option is always enabled, then the battery is heavily loaded.
Hazard warning light systemFig. 51
Button for hazard warning light
system
Read and observe on page 64 first.
›
To switch on/off , press the
 button
» Fig. 51 .
When first switched on, the turn signal lights and the warning light buttons
all flash at the same time as the warning lights 
 in the instrument cluster.
The hazard warning light system can also be operated if the ignition is switch-
ed off.
If one of the airbags is deployed, the hazard warning light system will switch
on automatically.
The automatic activation of hazard warning lights can take place during a
heavy braking. After starting or accelerating the hazard warning system is au-
tomatically switched off.
When the hazard warning system is on and the indicator light is switched on
(e.g. when turning), the hazard warning lights are switched off temporarily and
only the turn signal flashes on the relevant side of the vehicle.
Parking light
Read and observe
on page 64 first.
The side light is provided for lighting of the parked vehicle.
Switching on the side light  on one side
›
Switch off the ignition. 
1)
If the two switch-on variants are conflicting (e.g. if the front wheels are turned to the left and the right
turn signal light is switched on), the turn signal light has the higher priority.
68Using the system