check engine SKODA OCTAVIA TOUR 2009 1.G / (1U) User Guide
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: SKODA, Model Year: 2009, Model line: OCTAVIA TOUR, Model: SKODA OCTAVIA TOUR 2009 1.G / (1U)Pages: 224, PDF Size: 13.53 MB
Page 141 of 224

Driving and the Environment
140
Avoiding full throttle Driving more slowly means saving fuel.Sensitive use of the accelera 
tor will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption  
but also positively influence environmen 
tal pollution and wear of your vehicle. 
You should avoid exploiting the top speed  
of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel  
consumption, pollutant emissi 
ons and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at  
high speeds. The  
⇒fig. 142
 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle.  
You will cut your fuel consumption by half  
if you only make use three-quarters of  
the possible top speed of your vehicle.Reducing idling Idling also costs fuel.It is worthwhile switching off the engine in 
 a traffic jam or when waiting at a level  
crossing or at traffic lights with a length 
y red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds  
you will have saved more fuel than that  
is needed when you start the engine up  
again. If an engine is only idling it takes much  
longer for it to reach its normal operating  
temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant em 
issions, though, are particularly high  
in the warming-up phase. This is why you  
should drive off right after starting the  
engine. Do avoid high engine re 
volutions at this time, however.
Regular servicing A poorly tuned engine consumes an unnecessarily high amount of  fuel.Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a specialist garge enables you to satisfy  one 
 of the requirements for economical moto
ring even before you set off on your  
journey. Keeping your vehicle properly servic 
ed not only has a positive effect on the  
safety of your vehicle and maintaining its value, but also saves on  
fuel
. 
A poorly tuned engine can result in a fu 
el consumption which is 10% higher than  
normal. The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according to the  Service schedule by a specialist garage. Also check the  
oil level
 after refueling. 
Oil consumption
 is dependent to a consid- 
erable extent on the load and speed of  
the engine. Oil consum
ption could be as  
high as 0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving. It is quite normal that a new engine ha 
s a higher oil consumption at first, and  
reaches its lowest level only 
 after a certain running in 
time. It is therefore not  
possible to correctly assess the oil cons 
umption of a new vehicle until after you  
have driven about 5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•
You can achieve additional improvements  
in your fuel economy by using high- 
lubricity oils.•
Check the ground below your vehicle at re 
gular intervals to detect any leakages  
in good time. Please have yo 
ur vehicle inspected by a specialist garge if you find any  
stains caused by oil or  
other fluids on the floor.
Fig. 142  Fuel consumption  in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
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Driving and the Environment
141
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Avoid driving short distances Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption.– Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is cold.The engine and catalytic converter mu 
st first have reached their optimal 
operating  
temperature 
 in order to effectively reduce fu
el consumption and pollutant emis- 
sions. The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately  after starting. Fuel co 
nsumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The  
engine reaches its operating temperat 
ure (outside temperature and engine  
dependent) only after about  
4 to 10
 kilometres and the fuel consumption then  
stabilizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible. An important factor in this connection is also the  
ambient temperature
. The  
⇒ fig. 143
 shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the one  
hand at +20°C and on the other hand at  
-10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel  
consumption in winter than in summer.Checking tyre inflation pressures Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.Always ensure that your tyres are inflated  
to the correct pressure at all times. The  
rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is too low. This will not  
only increase fuel consumption but also  
tyre wear and the driving behaviour will  
worsen. Always check the inflation pressure of the tyres when  
cold
. 
Do not drive with  
winter tyres
 all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel.  
Winter tyres are also louder.No unnecessary ballast Transporting ballast costs fuel.The fact that every kilogram of extra  
weight
 increases your fuel consumption  
means that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid trans- porting any unnecessary ballast. It is particularly in town traffic, when one  
is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle  
weight will have a significant effect upon 
 the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb  
here is that an increase in weight of 100 
 kilograms will cause an increase in fuel  
consumption of about 1  
litre/100 kilometres. 
You may frequently also leave a  
roof rack fitted
 on just out of convenience,  
although you no longer need it. The incr 
eased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle  
causes it to use about 10% more fuel th 
an normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h,  
even when you are not carr 
ying a load on the roof.
Saving electricity Generating electricity costs fuel.– Switch off electrical components as  
soon as you no longer need them.
When the engine is running, the alternator 
generates and supplies
 electrical power.  
The greater the load on the alternator as a result of having a large number of elec-trical components switched on, the more  
fuel will be consumed for operating the  
alternator.
Fig. 143  Fuel consumption  in litres/100 km at different temperatures
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Driving and the Environment
142
Keeping a log of your fuel consumptionIf you really wish to ke
ep a close check on your 
fuel consumption
, it is best to enter  
the figures in a logbook. This does not take 
 much time but is a very worthwhile exer- 
cise. It enables you to detect any change  
(positive and negative) at an early stage  
and to take any appropriate action. If you find that your fuel  
consumption is too high, you sh
ould reflect on how, where  
and in what conditions you have driven 
 the vehicle since you last refuelled.
Environmental compatibilityEnvironmental protection has played a majo
r role in the design, selection of mate- 
rials and manufacture of your new Škoda.  
Particular emphasis 
has been paid to a  
number of aspects, including: Design measures•
Joints designed to  
be easily detached;
•
Simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system;
•
Improved purity of differ
ent classes of materials;
•
Identification of all plastic parts in 
accordance with VDA Recommendation 260;
•
Reduced fuel consumption 
and exhaust emission CO
2;
•
Minimum fuel leakage during accidents;
•
Reduced noise. 
Choice of materials•
Extensive use of recyclable material;
•
Air conditioning filled wi 
th CFC-free refrigerant;
•
No cadmium;
•
No asbestos;
•
Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics. 
Manufacture•
Solvent-free cavity protection;
•
Solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the production  
plant to the customer;•
The use of solvent-free adhesives;
•
No CFCs used in the production process;
•
Without use of mercury;
•
Use of water-soluble paints.
Motoring abroadGeneral Other circumstances may exist abroad.It is also possible, in certain countries, that the Škoda Service Partner network is  limited or has not been established yet.  
This is the reason why obtaining certain  
spare parts may be somewhat complicate 
d and specialist garage personnel may  
o n l y  b e  a b l e  t o  m a ke  l i m i te d  re p a i rs . Š ko d a  A u to  i n  t h e  C z e c h  R e pu b l i c  a n d  re l e v a n t   importers are happy to provide information  
about technical aspects of the vehicle,  
required maintenance work and possibilities for getting repairs done.Unleaded petrolA vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with unleaded petrol  ⇒ page 138. The automobile associations can provide you with information  regarding the locations of filling stations which offer unleaded petrol.HeadlightThe low beam of your headlights is set asym 
metrically. It illuminates the side of the  
road on which you are driving to a greater  
extent. If you drive abroad on the other  
side of the road, you wi 
ll dazzle oncoming traffic. 
In order to prevent the dazzling of oncoming traffic, it is necessary to stick a sticker  over a certain part of the headlights.
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Page 146 of 224

Towing a trailer
145
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data 
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust  
the mirrors so that they provide you with  
an adequate field of view to the rear. Headlights Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights.  Alter the setting as necessary with th 
e aid of the headlight beam adjuster  
⇒ page 51. Detachable ball head The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device.  It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle. Further information on the towing device  
⇒page 146.
Note
•
We recommend that you also have yo
ur vehicle inspected between service  
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.•
The handbrake on the towing vehicle  
must be put on when coupling and  
decoupling the trailer.Driving Tips Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.– Do not, as far as possible, drive  
with your vehicle unladen and the  
trailer laden. 
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in  
particular to downhill sections. 
– Apply the brakes in good time.– Keep a check on the coolant temper 
ature gauge if the outside temper- 
ature is high.
Distribution of weight The distribution of the weight is very poor 
 if your vehicle is 
unladen and the trailer  
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this  combination. Driving speed Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for coun- tries in which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with  increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when there are unfavourable road, weather or wind 
 conditions, particul
arly near accident  
black spots. You must always reduce your speed immedi 
ately as soon as you detect even just  
the  
slightest swaying
 of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from  
“swaying” by  
accelerating. 
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a  
trailer brake
, apply the  
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly 
. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from  
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears  
in good time before negotiating a down- 
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake. Engine overheating Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a  lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is  very high  
⇒page 16. 
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or  even the red area of the scale, reduce yo 
ur speed immediately. Stop and switch off  
the engine if the warning light 
 in the instrument cluste 
r begins flashing. Wait a  
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle  ⇒ page 165, “Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines  
⇒page 30, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant  
quantity  
”. 
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear  and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent 
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Page 156 of 224

Fuel
155
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
FuelPetrolGrades of petrolThere are various grades of petrol. Please
 check in order to know which grade of  
petrol your vehicle requires.  
You will also find the same information affixed to the  
inside of the fuel filler flap of your vehicle  
⇒page 156. 
A distinction is made between unleaded an 
d leaded petrol. All Škoda vehicles with  
petrol engines are equipped with a catalyti 
c converter and must therefore be only  
driven with  
unleaded petrol
. Unleaded petrol complies with the 
standard EN 228
. 
The individual grades of petr 
ol are distinguished by their 
octane number
 (RON).  
Please adopt the following procedure if the grade of petrol which you normally use is not be available in  
exceptional circumstances:
•
Engines which need 
unleaded premium petrol 95 RON
 can also be run on  
unleaded regular petrol 91 RON. This does, however, result in a slight loss in  performance.•
Engines which need  
unleaded premium plus 98 RON
 can also be run on  
unleaded premium petrol 95 RON. This coul 
d result in a slight loss in engine  
performance. You can  
in case of need
 also use unleaded regular petrol 91 RON in  
the event that neither unleaded premiu 
m plus 98 RON nor unleaded premium  
petrol 95 RON is available. Refuel as soon as possible with unleaded premium plus  98 RON or unleaded premium petrol 95 RON. If, in an emergency, the only fuel availa 
ble is one which has a lower octane number  
than that required by the engine then only drive at medium engine speeds and lower engine loadings. You can make unlimited use of fuel whic 
h has a higher octane
 number than that  
required by the engine. There will, howeve 
r, be no advantages gained by this in  
terms of engine performance and fuel consumption! The handling, performance and  
life of your engine are determined to a significant  
extent by the quality of the fuel.  
Do not use any petrol additives. 
Use a fuel  
complying with  
the standard. 
You can find further information on refuelling  
⇒page 156, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•
Filling the tank even only once with lead
ed petrol will result in the catalytic  
converter being destroyed.•
Operating the engine with petrol of a lo 
w octane number can result in engine  
damage at high revolutions or severe engine loading.DieselDiesel fuelYour vehicle can be operated with  
diesel fuel
, which complies with the standard  
EN 590 
. 
Fuel additives You must not use fuel additives, so-called “flow improvers” (petrol and similar  products) in diesel fuel. If the quality of the diesel fuel is poor, it is then necessary to drain the  
fuel filter
  
more often than stated in the Service schedule. You can find information on refuelling  
⇒page 156, “Refuelling”.
Caution
•
Use fuel which complies with the standard 
DIN EN 590
. Filling the tank even  
only once, which does not comply with th 
e standard, can result
 in damage to the  
fuel system.•
Water which has collected in the fuel fi 
lter can result in engine problems.
•
Your vehicle is not adapted 
for use of biofuel (RME), therefore this fuel must not  
be refuelled and driven. Using this fuel (RME) can lead to damage to the engine or  the fuel system.
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Inspecting and replenishing
160 
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening  
designed for it  
⇒
page 159, fig. 150
. 
Closing the bonnet – Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the  
bonnet support into the hold 
er designed to hold it. 
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 30 cm into the lock -  
bonnet  
do not press down on it
!
WARNING
•
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of  
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi 
ng! Wait long enough until the steam  
or coolant has stopped escaping.•
For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed when  
driving. One should therefore check that 
 the lock has in fact engaged prop- 
erly after closing the bonnet.•
Stop your vehicle i 
mmediately while driving if yo
u notice that the lock is  
not properly engaged and close the bonn 
et properly - risk of an accident!
Working in the engine compartment Particular care is required when ca 
rrying out any work in the engine  
compartment!There is a risk of injuries, scalding,  
accidents and fire wh
en working in the  
engine compartment, e.g. inspecting an 
d replenishing oil and other fluids. For  
this reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated below and with the general applicable  
rules of safety. The engine compart- 
ment of your car is a hazardous area 
 ⇒
.
WARNING
•
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of  
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi 
ng! Wait long enough until the steam  
or coolant has stopped escaping.•
Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
•
Apply the handbrake firmly.
•
On vehicles fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever into 
Neutral.•
Allow the engine to cool down.
•
Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
•
Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the  
antifreeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!•
Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
•
Never place your hand into the radiator 
 fan as long as the engine is still  
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!•
Never open the cap of the coolant expa 
nsion bottle as long as the engine  
is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!•
Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a large cloth  
when opening it as protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam  or hot coolant.•
Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine 
compartment.•
If you wish to work under the vehicl 
e, you must secure the vehicle from  
rolling away and support it 
 with suitable supporting blocks; the lifting jack*  
is not sufficient for this - risk of injury!•
In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the 
engine is running there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. the V- ribbed belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition  system. Please observe in addition the following: 
− Never touch the electrical cabl
es of the ignition system. 
− Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose items of clothing or long hair  from getting into the rotating part 
s of the engine - Hazard! Therefore 
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Inspecting and replenishing
163
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Check engine oil level The dipstick indicates the level of oil in the engine.Checking the oil level – Ensure that the vehicle is positioned on a level surface. – Switch the engine off.– Open the bonnet  
⇒
 in “Working in the engine compartment” on  
page 160. 
– Wait a few minutes and pull out the oil dipstick  . – Wipe off the dipstick with a clea 
n cloth and insert it again fully. 
– Then withdraw the dipstick ag 
ain and read off the oil level. 
Oil level within range  – You must  
not
 top up the oil. 
Oil level within range  – You  
may
 top up the oil. It is possible that the oil level may then be  
within range   after doing this. 
Oil level within range  –You  
must
 top up the oil 
⇒
page 163. It is sufficient, once this is done,  
to keep the oil level within range  .
It is normal for the engine to consume oi 
l. The oil consumption may be as much as  
0.5 l/1 000 km depending on your style of driving and the conditions under which you operate your vehicle. The oil consumpt 
ion may be slightly higher than this  
during the first 5 000 kilometres. One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every time  after the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches. We recommend maintaining the oil level within the range   if the engine has been  operating at high loads, for example during a lengthy motorway trip during the  summer months, towing a trailer or 
 negotiating a high mountain pass, 
but not  
above this 
. 
The warning light in the instrument cluster  
will indicate whether the oil level is too  
low  
⇒page 31. In this case, check the oil level 
as soon as possible. Top up with an  
appropriate quantity of oil.
Caution
•
The oil level must on no account ex 
tend beyond the range  . Danger of  
damaging the cata 
lytic converter.
•
Do not continue your journey
 if for some reason it is not possible under the  
conditions prev 
ailing to top up with oil. 
Switch the engine off
 and obtain profes- 
sional assistance from a specialist garage, otherwise it could lead to severe engine  damage.Replenishing engine oil– Inspecting the engine oil level  
⇒
page 163. 
– Unscrew the cap of the engine oil filler opening    
⇒
fig. 152
. 
– Pour in a suitable grade of oil in portions of 0.5 litres  
⇒
page 162,  
“Engine oil specifications”.
Fig. 152  DipstickA1
AaAb
Aa
Ac
Ab
Aa
Aa
A2
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Inspecting and replenishing
165
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data 
Check hydraulic oil The hydraulic system of the power steering is filled with the hydraulic oil designated  in the catalogue as G 002 000. Perform the inspection of the hydraulic oil level when the engine is cold and not  running. The hydraulic oil level must be between the “MIN” and “MAX” markings  ⇒ page 164, fig. 153
. If the level drops below the mark
ing “MIN”, it is necessary that  
the power steering is checked by a specialist  
garage. It is not sufficient to solely refill  
with hydraulic oil.
Note
If the engine is not running (when towing) or 
 if the V-ribbed belt is torn, the power  
steering does not operate. The vehicle is fully steerable however. There is however  increased force required to turn the steering wheel.Cooling systemCoolant The job of the coolant is to cool the engine.The cooling system does not require an 
y maintenance under normal operating  
conditions. The coolant consists of water  
with a concentration of coolant additive  
of 40 %. This mixture not only provides  
antifreeze protection down to -25°C but  
also protects the cooling and heating system from corrosion. It also prevents the formation of scale and significantly increases the boiling point of the coolant. You must therefore not reduce the concentr 
ation of antifreeze agent in the coolant  
by adding water, also not during the summ 
er months or in countries with a warm  
climate.  
The concentration of coolant additive in the coolant must be at least  
40%. You can increase the amount of antifreeze  
in the coolant if a higher concentration  
of antifreeze is necessary for climatic  
reasons but only up to 60% (antifreeze  
protection down to approx. -40°C). The an 
tifreeze protection tails off above that  
concentration. 
Vehicles exported to countries with a co 
ld climate (e.g. Sweden, Norway, Finland)  
are already factory-filled with a coolant which offers antifreeze protection down to  about -35°C. In these countries the concentr 
ation of coolant additive should be at  
least 50 %. Coolant The cooling system is factory-filled with  
coolant (purple in colour), which complies  
with the specification TL-VW 774 G. We recommend that you use the same c 
oolant additive - G12 PLUS-PLUS (purple  
in colour) for topping up the system. Please contact a specialist garage if you have any questions regarding the coolant  or if you wish to fill up with a different coolant. A specialist garage can also supply  
you with the correct coolant additives.
Caution
•
Other coolant additives may cause operational problems which, in partic- 
ular, involves significantly reducing the anticorrosion effect.•
Any faults or problems resulting from corrosion may cause a loss of 
coolant and, as a consequence of th 
is, result in major engine damage.
Inspecting the coolant level
Fig. 154  Engine compart- ment: Coolant expansion bottle
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Inspecting and replenishing
166 
The coolant expansion bottle is loca 
ted in the engine compartment on  
the right. – Switch the engine off. – Open the bonnet  
⇒
 in “Working in the engine compartment” on  
page 160. 
– Check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle  
⇒ 
page 165, fig. 154
. When the engine is cold, the coolant level must  
lie between the   and   markings. When the engine is warm, the level may also lie slightly above the hatched part.
If the coolant level in the reservoir is too low, this is indicated by the warning light  in the instrument cluster 
  ⇒page 30. We nevertheless recommend inspecting  
the coolant level directly at th 
e reservoir from time to time. 
Loss of coolant A loss of coolant is first and foremost an  
indication of a leak
 in the system. You  
should not merely top up the coolant in the reservoir. It is also important to have  the cooling system inspected without delay by a specialist garage.  Losses can only occur through the pressure 
 relief in the cap of the coolant expan- 
sion bottle which is completely free of leak 
s if the coolant boils as a result of over- 
heating and is forced out of the cooling system.
WARNING
Read and observe the warning notes  
⇒page 160, “Working in the engine  
compartment” before working in the engine compartment.
Caution
One should contact a specialist garage as soon as possible if the source of over-heating itself cannot be  
determined and removed, since there may be grave  
damage to the engine.
Replenishing the coolant– Switch the engine off. – Allow the engine to cool down. – Place a cloth over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir  
⇒ 
page 165, fig. 154
 and unscrew the cap 
carefully
 by turning it to the  
left  
⇒
. 
– Top up the coolant. – Screw the cap tight until it is heard to lock.The coolant which you use for replenishing the system, must comply with one  specific specification  
⇒page 165, “Coolant”. Do not use an alternative additive if  
the coolant additive G12 PLUS - PLUS is not av 
ailable in exceptional cases. Just top  
up the system with water and as soon as possible arrange adjustment to correct the mixing ratio of water and coolant additive again by a specialist garage. Only use fresh coolant for topping up the system.Do not top up the fluid above the hatched  
part! Excess coolant which is heated up  
is forced out of the cooling system through the pressure relief valve in the cap of the  coolant compensation bottle. Wait until the engine has cooled down for a system which has suffered a major loss  of coolant before pouring in coolant. This is necessary to avoid engine damage.
WARNING
•
The cooling system is pressurized! Do not open the cap of the coolant 
expansion bottle if the engine is 
 still hot - risk of scalding!
•
The coolant additive and thus all of the coolant is harmful to your health.  
Avoid contact with the coolant. Coolant vapours are also harmful to the  health. It is important, therefore, to always safely store any coolant additive in its original container out of the reach of children - risk of poisoning!•
If any splashes of coolant get into yo 
ur eyes, rinse out 
your eyes immedi- 
ately with clear water and contact a doctor as soon as possible.
Aa
Ab
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Inspecting and replenishing
170
Battery with a charge level indicator, the so-called magic eye*There is a so-called magic eye 
⇒fig. 157
 located on the top of the battery. The  
“magic eye” changes its colour in line with the charge state and the electrolyte level  of the battery. Air bubbles can influence the colour of th 
e “magic eye”. For this reason carefully  
knock on the “magic eye” before carrying out the check.•
Green colour - the battery is adequately charged.
•
Dark colour - the battery has to be charged
•
Colourless or yellow colour - have the battery checked by a specialist garage. 
Batteries, which are more than 5 years old, must be replaced. We recommend you  have the electrolyte level inspected and adjusted to the correct level or the battery  replaced if necessary by 
 a specialist garage.
Caution
If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will  discharge because certain electrical comp 
onents consume electricity (e.g. control  
units) also in idle state. You can prevent  
the discharging of the battery by discon- 
necting the negative terminal or charging 
 the battery constantly with a very low  
charging current. Please also refer to 
 the notes when working on the battery  
⇒ page 168, “Working on the battery”.
Inspecting the electrolyte levelThe battery is practically 
maintenance-free
 under normal operating conditions.  
We do, however, recommend that you have 
 the electrolyte level inspected from  
time to time by a specialist garage when outside temperatures are high or when driving on long trips. You should also have the electrolyte level  
⇒page 170  
checked each time the battery is charged. The electrolyte level of the battery will al 
so be checked as part of the Inspection  
Service.Operation in winterThe battery has to provide greater amounts of electricity during the winter. It also has only part of the initial power output at 
 low temperatures that it has at normal  
temperatures. A discharged battery may already freez 
e at temperatures just below 0°C. 
We therefore recommend that you have the battery checked by a specialist garage  before the start of the winter and recharged if necessary.
WARNING
Never charge a frozen or thawed battery - risk of explosion and caustic burns. Replace a frozen battery.Charging the battery A properly charged battery is essential for reliably starting the  engine.– Read the warning notes  
⇒
 in “Working on the battery” on  
page 168 and  
⇒
. 
– Switch the ignition and all electrical components off.
Fig. 157  Battery with a  charge level indicator
s2g8.b.book  Page 170  Tuesday, April 7, 2009  8:53 AM