reservoir SKODA ROOMSTER 2012 1.G Owner's Manual

The rear window is wiped once if the windscreen wipers are on when reverse
gear is selected.
Top up with windscreen wiper fluid
» page 143.WARNING
■ Properly maintained windscreen wiper blades are essential for clear visibility
and safe driving » page 44.
■ Do not use the windscreen washer system at low temperatures, without
heating the windscreen beforehand. Otherwise the window cleaner could
freeze on the windscreen and restrict the view to the front. CAUTION
■ In cold temperatures and during the winter, check before the journey or before
switching on the ignition that the wiper blades are not frozen to the windscreen.
If the windscreen wipers are switched on when the blades are frozen to the
windscreen, this may damage both the blades and windscreen wiper motor!
■ If the ignition is switched off while the windscreen wipers are switched on, the
windscreen wipers will continue wiping in the same mode after the ignition is
turned back on. The windscreen wipers could freeze up in cold temperatures be-
tween the time the ignition was turned off and when it was turned back on again.
■ Carefully detach frozen wiper blades from the front or rear window.
■ Remove snow and ice from the windscreen wipers before driving.
■ If the windscreen wipers are handled carelessly, there is a risk of damage to the
windscreen.
■ Replace the windscreen wiper blades once or twice a year for safety reasons.
These can be purchased from a ŠKODA Service Partner.Note
■ The windscreen washer nozzles for the windscreen are heated when the en-
gine is running and the outside temperature is less than approx. +10

°C.
■ The content of the windscreen washer fluid reservoir is 3.5 litres. On vehicles
fitted with the headlight cleaning system, the volume is around 5.4
litres.
■ The wiper blades should be cleaned on a regular basis with a windscreen clean-
er to avoid any smears. The wiper blades should be cleaned with a sponge or
cloth if they are heavily soiled by insect residues, for example. Ð Activating the windscreen wipers and washers
Fig. 30
Windscreen wiper lever
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 42.
Flick wipe
›
If you only wish to wipe the windscreen
briefly, push the lever into the spring-
tensioned position 4
» Fig. 30.
Periodic wiping
› Position the lever upwards into position 1
» Fig. 30.
› Set the desired break between the individual wiper strokes with the switch A
.
Slow wipe
› Position the lever upwards into position 2
» Fig. 30.
Fast wipe
› Position the lever upwards into position 3
» Fig. 30.
Automatic wipe/wash for windscreen
› Pull the lever towards the steering wheel into the spring-tensioned position 5
» Fig. 30, the wash system and the windshield wipers will operate.
› Release the lever. The windscreen wash system stops and the wiper continues
for another 1 - 3 wiper strokes (depending on the period of spraying of the
windscreen).
Wiping the rear window pane
› Push the lever away from the steering wheel into position 6
» Fig. 30 and the
windscreen wiper will operate every 6

seconds.
Automatic wipe/wash for the rear window
› Push the lever away from the steering wheel into the spring-tensioned position 7
» Fig. 30, the windshield wiper and wash system will operate.
£
ä
43
Lights and visibility

WARNING (Continued)
■ If you notice that the lock is not properly engaged while driving, stop the ve-
hicle immediately and close the bonnet - risk of an accident!
■ Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
■ Do not touch any hot engine parts - risk of burns!
■ Never spill fluids on the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the antifreeze con-
tained in the coolant) may ignite!
■ Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the vehicle's
battery.
■ Never touch the radiator fan while the engine is still warm. The fan might
suddenly start running! ■ Never open the end cover of the coolant expansion reservoir while the en-
gine is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
■ When opening the end cover of the coolant expansion reservoir, cover it
with a cloth to protect your face, hands and arms from hot steam or hot cool-
ant.
■ Do not leave any items such as cloths or tools in the engine compartment.
■ If you wish to work under the vehicle, you must secure the vehicle from roll-
ing away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is not
sufficient for this - risk of injury!
■ If any inspection work has to be carried out when the engine is running,
there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. V-belt, alternator, radiator
fan) and the high-voltage ignition system. The following must also be ob-
served: ■Never touch the electric wiring on the ignition system.
■ Always make sure that no jewellery, loose clothing or long hair can get
caught in rotating engine parts - hazard! Always remove any jewellery, tie
back long hair and wear tight fitting clothing before completing any work.
■ Additionally, the following warning instructions must be observed if work
has to be carried out on the fuel or 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. CAUTION
■ Always top up using the correct specification of fluids. This may result in major
operating problems and also vehicle damage!
■ Never open the bonnet using the locking lever - danger of causing damage. For the sake of the environment
In view of the environmentally friendly disposal of fluids, the specials tools and
knowledge required for such work, we recommend that fluids are changed by a
Škoda
Service Partner as part of the inspection service. Note
■ If you have any questions regarding the fluids, visit a
ŠKODA Service Partner.
■ Fluids with the correct specifications can be purchased from ŠKODA Original Ac-
cessories. Ð
137
Inspecting and replenishing

Opening and closing the bonnet
Fig. 113
Bonnet/radiator grille release lever: Release lever Fig. 114
Securing the bonnet with the
bonnet support
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 136.
Opening
› Pull the release lever under the dash panel 1
» Fig. 113.
Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are
correctly in place against the windscreen otherwise the paintwork could be dam-
aged.
› Press the release lever in the direction of the arrow 2
» Fig. 113 and the bon-
net is unlocked.
› Grab hold of the bonnet and lift.
› Take the bonnet support out of its holder and secure the opened bonnet by in-
serting the end of the support in the opening 3
» Fig. 114 designed for it.
ä Closing
› Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the bonnet sup-
port into the holder designed to hold it.
› Let the bonnet drop into the lock carrier lock from a height of around 20 cm –
do not push it in .
› Check that the bonnet is closed properly. Ð Engine compartment overview
Fig. 115
1.6 l/77 kW diesel engine
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 136.
Coolant expansion reservoir 141
Windscreen washer fluid reservoir 143
Engine oil filler opening 139
Engine oil dipstick 139
Brake fluid reservoir 142
Battery (below a cover) 143
Note
The location of the inspection points in the engine compartment of petrol and
diesel engines is practically identical. Ð
ä 1
2
3
4
5
6
138
General Maintenance

Checking the coolant level
Fig. 117
Engine compartment: Coolant
expansion reservoir
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 136.
The coolant expansion bottle is located in the engine compartment.
› Switch off the engine.
› Open the bonnet
» page 138.
› Check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
» Fig. 117. The coolant
level when the engine is cold must lie between the B
(MIN) and A
(MAX) mark-
ings. The level may also rise slightly above the A
(MAX) marking when the en-
gine is warm.
If the coolant level in the coolant expansion tank is too low, this is indicated by
the warning light  lighting up in the instrument cluster » page 19, Coolant tem-
perature/coolant level   . We still recommend inspecting the coolant level di-
rectly at the reservoir from time to time.
Loss of coolant
A loss of coolant is first and foremost an indication of a leak in the system. Do
not merely top up the coolant. Have the cooling system checked by a
ŠKODA spe-
cialist garage immediately. CAUTION
If a fault causes the engine to overheat, we recommend visiting a ŠKODA Service
Partner immediately, otherwise serious engine damage may occur. Ð
ä Replenishing the coolant
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 136.
›
Switch off the engine.
› Allow the engine to cool.
› Place a cloth over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir
» Fig. 117 on
page 141 and unscrew the cap carefully.
› Replenish the coolant.
› Turn the cap until it clicks into place.
Do not use an alternative additive if the specified coolant is not available in an
emergency. In this case, just use water and have the correct mixing ratio of water
and the coolant additive restored by a ŠKODA

specialist garage as soon as possi-
ble.
Only use new coolant to top up the system.
Do not fill the coolant above the mark A
(max.)
» Fig. 117 on page 141! Excess
coolant heats up and then is forced out of the cooling system through the pres-
sure relief valve in the cap. WARNING
■ 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 health.
Therefore always safely store the coolant additive in its original container out
of the reach of children - risk of poisoning!
■ If any coolant splashes into your eyes, immediately rinse out your eyes with
clear water and contact a doctor as soon as possible.
■ You should also consult a doctor without delay if you have inadvertently
swallowed coolant. CAUTION
Do not continue your journey, if it is not possible  to top up the coolant under
the prevailing conditions . Contact a

ŠKODA Service Partner to avoid the risk of
serious engine. Ð
ä
141
Inspecting and replenishing

Radiator fan
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 136.
The radiator fan is driven by an electric motor and controlled according to the
coolant temperature.
After switching off the ignition, the radiator fan can intermittently continue to op-
erate for approx. 10 minutes. ÐChecking the brake fluid
Fig. 118
Engine compartment: Brake fluid
reservoir
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 136.
The brake fluid reservoir is located in the engine compartment.
› Switch off the engine.
› Open the bonnet
» page 138.
› Check the level of brake fluid in the reservoir
» Fig. 118. The level must be be-
tween the “MIN” and “MAX” markings.
When driving, a slight drop in the fluid level is caused by the wear-and-tear and
automatic adjustment of the brake pads, and is therefore perfectly normal.
There may be an indication of a leak in the brake system, however, if the fluid lev-
el drops significantly within a short time or if it drops below the “MIN” marking. If
the brake fluid level is too low, this is indicated by the warning light  lighting up
in the instrument cluster » page 18, Brake system .
ä
ä WARNING
If the fluid level has dropped below the MIN marking,  do not continue your
journey - risk of accident! Seek help from a
ŠKODA specialist garage.Ð Changing the brake fluid
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 136.
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 also lowers the boiling point of the brake
fluid.
The brake fluid must comply with the following standards or specifications:
› VW 50114;
› FMVSS 116 DOT4. WARNING
Using old brake fluid can result in severe stress on the brakes because of the
formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system. This greatly impairs the
braking efficiency and thus also the safety of your vehicle. CAUTION
Brake fluid damages the paintwork of the vehicle. Ð
ä
142 General Maintenance

Windscreen washer system
Fig. 119
Engine compartment: Wind-
screen washer fluid reservoir
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 136.
The windscreen washer fluid reservoir contains the cleaning fluid for the wind-
screen or rear window and for the headlight cleaning system. The windscreen
washer fluid reservoir is located in the engine compartment.
The capacity of the reservoir is about 3.5 litres or about 5.4
litres on vehicles that
have a headlight cleaning system.
Clear water is not sufficient to intensively clean the windscreen and headlights.
We therefore recommend using clean water with a screen cleaner (including anti-
freeze in the winter) that is able to remove stubborn dirt.
Antifreeze should always be added to the cleaning water in the winter even if the
vehicle is fitted with 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. CAUTION
■ Under no circumstances must radiator antifreeze or other additives be added to
the windscreen washer fluid.
■ If the vehicle is fitted with a headlight cleaning system, only cleaning products
which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the headlights must be added
to the windscreen washer fluid.
ä Note
Do not remove the filter from the windscreen washer fluid reservoir when replen-
ishing it with liquid otherwise the liquid transportation system can be contamina-
ted, which can cause the windscreen washer system to malfunction. Ð Vehicle battery
ä
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Battery cover 145
Checking the battery electrolyte level 145
Operation in winter 145
Charging a vehicle battery 146
Disconnecting and reconnecting the vehicle battery 146
Replacing the vehicle battery 146
Automatic load deactivation 147
Warning symbols on the vehicle battery Symbol Importance
 Always wear eye protection.
 Battery acid is severely caustic. Always wear gloves and eye protec-
tion.
 Keep fire, sparks, open flames and lit cigarettes well clear of the ve-
hicle battery.
 When charging the vehicle battery, a highly explosive gas mixture is
produced.
 Keep children away from the vehicle battery. Improper handling of the vehicle battery can cause damage. We therefore recom-
mend that any work on the vehicle battery is carried out by a

ŠKODA Service Part-
ner. £
143
Inspecting and replenishing