Get Driving Tips -> Driving and the Environment Guide for Skoda Octavia 4 Door Third Generation (2013-2020)

128

Driving and the Environment

The first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwards

Caution

All the speed and engine revolution figures apply only when the engine is at its normal

A new engine

operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when the vehicle

is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.

The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres.

Up to 1 000 kilometres

For the sake of the environment

– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the maximum speed of the gear in use, that is 3/4 of

Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear as

the maximum permissible engine speed.

early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise levels

and protects the environment.

– Do not use full throttle.

– Avoid high engine revolutions.

New tyres

– Do not tow a trailer.

New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. You should

From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres

take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly carefully.

– Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full speed of the gear

engaged, that is up to the maximum permissible engine revolutions.

New brake pads

During the first operating hours the engine has higher internal friction than later until

Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking efficiency until

all of the moving parts have harmonized. The driving style which you adopt during the

approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first “run in” before they

first approx.1 500 kilometres plays a decisive part in the success of running in your

develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compensate for this slightly

vehicle.

reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal.

You should not drive at unnecessarily high engine revolutions even after the

This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future date.

running-in period is complete. The maximum permissible engine speed is marked by

During the running-in period, you should avoid excessive stresses on the brakes. This

the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up into the

includes, for example, violent braking, particularly from very high speeds, and also

next higher gear on a vehicle fitted with manual gearbox before the red zone is

when crossing mountain passes.

reached. Extremely high engine revolutions are automatically governed, by the way.

For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox the converse situation also applies: Do not

drive at engine revolutions which are too low. Shift down as soon as the engine is no

longer running smoothly.

Driving and the Environment

129

 If you detect misfiring, a drop in performance or irregular engine running when

Catalytic converter

driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the nearest

Proper operation of the emission control system (catalytic converter) is

specialist garage. The symptoms described may be caused by a fault in the ignition

of major significance for driving your vehicle in an environmentally

system. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the catalytic

converter.

conscious way.

Please refer to the following guidelines:

For the sake of the environment

– For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol  page 144.

Even if the exhaust system is operating properly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may be

produced under certain operating conditions of the engine. This depends on the

– Never run the fuel tank completely empty.

sulphur content of the fuel. It is often sufficient to refuel with unleaded premium-

– Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.

grade petrol of a different brand or at a different filling station.

– Do not pour too much oil into the engine  page 151, “Replenishing engine oil”.

– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50 metres  page 175,

Driving in an economical and environmentally

“Tow-starting a vehicle”.

conscious manner

If you drive your vehicle in a country in which unleaded petrol is not available, you

must have the catalytic converter replaced later when driving the vehicle into a country

General

in which use of a catalytic converter is mandatory.

Your personal style of driving is a major factor.

WARNING

Your fuel consumption, any pollution of the environmental and the wear-and-tear to

 In view of the high temperatures which may be produced in the catalytic

the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:

 your personal style of driving,

converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way that the catalytic

converter cannot come into contact with easily flammable materials below the

 the conditions under which your vehicle is operated,

vehicle - a risk of fire!

 technical aspects.

 Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection agents

for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or heat shields. Such substances

You can easily improve your fuel economy by 10 - 15 percent by driving in an econom-

might ignite when driving - risk of fire!

ical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a number of tips

on how to protect the environment and at the same time save money.

Caution

The fuel consumption can naturally also be influenced by factors which are beyond the

 On vehicles fitted with a catalytic converter, never let the fuel tank run completely

driver's control. It is, for example, normal for the fuel consumption to increase in

winter and under worsened conditions such as poor road conditions, towing a trailer,

empty. An irregular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel

etc.

may get into the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter.

 Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic

The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the vehicle

have already been built into the vehicle at the works. Special attention has been given

converter being destroyed.

to minimising negative effects on the environment. It is necessary to take note of the

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130

Driving and the Environment

The  fig. 136 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in the

guidelines given in this chapter in order to make best use of these characteristics and

to maintain their effectiveness.

relevant gears. Fuel consumption in 1st gear is the highest and in 5th gear is the lowest.

The optimal engine speed should be obtained when accelerating, in order to avoid a

Note

high fuel consumption and resonance of the vehicle.

Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator*  page 19.

Looking ahead when driving

Avoiding full throttle

A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.

Driving more slowly means saving fuel.

Avoid accelerating and braking unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight you will not

need to brake so often and will also then not have to accelerate so much. Let your

vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this is possible, when you see that the next set of

traffic lights is at red.

Shifting gears and saving energy

Shifting up early saves on fuel.

Fig. 137 Fuel consumption in

litres/100 km. and speed in

km/h.

Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption but

also positively influence environmental pollution and wear of your vehicle.

You should avoid exploiting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel

consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at

Fig. 136 Fuel consumption in

high speeds.

litres/100 km. and speed in

km/h.

The  fig. 137 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

Manual gearbox

possible top speed of your vehicle.

– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.

– Always shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs.

An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up early. You will consume

more fuel if you drive at unnecessarily high revolutions in any given gear.

Driving and the Environment

131

 Check the ground below your vehicle at regular intervals to detect any leakages in

Reducing idling

good time. Please have your vehicle inspected by a specialist garge if you find any

Idling also costs fuel.

stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.

It is worthwhile switching off the engine in a traffic jam or when waiting at a level

Avoid driving short distances

crossing or at traffic lights with a lengthy 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.

Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption.

If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal operating

temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, 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 revolutions 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

Fig. 138 Fuel consumption in

of the requirements for economical motoring even before you set off on your journey.

litres/100 km at different

Keeping your vehicle properly serviced not only has a positive effect on the safety of

temperatures

your vehicle and maintaining its value, but also saves on fuel.

– Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is cold.

A poorly tuned engine can result in a fuel consumption which is 10% higher than

normal.

The engine and catalytic converter must first have reached their optimal operating

The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according to the

temperature in order to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.

Service schedule by a specialist garage.

The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately

Also check the oil level after refueling. Oil consumption is dependent to a consider-

after starting. Fuel consumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The

able extent on the load and speed of the engine. Oil consumption could be as high as

engine reaches its operating temperature (outside temperature and engine

0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving.

dependent) only after about 4 to 10 kilometres and the fuel consumption then stabi-

lizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible.

It is quite normal that a new engine has a higher oil consumption at first, and reaches

its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is therefore not possible to

An important factor in this connection is also the ambient temperature. The

correctly assess the oil consumption of a new vehicle until after you have driven about

 fig. 138 shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the one

5 000 km.

hand at +20°C and on the other hand at -10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel

consumption in winter than in summer.

For the sake of the environment

 You can achieve additional improvements in your fuel economy by using high-

lubricity oils.

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132

Driving and the Environment

Checking tyre inflation pressures

components switched on, the more fuel will be consumed for operating the

alternator.

Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.

Keeping a log of your fuel consumption

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

If you really wish to keep a close check on your fuel consumption, it is best to enter

only increase fuel consumption but also tyre wear and the driving behaviour will

the figures in a logbook. This does not take much time but is a very worthwhile exer-

worsen.

cise. It enables you to detect any change (positive and negative) at an early stage and

Always check the inflation pressure of the tyres when cold.

to take any appropriate action.

Do not drive with winter tyres all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel.

If you find that your fuel consumption is too high, you should reflect on how, where

Winter tyres are also louder.

and in what conditions you have driven the vehicle since you last refuelled.

No unnecessary ballast

Environmental compatibility

Transporting ballast costs fuel.

Environmental protection has played a major role in the design, selection of materials

The fact that every kilogram of extra weight increases your fuel consumption means

and manufacture of your new Škoda. Particular emphasis has been paid to a number

that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid transporting any

of aspects, including:

unnecessary ballast.

Design measures

It is particularly in town traffic, when one is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle

 Joints designed to be easily detached;

weight will have a significant effect upon the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb here

 Simplified disassembly due to the modular structure system;

is that an increase in weight of 100 kilograms will cause an increase in fuel consump-

tion of about 1 litre/100 kilometres.

 Improved purity of different classes of materials;

You may frequently also leave a roof rack fitted on just out of convenience, although

 Identification of all plastic parts in accordance with VDA Recommendation 260;

you no longer need it. The increased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle causes it to use

 Reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission CO 2 ;

about 10% more fuel than normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h, even when you are

 Minimum fuel leakage during accidents;

not carrying a load on the roof.

 Reduced noise.

Saving electricity

Choice of materials

 Extensive use of recyclable material;

Generating electricity costs fuel.

 Air conditioning filled with CFC-free refrigerant;

– Switch off electrical components as soon as you no longer need them.

 No cadmium;

When the engine is running, the alternator generates and supplies electrical power.

 No asbestos;

The greater the load on the alternator as a result of having a large number of electrical

 Reduction in the “vaporisation” of plastics.

Driving and the Environment

133

Manufacture

Headlight stickers can be obtained as a spare part from the specialist garages.

 Solvent-free cavity protection;

The adaptation of the headlights with Xenon lamps (applies to vehicles which are

 Solvent-free protection of the vehicle for transportation from the production plant

designed for driving on the left and on the right) is performed by switching over a bezel

to the customer;

in the module for low beam by a specialist garage.

 The use of solvent-free adhesives;

 No CFCs used in the production process;

Note

 Without use of mercury;

You can obtain further information regarding masking over or converting the head-

lights from your specialist garage.

 Use of water-soluble paints.

Avoiding damage to your vehicle

Motoring abroad

When driving on poor roads and lanes or when driving over kerbstones, steep ramps

General

etc., you must pay particular attention to ensuring that any low-slung parts of the

vehicle, such as spoiler and exhaust, do not touch the ground and get damaged.

Other circumstances may exist abroad.

This particularly applies to models with a lowered suspension (sport suspension) and

It is also possible, in certain countries, that the Škoda Service Partner network is limited

also when your vehicle is fully laden.

or has not been established yet. This is the reason why obtaining certain spare parts

may be somewhat complicated and specialist garage personnel may only be able to

make limited repairs. Škoda Auto in the Czech Republic and relevant importers are

happy to provide information about technical aspects of the vehicle, required mainte-

nance work and possibilities for getting repairs done.

Unleaded petrol

A vehicle fitted with a petrol engine must always be refuelled with unleaded petrol

 page 129. The automobile associations can provide you with information regarding

the locations of filling stations which offer unleaded petrol.

Headlight

The low beam of your headlights is set asymmetrically. 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 will 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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Driving Tips -> Driving and the Environment for Your Skoda Octavia 4 Door Third Generation (2013-2020)

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