Skoda OCTAVIA, Owner'S Manual

Page: 188 / 268

Regularly remove salt and brake abrasion, otherwise the rim material will be
corroded.
Light alloy wheels
After washing thoroughly and treat the wheel rims with a protective product
for light alloy wheels.
For the treatment of wheel rims do not use products which may cause damage
to the paint on the rims.
CAUTION
■
Damage to the paint layer on the wheel rims must be touched up immediate-
ly.
■
Severe layers of dirt on the wheels can also result in wheel imbalance. This
may show itself in the form of a wheel vibration which is transmitted to the
steering wheel which, in certain circumstances, can cause premature wear of
the steering. This means it is necessary to remove the dirt.
Towing hitch and mounting recess
Read and observe and on page 183 first.
Seal the mounting recess with the cap to prevent any ingress of dirt.
In the event of dirt, clean the interior surfaces of the mounting recess and
treat with a suitable preservative.
Always check the ball head before attaching a trailer. Apply suitable grease
where necessary.
Include the protective cap when stowing away the ball rod to protect the boot
from getting contaminated.
CAUTION
Apply grease to the inner part of the mounting recess. Make sure you do not
remove any grease.
Under-body protection
Read and observe and on page 183 first.
The underside of your vehicle is already permanently protected by the factory
against chemical and mechanical influences.
It is not possible to guarantee that the protective coating will not suffer any
damage as the vehicle is driven.


We recommend having the protective coating underneath the vehicle and the
chassis checked — preferably before the beginning of winter and at the end of
winter.
WARNING
Never use additional underbody protection or anti-corrosion agents for ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converters, diesel particle filters or heat shields.
When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these substances
might ignite - risk of fire!
Wiper blades
Read and observe and on page 183 first.
Clean the wiper blades regularly with a glass cleaner. The wiper blades should
be cleaned with a sponge or cloth if they are heavily soiled by insect residues,
for example.
The wiper blades can become soiled with wax residues after washing in auto-
matic vehicle wash systems for example.
Interior care

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Natural leather
187
Artificial leather, materials and Alcantara
®
187
Seat covers 188
Safety belts 188
We recommend using vehicle care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
These are available from ŠKODA Partners. The usage instructions on the pack-
age must be observed.


186
General Maintenance