Shifting; Handbrake - Skoda Octavia Tour Owner's Manual

76 Starting-off and Driving

Shifting

Shift into reverse only when the vehicle is stationary. Depress the clutch pedal and
hold it fully depressed. Wait a moment before engaging reverse gear in order to
avoid any shift noises.
The reversing lights will come on once reverse gear is engaged, provided the igni-
tion is on.
WARNING
Never engage the reverse gear when driving - risk of accident!
Note
•
One should not lay the hand on the shift lever while driving the vehicle. The
pressure of the hand will be transferred to the gearshift forks in the gearbox. This
can, over a period of time, lead to early wear of the gearshift forks.
•
Depress the clutch pedal fully when changing gears, in order to avoid unneces-
sary wear and damage.
Fig. 85 The shift pattern: 5-speed
manual gearbox

Handbrake

Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up fully.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and at the same time press in the locking
button  fig. 86.
– Hold the button pressed and push the handbrake lever down fully 
The handbrake warning light  lights up when the handbrake is applied, provided
the ignition is on.
A warning signal sounds if you have inadvertently driven off with the handbrake
applied.
The handbrake warning is activated if you drive at a speed of more than 6 km/h for
more than 3 seconds.
WARNING
•
Please note that the handbrake must be fully released. A handbrake which
is only partially released can result in the rear brakes overheating which will
have a negative effect on the operation of the brake system - risk of accident! In
addition this can result in premature wear of the rear brake pads.
•
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. Children might, for example,
release the handbrake or take the vehicle out of gear. The vehicle might then
move off - risk of accident!
Fig. 86 Centre console: Handbrake
.