Vehicle Battery - Skoda Rapid Owner's Manual

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
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the windscreen washer fluid.
If the vehicle is fitted with a headlight cleaning system, only cleaning products
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which do not attack the polycarbonate coating of the headlights must be added
to the windscreen washer fluid.
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.

Vehicle battery

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Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Battery cover
Checking the battery electrolyte level
Operation in winter
Charging a vehicle battery
Disconnecting and reconnecting the vehicle battery
Replacing the vehicle battery
Automatic load deactivation
Warning symbols on the vehicle battery
Symbol

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.
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and burns when carrying out any
work on the battery and on the electrical system. For this reason, it is essential to
comply with the warning instructions stated below and with the general applica-
ble rules of safety.
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WARNING
The battery acid is strongly corrosive and must, therefore, be handled with
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the greatest of care. Always wear protective gloves, eye and skin protection
when handling the vehicle battery. Corrosive fumes in the air irritate the air
passages and lead to conjunctivitis and inflammation of the air passages in
the lungs. They corrode tooth enamel. After contact with the skin, the acid
creates deep wounds which take a long time to heal. Repeated contact with
diluted acids causes skin diseases (inflammations, ulcers, slin cracks). Acids
coming into contact with water are diluted accompanied by significant devel-
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opment of heat.
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Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the bat-
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tery vent openings. Protect the eyes with safety glasses or a shield! There is
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the danger of suffering blindness! If any battery electrolyte comes into con-
tact with your eyes, rinse the relevant eye immediately with clear water for
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several minutes. Then consult a doctor immediately.
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Importance
Inspecting and replenishing
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