Vehicle Battery - Skoda Octavia Owner's Manual

WARNING
When you charge a battery, hydrogen is released, and a highly explosive gas
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mixture is also produced. An explosion can be caused through sparkling over
during unclamping or loosening of the cable plug while the ignition is on.
Creating a bridge between the poles on the battery (e.g. with a metal object
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or cable) creates a short circuit - risk of melting the lead bars, and risk of ex-
plosion, battery fire and acid splashes.
Avoid creating sparks when working with cables and electrical devices.
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Strong sparking represents a risk of injury.
Before carrying out any work on the electrical system, switch off the engine,
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the ignition and all electrical components and disconnect the negative termi-
nal (-) on the battery.
CAUTION
Improper handling of the battery can lead to damage occurring. We recommend
having all work on the vehicle battery carried out by a specialist garage.
CAUTION
The vehicle battery must only be disconnected if the ignition is switched off,
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otherwise the vehicle's electrical system (electronic components) can be dam-
aged. When disconnecting the battery from the electrical system, first of all dis-
connect the negative terminal (-) of the battery, followed by the positive terminal
(+).
When connecting the battery to the electrical system, first of all connect the
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positive terminal (+) of the battery, followed by the negative terminal (-). Under no
circumstances must the battery cables be connected incorrectly – risk of a cable
fire.
Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork – risk of
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damage to the paintwork.
Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the vehicle battery
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housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3 to 4 weeks, the battery will
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discharge. This is because certain electrical components consume electricity (e. g.
control units) also in idle state. Prevent the battery from discharging by discon-
necting the battery's negative terminal (-) or continuously charging the battery
with a very low charging current.
If the vehicle is frequently used for making short trips, the vehicle battery will
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not have time to charge up sufficiently and may discharge.
For the sake of the environment
A vehicle battery that has been removed is a special type of hazardous waste.
These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regulations.
Note
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
Opening the cover
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First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 224.
The battery is located in the engine compartment - in some models, underneath a
polyester cover » Fig. 187.
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Fold out the cover on the battery in the direction of the arrow.
The battery cover is installed in reverse order.
The edge of the polyester battery cover is inserted between the battery and the
side wall of the battery cover when working on the battery.
Fig. 187
Engine compartment: Polyester
cover of vehicle battery
225
Inspecting and replenishing
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