Skoda Octavia Owner's Manual page 173

Headlights
The front of the vehicle may lift up when a trailer is being towed and the head-
lights may dazzle other road users.
Adjust the headlights using the headlight beam control
and low beam .
1)
Driving speed
For safety reasons, do not drive faster than 80 km/h when hitching a trailer.
Immediately reduce your speed as soon as even the slightest swaying of the
trailer is detected. Never attempt to stop the trailer from "swaying" by acceler-
ating.
Brakes
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply
the brakes gently at first, then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting
from the trailer wheels locking.
On downhill sections shift down a gear in good time to also use the engine as
a brake.
Engine overheating
If the needle for the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand
area or the red area of the scale, the speed must be reduced immediately.
Stop and switch off the engine if the indicator light  in the instrument cluster
lights up » page 40.
Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant
The following guidelines must be observed
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
WARNING
Never use the safety eye to tow a vehicle!
■
Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
■
situation.
Improper or incorrectly connected electrical installations can energise the
■
trailer and cause functional faults to the vehicle's entire electrical system
as well as accidents and severe injuries.
1)
Applies to vehicles with bi-xenon headlights.
» page 70, Side lights
» page 195.
» page 40,  Coolant.
WARNING (Continued)
Work on the electrical system must only be carried out by specialist ga-
■
rages.
Never directly connect the trailer's electrical system with the electrical
■
connections for the tail lights or other current sources.
After coupling the trailer and connecting up the power socket, check the
■
rear lights on the trailer to ensure they work.
Note
If there is an error in the trailer lighting system, check the fuses in the fuse
■
box in the dashboard » page 225.
Contact between the breakaway cable and the safety eye can result in me-
■
chanical wear on the protective surface of the eye. Such wear does not impair
the functioning of the safety eye and is not a fault. It is excluded from the war-
ranty coverage.
If you tow a trailer frequently, you should also have your vehicle inspected
■
between service intervals.
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and de-
■
coupling the trailer.
Anti-theft alarm system

Read and observe on page 170 first.
If the vehicle is locked, the alarm is activated when the electrical connection to
the trailer is interrupted.
Always switch off the anti-theft alarm system before a trailer is coupled or un-
coupled » page 58.
Conditions for including a trailer in the anti-theft alarm system.
The vehicle is factory-fitted with an anti-theft alarm system and a towing

device.
The trailer is electrically connected to the towing vehicle by means of the

trailer socket.
The electrical system of the vehicle and trailer is functional.

the vehicle is locked with the vehicle key and the anti-theft alarm system

is activated.

171
Hitch and trailer