Antifreeze replacement for Skoda Octavia A5, A7

The Czech car manufacturer Skoda is part of the equally well-known Volkswagen AG. Cars are valued for high quality, reliability and practicality. Another advantage is the relatively low price of Skoda Octavia, unlike other brands produced by the company.

1,6 mpi and 1,8 tsi are considered popular engines among motorists, which perform very well with proper maintenance. Timely replacement of antifreeze with Skoda Octavia a5, a7 is the key to long-term operation of the power plant without repair.

Stages of replacing coolant Skoda Octavia A5, A7

It is recommended to change antifreeze for Skoda Octavia with a complete flushing of the system, since not all liquid is drained from the car. The operation for changing the coolant will be the same for the petrol and diesel versions, with the exception of various modifications:

• Skoda octavia a7
• Skoda octavia a5
• Skoda Octaviatur Barrel
• Tour Skoda Octavia

Draining the coolant

When replacing antifreeze, many motorists drain it only from the radiator, but this is not enough to completely drain it. About half of the liquid still needs to be drained from the block, but not everyone knows how this is done on the Skoda Octavia A5, A7.

Coolant drain procedure:

1. remove the plastic protection from the motor to gain access to the drain;
2. on the left side in the direction of travel, at the bottom of the radiator we find a thick tube (Fig. 1);
3. in this place we substitute a container for draining;
4. if your model has a drain cock on the hose (Fig. 2), then unscrew it by turning it counterclockwise until it clicks, pull it towards you, the liquid will begin to drain. If there is no tap, then you need to loosen the clamp and remove the pipe, or there may be a system with a retaining ring, it can be removed upwards, you can use a screwdriver;
   
   
5. for faster emptying, unscrew the filler cap of the expansion tank (Fig. 3)
   
   
6. after we have drained the antifreeze from the radiator, it is necessary to drain the liquid from the engine block, but there is no drain hole for this action. For this operation, you need to find a thermostat on the engine (Fig. 4). We unscrew the two screws that hold it with a key for 8 and drain the remaining liquid.

The procedure will be the same for any Skoda Octavia A5, A7 or Tour model. There may be slight differences in the location of some elements in different engines, for example in qi or mpi.

If you have a compressor at your disposal, you can try to drain the liquid with it. To do this, with the drain holes open, insert an air gun into the opening of the expansion tank. Seal the remaining space with a bag or a piece of rubber, blow through the system.

Flushing the cooling system

It should be understood that when replacing antifreeze with your own hands, even after completing all the draining steps, 15-20% of the old antifreeze will remain in the system. Without flushing the cooling system, this liquid, along with deposits and sludge, will be present in the new antifreeze.

To flush the Skoda Octavia cooling system, we need distilled water:

1. turn the tap to drain the liquid, if we remove the pipe, then put it on;
2. place and fix the thermostat;
3. fill the system with distilled water as much as possible;
4. we start the engine, let it run until the fan located behind the radiator turns on. This is a sign that the thermostat has opened and the liquid has gone in a big circle. There is a complete flushing of the system;
5. turn off the engine and drain our waste water;
6. repeat all steps until almost clear liquid comes out.

It is recommended to allow the engine to cool down between draining the fluid and filling it with a new one, since pouring it into a hot one can lead to deformation and subsequent failure of the power plant.

Filling without air pockets

Since distilled water remains in the cooling system after flushing, it is recommended to use not ready-made antifreeze, but a concentrate for filling. The concentrate must be diluted taking into account this residue, which does not drain.

When the coolant is ready, we can start filling:

1. first of all, we check whether everything is in place after the drainage procedure;
2. install the engine protection in place;
3. pour antifreeze into the system through the expansion tank up to the MAX mark;
4. start the car, let it run until it warms up completely;
5. add fluid as needed to the level.

After replacing the antifreeze with a Skoda Octavia A5 or Octavia A7, we check the operation of the stove, it should blow hot air. Also, the first trips after replacement, it is necessary to monitor the level of antifreeze.

The coolant level may drop as any remaining air pockets will eventually disappear with the engine running.

Frequency of replacement, which antifreeze to fill

It is recommended to change the coolant in Skoda Octavia cars after 90 km of run or 000 years of operation. These terms are specified in the maintenance program, and the manufacturer recommends that they be observed.

Also, during repair work, it is necessary to replace the antifreeze, which is supposed to be drained. A change in color, smell or consistency also involves replacing the fluid with a new one, as well as looking for the cause of these changes.

It is recommended to use original antifreeze G 013 A8J M1 or G A13 A8J M1. This is the same liquid, different brands are due to the fact that antifreeze is supplied to different brands and models of VAG cars.

It is not always possible to find the original liquid, in which case the antifreeze for the Skoda Octavia A5 or Octavia A7 should be selected according to the parameters. For A5 models, it must meet the G12 specification, and for the latest generation A7 model, it must be G12++ or higher. The best option would be G13, currently the best with the longest shelf life, but that liquid is not cheap.

Antifreeze should not be considered for these models marked G11, usually available in blue and green. But for Octavia A4 or Tour, this brand is perfect, it is she who is recommended by the manufacturer for these versions.

Volume table

Model	Engine power	How many liters of antifreeze is in the system	Original/recommended fluid
Skoda Octavia A7	1,4	6.7	G 013 A8J M1 / G A13 A8Ж M1 G12 ++ G13
1,6	7.7
1,8
2.0
Skoda Octavia A5	1,4	6.7	G12
1,6	7.7
1,8
1,9
2.0
Skoda Octavia A4	1,6	6.3	G11
1,8
1,9
2.0

Leaks and problems

Some components of the Octavia cooling system may malfunction; if they fail, they must be replaced. Problems can arise with the thermostat, water pump, clogging of the main radiator, as well as the stove radiator.

In some models, there have been cases of destruction of the internal partitions or walls of the expansion tank. As a result, scale and blockage formed, which affected the incorrect operation of the stove.

There is a problem with the coolant level indicator, which does not work correctly, starts to burn and indicates that the antifreeze level has dropped, although the level is still normal. To eliminate this defect, you must:

• completely drain the tank, this can be done with a syringe, simply by pulling out the liquid;
• then it must be topped up, but this must be done slowly, in a thin stream.

Everything should return to normal, the sensor fails very rarely, but there is a problem with incorrect signaling.