2009 OPEL ANTARA automatic transmission

Driving and operation127
Driving hints
The first 1000 km (600 miles)
Drive your vehicle at various speeds. Do
not use full throttle. Never allow the engine
to labour at low revs.
Make good use of all gears. Depress the
accelerator pedal a maximum of around
three quarters of the available pedal travel
in all gears and drive ranges.
Do not drive faster than three quarters of
maximum speed.
Avoid quick starts, su dden acceleration
and prolonged high-speed driving, to
avoid engine damage and to conserve
fuel.
Do not brake unnecessarily hard for the
first 200 km (125 miles).
If possible, avoid towing another vehicle.
Never coast with engine not running
Many units may then not function (e.g.
brake servo unit, power steering, airbag
system). Driving in this manner is a danger
to yourself and others. Brake servo unit
With the engine not running, the brake
servo unit is no longer effective once the
brake pedal has been depressed once or
twice. The braking effect is not reduced,
but substantially greater foot pressure is
necessary to stop the vehicle.
Power steering
Never leave the steering wheel on full lock
when the vehicle is stationary, as this may
damage the power steering pump.
If the power steering should fail - e.g. when
the vehicle is being towed with the engine
switched off - the vehicle can still be
properly steered, but considerably greater
effort is necessary.
Driving in mountainous terrain or with a
caravan/trailer
Electrically driven fan; the fan cooling
capacity is not dependent on engine
speed. It is not necessary, therefore, when
driving uphill to shif
t down into a lower
gear if the vehicle can climb in a higher
gear. Driving in extreme conditions
When driving in hazard
ous conditions, e.g.
in snow, ice, mud, sand or water, drive
slowly and cautiously to allow for greater
braking distances.
If stuck, use 2nd gear (automatic
transmission in drive range 2) to avoid
spinning the front wheels.
Use sand, tyre chains or other non-slip
materials to provide traction when stuck in
snow, mud or ice.
Driving through water
Before attempting to drive through water,
check the depth. If the depth is slightly
lower than the underbody of your vehicle,
do not attempt to drive through it.
Driving too quickly through water can
cause water to enter the engine through
the air intake, causing severe damage.
Drive slowly, in a high engine rpm in as low
a gear as possible.
Driving with a roof load
Do not exceed the permissible roof load -
see page 221. For safety reasons,
distribute the load evenly and secure it
tightly with straps so that it cannot slip. Set
the tyre pressure to the value given for full
load. Do not drive faster than 120 km/h
(75 mph). Check and retighten straps at
frequent intervals.

Driving and operation128
Switching off the engine
If the engine temperature is very high, e.g.
after driving in mountainous terrain: allow
engine to idle for approx. 2 minutes, in
order to prevent heat accumulation.
When you switch off, fans in the engine
compartment may continue running for a
time, to cool the engine.
Vehicles with turbocharger 3
In order to protect the turbocharger, after
running at high engine speeds or high
engine loads, operate the engine briefly at
a low load or run in neutral for approx.
30 seconds before switching off.
Save energy – more kilometres/miles
Please observe the running-in hints on the
previous page and the tips for energy
saving on the following pages.
Good, technically correct and economical
driving ensures maximum durability and
performance for your vehicle.
Overrun
The fuel supply is automatically shut off
during overrun, e.g. when the vehicle is
being driven down long gradients or during
braking. To enable the overrun cut-off to
come into action, do not accelerate or
declutch during overrun. Engine rpm
Under all driving conditions, drive in a
favourable engine speed range.
Warming up
Allow engine to warm up while driving. Do
not warm it up by le
tting it run at idling
speed. Do not apply full throttle until
engine reaches operating temperature.
After a cold start, automatic
transmission 3 does not shift into higher
gears until higher engine speeds have been
reached. This allows the catalytic converter
to quickly reach the temperature required
for optimum pollutant reduction.
Correct gear selection
Do not race your engine whilst in neutral or
with a low gear selected. Driving too fast in
individual gears or drive ranges as well as
stop-and-go traffic in crease engine wear
and fuel consumption.
Change down
When decreasing speed, shift down into
the next lowest gear. Do not slip the clutch
with a high-revving engine. This is
especially important when hill climbing. Clutch operation
3
Always depress the clutch pedal hard to
the floor, to prevent shifting difficulties and
transmission damage. There must be no
mats in the area of the pedals.
When driving, do not use the clutch pedal
as a foot rest; this will cause substantial
clutch wear.
Pedals
Do not place any objects in the footwell
which could slip under the pedals and
inhibit the pedal travel.
To ensure the pedal travel is uninhibited,
there must be no mats in the area of the
pedals.
When driving, do not use the brake pedal
as a foot rest; this will cause substantial
wear to brake components and cause
overheating, resultin g in longer braking
distances.
Battery care whilst driving
When driving slowly or when the vehicle
is stationary, e.g. in slow urban traffic,
stop-and-go traffic or traffic jams, turn off
all unnecessary electrical loads where
possible (e.g. heated rear window,
auxiliary headlamps).
When starting the engine, depress the
clutch pedal so that transmission
resistance is elimin ated and the starter
motor and battery are relieved.

Driving and operation140
Cruise control 3
Cruise control can store and maintain
speeds over approx. 30 km/h (20 mph).
Deviation from the stored speed may occur
when driving uphill or downhill.
For safety reasons, cruise control cannot
be activated until the foot brake has been
depressed once.
Cruise control is operated with buttons
d, c and e on the turn signal lever. Do not use cruise control if it is not
advisable to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in situations presenting a danger to
yourself and other road users, in heavy
traffic or on winding, slippery or greasy
roads).
With automatic transmission, only use
cruise control while in
D.
When cruise control is active, reaction
times may be increased, due to the
different position of the feet.
Control indicator for cruise control
When driving, control indicator m will
illuminate when the syst em is switched on
and the desired vehicle speed is stored.
Illuminated in yellow;
cruise control is ready for operation by
pressing the
ebutton.
Illuminated in green;
cruise control speed is set by pressing the
d button.
9 Warning
The driver is always responsible for
ensuring that vehicle speed is
appropriate for the speed limit and
driving conditions - even if cruise control
is engaged.
Failure to follow the instructions could
lead to injuries or endanger life.

Driving and operation141
To activatePress the e button to turn cruise control
on. Accelerate to the desired speed, press
the
d button and release it; the current
speed is stored and maintained. The
accelerator pedal can be released after
setting cruise control speed.
Vehicle speed can be increased
temporarily for overtaking purposes,
by depressing the accelerator pedal.
When the accelerator pe dal is released, the
previously stored speed is resumed. Increase speed
With cruise control active, press and hold
the c button and release it when the
desired vehicle speed is reached.
To increase the speed in steps of
2 km/h (1.2 mph), tap the
c button
and release it.
When the
c button is released, the
current speed is stored and maintained.
Alternatively, use the accelerator pedal to
increase vehicle speed, press the
d
button and release it, then release the
accelerator pedal.
When the
d button and the accelerator
pedal are released, the current speed is
stored and maintained.
Decrease speed
With cruise control active, press and hold
the d button and release it when the
desired vehicle speed is reached.
To decrease the speed in steps of
2 km/h (1.2 mph), tap the
d button
and release it.
When the
d button is released, the
current speed is stored and maintained. To deactivate
Switch off cruise control when not needed,
to avoid accidental activation.
Press
e button to turn cruise control off.
Control indicator m extinguishes and the
vehicle slowly decelerates. To continue
driving, depress the accelerator pedal in
the usual manner.
For safety reasons, cruise control
deactivates under certain driving
conditions.
For example:
z If the vehicle speed drops below 30 km/h
(20 mph), or
z If the brake pedal is depressed, or
z If the clutch pedal 3 is depressed, or
z If the automatic transmission 3 selector
lever is in N, or
z If the traction control aspect of the
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) comes
into action, to limit wheel spin.
Resuming the stored speed
Press the c button at speeds above
30 km/h (20 mph); the speed selected
before cruise control was switched off, is
resumed.
The value of the stored speed is deleted
when the ignition is switched off or the
ebutton is pressed.

Driving and operation142
Park pilot 3
The park pilot makes parking easier by
measuring the distance between the
vehicle and any obstacles to the front and
rear and giving an acoustic signal in the
passenger compartment.
The system records the distance using four
sensors in both the front and rear bumpers.
To activate
The park pilot activates automatically
when the ignition is switched on and a
forward gear or reverse gear is engaged
and the hand brake is released. The acoustic signal may differ depending
on the type of object detected.
If the vehicle approaches an obstacle when
in a forward gear or while reversing, a
series of signals can be heard in the vehicle
interior. The interval between the signals
becomes shorter as the distance is
reduced. If the distance is less than 30 cm,
the signal will be continuous.
To deactivate
The system deactivates automatically
when in neutral (aut omatic transmission 3
in N or P) with the hand brake applied.
When the vehicle speed is greater than
8 km/h (5 mph), the system also
deactivates.
To deactivate the system manually, press
button
b on the instrument panel.
The control indicator in the button will
illuminate.
If the button is pressed again, the control
indicator in the button will extinguish and
the system will be reactivated as soon as a
forward gear or reverse gear is engaged
and the hand brake is released.
9 Warning
Under certain circumstances, various
reflective surfaces on objects or clothing
as well as external noise sources may
cause the system to fail to detect
obstacles.
The park pilot may not recognise sharp
objects, thick clothes or sponge-like
materials which absorb the frequency.
If the sensors are damaged or covered
with snow, dirt or ice, the park pilot may
not activate.
For these reasons, care must be taken
when reversing, even if the park pilot is
operational. This is of particular
importance when in the vicinity of
pedestrians.

Driving and operation169
Driving characteristics, towing tips
In the case of caravans/trailers with
brakes3, attach the breakaway stopping
cable to the eye 3 or loop around coupling
ball bar if no eye is available.
Ensure cable is crossed under the coupling
socket to ensure the caravan/trailer nose
cannot drop to the ground if it becomes
separated from the trailer hitch.
Do not allow the cable to drag along the
ground and always allow enough slack to
permit full turning. Fo llow the instructions
supplied with the towing equipment.
Before coupling the caravan/trailer,
lubricate the ball of the caravan/trailer
towing device. However, do not do so if a
stabilizer which acts on the coupling ball is
being used to damp rolling motions.
Handling is greatly influenced by the
loading of the caravan/trailer. Loads
should therefore be secured so that they
cannot slip and should be placed in the
centre of the caravan/trailer if possible,
i.e. above the axle.
Opel genuine parts an d accessories which
can be subsequently fitted aid trailer
operation, e.g. larg e mirrors for wide
caravans/trailers. In the case of caravans/trailers with low
directional stability, it is advisable to use a
friction-type stabilizer to damp rolling
motions.
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h (50 mph),
even in countries where higher speeds are
permitted.
When driving uphill, do not drive faster
than 30 km/h (20 mph) in 1st gear, or
50 km/h (30 mph) in 2nd gear.
Make sure that you have enough room
when cornering and avoid sudden
manoeuvres.
If the caravan/trailer starts to sway, drive
more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if necessary.
If it is necessary to apply the brakes fully,
depress the brake pedal as hard as
possible.
The cooling fan is electrically operated.
The fan cooling capacity is not, therefore,
dependent on engine speed. It is not
necessary, when drivin
g uphill, to shift
down into a lower gear if the vehicle can
climb in a higher gear. When coupled to a caravan/trailer, the
vehicle requires more
braking effort when
driving down long grad ients, so select the
same gear as you would when driving
uphill and drive at roughly the same speed.
Automatic transmission in automatic mode
will select the drivin g program with the
optimum engine braking effect.
Remember that brak ing distances for
vehicles towing carava ns/trailers with and
without brakes is always greater than for
vehicles not towing a caravan/trailer. For
caravans/trailers with brakes, follow the
instructions carefully. Do not make any
modifications to the brake system.
Always check lamps on caravans/trailers
before towing. Ensure national regulations
are observed.
The fog tail lamp on the vehicle is
deactivated when towing a caravan/
trailer.
When reversing, if possible, have someone
provide assistance.
Drive slowly and shift down into a lower
gear when descending steep gradients
rather than holding the foot brake
depressed, to avoid overheating and
reduced brake efficiency.

Driving and operation170
Block the wheels of both the caravan/trailer
and the vehicle when parking and always
apply the hand brake firmly. If possible, do
not park on slopes. Parking on inclines
If parking on an incline is unavoidable,
depress the foot brake, have someone
place wheel blocks under the caravan/
trailer wheels and release the foot brake
until the blocks have absorbed the load.
Depress foot brake again, apply
hand brake, engage first gear on uphill
gradients or reverse gear on downhill
gradients (automatic transmission 3 in P)
and finally, release foot brake. Starting on inclines
Depress the foot brake and hold it down,
start the engine, shift into gear and release
the hand brake.
Release foot brake and drive slowly until
the caravan/trailer is clear of the wheel
blocks. Stop the vehicle and have someone
pick up the blocks. If possible, the engine
speed should not drop during this
procedure.
For vehicles with automatic transmission
3
in automatic mode, apply sufficient
throttle.
Before starting-off under extreme
conditions (e.g. high combination weight,
mountainous terrain with steep inclines),
switch off all unnecessary electrical loads
(e.g. heated rear window, air conditioning
system, heated front seats 3).
9 Warning
Have someone provide assistance when
removing blocks. Always remove blocks
from wheels while standing to one side.
Do not remove blocks while standing
behind the caravan/trailer; risk of injury
and damage to both the vehicle and
caravan/trailer.

Self-help, vehicle care173
zNever expose the battery to naked
flames or sparks.
z A discharged battery can freeze at
temperatures of 0
°C. Defrost the battery
in a warm room before connecting the
jump leads.
z Do not allow battery fluid to contact
eyes, skin, fabrics or painted surfaces.
The fluid contains sulphuric acid which
can cause injuries and damage in the
event of direct contact.
z Wear eye protection and protective
clothing when handling a battery. z
Use auxiliary battery with same voltage
(12 volts). Its capacity (Ah) must not be
considerably less than that of the
discharged battery. Voltage and
capacity information can be found on
the batteries.
z Use jump leads with insulated terminals
and a width of at least 16 mm
2 (25 mm2
for diesel engines).
z Do not disconnect the discharged
battery from the vehicle.
z Switch off all unnecessary electrical
consumers. Infotainment system may be
damaged if switched on while jump
starting.
z Do not lean over the battery during jump
starting procedure.
z Do not allow the terminals of one lead to
touch those of the other lead.
z The vehicles should not touch while jump
starting.
z Apply hand brake.
z Manual transmissi on in neutral,
automatic transmission 3 in P. Connect the leads in th
e order shown in the
illustration:
1. Connect one end of the first jump lead to the positive terminal 1 of the battery
providing the jump start (identified by
“+” sign on battery case or terminal).
2. Connect the other end of the first jump lead to the positive terminal 2 of the
discharged battery (“+” sign).
3. Connect one end of the second jump lead to the negative terminal 3 of the
battery providing the jump start
(identified by "-" sign on battery case or
terminal).
4. Connect the other end of the second jump lead 4 to ground on the vehicle with
the discharged battery, e.g. on the
engine block.