Instruments, controls72
o
Electronic immobiliser
Illuminates in red when ignition is
switched on, then extinguishes.
If it remains illuminated after the ignition is
on, there is a fault in the immobiliser
system; the engine cannot be started -
see page 22.
9Door open
Illuminates in red when a door is open.
3Engine electronics,
transmission electronics 3
Illuminates in yellow when ignition is
switched on, then extinguishes.
If it illuminates
during driving;
there may be a fault in the engine or
transmission electronics: interrupt your
journey and consult a workshop as soon as
possible.
Further information - see page 134.
vAirbag systems 3 , belt tensioners
see pages 44, 52.
1Tailgate open
Illuminates in red when ignition is
switched on, then extinguishes.
Illuminates when tailgate is open or not
securely latched.
Tailgate - see page 26.
XDriver’s seat belt reminder
Illuminates in red when ignition is
switched on, then extinguishes.
When the engine is runn ing, if driver’s seat
belt is not engaged, it will flash for approx.
90 seconds and then illuminate until
driver’s seat belt is fastened.
If vehicle speed exceeds approx. 22 km/h
(14 mph), control indicator will flash for
approx. 90 seconds along with a warning
chime and then remains illuminated until
driver’s seat belt is fastened.
Seat belts - see page 43.
OTurn signal lamps
The relevant control indicator flashes in
green when the turn signal is on.
Rapid flash; failure of a turn signal bulb or
the corresponding fuse or failure of a trailer
turn signal bulb 3. Both control indicators
flash when the hazard warning lamps are
active.
Further information - see pages 14, 95.
Bulb replacement - see page 185.
Fuses - see page 181.
YLow fuel level
Illuminates in yellow when ignition is
switched on, then extinguishes.
If it illuminates during dr iving; fuel level low:
fill up fuel tank as soon as possible.
Never let the tank run dry.
Erratic fuel supply can cause catalytic
converter to overheat - see page 133.
Diesel engines: if the tank has been run dry,
bleed the fuel system as described on
page 171.
Refuelling - see page 132.
Fuel tank capacity - see page 225.
Instruments, controls74
aAnti-theft alarm system activation
without monitoring of passenger
compartment and vehicle tilt 3
see page 28.
IEngine oil pressure
Illuminates in red when ignition is switched
on. Extinguishes after engine is started.
Can illuminate intermit tently when idling
with hot engine; must extinguish when
engine speed is increased.
If
it illuminates during driving;
engine oil pressure may be dangerously
low, interrupting engine lubrication and
resulting in damage to the engine and/or
locking of the driving wheels:
z Move out of the flow of traffic as quickly
as possible without impeding other
vehicles,
z Depress clutch,
z Move gearshift lever to neutral
(automatic transmission to N),
z Switch off ignition. Check engine oil level before consulting
a workshop. If the oil level is low, top up
using the specified engine oil - see pages
192, 213, 217.
If the oil level is normal, have a workshop
check the vehicle’s lubricating system.
pAlternator
Illuminates in red when ignition is switched
on. Extinguishes after engine is started.
If
it illuminates during driving:
stop vehicle and switch off engine. The
battery is not being charged and the
engine cooling may be interrupted. The
brake servo unit may cease to be effective.
Interrupt your journey immediately.
Remove key and check drive belt condition
and tensioning before consulting a
workshop.
ZExhaust emissions
Illuminates in yellow when ignition is
switched on. Extinguishes after engine is
started. Can illuminate briefly when
driving; this is normal and does not
indicate a system fault.
If it illuminates when the engine is running
;
fault in emission control system.
The permitted emission limits may be
exceeded. Fuel economy and vehicle
driveability may be impaired.
The control indicator also illuminates if
there is a fault in the diesel particle filter 3.
Consult a workshop as soon as possible.
If it flashes when the engine is running
;
for a fault that can lead to destruction of
the catalytic converter, see page 134.
Consult a workshop as soon as possible.
0Winter program 3
Illuminates in yellow when Winter program
for the automatic transmission is enabled -
see page 117.
9 Warning
When the engine is off, considerably
greater force will be required for braking
and steering.
Do not remove key until vehicle has come
to a standstill, otherwise the steering
column lock could engage unexpectedly.
Driving and operation115
Driving and operationAutomatic transmission 3
The automatic transmission permits
manual gearshifting (manual mode) or
automatic gearshifting ( automatic mode)
with fully automatic clutch control.
The engine can only be started when the
selector lever is in position P or N. When
starting in P, turn key in ignition switch to
ACC or ON, depress foot brake and press
selector lever button before selecting a
gear.
Do not accelerate whilst gearshifting. If a
gear has been selected and the foot brake
is released without accelerating, the
vehicle will "creep".
Never operate the brake pedal and
accelerator simultaneously. Selecting
D puts the transmission in
automatic mode.
If the selector lever is moved to the left from
position D, manual mode is activated.
Forward gear changes only can then be
made manually by tipping the selector
lever towards + or -.
Automatic transmission
3................. 115
All Wheel Drive.................................... 121
Driving hints ........................................ 127
Save fuel, protect the environment ... 129
Fuels, refuelling ................................... 131
Catalytic converter, exhaust emissions........................................... 133
Drive control systems ......................... 136
Brake system ....................................... 145
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) u....... 148
Wheels, tyres ....................................... 149
Roof racks 3........................................ 153
Flex-Fix system 3................................ 154
Towing equipment 3 .......................... 164
Towing ................................................. 1679 Warning
Disregard of these instructions may
cause damage to the vehicle and lead to
injuries or endanger life.
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 operation133
Catalytic converter, exhaust
emissions
Catalytic converter for petrol engines
Leaded fuel will damage the catalytic
converter and parts of the electronic
system, thereby rendering them
inoperative.
On vehicles with a catalytic converter, the
fuel tank filler neck is of a narrow design so
that a dispensing pump for leaded fuel
cannot be inserted. Damage to the catalytic converter or the
vehicle may result if the following points
are not observed:
z
If the engine misfires or runs roughly
after a cold start, the engine power has
reduced significantly or other unusual
operating problems occur that indicate
a fault in the ignition system, please
contact a workshop as quickly as
possible. Drive at a slower speed and
with less engine revs for a short time,
if necessary.
z If unburned fuel enters the catalytic
converter, this may re sult in overheating
and irreparable damage to the catalytic
converter.
You should therefore avoid frequent cold
starts, unnecessarily long use of the
starter when setting off, running the tank
dry (an irregular fuel supply leads to
overheating) and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.
z If the control indicator for exhaust
emissions Z flashes, lift your foot off the
accelerator until th e control indicator
stops flashing and is steadily lit. Contact
a workshop immediately.
Control indicator Z for exhaust
emissions - see pages 74, 134. Catalytic converter for diesel engines
Damage to the catalytic converter or the
vehicle may result if the following points
are not observed:
Consult a workshop as quickly as possible
in the event of irregular engine running, a
significant loss of engine power or other
unusual malfunctions. If necessary, driving
may be continued for a
short time at a low
speed and with a low engine speed.
Driving and operation134
Controlling exhaust emission
Through design-related measures,
primarily in the fuel injection and ignition
systems (in combination with the catalytic
converter), the proportion of noxious
materials in the exhaust, such as carbon
monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (CH) and
nitrogen oxides (NO
x), is reduced to a
minimum. Control indicator for exhaust emissions
Control indicator
Z illuminates for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched on.
If it illuminates when the engine is running,
there is a fault in the emission control
system or with the diesel particle filter 3.
The permitted emission values may be
exceeded. Consult a workshop.
Flashing with the engine running indicates
a fault that may damage the catalytic
converter. The vehicle’ s electronic system
will switch to an emergency running
program so you may continue to drive
without causing damage, by slowing down
until the flashing stops and the control
indicator is steadily lit. Consult a workshop
immediately. Control indicator for engine electronicsControl indicator
3 illuminates for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched on.
If it illuminates when the engine is running,
there is a fault in the engine electronics.
The electronics switch to the emergency
running program, fuel consumption may
increase and the driveability of the vehicle
may be affected.
In some cases, the fault can be eliminated
by switching the engi ne off and back on
again. If the control indicator illuminates
again when the engine is running, have the
cause of the fault eliminated by a
workshop.
Driving and operation135
Exhaust gases
Do not run engine in enclosed spaces, e.g.
in a garage, or sit in a parked vehicle for an
extended period with the engine running.
Do not drive with tailgate open. If driving
with the tailgate open is necessary, set fan
to highest speed, close windows and
ensure air recirculation mode is off, to allow
entry of outside air.
If the underbody or rear of vehicle is
damaged or corroded, you notice a
change in the sound of the exhaust system,
or whenever you suspect exhaust gases are
penetrating the vehicle interior, consult a
workshop immediately.
When the vehicle is driven for the first time,
wax and oil on the exhaust system may
evaporate, producing smoke-like emissions
which should not be inhaled. Allow wax
and oil to evaporate while the vehicle is in
the open air. Diesel particle filter (DPF) 3
The diesel particle filter removes polluting
soot particles out of the exhaust.
The system contains a self-cleaning
function at certain intervals. The filter is
cleaned by burning the soot particles at
high temperature. This procedure runs
automatically under certain vehicle
conditions and can take up to 15 minutes,
during which time fuel consumption may
increase. The smell and the noise that
occur are normal.
The system cannot automatically clean
itself under certain vehicle conditions, such
as driving short distances.
If control indicator
I illuminates, you
should continue driving, and as soon as the
road and traffic situation permits it,
increase speed to more than 50 km/h
(30 mph) and diesel particle filter cleaning
will start.
Cleaning is quicker at faster speeds and
under load. The engine speed should not
drop below 2000 rpm. The control indicator
extinguishes as soon as cleaning is
complete.
We recommend that you do not turn the
ignition off during cleaning. Maintenance
Have all maintenance work carried out at
the intervals specified by Opel. We
recommend that you entrust this work to
your Opel Partner, who has proper
equipment and trained personnel
available. Electronic testing of systems
permits rapid diagnosis and remedy of
faults. This way, you can be certain that all
components of the vehicle’s electrical,
injection and ignition systems operate
correctly, that your ve
hicle has a low level
of pollutant emission and that the catalytic
converter system will have a long service
life.
You are thereby making an important
contribution towards keeping the air clean
and compliance with emissions legislation.
Checking and adjustment of the fuel-
injection and ignition systems is part of the
scope of a Service. For this reason, you
should have all maintenance work carried
out at the intervals specified in the chapter
"Service, Maintanance" on page 206.
9 Warning
Engine exhaust gases contain poisonous
carbon monoxide, which has no colour or
odour and can be lethal if inhaled.
If exhaust fumes penetrate the vehicle
interior, open the windows and consult a
workshop immediately.
Self-help, vehicle care172
To open completely, locate the safety
catch, found slightly left of centre on the
underside of the bonnet, push the catch
upwards and lift the bonnet gently. The
bonnet is held open automatically.
When the bonnet is opened, leaves, dirt or
snow on the bonnet can slide down and
obstruct the air intake. Remove any leaves,
dirt or snow. Air intake - see page 114.
Never drive with bonnet open.
To close bonnet, lower it gradually,
allowing it to drop from a height of approx.
30 cm.
Check that the bonnet is locked in position
before driving, by pulling at its front edge.
If it is not engaged, repeat closing
procedure.
Starting
Do not start with quick charger
This prevents damage to electronic
components.
Do not start by pushing or towing
Because your vehicle is fitted with a
catalytic converter, it must not be started
by pushing or towing - see page 133.
The vehicle can only be started using jump
leads - see following pages.
Starting the engine with jump
leads 3
A vehicle with a discha rged battery can be
started using jump leads and the battery of
another vehicle.
Start attempts should be made at intervals
of 1 minute and should not last longer than
15 seconds.
9 Warning
If the vehicle battery requires charging
whilst still in the vehicle, ensure there is
adequate ventilation in and around the
battery compartment, to prevent risk of
explosion.
9 Warning
This must be done with extreme care. Any
deviation from the following instructions
could lead to personal injury or damage
resulting from battery explosion, as well
as to damage to the electrical systems in
both vehicles.