2009 OPEL ANTARA load capacity

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 operation143
Control indicator for park pilotControl indicator r illuminates while
driving if there is a fault in the system.
If the acoustic signal sounds 3 times
continuously when there are no obstacles
near the front or rear bumper, there is a
fault in the system.
Have the cause of the fault remedied by a
workshop. To ensure the safety of other road users
and people in the vicinity and to avoid
damage to the vehicle, remember:
z
The park pilot should only be considered
as a supplementary function. Normal
precautions should be maintained when
reversing. Check the rear view and use
the mirrors when reversing.
z Do not push, scratch or otherwise
damage the sensors.
z Do not use high-pressure jet cleaners to
clean the sensors. Clean only with a soft
sponge and clean water.
Automatic level control 3
Automatic level control makes it possible to
keep the height of the vehicle constant
when subjected to different loads in the
rear (e.g. when passengers are occupying
the rear seats or when towing a caravan/
trailer). This significantly improves driving
conditions.
The vehicle is automatically raised at the
rear to its previous unloaded level,
increasing spring travel and ground
clearance.
Headlamp range adjustment -
see page 97.
In the event of malfunctions, do not utilise
the vehicle’s full load capacity. Have the
cause of the fault remedied by a workshop
without delay.

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.

Technical data215
Technical data
Vehicle documents,
identification plate
The technical data is determined in
accordance with European Community
standards. We reserve the right to make
modifications. Specifications in the vehicle
documents always have priority over those
given in this manual.
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is
on the vehicle identification plate,
attached to the top of the front panel
support, visible when the bonnet is open.
The vehicle identification plate may also
list, in kilograms, the Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW), the Gross Train Weight (GTW) and
the maximum front and rear axle loads
respectively. Observe these limits when
using the full load or towing capacity of
your vehicle. Information on identification plate
1):
1 Manufacturer
2 Trim level
3 Colour code
4 Type approval number
5 Vehicle Identifi cation Number
6 Permissible Gross Vehicle Weight
7 Permissible Gross Train Weight
8 Maximum permissible front axle load
9 Maximum permissible rear axle load
Vehicle documents,
identification plate........................... 215
Coolant, brake fluid, oils .................... 216
Engine data......................................... 217
Performance........................................ 218
Fuel consumption, CO
2emissions ..... 219
Weights, payload and roof load ....... 221
Tyres .................................................... 223
Electrical system ................................. 225
Capacities ........................................... 225
Dimensions .......................................... 226
Mounting dimensions of caravan/ trailer towing equipment ................. 227
1)The VIN plate on your ve hicle may differ from
the illustration shown.