2009 OPEL CORSA Owners Manual

147
Driving and operation
Engine braking
In order to utilise the engine braking
effect when driving downhill, select drive
range 3,2 or, if necessary, 1 in good time.
Gear 1 has the greatest braking effect. If
gear 1 is selected at too great a speed
the transmission remains in 2nd until the
shifting point for 1st gear is achieved by
braking, for example.
"Rocking the car"
If it becomes necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from sand, mud, snow or a hole,
move the selector lever from D to R
repeatedly. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Picture no: 18230s.tif
Manoeuvring the vehicle
To manoeuvre the vehicle back and forth
during attempts to park or in garage
entrances, the vehicle’s creeping
movement can be utilis ed by releasing the
brake pedal.
Never actuate accelerator and brake
pedals simultaneously. Stopping the vehicle
The selector lever can be left in the chosen
gear with the engine running.
When stopping on gr
adients engage hand
brake or depress brake pedal. To prevent
overheating of the transmission, do not
increase engine revolutions to ensure
smooth idling while standing if a gear has
been selected.
Switch off engine if stopping for a lengthy
period, e.g. in traffic jams or at level
crossings.
Before leaving the car, apply the hand
brake first, then select P. Remove the
ignition key. Lock the vehicle. Otherwise
the battery may become discharged if the
vehicle is parked for long periods.
The ignition key can only be removed when
the selector lever is in position P.
Back to overview

148 Driving and operation
Picture no: 18231s.tif
Fault
If there is a fault, warning lamp A lights
up. Gear shifting is no longer automatic. It
is possible to continue driving.
Have cause of fault remedied by a
workshop.
2nd gear is not available. Manual shifting:
Picture no: 18235s.tif
Interruption of power supply
If there is an electrical power failure, the
selector lever cannot be moved out of
position P.
If the battery is flat, start the car using
jump leads 3191.
If the battery is not the cause of the fault,
release selector lever:
1. Apply hand brake.
2. Release selector lever panelling from centre console at front, roll upward and
rotate to the left.
Picture no: 18236s.tif
3. Push the yellow catch forward with a
screwdriver and move the selector lever
out of P.
4. Mount selector lever trim on centre console and refit.
Re-selecting P locks the system again.
Have cause of power supply interruption
remedied by a workshop.
1 =1st gear
2 =3rd gear
3, D =4th gear
Back to overview

149
Driving and operation
Driving hints The first 1000 km
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 about
3/4
of the available pedal travel in all gears.
Do not drive faster than three quarters of
maximum speed.
Do not brake unnecessarily hard for the
first 200 km.
During the first drive smoke may develop
because of wax and oil evaporating on the
exhaust system. Park the vehicle in the
open for a while after the first drive and
avoid inhaling the fumes.
Fuel and engine oil consumption is higher
than normal during the running-in period.
Never coast with engine not running
Many units will not function in this situation
(e.g. brake servo unit, electro-hydraulic
power steering). Driving in this manner is a
danger to yourself and others. Brake servo unit
When the engine is not running, the brake
servo unit is no longer effective once the
brake pedal has been depressed once or
twice. Braking effect is not reduced, but
significantly greater force is required for
braking.
Electro-hydraulic power assisted steering
If the power assisted steering fails when
being towed with the engine switched off,
the vehicle can still be steered, but
considerably more force is required.
Driving in mountainous terrain or with a
trailer/caravan
The cooling fan is elec
trically operated. Its
cooling power is therefore independent of
the engine speed.
Since a considerable amount of heat is
generated at high engine speeds and less
at slower speeds, do not shift down when
climbing hills whilst the vehicle is still coping
with the gradient in the higher gear. Driving with a roof load
Do not exceed the permissible roof load
3
173, 3259. For reasons of safety,
distribute the load evenly and secure it
properly with retaining straps. Adjust tyre
pressure to load conditions. Do not drive
faster than 120 km/h. Check and re-tighten
the straps frequently. Observe country-
specific regulations.
Switching off the engine
When you switch off, fans in the engine
compartment may continue running for a
time to cool the engine.
If the engine temperature is very high, e.g.
after driving in mountainous terrain: allow
the engine to idle for approximately two
minutes in order to prevent heat
accumulation.
Vehicles with turbocharged engine
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 befo re switching off
in order to protect the turbocharger.
Back to overview

150 Driving and operationSave energy – more kilometres
Please observe the running-in hints on the
previous page and the tips for saving
energy on the following pages.
Good, technically correct and economical
driving ensures maximum durability and
performance for your vehicle.
Overrun cut-off
The fuel supply is automatically cut off
during overrun, e.g. when the vehicle is
driven with a gear engaged but no throttle
application. Overrun cut-off is deactivated
if catalytic converter temperature is high.
Vehicles with turbocharged engine Flow-generated noises may be audible if
the accelerator is released quickly on
account of air flow in the turbocharger.
Engine speed
Drive in a low engine speed range for each
gear as much as possible. Warming up
After a cold start, the automatic
transmission
3 or manual transmission
automated 3 in automatic mode shifts into
higher gears at higher rpm. 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 as well as stop-and-go
traffic increases 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. Cooling fan
The cooling fan is controlled via a
thermoswitch and therefore only runs if
necessary.
The cooling fan automatically switches on
when the diesel particle filter is being
cleaned
3 depending on the engine.
Pedals
Do not place any objects in the foot well
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.
Battery care
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, heated
front seats, etc.).
Declutch when starting in order to relieve
the strain on the starter and the battery.
Back to overview

151
Driving and operation
Saving fuel, protecting
the environment Trend-setting technology
Environmentally friendly and mainly
recyclable materials were used when your
vehicle was being developed and
manufactured. The production methods
used to make your vehicle are also
environmentally-compatible.
Recycling of production wastes keeps the
circulation of material closed. Reduction of
energy and water requirements also helps
to conserve natural resources.
A highly advanced design means that your
vehicle can be easily disassembled at the
end of its working life, and the individual
materials separated for subsequent re-use.
Materials such as asbestos and cadmium
are not used. The refrigerant in the air
conditioning system 3 is CFC-free.
New painting techniques employ water as
a solvent. End-of-life vehicle recovery
Information on end-of-life vehicle recovery
centres and the recycling of end-of-life
vehicles is availabl
e at www.opel.com.
Energy and environment-conscious
driving
z High noise levels and exhaust emissions
are often a result of driving without due
attention to saving energy and
protecting the environment.
z You should therefore drive with energy in
mind: "more miles – less fuel".
Reduce the noise level and exhaust
emissions by adopting an environment-
conscious driving style. This is extremely
worthwhile and improves the quality of
life.
Fuel consumption depends to a great
extent on your own personal driving
style. The following hints are intended to
help you consume fuel at a rate that is as
close as possible to the specified levels
3256.
Check your vehicle’s fuel consumption
every time you refuel. This facilitates
early detection of any irregularities
causing increased fuel consumption. Warming up
z
Full throttle and warming up at idle
speed increase wear, fuel consumption,
exhaust emission, the amount of
pollutant in the exhaust and the amount
of noise.
z Drive off as soon as possible after
starting.
Uniform speed
z Hectic driving significantly increases fuel
consumption, the exhaust emissions, the
proportion of pollutant in the exhaust
gas and the noise level.
z Do not accelerate and brake
unnecessarily. Drive at uniform speed,
watching the road.
Avoid frequent starting off and stopping
e.g. at traffic lights, in short distance
traffic and in queues of traffic by means
of clever planning. Select roads with
good traffic flow.
Idling
z The engine also consumes fuel when
idling.
z If you have to wait for more than one
minute, it is worthwhile switching off the
engine. Five minutes of idling
corresponds to approximately one
kilometre of driving.
Back to overview

152 Driving and operationOverrun
zThe fuel supply is shut off automatically
on overrun, e.g. when descending steep
hills or when braking 3150.
z To enable the overrun cut-off to come
into action and save fuel, do not
accelerate or declutch during overrun.
Correct gear selection
z High revs increase engine wear and fuel
consumption.
z Do not race your engine. Avoid driving at
high engine speeds.
Making use of the tachometer helps to
save fuel. Drive in a low engine speed
range for each gear as much as possible
with uniform engine speeds. Drive as
often as possible in top gear, select the
next higher gear as soon as possible,
and only change down when the engine
is no longer running perfectly smoothly.
High speed
z The higher the speed, the higher the
consumption and the noise level. At top
speed, you consume a great deal of fuel
and produce excessive noise and
exhaust emissions. z
Slightly releasing th e accelerator pedal
results in distinct fu el savings with no
major loss of speed.
Drive at no more than around three
quarters of maximum speed and you will
use up to 50 % less fuel, without losing a
great deal of time.
Tyre pressure
z Inadequate tyre pressure, leading to
higher road resistance, costs money in
two ways: for more fuel and increased
tyre wear.
z Regular checks (every 14 days) pay off.
Electrical loads
z The power consumption of electrical
equipment increases fuel consumption.
z Switch off all additional consumers (e.g.
air conditioning 3, heated rear window)
when not needed.
Roof racks, ski-holders
z Roof loads can increase fuel consumption
by approximately 1l/100 km due to air
resistance.
z Remove them if they are not being used. Repair and maintenance
z
Improper repairs or adjustment and
maintenance work can increase fuel
consumption. Do not carry out work on
the engine yourself.
You may out of ignorance infringe
environmental laws by not disposing of
materials properly.
Appropriate parts might not be recycled.
Contact with some of the materials
involved may pose a health hazard.
z We recommend that repair and
maintenance be entrusted to your Opel
Partner.
Extreme driving conditions
z Driving up steep slopes, cornering,
driving on poor roads and driving in ice
and snow all increase fuel consumption.
Fuel consumption increases dramatically
in urban traffic and at low temperatures,
especially on short trips when the engine
operating temperature is not reached.
z Following the instructions given above
will minimise consumption under these
conditions.
Back to overview

153
Driving and operation
Fuels, refuelling Fuel consumption
Fuel consumption is determined under
specific driving conditions – see page
3256.
Special equipment increases the weight of
the vehicle. As a result, they can increase
fuel consumption and reduce the specified
maximum speed.
For the first few thousand kilometres,
friction between the engine and
transmission components is higher. This
increases fuel consumption.
Fuel for petrol engines
Only use unleaded fuel that complies
with DIN EN 228.
Fuels with ethanol content greater than 5 %
may only be used if the vehicle has been
specifically developed and approved for
these fuels.
Use fuel with the recommended octane
rating (value in bold 3254). Use of fuel
with too low an octane rating can reduce
engine power and torque and will slightly
increase fuel consumption. Fuel for diesel engines
Only use diesel fuel that complies
with DIN EN 590. The fuel must have
low sulphur content (maximum 50 ppm).
Do not use marine diesel oils, heating oils
or entirely or partially plant-based diesel
fuels, such as rape seed oil or bio diesel,
Aquazole and similar diesel-water
emulsions. Diesel fuels must not be diluted
with fuels for petrol engines.
The flow and filterabilit
y of diesel fuel are
temperature-dependent. When
temperatures are low, refuel with diesel fuel
with guaranteed wi nter properties.
Picture no: 18309s.tif
Fuel filler cap
Only a Opel Genuine fuel filler cap provides
full functionality. Di esel-engined vehicles
have special fuel filler caps.
Refuelling
Caution
Use of fuel with too low an octane rating
could lead to uncontrolled combustion
and engine damage.
9
Warning
Before refuelling, switch off engine and
any external heater s with combustion
chambers 3 (identified by sticker on tank
flap). Switch off any mobile phones.
Follow the operating and safety instruc-
tions of the filling stat ion when refueling.
Back to overview

154 Driving and operation
Picture no: 18310s.tif
Fuel filler neck at right rear side of vehicle.
With a central locking system with remote
control 3, the tank flap is unlocked at the
same time as the doors 332.
Open tank flap.
Unlock the fuel filler cap with the ignition
key 3, unscrew, remove and attach to tank
flap.
The fuel tank has a limiting system which
prevents overfilling of the tank. Correct filling depends to a large extent on
proper operation of the fuel dispensing
pump:
1. Fully insert the pump nozzle and switch it
on.
2. After automatic switch off, the specified tank capacity is reached after continued,
measured filling. Leave the filler nozzle in
place until the stop.
To close, place fuel fill er cap in position and
turn, overcoming the resistance until the
ratchet on the cap engages audibly. Lock
the fuel filler cap with the ignition key 3.
Close fuel tank cover.
9
Warning
Fuel is flammable and explosive. No
smoking. No naked flames or sparks.
If you can smell fuel in your vehicle, have
the cause of this rectified immediately
by a workshop.
Caution
Wipe off any overflowing fuel
immediately.
Back to overview