
126 Climate controlAir conditioning system
3
As a supplement to the heating and
ventilation system, the air conditioning
system cools and dehumidifies (dries)
inflowing air.
If cooling or dehumidification is not
desired, switch off cooling in order to save
fuel.
Cooling switches off automatically at low
outside temperatures.
Picture no: 18213s.tif
Cooling n
Only operate with the engine and fan
running. Activate and deactivate with
the n button.
When cooling is active (AC compressor) the
air is cooled and dehumid ified. If cooling or
dehumidification is not desired, switch off
cooling in order to save fuel.
Cooling switches off automatically at low
outside temperatures.
When cooling operates, condensation
forms and drips from the underside of the
vehicle.
Picture no: 18214s.tif
Air recirculation system 4
The air recirculation mode of the
ventilation system is activated and
deactivated by pressing the 4 button.
If fumes or unpleasant odours penetrate
from outside: temporarily switch on air
recirculation system 4.
To increase cooling at high outside
temperatures, switch on the air
recirculation system briefly.
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132 Climate control
Picture no: 18218s.tif
Manual settings
Under certain circumstances (e.g. iced or
misted windows), the functions of the
climate control system can be modified
manually.
Climate control system settings can be
changed via the centre knob, the buttons
and the menus depicted on the display.
To call up the menu, press the centre knob.
The Climate menu appears in the display.
Picture no: 18219s.tif
Individual menu items are marked by
turning the centre knob and selected by
pressing it. Selecting certain menus by
pressing the knob will open a submenu 3.
To exit a menu, turn the centre knob left or
right to Return or Main and select.
Manual settings are saved when the
ignition is switched off.
Picture no: 18221s.tif
Activating and deactivating cooling
system
Find option Climate in the menu AC and
press to select.
Deactivate when cooling or drying is
unnecessary (greatest fuel savings): Eco
appears in the display. The inflowing air is
neither cooled nor dehumidified. This
restricts the level of comfort offered by the
electronic climate control system. This may,
for example, cause the windows to mist up.
When cooling operates, condensation
forms and drips from the underside of the
vehicle.
Climate
Air distribut.
AC
Autom. blower
Air distribut.
Climate
Air distribut. AC Air conditioning
Autom. blower on / off
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134 Climate control
Picture no: 18224s.tif
Manual air recirculation mode
The air recirculation system prevents the
entry of outside air and the air in the
passenger compartment is circulated.
Operated with the 4 button. To deactivate manual
air recirculation:
Press button 4 again. The control
indicator in the butt on will go out.
Auxiliary heater Depending on outside temperature and
engine temperature, the passenger
compartment of vehicles with Quickheat 3
electric auxiliary heating is warmed up
more quickly.
Diesel-engined vehicles have a fuel-
powered auxiliary heater 3.
9
Warning
The exchange of fresh air is reduced in
air circulation mode. The quality of the
passenger compartment air deterio-
rates which may cause the vehicle occu-
pants to feel drowsy. In operation
without cooling the air humidity
increases, so the windows may mist up.
Consequently, the air circulation system
should only be run for short periods of
time.
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136 Driving and operationDriving and operation
Manual transmission automated
3
The Easytronic transmission permits
manual (manual mode ) or automatic gear
shifting ( automatic mode ), both with
automatic clutch control.
Picture no: 18432s.tif
Transmission display
Shows the mode and current gear.
The display flashes for a few seconds if A,
M or R is activated with the engine running
and no foot brake applied.
Manual transmission automated
3... 136
Manual transmission ........................... 144
Automatic transmission 3.................. 144
Driving hints ......................................... 149
Saving fuel, protecting the environment ................................ 151
Fuels, refuelling .................................... 153
Catalytic converter, exhaust gasses .. 155
Drive Control Systems ......................... 159
Hydraulic brake system ...................... 165
Anti-lock brake system (ABS u ) ........ 166
Hand brake .......................................... 167
Brake assist 3...................................... 167
Hill Start Assist 3 (HSA) ...................... 167
Wheels, tyres ........................................ 168
Roof rack 3.......................................... 173
Flex-Fix system 3................................. 174
Towing equipment 3........................... 184
Caravan/trailer towing ........................ 187
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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.
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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.
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