2009 OPEL MERIVA cooling

125
Climate control
Picture no: 16503s.tif
Activating and deactivating air
conditioning compressor
Press the ECO button. ECO appears in the
air conditioning display.
Switch on to sa ve fuel. In this m ode cooling
(AC compressor) is switched off.
Inflowing air is neither cooled nor
dehumidified. This restricts the level of
comfort provided by the automatic climate
control system. This may cause the
windows to mist up, for example.
When cooling operates, condensation
forms and drips from the underside of the
vehicle.
To return to cooling operation: press
ECO button. ECO goes out.
Picture no: 16504s.tif
Air distribution
Press one or more of the following buttons.
The corresponding symbol appears in the
air conditioning display:
To return to automatic mode: Press the
appropriate buttons again, or press AUTO.
Picture no: 16505s.tif
Air flow
Set air flow using the right-hand rotary
knob. The selected fan speed is indicated
by the number of bars.
To deactivate the fan and thereby the
automatic climate control system: Turn the
right-hand rotary knob anticlockwise until
the display goes out.
Switching on: turn rota ry knob clockwise.
To return to automatic mode: Press
AUTO button.
sAir distribution towards windscreen
and front door windows.
M Air distribution towards vehicle
occupants via adjustable vents.
K Air distribution towards footwell.

126 Climate control
Picture no: 16506s.tif
Manual air recirculation mode
The air recirculation system prevents the
entry of outside air and the air in the
passenger compartment is circulated. Press button
4, % appears in the air
conditioning display.
To switch off manual air circulation: press
button 4 again.
Picture no: 16507s.tif
Air conditioning with the engine not
running
When the vehicle is stopped and the
ignition off, the residu al heat or cooling in
the system can be used for climate control
in passenger compartment, e.g. when
stopped at a level crossing.
Press AUTO with the ignition off. The
preselected temperature appears in the air
conditioning display. The temperature can
be adjusted with the left-hand rotary knob.
Residual climate control can only operate
for a limited period of time. To cancel,
press the AUTO button.
9 Warning
The exchange of fresh air is reduced in
air circulation mode. The quality of the
passenger compartment air
deteriorates which may cause the
vehicle occupants 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.

128 Climate controlRegular operationFor consistently good operation, the air
cooling system 3 must be switched on for
several minutes once per month regardless
of the weather and the time of year.
Operation not possible with the cooling
system switched on and when the outside
temperature is low.
Service For optimal cooling performance, we
recommend that the climate control
system be checked annually, starting three
years after initial vehicle registration.
z Functionality and pressure test,
z Heating functionality,
z Leakage check,
z Check of drive belts,
z Cleaning of condenser and evaporator
drainage,
z Performance check.

135
Driving and operation
Driving hintsThe first 1000 km
Drive your vehicle at various speeds. Do
not use full throttle. Never allow the engine
to labour at low revs.
Drive moderately. In all gears, only depress
the accelerator pedal around
3/4 of the way
down.
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, power steering 3).
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.
Electric power steering
3
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
226. 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 retighten 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
3
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 in
order to protect the turbocharger.

136 Driving and operationSave energy – more kilometres
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 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
3
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
Allow the engine to wa
rm up while driving.
Do not warm it up by letting it ru n at idling
speed. Do not apply full throttle until the
engine has reached operating
temperature.
After a cold start, the manual transmission
automated 3 does not switch to higher
gears until the speed increases when it is in
automatic mode. This allows the catalytic
converter to reach th e temperature quickly
which is required for optimum emission
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.

157
Driving and operation
Winter tyres 3
Notes on fitting new tyres 3 154.
Restrictions 3228.
Winter tyres improve driving safety at
temperatures below 7 C.
The design of summer tyres means they
have limited qualities for winter driving.
In accordance with country-specific
regulations, affix the speed sticker 3 in the
driver’s field of view.
If you use the spare wheel when it is fitted
with a summer tyre, the vehicle’s
driveability may be affected, especially on
slippery road surfaces. Obtain a
replacement for the faulty tyre as soon as
possible, and have the wheel balanced
and fitted to the vehicle.
Wheel covers 3
Use of wheel trims and tyres that approved
by Opel for the vehicle in question and
thereby fulfil all requirements for the wheel
and tyre combination.
If the wheel trims and tyres used are not
Opel-approved, the ty res must not have a
beaded edge. Wheel trims must not impair brake cooling.
Remove the wheel trims if fitting tyre
chains
3.
Picture no: 6459u.tif
Tyre chains 3
Restrictions and further information 3 228.
Tyre chains are only permitted on the
driven wheels (front axle). They must be
fitted to the tyres symmetrically in order to
achieve a concentric fit.
Always use fine mesh chains that add no
more than 10 mm to the tyre tread and the
inboard sides (including chain lock).
9 Warning
Use of unsuitable tyres or wheel trims
could lead to sudden loss of air and
thereby accidents.

158 Driving and operationRemove the wheel trims if using tyre chains
3174.
Tyre chains may only be used at speeds up
to 50 km/h. When travelling on roads that
are free of snow, they may only be used for
brief periods.
Tyre chains must not be used on the
temporary spare wheel. If you need to use
tyre chains after suffering a flat front tyre,
fit the temporary spare on the rear axle
and transfer one of the rear wheels to the
front axle.
Roof rack
3
For safety reasons and to avoid roof
damage we recommend using the Opel
roof rack system that is approved for your
vehicle.
Follow the usage instructions for the roof
rack.
Remove the roof rack when not in use.
Disengage covers concealing roof rack
mounts by pushing sliders in direction of
arrow (e.g. with coin) and remove. To close
roof rack mounts, insert covers at front and
engage sliders at rear.
Driving hints 3 135
Towing equipment
3
Only use towing equipment that has been
approved for your vehicle. Ask a workshop
to retrofit towing equipment. It may be
necessary to make changes that affect the
cooling system, heat shields or other
equipment.
Mounting dimensions of towing equipment
3232.
9 Warning
Damage may lead to tyre blowout.

184 Self-help, vehicle care
Picture no: 14436s.tif Picture no:
No. Circuit
42 Engine cooling, lighting
43 Left parking lamp
44 Right parking lamp
45 Fog tail lamp
46 Fog lamps
47 Towing equipment, accessory
socket
48 Diesel filter heater
49 –
50 Diesel filter heater
No. Circuit
51 Left dipped beam:
Xenon headlamp
Halogen headlamp
52 Right dipped beam:
Xenon headlamp
Halogen headlamp
53 Sun roof, electric windows, radio
54 Main beam (left)
55 Main beam (right)
56 –
Picture no: 14213s.tif
Fuse box in engine compartment
The fuse box is at the front left of the
engine compartment.
Disengage cover of fuse box from lug and
lift off.
Some circuits may be protected by several
fuses.
9 Warning
Turn off engine before opening fuse
box, risk of injury.