2009 OPEL MERIVA brake

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.

137
Driving and operation
Saving fuel, protecting the
environmentTrend-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
3224.
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 immediately after starting.
Warm up the engine by running it at
moderate engine speeds.
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.

146 Driving and operationDrive Control SystemsElectronic Stability Program (ESP®
Plus
) 3
ESP®
Plus
improves driving stability when
necessary in any driving situation
regardless of the type of road surface or
tyre grip. It also prevents the drive wheels
from spinning. As soon as the vehicle starts to swerve
(understeer/oversteer), engine output is
reduced and the wheels are braked
individually. This considerably improves
the driving stability of the vehicle on
slippery road surfaces.
ESP®
Plus
is ready for operation as soon as
the ignition is switched on and control
indicator v goes out.
When ESP®
Plus
comes into action, v
flashes. The vehicle is now in a critical situation;
ESP®
Plus
allows you to keep control of the
vehicle and reminds you to match your
speed to the road conditions.
9 Warning
Do not let this special safety feature
tempt you into taking risks when driving.
ESP®
Plus
does not negate the laws of
physics.
Adapt speed to the road conditions.

147
Driving and operation
Control indicator
v
The warning light lights up for a few
seconds when ignition is switched on. Once
it goes out, the system is ready for
operation.
Flashing during driving:
This shows the system has come into
action. The engine output may be reduced
(the sound of the engine changes) and the
vehicle may be braked automatically to a
small degree.
Picture no: 17892s.tif
Illuminates while driving:
Fault in the system. Driving can be
continued. Poor road surface conditions
may however still cause vehicle stability to
be impaired.
Have the cause of the fault eliminated.
Self-diagnosis integrated into the system
allows rapid fault identification. Illuminates after interruption of power
supply e.g. after disconnecting battery.
After a power supply interruption the
steering angle sensor must be calibrated to
make the system operational:
z
Automatic calibration driving in straight
line at constant slow (20 to 40 km/h)
speed on level, dry road.
z Manual calibration by turning steering
wheel from limit position to limit position.
If the indicator lamp does not go off after
successful calibration , observe notes in
middle column.

148 Driving and operationCruise control 3
Cruise control can store and maintain
speeds of approx. 30 to 200 km/h.
Deviation from the stored speed is possible
on uphill or downhill inclines.
For safety reasons the cruise control
cannot be activated until the foot brake
has been operated once.
The cruise control is operated with the
buttons I, R and O on the turn signal lever.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not
advisable to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in situations presenting a danger to
yourself and other road users, in heavy
traffic or on winding, slippery or greasy
roads). For manual transmission automated
3,
engage cruise control in automatic mode
only.
Picture no: 17893s.tif
Control indicator
m 3
The warning lamp lights up for a few
seconds 3 when the ignition is switched on.
The system is now ready for operation.
When driving, th e warning lamp m lights
up as soon as the sy stem is switched on.
9 Warning
When the cruise control is active,
reaction times may be increased due to
the different position of the feet.

149
Driving and operation
Picture no: 7758u.tif
To activate Tap button I: the current speed is stored
and maintained. The accelerator pedal
can be released.
Vehicle speed can be increased by
depressing the accelerator pedal. When
the accelerator pedal is released, the
previously stored speed is resumed. Accelerate

With cruise control activated, hold down
button I or briefly press it repeatedly:
speed is increased continuously or in steps
of 2 km/h.
The current speed is stored and saved after
the I button has been released.
Decelerate
With cruise control active, hold down
button R or briefly press it repeatedly:
speed is reduced continuously or in steps
of 2 km/h.
The current speed is stored and saved after
the R button has been released. To deactivate
Briefly press the
O button: cruise control is
deactivated.
Automatic deactivation:
z vehicle speed below approx. 30 km/h
z the brake pedal is depressed
z the clutch pedal is depressed 3
z move the selector lever on the manual
transmission automated 3 to N
Stored speed

The speed is saved until the ignition is
switched off.
To resume the saved speed, briefly press
the R button at a speed above 30 km/h.

151
Driving and operation
Picture no: 14722s.tif
Hydraulic brake system The brake system comprises two
independent brake circuits.
If a brake circuit fails, the vehicle can still be
braked using the other brake circuit.
However, the brake pedal must be
depressed a considerable way before any
braking effect occurs, and much more
force is required. The braking distance is
longer. Contact a workshop for assistance
before continuing to drive. To ensure that full
pedal travel can be
utilised, especially in case of a fault in one
of the brake circuits, there must be no mats
in the vicinity of the pedals 3136.
When the engine is not running, the
support of the brake servo unit disappears
once the brake pedal has been depressed
once or twice. Braking effect is not
reduced, but braking requires significantly
greater force. This is especially important
to bear in mind when towing.
The brake fluid level should be checked
regularly. If the brake fluid level is too low
and the hand brake is not applied, control
indicator R on the instrument panel
illuminates 385.
Picture no: 17894s.tif
Brake system control indicator R
The control indicator illuminates after the
ignition is turned on, when the hand brake
is applied or if the brake or clutch fluid level
is too low. Brake fluid 3214.
9 Warning
If the control indicator illuminates when
the hand brake is released, stop driving
immediately. Contact a workshop for
assistance.

152 Driving and operationFor vehicles with manual transmission
automated 3, the control indicator flashes
for a few seconds when the ignition is
turned off when the hand brake is not
applied. Anti-lock brake system (ABS
u)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
ABS starts to regulate brake pressure as
soon as a wheel shows a tendency to lock.
The vehicle remains steerable, even during
hard braking.
ABS control is made apparent though a
pulse in the brake pedal and the noise of
the regulation process.
For optimum braking, keep the brake
pedal fully depresse d throughout the
braking process, despite the fact that the
pedal is pulsating. Do not reduce the
pressure on the pedal.
Picture no: 17895s.tif
Control indicator u for ABS
It illuminates for a few seconds when
ignition is switched on. Once the control
indicator goes out, the system is ready for
operation.
If the control indica tor does not go out
after a few seconds, or if it illuminates while
driving, there is a fault in the ABS. The
brake system remains operational without
ABS regulation.
Adaptive brake lamp 3
During full-on braking, all three brake
lamps flash for the duration of ABS control. Self testing
When the engine is started and the vehicle
starts off, the system performs a self-check,
which may be audible.
Fault
Have cause of fault remedied by a
workshop. The system’s integrated self
diagnostics allow faults to be quickly
remedied.
9 Warning
If there is a fault in the ABS, the wheels
may be liable to lock due to braking that
is heavier than normal. The advantages
of ABS are no longer available. During
hard braking, the vehicle can no longer
be steered and may swerve.