2009 OPEL MERIVA tow

134 Driving and operation
Picture no: 14721s.tif
Interruption of power supply
The clutch is not disengaged if there is an
interruption of the power supply when a
gear is engaged. The vehicle cannot move.
If the battery is flat, start the car using
jump leads 3166.
If the cause is not a flat battery, contact a
workshop for assistance. If the vehicle has
to be moved out of flowing traffic,
disengage clutch.
1. Apply hand brake and switch off ignition.
2. Open bonnet and engage support. 3. Clean transmission around the cap (see
Fig.) so that no dirt can get into the
opening when the cap is removed.
4. Rotate cap to slacken and remove by lifting upwards – see figure.
5. Turn the adjusting screw clockwise using a flathead screwdriver (vehicle tools 3
3 171) until clear resistance can be felt.
The clutch has now been disengaged.
6. Fit cleaned cap again. The cap must be in full contact with the housing.
Contact a workshop for assistance
immediately.
Picture no: 15270s.tif
Manual transmissionTo engage reverse, with the vehicle
stationary wait 3 seconds after declutching
and then pull up the bu tton on the selector
lever and engage the gear.
If the gear does not engage, set the lever in
neutral, release the clutch pedal and
depress again; then re peat gear selection.
Do not grind the clutch unnecessarily.
When operating, depress the clutch pedal
completely. Do not use the pedal as a foot
rest (increases clutch wear).
Caution
Do not turn beyond the resistance, since
this can damage the Easytronic.
Caution
Towing the vehicle and starting the
engine is not permitted when the clutch
has been released in this way, although
the vehicle can be moved a short
distance.

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.

142 Driving and operation
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Catalytic converter, exhaust
gassesCatalytic converter
The catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gas, such as carbon monoxide
(CO), hydrocarbons, (CH) and nitrous
oxide (NO
x). Fuel grades other than those listed on
pages 139, 220 (e. g. LRP = Lead
Replacement Petrol or leaded fuel) could
damage the catalytic converter or
electronic components.
z
In the event of misfiring, uneven engine
running, a clear reduction in engine
performance or other unusual problems,
have the cause of the fault rectified by a
workshop as soon as possible. In an
emergency, driving can be continued for
a short period, keeping vehicle speed
and engine speed low.
This does not apply when the Electronic
Stability Program (ESP®
Plus
3) kicks in
3 146.
z If unburnt fuel enters the catalytic
converter of a petrol engine, this may
result in overheating and irreparable
damage to the catalytic converter.
You should therefore avoid
unnecessarily long use of the starter
when starting off, running the tank dry
and starting the engine by pushing or
towing.
Picture no: 17875s.tif
Controlling exhaust emission
Design measures, primarily in the fuel
injection system and ignition system zones
in combination with the catalytic converter,
the amount of hazardous substances in the
exhaust emissions, such as carbon
monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (CH) and
nitrogen oxides (NO
x), are reduced to a
minimum.
Caution
Damage to the catalytic converter or the
vehicle may result if the following points
are not observed.

145
Driving and operation
Picture no: 18535s.tif
We recommend not stopping driving
during cleaning, and not switching off the
ignition. Cleaning is fa stest at high engine
revs and high loads.
Picture no: 18603s.tif
The control indicator
! goes off as soon as
the self-cleaning operation is complete. Maintenance
Have all maintenance work carried out at
the specified intervals. We recommend
that you entrust this work to your Opel
Partner, who has proper equipment and
trained personnel available. Electronic
testing systems permit rapid diagnosis and
remedy of faults. This way you can be
certain that all components of the vehicle’s
electrical, injection and ignition systems
operate correctly, that your vehicle has a
low level of pollutant emission and that the
catalytic converter system will have a long
service life.
You are thereby making an important
contribution towards keeping the air clean
and compliance with emissions legislation.
Checking and adjustment of the fuel-
injection and ignition systems is included in
the inspection. For this reason, you should
have all maintenance work carried out at
the intervals specified in your Service and
Warranty Booklet.

150 Driving and operationUltrasonic parking sensors 3
Park pilot makes reverse parking easier by
measuring the distance between the back
of the vehicle and obstacles to the rear. It is
the driver, however, who maintains full
responsibility for parking.
The system records the distance using four
sensors in the rear bumper.
To activate The park pilot system activates
automatically when the ignition is switched
on and reverse gear is engaged.
Operational readiness is indicated by a
brief tone.
If the vehicle approaches an obstacle, a
series of acoustic signals sound. The interval
between the signals be comes shorter as the
vehicle gets closer to the obstacle. When the
distance is less than 30 cm, the signal is
continuous.
Picture no: 14779s.tif
To deactivate The system deactivates automatically
when reverse gear is disengaged. Towing equipment, caravan/trailer towing
If a towing device is subsequently fitted to
the vehicle, the system must be set to the
modified vehicle length by a workshop.
When operating without a trailer, the tow
bar must be removed else the system can
be damaged.
Fitting rear load racks
3
Rear carriers, e. g. bike carriers, could
cause system malfunction.
Fault
On system faults, a permanent tone
sounds at a distance of 1 metre from the
obstacle. Have the cause of the fault
eliminated by a workshop.
In order to avoid operational problems or
erroneous information, the sensors must be
undamaged and free of soiling, snow and
ice.
9 Warning
Under certain circumstances, various
reflective surfaces on objects or clothing
as well as external noise sources may
cause the system to fail to detect
obstacles.

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.
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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.

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.

159
Driving and operation
Picture no: 14195s.tif
Towing equipment with
removable coupling ball bar
3
Stowage of coupling ball bar
The coupling ball bar is located in a bag
with the vehicle tools housed under the
spare wheel - see Fig. above.
Spare wheel 3 3172.
On vehicles with tyre repair kit 3, the
coupling ball bar is located in the left
stowage compartment beneath the floor
cover in the luggage compartment 3162,
Fig. 17923 S.
Picture no: 15271s.tif
Fitting the coupling ball bar
Fold down the socket. Remove the sealing
plug from the hole for the coupling ball bar
and stow it in the luggage compartment.
Picture no: 12416t.tif
Checking the tensioning of the coupling ball bar

z Red marking on rotary knob must point
towards white marking on coupling ball
bar.
z The gap between the rotary knob
and the coupling ball bar must be
approx. 4 mm.
z Key in the lock must be at position 1.
Caution
The coupling ball bar is to be removed
when not towing.