
106 Driving and operationDriving 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.
Change gear frequently. Do not press the
accelerator pedal more than approx.
3/4 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 off 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 steering3).
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 electrically 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.
Diesel engines: On gradients of 10 % or
more, do not drive faster than 30 km/h in
first gear or 50 km/h in second gear. Driving with a roof load
Do not exceed the permissible roof load,
3189. For reasons of safety, distribute the
load evenly and strap it down firmly using
retaining straps so that it cannot slip.
Check the tyre pressure when the vehicle is
loaded. Do not travel 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 before switching off in order
to protect the turbocharger.

107
Driving and operation
Save 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
Allow the engine to warm up while driving.
Do not warm it up by letting it run at idling
speed. Do not apply full throttle until the
engine has reached operating
temperature.
In automatic mode, the manual
transmission automated 3 does not shift to
the higher gears after a cold start until
higher engine speeds are reached. This
allows the catalytic converter to quickly
reach the temperature that is 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.

124 Driving and operationTyre designations
Meanings:
e.g. 175/70 R 14 79 T
Speed code letters: Winter tyres 3
Instructions on fitting new tyres 3121.
Limitations 3191.
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.
Use of a spare wheel fitted with a summer
tyre may affect the vehicle’s driveability,
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 trims 3
The use of wheel trims and tyres that Opel
has approved for the vehicle and therefore
fulfill all requirements for the relevant
combination of wheels and tyres.
If the wheel trims and tyres used are not
Opel-approved, the tyres must not have a
beaded edge. Wheel trims must not impair brake cooling.
Remove the wheel trims if fitting tyre
chains3.
175= Tyre width in mm
70= Cross-section ratio (tyre height to
tyre width in %)
R= Belt type Radial
14= Rim diameter in inches
79= Load index e. g.: 79 corresponds
to 437 kg
T= Speed code letter
Q= up to 160 km/h
S= up to 180 km/h
T= up to 190 km/h
H= up to 210 km/h
V= up to 240 km/h
W= up to 270 km/h
9 Warning
Use of unsuitable tyres or wheel trims
could lead to sudden loss of air and
thereby accidents.

126 Driving and operationTowing equipment
3
Only use towing equipment that has been
approved for your vehicle. Entrust
retrofitting of towing equipment to a
workshop. It may be necessary to make
changes that affect the cooling system,
heat shields or other equipment.
Installation dimensions of towing
equipment 3197.
Towing equipment with fixed coupling
ball bar3
In the case of trailers/caravans with brake,
attach break-away stopping cable to eye
to right of coupling ball bar. Caravan/trailer towingCaravan and trailer loads
1)
The permissible caravan/trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent maximum
values which must not be exceeded. The
actual caravan/trailer load is the difference
between the actual gross weight of the
caravan/trailer and the actual coupling
socket load with the caravan/trailer
coupled.
The permissible caravan/trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In
general, they are valid for gradients up to
max. 12 %. The permitted caravan/trailer load applies
up to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea level.
Since engine power decreases as altitude
increases because of the air becoming
thinner, therefore reducing climbing ability,
the permitted towing weight also
decreases by 10 % for every 1000 metres
of additional altitude. The towing weight
does not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than 8 %,
e. g. motorways).
The permissible gross train weight must not
be exceeded. This weight is specified on
the identification plate 3182. Coupling socket load
The coupling socket load is the load
exerted by the trailer/caravan on the
coupling ball. It can be varied by changing
the weight distribution when loading the
trailer/caravan.
The maximum permissible coupling socket
load (50 kg) is specified on the towing
equipment identification plate and in the
vehicle documents. Always aim for the
maximum load, especially in the case of
heavy caravans/trailers. The coupling
socket load should never fall below 25 kg.
When measuring the coupling socket load,
make sure that the drawbar of the loaded
trailer/caravan is at the same height as it
will be when the trailer/caravan is coupled
with the towing vehicle loaded. Particularly
important for trailers/caravans with
tandem axle.
Rear axle load during towing
The permissible axle loads must not be
exceeded. 1)Observe national regulations.

150 Self-help, vehicle careNo. Circuit
38
Left tail lamp, left parking lamp
39
Right tail lamp, right parking lamp
40
Brake lamps
41
Fog lamps
42
Fog tail lamp
43
Main beam (left)
44
Main beam (right)
45
Ventilation fan
46
Engine control unit
47
Heated rear window
48
Starter
49
EPS
50
ABS
51
Petrol engine: manual transmission
automated
Diesel engine: engine control unit
Picture no: 11744s.tif Picture no:
No. Circuit
52
Radiator fan
No. Circuit
53
Cooling fan, air conditioning
system
54
Manual transmission automated

174 Opel Service, maintenanceGenuine Opel Parts and
Accessories We recommend that you use "Genuine
Opel Parts and Accessories" and
conversion parts approved expressly for
your vehicle type. These parts have
undergone special tests to establish their
reliability, safety and specific suitability for
Opel vehicles. Despite continuous market
monitoring, we cannot assess or guarantee
these attributes for other products, even if
they have been granted approval by the
relevant authorities or in some other form.
"Genuine Opel Parts and Accessories" and
conversion parts approved by Opel can be
obtained from your Opel Partner, who can
provide comprehensive advice on
permitted technical changes and ensure
correct installation.
Picture no: 17922s.tif
Performing work To avoid injury from moving parts and
cables conducting ignition voltage, only
carry out engine compartment checks
(e. g. checking brake fluid or engine oil
level) when the ignition is switched off.
Picture no: 11671s.tif
To aid identification, the caps used when
topping up engine oil, coolant and washer
fluid as well as the oil dipstick are coloured
yellow.
9 Warning
Only perform engine compartment
checks when the ignition is off.
The cooling fan may start operating
even if the ignition is off.
9 Warning
The ignition system 3 and Xenon
headlamps 3 use extremely high
voltage. Do not touch.

178 Opel Service, maintenance
Picture no: 13213s.tif
Coolant level
In a closed cooling system, there is hardly
any loss.
When the cooling system is cold, the level of
coolant should lie above the KALT/COLD
mark. Top up if the level is low. Top up with anti-freeze. If no anti-freeze is
available, fill with clean tap water or
distilled water. Have the anti-freeze
concentration checked.
Have the cause of coolant loss rectified by
a workshop.
Fit the cap on straight and tighten it.
Brakes A screeching noise indicates that the brake
lining is at its minimum thickness.
Continued driving is possible. Have the
brake lining replace as soon as possible.
Once new brake lining is fitted, do not
brake unnecessarily hard for the first
200 km.
9 Warning
Allow the engine to cool before opening
the cap. Carefully open the cap,
relieving the overpressure slowly.
Caution
Too low a coolant level can cause
engine damage.