112 Driving and operationCorrect filling depends to a large extent on
proper operation of the fuel dispensing
pump:
1. Fully insert the pump nozzle and switch it
on.
2. After the automatic cut-off, the nominal
capacity of the fuel tank can be
obtained by topping up with two doses
of fuel. Make sure the nozzle is fully
inserted.
To close, place fuel filler cap in position and
turn, overcoming the resistance until the
ratchet on the cap engages audibly. Lock
the fuel filler cap with the ignition key 3.
Close fuel tank cover. Refuelling, natural gas 3
The fuel tank filler neck for natural gas and
petrol is located on the right rear side of the
vehicle.
Picture no: 12292t.tif
Remove the cap from the natural gas filler
neck.
The tank action must be fully completed,
e.g. bleeding the filler neck.
After refuelling, refit the cap. Caution
Wipe off any overflowing fuel
immediately.
9 Warning
Care must be taken when handling
natural gas!
Before refuelling, be sure to switch off
the engine and any auxiliary heater with
combustion chamber.
Natural gas is flammable and explosive.
Therefore, avoid naked flames and
sparks when handling or in the vicinity of
natural gas. Do not smoke! This also
applies where natural gas can only be
detected by its characteristic smell.
If there is a smell of natural gas in the
vehicle, have cause established
immediately by a workshop that is
authorised to maintain natural gas
vehicles and have the problem
remedied.
9 Warning
When refuelling vehicles with natural
gas, be sure to follow the operational
and safety regulations of the filling
station.
The gas tank must only be replenished
at filling stations that refuel with
temperature compensation with a
maximum output pressure of 250 bar.
114 Driving and operationIf the natural gas tank is then not refilled,
petrol operation must be manually
selected the next time the engine is started.
This is necessary in order to prevent
damage to the catalytic converter
(overheating due to irregular fuel supply).
If the switch is pressed several times within
a brief period of time, a changeover
inhibitor is activated. The engine continues
with the current type of fuel. The inhibitor
remains active until the ignition is switched
off.
Minor power and torque losses are to
be expected during petrol operation,
therefore adjust driving style (e.g.
overtaking) and vehicle load (e.g. through
trailer load) accordingly.
Every 6 months, run the petrol tank down
to the reserve zone before refuelling. This is
necessary for petrol operation to obtain
the required system functionality and fuel
quality.Note:
Refuel and operate only w i t h f u e l o f a t l e a s t
95 octane (RON). Upon accidental
refuelling with petrol of an
octane rating (RON) less than 95, avoid
driving with fuel load (e.g. heavy
acceleration, full throttle), allow the tank to
reach the reserve zone and refuel with the
correct petrol.
In order to prevent corrosion in the tank,
please refuel the vehicle to the maximum
level at regular intervals.
Picture no: 6448u.tif
Catalytic converter, engine
exhaust Catalytic 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
3110, 184 (e. g. LRP = Lead Replacement
Petrol or leaded fuel) could damage the
catalytic converter or electronic
components.
Caution
Damage to the catalytic converter or the
vehicle may result if the following points
are not observed.
115
Driving and operation
zIn 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.
zIf 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: 18087s.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.
Picture no: 11717s.tif
Exhaust gas control indicator
Z
Illuminates when the ignition is switched on
and during the start attempt. Goes off
shortly after the engine starts running.
Illumination whilst the engine is running
indicates a fault in the emission control
system. The permissible emission limits
may be exceeded. Contact a workshop for
assistance immediately.
Illumination with the engine running
indicates a fault that can cause damage to
the catalytic converter. It is possible to
continue driving without causing damage
by slowing down until the flashing stops
and the control indicator illuminates.
Contact a workshop for assistance
immediately.
116 Driving and operation
Picture no: 11718s.tif
Control indicator
A
for engine electronics
Illuminates for a few seconds when ignition
is switched on.
If it comes on when the engine is running,
there is a fault in the engine or transmission
electronics. The electronics switch to the
emergency running programme, fuel
consumption may increase and the
driveability of the vehicle may be affected.
In some cases the fault can be remedied by
switching the engine off and starting it
again. If the control indicator continues to
illuminate whilst the engine is running,
contact a workshop for assistance in
remedying the cause of the fault. If it illuminates briefly, but does not recur, it
is of no significance.
If A illuminates, there may be water in the
diesel fuel filter 3. Have the fuel filter
checked for water residue by a workshop
3177.
I f i t f l a s h e s a f t e r t h e i g n i t i o n i s s w i t c h e d o n ,
there is a fault in the immobiliser system.
The engine cannot be started 321.
Engine exhaust Diesel particle filter 3
The diesel particle filter system filters
harmful soot particles out of the exhaust
gases. The system includes a self-cleaning
function that run automatically during
driving. The filter is cleaned by burning off
the soot particles at high temperature. This
process takes place automatically under
set driving conditions and may take up to
25 minutes. Fuel consumption may be
higher during this period. The emission of
smells and smoke during this process is
normal.
9 Warning
Engine exhaust gases contain poisonous
carbon monoxide, which is colourless
and odourless and could be fatal if
inhaled.
If exhaust gases penetrate the vehicle,
open windows and contact a workshop
for assistance.
Avoid driving with an open tailgate.
Otherwise, exhaust gases could get into
the interior.
117
Driving and operation
Picture no: 18528s.tif
Under certain driving conditions, e.g. short
distances, the system cannot clean itself
automatically.
If the filter requires cleaning and previous
driving conditions did not enable
automatic cleaning, control indicator !
flashes. Continue driving, keeping engine
speed above 2000 rpm
-1. Shift down if
necessary. Diesel particle filter cleaning is
then initiated.
Picture no: 18535s.tif
We recommend that you do not stop your
journey or switch off the ignition during
cleaning. Cleaning takes place most
quickly at high engine speeds and high
loads.
Picture no: 18536s.tif
The control indicator
! goes off as soon as
the self-cleaning operation is complete.
118 Driving and operationMaintenance
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 part of the
scope of inspection. For this reason you
should have all maintenance work carried
out at the intervals specified in your Service
and Warranty Booklet.
Picture no: 11629s.tif
Hydraulic brake system The foot brake 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 the 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 3107.
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 lights
up 369.
120 Driving and operationSelf 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.
Picture no: 12481s.tif
Hand brake Always apply handbrake firmly without
operating the release button, and apply as
firmly as possible on a downhill or uphill
slope.
To release the hand brake pull the lever up
slightly, press the ratchet knob, and fully
lower the lever.
In order to reduce the hand brake
operational forces, depress the foot brake
at the same time.
Brake assist When the brake pedal is rapidly and
forcefully depressed, the vehicle is
automatically braked with maximum brake
force amplification in order to obtain the
shortest possible braking distance during
full-on braking (brake assist).
Maintain steady pressure on the brake
pedal for as long as full-on braking is to
continue. When the brake pedal is
released, the maximum brake force
amplification is taken away.
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.
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.