89
Lighting
Battery discharge protection
3
Some consumers such as the interior
lighting switch themselves off after approx.
30 minutes if the ignition is off in order to
protect the battery charge. Misted light covers The inside of the lamp bezels may mist
briefly when subjected to adverse wet and
cold winter conditions, strong rain or after
the vehicle is washed. The misting will clear
up on its own after a brief period. This can
be facilitated by switching on the lights.
Headlamps when driving abroad The asymmetrical dipped beam increases
the field of vision on the passenger side of
the lane.
This causes glare for oncoming traffic if the
vehicle is driven in countries where traffic
drives on the opposite side of the road.
To avoid glare, have headlamps adjusted
in a wor kshop o r have c overs fitted to both
headlamps.
101
Driving and operation
Starting the engine
Briefly operate foot brake when starting
the engine. The engine can now be started
in position N and with the foot brake
operated. N appears in the gear display. If
the foot brake is not operated, "N" flashes
in the gear display and the engine cannot
be started.
If no brake lights are operational, the
engine will not start.
Picture no: 12466s.tif
Operation of the manual transmission
automated using the selector lever
Always move the selector lever all the way
in the chosen direction. Observe the gear
or mode indicator in the transmission
display.
Selector lever in N
Neutral. Selector lever in o (centre position)
Moving the selector lever from N to o
(centre position) while depressing the foot
brake time switches the manual
transmission automated to automatic
mode and engages first gear (second gear
if winter programme is enabled). "A"
appears in the gear display.
When the foot brake is released the vehicle
starts to "creep". If the foot brake is not
operated, "A" starts to flash. Start off by
immediately pressing the accelerator
pedal or move selector lever back to N and
repeat procedure with foot brake
operated.
In automatic mode, the transmission shifts
into other gears automatically based on
driving conditions.
103
Driving and operation
Picture no: 12479S.tif
Winter programme T
In the event of difficulties starting off on
slippery roads, press the T b u t t o n ( " A " a n d
T appear in the transmission display). The
manual transmission automated switches
to automatic mode and the vehicle sets off
in second gear.
The Winter programme is switched off by:
zpressing the T button again,
zturning off the ignition,
zswitching to Manual mode,
zwhen clutch temperature is too high.
Picture no: 13322a.tif
Kickdown
If the accelerator pedal is pressed past the
pressure point, the transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on engine speed.
During kickdown no manual gear shifting is
possible.
When the engine speed approaches its
upper limit, the transmission shifts to a
higher gear during kickdown even in
Manual mode.
Without kickdown this automatic shift is
not effected in Manual mode. Engine braking
Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual
transmission automated does not shift into
higher gears until a fairly high engine
speed has been reached. When braking,
the transmission shifts down in good time.
Manual modeTo utilise the engine braking effect, select a
lower gear in good time when driving
downhill.
"Rocking the car"
T o r o c k a v e h i c l e t h a t i s s t u c k i n s a n d , m u d ,
snow or a rut only, alternate the selector
lever between o (centre position) and R
positions and depress the accelerator
pedal slightly. Keep the engine speed as
low as possible and avoid rapid
acceleration.
108 Driving and operationSaving Fuel, Protecting the
Environment Trend-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 available at www.opel.com.
Energy and environment-conscious
driving
zHigh noise levels and exhaust emissions
are often a result of driving without due
attention to saving energy and
protecting the environment.
zYou should therefore drive with energy in
mind: "more kilometres – 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
3186.
Check your vehicle’s fuel consumption
every time you refuel. This facilitates
early detection of any irregularities
causing increased fuel consumption. Warming up
zFull 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.
zDrive off immediately after starting.
Warm up the engine by running it at
moderate engine speeds.
Uniform speed
zHectic driving significantly increases fuel
consumption, the exhaust emissions, the
proportion of pollutant in the exhaust
gas and the noise level.
zDo 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
zThe engine also consumes fuel when
idling.
zIf 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.
109
Driving and operation
Overrun
zThe fuel supply is automatically shut off
during overrun, e.g. when the vehicle is
being driven down long gradients or
when braking 3107.
zTo enable the overrun cut-off to come
into action and save fuel, do not
accelerate or declutch during overrun.
Correct gear selection
zHigh revs increase engine wear and fuel
consumption.
zDo not race your engine. Avoid driving at
high engine speeds.
Making use of the tachometer helps to
save fuel. Drive in a low engine speed
range for each gear as much as possible
with uniform engine speeds. Drive as
often as possible in top gear, select the
next higher gear as soon as possible,
and only change down when the engine
is no longer running perfectly smoothly.
High speed
zThe higher the speed, the higher the
consumption and the noise level. At top
speed, you consume a great deal of fuel
and produce excessive noise and
exhaust emissions. zSlightly releasing the accelerator pedal
results in distinct fuel savings with no
major loss of speed.
Drive at no more than around three
quarters of maximum speed and you will
use up to 50 % less fuel, without losing a
great deal of time.
Tyre pressure
zInadequate tyre pressure, leading to
higher road resistance, costs money in
two ways: for more fuel and increased
tyre wear.
zRegular checks (every 14 days) pay off.
Electrical loads
zThe power consumption of electrical
equipment increases fuel consumption.
zSwitch off all auxiliary electrical loads
(e.g. air conditioning3, heated rear
window) when not needed.
Roof racks
zDue to air resistance, a roof load can
increase fuel consumption by approx.
1 l/100 km.
zRemove them if they are not being used. Repair and maintenance
zImproper repairs or adjustment and
maintenance work can increase fuel
consumption. Do not carry out work on
the engine yourself.
You may out of ignorance infringe
environmental laws by not disposing of
materials properly.
Appropriate parts might not be recycled.
Contact with some of the materials
involved may pose a health hazard.
zWe recommend that repair and
maintenance be entrusted to your Opel
Partner.
Extreme driving conditions
zGoing up steep slopes, cornering, driving
on poor roads and winter driving all
increase fuel consumption.
Fuel consumption increases dramatically
in urban traffic and at winter
temperatures, especially on short trips
when the engine operating temperature
is not reached.
zFollowing the instructions given above
will minimise consumption under these
conditions.
110 Driving and operationFuels, refuellingFuel consumption
Fuel consumption is determined under
specific driving conditions 3186.
Special equipment increases the weight of
the vehicle. As a result, they can increase
fuel consumption and reduce the specified
maximum speed.
There is increased friction between engine
and transmission parts during the first
1000 kilometres. This increases fuel
consumption. Fuel for petrol engines
Only use unleaded fuel that complies with
DIN EN 228.
Fuels with ethanol content greater than 5 %
may only be used if the vehicle has been
specifically developed and approved for
these fuels.
Use fuel with the recommended octane
rating (value in bold 3184). Use of fuel
with too low an octane rating can reduce
engine power and torque and slightly
increases fuel consumption. Fuel for diesel engines
Only use diesel fuel that complies with
DIN EN 590. The fuel must have low
sulphur content (max. 50 ppm).
Do not use marine diesel oils, heating oils
or entirely or partially plant-based diesel
fuels, such as rape seed oil or bio diesel,
Aquazole and similar diesel-water
emulsions. Diesel fuels must not be diluted
with fuels for petrol engines.
The flow and filterability of diesel fuel are
temperature-dependent. When
temperatures are low, refuel with diesel fuel
with guaranteed winter properties.
Fuel for natural gas operation
Use natural gas with a methane content of
approx. 78-99 %. L-gas (low) has approx.
78-87 % and H-gas (high) has approx.
87-99 %. Biogas with the same methane
content can also be used if it has been
chemically prepared and desulphurised.
Liquid gas or LPG must not be used. Caution
Use of fuel with too low an octane rating
could lead to uncontrolled combustion
and engine damage.
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.