2014.5 VAUXHALL MERIVA Owner's Manual

Vehicle care199
Storing a replaced wheel in the
load compartment using a strap Use the strap placed in the tool box.
Vehicle tools 3 188.
■ Position the wheel on the load compartment floor close to one
sidewall of the load compartment.
■ Place the loop end of the strap through the front lashing eye of the
according side.
■ Place the hook end of the strap through the loop and pull it until thestrap is fastened securely to the
lashing eye.
■ Insert the strap through the spokes
of the wheel as shown in the
illustration.
■ Mount the hook to the rear lashing eye.
■ Tighten the strap and secure it using the buckle.
Storing a replaced wheel in the
spare wheel well using an
extension bar Use the extension bar placed in the
tool box. Vehicle tools 3 188.
■ Turn the wing nut anticlockwise and
remove temporary spare wheel.■ Take the extension bar from the tool box and screw it on the bolt.
■ Store the damaged wheel and secure it by turning the wing nut
clockwise.
The floor cover can be placed on the
projecting wheel.
Remove the extension bar before
fitting the spare wheel in the well after
renewing or repairing the defective
wheel.

200Vehicle care9Warning
Storing a jack, a wheel or other
equipment in the load
compartment could cause injury if they are not fixed properly. During a sudden stop or a collision, looseequipment could strike someone.
Store jack and tools always in the
respective storage compartments
and secure them by fixing.
Place the damaged wheel always
in the load compartment secured
by the strap or in the spare wheel
well secured by the wing nut.
Temporary spare wheel
The use of the temporary spare wheel could affect driveability. Have thedefective tyre renewed or repaired as soon as possible.
Only mount one temporary spare
wheel. Do not drive faster than
50 mph. Take curves slowly. Do not
use for a long period of time.
If your vehicle gets a flat tyre in the
rear while towing another vehicle,
mount the temporary spare wheel in
the front and the full tyre in the rear.
Tyre chains 3 192.
Directional tyres
Fit directional tyres such that they roll in the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
The following applies to tyres fitted
opposing the rolling direction:
■ Driveability may be affected. Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired as soon as possible.
■ Drive particularly carefully on wet and snow-covered road surfaces.Jump starting
Do not start with quick charger.
A vehicle with a discharged vehicle
battery can be started using jump leads and the vehicle battery of
another vehicle.9 Warning
Be extremely careful when starting
with jump leads. Any deviation
from the following instructions can
lead to injuries or damage caused
by vehicle battery explosion or
damage to the electrical systems
of both vehicles.
9 Warning
Avoid contact of the vehicle
battery with eyes, skin, fabrics and painted surfaces. The fluid
contains sulphuric acid which can
cause injuries and damage in the
event of direct contact.

Vehicle care201
■Never expose the vehicle battery to
naked flames or sparks.
■ A discharged vehicle battery can already freeze at a temperature of
0 °C. Defrost the frozen battery
before connecting jump leads.
■ Wear eye protection and protective
clothing when handling a vehicle
battery.
■ Use a booster battery with the same voltage (12 volts). Its capacity(Ah) must not be much less than
that of the discharged battery.
■ Use jump leads with insulated terminals and a cross section of at
least 16 mm 2
(25 mm 2
for diesel
engines).
■ Do not disconnect the discharged battery from the vehicle.
■ Switch off all unnecessary electrical
consumers.
■ Do not lean over the battery during jump starting.
■ Do not allow the terminals of one lead to touch those of the other
lead.■ The vehicles must not come into contact with each other during the
jump starting process.
■ Apply the parking brake, transmission in neutral, automatictransmission in P.
■ Open the positive terminal protection caps of both batteries.
Lead connection order:
1. Connect the red lead to the positive terminal of the booster
battery.
2. Connect the other end of the red lead to the positive terminal of the
discharged battery.
3. Connect the black lead to the negative terminal of the booster
battery.
4. Connect the other end of the black
lead to a vehicle grounding point,
such as the engine block or an
engine mounting bolt. Connect as far away from the discharged
battery as possible, however at
least 60 cm.
Route the leads so that they cannot
catch on rotating parts in the engine
compartment.
To start the engine: 1. Start the engine of the vehicle providing the jump.
2. After 5 minutes, start the other engine. Start attempts should be
made for no longer than
15 seconds at an interval of
1 minute.
3. Allow both engines to idle for approx. 3 minutes with the leads
connected.

202Vehicle care
4. Switch on electrical consumers(e.g. headlights, heated rear
window) of the vehicle receiving
the jump start.
5. Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.Towing
Towing the vehicle
Disengage cap at bottom and removedownwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 188.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for towing and not for recovering the
vehicle.
Caution
Activate the child lock in both rear
doors if the rear seats are
occupied. Child locks 3 24.

Vehicle care203
Switch on ignition to release steering
wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Transmission in neutral.Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation and close the
windows.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: The vehicle must be towed facing
forwards, not faster than 50 mph nor further than 60 miles. In all other
cases and when the transmission is
defective, the front axle must be
raised off the ground.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the bottom and close
cap.
Towing another vehicle
Disengage the cap at the bottom and
remove downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 188.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or even better a
tow bar – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.

204Vehicle careCaution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the bottom and engage
cap.
Appearance care
Exterior care Locks
The locks are lubricated at the factory using a high quality lock cylinder
grease. Use de-icing agent only when absolutely necessary, as this has a
degreasing effect and impairs lock function. After using de-icing agent,
have the locks regreased by a
workshop.
Washing
The paintwork of your vehicle is
exposed to environmental influences. Wash and wax your vehicle regularly.
When using automatic vehicle
washes, select a programme that
includes waxing.
Bird droppings, dead insects, resin,
pollen and the like should be cleaned
off immediately, as they contain
aggressive constituents which can
cause paint damage.If using a vehicle wash, comply with
the vehicle wash manufacturer's
instructions. The windscreen wiper
and rear window wiper must be
switched off. Remove antenna and
external accessories such as roof
racks etc.
If you wash your vehicle by hand,
make sure that the insides of the
wheel housings are also thoroughly
rinsed out.
Clean edges and folds on opened
doors and the bonnet as well as the
areas they cover.Caution
Always use a cleaning agent with
a pH value of 4 to 9.
Do not use cleaning agents on hot surfaces.
Have the door hinges of all doors
greased by a workshop.
Do not clean the engine compartment with a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.

Vehicle care205
Thoroughly rinse and leather-off the
vehicle. Rinse leather frequently. Use
separate leathers for painted and
glass surfaces: remnants of wax on
the windows will impair vision.
Exterior lights Headlight and other light covers are
made of plastic. Do not use any
abrasive or caustic agents, do not use
an ice scraper, and do not clean them dry.
Polishing and waxing
Wax the vehicle regularly (at the
latest when water no longer beads).
Otherwise, the paintwork will dry out.
Polishing is necessary only if the paint
has become dull or if solid deposits
have become attached to it.
Paintwork polish with silicone forms a
protective film, making waxing
unnecessary.
Plastic body parts must not be treated with wax or polishing agents.Windows and windscreen wiper
blades
Use a soft lint-free cloth or chamois
leather together with window cleaner and insect remover.
When cleaning the rear window from
inside, always wipe in parallel to the
heating element to prevent damage.
For mechanical removal of ice, use a
sharp-edged ice scraper. Press the
scraper firmly against the glass so
that no dirt can get under it and
scratch the glass.
Clean smearing wiper blades with a
soft cloth and window cleaner.
Moonroof
Never clean with solvents or abrasive
agents, fuels, aggressive media (e.g.
paint cleaner, acetone-containing
solutions etc.), acidic or highly
alkaline media or abrasive pads. Do
not apply wax or polishing agents to
the middle part of the moonroof.
Wheels and tyres
Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.Clean rims with a pH-neutral wheel
cleaner.
Rims are painted and can be treated
with the same agents as the body.
Paintwork damage Rectify minor paintwork damage witha touch-up pen before rust forms.
Have more extensive damage or rust
areas repaired by a workshop.
UnderbodySome areas of the vehicle underbody
have a PVC undercoating while other
critical areas have a durable
protective wax coating.
After the underbody is washed, check
the underbody and have it waxed if
necessary.
Bitumen/rubber materials could
damage the PVC coating. Have
underbody work carried out by a
workshop.
Before and after winter, wash the
underbody and have the protective
wax coating checked.

206Vehicle care
Liquid gas system9Danger
Liquid gas is heavier than air and
can collect in sink points.
Take care when performing work
at the underbody in a pit.
For painting work and when using a
drying booth at a temperature above
60 °C, the liquid gas tank must be
removed.
Do not make any modifications to the
liquid gas system.
Towing equipment Do not clean the coupling ball bar with
a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Rear carrier system Clean the rear carrier system with a
steam-jet or high-pressure jet cleaner
at least once a year.
Operate the rear carrier system
periodically if not in regular use, in
particular during winter.
Interior care
Interior and upholstery Only clean the vehicle interior,
including the instrument panel fascia
and panelling, with a dry cloth or
interior cleaner.
Clean the leather upholstery with
clear water and a soft cloth. In case of heavy soiling, use leather care.
The instrument cluster and the
displays should only be cleaned using
a soft damp cloth. If necessary use a
weak soap solution.
Clean fabric upholstery with a
vacuum cleaner and brush. Remove
stains with an upholstery cleaner.
Clothing fabrics may not be
colourfast. This could cause visible
discolourations, especially on light- coloured upholstery. Removable
stains and discolourations should be
cleaned as soon as possible.
Clean seat belts with lukewarm water or interior cleaner.Caution
Close Velcro fasteners as open
Velcro fasteners on clothing could damage seat upholstery.
The same applies to clothing with
sharp-edged objects, like zips or
belts or studded jeans.
Plastic and rubber parts
Plastic and rubber parts can be
cleaned with the same cleaner as
used to clean the body. Use interior cleaner if necessary. Do not use any
other agent. Avoid solvents and petrol in particular. Do not use high-
pressure jet cleaners.