2014 OPEL ASTRA J battery

Instruments and controls131
Vehicle messages on the
Colour-Info-Display Some important messages appear
additionally in the
Colour-Info-Display. Press the
multifunction knob to confirm a
message. Some messages only pop
up for a few seconds.
Warning chimes
When starting the engine or
whilst driving
Only one warning chime will sound at a time.
The warning chime regarding
unfastened seat belts has priority
over any other warning chime.
■ If seat belt is not fastened.
■ If a door or the tailgate is not fully closed when starting off.
■ If a certain speed is exceeded with parking brake applied.
■ If a programmed speed is exceeded.■ If a warning message or a warningcode appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
■ If the parking assist detects an object.
■ If unintended lane change occurs.
■ If the reverse gear is engaged and the rear end carrier extended.
■ If the diesel particle filter has reached the maximum filling level.
When the vehicle is parked and/ or the driver's door is opened ■ When the key is in the ignition switch.
■ With exterior lights on.
During an Autostop ■ If the driver's door is opened.
Battery voltage
When the vehicle battery voltage is
running low, a warning message or
warning code 174 will appear in the
Driver Information Centre.1. Switch off immediately any electric consumers which are not
required for a safe ride, e.g. seat
heating, heated rear window or
other main consumers.
2. Charge the vehicle battery by driving continuously for a while or
by using a charging device.
The warning message or warning
code will disappear after the engine
has been started twice consecutively
without a voltage drop.
If the vehicle battery cannot be
recharged, have the cause of the fault
remedied by a workshop.

Lighting153
The lighting switches off immediately
when the ignition key is turned to
position 1 3 165.
Activation or deactivation of this
function can be changed in the menu Settings in the Info-Display. Vehicle
personalisation 3 134.
The settings can be saved for the key being used 3 25.
The following lights will additionally
switch on when the driver's door is
opened:
■ all switches
■ Driver Information Centre
■ door pocket lights
■ console lights
Exit lighting
The following lights switch on if the
key is removed from the ignition
switch:
■ Interior lights
■ Instrument panel light (only when it
is dark)■ Door and console lights
■ Puddle lights
They will switch off automatically after
a delay and will be activated again if
the driver's door is opened.
Headlights, tail lights, reversing lights
and number plate lights illuminate the
surrounding area for an adjustable
time after leaving the vehicle.
Switching on
1. Switch off ignition.
2. Remove ignition key.
3. Open driver's door.
4. Pull turn signal lever.
5. Close driver's door.
If the driver's door is not closed the
lights switch off after two minutes.
Exit lighting is switched off
immediately if the turn signal lever is pulled while the driver's door is open.
Activation, deactivation and duration
of this function can be changed in the menu Settings in the Info-Display.
Vehicle personalisation 3 134.
The settings can be saved for the key being used 3 25.
Battery discharge
protection
Vehicle battery state of charge
function
The function guarantees longest
vehicle battery life via a generator with controllable power output and
optimised power distribution.

154Lighting
To prevent discharge of the vehicle
battery when driving, the following
systems are reduced automatically in two stages and finally switched off:
■ Auxiliary heater
■ Heated rear window and mirrors
■ Heated seats
■ Fan
In the second stage a message which
confirms the activation of the vehicle
battery discharge protection will be
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre.
Switching off electric lights To prevent discharge of the vehicle
battery when the ignition is switched
off, some interior lights are switched
off automatically after some time.

164Driving and operatingDriving and operatingDriving hints............................... 164
Starting and operating ...............165
Engine exhaust .......................... 170
Automatic transmission .............. 171
Manual transmission ..................175
Brakes ........................................ 175
Ride control systems .................178
Driver assistance systems .........183
Fuel ............................................ 213
Trailer hitch ................................ 219Driving hints
Control of the vehicleNever coast with engine not
running (except during Autostop)
Many systems will not function in this
situation (e.g. brake servo unit, power steering). Driving in this manner is a
danger to yourself and others. All
systems function during an Autostop,
but there will be a controlled reduction
in power steering assist and vehicle
speed is reduced.
Stop-start system 3 167.
Idle boost
If charging of the battery is required
due to battery condition, the power output of the generator has to be
increased. This will be achieved by an
idle boost which may be audible.
On vehicles with Uplevel- or Uplevel- Combi-Display, a message appearsin the Driver Information Centre.Pedals
To ensure the pedal travel is uninhibited, there must be no mats in the area of the pedals.
Steering If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or due to a
system malfunction, the vehicle can
be steered but may require increased
effort.
Control indicator c 3 118.Caution
Vehicles equipped with hydraulic
power steering:
If the steering wheel is turned until it reaches the end of its travel, and
is held in that position for more
than 15 seconds, damage may
occur to the power steering
system and there may be loss of
power steering assist.

Driving and operating165Starting and operating
New vehicle running-in Do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys.
During the first drive, smoke may
occur 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.
During the running-in period fuel and
engine oil consumption may be
higher and the cleaning process of the diesel particle filter may take
place more often. Autostop may be inhibited to allow for charging the
battery.
Diesel particle filter 3 170.Ignition switch positions0=Ignition off1=Steering wheel lock released,
ignition off2=Ignition on, for diesel engine:
preheating3=Starting
Retained power off
The following electronic systems can
work until the driver's door is opened
or at the latest for 10 minutes after the
ignition is switched off:
■ Power windows
■ Sunroof
■ Power outlets
Power to the Infotainment system will continue to operate for 30 minutes oruntil the key is removed from the
ignition switch, regardless of whether
any door will be opened.
Starting the engine
Manual transmission: operate clutch.
Automatic transmission: operate
brake and move the selector lever to
P or N.

166Driving and operating
Do not operate the accelerator pedal.Diesel engine: turn the key to position2 for preheating until control
indicator ! extinguishes.
Turn the key briefly to position 3 and
release: an automatic procedure
operates the starter with a short delay
as long as the engine is running, see
Automatic Starter Control.
Before restarting or to switch off the
engine, turn the key back to position
0 .
During an Autostop, the engine can
be started by depressing the clutch
pedal.Starting the vehicle at low
temperatures
The start of the engine without
additional heaters is possible down to -25 °С for diesel engines and -30 °C
for petrol engines. Required is an engine oil with the correct viscosity,
the correct fuel, performed services
and a sufficiently charged battery.
With temperatures below -30 °C the
automatic transmission need a
warming phase of approx. 5 minutes.
The selector lever must be in position P .
Automatic Starter Control
This function controls the engine
starting procedure. The driver does
not have to hold the key in position 3.
Once applied, the system will go on
starting automatically until the engine
is running. Because of the checking
procedure, the engine starts running
after a short delay.Possible reasons for a non-starting
engine:
■ Clutch pedal not operated (manual transmission)
■ Brake pedal not operated or selector lever not in P or N
(automatic transmission)
■ Timeout occurred
Turbo engine warm-up
Upon start-up, engine available
torque may be limited for a short time, especially when the engine
temperature is cold. The limitation is
to allow the lubrication system to fully
protect the engine.
Overrun cut-off The fuel supply is automatically cut off
during overrun, i.e. when the vehicle
is driven with a gear engaged but accelerator is released.

Driving and operating167Stop-start system
The stop-start system helps to save
fuel and to reduce the exhaust
emissions. When conditions allow, it
switches off the engine as soon as the vehicle is at a low speed or at a
standstill, e.g. at a traffic light or in a
traffic jam. It starts the engine
automatically as soon as the clutch is
depressed. A battery sensor ensures
that an Autostop is only performed if
the vehicle battery is sufficiently
charged for a restart.
Activation The stop-start system is available assoon as the engine is started, the
vehicle starts-off and the conditions
as stated below in this section are
fulfilled.Deactivation
Deactivate the stop-start system
manually by pressing the eco button.
Deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button extinguishes.
Autostop
If the vehicle is at a low speed or at a standstill, activate an Autostop as
follows:
■ Depress the clutch pedal
■ set the lever in neutral
■ release the clutch pedal
The engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on.
An Autostop is indicated by the
needle at the AUTOSTOP position in
the tachometer.
During an Autostop, the heating and
brake performance will be
maintained.
Caution
The steering assist can be
reduced during an Autostop.

168Driving and operating
Conditions for an Autostop
The stop-start system checks if each
of the following conditions is fulfilled:
■ The stop-start system is not manually deactivated
■ the bonnet is fully closed
■ the driver's door is closed or the driver's seat belt is fastened
■ the vehicle battery is sufficiently charged and in good condition
■ the engine is warmed up
■ the engine coolant temperature is not too high
■ the engine exhaust temperature is not too high, e.g. after driving with
high engine load
■ the ambient temperature is above -5° C
■ the climate control system allows an Autostop
■ the brake vacuum is sufficient
■ the self-cleaning function of the diesel particle filter is not active
■ the vehicle was driven at least at walking speed since the last
AutostopOtherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
Climate control chapter for more
details 3 158.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 165.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts, several battery discharge protection
features are implemented as part of
the stop-start system.
Power saving measures
During an Autostop, several electric
features, e.g. auxiliary electric heater
or rear window heating are disabled
or switched into a power saving
mode. The fan speed of the climate
control system is reduced to save
power.Restart of the engine by the
driver
Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.
The engine start is indicated by the
needle at the idle speed position in
the tachometer.
If the selector lever is shifted out of
neutral before depressing the clutch
first, control indicator - illuminates
or is shown as a symbol in the Driver
Information Centre.
Control indicator - 3 116.
Restart of the engine by the
stop-start system The selector lever has to be in neutral
to enable an automatic restart.
If one of the following conditions occurs during an Autostop, the
engine will be restarted automatically by the stop-start system:
■ The stop-start system is manually deactivated
■ the bonnet is opened