2014 OPEL ASTRA J steering wheel

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.

Driving and operating169
■ the driver's seat belt is unfastenedand the driver's door is opened
■ the engine temperature is too low
■ the charging level of the vehicle battery is below a defined level
■ the brake vacuum is not sufficient
■ the vehicle is driven at least at walking speed
■ the climate control system requests
an engine start
■ the air conditioning is manually switched on
If the bonnet is not fully closed, a warning message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
If an electric accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop during restart might be noticeable.
Parking ■ Do not park the vehicle on an easily
ignitable surface. The high
temperature of the exhaust system
could ignite the surface.■ Always apply parking brake. Apply manual parking brake without
pressing release button. Apply as
firmly as possible on downhill or uphill slopes. Depress the foot
brake at the same time to reduce
operating force.
Apply electric parking brake by pulling switch m for approx.
one second.
■ Switch off the engine and ignition. Turn the steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock engages.
■ If the vehicle is on a level surface or
uphill slope, engage first gear or set the selector lever to P before
switching off the ignition. On an
uphill slope, turn the front wheels
away from the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill slope, engage reverse gear or set theselector lever to P before switching
off the ignition. Turn the front
wheels towards the kerb.
■ Lock the vehicle and activate the anti-theft alarm system.Note
In the event of an accident with
airbag deployment, the engine is
turned off automatically if the vehicle
comes to a standstill within a certain time.

196Driving and operatingThe complete attention of the
driver is always required while
driving. The driver must always be ready to take action and apply the
brakes.
System limitations
The system is designed to warn only for vehicles, but may react also to
other metallic objects.
In the following cases, forward
collision alert may not detect a vehicle
ahead or sensor performance is
limited:
■ on winding roads,
■ when weather limits visibility, e.g. fog, rain, or snow,
■ when the sensor is blocked by snow, ice, slush, mud, dirt, or
windscreen damage.
Following distance
indication The following distance indication
displays the distance to a preceding
moving vehicle. The system uses,
depending on the vehicle equipment,
either the radar behind the radiator
grille or the front camera in the
windscreen to detect the distance of
a vehicle directly ahead in your path.
It is active at speeds above 40 km/h.
When a preceding vehicle is detected
ahead, the distance is indicated in
seconds, displayed on a page in the
Driver Information Centre 3 121.
Press the MENU button on the turn
signal lever to select Vehicle
Information Menu X and turn the
adjuster wheel to choose following distance indication page.The minimum indicated distance is
0.5 s.
If there is no vehicle ahead or the vehicle ahead is out of range, two
dashes will be displayed: -.- s.
Active Emergency Braking
Active emergency braking can help to reduce the damage from crashes with vehicles and obstacles directly
ahead, when a collision can no longer be avoided either by manual braking
or by steering. Before the active
emergency braking applies, the driver
is warned by the forward collision
alert 3 193.
The feature uses various inputs (e.g.
radar sensor, brake pressure, vehicle speed) to calculate the probability ofa frontal collision.
Active emergency braking operates automatically above walking speed,
provided that Auto collision
preparation setting is not deactivated
in the vehicle personalisation menu
3 134.

Driving and operating203
The instructions show:■ a hint when driving faster than 30 km/h,
■ the demand to stop the vehicle, when a parking slot is detected,
■ the direction of driving during the parking manoeuvre,
■ the steering wheel position during parking,
■ for some of the instructions a progress bar is shown.
A successful parking manoeuvre is
indicated by the End position symbol.If the driver does not stop the vehicle
within 10 metres after a parking slot is
proposed, the system starts to search
for another suitable parking slot.
Changing the parking side
The system is configured to detect
parking slots on the passenger side. To detect parking slots on the driver
side, switch turn indicator to the driver side.
Display priorities
After activating the advanced parking
assist, a message appears on the
Driver Information Centre. Indication
of messages with higher priority like
vehicle messages 3 128 will be
displayed. After approving the
message by pressing the SET/CLR
button, parking assist messages
appear again and parking can be
continued.
Deactivation The system is deactivated by:
■ pushing button D for approx.
one second
■ parking manoeuvre successfully ended
■ driving faster than 30 km/h
■ switching off the ignition
Deactivation by the driver or by the
system during manoeuvring will be indicated by Parking Deactivated in
the Driver Information Centre.

Driving and operating223
Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach breakaway stopping cable to
eye.
Check that the coupling ball bar is correctly installed
■ Green marking on rotary knob must
point towards green marking on
coupling ball bar.
■ There must be no gap between the
rotary handle and the coupling ball
bar.
■ The coupling ball bar must be firmly
engaged in the opening.
■ The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9 Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.
Dismounting the coupling ball
bar
Open the protective flap and turn the
key to position c to unlock the
coupling ball bar.
Pull out rotary handle and turn
clockwise as far as it will go. Pull out coupling ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening. Fold away socket.
Replace cover, except 3-door
hatchback.
Trailer stability assist If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is selectively braked until the snaking
ceases. While system is working keep
steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control 3 179.

Vehicle care257
Fuse assignmentsNo.Circuit1–2Trailer outlet3Parking assist4–5–6–7Power seat8–9–10–11Trailer module, trailer socket12Trailer module13Trailer outlet14Rear seat, electrical folding15–16Inside mirror, rear view camera17Power outletNo.Circuit18–19Steering wheel heating20Sunroof21Heated front seats22–23–24–25–26–27–28–29–30–31Amplifier, subwoofer32Active damping system, lane
departure warning

Vehicle care265Tyre chains
Use tyre chains only on front wheels.
9Warning
Damage may lead to tyre blowout.
5-door hatchback, 4-door notchback,
Sports tourer
Always use fine mesh chains that add no more than 10 mm to the tyre tread
and the inboard sides (including chain
lock).Tyre chains are only permitted on
tyres of size 205/60 R 16 and
215/50 R 17.3-door hatchback
Tyre chains are permitted on tyres of
size 225/55 R 17. Always use fine
mesh chains that add no more than
10 mm to the tyre tread and the
inboard sides (including chain lock).
Tyre chains are also permitted on
tyres of size 245/45 R 18. Always use fine mesh chains that add no more
than 7 mm to the tyre tread and the
inboard sides (including chain lock).OPC Version
Tyre chains are permitted on tyres of
size 235/45 R 18. Always use fine
mesh chains that add no more than
10 mm to the tyre tread and the
inboard sides (including chain lock).General
The use of tyre chains is not permitted on the temporary spare wheel.
Tyre repair kit
Minor damage to the tyre tread can be
repaired with the tyre repair kit.
Do not remove foreign bodies from
the tyres.
Tyre damage exceeding 4 mm or that
is at tyre's sidewall cannot be repaired with the tyre repair kit.9 Warning
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h.
Do not use for a lengthy period.
Steering and handling may be
affected.
If you have a flat tyre:
Apply the parking brake and engage
first gear, reverse gear or P.
The tyre repair kit is in a compartment under the floor cover in the load
compartment or, on version with rear
carrier system, in the drawer under
the passenger seat 3 64.