2014 OPEL ASTRA J ABS

Instruments and controls1179Warning
Stop. Do not continue your
journey. Consult a workshop.
Illuminates after the ignition is
switched on if the manual parking
brake is applied 3 176.
Operate pedal
- illuminates or flashes yellow.
Clutch pedal must be operated to start the engine. Stop-start system
3 167.
Illuminates
Brake pedal must be operated to
release the electric parking brake
3 176.
Flashes
Clutch pedal must be operated to start the engine 3 165.
Electric parking brake
m illuminates or flashes red.
Illuminates
Electric parking brake is applied
3 176.
Flashes Electric parking brake is not fully
applied or released. Switch on
ignition, depress brake pedal and attempt to reset the system by first
releasing and then applying the
electric parking brake. If m remains
flashing, do not drive and seek the
assistance of a workshop.
Electric parking brake fault
j illuminates or flashes yellow.
Illuminates
Electric parking brake is operating
with degraded performance 3 176.
Flashes Electric parking brake is in servicemode. Stop vehicle, apply and
release the electric parking brake to
reset.9 Warning
Have the cause of the fault
remedied immediately by a
workshop.
Antilock brake system
(ABS) u illuminates yellow.
Illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is switched on. The system is
ready for operation when the control
indicator extinguishes.
If the control indicator does not go out after a few seconds, or if it illuminates while driving, there is a fault in the
ABS. The brake system remains
operational but without ABS
regulation.
Antilock brake system 3 175.
Upshift [ illuminates green as control
indicator, or is shown as a symbol in
the Driver Information Centre with
Uplevel-Display or Uplevel-Combi-

Driving and operating175Manual transmission
To engage reverse, with the vehicle
stationary wait 3 seconds after
depressing the clutch pedal and then
press the release button on the
selector lever and engage the gear.
If the gear does not engage, set the
lever to neutral, release the clutch
pedal and depress again; then repeat
gear selection.
Do not grind the clutch unnecessarily. When operating, depress the clutchpedal completely. Do not use the
pedal as a foot rest.
Caution
It is not advisable to drive with the hand resting on the selector lever.
Brakes
The brake system comprises two independent brake circuits.
If a brake circuit fails, the vehicle can
still be braked using the other brake
circuit. However, braking effect is
achieved only when the brake pedal
is depressed firmly. Considerably
more force is needed for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek the assistance of a workshop before
continuing your journey.
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. It is especially important to bear
this in mind when being towed.
Control indicator R 3 116.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

176Driving and operating
ABS starts to regulate brake pressureas soon as a wheel shows a tendency to lock. The vehicle remains
steerable, even during hard braking.
ABS control is made apparent
through a pulse in the brake pedal
and the noise of the regulation
process.
For optimum braking, keep the brake
pedal fully depressed throughout the
braking process, despite the fact that
the pedal is pulsating. Do not reduce
the pressure on the pedal.
After starting off the system performs
a self-test which may be audible.
Control indicator u 3 117.
Adaptive brake light
During full braking, all three brake
lights flash for the duration of ABS
control.Fault9 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.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Parking brake
Manual parking brake
Always apply parking brake firmly
without operating the release button,
and apply as firmly as possible on a
downhill or uphill slope.
To release the parking brake, pull the lever up slightly, press the release
button and fully lower the lever.
To reduce the operating forces of the
parking brake, depress the foot brake
at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 116.

Driving and operating181Interactive driving system
Flex Ride Flex Ride driving system allows the
driver to select between three driving
modes:
■ SPORT mode: press button SPORT , LED illuminates.
■ TOUR mode: press button TOUR,
LED illuminates.
■ NORMAL mode: both buttons SPORT and TOUR are not
pressed, no LED illuminates.
Deactivate SPORT mode and TOUR
mode by pressing corresponding
button once more.
In each driving mode Flex Ride
networks the following electronic systems:
■ Continuous Damping Control.
■ Accelerator Pedal Control.
■ Steering Control.
■ Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
■ Antilock brake system (ABS) with cornering brake control (CBC).
■ Automatic transmission.
SPORT mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a sportier driving style:
■ Damping of shock absorbers reacts
more stiffly to provide better contact
with the road surface.
■ The engine reacts more quickly to the accelerator pedal.
■ Steering support is reduced.
■ Shift points of automatic transmission occur later.
■ With SPORT mode activated, the illumination of main instruments
changes from white to red.
TOUR mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a comfort driving style:
■ Damping of shock absorbers reacts
more softly.
■ Accelerator pedal reacts with standard settings.
■ Steering support is in standard mode.
■ Shift points of automatic transmission occur in a comfort
mode.
■ Illumination of main instruments is white.
NORMAL mode
All settings of the systems are
adapted to standard values.
Drive mode control
Within each manual selected driving
mode SPORT, TOUR or NORMAL,
the Drive Mode Control (DMC)
detects and analyses continuously
the real driving characteristic,
responses by the driver, and the
active dynamic state of the vehicle. If
necessary, the control unit of DMC

182Driving and operating
automatically changes the settings
within the selected driving mode or, when recognising greater variations,
the driving mode is changed for the
length of variation.
If, for example, NORMAL mode is
selected and DMC detects a sporty
driving behaviour, DMC changes
several settings of the Normal mode
into sporty settings. The DMC
changes to SPORT mode in case of
very sporty driving behaviour.
If, for example, TOUR mode is
selected and whilst driving on a
winding road a sudden hard brake is
necessary, DMC will detect the
dynamic vehicle condition and
changes the settings for suspension
to SPORT mode to increase vehicle
stability.
When the driving characteristic or the
dynamic vehicle state returns to
former state, DMC will change the
settings to the preselected driving
mode.Personalised settings in the
Sport mode The driver can select the functions of
the SPORT mode when SPORT
button is pressed. These settings can
be changed in the menu Settings in
the Info-Display. Vehicle
personalisation 3 134.
Flex Ride - OPC Version
The OPC Version of Flex Ride system works in the same way as the
standard Flex Ride system with the
difference that the modes have a
more sporty characteristic.OPC Flex Ride driving system allows
the driver to select between three
driving modes:
■ OPC mode: press button OPC,
LED illuminates.
■ SPORT mode: press button SPORT , LED illuminates.
■ NORMAL mode: neither button SPORT nor OPC is pressed, no
LED illuminates.
Deactivate SPORT mode and OPC mode by pressing corresponding
button once more.
In each driving mode OPC Flex Ride
networks the following electronic systems:
■ Continuous Damping Control.
■ Accelerator Pedal Control.
■ Steering Control.
■ Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
■ Antilock brake system (ABS) with cornering brake control (CBC).

230Vehicle care
Laying up the vehicle for more than
4 weeks can lead to battery
discharge. Disconnect the clamp from the negative terminal of the vehicle
battery.
Ensure the ignition is switched off
before connecting or disconnecting
the vehicle battery.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
3 153.
Replacing the vehicle battery Note
Any deviation from the instructions
given in this section may lead to
temporary deactivation of the stop-
start system.
When the vehicle battery is being replaced, please ensure that there
are no open ventilation holes in the
vicinity of the positive terminal. If a
ventilation hole is open in this area, it
must be closed off with a dummy cap, and the ventilation in the vicinity of the
negative terminal must be opened.Only use vehicle batteries that allow
the fuse box to be mounted above the vehicle battery.
In vehicles with stop-start system, be
sure to have the AGM (Absorptive
Glass Mat) battery replaced with
another AGM battery.
An AGM battery can be identified by
the label on the battery. We
recommend the use of an original
Opel vehicle battery.
Note
Using an AGM vehicle battery
different from the original Opel
vehicle battery may result in a lower performance of the stop-start
system.
We recommend that you have the
vehicle battery replaced by a
workshop.
Stop-start system 3 167.
Charging the vehicle battery9 Warning
On vehicles with stop-start
system, ensure that the charging potential does not exceed
14.6 volts when using a battery
charger. Otherwise the vehicle
battery might be damaged.
Jump starting 3 276.

Vehicle care253Engine compartment fuse
box
The fuse box is in the front left of the
engine compartment.
Disengage the cover and fold it
upwards until it stops. Remove the
cover vertically upwards.
No.Circuit1Engine control module2Lambda sensor3Fuel injection, ignition system4Fuel injection, ignition system5–6Mirror heating, anti-theft alarm
system7Fan control, engine control
module, transmission control
module8Lambda sensor, engine cooling9Rear window sensor10Vehicle battery sensor11Trunk release12Adaptive forward lighting, auto‐
matic light control13ABS14Rear window wiper

254Vehicle care
No.Circuit15Engine control module16Starter17Transmission control module18Heated rear window19Front power windows20Rear power windows21Rear electrical centre22Left high beam (Halogen)23Headlamp washer system24Right low beam (Xenon)25Left low beam (Xenon)26Front fog lights27Diesel fuel heating28Start stop system29Electric parking brake30ABS31Adaptive cruise controlNo.Circuit32Airbag33Adaptive forward lighting, auto‐
matic light control34Exhaust gas recirculation35Exterior mirror, rain sensor36Climate control37Canister vent solenoid38Vacuum pump39Central control module40Windscreen washer, rear
window washer system41Right high beam (Halogen)42Radiator fan43Windscreen wiper44Windscreen wiper45Radiator fan46–No.Circuit47Horn48Radiator fan49Fuel pump50Headlamp levelling, adaptive
forward lighting51Air shutter52Auxiliary heater, diesel engine53Transmission control module,
engine control module54Vacuum pump, instrument
panel cluster, heating ventila‐
tion, air conditioning system
After having changed defective fuses,
close the fuse box cover and press
until it engages.
If the fuse box cover is not closed
correctly, malfunction may occur.