2014 OPEL ASTRA SALOON Owners Manual

Driving and operating143
Starting off
Depress the foot brake and move the selector lever to A, + or -. The
transmission is in automatic mode
and first gear is engaged. If R is
selected, reverse gear is engaged.
The vehicle starts to move when the
brake is released.
To start off without depressing the
foot brake, accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear.
If neither the accelerator nor the
brake pedal are depressed, no gear
is engaged and A or R flashes for a
brief time in the display.
Stopping the vehicle
In A, first gear is engaged and the
clutch is released when the vehicle is stopped. In R, reverse gear remains
engaged.
Engine braking Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual
transmission automated does not
shift into higher gears until a fairlyhigh engine speed has been reached. It shifts down in good time when
braking.
Manual mode
To utilise the engine braking effect,
select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between R and A in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking
Apply the parking brake. The most recently engaged gear (see
transmission display) remains
engaged. With N, no gear is engaged.
When the ignition is switched off the
transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.Manual mode
If a higher gear is selected when the
engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, the
shift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or
too high an engine speed.
If engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.
If engine speed is too high, the
transmission only switches to a higher gear via kickdown.
When + or - is selected in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to
manual mode and shifts accordingly.
Electronic driving
programmes ■ Following a cold start, the operating
temperature programme increases engine speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.

144Driving and operating
■ The adaptive programme tailorsgearshifting to the driving
conditions, e.g. greater load or
gradients.
■ When Sport mode is engaged, shift
times are reduced and the
transmission shifts at higher engine speeds (unless cruise control is
on). Sport mode 3 148.
Winter programme T
Activate the Winter programme if you
have problems starting off on a
slippery road surface.
Activation
Press the T button. The transmission
switches to automatic mode. The
vehicle starts off in 2nd gear. Sport
mode is deactivated.
Deactivation
The Winter programme is switched off by:
■ pressing the T button again
■ turning off the ignition,
■ switching to manual mode (when switched back to automatic mode,
the Winter programme is again
active)
■ when clutch temperature is too highKickdown
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.
Fault
To prevent damage to the manual
transmission automated, the clutch is
engaged automatically at high clutch
temperatures.

Driving and operating145
A illuminates in the event of a fault.
Continued driving is possible. Manual
mode cannot be used for shifting.
If F appears in the transmission
display, continued driving is not
possible.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Interruption of power
supply
The clutch is not disengaged if there is an interruption of the power supply
when a gear is engaged. The vehicle
cannot move.
If the battery is discharged, start the
vehicle using jump leads 3 200.
If the cause of the fault is not a
discharged battery, seek the
assistance of a workshop.
If the vehicle must be moved out of the flow of traffic, disengage the
clutch as follows (for vehicles with 5-
speed manual transmission
automated only):
1. Apply parking brake and switch off
ignition.
2. Open the bonnet 3 161.
3. Clean the transmission around the cap so that no dirt can get intothe opening when the cap is
removed.
4. Rotate cap to slacken and remove
by lifting upwards.
5. Using a flat-head screwdriver, turn the adjusting screw under the
cap clockwise until clear
resistance can be felt. The clutch
has now been disengaged.
6. Refit cleaned cap. The cap must be in full contact with the housing.
On vehicles with 6-speed manual
transmission automated, the clutch cannot be released; if the vehicle
must be moved, raise the vehicle at
the front to tow.Caution
Do not turn beyond the resistance since this could damage the
transmission.

146Driving and operatingCaution
Towing the vehicle and starting
the engine is not permitted when
the clutch has been disengaged in this way, although the vehicle can
be moved a short distance.
Seek the immediate assistance of a
workshop.
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 you depress the
brake pedal firmly. Considerably
more force is needed for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek the assistance of a workshop beforecontinuing 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 98.
Antilock brake system Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.ABS starts to regulate brake pressure as 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 98.
Adaptive brake lamp During full braking, all three brake
lamps flash for the duration of ABS
control.

Driving and operating147
Fault9Warning
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 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 98.
Brake assist
If the brake pedal is depressed quickly and forcefully, maximum
brake force is automatically applied
(full braking).
Maintain steady pressure on the brake pedal for as long as full braking
is required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when the
brake pedal is released.
Hill start assist The system helps prevent unintendedmovement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the foot brake after
stopping on an incline, the brakes
remain on for a further two seconds.
The brakes release automatically as
soon as the vehicle begins to
accelerate.Ride control systems
Electronic stability
program
Electronic stability program
(ESP® Plus
) improves driving stability
when necessary, regardless of the
type of road surface or tyre grip. It also prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the
wheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving
stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.
ESP® Plus
is operational as soon as
control indicator v extinguishes.
When ESP® Plus
comes into action v
flashes.

148Driving and operating9Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator v 3 99.
Deactivation
ESP® Plus
can be deactivated when
Sport mode is engaged for high-
performance driving:
Hold the SPORT button depressed
for about 4 seconds. Control indicator v illuminates. ESPoff also appears in
the service display.9 Warning
Do not deactivate ESP® Plus
if a
run-flat tyre has lost pressure.
ESP® Plus
is reactivated by pressing
the SPORT button. ESPon appears in
the service display. ESP® Plus
is also
reactivated the next time the ignition is switched on.
Sport mode 3 148.
Interactive driving system Interactive driving system (IDS Plus
)
combines the electronic stability
program (ESP® Plus
) with the antilock
brake system (ABS) and continuous damping control (CDC) to improve
driving dynamics and vehicle safety.
Sport mode
Suspension and steering become
more direct and provide better
contact with the road surface. The
engine reacts more quickly to
accelerator pedal movements.
Automatic gear changing is also more
responsive.
Control indicator IDS+ 3 100.
Activation
Press SPORT button.
Control indicator 1 3 98.

Driving and operating149
Winter programme activation not
possible.
Deactivation
Briefly press the SPORT button.
Sport mode is deactivated the next
time the ignition is switched on or if
the Winter programme is activated.
Continuous damping
control Continuous damping control (CDC)
changes suspension with damping
adaptation of each shock absorber to the current driving situation and road
conditions.
When Sport mode is engaged, the
damping control is adapted to a
sportier driving style.
Control indicator IDS+ 3 100.Automatic level control
The rear level of the vehicle is
automatically adjusted to the load
conditions while driving. Suspension
and ground clearance are increased,
which improves driving conditions.
The automatic level control is
activated after the vehicle has been
driven for some distance, depending
on the vehicle loading and the road conditions.
Do not use full payload in the event of
a fault. Have the cause of the fault
remedied by a workshop.Cruise control
The cruise control can store and
maintain speeds of approx.
30 to 200 km/h. Deviations from the
stored speeds may occur when
driving uphill or downhill.
For safety reasons the cruise control
cannot be activated until the foot
brake has been operated once.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not
advisable to maintain a constant
speed.

150Driving and operating
With automatic transmission or
manual transmission automated, only
activate cruise control in automatic
mode.
Control indicator m 3 102.
Activation
Briefly press the m button: the current
speed is stored and maintained.
Vehicle speed can be increased by
depressing the accelerator pedal.
When the accelerator pedal is
released, the previously stored speed is resumed.
The speed is saved until the ignition
is switched off.
To resume the saved speed, briefly
press the g button at a speed above
30 km/h.
Increase speed
With cruise control active, hold down
button m or briefly press it repeatedly:
speed is increased continuously or in small increments.
When button m is released the
current speed is stored and
maintained.Reduce speed
With cruise control active, hold down button g or briefly press it repeatedly:
speed is reduced continuously or in
small increments.
When button g is released the current
speed is stored and maintained.
Deactivation
Briefly press the § button: cruise
control is deactivated.
Automatic deactivation: ■ Vehicle speed below approx. 30 km/h
■ The brake pedal is depressed
■ The clutch pedal is depressed
■ Selector lever in N.Object detection
systems
Parking assist
The parking assist makes parking
easier by measuring the distance between the vehicle and obstacles. It
is the driver, however, who bears full
responsibility for parking.
The system consists of four ultrasonic parking sensors in each of the front
and rear bumpers.
Control indicator r 3 98.