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Vehicle care159Vehicle careGeneral Information...................159
Vehicle checks ........................... 160
Bulb replacement .......................166
Electrical system ........................181
Vehicle tools .............................. 187
Wheels and tyres .......................188
Jump starting ............................. 200
Towing ....................................... 201
Appearance care .......................203General Information
Accessories and vehicle
modifications
We recommend using genuine parts and accessories and factory
approved parts specific for your
vehicle type. We cannot assess or guarantee reliability of other products
- even if they have a regulatory or
otherwise granted approval.
Do not make any modifications to the electrical system, e.g. changes of
electronic control units (chip tuning).Caution
When transporting the vehicle on
a train or on a recovery vehicle, the
mud flaps might be damaged.
Vehicle storage
Storage for a long period of time
The following must be done if the
vehicle should be stored for several months:
■ Wash and wax the vehicle.
■ Have the wax in the engine compartment and underbody
checked.
■ Clean and preserve rubber seals.
■ Fill up fuel tank completely.
■ Change engine oil.
■ Drain washer fluid reservoir.
■ Check coolant antifreeze.
■ Adjust tyre pressure to the value specified for full load.
■ Park vehicle in dry, well ventilated place. Engage first or reverse gear
or set selector lever to P. Prevent
the vehicle from rolling.
■ Do not apply parking brake.
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Vehicle care187
No.Circuit29Cigarette lighter, front power
outlet30Rear power outlet31–32–33Open&Start system34Sun roof, TwinTop35Rear power outlet36Socket for towing equipment37–38Central locking system, terminal
3039Left seat heating40Right seat heating41–42–No.Circuit43–44–Vehicle tools
Tools
Vehicles with tyre repair set
The tool kit and tyre repair set are in
a storage compartment below the
floor cover in the load compartment.
Vehicles with spare wheel
The jack and tool kit are in a stowage
compartment in the boot below the
spare wheel. Spare wheel 3 198
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Vehicle care199
The spare wheel well is not designedfor all permitted tyre sizes. If a wheel
wider than the spare must be stowed
in the spare wheel well after changing
wheels, the floor cover can be placed on the projecting wheel.
This must be taken into consideration
when the load compartment is being
loaded, particularly with the Astra
TwinTop 3 41.
Station wagon
Take adapter and hooks from the rails
in the load compartment walls. Raise
the rear lashing eyes and lift the floor cover to the vertical position so that it
rests on the roof lining. When closing,
guide the lashing eyes through the
slots in the floor cover. Vehicles with
cargo box: removal 3 75.
TwinTop
Accessing the spare wheel when the roof is open: Engage load
compartment cover on the rear
window frame and activate the
loading aid 3 77 . Raise the floor cover
in the load compartment.
Temporary spare wheel
Use of the temporary spare wheel
could affect driveability. Have the
defective tyre renewed or repaired as soon as possible.
Only mount one temporary spare
wheel. Do not drive faster than
80 km/h. Take curves slowly. Do not
use for a long period of time.
The use of the temporary spare wheel
on the rear axle is not permitted while
towing another vehicle. Therefore
mount the temporary spare wheel on
the front axle and a full-size tyre on
the rear axle.Tyre chains 3 193.
Directional tyres Fit directional tyres such that they rollin 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.
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Vehicle care201
3. Connect the black lead to thenegative 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.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 the cover at the bottom
and remove downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 187.
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202Vehicle care
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 recovering the vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release steering
wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Open&Start system 3 22.
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
must be towed facing forwards, not faster than 80 km/h nor further than
100 km. 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.
Manual transmission automated
3 142.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye
and refit the cover.
Towing another vehicle
Disengage cap at bottom and remove
downwards.
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Vehicle care203
For other models unclip locking tabs
downward and pull off the cover
upwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 187.
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 better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for towing and not recovering a vehicle.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye and refit the cover.
Version with cover: install by inserting the bottom lugs of the cover in the
bumper, folding and then press the
lugs at the top into place.
Appearance care
Exterior care
Locks The locks are lubricated at the factoryusing 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 a 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 car 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.
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Vehicle care205
Wheels and tyresDo 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 damageRectify minor paintwork damage witha touch-up pen before rust forms.
Have more extensive damage or rust
areas repaired by a workshop.
Underbody Some 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.
Engine compartment
Areas of the engine compartment that
are painted in the same colour as the vehicle must be looked after like any
other painted surface.
It is advisable to wash the engine
compartment before and after winter
and preserve it with wax. Protect the
alternator and brake fluid reservoir
with plastic sheets before washing
the engine.
When washing the engine with a
steam-jet cleaner, do not direct the
steam jet towards components of the
antilock brake system, air
conditioning system or the belt drive
and its components.
After an engine wash, have all engine
room components preserved
thoroughly by a workshop using
protective wax.
Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.TwinTop
Clean all seals with a damp soft lint- free cloth. Allow to dry completely. Treat all seals, e.g. on the roof and
windscreen frame, with the special
maintenance kit (available from your
Opel Service Partner) from time to
time. Good contact between the fine
rubber lips and the sealing surfaces
prevents leaks and reduces clamping
forces.
Intermediate roof position for cleaning
3 41.
Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.
Towing equipment
Do not clean the coupling ball bar with
a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Interior care Interior and upholsteryOnly clean the vehicle interior,
including the instrument panel fascia
and panelling, with a dry cloth or
interior cleaner.
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Technical data223
Heavy accessoriesAccessoriesSun roofTowing equipmentSplit rear seat backrestHeadlamp washer systemWeight [kg]23 (not on Saloon 4-door)
17 (Saloon 4-door)21 (not on TwinTop)
26 (TwinTop)20 (Station wagon)
9 (Saloon 3-door / 5-door)2 (Saloon 4-door / 5-door)Vehicle dimensionsSaloon 5-doorSaloon 3-doorSaloon 4-doorStation wagonVanTwinTopLength [mm]424942904587451545154476Width without exterior mirrors [mm]175317531753175317531759Width with two exterior mirrors [mm]203220322033203220322021Height (without antenna) [mm]146014351458150015001411Length of load compartment floor [mm]81981990510851825805Load compartment width [mm]944944102710881103734Height of load compartment opening [mm]614555–766775–Wheelbase [mm]261426142703270327032614Turning circle diameter [m]11.2011.2011.5011.5011.5011.20