2015 OPEL ASTRA J brakes

18In briefTransmission
Manual transmission
Reverse: with the vehicle stationary,
wait 3 seconds after depressing
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.
Manual transmission 3 171.
Automatic transmissionP=parkR=reverseN=neutralD=drive
Manual mode: move selector lever
from D to the left.
<=higher gear]=lower gear
The selector lever can only be moved
out of P when the ignition is on and
the brake pedal is applied. To engage
P or R, press the release button.
Automatic transmission 3 167.
Starting off
Check before starting off ■ Tyre pressure and condition 3 259,
3 309.
■ Engine oil level and fluid levels 3 224.
■ All windows, mirrors, exterior lighting and number plates are free
from dirt, snow and ice and are
operational.
■ Proper position of mirrors, seats, and seat belts 3 31, 3 40,
3 48.
■ Brake function at low speed, particularly if the brakes are wet.

128Instruments and controls
No.Vehicle message134Park assist fault, clean bumper136Service parking assist145Check washer fluid level174Low vehicle battery258Park assist off
Vehicle messages on the
Uplevel-Combi-Display
The vehicle messages are displayed
as text. Follow the instructions given
in the messages.
The system displays messages
regarding the following topics:
■ Fluid levels
■ Anti-theft alarm system
■ Brakes
■ Drive systems
■ Ride control systems
■ Cruise control
■ Object detection systems
■ Lighting, bulb replacement
■ Wiper/washer system
■ Doors, windows
■ Radio remote control
■ Seat belts
■ Airbag systems
■ Engine and transmission
■ Tyre pressure
■ Diesel particle filter
■ Vehicle battery statusVehicle 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.

160Driving and operatingDriving and operatingDriving hints............................... 160
Starting and operating ...............161
Engine exhaust .......................... 166
Automatic transmission .............. 167
Manual transmission ..................171
Brakes ........................................ 171
Ride control systems .................174
Driver assistance systems .........179
Fuel ............................................ 210
Trailer hitch ................................ 217Driving 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 3 163.
Idle boost
If charging of the vehicle battery is
required due to battery condition, the
power output of the generator must
be increased. This will be achieved by
an idle boost which may be audible.
On vehicles with Uplevel-Combi-
Display, a message appears in 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 3 116.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 operating171Manual 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 slip the clutch unnecessarily.
When operating, depress the clutch
pedal 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 3 114.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

174Driving and operating
Apply electric parking brake: pull and
hold the switch m for more than
5 seconds. If control indicator m
illuminates, electric parking brake is
applied.
Release electric parking brake: push
and hold the switch m for more than
2 seconds. If control indicator m
extinguishes, electric parking brake is
released.
Control indicator m flashes: electric
parking brake is not fully applied or
released. When continuously
flashing, release electric parking
brake and retry applying.
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.
The hill start assist is not active during
an Autostop.Ride control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction Control system (TC) is a
component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) 3 175.
TC improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.

182Driving and operating
The limited speed will flash in the
Driver Information Centre and,
depending on the vehicle, additionally
a chime sounds during this period.
Release the accelerator pedal andthe speed limiter function is
reactivated once a speed lower than
the limit speed is obtained.
Deactivation
Press button y: speed limiter is
deactivated and the vehicle can be
driven without speed limit.
The limited speed is stored and a
corresponding message appears in
the Driver Information Centre.
Resume limit speedTurn thumb wheel to RES/+. The
stored speed limit will be obtained.
Switching off
Press button L, the speed limit
indication in the Driver Information Centre extinguishes. The stored
speed is deleted.By pressing button m to activate
cruise control or adaptive cruise
control or by switching off the ignition, speed limiter is also deactivated and
the stored speed is deleted.
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control is an
enhancement to traditional cruise
control with the additional feature of
maintaining a certain distance behind the vehicle ahead.
Adaptive cruise control automatically
decelerates the vehicle when
approaching a slower moving vehicle.
It then adjusts the vehicle speed to
follow the vehicle ahead at the
selected following distance. The
vehicle speed increases or decreases to follow the vehicle in front, but will
not exceed the set speed. It may
apply limited braking with activated
brake lights.
The adaptive cruise control can store and maintain speeds over approx.
50 km/h and brakes automatically to follow a slower vehicle driving ahead
to a minimum speed of 30 km/h.It is the responsibility of the driver to
comply with local posted speed limits.
Adaptive cruise control uses a radar
sensor to detect the vehicles ahead.
If no vehicle is detected in the driving path, the adaptive cruise control will
behave like a traditional cruise
control.
For safety reasons, the system
cannot be activated before the brake
pedal has been depressed once
since switching on ignition. Activation
in first gear is not possible.
Adaptive cruise control is mainly
advised to be used on long straight
roads, e.g. highways or country roads
with steady traffic. Do not use the
system if it is not advisable to
maintain a constant speed.
Control indicator A 3 119, m 3 119.

Driving and operating1839Warning
The complete driver attention is
always required while driving with adaptive cruise control. The driver stays fully in control of the vehicle
because the brake pedal, the
accelerator pedal and the cancel
switch have priority over any
adaptive cruise control operation.
Switching on
Press button C to switch on adaptive
cruise control. The control indicator
m illuminates white.
Activation by setting the speed
Adaptive cruise control can be
activated between 50 km/h and
180 km/h.
It is the responsibility of the driver to
comply with local posted speed limits.
Accelerate to the desired speed and
turn thumb wheel to SET/-, the
current speed is stored and
maintained. Control indicator m
illuminates green.
The adaptive cruise control symbol,
the following distance setting and set speed are indicated in the top line ofthe Driver Information Centre.
The accelerator pedal can be
released. Adaptive cruise control
remains activated while gearshifting.
Overriding set speed It is always possible to drive faster
than the selected set speed by
depressing the accelerator pedal.
When the accelerator pedal is
released, the vehicle returns to the
desired distance if a slower vehicle is
ahead. Otherwise it returns to the
stored speed.
Once the system is activated,
adaptive cruise control decelerates or
brakes if it detects a vehicle ahead,
which is slower or closer than the
desired following distance.9 Warning
Accelerating by the driver
deactivates automatic braking by
the system. This is indicated as a
pop-up warning in the Driver
Information Centre.

186Driving and operating
■ Electronic Stability Control isoperating,
■ there is no traffic and nothing detected on the road sides for
several minutes. In this case there are no radar echoes and the sensor may report that it is blocked,
■ collision imminent braking is applying the brakes,
■ radar sensor is blocked by an ice or
water film,
■ fault is detected in the radar, engine
or brake system.
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated automatically, the control
indicator m illuminates white and a
warning symbol is displayed as a pop- up in the Driver Information Centre.
The stored speed is maintained.
9 Warning
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the driver must take
over full brake and engine control.
Switching off
Press button C to switch off adaptive
cruise control. The control indicator
m extinguishes. The stored speed is
deleted.
Switching off the ignition also
switches off adaptive cruise control
and deletes the stored speed.
Driver's attention
■ Use adaptive cruise control carefully on bends or mountain
roads, as it can lose the vehicle
ahead and need time to detect it
again.
■ Do not use the system on slippery roads as it can create rapid
changes in tyre traction (wheel
spinning), so that you could lose
control.
■ Do not use adaptive cruise control during rain, snow or heavy dirt, as
the radar sensor can be covered by a water film, dust, ice or snow. This
reduces or suppresses completely
the visibility. In case of sensor
blockage, clean the sensor cover.
System limits ■ The system's automatic brake force
does not permit hard braking and
the braking level may not be
sufficient to avoid a collision.
■ After a sudden lane change, the system needs a certain time todetect the next preceding vehicle.