
OPEL Karl Owner Manual (GMK-Localizing-EU RHD-9231168) - 2016 - crc -
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140 Driving and Operating
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.Engine Exhaust
{Danger
Engine exhaust gases contain
poisonous carbon monoxide,
which is colourless and odourless
and could be fatal if inhaled.
If exhaust gases enter the interior
of the vehicle, open the windows.
Have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop.
Avoid driving with an open load
compartment, otherwise exhaust
gases could enter the vehicle.
Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gases.
Caution
Fuel grades other than those
listed on pages
0Fuel (for Petrol
Engines) 0152,
0Engine Data
0 202 could damage the catalytic
converter or electronic
components.
Unburnt petrol will overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Therefore avoid excessive use of
the starter, running the fuel tank
dry and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.
In the event of misfiring, uneven
engine running, a reduction in
engine performance or other
unusual problems, have the cause
of the fault rectified by a workshop
as soon as possible. In an
emergency, driving can be
continued for a short period,
keeping vehicle speed and engine
speed low.

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Driving and Operating 141
Manual Gearbox
To engage reverse, depress the
clutch pedal and then engage the
reverse 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
$0Brake and
Clutch System Warning Light 071.

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Vehicle Care 155
Vehicle Care
General Information
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Vehicle Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
End-of-Life Vehicle Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 162
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Headlamps and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Front Indicator Lamps . . . . . . . . 165
Taillights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Side Indicator Lamps . . . . . . . . . 167 Centre High-Mounted Brake
lamp (CHMBL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Number Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 168
Interior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Instrument Panel Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Electrical System
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Vehicle Tools
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Wheels and Tyres
Wheels and Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Winter Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Tyre Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Tyre Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Tyre Pressure MonitorSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Tread Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Wheel Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Tyre Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Tyre Repair Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Tyre Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Compact Spare Tyre . . . . . . . . . 186
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

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Vehicle Care 181
Tyre damage exceeding 4 mm or
that is at tyre's side wall near the
rim cannot be repaired with the tyre
repair kit.
{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.
For manual gearbox, engage first
gear or reverse gear.
The tyre repair kit is in the tool box
under the floor cover in the load
compartment. 1. Open the storage.
2. Remove the compressor and the sealant bottle.
3. Remove the electricalconnection cable (1) and air
hose (2) from the stowage
compartments on the
underside of the compressor.

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Vehicle Care 183
When the correct pressure is
obtained, switch off the
compressor.
If the prescribed tyre pressure
is not obtained within
10 minutes, remove the tyre
repair kit. Move the vehicle one
tyre rotation.
Reattach the tyre repair kit and
continue the filling procedure
for 10 minutes. If the
prescribed tyre pressure is still
not obtained, the tyre is too
badly damaged. Seek the
assistance of a workshop.
Drain excess tyre pressure with
the button over the pressure
indicator.
Do not run the compressor
longer than 10 minutes.
14. Detach the tyre repair kit. Push catch on bracket to remove
sealant bottle from bracket.
Screw tyre inflation hose to
free connection of sealant
bottle. This prevents sealant
from escaping.
Stow tyre repair kit in tailgate. 15. Remove any excess sealant
using a cloth.
16. Take the label indicating maximum permitted speed
(approx. 80km/h) from the
sealant bottle and affix in the
driver's field of view.
17. Continue driving immediatelyso that sealant is evenly
distributed in the tyre. After
driving approx.
10 km (but no more than
10 minutes), stop and check
tyre pressure. Screw compressor air hose directly
onto tyre valve and compressor
when doing this.
If tyre pressure is more than
1.3 bar, set it to the correct
value (approx.2.4 bar).
Repeat the procedure until
there is no more loss of
pressure.
If the tyre pressure has fallen
below 1.3 bar, the vehicle must
not be used. Seek the
assistance of a workshop.
18. Stow away tyre repair kit in tailgate.
Note
The driving characteristics of the
repaired tyre is severely affected,
therefore have this tyre replaced.
If unusual noise is heard or the
compressor becomes hot, turn
compressor off for at least
30 minutes.

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186 Vehicle Care
4. Set the jack to the necessaryheight. Position it directly below
the jacking point in a manner
that prevents it from slipping.
Attach jack handle and with the
jack correctly aligned rotate
handle until wheel is clear of
the ground.
5. Unscrew the wheel bolts.
6. Change the wheel.
7. Screw on the wheel bolts.
8. Lower vehicle.
9. that it locates securely and tighten each bolt in a crosswise
sequence. Tightening torque is
140 Nm.
10. Align the valve hole in the wheel cover of the steel wheel
with the tyre valve before
installing.
Install wheel bolt caps or
centre cap on alloy wheel.
11. Install vehicle jacking point cover. 12. Stow and secure the replaced
wheel, the vehicle tools and the
adapter for the locking wheel
bolts.
13. Check the tyre pressure of the installed tyre and the wheel
bolt torque as soon as
possible.
Have the defective tyre
renewed or repaired as soon
as possible.
Jacking position for lifting
platform
Rear arm position of the lifting
platform located centrally under the
recess of the sill.
Front arm position of the lifting
platform at the underbody.
Compact Spare Tyre
Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare
wheel.
If mounting a spare wheel, which is
different from the other wheels, this
wheel might be classified as a
temporary spare wheel and the
corresponding speed limits apply,
even though no label indicates this.

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Vehicle Care 187
Seek the assistance of a workshop
to check the applicable speed limit.
The spare wheel has a steel rim.
Caution
Use of a spare wheel that is
smaller than the other wheels or
together with winter tyres could
affect drive ability. Have the
defective tyre replaced as soon
as possible.
The spare wheel is located in the
load compartment beneath the floor
covering. It is secured in the recess
with a wing bolt.
The spare wheel well is not
designed for 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.
Temporary spare wheel
Use of the temporary spare wheel
could affect drive ability. 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 bends slowly. Do not
use for a long period of time.
Storing a replaced wheel in the
load compartment using a
strap
Use the strap placed in the tool box.
Vehicle tools
0Tools0173. 1. Remove load compartment
cover and lift up load
compartment floor. Position the
Tool box and the damaged
wheel to stand upright into the
tool box spare.
2. Pull up the release knob on top of the rear seat backrest
forward.
3. Place the loop end of the strapfrom tool box through the seat
back latch.
4. Place the hook end of the strap through the loop and pull it until
the strap is fastened securely
to the seat back latch.

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190 Vehicle Care
Towing the Vehicle
If towing service is not available in
an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed by a rope secured
to the emergency towing eye.
Disengage cap by using the
screwdriver and remove the cap.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools.
SeeTools 0173.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it
will go until it stops in a horizontal
position. (Should be contact with
tow nut.)
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 for recovering the
vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release
steering column lock and to permit
operation of brake lights, horn and
windscreen wipers.
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
fumes from the towing vehicle,
switch on the air recirculation and
close the windows.
The vehicle must be towed facing
forward, not faster than 88 km/h. 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.
After towing, unscrew the
towing eye.
Insert cap and close cap.