2015 VAUXHALL ASTRA J automatic transmission

164Driving and operating
■ the engine temperature is too low
■ the charging level of the vehicle battery is below a defined level
■ the brake vacuum is not sufficient
■ the vehicle is driven at least at walking speed
■ the climate control system requests
an engine start
■ the air conditioning is manually switched on
If the bonnet is not fully closed, a warning message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
If an electric accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop during restart might be noticeable.
Parking9 Warning
■ Do not park the vehicle on an
easily ignitable surface. The
high temperature of the exhaust system could ignite the surface.
■ Always apply the parking brake.
Activate the manual parking
brake without pressing the
release button. Apply as firmly
as possible on a downhill slope
or uphill slope. Depress foot
brake at the same time to
reduce operating force.
For vehicles with electric
parking brake, pull switch m for
approx. one second.
The electric parking brake is
applied when control indicator
m illuminates 3 113.
■ Switch off the engine. ■ If the vehicle is on a level surface or uphill slope, engage
first gear or set the selector lever
to position P before removing
the ignition key. On an uphill
slope, turn the front wheels
away from the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill
slope, engage reverse gear or
set the selector lever to position P before removing the ignitionkey. Turn the front wheels
towards the kerb.
■ Close the windows and the sunroof.
■ Remove the ignition key. Turn the steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock is felt to
engage.
For vehicles with automatic
transmission, the key can only
be removed when the selector
lever is in position P.
■ Lock the vehicle.
■ Activate the anti-theft alarm system.
Notice
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.

166Driving and operating
Cleaning takes place quickest at high
engine speeds and loads.
The control indicator % extinguishes
as soon as the self-cleaning
operation is complete.
Catalytic converter
The catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gases.Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed on pages 3 209, 3 291 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.Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission permits
automatic gearshifting (automatic
mode) or manual gearshifting
(manual mode).
Transmission display
The mode or selected gear is shown
in the transmission display.

168Driving and operatingManual mode
Move selector lever out of position D
towards the left and then forwards or backwards.
<=Shift to a higher gear.]=Shift to a lower gear.
If a higher gear is selected when
vehicle speed is too low, or a lower
gear when vehicle speed is too high,
the shift is not executed. This can
cause a message in the
Driver-Info-Display.
In manual mode no automatic shifting to a higher gear takes place at high
engine revolutions.
Electronic driving
programmes ■ Following a cold start, the operating
temperature programme increasesengine speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
■ The automatic neutral shift function
automatically shifts to idling when
the vehicle is stopped with a
forward gear engaged and the
brake pedal is pressed.
■ When SPORT mode is engaged, the vehicle shifts at higher engine
speeds (unless cruise control is
on). SPORT mode 3 176.■ Special programmes automatically
adapt the shifting points when
driving up inclines or down hills.
■ When starting off in snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery
surfaces, the electronic
transmission control selects a
higher gear automatically.
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
down completely in automatic mode,
the transmission shifts to a lower gear depending on engine speed.
Fault In the event of a fault, g illuminates.
Additionally a code number or a
vehicle message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 125.
The transmission no longer shifts
automatically. Continued travel is
possible with manual shifting.

172Driving and operatingTo reduce the operating forces ofthe parking brake, depress the
foot brake at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 113.
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
9 Warning
Pull switch m for approx.
one second, the electric parking
brake operates automatically with
adequate force. For maximum
force, e.g. parking with trailer or on
inclines, pull switch m twice.
The electric parking brake is
applied when control indicator m
illuminates 3 114.
The electric parking brake can always
be activated, even if the ignition is off.
Do not operate electric parking brake
system too often without engine
running, as this will discharge the
vehicle battery.
Before leaving the vehicle, check the electric parking brake status. Control
indicator m 3 114.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep brake pedal
depressed and then push switch m.
Drive away function
Depressing clutch pedal (manual
transmission) or engaging drive gear
(automatic transmission) and then
depressing the accelerator pedal
releases the electric parking brake
automatically. This is not possible
when the switch is pulled at the same
time.
This function also helps driving away
on inclines.
Aggressive drive away may reduce
life time of wear parts.
Dynamic braking when vehicle is
moving
When the vehicle is moving and the
switch m is kept pulled, the electric
parking brake system will decelerate the vehicle, but will not apply
statically.
As soon as the switch m is released,
dynamic braking will be stopped.
Fault
Failure mode of electric parking brake
is indicated by control indicator j and
by a code number or a vehicle
message which is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 125.

176Driving and operatingInteractive driving systemFlex 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 instrumentschanges 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

178Driving and operating
NORMAL mode
In NORMAL mode, when neither
SPORT nor VXR button is pressed,
all settings of the systems are
adapted to standard values.
SPORT mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a sportier driving style.
VXR mode
The drive dynamic characteristics are adapted to high performance
settings.
In this mode, the illumination of main
instruments is switched to red.
Personalised settings in the VXR
mode
The driver can select the functions of
the VXR mode when VXR button is
pressed. These settings can be changed in the Settings menu in the
Info-Display. Vehicle personalisation
3 131.Driver assistance
systems9 Warning
Driver assistance systems are
developed to support the driver
and not to replace the driver's
attention.
The driver accepts full
responsibility when driving the
vehicle.
When using driver assistance
systems, always take care
regarding the current traffic
situation.
Cruise control
The Cruise control can store and
maintain speeds of approx. 20 to
120 mph. Deviations from the stored
speeds may occur when driving uphill or downhill.
For safety reasons the cruise controlcannot be activated until the foot
brake has been operated once.
Activating in first gear is not possible.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not advisable to maintain a constant
speed.
With automatic transmission, only
activate cruise control in automatic
mode.
Control indicator m 3 118.
Switching on Press button m, control indicator m in
instrument cluster illuminates white.

184Driving and operating
The selected following distance is
indicated by filled distance bars in the
adaptive cruise control page.
Note that the following distance
setting is shared with the sensitivity
setting of forward collision alert.
Example: If setting 3 (far) is selected,
then the driver is warned sooner
before a possible collision, also if
adaptive cruise control is inactive or
switched off.
9 Warning
The driver accepts full
responsibility for the appropriate
following distance based on traffic, weather and visibility conditions.
Following distance must be
adjusted or the system switched
off when required by the prevailing
conditions.
Detecting the vehicle ahead
The green illuminated vehicle ahead
control indicator A is displayed in the
speedometer when the system
detects a vehicle in the driving path.
If this symbol does not display, or
displays briefly, adaptive cruise
control will not respond to vehicles
ahead.
Deactivation Adaptive cruise control is deactivated
by the driver when:
■ button y is pressed,
■ brake pedal is applied,
■ clutch pedal is depressed for more than four seconds,
■ gear selector lever of automatic transmission is moved to N.
The system is also automatically
deactivated when:
■ vehicle speed slows down below 28 mph or accelerates above
120 mph,
■ Traction Control system is operating for more than
20 seconds,

Vehicle care261
matching process should also be
performed after replacing a spare tyre with a road tyre containing the TPMS
sensor.
The malfunction light and the warning
message or code should go off at the
next ignition cycle. The sensors are
matched to the tyre/wheel positions,
using a TPMS relearn tool, in the
following order: left side front tyre,
right side front tyre, right side rear tyre and left side rear tyre. The turn signal
light at the current active position is
illuminated until sensor is matched.
Consult your workshop for service or
to purchase a relearn tool. There are
two minutes to match the first tyre/
wheel position, and five minutes
overall to match all four tyre/wheel
positions. If it takes longer, the
matching process stops and must be
restarted.The TPMS sensor matching process is:
1. Apply the parking brake; on vehicles with automatic
transmission set the selector lever
to P.
2. Turn the ignition on.
3. Use the MENU button on the turn
signal lever to select the Vehicle
Information Menu in the Driver
Information Centre (DIC).
4. Turn the adjuster wheel to scroll to
the tyre pressure menu.
5. Press the SET/CLR button to
begin the sensor matching
process. A message requesting
acceptance of the process should display.
6. Press the SET/CLR button again
to confirm the selection. The horn sounds twice to signal the
receiver is in relearn mode.
7. Start with the left side front tyre.
8. Place the relearn tool against the tyre sidewall, near the valve stem.
Then press the button to activate
the TPMS sensor. A horn chirpconfirms that the sensor
identification code has been
matched to this tyre and wheel
position.
9. Proceed to the right side front tyre,
and repeat the procedure in
Step 8.
10. Proceed to the right side rear tyre,
and repeat the procedure in Step 8.
11. Proceed to the left side rear tyre, and repeat the procedure inStep 8. The horn sounds twice to
indicate the sensor identification
code has been matched to the left side rear tyre, and the TPMS
sensor matching process is no
longer active.
12. Turn off the ignition.
13. Set all four tyres to the recommended air pressure level
as indicated on the tyre pressure
label.
14. Ensure the tyre loading status is set according selected pressure
3 118.