2016.25 VAUXHALL ASTRA J engine

Driving and operating149needs between seven and
12 minutes. Autostop is not available
and fuel consumption may be higher
during this period. The emission of
smells and smoke during this process
is normal.
Under certain driving conditions, e.g.
short distances, the system cannot
clean itself automatically.
If cleaning of the filter is required and if previous driving conditions did not
enable automatic cleaning, it will be
indicated by % and a warning
message in the Driver Information
Centre.
% with a warning message
illuminates when diesel particle filter
is full. Start cleaning process as soon
as possible.
% with a warning message flashes
when diesel particle filter has reached the maximum filling level. Start
cleaning process immediately to
avoid damage to the engine.Cleaning process
To activate cleaning process,
continue driving, keep engine speed
above 2000 revolutions per minute.
Shift down if necessary. Diesel
particle filter cleaning is then started.
If cleaning is not possible for any
reasons, a warning message appears in the Driver Information Centre. Seek
the assistance of a workshop.Caution
If the cleaning process is
interrupted, there is a risk of
provoking severe engine damage.
Cleaning takes place quickest at high engine speeds and loads.
A message appears 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 3 187, 3 247 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.

Driving and operating151Without brake pedal applied, control
indicator j illuminates.
If the selector lever is not in P when
the ignition is switched off, control
indicator j flashes.
To engage P or R, press the release
button.
The engine can only be started with
the lever in position P or N. When
position N is selected, press the brake
pedal or apply the parking brake
before starting.
Do not accelerate while engaging a
gear. Never depress the accelerator
pedal and brake pedal at the same
time.
When a gear is engaged, the vehicle
slowly begins to creep when the
brake is released.
Engine braking To utilise the engine braking effect,select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill, see manual mode.Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between D and R in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking Apply the parking brake and engageP .
The ignition key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in position
P .
Manual modeMove selector lever out of position D
towards the left in position M.
Tap selector lever upwards + to shift
to a higher gear.
Tap the selector lever downwards - to
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
Information Centre.
In manual mode, no automatic
shifting to a higher gear takes place
at high engine revolutions.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside it is indicated when
gearshifting is recommended for fuel
saving reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.

152Driving and operatingElectronic drivingprogrammes
● Following a cold start, the operating temperature
programme increases engine
speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
● Special programmes automatically adapt the shifting
points when driving up inclines or
down hills.
● In snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery surfaces, the
electronic transmission control
enables the driver to select
manually first, second or third gear for starting off.
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 a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. Vehicle messages 3 104.
Electronic transmission control
enables only fourth gear. The
transmission no longer shifts
automatically.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Interruption of power supply
In the event of an interruption of
power supply, the selector lever
cannot be moved out of the P
position. The ignition key cannot be
removed from the ignition switch.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 232.
If the vehicle battery is not the cause
of the fault, release the selector lever.
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Release the selector lever trim from the centre console. Pokewith a finger into the leather
socket below the selector lever
and push the trim upwards.
Rotate trim to the left.

Driving and operating155If selector lever is moved from R to the
left, D is directly engaged.
If selector lever is moved from D to +
or -, manual mode M is selected and
the transmission shifts.
Starting off Depress the foot brake and move the
selector lever to D/M or R. If D is
selected, 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 foot brake is released.
To start-off without depressing the
foot brake, accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear as long as D or
R flashes.
If neither the accelerator nor the
brake pedal are depressed, no gear
is engaged and D or R flashes for a
brief time in the display.
Stopping the vehicle
In D, 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 fairly
high 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. Changing into
manual mode is only possible while the engine is running or during an
Autostop.
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 D in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.Parking
The most recently engaged gear (see transmission display) remains
engaged when switching off ignition.
With N, no gear is engaged.
Therefore always apply the parking
brake when switching off ignition. If
parking brake is not applied, P flashes
in the transmission display and the
key cannot be removed from the
ignition switch. P stops flashing in the
transmission display as soon as the
parking brake is slightly applied.
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. A warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 104.

156Driving and operatingIf engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.
When + or - is selected in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to
manual mode and shifts accordingly.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside is indicated when gearshifting
is recommended for fuel saving
reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving programmes
● Following a cold start, the operating temperature
programme increases engine
speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
● The adaptive programme tailors gearshifting to the driving
conditions, e.g. greater load or
gradients.Kickdown
If the accelerator pedal is presseddown completely in automatic mode, the transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed.
Fault
To prevent damage to the manual transmission automated, the clutch is
engaged automatically at high clutch
temperatures.
In the event of a fault, a warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 104.
Continued driving is restricted or not
possible, depending on the fault.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by 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 the brake pedal
is depressed firmly. Considerably
more force is needed for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek the assistance of a workshop beforecontinuing the 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 93.
Antilock brake system Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

158Driving and operatingTo reduce the operating forces ofthe parking brake, depress the
foot brake at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 93.
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
9 Warning
Pull switch m for a minimum of
one second until control indicator
m illuminates constantly and
electric parking brake is applied
3 93. The electric parking brake
operates automatically with
adequate force.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the electric parking brake status.
Control indicator m 3 93.
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.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep foot 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.
Automatic applying
If the vehicle is equipped with
automatic transmission and adaptive cruise control is active, electric
parking brake is applied automatically when vehicle is stopped by the
system for more than two minutes.
Parking brake releases automatically
after moving off.

Driving and operating159Functionality check
When the vehicle is not moving, the
electric parking brake might be
applied automatically. This is done to
check the system.
Fault
Failure mode of electric parking brake
is indicated by a control indicator j
and by a vehicle message which is
displayed in the Driver Information Centre. Vehicle messages 3 104.
Apply electric parking brake: pull and hold the switch m for more than
five seconds. If control indicator m
illuminates, electric parking brake is
applied.
Release electric parking brake: push and hold the switch m for more than
two 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 brake pedal is depressed quickly
and forcefully, maximum brake force
is automatically applied.
Operation of brake assist might
become apparent by a pulse in the
brake pedal and a greater resistance when depressing the brake pedal.
Maintain steady pressure on the
brake pedal as long as full braking is
required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when brake
pedal is released.
Hill start assist The system helps prevent unintendedmovement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the brake pedal after
stopping on an incline, brakes remain
on for further two seconds. The
brakes release automatically as soon
as the vehicle begins to accelerate.Ride control systems
Traction Control systemThe Traction Control system (TC) is a
component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC).
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.

160Driving and operating9Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 94.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required: press b
briefly.
Control indicator k illuminates.
A status message appears in the
Driver Information Centre when TC is
deactivated.
When TC is deactivated, ESC
remains active but with higher control threshold.
TC is reactivated by pressing b
again. A status message pops up in the Driver Information Centre when
TC is reactivated.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If there is a fault in the system the
control indicator b illuminates
continuously and a message appears in the Driver Information Centre. The
system is not operational.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually.
ESC operates in combination with the Traction Control system (TC). It
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
A special feature Torque distribution allocates the torque between the
drive wheels before ESC operation.
When cornering the curve inner
wheels are braked individually and
additionally engine torque will be
delivered to the outer wheel. This
reduces the tendency of understeer
and improves traction when cornering
fast.