2016.5 VAUXHALL ASTRA J Owner's Manual

Driving and operating223Trailer hitch
General information
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
The bulb outage detection function for trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage, e.g. in case of 4 x
5 Watt bulbs, the function only detects
lamp outage when only a single
5 Watt lamp remains or none remain.
Fitting of towing equipment could
cover the opening of the towing eye.
If this is the case use the coupling ball bar for towing. Always keep the
coupling ball bar in the vehicle.Driving characteristics and
towing tips
Before attaching a trailer, lubricate the coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the coupling ball, is being used to reduce snaking movements.
For trailers with low driving stability
and caravan trailers with a permitted
gross vehicle weight of more than
1300 kg (Sports tourer: 1200 kg) the
use of a stabiliser is strongly
recommended when driving above
50 mph.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 308.Trailer towing
Trailer loads The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12%.
The permitted trailer load applies up to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross
train weight also decreases by 10%
for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than
8%, e.g. motorways).

224Driving and operatingThe permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 292.
Vertical coupling load The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (75 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.Rear axle load
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by 60 kg , the gross vehicle weight rating
may be exceeded by 60 kg. If the
permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
60 mph applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Stowage of coupling ball bar
The bag with the coupling ball bar is
stowed in the rear stowage
compartment on the floor.
Place the strap through the lashing
eye, wrap around twice and tighten
the strap to secure the bag.

Driving and operating225Fitting the coupling ball bar
All versions except 3-door hatchback:
Press fastenings inward and fold the
cover downward at the front. Remove
cover.
Disengage and fold down the socket. Remove the sealing plug from the
opening for the coupling ball bar and
stow it.
Checking the tensioning of the
coupling ball bar
● Red marking on rotary knob must
point towards green marking on
coupling ball bar.
● The gap between the rotary knob
and the coupling ball bar must be approx. 6 mm.
● The key must be in position c.
Otherwise, the coupling ball bar must be tensioned before being inserted:
● Unlock coupling ball bar by turning key to position c.

226Driving and operating
● Pull out rotary knob and turnclockwise as far as it will go.
Inserting the coupling ball bar
Insert the tensioned coupling ball bar
in the opening and push firmly
upwards until it audibly engages.
The rotary handle snaps back into its
original position resting against the
coupling ball bar without a gap.9 Warning
Do not touch rotary handle during
insertion.
Lock the coupling ball bar by turning
the key to position e. Remove the key
and close the protective flap.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach breakaway stopping cable to
eye.
Check that the coupling ball bar is correctly installed
● Green marking on rotary knob must point towards green
marking on coupling ball bar.
● There must be no gap between the rotary handle and the
coupling ball bar.
● The coupling ball bar must be firmly engaged in the opening.
● The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.

Driving and operating227Dismounting the coupling ball bar
Open the protective flap and turn the
key to position c to unlock the
coupling ball bar.
Pull out rotary handle and turn
clockwise as far as it will go. Pull out coupling ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening. Fold away socket.
All versions except 3-door hatchback:
Attach the rear side of the cover into
the recess of the bumper and fold the
front side upward.
Press fastenings outward.
Trailer stability assist
If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is selectively braked until the snaking
ceases. While system is working keep steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control 3 181.

228Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................229
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 229
Vehicle storage ........................229
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....229
Vehicle checks ........................... 230
Performing work ......................230
Bonnet ..................................... 230
Engine oil ................................. 231
Engine coolant ......................... 232
Power steering fluid .................233
Washer fluid ............................ 233
Brakes ..................................... 234
Brake fluid ............................... 234
Vehicle battery ......................... 234
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....236
Wiper blade replacement ........236
Bulb replacement .......................237
Halogen headlights ..................237
Adaptive forward lighting .........240
Fog lights ................................. 241
Front turn signal lights .............243
Tail lights ................................. 245
Side turn signal lights ..............253
Number plate light ...................254Interior lights ............................ 255
Instrument panel illumination ...255
Electrical system ........................255
Fuses ....................................... 255
Engine compartment fuse box . 256
Instrument panel fuse box .......258
Load compartment fuse box ....259
Vehicle tools .............................. 262
Tools ........................................ 262
Wheels and tyres .......................264
Winter tyres ............................. 264
Tyre designations ....................264
Tyre pressure .......................... 264
Tyre pressure monitoring system .................................... 266
Tread depth ............................. 269
Changing tyre and wheel size . 269
Wheel covers ........................... 270
Tyre chains .............................. 270
Tyre repair kit .......................... 270
Wheel changing .......................273
Spare wheel ............................ 277
Jump starting ............................. 281
Towing ....................................... 283
Towing the vehicle ...................283
Towing another vehicle ...........284Appearance care .......................285
Exterior care ............................ 285
Interior care ............................. 287

Vehicle care229General Information
Accessories and vehicle modifications
We recommend the use of 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
If the vehicle is to be stored for several months:
● Wash and wax the vehicle.
● Have the wax in the engine compartment and underbody
checked.
● Clean and preserve the rubber seals.
● Fill up fuel tank completely.
● Change the engine oil.
● Drain the washer fluid reservoir.
● Check the coolant antifreeze and
corrosion protection.
● Adjust tyre pressure to the value specified for full load.
● Park the vehicle in a dry, well ventilated place. Engage first or
reverse gear or set selector lever
to P. Prevent the vehicle from
rolling.
● Do not apply the parking brake.● Open the bonnet, close all doors and lock the vehicle.
● Disconnect the clamp from the negative terminal of the vehicle
battery. Beware that all systems
are not functional, e.g. anti-theft
alarm system.
Putting back into operation
When the vehicle is to be put back into
operation:
● Connect the clamp to the negative terminal of the vehicle
battery. Activate the electronics
of the power windows.
● Check tyre pressure.
● Fill up the washer fluid reservoir.
● Check the engine oil level.
● Check the coolant level.
● Fit the number plate if necessary.
End-of-life vehicle recovery
Information on end-of-life vehicle
recovery centres and the recycling of
end-of-life vehicles is available on our

230Vehicle carewebsite, where legally required. Only
entrust this work to an authorised
recycling centre.
Gas vehicles must be recycled by a
service centre authorised for gas
vehicles.Vehicle checks
Performing work9 Warning
Only perform engine compartment
checks when the ignition is off.
The cooling fan may start
operating even if the ignition is off.
9 Danger
The ignition system and Xenon
headlights use extremely high
voltage. Do not touch.
Bonnet
Opening
Pull the release lever and return it to
its original position.