2017.5 OPEL ANTARA wheel

Driving and operating141you might in a conventional vehicle.
Strong crosswinds can affect the
normal steering of the vehicle. Drive
slower under strong crosswind
conditions.
Off-road driving ● Avoid protruding objects (such as
rocks or tree stumps) that may
damage the underbody and tyres of your vehicle.
● Test the brakes after operating in
mud, to clear excess mud from
the braking surfaces.
● Grip the steering wheel when travelling over rough terrain.
Terrain conditions can cause
rapid and unexpected movement in the steering.
The ground clearance, ramp angle,
angle of approach and departure and wading depth need to be considered,
especially in hilly conditions and
when wading, to prevent the vehicle
becoming stuck and possibly
damaged.
Vehicle dimensions 3 209.
Towing the vehicle 3 196.Driving through water
Do not exceed the maximum wading
depth 3 209.
Check the depth of water: choose the
lowest entry and departure angles
before entering. Maintain a steady
engine speed, to help prevent water
from entering the exhaust system, but do not exceed 5 km/h, to avoid
splashing the water.
Drive with the flow wherever possible,
not against it. If you have to drive
against the flow, try to drive at an
angle to it, so that the leading corner
of the vehicle will help deflect water
from the engine compartment. Avoid
splashing the water - if the ignition
system becomes wet, the engine may
stall.
Avoid water entering the air intake
system 3 120. If water enters the air
intake system, engine seizure with severe costly damage may result.
Test the brakes after leaving the
water - wet brakes are less effective
than dry ones. Perform the service
operations for wading , involving
checks for water contamination, at
the earliest opportunity.Service checks after wading
Check for the ingress of water into the following:
● Brake fluid reservoir
● Air cleaner element
● Engine
● Transmission
● Axles
● Interior of vehicle
Renew any lubricating oil or hydraulic
fluid that has a milky appearance,
indicating contamination with water.
Cleaning
Clean the vehicle thoroughly and as
soon as possible after driving off-
road.
Do not let mud remain dry on any part
of the vehicle as it becomes abrasive and can damage paint, glass, seals,
bearings and brake components. If
left to build up, mud can seriously
affect the airflow through and over
mechanical components and cause
localised overheating and failure of
parts, especially in the engine
compartment.

142Driving and operatingEnsure the radiator core and the areabetween the radiator and intercooler/
oil cooler (where installed) is cleaned, to maintain proper cooling air flow.Check the radiator and cooler cores
for blockage (sand, silt etc.).
Check the tyre treads.
Clean and check the mechanical
parts of the vehicle, particularly the
following areas:
● Driveshafts, including sealing bellows
● Front brake calipers, pads and discs
● Front suspension
● Clutch fork sealing bellows
● Rear brake calipers, pads and discs
● Rear suspension
● Fuel tank and underguard
● Breathers, axles and fuel tank
● Load sensing valve
● Transfer box and underguard
● Engine oil pan and underguardObserve the following: ● Do not spray high-pressure water
directly at the vehicle seals
● The wheels must be removed to clean all mud and stones from the
brake calipers and to check
brake pad wear
● The areas on the upper side of the underguards must be clearedof stones, to prevent damage to
the engine oil pan and the fuel
tankBrakes
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 85.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

Driving and operating143ABS starts to regulate brake pressure
as soon as a wheel shows a tendency to lock. The vehicle remains
steerable, even during hard braking.
ABS control is made apparent
through a pulse in the brake pedal
and the noise of the regulation
process.
For optimum braking, keep the brake
pedal fully depressed throughout the
braking process, despite the fact that
the pedal is pulsating. Do not reduce
the pressure on the pedal.
After starting off, the system performs a self-test which may be audible.
Control indicator u 3 85.
Fault9 Warning
If there is a fault in the ABS, the
wheels may be liable to lock due
to braking that is heavier than
normal. The advantages of ABS
are no longer available. During
hard braking, the vehicle can nolonger be steered and may
swerve.
You can continue driving, provided
you drive with care and anticipation.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Parking brake
Electrical parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
Pull switch m, the electrical parking
brake operates automatically with
adequate force. For maximum force,
e.g. parking with a trailer or on
inclines, pull switch m twice.
The electrical parking brake can
always be activated, even if the
ignition is off.
Do not operate electrical parking
brake system too often without
engine running as this will discharge
the battery.
Before leaving the vehicle, check the
electrical parking brake status.
Control indicator m 3 85.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep foot brake
depressed and then push switch m.
If the foot brake is not depressed
when attempting to release electrical
parking brake, a warning chime will
sound and control indicator -
illuminates in the instrument cluster
3 90.

144Driving and operatingDrive away function
With the engine running, selecting a
forward gear (manual transmission)
or engaging D (automatic
transmission) and then depressing
the accelerator pedal automatically
releases the electrical parking brake.
This is not possible when the switch
m 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, a warning
chime will sound and the electrical
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 electrical parking
brake is indicated by control indicator
j 3 85.In the event of a fault, to apply
electrical parking brake: pull and hold the switch m for a few seconds. If
control indicator m illuminates,
electrical parking brake has been applied successfully.
To release electrical parking brake:
push and hold the switch m for a few
seconds. If control indicator m
extinguishes, electrical parking brake
has been released successfully.
If control indicator m flashes:
electrical parking brake is not fully applied or released. When m is
continuously flashing, with ignition
switched on depress brake pedal,
release electrical parking brake and
retry applying.
If m continues to flash, do not drive
the vehicle. If necessary, place
wedge blocks or equivalent in front of and behind wheels to prevent vehicle movement. Seek the assistance of a
workshop to have the cause of the
fault remedied.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 2 seconds. The
brakes release automatically as soon as the vehicle begins to accelerate.

Driving and operating145Ride control systems
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip. It also
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.
ESC is operational as soon as control indicators b and t extinguish in the
instrument cluster after switching on
the ignition.
When ESC is active b flashes 3 87.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Deactivation
With ESC active, if wheels are
slipping on wet, snowy or icy roads,
engine speed may not increase when
accelerator pedal is depressed. The
vehicle may not move.
Switch off ESC function, to allow
engine rpm to increase, by pressing
t briefly. Control indicator t
illuminates in the instrument cluster.
ESC is reactivated by pressing t
again. The control indicator
extinguishes.
Control indicator t 3 87.
Hydraulic brake assist When the ESC function comes intoaction and recognises any
emergency situation requiring hard
braking, it automatically delivers
increased braking pressure to the
wheels.
Active rollover protection
If the vehicle moves in an unstable
manner, this function helps the
vehicle maintain normal stability.

146Driving and operatingTrailer 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.
Fault
If there is a fault in the system the
control indicator b illuminates
continuously. The system is not
operational.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Descent control system The Descent control system (DCS)
allows the vehicle to travel at a low
speed without depressing the foot
brake. The vehicle will automatically
decelerate to a low speed and remain
at that speed when the system is
activated. Some noise or vibration
from the brake system may be
apparent when the system is active.Caution
Use only when descending steep
grades while driving off-road. Do
not use when driving on normal
road surfaces. Unnecessary
usage of the DCS function, such
as while driving on normal roads,
may damage the brake system
and the ESC function.
Activation
At speeds below approx. 50 km/h,
press u. The green control indicator
u flashes in the instrument cluster, to
show DCS is in operation. DCS will
not activate at speeds above
50 km/h, even if the button is pressed.
Deactivation
Press u again. The green control
indicator u extinguishes. Depressing
the foot brake or accelerator will also
cause the system to be deactivated.
Fault
The yellow control indicator u flashes
to indicate that the system is not
ready for conditions to operate, due to the high temperature (approx.
350 - 400 °C) of friction material,
through severe or repeated braking. It
will extinguish when the temperature
drops below 350 °C.
The yellow control indicator u
illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the system, due to the
extremely high temperature
(over 400 °C) of friction material,
through severe or repeated braking. It will extinguish when the temperaturedrops below 350 °C. These

Driving and operating153Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 212.
Trailer towing Trailer loadsThe permissible trailer loads are
vehicle-dependent 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.
When the trailer load is being
checked, therefore, only the trailer
wheels - and not the jockey wheel -
must be standing on the weighing
apparatus.
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 airbecoming 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).
The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is specified on the identification plate3 205.
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 (80 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.When measuring the vertical coupling
load, ensure the drawbar of the
loaded trailer is at the same height as it will be when the trailer is coupled
with the towing vehicle loaded. This is
particularly important for trailers with
tandem axle.
Rear axle load
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle is fully loaded
(including all occupants), the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) must not be exceeded.
National regulations regarding
maximum speeds for vehicles towing a trailer must be observed.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.

Driving and operating155Check that the coupling ball bar is
correctly attached:
● Green marking must be visible on
lever.
● Coupling ball bar must be seated
firmly in coupling housing.
Coupling ball bar must be locked and key must be removed.9 Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when the coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bar
cannot be properly attached, seek the assistance of a workshop.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
In the case of trailers with brakes,
attach the break-away stopping cable
to the eye - not to the coupling ball
bar.
Dismounting the coupling ball bar
Unlock coupling ball bar and remove
key. Push lever to the left, towards the
coupling ball bar and turn it
downwards. Pull coupling ball bar out of coupling housing.
Remove any rust or dirt from area
around the coupling housing and
coupling ball bar connection before
inserting sealing plug in the hole.
Place the coupling ball bar in the bag supplied, fasten it with the strap and
stow it below the floor cover in the
load compartment.
Do not use steam-jet cleaners or
other high-pressure cleaners to clean
the coupling ball bar.
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 3 145.