Page 233 of 323

Driving and operating231Caution
Use of fuel that does not comply toEN 228 or equivalent can lead to
deposits or engine damage.
Caution
Use of fuel with a lower octane
rating than the lowest possible
rating could lead to uncontrolled combustion and engine damage.
The engine specific requirements
regarding octane rating are given in
the engine data overview 3 293. A
country-specific label at the fuel filler
flap can supersede the requirement.
Fuel additives outside Europe
Fuel should contain detergent
additives that help prevent engine
and fuel system deposits from
forming. Clean fuel injectors and
intake valves will allow the emission
control system to work properly.
Some fuel does not contain sufficient
quantities of additive to keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean.
To make up for this lack of
detergency, add Fuel System
Treatment PLUS to the fuel tank at
every engine oil change or every
15,000 km, whichever occurs first. It
is available at your workshop.
Fuels containing oxygenates such as
ethers and ethanol, as well as
reformulated fuel, are available in
some cities. If these fuels comply with the previously described
specification, then they are
acceptable to use. However, E85
(85% ethanol) and other fuels
containing more than 15% ethanol
must be used only in FlexFuel
vehicles.Caution
Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal
parts in the fuel system and also
damage plastic and rubber parts.
This damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Some fuels, mainly high octane
racing fuels, can contain an octane
enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). Do not use fuels or fuel additives with MMT as they can
reduce spark plug life and affect
emission control system
performance. The malfunction
indicator light Z may turn on 3 108.
If this occurs, seek the assistance of
a workshop.
Fuel for diesel engines
Only use diesel fuel that complies
with EN 590 and which has a sulphur
concentration of max. 10 ppm.
Fuels with a biodiesel (compliant with
EN 14214) content of max. 7% by
volume may be used (e.g. named
B7).
If travelling in countries outside the
European Union occasional use of
Euro-Diesel fuel with a sulphur
concentration below 50 ppm is
possible.
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232Driving and operatingCaution
Frequent usage of diesel fuelcontaining more than 15 ppm
sulphur will cause severe engine
damage.
Caution
Use of fuel that does not comply to EN 590 or similar can lead to
engine powerloss, increased wear
or engine damage and may affect
your warranty.
Do not use marine diesel oils, heating
oils, Aquazole and similar diesel-
water emulsions. Diesel fuels must
not be diluted with fuels for petrol
engines.
Low temperature operation At temperatures below 0° C, some
diesel products with biodiesel blends may clog, freeze or gel, which mayaffect the fuel supply system. Starting
and engine operation may not work
properly.
Arctic grade diesel fuel can be used
in extreme cold temperatures below
-20° C. Using this fuel grade in warm
or hot climates is not recommended
and may cause engine stalling, poor
starting or damage on the fuel
injection system.
Refuelling9 Danger
Before refuelling, switch off
ignition and any external heaters
with combustion chambers.
Follow the operating and safety
instructions of the filling station
when refuelling.9 Danger
Fuel is flammable and explosive.
No smoking. No naked flames or
sparks.
If you can smell fuel in your
vehicle, have the cause of this
remedied immediately by a
workshop.
Caution
In case of misfuelling, do not
switch on ignition.
Fuel filler flap is located at right rear
side of vehicle.
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Driving and operating233
The fuel filler flap can only be opened
if the vehicle is unlocked. Release the
fuel filler flap by pushing the flap.
Petrol and Diesel refuelling
Place the nozzle in straight position to the filler neck and press with slight
force to insert.
To refuel, fully insert the pump nozzle
and switch it on.
After the automatic cut-off, the tank
can be topped up by operating the
pump nozzle a maximum of two more
times.Caution
Wipe off any overflowing fuel
immediately.
Close the flap and allow it to engage.
Misfuel inhibitor
9 Warning
Do not try to open the flap of the
fuel filler neck manually on
vehicles with misfuel inhibitor.
Disregarding this could lead to
trapping of the fingers.
All vehicles are equipped with a
misfuel inhibitor.
The misfuel inhibitor ensures that the flap of the fuel filler neck can only be
opened by using the suitable fuel
nozzle or a funnel for emergency
refilling.
In case of an emergency, refill with a
canister. A funnel must be used to
open the cap of the filler neck.
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234Driving and operating
The funnel is stowed in the load
compartment.
Place the funnel in straight position to the filler neck and press with slight
force to insert.
Use the funnel to fill in the fuel into the
filler neck.
After topping-up, stow the funnel in
the load compartment.
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions
The fuel consumption (combined) of the model Opel Insignia is within a
range of 8.7 to 4.0 l/100 km
Depending on country, the fuel
consumption is displayed in km/l.
The CO 2 emission (combined) is
within a range of 199 to 105 g/km.
For the values specific for your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of
Conformity provided with your vehicle or other national registration
documents.
General information The official fuel consumption and
specific CO 2 emission figures quoted
relate to the EU base model with standard equipment.
Fuel consumption data and CO 2
emission data are determined
according to regulation R (EC) No.
715/2007 (in the version respectively
applicable), taking into consideration
the vehicle weight in running order, as specified by the regulation.
The figures are provided only for the
purpose of comparison between
different vehicle variants and must not be taken as a guarantee for the
actual fuel consumption of a
particular vehicle. Additionalequipment may result in higher
results than the stated consumption
and CO 2 figures. Furthermore, fuel
consumption is dependent on
personal driving style as well as road
and traffic conditions.
Page 237 of 323

Driving and operating235Trailer hitch
General information
The factory-fitted towing equipment is
folded up under the rear bumper
fascia.
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. Only use
towing equipment that has been
approved for your vehicle.
To avoid vehicle damage, the power
tailgate cannot be operated with the
electronic key when a trailer is
electrically connected.
The bulb outage detection function for trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage, e.g. in case of four
times five watt bulbs, the function only detects lamp outage when only a
single five 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.Driving characteristics and
towing tips
Before attaching a trailer, lubricate the coupling ball. However, do not do so if a stabiliser, which acts on thecoupling ball, is being used to reduce
snaking movements.
During trailer towing do not exceed a
speed of 80 km/h. A maximum speed
of 100 km/h is only appropriate if an
oscillation damper is used and the
permissible gross trailer weight does
not exceed the vehicle’s kerb weight.
For trailers with low driving stability
and caravan trailers, the use of an
oscillation damper is strongly
recommended.
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 3 301.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 12%.
The permissible trailer load applies
up to the specified incline and at 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 altitude. The gross train weight does not have to be reduced when driving on roads with
slight inclines (less than 8%, e.g.
motorways).
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236Driving and operatingThe permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 288.
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 of 60 kg
(engines B20DTH: 90 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
70 kg (engines B20DTH: 80 kg), the
gross vehicle weight rating must not
be exceeded. If the permissible rear
axle load is exceeded, a maximum
speed of 100 km/h applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
The folding coupling ball bar
cannot be removed from the
vehicle. When driving without a
trailer, fold in the coupling ball bar.
9 Warning
Make sure that no one is in the
pivot zone of the coupling ball bar. Risk of body injury.
When releasing the stowed
coupling ball bar, make sure to
stand left of the grip.
Release stowed coupling ball bar
Pull the grip located left to the number
plate under the rear bumper fascia at an angle of approx. 45° to the ground.
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Driving and operating237
A buzzing tone sounds as a warning
when the release handle is pulled out and the ball neck is disengaged.
Take the released coupling ball bar
and raise it up until it engages.
Ensure the coupling ball bar is
correctly engaged and the released
handle is guided back to its hidden
initial position, otherwise the buzzing
tone will not stop.
Stow/hide coupling ball bar
Pull the grip located left of the number
plate under the rear bumper fascia at an angle of approx. 45° to the ground.
A buzzing tone sounds as a warning
when the release handle is pulled out and the ball neck is disengaged.
With the flat of the hand, swivel the
released coupling ball bar to the right
until it engages under the floor. Make sure that the release handle is back inits hidden initial position, otherwise
the buzzing tone will not stop.
9 Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when the coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bar
does not engage correctly or if the
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238Driving and operatingrelease handle is impossible toguide to its hidden initial position in the housing or if the buzzing tone
sounds after engaging the
coupling ball bar, seek the
assistance of a workshop.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach break-away stopping cable to
eye.
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 the system is working
keep steering wheel as still as
possible.
Trailer stability assistant is a function
of the Electronic Stability Control
3 183.