2017 OPEL ASTRA J brakes

In brief19Transmission
Manual transmission
Reverse: with the vehicle stationary,
depress clutch pedal, press the
release button on the selector lever
and engage the gear.
If the gear does not engage, set the
lever to neutral, release the clutch
pedal and depress again; then repeat
gear selection.
Manual transmission 3 151.
Automatic transmissionP:parkR:reverseN:neutralD:automatic modeM:manual mode: move selector
lever from D to the left.<:manual mode upshifting]:manual mode downshifting
The selector lever can only be moved
out of P when the ignition is on and
the brake pedal is applied. To engage
P or R, press the release button.
Automatic transmission 3 147.
Starting off
Check before starting off ● Tyre pressure and condition 3 230, 3 271.
● Engine oil level and fluid levels 3 203.
● All windows, mirrors, exterior lighting and number plates are
free from dirt, snow and ice and
are operational.
● Proper position of mirrors, seats, and seat belts 3 31, 3 41,
3 49.
● Brake function at low speed, particularly if the brakes are wet.

Driving and operating139Driving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 140
Control of the vehicle ...............140
Steering ................................... 140
Starting and operating ...............140
New vehicle running-in ............140
Ignition switch positions ...........141
Retained power off ..................141
Starting the engine ..................141
Overrun cut-off ........................ 142
Stop-start system ....................142
Parking .................................... 144
Engine exhaust .......................... 145
Diesel particle filter ..................145
Catalytic converter ...................146
Automatic transmission ..............147
Transmission display ...............147
Selector lever .......................... 148
Manual mode ........................... 149
Electronic driving programmes 149
Fault ........................................ 149
Interruption of power supply ....150
Manual transmission ..................151Brakes........................................ 151
Antilock brake system .............151
Parking brake .......................... 152
Brake assist ............................. 154
Hill start assist ......................... 154
Ride control systems .................154
Traction Control system ..........154
Electronic Stability Control ......155
Interactive driving system ........156
Driver assistance systems .........159
Cruise control .......................... 159
Speed limiter ........................... 161
Adaptive cruise control ............162
Forward collision alert .............169
Following distance indication ...172
Active Emergency Braking ......173
Parking assist .......................... 175
Side blind spot alert .................182
Traffic sign assistant ................183
Lane departure warning ..........187
Fuel ............................................ 188
Fuel for petrol engines .............188
Fuel for diesel engines ............188
Fuel for liquid gas operation ....189
Refuelling ................................ 191
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions ............................... 194
Trailer hitch ................................ 195
General information .................195Driving characteristics and
towing tips .............................. 195
Trailer towing ........................... 195
Towing equipment ...................196
Trailer stability assist ...............199

Driving and operating151Manual transmission
To engage reverse, with the vehicle
stationary, depress clutch pedal,
press the release button on the
selector lever and engage the gear.
If the gear does not engage, set the
lever to neutral, release the clutch
pedal and depress again; then repeat
gear selection.
Do not slip the clutch unnecessarily.
When operating, depress the clutch
pedal completely. Do not use the
pedal as a foot rest.
Caution
It is not advisable to drive with the hand resting on the selector lever.
Upshift indication 3 89.
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 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 88.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

154Driving and operatingApply 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 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 brake pedal after
stopping on an incline, the brakes
remain on for a further two seconds.
The brakes release automatically as
soon as the vehicle begins to
accelerate.
The hill start assist is not active during
an Autostop.Ride control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction Control system (TC) is a component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) 3 155.
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 control indicator b
extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.

162Driving and operating
Change speed limit
With speed limiter active, turn thumb
wheel to RES/+ to increase or SET/-
to decrease the desired maximum
speed.
Exceeding the speed limit
In the event of an emergency, it is
possible to exceed the speed limit by
depressing the accelerator pedal
firmly beyond the point of resistance.
The limited speed will flash in the
Driver Information Centre and
(depending on vehicle) additionally a
chime sounds during this period.
Release the accelerator pedal and the speed limiter function is
reactivated once a speed lower than
the limit speed is obtained.
Deactivation Press y: speed limiter is deactivated
and the vehicle can be driven without speed limit.
The limited speed is stored and a corresponding message appears in
the Driver Information Centre.
Resume limit speed
Turn thumb wheel to RES/+. The
stored speed limit will be obtained.
Switching off
Press L, the speed limit indication in
the Driver Information Centre
extinguishes. The stored speed is
deleted.
By pressing m to activate cruise
control or adaptive cruise control or
by switching off the ignition, speed
limiter is also deactivated and the
stored speed is deleted.Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control is an
enhancement to traditional cruise control with the additional feature of
maintaining a certain distance behind the vehicle ahead.
Adaptive cruise control automatically
decelerates the vehicle when
approaching a slower moving vehicle. It then adjusts the vehicle speed to
follow the vehicle ahead at the
selected following distance. The
vehicle speed increases or decreases
to follow the vehicle in front, but will
not exceed the set speed. It may
apply limited braking with activated
brake lights.
The adaptive cruise control can store and maintain speeds over approx.
50 km/h and brakes automatically to follow a slower vehicle driving ahead
to a minimum speed of 30 km/h.

164Driving and operatingOnce the system is activated,
adaptive cruise control decelerates or
brakes if it detects a vehicle ahead,
which is slower or closer than the
desired following distance.9 Warning
Accelerating by the driver
deactivates automatic braking by
the system. This is indicated as a
pop-up warning in the Driver
Information Centre.
Increase speed
With adaptive cruise control active,
hold thumb wheel turned to RES/+:
speed increases continuously in large
increments, or activate repeatedly
RES/+ : speed increases in small
increments.
If the vehicle is driven with adaptive cruise control active much faster than
the desired speed, e.g. after
depressing the accelerator pedal,
then the current speed can be stored
and maintained by turning the thumb
wheel to SET/-.
Reduce speed
With adaptive cruise control active,
hold thumb wheel turned to SET/-:
speed decreases continuously in
large increments, or activate
repeatedly SET/-: speed decreases in
small increments.
If the vehicle is driven with adaptive
cruise control active much slower
than the desired speed, e.g. because of a slower vehicle ahead, then the
current speed can be stored and
maintained by turning the thumb
wheel to SET/-.
Resume stored speed If the system is switched on but
inactive, then turn thumb wheel to
RES/+ at a speed above 50 km/h to
resume the stored speed.
Setting the following distance
When adaptive cruise control detects a slower moving vehicle in the drivingpath, it will adjust the vehicle speed to
maintain the following distance
selected by the driver.The following distance can be set to
near, medium or far.
Press E; the current setting is shown
in the Driver Information Centre.
Press E again to change the
following distance. The setting is also displayed in the top line of the Driver
Information Centre.

166Driving and operating● There is no traffic and nothingdetected on the road sides forseveral minutes. In this case,
there are no radar echoes and
the sensor may report that it is
blocked.
● The collision imminent braking system is applying the brakes.
● The radar sensor is blocked by an ice or water film.
● A fault is detected in the radar, engine or brake system.
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated automatically, the control indicator m illuminates white and a
warning symbol is displayed as a pop-
up in the Driver Information Centre.
The stored speed is maintained.
9 Warning
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the driver must take
over full brake and engine control.
Switching off
Press C to switch off adaptive cruise
control. The control indicator m
extinguishes. The stored speed is
deleted.
Switching off the ignition also
switches off adaptive cruise control
and deletes the stored speed.
Driver's attention
● Use adaptive cruise control carefully on bends or mountain
roads, as it can lose the vehicle
ahead and need time to detect it
again.
● Do not use the system on slippery roads as it can create
rapid changes in tyre traction
(wheel spinning), so that you
could lose control.
● Do not use adaptive cruise control during rain, snow or
heavy dirt, as the radar sensor
can be covered by a water film,
dust, ice or snow. This reduces or suppresses completely the
visibility. In case of sensor
blockage, clean the sensor
cover.
System limits ● The system's automatic brake force does not permit hard
braking and the braking level
may not be sufficient to avoid a
collision.

172Driving and operatingDeactivation
The system can be deactivated.
Press V repeatedly until the following
message appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
General information for both
variants of forward collision alert
9 Warning
Forward collision alert is just a
warning system and does not
apply the brakes. When
approaching a vehicle ahead too
rapidly, it may not provide you
enough time to avoid a collision.
The driver accepts full
responsibility for the appropriate
following distance based on traffic, weather and visibility conditions.
The complete attention of the
driver is always required while
driving. The driver must always be
ready to take action and apply the
brakes.
System limitations
The system is designed to warn only for vehicles, but may react also to
other metallic objects.
In the following cases, forward
collision alert may not detect a vehicle ahead or sensor performance is
limited:
● on winding roads
● when weather limits visibility, e.g.
fog, rain, or snow
● when the sensor is blocked by snow, ice, slush, mud, dirt, or
windscreen damage
Following distance
indication
The following distance indication
displays the distance to a preceding
moving vehicle. The system uses,
depending on the vehicle equipment,
either the radar behind the radiator
grille or the front camera in the
windscreen to detect the distance of
a vehicle directly ahead in your path.
It is active at speeds above 40 km/h.
When a preceding vehicle is detected
ahead, the distance is indicated in
seconds, displayed on a page in the
Driver Information Centre 3 93 . Press
MENU on the turn signal lever to
select Vehicle Information Menu
X and turn the adjuster wheel to
choose following distance indication
page.