188Driving and operatingThe system can not operate when no
lane marking is detected.Fuel
Fuel for petrol engines Only use unleaded fuel that complies
with European standard EN 228 or
E DIN 51626-1 or equivalent.
The engine is capable of running with
fuel that contains up to 10% ethanol
(e.g. named E10).
Use fuel with the recommended
octane rating. A lower octane rating
can reduce engine power and torque
and slightly increases fuel
consumption.Caution
Do not use fuel or fuel additives
that contain metallic compounds
such as manganese-based
additives. This may cause engine
damage.
Caution
Use of fuel that does not comply to EN 228 or E DIN 51626-1 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 3 262. A
country specific label at the fuel filler
flap can supersede the requirement.
Fuel for diesel engines Only use diesel fuel that complies
with EN 590.
In countries outside the European
Union use Euro-Diesel fuel with a
sulphur concentration below 50 ppm.
Driving and operating189Caution
Use of fuel that does not comply toEN 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.
Fuel for liquid gas operation Liquid gas is known as LPG
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or under its French name GPL (Gaz de Pétrole
Liquéfié). LPG is also known as
Autogas.
LPG consists mainly of propane and
butane. The octane rating is between 105 and 115, depending on the
butane proportion. LPG is stored
liquid at around 5 - 10 bar pressure.
The boiling point depends on the
pressure and mixing ratio. At ambient pressure, it is between -42 °C (pure
propane) and -0.5 °C (pure butane).Caution
The system works at an ambient
temperature of approx. -8 °C to
100 °C.
Full function of the LPG system can
only be guaranteed with liquid gas
which complies with the minimum
requirements of DIN EN 589.
Fuel selector
Pressing LPG switches between
petrol and liquid gas operation as
soon as the required parameters (coolant temperature, gas
temperature and minimum engine
speed) have been reached. The
requirements are usually fulfilled after
around 60 seconds (depending on
exterior temperature) and the first firm press on the accelerator. The LED
status shows the current operating
mode.1 off:petrol operation1 flashes:checking conditions
for fuel transition to
liquid gas operation.
Illuminates if
conditions are fulfilled.1 illumi‐
nates:liquid gas operation1 flashes 5
times and
extin‐
guishes:liquid gas tank is
empty or failure in
liquid gas system. A
message is displayed
in the Driver
Information Centre.
If the fuel tank is empty, the engine
will not start.
190Driving and operatingThe selected fuel mode is stored andreactivated at the next ignition cycle if
conditions allow.
As soon as the liquid gas tanks are
empty, petrol operation is
automatically engaged until the
ignition is switched off.
When switching automatically
between petrol or gas operation, a
brief delay of engine tractive power
may be noticeable.
Every six months, run the petrol tank
down until control indicator i
illuminates, then refuel. This helps
maintain fuel quality and system
function for petrol operation.
Fill the tank completely at regular
intervals to prevent corrosion in the
tank.
Faults and remedies
If gas mode is not possible, check the following:
● Is there enough liquid gas present?
● Is there enough petrol present for
starting?Due to extreme temperatures in
combination with the gas
composition, it may take slightly
longer before the system switches
from petrol to gas mode.
In extreme situations, the system may
also switch back to petrol mode if the
minimum requirements are not
fulfilled. If conditions allow, it might be
possible to manually switch back to
liquid gas operation.
Seek the assistance of a workshop in the event of all other faults.Caution
Repairs and adjustments may onlybe made by trained specialists in
order to maintain the safety and
warranty on the LPG system.
Liquid gas is given a particular odour
(odorised) so that any leaks can be
detected easily.
9 Warning
If you smell gas in the vehicle or in
the immediate vicinity, switch to petrol mode immediately. No
smoking. No naked flames or
ignition sources.
If possible, close the manual shut-off
valve on the multivalve. The
multivalve is located on the liquid gas
tank in the load compartment,
underneath the rear floor cover.
Turn the thumb wheel clockwise.
Driving and operating191If no further gas odour is perceptiblewhen the manual shut-off valve is
closed, the vehicle can be used in
petrol mode. If the gas odour persists,
do not start the engine. Have the
cause of the fault remedied by a workshop.
When using underground car parks,
follow the instructions of the operator
and local laws.
Note
In the event of an accident, switch off
the ignition and lights. Close the
manual shut-off valve on multivalve.
Refuelling9 Danger
Before refuelling, switch off
ignition and any external heaters
with combustion chambers.
Switch off any mobile phones.
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 the vehicle.
The fuel filler flap can only be opened
if the vehicle is unlocked. Release the
fuel filler flap by pushing the flap.
To open, turn the cap slowly to the left.
194Driving and operating
DISH adapter: Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France,
Greece, Italy, Croatia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Austria,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden,
Switzerland, Serbia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Czech Republic, Turkey,
Ukraine, Hungary
Fuel filler cap
Only use genuine fuel filler caps.
Diesel-engined vehicles have special
fuel filler caps.
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions The fuel consumption (combined) of
the model Opel Astra is within a range
of 7.8 to 3.6 l/100 km.
The CO 2 emission (combined) is
within a range of 184 to 94 g/km.
For the values specific to 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 latest
applicable version), 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. Additional
equipment may result in slightly
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.
Driving and operating195Trailer 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 the use of a stabiliser is
strongly recommended when driving
above 80 km/h.
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 3 271.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).
Driving and operating199Dismounting 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 3 155.
200Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................201
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 201
Vehicle storage ........................201
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....202
Vehicle checks ........................... 202
Performing work ......................202
Bonnet ..................................... 202
Engine oil ................................. 203
Engine coolant ......................... 204
Power steering fluid .................205
Washer fluid ............................ 205
Brakes ..................................... 206
Brake fluid ............................... 206
Vehicle battery ......................... 206
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....208
Wiper blade replacement ........208
Bulb replacement .......................209
Halogen headlights ..................209
Adaptive forward lighting .........212
Fog lights ................................. 213
Front turn signal lights .............215
Tail lights ................................. 217
Side turn signal lights ..............220
Number plate light ...................222Interior lights ............................ 222
Instrument panel illumination ...222
Electrical system ........................223
Fuses ....................................... 223
Engine compartment fuse box . 224
Instrument panel fuse box .......226
Load compartment fuse box ....227
Vehicle tools .............................. 228
Tools ........................................ 228
Wheels and tyres .......................230
Winter tyres ............................. 230
Tyre designations ....................230
Tyre pressure .......................... 230
Tyre pressure monitoring system .................................... 232
Tread depth ............................. 235
Changing tyre and wheel size . 235
Wheel covers ........................... 236
Tyre chains .............................. 236
Tyre repair kit .......................... 236
Wheel changing .......................239
Spare wheel ............................ 243
Jump starting ............................. 247
Towing ....................................... 248
Towing the vehicle ...................248
Towing another vehicle ...........249Appearance care .......................250
Exterior care ............................ 250
Interior care ............................. 253