2017 OPEL ASTRA K start

168Driving and operating<:upshift in manual mode]:downshift in manual mode
The selector lever is locked in P and
can only be moved when the ignition
is on, the release button on the
selector lever is pushed and the brake
pedal is applied.
Without brake pedal applied, control
indicator j illuminates.
If the selector lever is not in P when
the ignition is switched off, control
indicator j flashes.
To engage P or R, press the release
button.
The engine can only be started with the lever in position P or N. When
position N is selected, press the brake
pedal or apply the parking brake
before starting.
Do not accelerate while engaging a
gear. Never depress the accelerator
pedal and brake pedal at the same
time.
When a gear is engaged, the vehicle
slowly begins to creep when the
brake is released.
Engine braking To utilise the engine braking effect,select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill, see manual mode.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between D and R in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.Parking
Apply the parking brake and engage
P .
The ignition key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in position
P .
Manual mode
Move selector lever out of position D
towards the left in position M.
Tap selector lever upwards + to shift
to a higher gear.
Tap the selector lever downwards - to
shift to a lower gear.

Driving and operating169If a higher gear is selected when
vehicle speed is too low, or a lower
gear when vehicle speed is too high,
the shift is not executed. This can
cause a message in the Driver
Information Centre.
In manual mode, no automatic
shifting to a higher gear takes place
at high engine revolutions.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside it is indicated when
gearshifting is recommended for fuel
saving reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving programmes
● Following a cold start, the operating temperature
programme increases engine
speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.● Special programmes automatically adapt the shifting
points when driving up inclines or
down hills.
● In snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery surfaces, the
electronic transmission control
enables the driver to select
manually first, second or third gear for starting off.
Kickdown
Pressing down the accelerator pedal
beyond the kickdown detent will lead to maximum acceleration
independent of selected driving
mode. The transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on engine speed.
Fault
In the event of a fault a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. Vehicle messages 3 122.
Electronic transmission control
enables only fourth gear. The
transmission no longer shifts
automatically.Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Interruption of power supply In the event of an interruption of
power supply, the selector lever
cannot be moved out of the P
position. The ignition key cannot be
removed from the ignition switch.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 265.
If the vehicle battery is not the cause
of the fault, release the selector lever.
1. Apply the parking brake.

Driving and operating171When clutch slip is detected for aspecific time, the engine power will be
reduced. A warning is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Release
the clutch.Caution
It is not advisable to drive with the hand resting on the selector lever.
Gear shift indication 3 111.
Stop-start system 3 161.
Manual transmission
automated
The automated manual transmission permits manual gearshifting (manual
mode) or automatic gearshifting
(automatic mode), both with
automatic clutch control.
Manual shifting is possible by tapping the selector lever in manual mode.
Note
When unlocking or opening a
vehicle door, a sound may be
audible caused by the hydraulic
system.Transmission display
In automatic mode, the driving
programme is indicated by D in the
Driver Information Centre.
In manual mode, M and the number
of the selected gear is indicated.
R indicates reverse gear.
N indicates neutral.

172Driving and operatingSelector lever
Always move the selector lever in the
appropriate direction as far as it will
go. Upon release, it automatically
returns to the centre position.
Note
Do not hold the selector lever in an
intermediate position. Not fully
engaging a gear may lead to
malfunction and an error message
may be displayed in the Driver
Information Centre.
Return the selector lever to the
centre position. After a short while N
will be displayed in the Driver
Information Centre and the system
will operate normally again.N:neutral positionD/M:switch between automatic (D)
and manual (M) shift mode.
The transmission display
shows either D or M with the
selected gear<:upshifting in manual mode]:downshifting in manual modeR:reverse gear. Engage only
when vehicle is stationary
If selector lever is moved from R to the
left, D is directly engaged.
If selector lever is moved from D to +
or -, manual mode M is selected and
the transmission shifts.
Starting off Depress the brake pedal and move
the selector lever to D/M or R. If D is
selected, transmission is in automatic
mode and first gear is engaged. If R
is selected, reverse gear is engaged.
The vehicle starts to move when the
brake pedal is released.
To start-off without depressing the
brake pedal, accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear as long as D or
R flashes.
If neither the accelerator nor the
brake pedal are depressed, no gear
is engaged and D or R flashes for a
brief time in the display.
Stopping the vehicle In D, first gear is engaged and the
clutch is released when the vehicle is
stopped. In R, reverse gear remains
engaged.
Engine braking
Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual
transmission automated does not shift into higher gears until a fairly
high engine speed has been reached. It shifts down in good time when
braking.

Driving and operating173Manual mode
To utilise the engine braking effect, select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill. Changing into
manual mode is only possible while the engine is running or during an
Autostop.
Rocking the vehicle Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between R and D in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking
The most recently engaged gear (see
transmission display) remains
engaged when switching off ignition.
With N, no gear is engaged.
Therefore always apply the parking
brake when switching off ignition. If
parking brake is not applied, P flashes
in the transmission display and the
key cannot be removed from the
ignition switch. P stops flashing in the
transmission display as soon as the
parking brake is slightly applied.When the ignition is switched off, the
transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.
Emergency operation to avoid
freezing of the parking brake 3 164.
Manual mode If a higher gear is selected when the
engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, the
shift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or
too high an engine speed. A warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 122.
If engine speed is too low, the transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.
When + or - is selected in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to
manual mode and shifts accordingly.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside is indicated when gearshifting
is recommended for fuel saving
reasons.Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving programmes
● Following a cold start, the operating temperature
programme increases engine
speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
● The adaptive programme tailors gearshifting to the driving
conditions, e.g. greater load or
gradients.
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
down completely in automatic mode, the transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed.
Fault
To prevent damage to the manual transmission automated, the clutch is
engaged automatically at high clutch
temperatures.

174Driving and operatingIn the event of a fault, a warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 122.
Continued driving is restricted or not
possible, depending on the fault.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.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 the 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 3 110.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.ABS 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 3 111.
Adaptive brake light During full braking, all three brake
lights flash for the duration of ABS
control.

Driving and operating177Brake assistIf brake pedal is depressed quickly
and forcefully, maximum brake force
is automatically applied.
Operation of brake assist might
become apparent by a pulse in the
brake pedal and a greater resistance when depressing the brake pedal.
Maintain steady pressure on the
brake pedal as long as full braking is
required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when brake
pedal is released.
Hill start assist The system helps prevent unintended
movement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the brake pedal after
stopping on an incline, brakes remain on for further two seconds. The
brakes release automatically as soon
as the vehicle begins to accelerate.Ride control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction Control system (TC) is a component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC).
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 the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.
9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 111.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required: press b
briefly.

178Driving and operating
Control indicator k illuminates.
A status message appears in the
Driver Information Centre when TC is
deactivated.
When TC is deactivated, ESC
remains active but with higher control threshold.
TC is reactivated by pressing b
again. A status message pops up in the Driver Information Centre when
TC is reactivated.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If there is a fault in the system the
control indicator b illuminates
continuously and a message appears in the Driver Information Centre. The
system is not operational.
Have the cause of the fault remedied by a workshop.
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually.
ESC operates in combination with the Traction Control system (TC). It
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
Torque distribution is a special
feature that allocates the torque to the drive wheels before the ESC
intervenes. When cornering, the
wheels on the inner curve are braked
individually. Additionally, engine
torque will be delivered to the drive wheel on the outer curve. This
reduces the tendency of
understeering and improves traction
when cornering fast.
ESC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When ESC operates b flashes.
9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 111.