2018.5 OPEL ASTRA K Manual user

Vehicle care271Caution
The use of a spare wheel that issmaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
The spare wheel is located in the load
compartment beneath the floor
covering.
To remove:
1. Open the floor cover 3 81.
2. The spare wheel is secured with a
wing nut. Unscrew nut and take
out the spare wheel.
Under the spare wheel there is the box with vehicle tools.
3. When, after a wheel change, no wheel is placed in the spare wheel
well, secure the tool box by
tightening the wing nut as far as it will go and close floor cover.
4. After wheel change back to full size wheel, place the spare wheel
outside up in the well and secure
with the wing nut.
Stowing a damaged full size
wheel in the load compartment, 5- door hatchback
The spare wheel well is not designed for other tyre sizes than the spare
wheel. A damaged full size wheel
must be stowed in the load
compartment and secured with a
strap. Vehicle tools 3 256. To secure
the wheel:
1. Position the wheel outside up close to one sidewall of the load
compartment.
2. Place the loop end of the strap through the front lashing eye on
the appropriate side.
3. Place the hook end of the strap through the loop and pull it until
the strap is fastened securely to
the lashing eye.

272Vehicle care
4. Insert the strap through thespokes of the wheel as shown in
the illustration.
5. Mount the hook to the rear lashing
eye.
6. Tighten the strap and secure it using the buckle.
9 Danger
Always drive with folded up and
engaged rear seat backrests when stowing a damaged full size wheel
in the load compartment.
Stowing a damaged full size
wheel in the load compartment,
Sports Tourer
All permitted wheel sizes can be
stowed in the spare wheel well. To
secure the wheel:
1. Remove centre cap with the brand
emblem by pushing from the
inside.
2. Position the wheel outside down in the wheel well.
3. Secure the defective wheel withthe wing nut.
4. Depending on the tyre size, the floor cover can be placed on the
projecting wheel.
Temporary spare wheelCaution
The use of a spare wheel that is smaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
Only mount one temporary spare
wheel. Do not drive faster than
80 km/h. Take curves slowly. Do not use for a long period of time.
If your vehicle gets a flat tyre on the
rear while towing another vehicle,
mount the temporary spare wheel in the front and the full tyre in the rear.
Tyre chains 3 264.

Vehicle care273Spare wheel with directional tyreIf possible, fit directional tyres such
that they roll in the direction of travel.
The rolling direction is indicated by a
symbol (e.g. an arrow) on the
sidewall.
The following applies to tyres fitted
opposing the rolling direction:
● Driveability may be affected. Have the defective tyre renewed
or repaired as soon as possible
and fit it instead of the spare
wheel.
● Drive particularly carefully on wet
and snow-covered road
surfaces.Jump starting
The vehicle battery is located in the
load compartment under a cover. There are connecting points for jump
starting in the engine compartment.
A vehicle with a discharged vehicle
battery can be started using jump
leads and the vehicle battery of
another vehicle.
Do not start with quick charger.9 Warning
Be extremely careful when starting
with jump leads. Any deviation
from the following instructions can
lead to injuries or damage caused
by battery explosion or damage to the electrical systems of both
vehicles.
9 Warning
Avoid contact of the battery with
eyes, skin, fabrics and painted
surfaces. The fluid contains
sulphuric acid which can cause
injuries and damage in the event
of direct contact.
● Never expose the vehicle battery
to naked flames or sparks.
● A discharged vehicle battery can already freeze at a temperature
of 0 °C. Defrost the frozen vehicle
battery before connecting jump leads.
● Wear eye protection and protective clothing when
handling a vehicle battery.
● Use a booster vehicle battery with the same voltage (12 Volt).
Its capacity (Ah) must not be
much less than that of the
discharged vehicle battery.
● Use jump leads with insulated terminals and a cross section of
at least 16 mm 2
(25 mm 2
for
diesel engines).
● Do not disconnect the discharged
vehicle battery from the vehicle.
● Switch off all unnecessary electrical consumers.

274Vehicle care● Do not lean over the vehiclebattery during jump starting.
● Do not allow the terminals of one
lead to touch those of the other
lead.
● The vehicles must not come into contact with each other during
the jump starting process.
● Apply the parking brake, transmission in neutral,
automatic transmission in P.
● Open the positive terminal protection cap of your vehicle in
the engine compartment and of
the booster vehicle battery.Lead connection order:
1. Connect the red lead to the positive terminal of the booster
vehicle battery.
2. Connect the other end of the red lead to the positive terminal of
your vehicle near the fuse box in
the engine compartment.
3. Connect the black lead to the negative terminal of the booster
vehicle battery.
4. Connect the other end of the black
lead to a vehicle grounding point
of your vehicle in the engine
compartment.
Route the leads so that they cannot
catch on rotating parts in the engine
compartment.
To start the engine: 1. Start the engine of the vehicle providing the jump.
2. After five minutes, start the other engine. Start attempts should be
made for no longer than
15 seconds at an interval of one
minute.3. Allow both engines to idle for approx. three minutes with the
leads connected.
4. Switch on electrical consumers (e.g. headlights, heated rear
window) of the vehicle receiving
the jump start.
5. Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.

Vehicle care275Towing
Towing the vehicle
Wrap a cloth around the tip of a flat
screwdriver to prevent paint damage.
Insert a screwdriver in the slot at the
lower part of the cap. Release the cap
by carefully moving the screwdriver
downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 256.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering the
vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release steering wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Caution
Deactivate the driver assistance
systems like active emergency
braking 3 200, otherwise the
vehicle may automatically brake during towing.
Switch the selector lever to neutral.
Release the parking brake.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation and close the
windows.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: The vehicle must be towed facing
forwards, not faster than 80 km/h nor further than 100 km. In all other cases

276Vehicle careand when the transmission is
defective, the front axle must be
raised off the ground.
Vehicles with manual transmission
automated: the vehicle must only be
towed facing forwards with the front
axle raised off the ground.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the top and engage
downwards.
Towing another vehicleWrap a cloth around the tip of a flat
screwdriver to prevent paint damage. Insert a screwdriver in the slot at the
lower bend of the cap. Release the
cap by carefully moving the
screwdriver downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 256.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or even better a
tow bar – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the top and engage
downwards.

Vehicle care277Appearance care
Exterior care LocksThe locks are lubricated at the factoryusing a high quality lock cylinder
grease. Use de-icing agent only when
absolutely necessary, as this has a
degreasing effect and impairs lock
function. After using a de-icing agent,
have the locks regreased by a
workshop.
WashingThe paintwork of your vehicle is
exposed to environmental influences.
Wash and wax your vehicle regularly.
When using automatic vehicle
washes, select a programme that
includes waxing.
Bird droppings, dead insects, resin,
pollen and the like should be cleaned
off immediately, as they contain
aggressive constituents which can
cause paint damage.If using a vehicle wash, comply with
the vehicle wash manufacturer's
instructions. The windscreen wiper and rear window wiper must be
switched off. Remove antenna and
external accessories such as roof
racks etc.
If you wash your vehicle by hand,
make sure that the insides of the
wheel housings are also thoroughly
rinsed out.
Clean edges and folds on opened
doors and the bonnet as well as the
areas they cover.
Clean bright metal mouldings with a
cleaning solution approved for
aluminium to avoid damages.Caution
Always use a cleaning agent with
a pH value of four to nine.
Do not use cleaning agents on hot surfaces.
Do not clean the engine compartmentwith a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Thoroughly rinse and leather-off the vehicle. Rinse leather frequently. Use
separate leathers for painted and
glass surfaces: remnants of wax on
the windows will impair vision.
Have the door hinges of all doors
greased by a workshop.
Do not use hard objects to remove
spots of tar. Use tar removal spray on
painted surfaces.
Exterior lights
Headlight and other light covers are
made of plastic. Do not use any
abrasive or caustic agents, do not use an ice scraper, and do not clean them
dry.
Polishing and waxing
Wax the vehicle regularly (at the
latest when water no longer beads).
Otherwise, the paintwork will dry out.
Polishing is necessary only if the paint
has become dull or if solid deposits
have become attached to it.
Paintwork polish with silicone forms a
protective film, making waxing
unnecessary.

278Vehicle carePlastic body parts must not be treatedwith wax or polishing agents.
Windows and windscreen wiper
blades
Use a soft lint-free cloth or chamois
leather together with window cleaner and insect remover.
When cleaning the rear window from
inside, always wipe in parallel to the
heating element to prevent damage.
For mechanical removal of ice, use a
sharp-edged ice scraper. Press the
scraper firmly against the glass so
that no dirt can get under it and
scratch the glass.
Remove dirt residues from smearing
wiper blades by using a soft cloth and window cleaner. Also make sure to
remove any residues such as wax,
insect residues and similar from the
window.
Ice residues, pollution and continuous
wiping on dry windows will damage or
even destroy the wiper blades.Sunroof
Never clean with solvents or abrasive
agents, fuels, aggressive media
(e.g. paint cleaner, acetone-
containing solutions etc.), acidic or
highly alkaline media or abrasive
pads. Do not apply wax or polishing
agents to the sunroof.
Wheels and tyres
Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.
Clean rims with a pH-neutral wheel
cleaner.
Rims are painted and can be treated
with the same agents as the body.
Paintwork damageRectify minor paintwork damage witha touch-up pen before rust forms.
Have more extensive damage or rust
areas repaired by a workshop.
Underbody Some areas of the vehicle underbody
have a PVC undercoating while other
critical areas have a durable
protective wax coating.After the underbody is washed, check the underbody and have it waxed if
necessary.
Bitumen/rubber materials could
damage the PVC coating. Have
underbody work carried out by a
workshop.
Before and after winter, wash the
underbody and have the protective
wax coating checked.
Towing equipment
Do not clean the coupling ball bar with
a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Air shutterClean the shutter system in the front
bumper to maintain correct
functionality.
Interior care
Interior and upholstery Only clean the vehicle interior,
including the instrument panel fascia
and panelling, with a dry cloth or
interior cleaner.