178Driving and operatingCaution
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 equivalent can lead todeposits 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 3 242. A
country-specific label at the fuel filler
flap can supersede the requirement.
Fuel additive
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. In
certain countries fuel does not
contain sufficient quantities of
additive to keep fuel injectors and
intake valves clean. In these
countries a fuel additive is required for
some engines to make up for this lack
of detergency. Only use fuel additive
approved for the vehicle.
Adding fuel additive to the filled fuel
tank is required at least every 15,000 km or after one year, whichever
occurs first. For further information,
contact your workshop.
Prohibited fuels
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 illuminate 3 92.
If this occurs, seek the assistance of
a workshop.
Driving and operating179Fuel 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.
Caution
Frequent usage of diesel fuel
containing 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. Make sure to fill winter
grade diesel fuel at ambient
temperatures below 0°C.
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.
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).
Driving and operating183Fit protective cap to prevent the
penetration of foreign bodies into the
filler opening and the system.9 Warning
Due to the system design, an
escape of liquid gas after
releasing the locking lever is
unavoidable. Avoid inhaling.
9 Warning
The liquid gas tank should only be
filled to 80% capacity, for safety
reasons.
The multivalve on the liquid gas tank
automatically limits the fill quantity. If
a larger quantity is added, we
recommend not exposing the vehicle
to the sun until the excess amount
has been used up.
Fuel filler cap
Only use genuine fuel filler caps. Diesel-engined vehicles have special fuel filler caps.
Trailer 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
four bulbs with a power of 5 W each,
the function only detects lamp outage when only a single 5 W 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 when
not in use.Driving characteristics and
towing tips
Before attaching a trailer, lubricatethe 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
1000 kg a speed of 80 km/h must not
be exceeded; the use of a stabiliser is
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 3 252.
184Driving and operatingTrailer towingTrailer loadsThe 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 loads apply up to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 m 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 m 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).The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 238.
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.Petrol and diesel engines
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (55 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.Engine B14XEL LPG / D14XEL LPG
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (45 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 loadPetrol and diesel engines
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) for passenger vehicles
may be exceeded by 70 kg for the 5-
door vehicle and 60 kg for the 3-door
vehicle, the gross vehicle weight
rating by 55 kg.Engine B14XEL LPG / D14XEL LPG
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) for passenger vehicles
may be exceeded by 70 kg for the 5-
door vehicle and 70 kg for the 3-door
vehicle and the gross vehicle weight
rating by 45 kg.Delivery van
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) for passenger vehicles
may be exceeded by 60 kg and the
gross vehicle weight rating by 55 kg.
Driving and operating187Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach breakaway stopping cable to
eye.
Check that the coupling ball bar is correctly installed
● Green marking on rotary knob is visible.
● There must be no gap between the rotary knob and the coupling
ball bar.
● The coupling ball bar must be firmly engaged in the opening.
● The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.
9Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.
Dismounting the coupling ball bar
Insert the key in the lock and unlock
the coupling ball bar.
Push the rotary knob onto the
coupling ball bar and rotate right while pressed down until it engages. Pull
out the ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening for
coupling ball bar. Fold away socket.
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 is a function of
the Electronic Stability Control 3 152.
188Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................188
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 188
Vehicle storage ........................189
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....189
Vehicle checks ........................... 190
Performing work ......................190
Bonnet ..................................... 190
Engine oil ................................. 191
Engine coolant ......................... 192
Washer fluid ............................ 193
Brakes ..................................... 193
Brake fluid ............................... 193
Vehicle battery ......................... 194
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....195
Wiper blade replacement ........195
Bulb replacement .......................196
Halogen headlights ..................196
Xenon headlights .....................199
Fog lights ................................. 200
Front turn lights .......................200
Tail lights ................................. 200
Side turn lights ......................... 202
Centre high-mounted brake light ......................................... 203Number plate light...................203
Interior lights ............................ 204
Electrical system ........................204
Fuses ....................................... 204
Engine compartment fuse box . 205
Instrument panel fuse box .......207
Vehicle tools .............................. 209
Tools ........................................ 209
Wheels and tyres .......................210
Winter tyres ............................. 210
Tyre designations ....................210
Tyre pressure .......................... 211
Tyre pressure monitoring
system .................................... 212
Tread depth ............................. 216
Changing tyre and wheel size . 217
Wheel covers ........................... 217
Tyre chains .............................. 217
Tyre repair kit .......................... 218
Wheel changing .......................223
Spare wheel ............................ 225
Jump starting ............................. 227
Towing ....................................... 229
Towing the vehicle ...................229
Towing another vehicle ...........230
Appearance care .......................231
Exterior care ............................ 231
Interior care ............................. 233General Information
Accessories and vehiclemodifications
We recommend the use of genuine
parts and accessories and factory
approved parts specific for your
vehicle type. We cannot assess or guarantee reliability of other products
- even if they have a regulatory or
otherwise granted approval.
Any modification, conversion or other
changes made to standard vehicle
specifications (including, without
limitation, software modifications,
modifications of the electronic control units) may invalidate the warranty
offered by Opel. Furthermore, such
changes may affect driver assistance
systems, fuel consumption, CO 2
emissions and other emissions of the
vehicle. They may also invalidate the
vehicle operating permit.
Vehicle care189Caution
When transporting the vehicle on
a train or on a recovery vehicle, the
mud flaps may be damaged.
Vehicle storage
Storage for a long period of time
If the vehicle is to be stored for several months:
● Wash and wax the vehicle.
● Have the wax in the engine compartment and underbody
checked.
● Clean and preserve the rubber seals.
● Fill up fuel tank completely.
● Change the engine oil.
● Drain the washer fluid reservoir.
● Check the coolant antifreeze and
corrosion protection.
● Adjust tyre pressure to the value specified for full load.
● Park the vehicle in a dry, wellventilated place. Engage first or
reverse gear or set selector lever
to P. Prevent the vehicle from
rolling.
● Do not apply the parking brake.
● Open the bonnet, close all doors and lock the vehicle.
● Disconnect the clamp from the negative terminal of the vehicle
battery. Beware that all systems
are not functional, e.g. anti-theft
alarm system.
Putting back into operation
When the vehicle is to be put back into
operation:
● Connect the clamp to the negative terminal of the vehicle
battery. Activate the electronics
of the power windows.
● Check tyre pressure.
● Fill up the washer fluid reservoir.
● Check the engine oil level.
● Check the coolant level.
● Fit the number plate if necessary.End-of-life vehicle recovery
Information on end-of-life vehicle
recovery centres and the recycling of
end-of-life vehicles is available on our website. Only entrust this work to an
authorised recycling centre.
Gas vehicles must be recycled by a
service centre authorised for gas
vehicles.
190Vehicle careVehicle checks
Performing work9 Warning
Only perform engine compartment
checks when the ignition is off.
The cooling fan may start
operating even if the ignition is off.
9 Danger
The ignition system and Xenon
headlights use extremely high
voltage. Do not touch.
Bonnet
Opening
Pull the release lever and return it to
its original position.
Push the safety catch upwards and open the bonnet.
Secure the bonnet support.