2018.5 VAUXHALL ASTRA J GTC Owner's Manual

Climate control135restart will be requested by the
climate control system during an Autostop. Exception: defrost system
is activated and outside temperature
above 0 °C.
The display will indicate ACON when
cooling is activated or ACOFF when
the cooling is deactivated.
Activation or deactivation of cooling
operation after engine start can be
changed in the Settings menu in the
Info-Display. Vehicle personalisation
3 104.
Stop-start system 3 141.
Air recirculation mode 4Press 4 to activate the air
recirculation mode. The LED in the
button illuminates to indicate
activation.
Press 4 again to deactivate
recirculation mode.9 Warning
The exchange of fresh air is
reduced in air recirculation mode.
In operation without cooling the air humidity increases, so the
windows may mist up from inside.
The quality of the passenger
compartment air deteriorates,
which may cause the vehicle
occupants to feel drowsy.
In warm and very humid ambient air conditions, the windscreen may mist
up from outside when cold air is
directed towards it. If windscreen
mists up from outside, activate
windscreen wiper and deactivate s.
Basic settings
Some settings can be changed in the Settings menu in the Info-Display.
Vehicle personalisation 3 104.
Auxiliary heater
Air heater Quickheat is an electric auxiliary air
heater which automatically warms up
the passenger compartment more
quickly.

136Climate controlAir vents
Adjustable air vents At least one air vent must be open
while the cooling is on.
To open the vent, turn the adjuster
wheel towards the bigger W symbol.
Adjust the air amount at the vent
outlet by turning the adjuster wheel.
Direct the flow of air by tilting and
swivelling the slats.
To close the vent, turn the adjuster
wheel towards the smaller W symbol.
9 Warning
Do not attach any objects to the
slats of the air vents. Risk of
damage and injury in case of an
accident.
Fixed air vents
Additional air vents are located
beneath the windscreen and door windows and in the foot wells.
Maintenance
Air intake
The air intake in front of the
windscreen in the engine
compartment must be kept clear to
allow air intake. Remove any leaves,
dirt or snow.
Pollen filter The pollen filter cleans dust, soot,
pollen and spores from the air
entering the vehicle through the air
intake.

Climate control137Air conditioning regular
operation
In order to ensure continuously
efficient performance, cooling must
be operated for a few minutes once a month, irrespective of the weather
and time of year. Operation with
cooling is not possible when the
outside temperature is too low.
Service For optimal cooling performance, it is
recommended to annually check the
climate control system, starting
three years after initial vehicle
registration, including:
● functionality and pressure test
● heating functionality
● leakage check
● check of drive belts
● cleaning of condenser and evaporator drainage
● performance check
Notice
Refrigerant R-134a contains
fluorinated greenhouse gases.

138Driving and operatingDriving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 139
Control of the vehicle ...............139
Steering ................................... 139
Starting and operating ...............139
New vehicle running-in ............139
Ignition switch positions ...........140
Retained power off ..................140
Starting the engine ..................140
Overrun cut-off ........................ 141
Stop-start system ....................141
Parking .................................... 143
Engine exhaust .......................... 144
Exhaust filter ............................ 144
Catalytic converter ...................146
Automatic transmission ..............146
Transmission display ...............146
Selector lever .......................... 147
Manual mode ........................... 148
Electronic driving programmes 148
Fault ........................................ 149
Interruption of power supply ....149
Manual transmission ..................150Brakes........................................ 151
Antilock brake system .............151
Parking brake .......................... 152
Brake assist ............................. 153
Hill start assist ......................... 153
Ride control systems .................154
Traction Control system ..........154
Electronic Stability Control ......154
Interactive driving system ........156
Driver assistance systems .........158
Cruise control .......................... 158
Speed limiter ........................... 160
Adaptive cruise control ............161
Forward collision alert .............168
Following distance indication ...171
Active Emergency Braking ......172
Parking assist .......................... 174
Side blind spot alert .................181
Traffic sign assistant ................182
Lane departure warning ..........186
Fuel ............................................ 187
Fuel for petrol engines .............187
Fuel for diesel engines ............188
Fuel for liquid gas operation ....189
Refuelling ................................ 189
Trailer hitch ................................ 193
General information .................193
Driving characteristics and towing tips .............................. 193Trailer towing........................... 193
Towing equipment ...................194
Trailer stability assist ...............197

Driving and operating139Driving hints
Control of the vehicle
Never coast with engine not
running (except during Autostop)
Many systems will not function in this
situation (e.g. brake servo unit, power steering). Driving in this manner is a
danger to yourself and others. All
systems function during an Autostop,
but there will be a controlled reduction
in power steering assist and vehicle
speed is reduced.
Stop-start system 3 141.
Idle boost
If charging of the vehicle battery is
required due to battery condition, the
power output of the generator must be increased. This will be achieved by an idle boost which may be audible.
A message is displayed in the Driver Information Centre.Pedals
To ensure the pedal travel is
uninhibited, there must be no mats in the area of the pedals.
Use only floor mats which fit properly and are fixed by the retainers on the
driver's side.
Steering If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or due to a
system malfunction, the vehicle can
be steered but may require increased
effort.
Control indicator c 3 88.Caution
Vehicles equipped with hydraulic
power steering:
If the steering wheel is turned until it reaches the end of its travel, and
is held in that position for more
than 15 seconds, damage may
occur to the power steering
system and there may be loss of
power steering assist.
Starting and operating
New vehicle running-in
Do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys.
During the first drive, smoke may
occur because of wax and oil
evaporating off the exhaust system.
Park the vehicle in the open for a
while after the first drive and avoid
inhaling the fumes.
During the running-in period fuel and engine oil consumption may be
higher and the cleaning process of the exhaust filter may take place more
often. Autostop may be inhibited to
allow for charging the battery.
Exhaust filter 3 144.

140Driving and operatingIgnition switch positions0:ignition off1:steering wheel lock released,
ignition off2:ignition on, for diesel engine:
preheating3:starting
Retained power off
The following electronic systems can
work until the driver's door is opened
or at the latest for ten minutes after the ignition is switched off:
● power windows
● sunroof
● power outlets
Power to the Infotainment system will continue to operate for 30 minutes or
until the key is removed from the ignition switch, regardless of whether
any door will be opened.
Starting the engine
Manual transmission: operate clutch.
Automatic transmission: operate
brake and move the selector lever to
P or N.
Do not operate the accelerator pedal.
Diesel engine: turn the key to position 2 for preheating until control
indicator ! extinguishes.
Turn the key briefly to position 3 and
release: an automatic procedure
operates the starter with a short delay
as long as the engine is running, see
Automatic Starter Control.
Before restarting or to switch off the
engine, turn the key back to position
0 .
During an Autostop, the engine can
be started by depressing the clutch
pedal.
Starting the vehicle at low
temperatures
Starting the engine without additional
heaters is possible down to -25 °С for diesel engines and -30 °C for petrol
engines. Required is an engine oil
with the correct viscosity, the correct
fuel, performed services and a
sufficiently charged vehicle battery.
With temperatures below -30 °C the
automatic transmission needs a
warming phase of approx. five
minutes. The selector lever must be
in position P.

Driving and operating141Automatic Starter ControlThis function controls the engine
starting procedure. The driver does
not need to hold the key in position 3.
Once applied, the system will go on starting automatically until the engine is running. Because of the checkingprocedure, the engine starts running
after a short delay.
Possible reasons for a non-starting
engine:
● Clutch pedal not operated (manual transmission).
● Brake pedal not operated or selector lever not in P or N
(automatic transmission).
● Timeout occurred.
Turbo engine warm-up Upon start-up, engine available
torque may be limited for a short time, especially when the engine
temperature is cold. The limitation is
to allow the lubrication system to fully protect the engine.Overrun cut-off
The fuel supply is automatically cut off
during overrun, i.e. when the vehicle
is driven with a gear engaged but
accelerator pedal is released.
Depending on driving conditions, the
overrun cut-off may be deactivated.
Stop-start system The stop-start system helps to save
fuel and to reduce the exhaust
emissions. When conditions allow, it
switches off the engine as soon as the
vehicle is at a low speed or at a
standstill, e.g. at a traffic light or in a
traffic jam. It starts the engine
automatically as soon as the clutch is
depressed. A battery sensor ensures
that an Autostop is only performed if
the vehicle battery is sufficiently
charged for a restart.
Activation
The stop-start system is available as
soon as the engine is started, the
vehicle starts-off and the conditions
as stated below in this section are
fulfilled.Deactivation
Deactivate the stop-start system
manually by pressing eco. The
deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button extinguishes.
Autostop If the vehicle is at a low speed or at a
standstill, activate an Autostop as
follows:
● Depress the clutch pedal.
● Move the selector lever to neutral.
● Release the clutch pedal.

142Driving and operatingThe engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on.
An Autostop is indicated by the
needle at the AUTOSTOP position in
the tachometer.
The stop-start system will be disabled
on inclines of 12% or more.
During an Autostop, the heating and
brake performance will be
maintained.
Caution
The power steering assist may be
reduced during an Autostop.
Conditions for an Autostop
The stop-start system checks if each
of the following conditions is fulfilled:
● The stop-start system is not manually deactivated.
● The bonnet is fully closed.
● The driver's door is closed or the driver's seat belt is fastened.
● The vehicle battery is sufficiently charged and in good condition.
● The engine is warmed-up.
● The engine coolant temperature is not too high.
● The engine exhaust temperature is not too high, e.g. after driving
with high engine load.
● The ambient temperature is above -5 °C.
● The climate control system allows an Autostop.
● The brake vacuum is sufficient.
● The self-cleaning function of the exhaust filter is not active.
● The vehicle was driven at least at
walking speed since the last
Autostop.Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
" Climate control " chapter for more
details 3 131.
Immediately after motorway driving,
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 139.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts, several battery discharge protection
features are implemented as part of
the stop-start system.
Power saving measures
During an Autostop, several electric
features, e.g. auxiliary electric heater
or heated rear window are disabled or switched into a power saving mode.
The fan speed of the climate control
system is reduced to save power.
Restart of the engine by the driver
Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.