2018 OPEL ASTRA J wheel

140Driving and operatingDriving 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 3 142.
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 89.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 diesel particle filter may take
place more often. Autostop may be
inhibited to allow for charging the
battery.
Diesel particle filter 3 146.

Driving and operating141Ignition 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.

144Driving and operatingThe engine start is indicated by the
needle at the idle speed position in
the tachometer.
If the selector lever is shifted out of
neutral before depressing the clutch
first, control indicator - illuminates
or is shown as a symbol in the Driver Information Centre.
Control indicator - 3 88.
Restart of the engine by the stop- start system
The selector lever must be in neutral
to enable an automatic restart.
If one of the following conditions
occurs during an Autostop, the
engine will be restarted automatically
by the stop-start system:
● The stop-start system is manually deactivated.
● The bonnet is opened.
● The driver's seat belt is unfastened and the driver's door
is opened.
● The engine temperature is too low.● The charging level of the vehiclebattery is below a defined level.
● The brake vacuum is not sufficient.
● The vehicle is driven at least at walking speed.
● The climate control system requests an engine start.
● The air conditioning is manually switched on.
If the bonnet is not fully closed, a warning message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
If an electric accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop during restart might be noticeable.
Parking9 Warning
● Do not park the vehicle on an
easily ignitable surface. The
high temperature of the
exhaust system could ignite the
surface.
● Always apply the parking brake. Activate the manual
parking brake without pressing the release button. Apply as
firmly as possible on a downhill slope or uphill slope. Depress
brake pedal at the same time to
reduce operating force.
For vehicles with electric
parking brake, pull switch m for
approx. one second.
The electric parking brake is
applied when control indicator
m illuminates 3 88.
● Switch off the engine.
● If the vehicle is on a level surface or uphill slope, engage
first gear or set the selector
lever to position P before
removing the ignition key. On
an uphill slope, turn the front
wheels away from the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill
slope, engage reverse gear or
set the selector lever to position
P before removing the ignition

Driving and operating145key. Turn the front wheels
towards the kerb.
● Close the windows and the sunroof.
● Remove the ignition key from the ignition switch. Turn the
steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock is felt to
engage.
For vehicles with automatic
transmission, the key can only
be removed when the selector
lever is in position P.
● Lock the vehicle.
● Activate the anti-theft alarm system.
● The engine cooling fans may run
after the engine has been
switched off 3 201.
Caution
After running at high engine
speeds or with high engine loads,
operate the engine briefly at a low load or run in neutral for
approx. 30 seconds before
switching off, in order to protect
the turbocharger.
Note
In the event of an accident with
airbag deployment, the engine is
turned off automatically if the vehicle
comes to a standstill within a certain time.
Engine exhaust9 Danger
Engine exhaust gases contain
poisonous carbon monoxide,
which is colourless and odourless and could be fatal if inhaled.
If exhaust gases enter the interior
of the vehicle, open the windows.
Have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop.
Avoid driving with an open load
compartment, otherwise exhaust
gases could enter the vehicle.

148Driving and operatingIn automatic mode, the driving
programme is indicated by D in the
Driver Information Centre.
R indicates reverse gear.
N indicates neutral position.
P indicates park position.
Midlevel display: in manual mode the
number of the selected gear is
indicated.
Uplevel display: in manual mode, M
and the number of the selected gear
is indicated.
Selector leverP:park position, press release
button, wheels are locked,
engage only when the vehicle is
stationary and parking brake is
appliedR:reverse gear, press release
button, engage only when
vehicle is stationaryN:neutralD:automatic modeM:manual mode: move selector
lever from D to the left.<:manual mode upshifting: move
selector lever in position M and
tap upwards]:manual mode downshifting:
move selector lever in position
M and tap rearwards
The selector lever is locked in P and
can only be moved when the ignition
is on and the brake pedal is applied.
Without brake pedal applied, the
control indicator j illuminates.
If the selector lever is not in P when
the ignition is switched off, the control
indicators j and P flash.
To engage P or R, press the release
button.

152Driving and operatingBrakes
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 your 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 88.
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 89.
Adaptive brake light
During full braking, all three brake
lights flash for the duration of ABS
control.Fault9 Warning
If there is a fault in the ABS, the
wheels may be liable to lock due
to braking that is heavier than
normal. The advantages of ABS are no longer available. During
hard braking, the vehicle can no longer be steered and may
swerve.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.

Driving and operating155Ride control systems
Traction Control system The Traction Control system (TC) is a
component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) 3 155.
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 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 90.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required:
press b briefly to deactivate TC, k
illuminates. Deactivation is displayed
as status message in the Driver
Information Centre.
TC is reactivated by pressing b
again.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip. It also
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning. ESC operates in
combination with the Traction Control system (TC) 3 155.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the
wheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving
stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.
ESC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.

Driving and operating159NORMAL mode
In NORMAL mode, when neither
SPORT nor OPC is pressed, all
settings of the systems are adapted
to standard values.
SPORT mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a sportier driving style.
OPC mode
The drive dynamic characteristics are
adapted to high performance
settings.
In this mode, the illumination of main
instruments is switched to red.
Personalised settings in the OPC mode
The driver can select the functions of
the OPC mode when OPC is pressed.
These settings can be changed in the Settings menu in the Info-Display.
Vehicle personalisation 3 105.Driver assistance
systems9 Warning
Driver assistance systems are
developed to support the driver
and not to replace the driver's
attention.
The driver accepts full
responsibility when driving the
vehicle.
When using driver assistance
systems, always take care
regarding the current traffic
situation.
Cruise control
The Cruise control can store and
maintain speeds of approx. 30 to
200 km/h. Deviations from the stored
speeds may occur when driving uphill or downhill.
For safety reasons, the cruise control cannot be activated until the brake
pedal has been operated once.
Activating in first gear is not possible.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not advisable to maintain a constant
speed.
With automatic transmission, only
activate cruise control in automatic
mode.
Control indicator m 3 92.
Switching on
Press m; control indicator m in
instrument cluster illuminates white.
Activation
Accelerate to the desired speed and
turn thumb wheel to SET/-; the
current speed is stored and