2018 OPEL ASTRA K automatic transmission

Driving and operating157Driving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 158
Control of the vehicle ...............158
Steering ................................... 158
Starting and operating ...............158
New vehicle running-in ............158
Ignition switch positions ...........158
Power button ........................... 159
Retained power off ..................160
Starting the engine ..................161
Overrun cut-off ........................ 163
Stop-start system ....................163
Parking .................................... 166
Engine exhaust .......................... 168
Diesel particle filter ..................168
Catalytic converter ...................169
Automatic transmission ..............169
Transmission display ...............169
Selector lever .......................... 170
Manual mode ........................... 171
Electronic driving programmes 171
Fault ........................................ 171
Interruption of power supply ....172
Manual transmission ..................173Manual transmission automa‐
ted .............................................. 173
Transmission display ...............174
Selector lever .......................... 174
Manual mode ........................... 175
Electronic driving programmes 176
Fault ........................................ 176
Brakes ........................................ 176
Antilock brake system .............176
Parking brake .......................... 177
Brake assist ............................. 179
Hill start assist ......................... 179
Ride control systems .................179
Traction Control system ..........179
Electronic Stability Control ......180
Sport mode .............................. 182
Driver assistance systems .........182
Cruise control .......................... 182
Speed limiter ........................... 184
Adaptive cruise control ............186
Forward collision alert .............193
Following distance indication ...196
Active emergency braking .......197
Parking assist .......................... 200
Side blind spot alert .................207
Rear view camera ...................209
Traffic sign assistant ................211
Lane keep assist .....................215Fuel............................................ 217
Fuel for petrol engines .............217
Fuel for diesel engines ............218
Fuel for natural gas operation . 219
Refuelling ................................ 219
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions ............................... 221
Trailer hitch ................................ 222
General information .................222
Driving characteristics and towing tips .............................. 222
Trailer towing ........................... 223
Towing equipment ...................223
Trailer stability assist ...............226

Driving and operating1590:ignition off: Some functions
remain active until key is
removed or driver's door is
opened, provided the ignition was
on previously1:accessory power mode: Steering wheel lock released, some
electrical functions are operable,
ignition is off2:ignition on power mode: Ignition
is on, diesel engine is preheating.
Control indicators illuminate and
most electrical functions are
operable3:engine start: Release key after
starting procedure beginsSteering wheel lock
Remove key from ignition switch and
turn steering wheel until it engages.9 Danger
Never remove the key from
ignition switch during driving as
this will cause steering wheel lock.
Power button
Electronic key must be inside the
vehicle.
Accessory power mode
Press Engine Start/Stop once without
operating clutch or brake pedal. The yellow LED in the button illuminates.
Steering wheel lock is released and
some electrical functions are
operable, ignition is off.Ignition on power mode
Press and hold Engine Start/Stop for
six seconds without operating clutch
or brake pedal. The green LED in the button illuminates, diesel engine is
preheating. Control indicators
illuminate and most electrical
functions are operable.Engine start
Operate clutch pedal (manual
transmission) or brake pedal
(automatic transmission or manual
transmission automated) and press
Engine Start/Stop once more.
Release button after starting
procedure begins.Ignition off
Press Engine Start/Stop briefly in
each mode or when engine is running and vehicle is stationary. Some

160Driving and operatingfunctions remain active until driver's
door is opened, provided the ignition
was on previously.Emergency shut off during driving
Press Engine Start/Stop for longer
than two seconds or press twice
briefly within five seconds 3 161.
Steering wheel lock
The steering wheel lock activates
automatically when:
● The vehicle is stationary.
● The ignition has been switched off.
● The driver's door is opened.
To release steering wheel lock, open
and close driver's door and switch on accessory mode or start the engine
directly.
9 Warning
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
the vehicle must not be towed,
tow-started or jump-started as the
steering wheel lock cannot be
disengaged.
Operation on vehicles with
electronic key system in case of
failure
If either the electronic key fails or the
battery of the electronic key is weak,
the Driver Information Centre may
display No Remote Detected or
Replace Battery in Remote Key when
you try to start the vehicle.
Place the electronic key solely
centred in the transmitter area in
longitudinal direction flat with buttons
upside as shown in the illustration.
Other objects, e.g. other keys,
transponder, tags, coins etc. must be removed from the centre console.
Depress the clutch pedal (manual
transmission) or the brake pedal
(automatic transmission or manual
transmission automated) and press
Engine Start/Stop .
To switch off the engine, press
Engine Start/Stop again. Remove the
electronic key from the centre
console.
This option is intended for
emergencies only. Replace the
electronic key battery as soon as
possible 3 22.
For unlocking or locking the doors,
see fault in radio remote control unit
or electronic key system 3 24.
Retained power off
The following electronic systems can
work until the driver's door is opened
or for ten minutes after the ignition is
switched off:
● power windows
● sunroof
● power outlets

Driving and operating161Starting the engine
Vehicles with ignition switch
Turn key to position 1 to release the
steering wheel lock.
Manual transmission: operate clutch
and brake pedal.
Automatic transmission: operate
brake pedal and move selector lever
to P or N.
Manual transmission automated:
operate brake pedal.
Do not operate accelerator pedal.
Diesel engines: turn the key to
position 2 for preheating and wait until
control indicator ! extinguishes.
Turn key briefly to position 3 and
release: an automatic procedure operates the starter with a short delay
until the engine is running, see
Automatic Starter Control.
Manual transmission: during an
Autostop, the engine can be started
by depressing the clutch pedal
3 163.
Automatic transmission or manual
transmission automated: during an
Autostop, the engine can be started
by releasing the brake pedal 3 163.Vehicles with power button
Manual transmission: operate clutch
and brake pedal.
Automatic transmission: operate
brake pedal and move selector lever
to P or N.
Manual transmission automated:
operate brake pedal.
Do not operate accelerator pedal.
Press and release Engine Start/Stop:
an automatic procedure operates the
starter with a short delay until the
engine is running, see automatic
starter control.

162Driving and operatingBefore restarting or to switch off the
engine when vehicle is stationary, press Engine Start/Stop once more
briefly.
Manual transmission: during an
Autostop, the engine can be started
by depressing the clutch pedal
3 163.
Automatic transmission or manual
transmission automated: during an
Autostop, the engine can be started
by releasing the brake pedal 3 163.
Emergency shut off during driving If the engine needs to be switched offduring driving in case of emergency,
press Engine Start/Stop for longer
than two seconds or press twice briefly within five seconds.9 Danger
Switching off the engine during
driving may cause loss of power
support for brake and steering
systems. Assistance systems and
airbag systems are disabled.
Lighting and brake lights will
extinguish. Therefore power down the engine and ignition while
driving only when required in case of emergency.
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 requires a
warming phase of approx.
five minutes. The selector lever must
be in position P.
Automatic starter control
This function controls the engine
starting procedure. The driver does
not need to hold the key in position 3
or to hold Engine Start/Stop pressed.
Once applied, the system will go on
starting automatically until the engine
is running. Because of the checking procedure, 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).
● Brake pedal not operated (manual transmission
automated).
● 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.

Driving and operating163Overrun 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. The ignition stays on.
The engine switches on automatically when certain conditions apply or
restart is activated by a driver.
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 D. The
deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button illuminates.
Autostop
Vehicles with manual transmission
Depending on the engine, two
versions of an Autostop are available. See engine data to identify the engine
identifier code for your vehicle
3 285.
Conventional Autostop
All engines except B16DTU have only
the conventional Autostop.An Autostop can be activated at a
speed lower than 5 km/h.
Activate a conventional Autostop as follows:
● Depress the clutch pedal.
● Set the lever in neutral.
● Release the clutch pedal.
Early Autostop
Only the engine B16DTU has early
Autostop in addition to conventional
Autostop.
An Autostop can be activated at a
speed lower than 14 km/h.
Early Autostop is inhibited if the
incline is greater than 5%.
Activate an early Autostop as follows: ● Depress the brake pedal sufficiently.
● Depress the clutch pedal.
The engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on.
Early Autostop is inhibited when the
turn signal is on, trailer hitch is
connected, the steering wheel is
moved beyond a certain point or the
inclines is greater than 5%.

164Driving and operatingVehicles with automatic transmission
or manual transmission automated
If the vehicle is at a standstill with
depressed brake pedal, Autostop is
activated automatically.
Indication
An Autostop is indicated by the
needle at the AUTOSTOP position in
the tachometer.
After restart, the idle speed is
indicated.
During an Autostop the performance
of the vehicle will be maintained.
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 brake vacuum is sufficient.
● Between the last Restart and a new Autostop must be about
10 s.
● The self-cleaning function of the diesel particle filter is not active.●The vehicle was driven at least at
walking speed since the last
Autostop.
● The stop-start system will be deactivated on inclines of 15% or
more.
Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
Climate control chapter for more
details 3 148.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 158.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts,
several vehicle battery discharge
protection features are implemented
as part of the stop-start system.
Power saving measures
During an Autostop, several electrical
features such as auxiliary electric
heater or rear window heating are
disabled or switched to a power

Driving and operating165saving mode. The fan speed of the
climate control system is reduced to
save power.
Restart of the engine by the driverVehicles with manual transmission
Depending on the engine, two
versions of a restart are available.
See engine data to identify the engine
identifier code for your vehicle
3 285.
Conventional restart
Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine. For engines with late restart,
this is only possible without
depressing the brake pedal.
Late restart
All petrol engines and the diesel
engines B16DTU and B16DTR have
late restart in addition to conventional
restart. Late restart is only active on
inclines up to 5%.
● Depress the brake pedal.
● Depress the clutch pedal.
● Select first gear.
● Release the brake pedal to restart the engine.Vehicles with automatic transmission
or manual transmission automated:
Release the brake pedal or move
selector lever out of D into N or P to
restart the engine.
Restart of the engine by the stop- start system
On vehicles with manual transmission
which are in a conventional Autostop,
the selector lever must be in neutral
to enable an automatic restart.
On vehicles with manual transmission
which are in an early Autostop, an
automatic restart is possible, when
not in neutral if the brake pedal and
the clutch pedal are depressed.
On vehicles with automatic
transmission or manual transmission
automated, the selector lever must be
in D to enable an automatic restart.
The engine will be restarted
automatically by the stop-start
system, if one of the following
conditions occurs during an Autostop:
● The stop-start system is manually deactivated.
● The bonnet is opened.● The driver's seat belt is unfastened and / or the driver'sdoor is opened.
● The engine temperature is too low.
● The charging level of the vehicle battery 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 desired compartment temperature does not match the
actual temperature.
● 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 electrical accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop
during the restart might be noticeable.