2018 OPEL ASTRA K clutch

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%.

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.

Driving and operating173Manual transmission
To engage reverse, depress the
clutch pedal and then press the
release button on the selector lever
and engage the gear.
If the gear does not engage, set the
lever to neutral, release the clutch
pedal and depress again; then repeat
gear selection.
Do not slip the clutch unnecessarily.
When operating, depress the clutch
pedal completely. Do not use the
pedal as a foot rest.
When clutch slip is detected for a specific time, the engine power will be reduced. A warning is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Release
the clutch.Caution
It is not advisable to drive with the hand resting on the selector lever.
Gear shift indication 3 112.
Stop-start system 3 163.
Manual transmission
automated
The automated manual transmission permits manual gearshifting (manual
mode) or automatic gearshifting
(automatic mode), both with
automatic clutch control.
Manual shifting is possible by tapping the selector lever in manual mode.
Note
When unlocking or opening a
vehicle door, a sound may be
audible caused by the hydraulic
system.

Driving and operating175The vehicle starts to move when the
brake pedal is released.
To start-off without depressing the
brake pedal, accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear as long as D or
R flashes.
If neither the accelerator nor the
brake pedal are depressed, no gear is engaged and D or R flashes for a
brief time in the display.
Stopping the vehicle
In D, first gear is engaged and the
clutch is released when the vehicle is
stopped. In R, reverse gear remains
engaged.
Engine braking
Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual
transmission automated does not shift into higher gears until a fairly
high engine speed has been reached. It shifts down in good time when
braking.Manual mode
To utilise the engine braking effect,
select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill. Changing into
manual mode is only possible while the engine is running or during an
Autostop.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between R and D in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking
The most recently engaged gear (see transmission display) remains
engaged when switching off ignition.
With N, no gear is engaged.
Therefore always apply the parking
brake when switching off ignition. If
parking brake is not applied, P flashes
in the transmission display and the
key cannot be removed from the
ignition switch. P stops flashing in the
transmission display as soon as the
parking brake is slightly applied.When the ignition is switched off, the
transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.
Emergency operation to avoid
freezing of the parking brake 3 166.
Manual mode
If a higher gear is selected when the
engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, the
shift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or
too high an engine speed. A warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 123.
If engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.
When + or - is selected in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to
manual mode and shifts accordingly.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside is indicated when gearshifting
is recommended for fuel saving
reasons.

176Driving and operatingShift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving programmes
● Following a cold start, the operating temperature
programme increases engine
speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
● The adaptive programme tailors gearshifting to the driving
conditions, e.g. greater load or
gradients.
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
down completely in automatic mode,
the transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed.
Fault
To prevent damage to the manual
transmission automated, the clutch is
engaged automatically at high clutch
temperatures.In the event of a fault, a warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 123.
Continued driving is restricted or not
possible, depending on the fault.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.Brakes
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 the 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 3 111.
Antilock brake system Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

178Driving and operatingTo reduce the operating forces ofthe parking brake, depress the
foot brake at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 111.
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
9 Warning
Pull switch m for a minimum of
one second until control indicator
m illuminates constantly and
electric parking brake is applied
3 111. The electric parking brake
operates automatically with
adequate force.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the electric parking brake status.
Control indicator m 3 111.
The electric parking brake can always
be activated, even if the ignition is off.
Do not operate electric parking brake
system too often without engine
running as this will discharge the vehicle battery.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep foot brake
pedal depressed and then push
switch m.
Drive away function
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Depressing the clutch pedal and then
slightly releasing the clutch pedal and slightly depressing the accelerator
pedal releases the electric parking
brake automatically. This is not
possible when switch m is pulled at
the same time.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
or manual transmission automated:
Engaging D and then depressing the
accelerator pedal releases the
electric parking brake automatically.
This is not possible when switch m is
pulled at the same time.
Dynamic braking when vehicle is
moving
When the vehicle is moving and the
switch m is kept pulled, the electric
parking brake system will decelerate
the vehicle, but will not apply
statically.
As soon as the switch m is released,
dynamic braking will be stopped.
Automatic applying
If the vehicle is equipped with
automatic transmission and adaptive
cruise control is active, electric
parking brake is applied automatically when vehicle is stopped by the
system for more than two minutes.
Parking brake releases automatically
after moving off.