2018 OPEL ASTRA K engine

170Driving and operatingIn manual mode, M and the number
of the selected gear is indicated.
R indicates reverse gear.
N indicates neutral position.
P indicates park position.
Selector leverP:park position, wheels are locked, engage only when the vehicle is
stationary and the parking brake
is appliedR:reverse gear, engage only when
the vehicle is stationaryN:neutralD:automatic modeM:manual mode<:upshift in manual mode]:downshift in manual mode
The selector lever is locked in P and
can only be moved when the ignition
is on, the release button on the
selector lever is pushed and the brake
pedal is applied.
Without brake pedal applied, control
indicator j illuminates.
If the selector lever is not in P when
the ignition is switched off, control
indicator j flashes.
To engage P or R, press the release
button.
The engine can only be started with the lever in position P or N. When
position N is selected, press the brake
pedal or apply the parking brake
before starting.
Do not accelerate while engaging a
gear. Never depress the accelerator
pedal and brake pedal at the same
time.
When a gear is engaged, the vehicle
slowly begins to creep when the
brake is released.
Engine braking To utilise the engine braking effect,select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill, see manual mode.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between D and R in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.

Driving and operating171ParkingApply the parking brake and engage
P .
The ignition key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in position
P .
Manual mode
Move selector lever out of position D
towards the left in position M.
Tap selector lever upwards + to shift
to a higher gear.
Tap the selector lever downwards - to
shift to a lower gear.
If a higher gear is selected when
vehicle speed is too low, or a lower
gear when vehicle speed is too high,
the shift is not executed. This can
cause a message in the Driver
Information Centre.
In manual mode, no automatic
shifting to a higher gear takes place
at high engine revolutions.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside it is indicated when
gearshifting is recommended for fuel
saving reasons.
Shift 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.● Special programmes automatically adapt the shifting
points when driving up inclines or
down hills.
● In snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery surfaces, the
electronic transmission control
enables the driver to select
manually first, second or third
gear for starting off.
Kickdown Pressing down the accelerator pedal
beyond the kickdown detent will lead
to maximum acceleration
independent of selected driving
mode. The transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on engine
speed.
Fault
In the event of a fault a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. Vehicle messages 3 123.
Electronic transmission control
enables only fourth gear. The
transmission no longer shifts
automatically.

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.

Driving and operating179Functionality check
When the vehicle is not moving, the
electric parking brake might be
applied automatically. This is done to
check the system.
Fault
Failure mode of electric parking brake
is indicated by a control indicator j
and by a vehicle message which is
displayed in the Driver Information Centre. Vehicle messages 3 123.
Apply electric parking brake: pull and hold the switch m for more than
five seconds. If control indicator m
illuminates, electric parking brake is
applied.
Release electric parking brake: push and hold the switch m for more than
two seconds. If control indicator m
extinguishes, electric parking brake is
released.
Control indicator m flashes: electric
parking brake is not fully applied or
released. When continuously
flashing, release electric parking
brake and retry applying.Brake assist
If brake pedal is depressed quickly
and forcefully, maximum brake force
is automatically applied.
Operation of brake assist might
become apparent by a pulse in the
brake pedal and a greater resistance when depressing the brake pedal.
Maintain steady pressure on the
brake pedal as long as full braking is
required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when brake
pedal is released.
Hill start assist The system helps prevent unintendedmovement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the brake pedal after
stopping on an incline, brakes remain
on for further two seconds. The
brakes release automatically as soon
as the vehicle begins to accelerate.Ride control systems
Traction Control systemThe Traction Control system (TC) is a
component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC).
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 the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.

180Driving and operating9Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 112.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required: press b
briefly.
Control indicator k illuminates.
A status message appears in the
Driver Information Centre when TC is
deactivated.
When TC is deactivated, ESC
remains active but with higher control threshold.
TC is reactivated by pressing b
again. A status message pops up in the Driver Information Centre when
TC is reactivated.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If there is a fault in the system the
control indicator b illuminates
continuously and a message appears in the Driver Information Centre. The
system is not operational.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually.
ESC operates in combination with the Traction Control system (TC). It
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
Torque distribution is a special
feature that allocates the torque to the drive wheels before the ESC
intervenes. When cornering, the
wheels on the inner curve are braked
individually. Additionally, engine
torque will be delivered to the drive wheel on the outer curve. This
reduces the tendency of
understeering and improves traction
when cornering fast.