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Vehicle care203
The legally permissible minimum
tread depth (1.6 mm) has been
reached when the tread has worn
down as far as one of the tread wear
indicators (TWI). Their position is
indicated by markings on the
sidewall.
If there is more wear at the front than
the rear, swap round front wheels and rear wheels. Ensure that the direction
of rotation of the wheels is the same
as before.
Tyres age, even if they are not used.
We recommend tyre replacement
every six years.
Changing tyre and wheel
size
If tyres of a different size than those
fitted at the factory are used, it may be necessary to reprogramme the
speedometer as well as the nominal
tyre pressure and make other vehicle modifications.
After converting to a different tyre
size, have the label with tyre
pressures replaced and the tyre
pressure monitoring system
reinitialised. 3 1999 Warning
The use of unsuitable tyres or
wheels may lead to accidents and will invalidate the vehicle
operating permit.
Wheel covers
Wheel covers and tyres that are
factory-approved for the respective
vehicle and comply with all of the
relevant wheel and tyre combination requirements must be used.
If the wheel covers and tyres used are
not factory-approved, the tyres must
not have a rim protection ridge.
Wheel covers must not impair brake
cooling.9 Warning
Use of unsuitable tyres or wheel
covers could lead to sudden
pressure loss and thereby
accidents.
Vehicles with alloy wheels: When
mounting steel wheels with alloy
wheel nuts, e.g. when changing to
winter tyres, the wheel covers cannot
be attached to the steel wheels.
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204Vehicle careTyre chains
Use tyre chains only on front wheels.
9Warning
Damage may lead to tyre blowout.
Tyre chains are permitted on tyres of
size 215/65 R16, 215/60 R17 and
215/55 R18.
On tyres of size 215/65 R16 and
215/60 R17 always use fine mesh
chains suitable for sport utility
vehicles that add no more than
9 mm to the tyre tread and the inboard sides (including chain lock).
On tyres of size 215/55 R18 only usespecial snow chains which are
permitted for Opel Mokka and tyres of these sizes. For further information
contact a workshop.
The use of tyre chains is not permitted
on the temporary spare wheel.
Tyre repair kit
Minor damage to the tyre tread can be repaired with the tyre repair kit.
Do not remove foreign bodies from
the tyres.
Tyre damage exceeding 4 mm or that
is at tyre's sidewall cannot be repaired with the tyre repair kit.9 Warning
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h.
Do not use for a lengthy period.
Steering and handling may be
affected.
If you have a flat tyre:
Apply the parking brake and engage
first gear, reverse gear or P.
The tyre repair kit is located in the
right side of rear compartment.
1. Take the tyre repair kit from the compartment.
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Vehicle care207Note
The driving characteristics of the
repaired tyre are severely affected, therefore have this tyre replaced.
If unusual noise is heard or the
compressor becomes hot, turn
compressor off for at least
30 minutes.
The built-in safety valve opens at a
pressure of 7 bar.
Note the expiry date of the kit. After
this date its sealing capability is no
longer guaranteed. Pay attention to
storage information on sealant
bottle.
Replace the used sealant bottle. Dispose of the bottle as prescribed
by applicable laws.
The compressor and sealant can be
used from approx. -30 °C.
The adapters supplied can be used
to pump up other items e.g.
footballs, air mattresses, inflatable
dinghies etc. They are located on the underside of the compressor. To
remove, screw on compressor air
hose and withdraw adapter.Wheel changing
Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel
3 204.
Make the following preparations and
observe the following information:
● Park the vehicle on a level, firm and non-skid surface. The front
wheels must be in the straight-
ahead position.
● Apply the parking brake and engage first gear, reverse gear or
P .
● Remove the spare wheel 3 209.
● Never change more than one wheel at a time.
● Use the jack only to change wheels in case of puncture, not
for seasonal winter or summer
tyre change.
● The jack is maintenance-free. ● If the ground on which the vehicle
is standing is soft, a solid board
(max. 1 cm thick) should be
placed under the jack.
● Take heavy objects out of the vehicle before jacking up.● No people or animals may be in the vehicle when it is jacked-up.
● Never crawl under a jacked-up vehicle.
● Do not start the vehicle when it is
raised on the jack.
● Clean wheel nuts and thread with
a clean cloth before mounting the wheel.9 Warning
Do not grease wheel bolt, wheel
nut and wheel nut cone.
1. Disengage wheel nut caps with a screwdriver and remove. Pull off
the wheel cover.
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208Vehicle care
2. Fold out the wheel wrench andinstall ensuring that it is located
securely and loosen each wheel
nut by half a turn.
3. Ensure the jack is correctly positioned under the relevant
vehicle jacking point.
Depending on the equipment, first
remove the covers from the
jacking points.
4. Set the jack to the necessary height. Position it directly below
the jacking point in a manner that prevents it from slipping.
Attach wheel wrench and with the
jack correctly aligned rotate wheel wrench until wheel is clear of the
ground.
5. Unscrew the wheel nuts. 6. Change the wheel. Spare wheel 3 209.
7. Screw on the wheel nuts.
8. Lower the vehicle and remove jack.
9. Install the wheel wrench ensuring that it locates securely and tighten
each nut in a crosswise
sequence. Tightening torque is
140 Nm.
10. Align the valve hole in the wheel cover with the tyre valve before
installing.
Install wheel nut caps.
Install centre cap on alloy wheels.
11. Install vehicle jacking point cover on versions with sill panelling.
12. Stow the replaced wheel 3 209
and the vehicle tools 3 196.
13. Check the tyre pressure of the installed tyre and the wheel nut
torque as soon as possible.
Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired as soon as possible.
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Vehicle care209Jacking position for lifting platform
Rear arm position of the lifting
platform centrically under the recess
of the sill.
Front arm position of the lifting
platform at the underbody.
Spare wheel Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel
3 204.
If mounting a spare wheel, which is
different from the other wheels, this
wheel might be classified as a
temporary spare wheel and the
corresponding speed limits apply,
even though no label indicates this.
Seek the assistance of a workshop to
check the applicable speed limit.
The spare wheel has a steel rim.Caution
The use of a spare wheel that is smaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
The spare wheel is located in the load
compartment beneath the floor
covering. It is secured with a wing nut.
Stowing a damaged full size
wheel in the load compartment
The spare wheel well is not designed for other tyre sizes than the spare
wheel.
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210Vehicle care
A damaged full size wheel must be
stowed in the load compartment and
secured with a strap. Vehicle tools
3 196.
To secure the wheel: 1. Position the wheel in the middle of
the load compartment.
2. Place the loop end of the strap through the lashing eye on one
side.
3. Place the hook end of the strap through the loop and pull it until
the strap is fastened securely to
the lashing eye.4. Insert the strap through the spokes of the wheel as shown in
the illustration.
5. Mount the hook to the opposite lashing eye.
6. Tighten the strap and secure it using the buckle.
9 Danger
Always drive with folded up and
engaged rear seat backrests when stowing a damaged full size wheel
in the load compartment.
Temporary spare wheelCaution
The use of the temporary spare
wheel could affect driveability.
Have the defective tyre renewed
or repaired as soon as possible.
Only mount one temporary spare
wheel. Do not drive faster than
80 km/h. Take curves slowly. Do not
use for a long period of time.
If your vehicle gets a flat tyre on the
rear while towing another vehicle,
mount the temporary spare wheel at
the front and the full size tyre at the
rear.
Tyre chains 3 204.
Spare wheel with directional tyre If possible, fit directional tyres such
that they roll in the direction of travel.
The rolling direction is indicated by a
symbol (e.g. an arrow) on the
sidewall.
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Vehicle care211The following applies to tyres fitted
opposing the rolling direction:
● Driveability may be affected. Have the defective tyre renewed
or repaired as soon as possible
and fit it instead of the spare
wheel.
● Drive particularly carefully on wet
and snow-covered road
surfaces.Jump starting
Do not start with a quick charger.
A vehicle with a discharged battery
can be started using jump leads and
the battery of another vehicle.9 Warning
Be extremely careful when starting
with jump leads. Any deviation
from the following instructions can
lead to injuries or damage caused
by battery explosion or damage to the electrical systems of both
vehicles.
9 Warning
Avoid contact of the battery with
eyes, skin, fabrics and painted
surfaces. The fluid contains
sulphuric acid which can cause
injuries and damage in the event
of direct contact.
● Never expose the battery to naked flames or sparks.
●A discharged battery can already
freeze at a temperature of 0 °C.
Defrost the frozen battery before
connecting jump leads.
● Wear eye protection and protective clothing when
handling a battery.
● Use a booster battery with the same voltage (12 Volts). Its
capacity (Ah) must not be much less than that of the discharged
battery.
● Use jump leads with insulated terminals and a cross section of
at least 16 mm 2
(25 mm 2
for
diesel engines).
● Do not disconnect the discharged
battery from the vehicle.
● Switch off all unnecessary electrical consumers.
● Do not lean over the battery during jump starting.
● Do not allow the terminals of one
lead to touch those of the other
lead.
● The vehicles must not come into contact with each other during
the jump starting process.
Page 215 of 251

Vehicle care213Towing
Towing the vehicle
Disengage cap by using a
screwdriver and remove.
The towing eye is stowed with the vehicle tools 3 196.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for towing and not for recovering the
vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release steering
wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Switch the selector lever to neutral.
Release the parking brake.
Caution
Never tow a vehicle equipped with All Wheel Drive (AWD) with the
front or rear tyres on the road. If
you tow a vehicle equipped with
AWD while the front or rear tyres
are rolling on the road, the drive
system in the vehicle could be
severely damaged. When towing
vehicles equipped with AWD, all
four tyres must not be in contact
with the road.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation system 3 128 and
close the windows.