2018 VAUXHALL ASTRA J GTC warning

134Climate controlrestart will be requested by the
climate control system during an
Autostop. Exception: defrost system
is activated and outside temperature
above 0 °C.
The display will indicate ACON when
cooling is activated or ACOFF when
the cooling is deactivated.
Activation or deactivation of cooling
operation after engine start can be
changed in the Settings menu in the
Info-Display. Vehicle personalisation
3 103.
Stop-start system 3 140.
Air recirculation mode 4Press 4 to activate the air
recirculation mode. The LED in the
button illuminates to indicate
activation.
Press 4 again to deactivate
recirculation mode.9 Warning
The exchange of fresh air is
reduced in air recirculation mode.
In operation without cooling the air humidity increases, so the
windows may mist up from inside.
The quality of the passenger
compartment air deteriorates,
which may cause the vehicle
occupants to feel drowsy.
In warm and very humid ambient air conditions, the windscreen may mist
up from outside when cold air is
directed towards it. If windscreen
mists up from outside, activate
windscreen wiper and deactivate s.
Basic settings
Some settings can be changed in the Settings menu in the Info-Display.
Vehicle personalisation 3 103.
Auxiliary heater
Air heater Quickheat is an electric auxiliary air
heater which automatically warms up
the passenger compartment more
quickly.

Climate control135Air vents
Adjustable air vents At least one air vent must be open
while the cooling is on.
To open the vent, turn the adjuster
wheel towards the bigger W symbol.
Adjust the air amount at the vent
outlet by turning the adjuster wheel.
Direct the flow of air by tilting and
swivelling the slats.
To close the vent, turn the adjuster
wheel towards the smaller W symbol.
9 Warning
Do not attach any objects to the
slats of the air vents. Risk of
damage and injury in case of an
accident.
Fixed air vents
Additional air vents are located
beneath the windscreen and door windows and in the foot wells.
Maintenance
Air intake
The air intake in front of the
windscreen in the engine
compartment must be kept clear to
allow air intake. Remove any leaves,
dirt or snow.
Pollen filter The pollen filter cleans dust, soot,
pollen and spores from the air
entering the vehicle through the air
intake.

Driving and operating137Driving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 138
Control of the vehicle ...............138
Steering ................................... 138
Starting and operating ...............138
New vehicle running-in ............138
Ignition switch positions ...........139
Retained power off ..................139
Starting the engine ..................139
Overrun cut-off ........................ 140
Stop-start system ....................140
Parking .................................... 142
Engine exhaust .......................... 143
Diesel particle filter ..................144
Catalytic converter ...................145
Automatic transmission ..............145
Transmission display ...............145
Selector lever .......................... 146
Manual mode ........................... 147
Electronic driving programmes 147
Fault ........................................ 148
Interruption of power supply ....148
Manual transmission ..................149Brakes........................................ 150
Antilock brake system .............150
Parking brake .......................... 151
Brake assist ............................. 152
Hill start assist ......................... 152
Ride control systems .................153
Traction Control system ..........153
Electronic Stability Control ......153
Interactive driving system ........155
Driver assistance systems .........157
Cruise control .......................... 157
Speed limiter ........................... 159
Adaptive cruise control ............160
Forward collision alert .............167
Following distance indication ...170
Active Emergency Braking ......171
Parking assist .......................... 173
Side blind spot alert .................180
Traffic sign assistant ................181
Lane departure warning ..........185
Fuel ............................................ 186
Fuel for petrol engines .............186
Fuel for diesel engines ............187
Fuel for liquid gas operation ....188
Refuelling ................................ 188
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions .............................. 191
Trailer hitch ................................ 192
General information .................192Driving characteristics and
towing tips .............................. 192
Trailer towing ........................... 193
Towing equipment ...................193
Trailer stability assist ...............196

142Driving 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 86.
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 86.
● 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

144Driving and operatingDiesel particle filterAutomatic cleaning process
The diesel particle filter system filters
harmful soot particles out of the
exhaust gases. The system includes
a self-cleaning function that runs
automatically during driving without
any notification. The filter is cleaned
by periodically burning off the soot
particles at high temperature. This
process takes place automatically
under set driving conditions and may
take up to 25 minutes. Typically it
needs between seven and twelve
minutes. Autostop is not available
and fuel consumption may be higher
during this period. The emission of
smells and smoke during this process is normal.System requires cleaning
Under certain conditions, e.g. driving
short distances, the system cannot
clean itself automatically.
If cleaning of the filter is required and if previous driving conditions did not
enable automatic cleaning, it will be
indicated by illumination of % and a
warning message in the Driver
Information Centre.
% illuminates along with a warning
message when diesel particle filter is
full. Start cleaning process as soon as
possible.
% flashes along with a warning
message when diesel particle filter
has reached the maximum filling
level. Start cleaning process
immediately to avoid damage to the
engine.
Activate self-cleaning process
To activate cleaning process,
continue driving, keep engine speed
above 2000 rpm. Shift down if
necessary. Diesel particle filter
cleaning is then started.
Cleaning process is completed more
quickly at high engine speeds and
loads.
Control indicator % extinguishes as
soon as the self-cleaning operation is complete. Keep on driving until self-
cleaning operation is complete.Caution
If possible, do not interrupt
cleaning process. Drive until
cleaning is completed to avoid the need for service or repair by a
workshop.

150Driving 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 86.
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 87.
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 operating151Parking brake
Manual parking brake9 Warning
Always apply parking brake firmly
without operating the release
button, and apply as firmly as
possible on a downhill or uphill
slope.
To release the parking brake, pull
the lever up slightly, press the
release button and fully lower the
lever.
To reduce the operating forces of
the parking brake, depress the
brake pedal at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 86.
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
9 Warning
Pull switch m for approx.
one second, the electric parking
brake operates automatically with
adequate force. For maximum
force, e.g. parking with trailer or on
inclines, pull switch m twice.
The electric parking brake is
applied when control indicator m
illuminates 3 86.
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.
Before leaving the vehicle, check the electric parking brake status. Control
indicator m 3 86.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep 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

Driving and operating153Ride control systems
Traction Control system The Traction Control system (TC) is a
component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) 3 153.
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 88.
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) 3 153.
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.