2018 VAUXHALL ASTRA J steering

Driving and operating157Driving hints
Control of the vehicle
Never coast with engine not
running
Many systems will not function in this
situation ( e.g. brake servo unit, power
steering). Driving in this manner is a danger to yourself and others.
All systems function during an
Autostop.
Stop-start system 3 162.
Idle boost
If charging of the vehicle battery is
required due to battery condition, the
power output of the generator must be increased. This will be achieved by an idle boost which may be audible.
A message appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
Pedals
To ensure the pedal travel is
uninhibited, there must be no mats in
the area of the pedals.Use only floor mats, which fit properly and are fixed by the retainers on the
driver side.
Steering If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or due to a system malfunction, the vehicle can
be steered but may require increased
effort.Starting and operating
New vehicle running-in Do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys.
During the first drive, smoke may
occur because of wax and oil
evaporating off the exhaust system. Park the vehicle in the open for a
while after the first drive and avoid
inhaling the fumes.
During the running-in period, fuel and engine oil consumption may be
higher.
Additionally, the cleaning process of
the diesel particle filter may take
place more often.
Diesel particle filter 3 167.
Autostop may be inhibited to allow for
charging of the vehicle battery.
Ignition switch positions
Turn key:

158Driving and operating0: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

Driving and operating159functions 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 3 160.
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 21.
For unlocking or locking the doors,
see fault in radio remote control unit
or electronic key system 3 23.
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

160Driving and operatingStarting 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
3 162.
Automatic transmission or manual
transmission automated: during an
Autostop, the engine can be started
by releasing the brake pedal 3 162.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.

Driving and operating161Before 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
3 162.
Automatic transmission or manual
transmission automated: during an
Autostop, the engine can be started
by releasing the brake pedal 3 162.
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 operating163Early 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%.Vehicles 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 3 147.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 157.
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

Driving and operating165If 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.
Notice
If a trailer or a bike carrier is
attached, early Autostop and late
restart is deactivated.
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
a minimum of one second until
control indicator m illuminates
constantly and electric parking
brake is applied 3 110.
● 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 or
switching off ignition on
vehicles with power button. 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
key or switching off ignition on
vehicles with power button.
Turn the front wheels towards
the kerb.
● Close the windows and the sunroof.
● Remove the ignition key from the ignition switch or switch off
ignition on vehicles with powerbutton. Turn the steering wheel until the steering wheel lock is
felt to engage.
For vehicles with automatic
transmission, the key can only
be removed when the selector
lever is in position P.
For vehicles with manual
transmission automated, the key can only be removed from
the ignition switch when the
parking brake is applied.
● Lock the vehicle.
● Activate the anti-theft alarm system.
● The engine cooling fans may run
after the engine has been
switched off 3 228.
Caution
After running at high engine
speeds or with high engine loads,
operate the engine briefly at a low load or run in neutral for

Driving and operating1799Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 111.
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.