2019 OPEL ASTRA J Owner's Manual

Vehicle care167Front arm position of the lifting
platform at the underbody.
Spare wheel
The spare wheel can be classified as
a temporary spare wheel depending
on the size compared to the other
mounted wheels and country
regulations. In this case a permissible maximum speed applies, even
though no label at the spare wheel
indicates this.
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.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.
To remove: 1. Open the floor cover.
2. The spare wheel is secured with a
wing nut. Loosen nut to take out
the spare wheel.
Under the spare wheel there is the box with vehicle tools.
3. When, after a wheel change, no wheel is placed in the spare wheel
well, secure the tool box by
tightening the wing nut and close
the floor cover.
Fitting the spare wheel
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 orP .
● Remove the spare wheel 3 167.
● Never change more than one wheel at once.
● 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.

168Vehicle care● Never crawl under a jacked-upvehicle.
● 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. Vehicle tools
3 159.
Alloy wheels: Disengage wheel
nut caps with a screwdriver and
remove. To protect the wheel,
place a soft cloth between the
screwdriver and the alloy wheel.
2. Fold out the wheel wrench and install ensuring that it locates
securely and loosen each wheel
nut by half a turn.
Vehicle tools 3 159
The wheels might be protected by
locking wheel nuts. To loosen
these specific nuts first attach the
adapter onto the head of the nut
before installing the wheel
wrench. The adapter is located in
the glovebox.3. Ensure the jack is correctly positioned under the relevant
vehicle jacking point.
4. Set the jack to the necessary height. Position it directly below

Vehicle care169the jacking point in a manner thatprevents it from slipping.
Attach jack handle and with the
jack correctly aligned rotate handle until wheel is clear of theground.
5. Unscrew the wheel nuts.
6. Change the wheel.
7. Screw on the wheel nuts.
8. Lower the vehicle and remove jack.
9. Install the wheel wrench ensuring that it is located 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 panels.
12. Stow the replaced wheel, the vehicle tools 3 159 and the
adapter for the locking wheel nuts 3 48.
13. Check the tyre pressure of the installed tyre and the wheel nut
torque as soon as possible.Stowing a damaged full size
wheel in the spare wheel well
A damaged full size wheel must be
stowed outside up in the spare wheel
well secured with the wing nut.
The floor cover can be placed on the
projecting wheel.
Stowing the spare wheel back in
the well after replacing the
damaged wheel
1. Open the floor cover, loosen and remove wing nut.
2. Place the tools in the tool box or the tool bag 3 159.

170Vehicle care3. Place spare wheel facingupwards, in the wheel well and
secure by tightening the wing nut.
4. Close floor cover.
9 Warning
Storing a jack, a wheel or other
equipment in the load
compartment could cause injury if they are not secured properly.
During a sudden stop or a
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone.
Always store jack and tools in the
respective storage compartments
and secure them by fixing.
Damaged wheel placed in the load compartment must always be
secured with the strap.
Spare wheel with directional tyre
Fit directional tyres such that they rollin the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
The 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 quick charger.
A vehicle with a discharged vehicle
battery can be started using jump
leads and the vehicle 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 vehicle battery
to naked flames or sparks.

Vehicle care171● A discharged vehicle battery canalready freeze at a temperature
of 0 °C. Defrost the frozen vehicle battery before connecting jump
leads.
● Wear eye protection and protective clothing when
handling a vehicle battery.
● Use a booster vehicle battery with the same voltage ( 12 Volts).
Its capacity (Ah) must not be
much less than that of the
discharged vehicle battery.
● Use jump leads with insulated terminals and a cross section of
at least 16 mm 2
.
● Do not disconnect the discharged
vehicle battery from the vehicle.
● Switch off all unnecessary electrical consumers.
● Do not lean over the vehicle 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.● Apply the parking brake, transmission in neutral,
automatic transmission in P.
● Open the positive terminal protection caps of both vehicle
batteries.
Lead connection order:
1. Connect the red lead to the positive terminal of the booster
vehicle battery.
2. Connect the other end of the red lead to the positive terminal of the
discharged vehicle battery.
3. Connect the black lead to the negative terminal of the booster
vehicle battery.
4. Connect the other end of the black
lead to a vehicle grounding point,
such as the engine block or an
engine mounting bolt. Connect as far away from the discharged
vehicle battery as possible,
however at least 60 cm.
Route the leads so that they cannot
catch on rotating parts in the engine
compartment.
To start the engine: 1. Start the engine of the vehicle providing the jump.
2. After five minutes, start the other engine. Start attempts should be
made for no longer than
15 seconds at an interval of one
minute.
3. Allow both engines to idle for approx. three minutes with the
leads connected.

172Vehicle care4. Switch on electrical consumers(e.g. headlights, heated rear
window) of the vehicle receiving
the jump start.
5. Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.Towing
Towing the vehicle
Wrap a cloth around the tip of a flat
screwdriver to prevent paint damage.
Insert the screwdriver in the slot at the
lower part of the cap. Release the cap by carefully moving the screwdriver
downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 159.
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.

Vehicle care173Caution
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 and close the
windows.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: The vehicle must be towed facing
forwards, not faster than 80 km/h nor further than 100 km. In all other cases
and when the transmission is
defective, the front axle must be
raised off the ground.
Seek the assistance of a workshop.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the top and engage
downwards.
Towing another vehicle
Wrap a cloth around the tip of a flat
screwdriver to prevent paint damage. Insert the screwdriver in the slot at the
lower bend of the cap. Release the
cap by carefully moving the
screwdriver downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 159.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or even better a
tow bar – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.

174Vehicle careCaution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the top and engage
downwards.
Appearance care
Exterior care Locks
The locks are lubricated at the factory using a high quality lock cylinder
grease. Use de-icing agent only when absolutely necessary, as this has a
degreasing effect and impairs lock function. After using a de-icing agent,
have the locks regreased by a
workshop.
WashingThe paintwork of your vehicle is
exposed to environmental influences.
Wash and wax your vehicle regularly.
When using automatic vehicle
washes, select a programme that
includes waxing.
Bird droppings, dead insects, resin,
pollen and the like should be cleaned
off immediately, as they contain
aggressive constituents which can
cause paint damage.If using a vehicle wash, comply with
the vehicle wash manufacturer's
instructions. The windscreen wiper
and rear window wiper must be
switched off. Remove antenna and
external accessories such as roof
racks etc.
If you wash your vehicle by hand,
make sure that the insides of the
wheel housings are also thoroughly
rinsed out.
Clean edges and folds on opened
doors and the bonnet as well as the
areas they cover.
Clean bright metal mouldings with a
cleaning solution approved for
aluminium to avoid damages.Caution
Always use a cleaning agent with
a pH value of four to nine.
Do not use cleaning agents on hot surfaces.
Have the door hinges of all doors
greased by a workshop.