2020 OPEL ASTRA K manual transmission

Driving and operating157Starting the vehicle at lowtemperatures
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. 5 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)
● 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.
Overrun cut-off
The fuel supply is automatically cut off
during overrun, i.e. when the vehicle
is driven with a gear engaged but accelerator pedal is released.
Depending on driving conditions, the
overrun cut-off may be deactivated.Stop-start system
The stop-start system helps to save
fuel and to reduce the exhaust
emissions. When conditions allow, it
switches off the engine as soon as the
vehicle is at a low speed or at a
standstill, e.g. at a traffic light or in a
traffic jam. The ignition stays on.
The engine switches on automatically
when certain conditions apply or
restart is activated by a driver.
Activation
The stop-start system is available as
soon as the engine is started, the
vehicle starts-off and the conditions
as stated below in this section are
fulfilled.

158Driving and operatingDeactivation
Deactivate the stop-start system
manually by pressing D. The
deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button illuminates.
Autostop
Vehicles with manual transmission
Depending on the engine, two
versions of an Autostop are available. See engine data to identify the engine
identifier code for your vehicle
3 280.
Conventional Autostop
An Autostop can be activated at a
speed lower than 5 km/h.Activate a conventional Autostop as
follows:
● Depress the clutch pedal.
● Set the lever in neutral.
● Release the clutch pedal.
Early Autostop
An Autostop can be activated at a
speed lower than 14 km/h.
Early Autostop is inhibited if the
incline is greater than 5%.
Activate an early Autostop as follows: ● Depress the brake pedal sufficiently.
● Depress the clutch pedal.
The engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on.
Early Autostop is inhibited when the
turn lights are 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
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 heating and
brake performance 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.

Driving and operating159● The driver's door is closed or thedriver'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 about10 seconds.
● The self-cleaning function of the exhaust filter is not active.
● The vehicle was driven at least at
walking speed since the last
Autostop.
Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
The stop-start system will be
deactivated on inclines of 12% or
more.Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
Climate control chapter for more
details 3 141.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 152.
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 e.g. auxiliary electric heater
or heated rear window are disabled or switched to a power saving mode.
The fan speed of the climate control
system is reduced to save power.
Restart of the engine by the driverVehicles with manual transmission
Depending on the engine, two
versions of a restart are available.
See engine data to identify the engine
identifier code for your vehicle
3 280.Conventional restart
Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine. For engines with late restart,
this is only possible without
depressing the brake pedal.
Late restart ● Depress the brake pedal.
● Depress the clutch pedal.
● Select first gear.
● Release the brake pedal to restart the engine.Vehicles with automatic transmission:Release the brake pedal or move
selector lever out of D into N or P to
restart the engine.
Restart of the engine by the stop-
start system
On vehicles with manual transmission
which are in a conventional Autostop,
the selector lever must be in neutral
to enable an automatic restart.
On vehicles with manual transmission
which are in an early Autostop, an
automatic restart is possible, when
not in neutral if the brake pedal and
the clutch pedal are depressed.

160Driving and operatingOn vehicles with automatic
transmission, the selector lever must
be in D to enable an automatic restart.
The engine will be restarted
automatically by the stop-start
system, if one of the following
conditions occurs during an Autostop:
● The stop-start system is manually deactivated.
● The bonnet is opened.
● The driver's seat belt is unfastened and / or the driver's
door is opened.
● The engine temperature is too low.
● The charging level of the vehicle battery 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 desired compartmenttemperature does not match theactual temperature.
● 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 electrical accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop
during the restart might be noticeable.
Note
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 pressingthe 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 1 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

162Driving and operatingAutomatic cleaning process
The exhaust filter system filters 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 7 and 12 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 a warning message in
the Driver Information Centre.A warning message appears when
exhaust filter is full. Start cleaning
process as soon as possible.
A warning message also appears
when exhaust filter has reached the
maximum filling level. Start cleaning
process immediately to avoid
damage to the engine.
Activate self-cleaning process
Cleaning process is completed more
quickly at high engine speeds and
loads. Therefore, drive in lower gears
than normal, and use manual gear
selection on vehicles with automatic
transmission. Usage of electrical consumers like air conditioning and
heated windows to increase engine
load supports cleaning process.Caution
If possible, do not interrupt
cleaning process. Drive until
cleaning is completed to avoid the
need for service or repair by a
workshop.
Vehicles with petrol engine
To activate cleaning process,
continue driving, keep engine speed
above 2500 rpm. Shift down if
necessary.
Drive dynamically at different engine
speeds. Use engine brake for
deceleration, if possible.
Keep on driving until self-cleaning
operation is complete and the display
message disappears.Vehicles with diesel engine
To activate cleaning process,
continue driving, keep engine speed
above 2000 rpm, ideally and
continuously around 2500 rpm. Shift
down if necessary.
Keep on driving until self-cleaning
operation is complete and the display message disappears.

166Driving and operating9. Unscrew the hose from the fillerneck.
10. Mount the protective cap and turn
clockwise until it engages.
Note
Dispose of AdBlue canister
according to environmental
requirements. To reuse the hose
flush it with clear water after usage.Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission permits
automatic gearshifting (automatic
mode) or manual gearshifting
(manual mode).
Manual shifting is possible in manual
mode by tapping the selector lever to
+ or - 3 168.
Continuous variable transmission
The engine speed is always within the
ideal fuel consumption range. When
selector level is in D and high power
is requiered, the electronic
transmission control changes from
stepless operation to a seven step
automatic shifting.Transmission display
The mode or selected gear is shown
in the Driver Information Centre.
In automatic mode, the driving
programme is indicated by D.
In manual mode, M and the number
of the selected gear is indicated.
R indicates reverse gear.
N indicates neutral position.
P indicates park position.

168Driving and operatingParking
Apply 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
● 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 selectmanually first, second or third
gear for starting off. Except
vehicles with continouosly
variable transmission.
Kickdown Pressing down the accelerator pedal
beyond the kickdown detent will lead
to maximum acceleration
independent of the selected driving
mode. The transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on engine
speed and shifts to a higher gear at
high engine revolutions.
Fault
In the event of a fault a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre.
Vehicle messages 3 122.
Electronic transmission control
enables only fourth gear. The
transmission no longer shifts
automatically.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.

Driving and operating169Interruption of power supplyIn the event of an interruption of
power supply, the selector lever
cannot be moved out of the P
position. The ignition key cannot be
removed from the ignition switch.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 263.
If the vehicle battery is not the cause
of the fault, release the selector lever.
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Release the selector lever trim from the centre console. Poke
with a finger into the leather
socket below the selector lever
and push the trim upwards.
Rotate trim to the left.
3. Insert a small stick (e.g. a pen or screw driver) into the opening
near the selector lever. Push
down the stick vertically and move
the selector lever out of P. If this
position is engaged again, the
selector lever will be locked again.
Have the cause of the power
supply interruption remedied by a
workshop.
4. Mount the selector lever trim onto
the centre console and refit.
Manual 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.