tow OPEL ASTRA J 2014 Manual user

Driving and operating175Manual transmission
To engage reverse, with the vehicle
stationary wait 3 seconds after
depressing 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 grind the clutch unnecessarily. When operating, depress the clutchpedal completely. Do not use the
pedal as a foot rest.
Caution
It is not advisable to drive with the hand resting on the selector lever.
Brakes
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 3 116.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

192Driving and operating
Hill and trailer considerations
System performance on hills and
when towing a trailer depends on your
vehicle speed, vehicle load, traffic
conditions and the road gradient. It
may not detect a vehicle in your path
while driving on hills. On steep hills,
you may have to use the accelerator
pedal to maintain your vehicle speed. When going downhill, especially
when towing a trailer, you may have
to brake to maintain or reduce your
speed.
Note that applying the brake
deactivates the system. It is not
recommended to use adaptive cruise
control on steep hills especially when towing a trailer.
Radar unit
The radar unit is mounted behind the
radiator grille below the brand
emblem.
9 Warning
The radar unit was aligned
carefully during manufacture.
Therefore, after a frontal accident, do not use the system. The front
bumper may appear to be intact,
however the sensor behind can be
out of position and react
incorrectly. After an accident,
consult a workshop to verify and
correct the adaptive cruise control
sensor position.
Settings
Settings can be changed in the Auto
collision preparation menu in the
vehicle personalisation, 3 134.
Fault If the adaptive cruise control does not
work due to temporary conditions
(e.g. blockage by ice) or if there is a
permanent system error, then a
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre.

Driving and operating201Objects with a very small reflection
cross section, like objects of
narrow size or soft materials, may
not be detected by the system.
Parking assist will not detect
objects out of the detection range.
Note
The parking assist system
automatically detects factory-fitted
towing equipment. It is deactivated
when the connector is plugged in.
The sensor may detect a non-
existing object (echo disturbance)
caused by external acoustical or
mechanic disturbances.
Note
If engaging a forward gear and
exceeding a certain speed, the rear
parking assist will be deactivated
when the rear carrier system is
extended.
If engaging reverse at first, the
parking assist will detect the rear
carrier system and provide a buzzing
sound. Press r or D briefly to
deactivate the parking assist.
Advanced parking assist
The advanced parking assist system
manoeuvres the driver into a parking slot by giving instructions on the
Driver Information Centre and
acoustic signals. It is the driver,
however, who bears full responsibility for accepting the parking slot
suggested by the system and the
parking manoeuvre.
The system uses the sensors of the
parking assist system in combination
with two additional sensors on both
sides of the front bumper and the rear
bumper.
Button D
Advanced parking assist and parking
assist 3 198 both use the same button
to operate the systems. For activating
or deactivating parking assist push
button once briefly. For activating or
deactivating advanced parking assist
push button D for approx. one
second.
If one system is active, it can be
switched between both systems by
pushing the button shorter or longer.
Activation

Driving and operating205vans). Object identification in the
upper part of these vehicles
cannot be guaranteed.
Objects with a very small reflection
cross section, like objects of
narrow size or soft materials, may
not be detected by the system.
Parking assist will not detect
objects out of the detection range.
Note
The parking assist system
automatically detects factory-fitted
towing equipment. It is deactivated
when the connector is plugged in.
It is possible that the sensor detects
a non-existing object (echo
disturbance) caused by external
acoustical or mechanic
disturbances.
Advanced parking assist system
may not respond to changes in the
parking space after initiating a
parallel parking manoeuvre.
Side blind spot alert
The Side blind spot alert system
detects and reports objects on either
side of the vehicle, within a specified
"blind spot" zone. The system alerts visually in each exterior mirror, when
detecting objects that may not be
visible in the interior and exterior
mirrors.
The system's sensors are located in
the bumper on the left and right side
of the vehicle.9 Warning
Side blind spot alert does not
replace driver vision.
The system does not detect: ■ Vehicles outside the side blind zones which may be rapidly
approaching.
■ Pedestrians, cyclists or animals.
Before changing a lane, always
check all mirrors, look over the
shoulder and use the turn signal.
When the system detects a vehicle in the side blind zone while driving
forward, either while passing a
vehicle or being passed, an amber warning symbol B will illuminate in
the relevant exterior mirror. If the
driver then activates the turn signal,
the warning symbol B starts flashing
amber as a warning not to change
lanes.
Side blind spot alert is active from
speeds of 10 km/h up to 140 km/h.
Driving faster than 140 km/h
deactivates the system, indicated by
low lighting warning symbols B in
both exterior mirrors. Reducing the

206Driving and operating
speed again will extinguish the
warning symbols. If a vehicle is then
detected in the blind zone, the
warning symbols B will illuminate as
normal on the relevant side.
When the vehicle is started, both
exterior mirror displays will briefly
come on to indicate that the system is operating.
The system can be activated or
deactivated in the menu Settings in
the Info-Display, vehicle
personalisation 3 134.
Deactivation is indicated by a
message in the Driver Information
Centre.
Detection zones
The system sensor covers a zone of
approx. 3 metres on both sides of the
vehicle. This zone starts at each
exterior mirror and extends rearwards by approx. 3 metres. The height of the
zone is approx. between 0.5 metres
and 2 metres off the ground.
The system is deactivated if the
vehicle is towing a trailer.Side blind spot alert is designed to
ignore stationary objects such as
guardrails, posts, curbs, walls and
beams. Parked vehicles or oncoming
vehicles are not detected.
Fault
Occasional missed alerts can occur
under normal circumstances and will
increase in wet conditions.
Side blind spot alert does not operate when the left or right corners of the
rear bumper are covered with mud,
dirt, snow, ice, slush, or in heavy
rainstorms. Cleaning instructions
3 280.
In the event of a fault in the system or if the system does not work due to
temporary conditions, a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. Seek the assistance of a
workshop.
Rear view camera The rear view camera assists the
driver when reversing by displaying a view of the area behind the vehicle.The view of the camera is displayed
in the Colour-Info-Display.9 Warning
The rear view camera does not
replace driver vision. Note that
objects that are outside the
camera's field of view and the
advanced parking assist sensors,
e.g. below the bumper or
underneath the vehicle, are not
displayed.
Do not reverse the vehicle by only looking at the Info-Display and
check the surrounding behind and
around the vehicle before
reversing.
Activation
Rear view camera is automatically
activated when reverse gear is
engaged.

Driving and operating209
Road signs
Beginning and end of:
■ motorways
■ A-roads
■ play streetsAdd on signs ■ additional hints to traffic signs
■ restriction of trailer towing
■ wet warning
■ ice warning
■ direction arrows
Speed limit signs are displayed in the
Driver Information Centre until the
next speed limit sign or end of speed
limit is detected or up to a defined sign timeout.
Combinations of more signs in the
display are possible.
An exclamation mark in a frame
indicates that there is an add on sign
detected which cannot be recognised
by the system.
The system is active up to a speed of 200 km/h depending on the lighting
conditions. At night the system is
active up to a speed of 160 km/h.
As soon as the speed becomes
slower than 55 km/h the display will
be reset and the content of the traffic
sign page will be cleared. The next
recognized speed indication will be
displayed.
Display indication

Driving and operating217
Liquid gas refuellingFollow the operating and safety
instructions of the filling station when
refuelling.
The filling valve for the liquid gas is
behind the fuel filler cap.
Unscrew protective cap from the filler
neck.
Fit the required adapter.
ACME Adapter: Screw the nut of the
filling nozzle onto the adapter. Press
locking lever on filler nozzle down.
DISH (Italy) filler neck: Place the filler
nozzle into the adapter. Press locking lever on filler nozzle down.
Bayonet filler neck: Place filler nozzle
on the adapter and turn to the left or
right through one quarter turn. Pull
locking lever of filler nozzle fully.
EURO filler neck: Press the filler
nozzle onto the adapter until it
engages.
Press the button of the liquid gas supply point. The filling system stops
or begins to run slowly when 80%
ofthe tank volume is reached
(maximum fill level).
Release button on filling system and
the filling process stops. Release the
locking lever and remove the filler
nozzle. A small quantity of liquid gas
can escape.
Remove adapter and stow in vehicle.
Fit protective cap to prevent the
penetration of foreign bodies into the
filler opening and the system.

Driving and operating219
Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Macedonia, Austria, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Sweden,
Switzerland, Serbia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Czech Republic, Turkey,
Ukraine, Hungary
Fuel filler cap
Only use genuine fuel filler caps. Diesel-engined vehicles have special fuel filler caps.
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions
The fuel consumption (combined) of
the model Opel Astra is within a range
of 8.1 to 3.7 l/100 km.
The CO 2 emission (combined) is
within a range of 189 to 99 g/km.
For the values specific to your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of
Conformity provided with your vehicle or other national registration
documents.General information
The official fuel consumption and
specific CO 2 emission figures quoted
relate to the EU base model with
standard equipment.
Fuel consumption data and CO 2
emission data are determined
according to regulation
R (EC) No. 715/2007 (in the latest
applicable version), taking into
consideration the vehicle weight in
running order, as specified by the
regulation.
The figures are provided only for the
purpose of comparison between
different vehicle variants and must
not be taken as a guarantee for the
actual fuel consumption of a
particular vehicle. Additional
equipment may result in slightly
higher results than the stated
consumption and CO 2 figures.
Furthermore, fuel consumption is dependent on personal driving style
as well as road and traffic conditions.Trailer hitch
General information
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
The bulb outage detection function for
trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage, e.g. in case of 4 x
5 Watt bulbs, the function only detects lamp outage when only a single
5 Watt lamp remains or none remain.
Fitting of towing equipment could
cover the opening of the towing eye.
If this is the case use the coupling ball
bar for towing. Always keep the
coupling ball bar in the vehicle.

220Driving and operatingDriving characteristics and
towing tips Before attaching a trailer, lubricatethe coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the
coupling ball, is being used to reduce
snaking movements.
For trailers with low driving stability
and caravan trailers with a permitted
gross vehicle weight of more than
1300 kg the use of a stabiliser is
strongly recommended when driving
above 80 km/h.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 309.Trailer towing
Trailer loads The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is
the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In
general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12 %.
The permitted trailer load applies up
to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross train weight also decreases by 10 %
for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than
8 %, e.g. motorways).The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 287.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (75 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.

Driving and operating221
Rear axle loadWhen the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by
60 kg , the gross vehicle weight rating
may be exceeded by 60 kg. If the
permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
100 km/h applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Stowage of coupling ball bar
The bag with the coupling ball bar is
stowed in the rear stowage
compartment on the floor.
Place the strap through the lashing
eye, wrap around twice and tighten
the strap to secure the bag.
Fitting the coupling ball bar
Press fastenings inward and remove
cover, except 3-door hatchback.