OPEL ASTRA SALOON 2014 Owners Manual
Page 131 of 245
Climate control129
Individual menu items are marked by
turning the centre control and
selected by pressing it.
To exit a menu, turn the centre control until Return or Main appear and
select.
Air distribution Turn the centre control. The Air
distribut. menu is activated, showing
the possible air distribution settings:Top=to windscreen and front
door windows.Centre=to vehicle occupants.Bottom=to foot well.
The Air distribut. menu can also be
called up via the Climate menu.
Return to automatic air distribution:
Deactivate corresponding setting or
press button AUTO.
Cooling
In the Climate menu, select menu
item AC and activate or deactivate
cooling.
The air conditioning system cools and
dehumidifies (dries) when outside
temperature is above a specific level. Therefore condensation may form
and drip from under the vehicle.
If no cooling or drying is required,
switch the cooling system off to save
fuel, Eco appears in the display.
Fan regulation in automatic
mode
Fan regulation in automatic mode can
be adapted.
Select menu item Automatic blower
from the Climate menu and select the
desired fan regulation.
Manual air recirculation mode The manual air recirculation mode is
operated with the 4 button.9Warning
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. The quality
of the passenger compartment air
deteriorates, which may cause the vehicle occupants to feel drowsy.
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130Climate control
Air conditioning with the engine
not running When ignition is off, the residual heat
or cooling in the system can be used
for climate control in passenger
compartment.
Press the AUTO button with the
ignition off. Residual air conditioning
on will appear briefly in the display.
Residual climate control can only
operate for a limited period of time. To
cancel, press the AUTO button.
Auxiliary heater
Air heater Quickheat is an electric auxiliary air
heater which warms up the
passenger compartment more
quickly.
Coolant heater Diesel-engined vehicles have a fuel-
powered auxiliary heater.Air vents
Adjustable air vents
At least one air vent must be open
while cooling is on in order to prevent
the evaporator from icing up due to lack of air movement.
To open vent, turn the adjuster wheel
to B.
Direct the flow of air by tilting and
swivelling the slats.
To close the vent, turn the adjuster
wheel to 7.
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.
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Climate control131Maintenance
Air intake
The air intakes 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.
Air conditioning regular
operation In order to ensure continuously
efficient performance, cooling must
be operated for a few minutes once a
month, irrespective of the weather
and time of year. Operation with
cooling is not possible when outside
temperature is too low.
Service For optimal cooling performance, it isrecommended to annually check the
climate control system, starting
three years after initial vehicle
registration, including:
■ Functionality and pressure test■ Heating functionality
■ Leakage check
■ Check of drive belts
■ Cleaning of condenser and evaporator drainage
■ Performance check
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132Driving and operatingDriving and operatingDriving hints............................... 132
Starting and operating ...............132
Engine exhaust .......................... 135
Automatic transmission .............. 136
Manual transmission ..................141
Manual transmission automa‐
ted .............................................. 142
Brakes ........................................ 146
Ride control systems .................147
Cruise control ............................. 149
Object detection systems ........... 150
Fuel ............................................ 151
Trailer hitch ................................ 154Driving hints
Control of the vehicleNever 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.
Pedals To ensure the pedal travel is
uninhibited, there must be no mats in
the area of the pedals.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.
Fuel and engine oil consumption may be higher during the running-in
period.
Page 135 of 245
Driving and operating133Ignition switch positions0=Ignition off1=Steering wheel lock released,ignition off2=Ignition on, for diesel engine:
preheating3=StartingStarting the engine
Starting engine with ignition
switch
Operate clutch and brake, automatic
transmission in P or N, do not
accelerate; for diesel engines, turn
the key to position 2 for preheating
until control indicator ! goes out;
turn key briefly to position 3 and
release key when engine is running.
Before restarting or to switch off the
engine, turn key back to position 0.
Starting engine with the
Start/Stop button
The electronic key must be inside the
vehicle. Operate clutch and brake,
automatic transmission in P or N, do
not accelerate, for diesel engines,
press the button briefly to start
preheating, move the steering wheel
slightly to release the steering wheel
lock, wait until control indicator !
goes out and then press button for
1 second and release when the
engine is running.
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134Driving and operating
To repeat the starting procedure or to
switch off the engine, press the button again.
Starting the vehicle at low
temperatures
The start of 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 battery.
With temperatures below -30 °C the
automatic transmission and the
manual transmission automated
need a warming phase of approx. 5
minutes. The selector lever must be
in position P respectively N.
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 is released.Parking
■ Do not park the vehicle on an easily
ignitable surface. The high
temperature of the exhaust system
could ignite the surface.
■ Always apply parking brake without
pressing release button. Apply as
firmly as possible on downhill or
uphill slopes. Depress the foot
brake at the same time to reduce
operating force.
■ Switch off the engine and ignition. Turn the steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock engages.
■ If the vehicle is on a level surface or
uphill slope, engage first gear or set
the selector lever to P before
switching off the ignition. 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 P before switchingoff the ignition. Turn the front
wheels towards the kerb.
■ Lock the vehicle and activate the anti-theft locking system and the
anti-theft alarm system.
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Driving and operating135Engine exhaust9Danger
Engine exhaust gases contain
poisonous carbon monoxide,
which is colourless and odourless and could be fatal if inhaled.
If exhaust gases enter the interior
of the vehicle, open the windows.
Have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop.
Avoid driving with an open load
compartment, otherwise exhaust
gases could enter the vehicle.
Diesel particle filter
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. The filter
is cleaned by burning off the soot
particles at high temperature. This
process takes place automatically
under set driving conditions and may
take up to 25 minutes. Fuel
consumption may be higher during
this period. The emission of smells
and smoke during this process is
normal.
Under certain driving conditions, e.g.
short distances, the system cannot
clean itself automatically.
If the filter requires cleaning and
previous driving conditions did not
enable automatic cleaning, control
indicator ! flashes. Continue driving,
keeping engine speed above 2000
revolutions per minute. Shift down if
necessary. Diesel particle filter
cleaning is then started.
Stopping the journey or switching off
the engine during cleaning is not
recommended.
Caution
If the cleaning process is
interrupted more than once, there
is a great risk of provoking severe
engine damage.
Cleaning takes place quickest at high
engine speeds and loads.
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136Driving and operating
The control indicator ! extinguishes
as soon as the self-cleaning
operation is complete.
Catalytic converter
The catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gases.
Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed on pages 3 151, 3 216 could
damage the catalytic converter or
electronic components.
Unburnt petrol will overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Therefore avoid excessive use of the starter, running the fuel tank
dry and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.
In the event of misfiring, uneven
engine running, a reduction in engine performance or other unusual
problems, have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop as soon as
possible. In an emergency, driving
can be continued for a short period,
keeping vehicle speed and engine
speed low.
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission makes
automatic shifting possible
(automatic mode) and the version
with ActiveSelect also makes manual
shifting possible (manual mode).
Transmission display
The mode or selected gear is shown
in the transmission display.
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Driving and operating137Selector leverP=park position, Front wheels
locked, engage only when the
vehicle is stationary and the
parking brake is appliedR=reverse gear, engage only
when vehicle is stationaryN=neutralD=automatic mode with all gears
The selector lever can only be moved out of P or N when the ignition is on
and the foot brake is depressed
(selector lever lock).
When the selector lever is in N, the
selector lever lock is activated after a
delay and only if the vehicle is
stationary.When the selector lever is in the P or
N position, control indicator j in the
gear indicator strip illuminates red
when the selector lever is locked. If
the selector lever is not in the P
position when the ignition is switched
off, control indicator j and P in the
gear indicator strip flash.
To engage P or R, push button on
selector lever.
When position N is selected, press
foot brake or engage parking brake
before starting.
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138Driving and operating
Do not accelerate while engaging a
gear. Never depress the accelerator
pedal and brake pedal at the same
time.
When a gear is engaged, the vehicle
slowly begins to creep when the
brake is released.
Gears 3, 2, 13, 2, 1=Transmission does not
shift above the selected
gear.
Press button on selector lever to
engage 3 or 1.
Only select 3, 2 or 1 to prevent
automatic upshifting or as an aid in
engine braking.
Engine braking
To utilise the engine braking effect,
select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between D and R in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking
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 and then forwards or backwards.
+=Shift to a higher gear.-=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.
If engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear above a specific vehicle
speed.