battery OPEL ASTRA J 2014 Manual user

154Lighting
To prevent discharge of the vehicle
battery when driving, the following
systems are reduced automatically in two stages and finally switched off:
■ Auxiliary heater
■ Heated rear window and mirrors
■ Heated seats
■ Fan
In the second stage a message which
confirms the activation of the vehicle
battery discharge protection will be
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre.
Switching off electric lights To prevent discharge of the vehicle
battery when the ignition is switched
off, some interior lights are switched
off automatically after some time.

164Driving and operatingDriving and operatingDriving hints............................... 164
Starting and operating ...............165
Engine exhaust .......................... 170
Automatic transmission .............. 171
Manual transmission ..................175
Brakes ........................................ 175
Ride control systems .................178
Driver assistance systems .........183
Fuel ............................................ 213
Trailer hitch ................................ 219Driving hints
Control of the vehicleNever coast with engine not
running (except during Autostop)
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,
but there will be a controlled reduction
in power steering assist and vehicle
speed is reduced.
Stop-start system 3 167.
Idle boost
If charging of the battery is required
due to battery condition, the power output of the generator has to be
increased. This will be achieved by an
idle boost which may be audible.
On vehicles with Uplevel- or Uplevel- Combi-Display, a message appearsin the Driver Information Centre.Pedals
To ensure the pedal travel is uninhibited, there must be no mats in the area of the pedals.
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.
Control indicator c 3 118.Caution
Vehicles equipped with hydraulic
power steering:
If the steering wheel is turned until it reaches the end of its travel, and
is held in that position for more
than 15 seconds, damage may
occur to the power steering
system and there may be loss of
power steering assist.

Driving and operating165Starting 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 and the cleaning process of the diesel particle filter may take
place more often. Autostop may be inhibited to allow for charging the
battery.
Diesel particle filter 3 170.Ignition switch positions0=Ignition off1=Steering wheel lock released,
ignition off2=Ignition on, for diesel engine:
preheating3=Starting
Retained power off
The following electronic systems can
work until the driver's door is opened
or at the latest for 10 minutes after the
ignition is switched off:
■ Power windows
■ Sunroof
■ Power outlets
Power to the Infotainment system will continue to operate for 30 minutes oruntil the key is removed from the
ignition switch, regardless of whether
any door will be opened.
Starting the engine
Manual transmission: operate clutch.
Automatic transmission: operate
brake and move the selector lever to
P or N.

166Driving and operating
Do not operate the accelerator pedal.Diesel engine: turn the key to position2 for preheating until control
indicator ! extinguishes.
Turn the key briefly to position 3 and
release: an automatic procedure
operates the starter with a short delay
as long as the engine is running, see
Automatic Starter Control.
Before restarting or to switch off the
engine, turn the key back to position
0 .
During an Autostop, the engine can
be started by depressing the clutch
pedal.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 need 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 have to hold the key in position 3.
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 is released.

Driving and operating167Stop-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. It starts the engine
automatically as soon as the clutch is
depressed. A battery sensor ensures
that an Autostop is only performed if
the vehicle battery is sufficiently
charged for a restart.
Activation The stop-start system is available assoon as the engine is started, the
vehicle starts-off and the conditions
as stated below in this section are
fulfilled.Deactivation
Deactivate the stop-start system
manually by pressing the eco button.
Deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button extinguishes.
Autostop
If the vehicle is at a low speed or at a standstill, activate an Autostop as
follows:
■ Depress the clutch pedal
■ set the lever in neutral
■ release the clutch pedal
The engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on.
An Autostop is indicated by the
needle at the AUTOSTOP position in
the tachometer.
During an Autostop, the heating and
brake performance will be
maintained.
Caution
The steering assist can be
reduced during an Autostop.

168Driving and operating
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 climate control system allows an Autostop
■ the brake vacuum is sufficient
■ the self-cleaning function of the diesel particle filter is not active
■ the vehicle was driven at least at walking speed since the last
AutostopOtherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
Climate control chapter for more
details 3 158.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 165.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts, several battery discharge protection
features are implemented as part of
the stop-start system.
Power saving measures
During an Autostop, several electric
features, e.g. auxiliary electric heater
or rear window heating are disabled
or switched into a power saving
mode. The fan speed of the climate
control system is reduced to save
power.Restart of the engine by the
driver
Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.
The engine start is indicated by the
needle at the idle speed position in
the tachometer.
If the selector lever is shifted out of
neutral before depressing the clutch
first, control indicator - illuminates
or is shown as a symbol in the Driver
Information Centre.
Control indicator - 3 116.
Restart of the engine by the
stop-start system The selector lever has to be in neutral
to enable an automatic restart.
If one of the following conditions occurs during an Autostop, the
engine will be restarted automatically by the stop-start system:
■ The stop-start system is manually deactivated
■ the bonnet is opened

Driving and operating169
■ the driver's seat belt is unfastenedand 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 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 electric accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop during restart might be noticeable.
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. Apply manual 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.
Apply electric parking brake by pulling switch m for approx.
one second.
■ 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 theselector lever to P before switching
off the ignition. Turn the front
wheels towards the kerb.
■ Lock the vehicle and activate the anti-theft alarm system.Note
In the event of an accident with
airbag deployment, the engine is
turned off automatically if the vehicle
comes to a standstill within a certain time.

174Driving and operating
Only the highest gear is available.
Depending on the fault, 2nd gear may also be available in manual mode.
Shift only when vehicle is at a
standstill.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Interruption of power
supply
In 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
3 276.
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 at the
front, fold it upwards and rotate it
to the left.
3. Insert a screwdriver into the opening as far as it will go and
move the selector lever out of P or
N . If P or N is engaged again, the
selector lever will be locked in
position 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.

Driving and operating177
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
Pull switch m for approx.
one second, the electric parking
brake operates automatically with an adequate force. For maximum force,
e.g. parking with trailer or on inclines,
pull switch m twice.
The electric parking brake is applied
when control indicator m illuminates
3 117.
The electric parking brake can always
be activated, even if the ignition is off.
Do not operate electric parking brake
system too often without engine
running because this will discharge
the vehicle battery.
Before leaving the vehicle, check the
electric parking brake status. Control
indicator m 3 117.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep brake pedal
depressed and then push switch m.
Drive away function
Depressing clutch pedal (manual
transmission) or engaging drive gear
(automatic transmission) and then
depressing the accelerator pedal
releases the electric parking brake
automatically. This is not possible
when the switch is pulled at the same
time.
This function also helps driving away
on inclines.
Aggressive drive away may reduce life time of wear parts.Dynamic braking when vehicle is
moving
When the vehicle is moving and the
switch m is kept pulled, the electric
parking brake system will decelerate
the vehicle, but will not apply
statically.
As soon as the switch m is released,
dynamic braking will be stopped.
Fault
Failure mode of electric parking brake
is indicated by control indicator j and
by a code number or a vehicle message which is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 128.
Apply electric parking brake: pull and
hold the switch m for more than
5 seconds. If control indicator m
illuminates, electric parking brake is
applied.
Release electric parking brake: push
and hold the switch m for more than
2 seconds. If control indicator m
extinguishes, electric parking brake is released.

Vehicle care225
■ Open the bonnet, close all doorsand lock the vehicle.
■ Disconnect the clamp from the negative terminal of the vehicle
battery. Beware that all systems are
not functional, e.g. anti-theft alarm
system.
Putting back into operation
When the vehicle is to be put back into
operation:
■ Connect the clamp to the negative terminal of the vehicle battery.
Activate the electronics of the
power windows.
■ Check tyre pressure.
■ Fill up the washer fluid reservoir.
■ Check the engine oil level.
■ Check the coolant level.
■ Fit the number plate if necessary.
End-of-life vehicle
recovery
Information on end-of-life vehicle
recovery centres and the recycling of
end-of-life vehicles is available on ourwebsite, where legally required. Only
entrust this work to an authorised
recycling centre.
Gas vehicles must be recycled by a
service centre authorised for gas
vehicles.Vehicle checks
Performing work9 Warning
Only perform engine compartment
checks when the ignition is off.
The cooling fan may start
operating even if the ignition is off.