low battery OPEL ASTRA J 2017 User Guide

102Instruments and controlsVehicle messages on the Colour-
Info-Display
Some important messages appear
additionally in the Colour-Info-
Display. Press the multifunction knob
to confirm a message. Some
messages only pop-up for a few
seconds.
Warning chimes
When starting the engine or whilst driving
Only one warning chime will sound at a time.
The warning chime regarding
unfastened seat belts has priority
over any other warning chime.
● If seat belt is not fastened.
● If a door or the tailgate is not fully
closed when starting off.
● If a certain speed is exceeded with parking brake applied.
● If a programmed speed is exceeded.● If a warning message or awarning code appears in the
Driver Information Centre.
● If the parking assist detects an object.
● If an unintended lane change occurs.
● If the diesel particle filter has reached the maximum filling
level.
When the vehicle is parked and/or the driver's door is opened
● With exterior lights on.
During an Autostop ● If the driver's door is opened.
Battery voltage
When the vehicle battery voltage is
running low, a warning message or
warning code 174 will appear in the
Driver Information Centre.1. Switch off immediately any electric consumers which are not
required for a safe ride, e.g. seat
heating, heated rear window or
other main consumers.
2. Charge the vehicle battery by driving continuously for a while or
by using a charging device.
The warning message or warning
code will disappear after the engine
has been started twice consecutively
without a voltage drop.
If the vehicle battery cannot be
recharged, have the cause of the fault remedied by a workshop.

116LightingLightingExterior lighting.......................... 116
Light switch .............................. 116
Automatic light control .............117
High beam ............................... 118
High beam assist .....................118
Headlight flash ......................... 118
Headlight range adjustment ....119
Headlights when driving abroad .................................... 119
Daytime running lights .............120
Adaptive forward lighting .........120
Hazard warning flashers ..........123
Turn and lane-change signals . 123
Front fog lights ......................... 124
Rear fog lights ......................... 124
Parking lights ........................... 124
Reversing lights .......................125
Misted light covers ...................125
Interior lighting ........................... 125
Instrument panel illumination control ..................................... 125
Interior lights ............................ 125
Reading lights .......................... 126
Sunvisor lights ......................... 126Lighting features ........................127
Centre console lighting ............127
Entry lighting ............................ 127
Exit lighting .............................. 127
Battery discharge protection ....128Exterior lighting
Light switch
Turn light switch:
7:lights off8:sidelights9:low beam
Control indicator 8 3 92.

128LightingExit lighting is switched off
immediately if the turn signal lever is
pulled while the driver's door is open.
Activation, deactivation and duration of this function can be changed in the Settings menu in the Info-Display.
Vehicle personalisation 3 105.
The settings can be saved for the key
being used 3 24.
Battery discharge protection Vehicle battery state of charge
function
The function guarantees longest
vehicle battery life via a generator
with controllable power output and
optimised power distribution.
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
● FanIn 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.

140Driving and operatingDriving hints
Control of the vehicle
Never 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 3 142.
Idle boost
If charging of the vehicle battery is
required due to battery condition, the
power output of the generator must
be increased. This will be achieved by an idle boost which may be audible.
A message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre.Pedals
To ensure the pedal travel is
uninhibited, there must be no mats in
the area of the pedals.
Use only floor mats which fit properly and are fixed by the retainers on the
driver's side.
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 89.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.
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.
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 3 145.

Driving and operating141Ignition 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 ten minutes after the ignition is switched off:
● power windows
● sunroof
● power outlets
Power to the Infotainment system will continue to operate for 30 minutes or
until 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.
Do not operate the accelerator pedal.
Diesel engine: turn the key to position 2 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
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 needs a
warming phase of approx. five
minutes. The selector lever must be
in position P.

142Driving and operatingAutomatic Starter Control
This function controls the engine
starting procedure. The driver does
not need 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 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. 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 as
soon 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 eco. The
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.
● Move the selector lever to neutral.
● Release the clutch pedal.

Driving and operating143The engine will be switched off whilethe 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 power steering assist may be
reduced during an Autostop.
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
Autostop.Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
" Climate control " chapter for more
details 3 132.
Immediately after motorway driving,
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 140.
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 heated rear window 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.

144Driving and operatingThe 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 88.
Restart of the engine by the stop- start system
The selector lever must 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.
● The driver's seat belt is unfastened and the driver's door
is opened.
● The engine temperature is too low.● The charging level of the vehiclebattery 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.
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 pressing the 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
approx. one second.
The electric parking brake is
applied when control indicator
m illuminates 3 88.
● 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. 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

206Vehicle careCaution
Only washer fluid with a sufficient
antifreeze concentration provides
protection at low temperatures or
after a sudden drop in
temperature.
Use of washer fluid containing
isopropanol can damage exterior
lamps.
Washer fluid 3 255.
Brakes In the event of minimum thickness ofthe brake lining, a squealing noise
sounds during braking.
Continued driving is possible but
have the brake lining replaced as
soon as possible.
Once new brake linings are installed,
do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys.
Brake fluid9 Warning
Brake fluid is poisonous and
corrosive. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, fabrics and painted surfaces.
The brake fluid level must be betweenthe MIN and MAX marks.
If fluid level is below MIN seek the
assistance of a workshop.
Brake and clutch fluid 3 255.
Vehicle battery
The vehicle battery is maintenance-
free provided that the driving profile
allows sufficient charging of the
battery. Short-distance-driving and
frequent engine starts can discharge
the battery. Avoid the use of
unnecessary electrical consumers.
Batteries do not belong in household
waste. They must be disposed of at
an appropriate recycling collection
point.
Laying up the vehicle for more than
four weeks can lead to battery
discharge. Disconnect the clamp from the negative terminal of the vehicle
battery.
Ensure the ignition is switched off
before connecting or disconnecting
the vehicle battery.

Vehicle care207Vehicle battery discharge protection
3 128.
Disconnecting the battery
If the vehicle's battery is to be
disconnected (e.g. for maintenance
work), the alarm siren must be
deactivated as follows: Switch the
ignition on then off, then disconnect
the vehicle's battery within
15 seconds.
Replacing the vehicle battery Note
Any deviation from the instructions
given in this section may lead to
temporary deactivation of the stop-
start system.
When the vehicle battery is being
replaced, please ensure that there
are no open ventilation holes in the
vicinity of the positive terminal. If a
ventilation hole is open in this area, it
must be closed off with a dummy cap,
and the ventilation in the vicinity of the
negative terminal must be opened.
Only use vehicle batteries that allow
the fuse box to be mounted above the
vehicle battery.In vehicles with an AGM (Absorptive Glass Mat) battery, ensure the battery
is replaced with another AGM battery.
An AGM battery can be identified by
the label on the battery. We
recommend the use of an original
Opel vehicle battery.
Note
Using an AGM vehicle battery
different from the original Opel
vehicle battery may result in a lower performance.
We recommend that you have the
vehicle battery replaced by a
workshop.
Stop-start system 3 142.
Charging the vehicle battery9 Warning
On vehicles with stop-start
system, ensure that the charging potential does not exceed
14.6 volts when using a battery
charger. Otherwise the vehicle
battery might be damaged.
Jump starting 3 247.
Warning label