towing OPEL ASTRA K 2017 Manual user

Driving and operating219Towing 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 on the rear floor cover in the
load compartment.
Place the strap through the rear right
lashing eye, wrap around twice and
tighten the strap to secure the bag.
Illustration shows 5-door hatchback.
Illustration shows Sports Tourer.
Fitting the coupling ball bar
On Sports Tourer remove cover from
rear bumper by pushing.
Disengage and fold down the
connecting socket. Remove the
sealing plug from the opening for the
coupling ball bar and stow it.

Driving and operating221Attach breakaway stopping cable to
eye.
Check that the coupling ball bar is
correctly installed
● Green marking on rotary knob must point towards green
marking on coupling ball bar.
● There must be no gap between the rotary handle and the
coupling ball bar.
● The coupling ball bar must be firmly engaged in the opening.
● The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.
Dismounting the coupling ball bar
Open the protective flap and turn the
key to position c to unlock the
coupling ball bar.
Pull out rotary handle and turn
clockwise as far as it will go. Pull out coupling ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening.
Fold away connecting socket.
On Sports Tourer insert cover into
rear bumper as shown in the
illustration.

Vehicle care223Vehicle careGeneral Information...................223
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 223
Vehicle storage ........................224
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....224
Vehicle checks ........................... 225
Performing work ......................225
Bonnet ..................................... 225
Engine oil ................................. 226
Engine coolant ......................... 227
Washer fluid ............................ 228
Brakes ..................................... 228
Brake fluid ............................... 228
Vehicle battery ......................... 229
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....230
Wiper blade replacement ........231
Bulb replacement .......................231
Halogen headlights ..................231
Fog lights ................................. 233
Tail lights ................................. 234
Side turn signal lights ..............240
Number plate light ...................241
Interior lights ............................ 241
Instrument panel illumination ...241Electrical system ........................242
Fuses ....................................... 242
Engine compartment fuse box . 243
Instrument panel fuse box .......245
Load compartment fuse box ....247
Vehicle tools .............................. 249
Tools ........................................ 249
Wheels and tyres .......................250
Winter tyres ............................. 250
Tyre designations ....................250
Tyre pressure .......................... 251
Tyre pressure monitoring system .................................... 252
Tread depth ............................. 256
Changing tyre and wheel size . 256 Wheel covers ........................... 256
Tyre chains .............................. 257
Tyre repair kit .......................... 257
Wheel changing .......................260
Spare wheel ............................ 263
Jump starting ............................. 265
Towing ....................................... 267
Towing the vehicle ...................267
Towing another vehicle ...........268
Appearance care .......................269
Exterior care ............................ 269
Interior care ............................. 271General Information
Accessories and vehiclemodifications
We recommend the use of genuine
parts and accessories and factory
approved parts specific for your
vehicle type. We cannot assess or guarantee reliability of other products
- even if they have a regulatory or
otherwise granted approval.
Any modification, conversion or other
changes made to standard vehicle
specifications (including, without
limitation, software modifications,
modifications of the electronic control units) may invalidate the warranty
offered by Opel. Furthermore, such
changes may impact fuel
consumption, CO 2 emissions and
other emissions of the vehicle and
cause the vehicle to no longer
conform to the type approval,
impacting the validity of your vehicle
registration.

Vehicle care249Vehicle tools
Tools
5-door hatchback with spare
wheel
Open the floor cover of the load
compartment 3 80.
The jack, the towing eye, a strap for
securing a damaged wheel and the
tools are located in the tool box below the spare wheel. Spare wheel
3 263.
Sports Tourer with spare wheel
Open the floor cover of the load
compartment 3 80.
The jack, the towing eye and the tools
are located in the tool box below the
spare wheel. Spare wheel 3 263.
5-door hatchback with tyre repair
kit
Open the cover in the right side wall
of the load compartment.
Some tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a tool box.

250Vehicle careSports Tourer with tyre repair kit
Open the floor cover of the load
compartment 3 80.
The tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a tool box.
Wheels and tyres
Tyre condition, wheel condition
Drive over edges slowly and at right
angles if possible. Driving over sharp
edges can cause tyre and wheel
damage. Do not trap tyres on the kerb when parking.
Regularly check the wheels for
damage. Seek the assistance of a
workshop in the event of damage or
unusual wear.
Winter tyres
Winter tyres improve driving safety at temperatures below 7 °C and shouldtherefore be fitted on all wheels.
All tyre sizes are permitted as winter
tyres 3 288.
In accordance with country-specific
regulations, affix the speed sticker in
the driver's field of view.Tyre designations
E.g. 215/60 R 16 95 H215:Tyre width, mm60:Cross-section ratio (tyre height
to tyre width), %R:Belt type: RadialRF:Type: RunFlat16:Wheel diameter, inches95:Load index e.g. 95 is
equivalent to 690 kgH:Speed code letter
Speed code letter:
Q:up to 160 km/hS:up to 180 km/hT:up to 190 km/hH:up to 210 km/hV:up to 240 km/hW:up to 270 km/h
Choose a tyre appropriate for the
maximum speed of your vehicle.
The maximum speed is achievable at kerb weight with driver (75 kg) plus
125 kg payload. Optional equipment
could reduce the maximum speed of
the vehicle.
Performance 3 282.

Vehicle care263Front arm position of the lifting
platform at the underbody.
Spare wheel
Some vehicles are equipped with a tyre repair kit instead of a spare
wheel.
If mounting a spare wheel which is
different from the other wheels, this
wheel might be classified as a
temporary spare wheel and the
corresponding speed limits apply,
even though no label indicates this.
Seek the assistance of a workshop to
check the applicable speed limit.
The spare wheel has a steel rim.Caution
The use of a spare wheel that is smaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
The spare wheel is located in the load
compartment beneath the floor
covering.
To remove: 1. Open the floor cover 3 80.
2. The spare wheel is secured with a
wing nut. Unscrew nut and take
out the spare wheel.
Under the spare wheel there is the box with vehicle tools.
3. When, after a wheel change, no wheel is placed in the spare wheel
well, secure the tool box by
tightening the wing nut as far as it will go and close floor cover.
4. After wheel change back to full size wheel, place the spare wheel
outside up in the well and secure
with the wing nut.
Stowing a damaged full size
wheel in the load compartment, 5- door hatchback
The spare wheel well is not designed for other tyre sizes than the spare
wheel. A damaged full size wheel
must be stowed in the load
compartment and secured with a
strap. Vehicle tools 3 249. To secure
the wheel:
1. Position the wheel outside up close to one sidewall of the load
compartment.

264Vehicle care
2. Place the loop end of the strapthrough the front lashing eye on
the appropriate side.
3. Place the hook end of the strap through the loop and pull it until
the strap is fastened securely to
the lashing eye.4. Insert the strap through the spokes of the wheel as shown in
the illustration.
5. Mount the hook to the rear lashing
eye.
6. Tighten the strap and secure it using the buckle.
9 Danger
Always drive with folded up and
engaged rear seat backrests when stowing a damaged full size wheel
in the load compartment.
Stowing a damaged full size
wheel in the load compartment,
Sports Tourer
All permitted wheel sizes can be
stowed in the spare wheel well. To
secure the wheel:
1. Remove centre cap with the brand
emblem by pushing from the
inside.
2. Position the wheel outside down in the wheel well.

Vehicle care2653. Secure the defective wheel withthe wing nut.
4. Depending on the tyre size, the floor cover can be placed on the
projecting wheel.
Temporary spare wheelCaution
The use of a spare wheel that is smaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
Only mount one temporary spare
wheel. Do not drive faster than
80 km/h. Take curves slowly. Do not use for a long period of time.
If your vehicle gets a flat tyre on the
rear while towing another vehicle,
mount the temporary spare wheel in the front and the full tyre in the rear.
Tyre chains 3 257.
Spare wheel with directional tyre
If possible, fit directional tyres such
that they roll in the direction of travel.
The rolling direction is indicated by a
symbol (e.g. an arrow) on the
sidewall.
The following applies to tyres fitted
opposing the rolling direction:
● Driveability may be affected. Have the defective tyre renewed
or repaired as soon as possible
and fit it instead of the spare
wheel.
● Drive particularly carefully on wet
and snow-covered road
surfaces.Jump starting
The vehicle battery is located in the
load compartment under a cover. There are connecting points for jump
starting in the engine compartment.
A vehicle with a discharged vehicle
battery can be started using jump
leads and the vehicle battery of
another vehicle.
Do not start with quick charger.9 Warning
Be extremely careful when starting
with jump leads. Any deviation
from the following instructions can
lead to injuries or damage caused
by battery explosion or damage to the electrical systems of both
vehicles.
9 Warning
Avoid contact of the battery with
eyes, skin, fabrics and painted
surfaces. The fluid contains

Vehicle care2673. Allow both engines to idle forapprox. three minutes with the
leads connected.
4. Switch on electrical consumers (e.g. headlights, heated rear
window) of the vehicle receiving
the jump start.
5. Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.Towing
Towing the vehicle
Insert a screwdriver in the slot at the
lower part of the cap. Release the cap
by carefully moving the screwdriver
downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 249.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering the
vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release steering wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Transmission in neutral.

268Vehicle careCaution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation and close the
windows.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: The vehicle must be towed facing
forwards, not faster than 80 km/h nor further than 100 km. In all other cases
and when the transmission is
defective, the front axle must be
raised off the ground.
Vehicles with manual transmission
automated: the vehicle must only be
towed facing forwards with the front axle raised off the ground.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the top and engage
downwards.
Towing another vehicle
Insert a screwdriver in the slot at the
lower bend of the cap. Release the
cap by carefully moving the
screwdriver downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 249.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or even better a
tow bar – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.