OPEL GT 2012 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: OPEL, Model Year: 2012, Model line: GT, Model: OPEL GT 2012Pages: 190, PDF Size: 2.46 MB
Page 121 of 190

12 1Dr i vi ng and  o pe r ati on
Crui se control
The c ruise c ontrol can store and  maintain 
s pee ds  above  approx.  30  k m/h (2 0  mph). 
D ev i a t i on s  f r o m  t h e  st o r ed  sp ee ds m a y 
occur when d riv ing  uphill or d ow nhill.
F or   sa f e t y r e a so n s,  c r u i se  c o n t r ol   c a n no t  
be  activate d until  the  brak e pe dal has  
be en  o p e r a t ed o n ce . 
Cruise control is operate d with buttonsm, 
8, an d9 on the left side of the steering 
whee l. 
Do not use cruise control  if  it is 
not advisable  to maintain a constant 
s p ee d ( e. g . i n  s i t ua t io n s  p r es e nt i n g  a  
danger to yourself and other road  users, 
in heav y traffic or on winding, s lippery  or 
gre asy  roads).
W hen cruise  control  is a ctive,  reaction 
time s may be increased  due to the different 
position of the  feet.To activ ate :
Pre ss button m to turn c ruise c ontrol on. 
The  control indica tor in the  button will 
illuminate .Acce lerate  to the de sire d spe ed,  press  the  
9button  and  rele ase  it: the  current 
speed is stored and  maintained. 
The  accele rator ped al can be  rele ased 
afte r se tting cruise  control spe ed.
V ehicle  spe ed  can be  increas ed  
temporarily for overta king  purposes,  by 
de pres s ing  the  acce lerator pe dal. 
W hen the  accele rator ped al is  rele ase d, 
the previously stored speed is resumed.
"C RUISE  E NGAGED"  appe ars  in the  drive r 
inform ation centre with cruis e control 
active .
C he ck c ontrol warning me ss age s  - 
s ee  page  6 8.
9 Wa r ning
The driver is  always responsible for 
maintaining a n  appropriate s pe ed  if 
cruis e  control is  on. F ailure  to follow  
instructions can cause injuries or put lives 
at risk.   
Page 122 of 190

1 2 2 D r iv in g an d  o p e ra t io n
Incr ease speed :
W i t h c r ui s e c o nt r o l  a c t i v e,  ho l d  d o w n 
button 
8 or briefly pres s it repe atedly : 
s pee d is  incre as ed continuous ly or in ste ps 
of 1.6 km/h (1 m ph) without using the  
acce lerator pe dal. 
W hen button 
8 is  released, the current 
speed is stored and m aintained. 
Alternative ly, use the  acce lerator pe dal to 
increase  vehicle speed, press button 
9 
and rele ase it, then rele ase  the  acce lerator 
pe dal.
W hen button 
9 and the  acce lerator 
pe dal are  rele ase d,  the  current s pee d is  
s tore d and m ainta ine d.
Decrease speed:
W i t h c r ui s e c o nt r o l  a c t i v e,  ho l d  d o w n 
button 
9 or brie fly  pres s  it rep eate dly: 
s pee d is  reduce d continuous ly or in s teps  
of 1.6 km/h (1 m ph).  
W hen button 
9 is rele ased,  the  current 
speed is stored and m aintained.
 To dea ctiv ate :
Switch off  cruis e  control whe n not nee de d, 
to  avoid accid ental activa tion.
Pre ss button m: cruise  control  is s witched  
off, the control indicator in the button goe s 
out a nd  the  ve hicle s lowly d ece lerates . 
To continue driv ing , de pres s the  
accele rator ped al in the us ua l  manner.
For re asons of  safe ty, c ruise  control 
deactiv ates  under ce rtain driving 
conditions . F or  exa mple:  
zi f  t h e veh i c l e ’s sp e ed  d r o p s b el o w  
approx . 3 0 km/ h (2 0  mph) or 
zif the brake peda l is depre ss ed or 
zif the  clutch p edal is  de pres s ed  or
zif the  Elec tronic S tability  Program (E SP) 
come s into a ction, to improve driving 
s tability and lim it  whee l  spin.
Deactivating cruise  control does not switch 
of f  t h e  sy st e m .
Resumi ng the stored  speed:
Brie fly pre ss button 
8 at a  spe ed  above  
30  k m /h  ( 2 0  m p h ):  s p ee d  s el e c t ed   b ef o r e 
cruis e c ontrol was  de activated  is re sume d. 
The value of the stored speed  is deleted 
w h en  c r u i se  c o n t r o l  ha s b ee n  sw i t c h e d  o f f 
by pre ss ing button m, and when  the 
ignition is  turne d off.
Brake system
The effectiveness of the brakes is an 
important factor for traffic sa fe ty. 
To improve effectiveness, do  not  brake 
unnecessarily hard for the  first 200 k m 
(120 mile s) a fte r new brake  pads  have  
be en fitted . 
Brake  pad  wea r  must  not e xce ed  a 
s pec ifie d limit. R egular ma inte na nce  as  
detailed in the chapter "Service, 
Maintenance" on pag e 165  is therefore of 
the utm os t importance  for traffic safe ty.
Hav e w orn b ra ke p ads  replace d by  a 
workshop. Pads which have  be en te ste d 
a n d a p p r o ved  en s ur e  o p t i m u m  b ra ke 
pe rforma nc e. 
Brake  pad s that hav e worn to their 
minimum  thickne ss  ge nerate  a grinding 
noise . C ontinued  driving is  poss ible.  
Hav e the  brake  pads  re placed  as  soon 
as pos sible  by  a works hop.
9 Warning
Disre gard of thes e  ins truc tions  may  lead  
to  injuries  or e ndanger live s .  
Page 123 of 190

12 3Dr i vi ng and  o pe r ati on
Brak e assist
Powerful application of the  brake  peda l 
automatically  applies  max imum brak ing 
force a mplification to a chie ve  the s horte st 
pos sible  braking d is tance  unde r full 
braking (brak e a ss ist).
M a i n t a i n  s t ea dy  p r es s ur e  o n  t h e br a k e 
pe dal for as  long  as  full-on brak ing  is 
to continue . W hen the  brake  ped al is 
rele as ed,  the  max imum brak e force  
amp lification is  take n  away.Foot b rake 
The foot  brake comp rises  two independent 
brake circuits . 
If a  brake  circuit fails , the  ve hicle  can s till  be  
braked  using the othe r brake circuit. If this  
oc curs , howe ver,  the  brak e pe dal m us t be  
depre ss ed  quite far us ing conside rable 
force  be fore  braking e ffect occurs. The 
distance  require d for braking will b e 
greate r. Consult  a workshop  before 
continuing  your journey.
To  ensure  the full pe dal trave l can be  
utilize d, e sp ecially  in c ase  of a fault in one  
of  the brake circuits, there  must be no 
unre strained  mats in the  vic inity  of  the  
pedals  –  se e  page 11 1 .
When the engine is not running, the 
a ss i st a nce  o f  t h e  br a ke  se r vo  u n it   en ds  
once  the brake peda l has b ee n depre ss e d 
once  or twice . Braking e ffect is  not 
re duce d, but braking re quire s  significantly 
greate r force .Check the brake lamps before starting  
out on a journey.
Just before starting  any journey,  check 
effectiveness of brak e system  at low 
s pee ds  and without obstructing moving 
traffic, pa rticularly  if  brakes  are  we t, e .g. 
afte r  was hing the  ve hicle . 
The  brake/ clutch fluid  leve l s hould b e 
che cked  regularly.  If the b ra ke/clutc h  fluid 
level  is too low and  the hand brak e is not 
app lie d, c ontrol indicatorR illumina tes  in 
the  ins trument pane l – s e e pa ge 5 6 . 
Page 124 of 190

1 2 4 D r iv in g an d  o p e ra t io n
Hand brak e 
Always   apply  ha nd  brake  firmly . O n s lopes , 
apply  the  hand brake  as  firmly as  poss ible . 
The m echanical hand b ra ke a ffe cts  the  
rea r wheel brakes. They a utomatica lly 
enga ge w hen the lever  is p ulled. 
To release the hand  brake, lift handle 
s lig htly , pre ss  rele as e button and lowe r 
handle  all the way  down. 
T o  re du ce t h e o p e ra t in g  f o r ces  of  t h e h a n d 
brake , de pres s  the foot brake  at the  sa me 
time .Control i nd icator R f o r  b r a k e s y st em
Illum inate s whe n the ignition is s witched on 
if  the hand brake is  applied  or  if the brake/
clutch fluid le vel  is too low.
Flas hes  at s pee ds  ove r  8 km/ h  (5  m ph)  if 
ha nd brak e is applie d. Re le as e hand brake 
b ef o r e  c o nt i n u i ng  j o ur n ey ,  t o  a v o id  
ov erheating and  damag ing the  brake  
sy ste m. S ee  also  page  70 .
Brake  and clutch fluid  – s ee  page 1 56 .
ABS u
T h e  AB S ( A n ti-lo ck  Brake  Sys tem ) 
continuously monitors the brake system 
a n d p r eve n ts  t h e  w h ee l s f r o m  l o ck i ng ,  
inde pende ntly  of  the  typ e of road surface 
and the  tyre  grip. 
It s tarts  to re gulate the  braking pres sure  as  
soon a s a  wheel  shows a tendency to lock.  
T h e  veh i cl e  r em a i ns  s t ee r a bl e,  eve n  i n  t h e 
e vent of v ery  he avy  braking, for ins ta nce  
on bends  or  when swerving to a void an 
o bs t acl e.  Ev en  i n  t h e c ase  o f  f u l l- o n  
brak ing,  the  ABS mak es  it poss ible to drive  
round an obs tacle w ithout rele as ing  the  
brak es .
ABS  control is  mad e ap parent throug h  a 
puls e in the  brake  pe dal and the  nois e  of 
the regulation process.
9 Warning
If the  control indicator illuminates  whe n 
the hand brake is not ap plied: Stop. 
Interrupt y our journey  immediately.  
C onsult a workshop.
9 Wa r nin g
For optimum  braking, ke ep  the brak e 
peda l fully  dep re s se d throughout the 
braking proce ss , de s pite the  fact that 
the pe dal is  pulsa ting.  Do not  reduce  
the pre ssure on the  peda l.  
Do not  le t this  spe cial safety  feature 
tempt  you into  ta king risk s w he n driving.
Tra ffic  safe ty  can only b e ac hie ve d by 
adopting a re spons ible d riv ing  sty le . 
Page 125 of 190

12 5Dr i vi ng and  o pe r ati on
Con t rol in dica tor u for ABS
Illuminates for a few seconds after the 
ignition is  switche d on. The s ys tem is  ready  
for operation when  the  control  indica tor 
goe s out.
If the  control indicator doe s  not g o  out 
after a fe w se conds,  or if it illuminates  while  
driving,  there is a  fault in the ABS.  The 
brake system remains operational without 
ABS regulation.Se lf-che ck
Each time  the  ignition is switc he d on and 
the  e ngine  is  starte d, afte r se tting  off  at a 
speed of about 3 km /h (2 mph), the system 
performs  a s elf-check  which may  be 
audible.
Fa u lt
You can continue  driving,  prov ided  you 
drive with care a nd antic ipation.
Have  the  cause of the  fa ult re med ie d by  a 
workshop.  The system’s integrated 
se lf-d ia gnos tics  allows  fa ults  to be  quickly 
re m e d i e d .  
Wheels, tyres 
S ee  page  1 79  for s uitable  tyre s  and  
re strictions. 
F actory-fitted ty res are matched to the  
chas sis  and offer optimum driving comfort 
and s afe ty . 
C ha nging ty re/w heel t ype
Be fore  changing to tyre s  or  whe els of a 
differe nt size , s e ek a dvice as regards  
te chnical  poss ibilitie s . Se ek  the as s istance  
of a w ork shop. 
If ty res of a differe nt  size  than those  fitted 
at the factory are used, the electronic 
spee dome ter may  req uire  reprogramm ing  
to ensure  that  the correct speed  is 
dis playe d.
9 Warning
If the re  is a fault in ABS,  the whe els may  
be  subje ct to loc king  due to braking that 
is  heav ie r than norm al. This  may  cause  
t h e ve h i cl e t o  sw er ve . T h e a dva nt a g es  of  
A B S  a r e n o  l o n g er   op er a t i o n a l .
9 Wa r nin g
Use of unsuitable tyres or wheels may 
lead  to  accide nts  and re nder the  ve hicle  
unroadworthy.  
Page 126 of 190

1 2 6 D r iv in g an d  o p e ra t io n
F itting ne w  tyre s
Please fit tyre s in pairs. Se ts would be  eve n 
be tte r. Re place  tyre s w ith: 
zth e  s a m e   si z e ,  
zthe same  design, 
zthe  s ame  make , 
zthe  same  tre ad  pattern on one ax le. 
F it  direc tional  tyres such that the y roll  in  the 
direc tion of trave l. The  rolling d ire ction  is 
indicated  by  a s ymbol (e .g. a n  arrow)  on 
the s ide wall. 
Tyre s fitte d opposing  the  rolling  direction 
(e. g. whe n  a tyre  is  chang ed) s hould  be 
refitted  a s s oon as  poss ible.  This  is  the only  
way  to obtain full  bene fit from the  de sign 
properties of the tyre.
O bse rve legal re quireme nts w he n 
disposing of ty res.Some  brands  of  tyres  have  a b eade d 
edge for alloy whe els  to protect  against 
damage . If  a whee l trim is  use d on s tee l 
whee ls with be ade d-edg e ty re s, the 
following proce dure mus t be  followe d: 
zW hee l trims  and ty res  that are  a pproved 
for the re spe ctive  ve hicle  and c om ply 
with all of the  rele vant whee l and tyre  
combination re quireme nts mus t b e use d.
zIf the  whe el trims and ty re s use d are not 
approve d,  the  tyre s  must not have  a 
be ade d ed ge.
Ty re  pre ssure  
Ch eck  t yr e  p r es su r e s w he n  co l d, a t  l ea s t  
eve ry 1 4  days  and  prior  to any  long 
journey .Tyre  pres sure s – s ee  p age 18 0  and the ty re  
and load ing  information labe l on the  
B-pillar, v isible  with the  drive r’ s d oor ope n.  
Hav e ty re and  loa ding  information labe l 
re placed  afte r changing  to  a diffe rent tyre  
size. 
Do not re duce tyre  pressure  w he n the  tyres 
are warm. Otherw ise the pressure m ay 
drop be low  the  permis sible  minimum when 
the  tyres cool down. 
9 Warning
Use of unsuitab le  tyre s or whee l trim s 
could le ad to s udden pre ss ure los s  and 
there by a ccidents .  
Page 127 of 190

12 7Dr i vi ng and  o pe r ati on
After having  che cke d the  ty re p re ssures, 
tighten the  valve  caps. 
Incorrect  ty re pre ssures will imp air  safe ty, 
vehic le handling, com fort and  fuel 
e conomy  and will incre ase  tyre  we ar. 
If the  pressure  is  too  low,  this ca n  result 
in conside rable tyre warm-up and inte rnal 
dam age, leading to tre ad s ep aration a nd  
e ven  to  ty re  blo w-o u t at h igh  s pee ds . 
Hidde n tyre  damag e is  not eliminate d by  
adjus ting ty re p re s sure.Ty re conditi on, wheel  condition 
Driv e over e dges  slowly  and at right angle s 
if  poss ible.  Driving over  sharp e dge s  can 
cause  conceale d da mage  to tyres  and 
whee ls  that only be come s noticeable  later. 
Do  not trap  tyres whe n  parking. 
Check  tyres re gularly  for dama ge (foreign 
bo dies , pu n ctu res , cu ts , crack s,  bu lg es  in  
side walls).  Chec k whee ls  for  damage . In 
the  e vent of dam age  or  abnorm al we ar, 
cons ult a works hop.Tread depth
C he ck tre ad de pth at re gula r inte rvals . 
If the re  is more  wea r  at the front than the  
re ar, s wap round front  whe els  and  re ar 
whe els. 
C orre ct the ty re pre ssure.
Tyre s  should be  replac ed for safety  
re asons  if tre ad de pth drops  b elow 2-3  mm 
(4 mm  for w inte r tyres).
9 Wa r ning
Inc orre ct tyre  pressure  can le ad to tyre  
ru p t u r e .  
9 Warning
Dama ge m ay le ad to ty re  blow-out. 
Page 128 of 190

1 2 8 D r iv in g an d  o p e ra t io n
The le gally  permis sible  minimum  tre ad 
de pth  (1.6  m m) has  bee n reache d whe n 
the tre ad has worn down as far as one  of 
the w ear indicators (TWI
1)). A  numbe r of 
we ar indicators a re  s pace d at e qual 
intervals around the ty re within the  tre ad. 
Their pos ition  is  indicate d by  markings  on 
the ty re side wall. Gene ral i nformati on 
zThe  danger of aq uap laning  is  gre ater if 
the  ty res are  worn.  
zTyres  age, even  if they a re  used only  very 
little or not at  all. 
zNever fit  used tyres the prev ious history 
and use  of w hich y ou  do not  know. 
zSo  as  not to im pair brake  cooling , use  
only whe el trims  app rov ed for us e on 
your vehicle. Tyre d esigna tions 
Me aning s: 
e.g. 24 5/ 4 5  R  18  1 00  W
S pee d code  lette rs: 
1)TW I = Tread Wea r Indi c at or . 
245=Tyre width in mm
45= Aspect ratio 
(tyre height to ty re width) in %
R= Be lt type : Rad ial
18= Rim  diame ter in inches
100= L oad inde x
e.g.: 100 corresponds  to  800 kg
W=Speed code
QUp  to  160 km/h (100 mph)
SUp  to  180 km/h (112 mph)
TUp  to  190 km/h (118 mph)
HUp  to  210 km/h (130 mph)
VUp  to  240 km/h (150 mph)
WUp  to  270 km/h (168 mph) 
Page 129 of 190

12 9Dr i vi ng and  o pe r ati on
Winter tyres 3
F or note s on fitting new tyres – 
s ee page 1 26 . 
Se e page 17 9  for res tric tions . 
W i nt e r  t yr e s i m p r o ve  sa f e ty  a t  
t em p er a t u r es  be l o w  7  °C  a n d s ho u l d 
therefore be fitted on all the wheels. 
T h e d es i g n  o f  su m m er  t yr e s  m ea ns  t h ey  
have  limited  qualitie s  for  winte r driving. 
If the  maxim um  perm issible speed  for the 
winter ty re s is le ss than that of the ve hicle, 
a notice ind icating the  ma ximum 
pe rmissible spe ed  for the  tyre s must be  
affixe d within  the  drive r’s  field of v is ion
1).
W hee l t rims
If  t h e  w h ee l  t r i m s  a n d t yr e s u s ed  a r e n o t  
approve d, m ake  sure that the  ty res  do not 
have  a be ade d e dge  – s ee page 1 26 .Ty r e  c h a i n s  3
Restric tions and furthe r inform ation - 
se e p age 17 9 . 
Ty re c hains  are  only  pe rm itte d on the 
driven whe els  (rear  axle).  The y m us t be  
fitte d to the  ty res symme trically in orde r 
to achieve  a c once ntric  fit.  
Alw ays  use  fine-linked  chains  that ad d no 
more than 11 m m to the  ty re tread and the 
inboard  side s  (including chain lock).W hee l trim on ste el whee ls could come  into 
contact with parts of the  cha in  and  be 
dam aged . Re move  the  whe el trim. 
T yr e  cha in s  may o n ly be u s ed at sp ee ds u p 
to 50 km/h (30 mph) or up to the  tyre chain 
ma nufacturer’s  re comme nde d m aximum 
s pee d, whiche ver is lowe r.
W hen trave lling  on  roa ds  that  are fre e of 
s now , they  may  be  us e d for  brief pe riods 
only  since  they  are  subject  to rap id  we ar on 
a  hard  road and m ay s nap. 
Avoid s harp turns,  bumps  and holes  and 
do not lock  the  whee ls  when brak ing,  to 
av oid damaging the  tyre  chains.
Re -tighte n the chains  after d riv ing  for 
app rox . 1 km (0 .6 mile s). If, at any time you 
hea r or suspect that the  chains are 
contacting the vehicle, stop  and  re-tighten 
the chains.
Alway s re ad the  ins tructions  s upplied  with 
the tyre cha ins.
C orre ct the ty re pre ssure b efore  starting-
off. Se e  page  1 80 .
1)Va r ies f ro m c ount ry  t o c ount r y o n ac c ount  of  
nat i ona l r egul a ti ons . 
Page 130 of 190

130 Self-help, vehicle care
Self-help, vehicle care
Bon net relea se
To ope n the  bonnet, pull the  rele ase 
le ver locate d on the  driver’s  s ide  below 
the instrument pane l. 
The b onnet  will  then be unlatched  and will 
ope n  partially. R eturn relea se  lev er to its  
original pos ition.
Do not pull rele ase  leve r while  the  vehicle  is  
mov ing. Bo n ne t re le as e ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   13 0
Startin g .... .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....  13 1
Starting the engine with 
jum p lea ds3..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....  13 2
T o win g ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....  13 4
First-aid kit+3, 
warning tria ngle¨3.... ..... .... .... .....  13 5
V eh icle too ls .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   13 5
P u nc tu re .. .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....  13 5
T yre  repair  kit.. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   13 6
Ele ctrical s ys tem .. .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   14 1
Fuses and the most important c ircuits 
the y p ro te ct .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   14 3
Bu lb re placem en t .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   14 6
In s pectio n  s ys te m .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   15 1
O pel ge nuine  parts  and acc es sories .   15 2
A  n o te o n  s af ety .. .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   15 2
Ch e ckin g an d to ppin g  up  f lu ids ... .....   15 2
W ind scre en  wipe rs ... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   15 7
W ind scre en  was h er s ys tem ... .... .... .....   15 8
Batte ry ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....  15 9
Protection of electronic com ponents   159
V eh icle deco mm iss io nin g. ..... .... .... .....   16 0
V eh icle re co mmis s io n in g.. ..... .... .... .....   16 0
V eh icle care. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .....   16 1
9 Warning
Disregard  of these instructions m ay 
le ad to injurie s or endange r life . 
V eh i c l e p a s se ng er s  sh o u l d  b e  i n f or m ed  
accordingly.