tow OPEL ZAFIRA 2009 User Guide

112
Lighting
Rear fog lights The rear fog light can only be
switched on when both the ignition
and headlights or parking lights (with
front fog lights) are on.
Operated with the r button.
The vehicle rear fog light is
deactivated when towing. Parking lights
When parked, the parking lights on
one side can be activated:
1. Set light switch to 7 or AUTO .
2.
Ignition off.
3. Move turn signal lever all the way up (right parking lights) or down
(left parking lights).
Confirmed by a signal and the
corresponding turn signal control
indicator.
To switch it off, switch on the ignition
or move the turn signal lever in the
opposite direction. Reversing lights
The reversing lights come on when
the ignition is on and reverse gear is
selected.
Misted light covers
The

inside of the light covers may mist
up briefly in poor, wet and cold
weather conditions, in heavy rain or
after washing. The mist disappears
quickly by itself; to help, switch on the
headlights.

Climate control
119
■ Open side air vents as required and
direct them towards door windows.
■ For simultaneous warming of the foot well, set air distribution control
to J.
Air conditioning system Additional to the heating and
ventilation system, the air
conditioning system has:
n
= Cooling
4 = Air recirculation Cooling n
Operated with the n button and is
functional only when the engine and
fan are running.
The air condition 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.
Air recirculation system 4
The air recirculation mode is operated
with the 4 button. 9
Warning 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. Air distribution to
l: Air recirculation
is deactivated.
Maximum cooling
Briefly open the windows so that hot
air can disperse quickly.
■ Cooling n on.
■ Air circulation system 4 on,
■ Set air distribution control to M.
■

Set temperature control to coldestlevel.
■ Set fan speed to highest level.
■ Open all vents.
Demisting and defrosting the
windows ■ Cooling n on.
■ Set air distribution control to l.
■ Set temperature control to warmest level.
■ Set fan speed to highest level.
■ Switch on heated rear window Ü.

120
Climate control
■ Open side air vents as required and
direct them towards door windows.
■ For simultaneous warming of the foot well, set air distribution control
to J.
Automatic climate control
system Controls for:
■
Air distribution
■ Temperature
■ Fan speed n
= Cooling
4 = Air recirculation
V = Demisting and defrosting
Heated rear window Ü 3 42.
The preselected temperature is
automatically regulated. In the
automatic mode the fan speed
automatically regulates the air flow.
Automatic mode
Basic setting for maximum comfort: ■

Set fan control to A.
■ Set the air distribution control to the desired setting.
■ Preset temperature to the desired level.
■ Cooling n on.
■ Open all of the air vents.
Air distribution
L =
to head area and foot well
M = to head area
l = to windscreen and front door
windows
J = to windscreen, front door
windows and foot well
K = to foot well Intermediate settings are possible.
Temperature preselection
Set the temperature control to the
required position. Intermediate
settings are possible.
For reasons of comfort, change
temperature

only in small increments.
At the end positions, there is no
temperature regulation. The air
conditioning system works with
maximum cooling or heating.
Heating will not be fully effective until
engine has reached its operating
temperature.
Fan speed
In the automatic mode A the fan
speed automatically regulates the air
flow. If required the air flow can be
manually adjusted.
Cooling n
Operated with the n button and is
functional only when the engine and
fan are running.

Driving and operating
127
Driving and operating
Driving hints ............................... 127
Starting and operating ...............127
Engine exhaust .......................... 129
Automatic transmission
.............. 131
Manual transmission ..................136
Manual transmission
automated .................................. 136
Brakes ........................................ 140
Ride control systems .................142
Cruise control ............................. 144
Object detection systems ........... 145
Fuel ............................................ 146
Towing ....................................... 149 Driving hints
Control of the vehicle
Never 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.

Driving and operating
129
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 easy flammable surface. The high
temperature of the exhaust system
could ignite the surface.
■ Always apply hand brake without pressing release button. Apply as
firmly as possible on downhill or
uphill slopes. Depress the foot
brake at 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 switching
off 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. Engine exhaust
9
Danger 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

130
Driving and operating
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. Cleaning takes place
quickest at high engine speeds and
loads. 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 gas.
Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed
on pages
3 146, 3 209 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

Driving and operating
133
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, 1 3, 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 hand 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.

140
Driving and operatingIf the vehicle must be moved out of
the flow of traffic, disengage the
clutch as follows:
1.
Apply hand brake and switch offignition.
2. Open the bonnet 3 155.
3. Clean the transmission around the cap so that no dirt can get into
the opening when the cap is
removed.
4. Rotate cap to slacken and remove by lifting upwards. 5. Using a flat-head screwdriver,
turn
the adjusting screw under the
cap clockwise until clear
resistance can be felt. The clutch
has now been disengaged.
6. Refit cleaned cap. The cap must be in full contact with the housing. Caution
Do not turn beyond the resistance
since this could damage the
transmission.
Caution
Towing the vehicle and starting
the engine is not permitted when
the

clutch has been disengaged in
this way, although the vehicle can
be moved a short distance. Seek the immediate assistance of
a workshop. Brakes
The brake system comprises two
independent brake circuits.
If a brake circuit fails, the vehicle can
still be braked using the other brake
circuit. However, braking effect is
achieved only when you depress the
brake pedal firmly. You need to use
considerably more force for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek
the assistance of a workshop before
continuing your journey.
When the engine is not running, the
support of the brake servo unit
disappears

once the brake pedal has
been depressed once or twice.
Braking effect is not reduced, but
braking requires significantly greater
force. It is especially important to bear
this in mind when being towed.
Control indicator R 3 89.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

146
Driving and operating
The system can also be activated at
low speed by pressing the r button.
An obstacle is indicated by buzzers.
The interval between the buzzers
becomes shorter as the vehicle gets
closer to the obstacle. When the
distance is less than 30 cm, the
buzzer is continuous. 9
Warning Under certain circumstances,
various reflective surfaces on
objects or clothing as well as
external

noise sources may cause
the system to fail to detect
obstacles. Deactivation
Deactivate the system by pressing
the r button.
The system automatically switches
itself off when the vehicle is driven
above a certain speed.
Towing equipment
The system automatically considers
a factory-fitted towing equipment. The rear parking sensors are
deactivated when towing.
Fuel
Fuel for petrol engines
Only

use unleaded fuel that complies
with DIN EN 228.
Fuels with ethanol content greater
than 5% may only be used if the
vehicle has been specifically
developed and approved for these
fuels.
Use fuel with the recommended
octane rating 3 209. Use of fuel with
too low an octane rating can reduce
engine power and torque and slightly
increases fuel consumption. Caution
Use of fuel with too low an octane
rating could lead to uncontrolled
combustion and engine damage.
Fuel for diesel engines
Only use diesel fuel that complies
with

DIN EN 590. The fuel must have
low sulphur content (max. 50 ppm).

Driving and operating
149
driving with approx. 2
/3 . Cold starts
and acceleration phases are also
taken into consideration.
The specification of CO 2 emission is
also a constituent of the directive.
The figures given must not be taken
as a guarantee for the actual fuel
consumption of a particular vehicle.
Furthermore, fuel consumption is
dependent on personal driving style
as
well as road and traffic conditions.
All values are based on the EU base
model with standard equipment.
The calculation of fuel consumption
takes account of the vehicle’s kerb
weight, ascertained in accordance
with the regulations. Options may
result in slightly higher fuel
consumption and CO 2 emission
levels and a lower top speed.
Fuel consumption, CO 2 emissions
3 213. Natural gas
The fuel consumption information
was obtained using reference fuel
G20 (methane proportion 99 - 100
mol%) under prescribed driving
conditions. When using natural gas
with a lower proportion of methane,
the fuel consumption can differ from
the specified values.
Towing
General information
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
Installation dimensions of factory-
fitted towing equipment
3 223.
Driving characteristics and
towing tips
Before attaching a trailer, lubricate
the
coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the
coupling ball, is being used to reduce
snaking movements.
For trailers with low driving stability
and trailers with a permitted gross
vehicle weight of more than 1300 kg
a speed of 80 km/h must not be
exceeded; the use of a stabiliser is
recommended.