VAUXHALL ASTRA J 2015.75 Owner's Manual

Driving and operating169
The selected gear is indicated in the
instrument cluster.
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. This can
cause a message in the Driver
Information Centre (DIC).
In manual mode, no automatic
shifting to a higher gear takes place
at high engine revolutions.
Electronic driving
programmes â–  Following a cold start, the operating
temperature programme increasesengine speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
â–  The automatic neutral shift function
automatically shifts to idling when
the vehicle is stopped with a
forward gear engaged and the
brake pedal is pressed.â–  When SPORT mode is engaged, the vehicle shifts at higher engine
speeds (unless cruise control is
on). SPORT mode 3 176.
â–  Special programmes automatically adapt the shifting points when
driving up inclines or down hills.
â–  When starting off in snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery
surfaces, the electronic
transmission control selects a
higher gear automatically.
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
down completely in automatic mode, the transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed.
Fault
In the event of a fault, control indicator g illuminates. Additionally, a code
number or a vehicle message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre (DIC). Vehicle messages
3 125.The transmission no longer shifts
automatically. Continued travel ispossible with manual shifting.
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
3 277.
If the vehicle battery is not the cause
of the fault, release the selector lever.
1. Apply the parking brake.

170Driving and operating
2. Release the selector lever trimfrom 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.Manual transmission
To engage reverse, with the vehicle
stationary, depress clutch pedal,
press the release button on the
selector lever and engage the gear.
If the gear does not engage, set the
lever to neutral, release the clutch
pedal and depress again; then repeat
gear selection.
Do not slip the clutch unnecessarily.
When operating, depress the clutch
pedal completely. Do not use the
pedal as a foot rest.

Driving and operating171Caution
It is not advisable to drive with thehand resting on the selector lever.
Upshift indication 3 115.
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 the brake pedal
is depressed firmly. Considerably
more force is needed 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 3 113.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.ABS starts to regulate brake pressure as soon as a wheel shows a tendency to lock. The vehicle remains
steerable, even during hard braking.
ABS control is made apparent
through a pulse in the brake pedal
and the noise of the regulation
process.
For optimum braking, keep the brake
pedal fully depressed throughout the
braking process, despite the fact that
the pedal is pulsating. Do not reduce
the pressure on the pedal.
After starting off the system performs a self-test which may be audible.
Control indicator u 3 114.
Adaptive brake light
During full braking, all three brake
lights flash for the duration of ABS
control.

172Driving and operating
Fault9Warning
If there is a fault in the ABS, the
wheels may be liable to lock due
to braking that is heavier than
normal. The advantages of ABS are no longer available. During
hard braking, the vehicle can no longer be steered and may
swerve.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Parking brake
Manual parking brake9 Warning
Always apply parking brake firmly
without operating the release
button, and apply as firmly as
possible on a downhill or uphill
slope.
To release the parking brake, pull
the lever up slightly, press the
release button and fully lower the
lever.
To reduce the operating forces of
the parking brake, depress the
foot brake at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 113.
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
9 Warning
Pull switch m for approx.
one second, the electric parking
brake operates automatically with

Driving and operating173adequate 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 3 114.
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, as this will discharge the
vehicle battery.
Before leaving the vehicle, check the electric parking brake status. Control
indicator m 3 114.
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 (DIC).
Vehicle messages 3 125.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.
Control indicator m flashes: electric
parking brake is not fully applied or released. When continuously
flashing, release electric parking
brake and retry applying.
Brake assist
If the brake pedal is depressed
quickly and forcefully, maximum
brake force is automatically applied
(full braking).
Maintain steady pressure on the
brake pedal for as long as full braking
is required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when the
brake pedal is released.

174Driving and operatingHill start assistThe system helps prevent unintendedmovement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the foot brake after
stopping on an incline, the brakes
remain on for a further two seconds.
The brakes release automatically as
soon as the vehicle begins to
accelerate.
The hill start assist is not active during
an Autostop.Ride control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction Control system (TC) is a component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) 3 175.
TC improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to
spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 115.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required:

Driving and operating175
press b briefly to deactivate TC, k
illuminates. Deactivation is displayed
as status message in the Driver
Information Centre (DIC).
TC is reactivated by pressing b
again.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Electronic Stability Control Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip. It also
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning. ESC operates in
combination with the Traction Control system (TC) 3 174.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the
wheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving
stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.ESC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When ESC operates b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 115.
Deactivation
For a more sporty behaviour ESC and
TC can be deactivated separately:
â–  Press b briefly: only Traction
control system is inactive, ESC
remains active, k illuminates.
â–  Hold b pressed for min.
5 seconds: TC and ESC are
deactivated, k and n illuminate.
Additionally the selected mode is
displayed as status message in the
Driver Information Centre (DIC).
If the vehicle comes into threshold
with deactivated ESP, the system will reactivate ESP for the time duration
of the threshold, when the brake
pedal is depressed once.
ESC is reactivated by pressing b
again. If the TC system was
previously disabled, both TC and
ESC are reactivated.
ESC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.

176Driving and operating
Deactivation, VXR versionFor very high-performance driving
ESC and TC can be deactivated
separately. The following modes are
selectable:
â–  Press b briefly: only Traction
control system is inactive, ESC
remains active, k illuminates.
â–  Press b twice briefly within
2 seconds: TC is inactive, ESC is
operable without engine power
reduction, k and n illuminate.
â–  Hold b pressed for min.
5 seconds: TC and ESC are
completely inactive, k and n
illuminate.
Additionally the selected mode is
displayed as status message in the
DIC.
On VXR version TC and ESC remain
deactivated even if the vehicle comes into threshold with unstable
driveability.
ESC is reactivated by pressing b
again. If the TC system was
previously disabled, both TC and
ESC are reactivated.ESC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Interactive driving system
Flex Ride
Flex Ride driving system allows the
driver to select between three driving
modes:
â–  SPORT mode: press SPORT, LED
illuminates.
â–  TOUR mode: press TOUR, LED
illuminates.
â–  NORMAL mode: both SPORT and
TOUR are not pressed, no LED
illuminates.
Deactivate SPORT mode and TOUR
mode by pressing the corresponding
button once more.
In each driving mode, Flex Ride
networks the following electronic systems:
â–  Continuous Damping Control
â–  Accelerator Pedal Control
â–  Steering Control
â–  Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Driving and operating177
â–  Antilock brake system (ABS) withcornering brake control (CBC)
â–  Automatic transmission
SPORT mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a sportier driving style:
â–  Damping of shock absorbers reacts
more stiffly to provide better contact with the road surface.
â–  The engine reacts more quickly to the accelerator pedal.
â–  Steering support is reduced.
â–  Shift points of automatic transmission occur later.
â–  With SPORT mode activated, the illumination of main instruments
changes from white to red.
TOUR mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a comfort driving style:
â–  Damping of shock absorbers reacts
more softly.
â–  Accelerator pedal reacts with standard settings.
â–  Steering support is in standard mode.
â–  Shift points of automatic transmission occur in a comfort
mode.
â–  Illumination of main instruments is white.
NORMAL mode
All settings of the systems are
adapted to standard values.Drive mode control
Within each manual selected driving
mode SPORT, TOUR or NORMAL,
the Drive Mode Control (DMC)
detects and analyses continuously
the real driving characteristic,
responses by the driver, and the
active dynamic state of the vehicle. If
necessary, the control unit of DMC
automatically changes the settings
within the selected driving mode or,
when recognising greater variations,
the driving mode is changed for the
length of variation.
If, for example, NORMAL mode is selected and DMC detects a sporty
driving behaviour, DMC changes
several settings of the Normal mode
into sporty settings. The DMC
changes to SPORT mode in case of
very sporty driving behaviour.
If, for example, TOUR mode is
selected and whilst driving on a
winding road a sudden hard brake is
necessary, DMC will detect the
dynamic vehicle condition and

178Driving and operating
changes the settings for suspension
to SPORT mode to increase vehicle
stability.
When the driving characteristic or the
dynamic vehicle state returns to
former state, DMC will change the
settings to the preselected driving
mode.
Personalised settings in the
Sport mode The driver can select the functions of
the SPORT mode when SPORT is
pressed. These settings can be
changed in the Settings menu in the
Info-Display. Vehicle personalisation
3 131.
Flex Ride - VXR Version
The VXR Version of Flex Ride system works in the same way as the
standard Flex Ride system with the
difference that the modes have a
more sporty characteristic.
VXR Flex Ride driving system allows
the driver to select between three
driving modes:
â–  VXR mode: press VXR, LED
illuminates.
â–  SPORT mode: press SPORT, LED
illuminates.
â–  NORMAL mode: neither SPORT
nor VXR is pressed, no LED
illuminates.
Deactivate SPORT mode and VXR
mode by pressing the corresponding
button once more.
In each driving mode,
VXR Flex Ride networks the following
electronic systems:
â–  Continuous Damping Control
â–  Accelerator Pedal Control
â–  Steering Control
â–  Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
â–  Antilock brake system (ABS) with cornering brake control (CBC)
NORMAL mode
In NORMAL mode, when neither
SPORT nor VXR is pressed, all
settings of the systems are adapted to standard values.
SPORT mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a sportier driving style.
VXR mode
The drive dynamic characteristics are adapted to high performance
settings.
In this mode, the illumination of main instruments is switched to red.