tow VAUXHALL ASTRA J 2015 Owner's Guide

220Driving and operating
■The coupling ball bar must be firmly
engaged in the opening.
■ The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9 Warning
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 socket.
All versions except 3-door hatchback:
Attach the rear side of the cover into
the recess of the bumper and fold the
front side upward.
Press fastenings outward.
Trailer stability assist
If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced and the vehicle/trailer combination is
selectively braked until the snaking ceases. While system is working keep
steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control 3 174.

Vehicle care221Vehicle careGeneral Information...................221
Vehicle checks ........................... 222
Bulb replacement .......................229
Electrical system ........................249
Vehicle tools .............................. 255
Wheels and tyres .......................257
Jump starting ............................. 275
Towing ....................................... 277
Appearance care .......................279General Information
Accessories and vehicle
modifications
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.
Do not make any modifications to the electrical system, e.g. changes of
electronic control units (chip tuning).Caution
When transporting the vehicle on
a train or on a recovery vehicle, the
mud flaps might be damaged.
Vehicle storage
Storage for a long period of time
If the vehicle is to be stored for several months:
■ Wash and wax the vehicle.
■ Have the wax in the engine compartment and underbody
checked.
■ Clean and preserve the rubber seals.
■ Fill up fuel tank completely.
■ Change the engine oil.
■ Drain the washer fluid reservoir.
■ Check the coolant antifreeze and corrosion protection.
■ Adjust tyre pressure to the value specified for full load.
■ Park the vehicle in a dry, well ventilated place. Engage first orreverse gear or set selector lever to P . Prevent the vehicle from rolling.
■ Do not apply the parking brake.

Vehicle care255
When assembling press the blind into
the rubber grommets to reach full
retention force.
Vehicle tools
Tools
Vehicles with tyre repair kit
Some tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a tool box in the load
compartment below the floor cover.3-door and 5-door hatchbackSports Tourer and 4-door saloon
On version with rear carrier system
3 63 , the tyre repair kit, a screwdriver
and the towing eye are located in the
drawer under the front passenger
seat 3 61.

256Vehicle care
Vehicles with spare wheelVariant 1a: 3-door and 5-door
hatchback with rigid wheel wrench
The jack, the tools and a strap for
securing a damaged wheel are in the
tool box below the spare wheel in the load compartment. The wheel wrenchand the towing eye are in the tool bag
located in the spare wheel well near
the tool box. Spare wheel 3 271.
Variant 1b: 3-door and 5-door
hatchback with foldable wheel
wrench
Same content as variant 1a, but with
a foldable wheel wrench instead of
the rigid wheel wrench located in the
tool bag.
Variant 2: Sports Tourer
The jack, the tools and the towing eye
are in the tool box below the spare
wheel in the load compartment. The
wheel wrench and an extension bolt
for securing a damaged wheel (only
vehicles with temporary spare wheel)
are in the tool bag located in the spare wheel well near the tool box. Spare
wheel 3 271.

Vehicle care257
Variant 3: 4-door saloon
The jack and the tools are in the tool
box below the spare wheel in the load
compartment. The wheel wrench, the towing eye and an extension bolt for
securing a damaged wheel (only
vehicles with temporary spare wheel)
are in the tool bag located in the spare wheel well near the tool box. Spare
wheel 3 271.
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 attemperatures below 7 °C and shouldtherefore be fitted on all wheels.
In accordance with country-specific
regulations, affix the speed sticker in
the driver's field of view.
VXR Version: Tyres of size 235/45
R18 are only permitted as winter
tyres.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 100 mphS=up to 112 mphT=up to 118 mphH=up to 130 mphV=up to 150 mphW=up to 168 mph
Directional tyres
Fit directional tyres such that they rollin the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.

Vehicle care265
1. Take the tyre repair kit from thecompartment.
2. Remove the compressor.
3. Remove the electrical connection cable and air hose from the
stowage compartments on the
underside of the compressor.
4. Screw the compressor air hose to
the connection on the sealant
bottle.
5. Fit the sealant bottle into the retainer on the compressor.
Set the compressor near the tyre
in such a way that the sealant
bottle is upright.
6. Unscrew valve cap from defective
tyre.
7. Screw the filler hose to the tyre valve.
8. The switch on the compressor must be set to J.
9. Connect the compressor plug to the power outlet or cigarette
lighter socket.
To avoid discharging the battery, we recommend running the
engine.

266Vehicle care
10. Set the rocker switch on thecompressor to I. The tyre is filled
with sealant.
11. The compressor pressure gauge briefly indicates up to 6 bar whilstthe sealant bottle is emptying
(approx. 30 seconds). Then the
pressure starts to drop.
12. All of the sealant is pumped into the tyre. Then the tyre is inflated.
13. The prescribed tyre pressure should be obtained within
10 minutes. Tyre pressure
3 308 . When the correct pressure
is obtained, switch off the
compressor.If the prescribed tyre pressure is
not obtained within 10 minutes,
remove the tyre repair kit. Move
the vehicle one tyre rotation.
Reattach the tyre repair kit and
continue the filling procedure for 10 minutes. If the prescribed tyre
pressure is still not obtained, the
tyre is too badly damaged. Seek
the assistance of a workshop.
Drain excess tyre pressure with
the button over the pressure indicator.
Do not run the compressor longer than 10 minutes.
14. Detach the tyre repair kit. Push catch on bracket to remove
sealant bottle from bracket. Screw
the tyre inflation hose to the free
connection of the sealant bottle.
This prevents sealant from
escaping. Stow tyre repair kit in
load compartment.
15. Remove any excess sealant using a cloth.
16. Take the label indicating maximum permitted speed from
the sealant bottle and affix in the
driver's field of view.
17. Continue driving immediately so that sealant is evenly distributedin the tyre. After driving approx.
6 miles (but no more than 10 minutes), stop and check tyre
pressure. Screw compressor air
hose directly onto tyre valve and
compressor when doing this.

Vehicle care267
If tyre pressure is more than
1.3 bar , set it to the correct value.
Repeat the procedure until there
is no more loss of pressure.
If the tyre pressure has fallen
below 1.3 bar, the vehicle must
not be used. Seek the assistance
of a workshop.
18. Stow away tyre repair kit in load compartment.
Notice
The driving characteristics of the
repaired tyre are severely affected,
therefore have this tyre replaced.
If unusual noise is heard or the
compressor becomes hot, turn
compressor off for at least
30 minutes.
The built-in safety valve opens at a
pressure of 102 psi.
Note the expiry date of the kit. After
this date its sealing capability is no
longer guaranteed. Pay attention to
storage information on sealant
bottle.
Replace the used sealant bottle. Dispose of the bottle as prescribed
by applicable laws.
The compressor and sealant can be used from approx. -30 °C.
The adapters supplied can be used
to pump up other items e.g.
footballs, air mattresses, inflatable
dinghies etc. They are located on the
underside of the compressor. To
remove, screw on compressor air
hose and withdraw adapter.
Wheel changing
Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel 3 264.Make the following preparations and
observe the following information:
■ Park the vehicle on a level, firm and
non-skid surface. The front wheels
must be in the straight-ahead
position.
■ Apply the parking brake and engage first gear, reverse gear or
P .
■ Remove the spare wheel 3 271.
■ Never change more than one wheel
at once.
■ Use the jack only to change wheels
in case of puncture, not for
seasonal winter or summer tyre
change.
■ The jack is maintenance-free.
■ If the ground on which the vehicle is standing is soft, a solid board
(max. 1 cm thick) should be placed
under the jack.
■ Take heavy objects out of the vehicle before jacking up.
■ No people or animals may be in the
vehicle when it is jacked-up.

270Vehicle care
Attach jack handle and with the
jack correctly aligned rotate handle until wheel is clear of theground.
Sports Tourer, jack variant 2,
3 255:
Set the jack to the necessary
height. Position it directly below
the jacking point in a manner that
prevents it from slipping.
Attach wheel wrench and with the
jack correctly aligned rotate wheel wrench until wheel is clear of the
ground.
5. Unscrew the wheel nuts. 6. Change the wheel. Spare wheel 3 271.
7. Screw on the wheel nuts.
8. Lower the vehicle and remove jack.
9. Install the wheel wrench ensuring that it locates securely and tighten
each nut in a crosswise
sequence. Tightening torque is
140 Nm.
10. Align the valve hole in the wheel cover with the tyre valve before
installing.
Install wheel nut caps.
Install centre cap on alloy wheels.
11. Install vehicle jacking point cover on versions with sill panelling.
12. Stow the replaced wheel 3 271,
the vehicle tools 3 255 and the
key adapter 3 59.
13. Check the tyre pressure of the installed tyre and the wheel nut
torque as soon as possible.
Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired as soon as possible.

272Vehicle care
To remove:1. Open the floor cover.
2. Only 3-door hatchback: remove rear storage by pressing both
buttons. Fold down cover and
extract storage upwards.
3. The spare wheel is secured with a
wing nut. Untwist nut, remove
conus (only 3-door hatchback) to
take out the spare wheel.
Under the spare wheel there is the box with vehicle tools.
4. When, after a wheel change, no wheel is placed in the spare wheel
well, secure the tool box by
turning right back the wing nut and close floor cover.
Stowing a damaged full size wheel in the load compartment,3-door and 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 3 255. To secure
the wheel:
1. Position the wheel outside up close to one sidewall of the load
compartment.
2. Place the loop end of the strap through 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.