towing VAUXHALL ASTRA J 2016.75 User Guide

Driving and operating207Rear axle loadWhen the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by
40 kg. If the permissible rear axle load is exceeded, a maximum speed of
60 mph applies.
Towing 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.

Driving and operating209Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach 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 care211Vehicle careGeneral Information...................211
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 211
Vehicle storage ........................212
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....212
Vehicle checks ........................... 213
Performing work ......................213
Bonnet ..................................... 213
Engine oil ................................. 214
Engine coolant ......................... 215
Washer fluid ............................ 216
Brakes ..................................... 216
Brake fluid ............................... 216
Vehicle battery ......................... 217
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....218
Wiper blade replacement ........219
Bulb replacement .......................219
Halogen headlights ..................219
Fog lights ................................. 221
Tail lights ................................. 222
Side turn signal lights ..............228
Number plate light ...................229
Interior lights ............................ 229
Instrument panel illumination ...229Electrical system ........................230
Fuses ....................................... 230
Engine compartment fuse box . 231
Instrument panel fuse box .......233
Load compartment fuse box ....235
Vehicle tools .............................. 236
Tools ........................................ 236
Wheels and tyres .......................238
Winter tyres ............................. 238
Tyre designations ....................238
Tyre pressure .......................... 238
Tyre pressure monitoring system .................................... 239
Tread depth ............................. 243
Changing tyre and wheel size . 244 Wheel covers ........................... 244
Tyre chains .............................. 244
Tyre repair kit .......................... 245
Wheel changing .......................248
Spare wheel ............................ 250
Jump starting ............................. 253
Towing ....................................... 255
Towing the vehicle ...................255
Towing another vehicle ...........256
Appearance care .......................257
Exterior care ............................ 257
Interior care ............................. 258General 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.
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.

236Vehicle careNo.Circuit1–2DC/AC Inverter3Trailer module4Power seat passenger side5–6Distance warning module7–8–9Rear seat heating (on vehicles
without alarm horn)10Service11–12Front seat heating (on vehicles
with alarm horn)13Rear seat heating (on vehicles
with alarm horn)14Ignition15Seat ventilationNo.Circuit16Trailer outlet17Trailer outlet18–19–20–21Electrical rear seat folding22Power tailgate
After having changed defective fuses,
close the fuse box cover and press
until it engages.
Vehicle tools
Tools
5-door hatchback with spare
wheel
Open the floor cover of the load
compartment 3 79.
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
3 250.

Vehicle care237Sports Tourer with spare wheelOpen the floor cover of the load
compartment 3 79.
The jack, the towing eye and the tools
are located in the tool box below the
spare wheel. Spare wheel 3 250.
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.
Sports Tourer with tyre repair kit
Open the floor cover of the load
compartment 3 79.
The tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a tool box.

Vehicle care251
The spare wheel is located in the load
compartment beneath the floor
covering.
To remove: 1. Open the floor cover 3 79.
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 3 236. 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.

252Vehicle care
4. Insert the strap through thespokes 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.
3. 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
50 mph. 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 3 244.

Vehicle care255Towing
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 3 236.
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.
Caution
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 50 mph nor further than 60 miles. 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.

256Vehicle careTowing 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 3 236.
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.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the top and engage
downwards.

258Vehicle careWindows and windscreen wiper
blades
Use a soft lint-free cloth or chamois
leather together with window cleaner
and insect remover.
When cleaning the rear window from
inside, always wipe in parallel to the
heating element to prevent damage.
For mechanical removal of ice, use a
sharp-edged ice scraper. Press the
scraper firmly against the glass so
that no dirt can get under it and
scratch the glass.
Remove dirt residues from smearing
wiper blades by using a soft cloth and window cleaner. Also make sure to
remove any residues such as wax,
insect residues and similar from the
window.
Ice residues, pollution and continuous wiping on dry windows will damage or
even destroy the wiper blades.Sunroof
Never clean with solvents or abrasive
agents, fuels, aggressive media
(e.g. paint cleaner, acetone-
containing solutions etc.), acidic or
highly alkaline media or abrasive
pads. Do not apply wax or polishing
agents to the sunroof.
Wheels and tyres Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.
Clean rims with a pH-neutral wheel
cleaner.
Rims are painted and can be treated
with the same agents as the body.
Paintwork damage
Rectify minor paintwork damage with
a touch-up pen before rust forms.
Have more extensive damage or rust areas repaired by a workshop.
Underbody
Some areas of the vehicle underbody
have a PVC undercoating while other critical areas have a durable
protective wax coating.After the underbody is washed, check
the underbody and have it waxed if
necessary.
Bitumen/rubber materials could
damage the PVC coating. Have
underbody work carried out by a
workshop.
Before and after winter, wash the
underbody and have the protective
wax coating checked.
Towing equipment
Do not clean the coupling ball bar with a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Air shutter
Clean the shutter system in the front
bumper to maintain correct
functionality.
Interior care
Interior and upholstery
Only clean the vehicle interior,
including the instrument panel fascia
and panelling, with a dry cloth or
interior cleaner.