tow VAUXHALL ASTRA J 2016 Owner's Guide

222Driving and operating
Disengage and fold down the socket.Remove the sealing plug from the
opening for the coupling ball bar and
stow it.
Checking the tensioning of the
coupling ball bar
● Red marking on rotary knob must
point towards green marking on
coupling ball bar.
● The gap between the rotary knob
and the coupling ball bar must be approx. 6 mm.
● The key must be in position c.
Otherwise, the coupling ball bar must be tensioned before being inserted:
● Unlock coupling ball bar by turning key to position c.
● Pull out rotary knob and turn
clockwise as far as it will go.
Inserting the coupling ball bar

Driving and operating223Insert the tensioned coupling ball bar
in the opening and push firmly
upwards until it audibly engages.
The rotary handle snaps back into its
original position resting against the
coupling ball bar without a gap.9 Warning
Do not touch rotary handle during
insertion.
Lock the coupling ball bar by turning
the key to position e. Remove the key
and close the protective flap.
Eye 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 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.

Vehicle care225Vehicle careGeneral Information...................226
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 226
Vehicle storage ........................226
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....226
Vehicle checks ........................... 227
Performing work ......................227
Bonnet ..................................... 227
Engine oil ................................. 228
Engine coolant ......................... 229
Power steering fluid .................230
Washer fluid ............................ 230
Brakes ..................................... 231
Brake fluid ............................... 231
Vehicle battery ......................... 231
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....233
Wiper blade replacement ........233
Bulb replacement .......................234
Halogen headlights ..................234
Adaptive forward lighting .........237
Fog lights ................................. 238
Front turn signal lights .............240
Tail lights ................................. 242
Side turn signal lights ..............250
Number plate light ...................251Interior lights ............................ 252
Instrument panel illumination ...252
Electrical system ........................252
Fuses ....................................... 252
Engine compartment fuse box . 253
Instrument panel fuse box .......255
Load compartment fuse box ....256
Vehicle tools .............................. 259
Tools ........................................ 259
Wheels and tyres .......................261
Winter tyres ............................. 261
Tyre designations ....................261
Tyre pressure .......................... 261
Tyre pressure monitoring system .................................... 262
Tread depth ............................. 265
Changing tyre and wheel size . 266
Wheel covers ........................... 266
Tyre chains .............................. 266
Tyre repair kit .......................... 267
Wheel changing .......................270
Spare wheel ............................ 274
Jump starting ............................. 278
Towing ....................................... 280
Towing the vehicle ...................280
Towing another vehicle ...........281Appearance care .......................282
Exterior care ............................ 282
Interior care ............................. 284

Vehicle care259Vehicle 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.
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 3 274.

260Vehicle careVariant 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 3 274.
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 3 274.

268Vehicle care
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.

Vehicle care269
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
3 307 . 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.

270Vehicle care
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 3 267.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 3 274.
● Never change more than one wheel at once.
● Use the jack only to change wheels in case of puncture, notfor 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.
● Never crawl under a jacked-up vehicle.

Vehicle care273handle until wheel is clear of the
ground.
Sports Tourer, jack variant 2
3 259:
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 3 274.
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 3 274,
the vehicle tools 3 259 and the
adapter for the locking wheel nuts
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.

Vehicle care2752. Only 3-door hatchback: removerear 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 wheelwell, 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 3 259. 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.
4. Insert the strap through the spokes 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.