towing VAUXHALL ASTRA J 2016 Owner's Manual

148LightingFor three flashes, e.g. when changing
lanes, press the lever until resistance is felt and then release.
When a trailer is connected, turn
signal flashes six times when
pressing the lever until resistance is
felt and then releasing.
Move the lever to the resistance point
and hold for longer indication.
Switch the turn signal off manually by moving the lever to its original
position.
Front fog lights
Operated by pressing >.
Light switch in position AUTO:
switching on front fog lights will switch headlights on automatically.
Rear fog lights
Operated by pressing r
.
Light switch in position AUTO:
switching on rear fog light will switch
headlights on automatically.
Light switch in position 8: rear fog
light can only be switched on with
front fog lights.
The vehicle rear fog light is
deactivated when towing.
Parking lights
When the vehicle is parked, the
parking lights on one side can be
activated:
1. Switch off ignition.
2. 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.

Driving and operating163Driving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 164
Control of the vehicle ...............164
Steering ................................... 164
Starting and operating ...............164
New vehicle running-in ............164
Ignition switch positions ...........165
Retained power off ..................165
Starting the engine ..................165
Overrun cut-off ........................ 166
Stop-start system ....................166
Parking .................................... 168
Engine exhaust .......................... 169
Diesel particle filter ..................169
Catalytic converter ...................170
Automatic transmission ..............171
Transmission display ...............171
Selector lever .......................... 172
Manual mode ........................... 173
Electronic driving programmes 173
Fault ........................................ 173
Interruption of power supply ....174
Manual transmission ..................175Brakes........................................ 175
Antilock brake system .............175
Parking brake .......................... 176
Brake assist ............................. 178
Hill start assist ......................... 178
Ride control systems .................178
Traction Control system ..........178
Electronic Stability Control ......179
Interactive driving system ........180
Driver assistance systems .........183
Cruise control .......................... 183
Speed limiter ........................... 185
Adaptive cruise control ............186
Forward collision alert .............193
Following distance indication ...196
Active Emergency Braking ......196
Parking assist .......................... 198
Side blind spot alert .................206
Rear view camera ...................207
Traffic sign assistant ................209
Lane departure warning ..........212
Fuel ............................................ 213
Fuel for petrol engines .............213
Fuel for diesel engines ............213
Fuel for liquid gas operation ....214
Refuelling ................................ 215
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions .............................. 219Trailer hitch................................ 219
General information .................219
Driving characteristics and towing tips .............................. 220
Trailer towing ........................... 220
Towing equipment ...................221
Trailer stability assist ...............224

170Driving and operatingneeds between 7 and 12 minutes.
Autostop is not available and fuel
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 cleaning of the filter is required
and if previous driving conditions did
not enable automatic cleaning, it will
be indicated by control indicator %.
Simultaneously Diesel partic. filter is
full continue driving or warning
code 55 appears in the Driver
Information Centre (DIC).
% illuminates when diesel particle
filter is full. Start cleaning process as
soon as possible.
% flashes when diesel particle filter
has reached the maximum filling
level. Start cleaning process
immediately to avoid damage to the
engine.
Cleaning process To activate cleaning process,
continue driving, keep engine speed
above 2000 revolutions per minute.
Shift down if necessary. Diesel
particle filter cleaning is then started.
If control indicator g illuminates
additionally, cleaning is not possible,
seek the assistance of a workshop.Caution
If the cleaning process is
interrupted, there is a risk of
provoking severe engine damage.
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 gases.Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed on pages 3 213, 3 293 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

192Driving and operatingHill and trailer considerations
System performance on hills and
when towing a trailer depends on your
vehicle speed, vehicle load, traffic
conditions and the road gradient. It
may not detect a vehicle in your path
while driving on hills. On steep hills,
you may have to use the accelerator
pedal to maintain your vehicle speed. When going downhill, especially
when towing a trailer, you may have
to brake to maintain or reduce your
speed.
Note that applying the brake
deactivates the system. It is not
recommended to use adaptive cruise
control on steep hills especially when towing a trailer.
Radar unit
The radar unit is mounted behind the
radiator grille below the brand
emblem.
9 Warning
The radar unit was aligned
carefully during manufacture.
Therefore, after a frontal accident, do not use the system. The front
bumper may appear to be intact,
however the sensor behind can be
out of position and react
incorrectly. After an accident,
consult a workshop to verify and
correct the adaptive cruise control
sensor position.
Settings
Settings can be changed in the Auto
collision preparation menu in the
vehicle personalisation, 3 130.
Fault
If the adaptive cruise control does not
work due to temporary conditions
(e.g. blockage by ice) or if there is a
permanent system error, then a
message is displayed in the DIC.

Driving and operating205Basic notes on parking assist
systems9 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.
Special attention must be paid to
low obstacles which can damage
the lower part of the bumper.
Caution
Performance of the system can be reduced when sensors are
covered, e.g. by ice or snow.
Performance of the parking assist
system can be reduced due to
heavy loading.
Special conditions apply if there
are taller vehicles in the vicinity
(e.g. off-road vehicles, mini vans,
vans). Object identification and
correct distance indication in the
upper part of these vehicles
cannot be guaranteed.
Objects with a very small reflection
cross-section, e.g. objects of
narrow size or soft materials, may
not be detected by the system.
Parking assist systems do not
detect objects outside the
detection range.
Notice
The parking assist system can be
activated and deactivated by
changing the settings in the
Info-Display. If a trailer coupling is
attached, it must be selected in the
menu.
Vehicle personalisation 3 130.
Notice
The parking assist system
automatically detects factory-fitted
towing equipment. It is deactivated
when the connector is plugged in.
It is possible that the sensor detects
a non-existing object (echo
disturbance) caused by external acoustical or mechanic
disturbances.
Advanced parking assist system
may not respond to changes in the
parking space after initiating a
parallel parking manoeuvre.
Notice
If engaging a forward gear and
exceeding a certain speed, the rear
parking assist will be deactivated
when the rear carrier system is
extended.
If engaging reverse at first, the
parking assist will detect the rear
carrier system and provide a buzzing
sound. Press r or D briefly to
deactivate the parking assist.
Notice
After use the advanced parking
assist requires a calibration. For
optimal parking guidance, a driving
distance of at least 22 miles,
including a number of bends, is
required.

Driving and operating207by approx. 3 metres. The height of the
zone is approx. between 0.5 metres
and 2 metres off the ground.
The system is deactivated if the
vehicle is towing a trailer.
Side blind spot alert is designed to
ignore stationary objects such as
guardrails, posts, curbs, walls and
beams. Parked vehicles or oncoming
vehicles are not detected.
Fault
Occasional missed alerts can occur under normal circumstances.
Side blind spot alert does not operate when the left or right corners of the
rear bumper are covered with mud,
dirt, snow, ice or slush. Cleaning
instructions 3 282.
In the event of a fault in the system or
if the system does not work due to
temporary conditions, a message is
displayed in the DIC. Seek the
assistance of a workshop in case of a permanent fault.Rear view camera
The rear view camera assists the
driver when reversing by displaying a
view of the area behind the vehicle.
The view of the camera is displayed
in the Colour-Info-Display.9 Warning
The rear view camera does not
replace driver vision. Note that
objects that are outside the
camera's field of view and the
advanced parking assist sensors,
e.g. below the bumper or
underneath the vehicle, are not
displayed.
Do not reverse the vehicle by only looking at the Info-Display and
check the surrounding area
behind and around the vehicle
before reversing.
Activation
Rear view camera is automatically
activated when reverse gear is
engaged.
Functionality
The camera is mounted in the tailgate handle and has a viewing angle of
130°.

Driving and operating209● The tailgate is not closedcorrectly.
● The vehicle had a rear end accident.
● There are extreme temperature changes.
Traffic sign assistant Functionality
The traffic sign assistant system
detects designated traffic signs via a
front camera and displays them in the
Driver Information Centre (DIC).Traffic signs which will be detected
are:Limit and no passing signs ● speed limit
● no passing
● end of speed limit
● end of no passingRoad signs
Beginning and end of:
● motorways
● A-roads
● play streetsAdd-on signs ● additional hints to traffic signs
● restriction of trailer towing
● tractor constraints
● wet warning
● ice warning
● direction arrows
Speed limit signs are displayed in the
DIC until the next speed limit sign or
end of speed limit is detected or up to a defined sign timeout.
Indication of multiple signs on the
display is possible.

Driving and operating219Fuel consumption - CO2-
Emissions
The fuel consumption (combined) of the model Vauxhall Astra is within a
range of 36 to 78 mpg.
The CO 2 emission (combined) is
within a range of 184 to 94 g/km.
For the values specific to your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of
Conformity provided with your vehicle or other national registration
documents.
General information
The official fuel consumption and
specific CO 2 emission figures quoted
relate to the EU base model with
standard equipment.
Fuel consumption data and CO 2
emission data are determined
according to regulation
R (EC) No. 715/2007 (in the latest
applicable version), taking into
consideration the vehicle weight in running order, as specified by the
regulation.The figures are provided only for the purpose of comparison between different vehicle variants and mustnot be taken as a guarantee for the
actual fuel consumption of a
particular vehicle. Additional
equipment may result in slightly
higher results than the stated
consumption and CO 2 figures.
Furthermore, fuel consumption is
dependent on personal driving style
as well as road and traffic conditions.Trailer hitch
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.
The bulb outage detection function for
trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage, e.g. in case of 4 x
5 Watt bulbs, the function only detects lamp outage when only a single
5 Watt lamp remains or none remain.
Fitting of towing equipment could
cover the opening of the towing eye.
If this is the case use the coupling ball
bar for towing. Always keep the
coupling ball bar in the vehicle.

220Driving and operatingDriving characteristics andtowing 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 caravan trailers with a permitted
gross vehicle weight of more than
1300 kg (Sports tourer: 1200 kg) the
use of a stabiliser is strongly
recommended when driving above
50 mph.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 307.Trailer towing
Trailer loads The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12%.
The permitted trailer load applies up to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross
train weight also decreases by 10%
for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than
8%, e.g. motorways).The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is specified on the identification plate
3 288.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (75 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.

Driving and operating221Rear 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
60 kg , the gross vehicle weight rating
may be exceeded by 60 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 in the rear stowage
compartment on the floor.
Place the strap through the lashing
eye, wrap around twice and tighten
the strap to secure the bag.
Fitting the coupling ball bar
All versions except 3-door hatchback:
Press fastenings inward and fold the
cover downward at the front. Remove
cover.