automatic transmission VAUXHALL ASTRA J 2018 Owner's Guide

172Driving and operatingManual transmission
To engage reverse, depress the
clutch pedal and then 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.
When clutch slip is detected for a specific time, the engine power will be reduced. A warning is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Release
the clutch.Caution
It is not advisable to drive with the hand resting on the selector lever.
Gear shift indication 3 111.
Stop-start system 3 162.
Manual transmission
automated
The automated manual transmission permits manual gearshifting (manual
mode) or automatic gearshifting
(automatic mode), both with
automatic clutch control.
Manual shifting is possible by tapping the selector lever in manual mode.
Notice
When unlocking or opening a
vehicle door, a sound may be
audible caused by the hydraulic
system.

Driving and operating173Transmission display
In automatic mode, the driving
programme is indicated by D in the
Driver Information Centre.
In manual mode, M and the number
of the selected gear is indicated.
R indicates reverse gear.
N indicates neutral.
Selector lever
Always move the selector lever in the
appropriate direction as far as it will
go. Upon release, it automatically
returns to the centre position.
Notice
Do not hold the selector lever in an
intermediate position. Not fully
engaging a gear may lead to
malfunction and an error message may be displayed in the Driver
Information Centre.
Return the selector lever to the
centre position. After a short while N
will be displayed in the Driver
Information Centre and the system
will operate normally again.N:neutral positionD/M:switch between automatic (D)
and manual (M) shift mode.
The transmission display
shows either D or M with the
selected gear<:upshifting in manual mode]:downshifting in manual modeR:reverse gear. Engage only
when vehicle is stationary
If selector lever is moved from R to the
left, D is directly engaged.
If selector lever is moved from D to +
or -, manual mode M is selected and
the transmission shifts.
Starting off Depress the brake pedal and move
the selector lever to D/M or R. If D is
selected, transmission is in automatic
mode and first gear is engaged. If R
is selected, reverse gear is engaged.

174Driving and operatingThe vehicle starts to move when the
brake pedal is released.
To start-off without depressing the
brake pedal, accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear as long as D or
R flashes.
If neither the accelerator nor the
brake pedal are depressed, no gear
is engaged and D or R flashes for a
brief time in the display.
Stopping the vehicle
In D, first gear is engaged and the
clutch is released when the vehicle is stopped. In R, reverse gear remains
engaged.
Engine braking
Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual
transmission automated does not
shift into higher gears until a fairly
high engine speed has been reached.
It shifts down in good time when
braking.Manual mode
To utilise the engine braking effect, select a lower gear in good time when driving downhill. Changing into
manual mode is only possible while
the engine is running or during an
Autostop.
Rocking the vehicle Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between R and D in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking The most recently engaged gear (seetransmission display) remains
engaged when switching off ignition.
With N, no gear is engaged.
Therefore always apply the parking
brake when switching off ignition. If
parking brake is not applied, P flashes
in the transmission display and the
key cannot be removed from the
ignition switch. P stops flashing in the
transmission display as soon as the
parking brake is slightly applied.When the ignition is switched off, the
transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.
Emergency operation to avoid
freezing of the parking brake 3 165.
Manual mode
If a higher gear is selected when the engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, the
shift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or
too high an engine speed. A warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 122.
If engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.
When + or - is selected in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to
manual mode and shifts accordingly.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside is indicated when gearshifting
is recommended for fuel saving
reasons.

Driving and operating175Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving programmes
● Following a cold start, the operating temperature
programme increases engine
speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
● The adaptive programme tailors gearshifting to the driving
conditions, e.g. greater load or
gradients.
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is presseddown completely in automatic mode, the transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed.
Fault
To prevent damage to the manual transmission automated, the clutch is
engaged automatically at high clutch
temperatures.In the event of a fault, a warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 122.
Continued driving is restricted or not
possible, depending on the fault.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.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 the 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 3 110.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

Driving and operating177To reduce the operating forces ofthe parking brake, depress the
foot brake at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 110.
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
9 Warning
Pull switch m for a minimum of
one second until control indicator
m illuminates constantly and
electric parking brake is applied
3 110. The electric parking brake
operates automatically with
adequate force.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the electric parking brake status.
Control indicator m 3 110.
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.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep foot brake
pedal depressed and then push
switch m.
Drive away function
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Depressing the clutch pedal and then
slightly releasing the clutch pedal and slightly depressing the accelerator
pedal releases the electric parking
brake automatically. This is not
possible when switch m is pulled at
the same time.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
or manual transmission automated:
Engaging D and then depressing the
accelerator pedal releases the
electric parking brake automatically.
This is not possible when switch m is
pulled at the same time.
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.
Automatic applying
If the vehicle is equipped with
automatic transmission and adaptive
cruise control is active, electric
parking brake is applied automatically when vehicle is stopped by the
system for more than two minutes.
Parking brake releases automatically
after moving off.

Driving and operating185Resume limit speedTurn thumb wheel to RES/+. The
stored speed limit will be obtained
and is indicated without brackets in
the Driver Information Centre.
Switching off
Press L, the speed limit indication
extinguishes in the Driver Information Centre. The stored speed is deleted.
By pressing m to activate cruise
control or adaptive cruise control,
speed limiter is also deactivated and
the stored speed is deleted.
By switching off the ignition, speed
limiter is also deactivated, but the
speed limit will be stored for next
speed limiter activation.
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control is an
enhancement to conventional cruise control with the additional feature ofmaintaining a certain distance behind the vehicle ahead.Adaptive cruise control automaticallydecelerates the vehicle when
approaching a slower moving vehicle. It then adjusts the vehicle speed to
follow the vehicle ahead at the
selected following distance. The
vehicle speed increases or decreases
to follow the vehicle in front, but will
not exceed the set speed. It may
apply limited braking with activated
brake lights.
The adaptive cruise control can store and maintain speeds over approx.
15 mph. On vehicles with automatic
transmission, there is no lower speed limit and the system can also brake to
a stop.
Adaptive cruise control uses radar
and camera sensors to detect the
vehicles ahead. If no vehicle is
detected in the driving path, the
adaptive cruise control will behave
like a conventional cruise control.
Adaptive cruise control is mainly
advised to be used on long straight
roads like highways or country roads
with steady traffic. Do not use the
system if it is not advisable to
maintain a constant speed.
Control indicator A 3 114, m 3 113,
C 3 113.9 Warning
The complete driver attention is
always required while driving with adaptive cruise control. The driver stays fully in control of the vehicle
because the brake pedal, the
accelerator pedal and the cancel
switch have priority over any
adaptive cruise control operation.

186Driving and operatingSwitching on
Illustrations show different versions.
Press C to switch on adaptive cruise
control. C appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
Activation by setting the speedAdaptive cruise control can be
activated at speeds above 15 mph on vehicles with automatic transmission
or 19 mph on vehicles with manual
transmission. The upper speed limit is
112 mph.
Accelerate to the desired speed and
turn thumb wheel to SET/-, the
current speed is stored and
maintained.
The adaptive cruise control symbol
C , the following distance setting and
set speed are indicated in the Driver
Information Centre.
The accelerator pedal can be
released. Adaptive cruise control
remains activated while gearshifting.
Overriding set speed
It is always possible to drive faster
than the selected set speed by
depressing the accelerator pedal. When the accelerator pedal is
released, the vehicle returns to the
desired distance if a slower vehicle is
ahead. Otherwise it returns to the
stored speed.
Once the system is activated,
adaptive cruise control decelerates or
brakes if it detects a vehicle ahead,
which is slower or closer than the
desired following distance.9 Warning
Accelerating by the driver
deactivates automatic braking by
the system. This is indicated as a
pop-up warning in the Driver
Information Centre.

Driving and operating187Increase speedWith adaptive cruise control active,
hold RES/+ to increase speed
continuously. Push RES/+ repeatedly
to increase speed in small
increments.
Reduce speed With adaptive cruise control active,
hold SET/- to decrease speed
continuously. Push SET/- repeatedly
to decrease speed in small
increments.
Resume stored speed
If the system is switched on but
inactive, then turn thumb wheel to
RES/+ at a speed above 15 mph to
resume the stored speed.
Full speed range adaptive cruise
control on vehicles with automatic
transmission
Full speed range adaptive cruisecontrol will maintain a following
headway behind a detected vehicle
and slow your vehicle to a stop behind
that vehicle.In case of a brief stop of the vehicle
ahead the adaptive cruise control will drive off automatically without driveraction. If necessary, press RES/+ or
the accelerator pedal to resume
adaptive cruise control.
If the stopped vehicle ahead was
stopped for a longer time and then
begins to move forward, the green
illuminated vehicle ahead control
indicator A will flash and a warning
chime will sound as a reminder to
check traffic before proceeding.
When the vehicle ahead drives away, press RES/+ or the accelerator pedal
to resume adaptive cruise control. If
stopped for more than five minutes or
if the driver door is opened and the
driver safety belt is unbuckled, the
electric parking brake is applied
automatically to hold the vehicle.
Control indicator m will illuminate. To
release electric parking brake, press
the accelerator pedal. Electric parking
brake 3 1769 Warning
When full speed range adaptive
cruise control is deactivated or
cancelled, the vehicle will no
longer be held at a stop and can
start to move. Always be prepared to manually apply the brake to hold the vehicle stationary.
Do not leave the vehicle while it is being held at a stop by the full
speed range adaptive cruise
control. Always move selector
lever to park position P and switch
off the ignition before leaving the
vehicle.
Setting the following distance
When adaptive cruise control detects
a slower moving vehicle in the driving path, it will adjust the vehicle speed tomaintain the following distance
selected by the driver.
The following distance can be set to
near, medium or far.

Driving and operating189If this symbol does not display, or
displays briefly, adaptive cruise
control will not respond to vehicles
ahead.
Deactivation Adaptive cruise control is deactivatedby the driver when:
● y is pressed.
● Brake pedal is applied.
● Clutch pedal is depressed for more than four seconds.
● Selector lever of automatic transmission is moved to N.
The system is also automatically deactivated when:
● Vehicle speed accelerates above
120 mph or slows down below
15 mph (on vehicles with
automatic transmission it slows
down to a stop without
deactivating within five minutes).
● The Traction Control system is deactivated or operating.
● The Electronic Stability Control is
deactivated or operating.● There is no traffic and nothing detected on the road sides forapprox. one minute. In this casethere are no radar echoes and
the sensor may report that it is
blocked.
● The active emergency braking system is applying the brakes.
● Driving on steep inclines.
● The radar sensor is blocked by an ice or water film.
● A fault is detected in the radar, camera, engine or brake system.
● The brakes are too hot.
Additionally, the system is
automatically deactivated on vehicles with automatic transmission (full
speed range adaptive cruise control)
when:
● The electric parking brake is applied.
● The vehicle is being held to a stop
by the system for more than
five minutes.
● The vehicle stops, the driver's seat belt is unbuckled and thedriver's door is opened.When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the control indicator m
changes from green to white and a
pop-up message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
The stored speed is maintained.
On Midlevel display, the stored speed is indicated in brackets in the Driver
Information Centre when the system
is deactivated but not switched off.
On Uplevel display, the adaptive
cruise control symbol C changes
from green to white when the system
is deactivated but not switched off.
9 Warning
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the driver must take
over full brake and engine control.

256Vehicle careIf the tyre pressure must be reduced
or increased, switch off ignition.
Only mount wheels with pressure
sensors, otherwise the tyre pressure
will not be displayed and w
illuminates continuously.
A spare wheel or temporary spare
wheel is not equipped with pressure
sensors. The tyre pressure
monitoring system is not operational
for these tyres. Control indicator w
illuminates. For the further three
tyres, the system remains
operational.
The use of commercially-available
liquid tyre repair kits can impair the
function of the system. Factory-
approved repair kits can be used.
Operating electronic devices or being close to facilities using similar wave
frequencies could disrupt the tyre
pressure monitoring system.
Each time the tyres are replaced, tyre
pressure monitoring system sensors
must be dismounted and serviced. For the screwed sensor, replace
valve core and sealing ring. For the
clipped sensor, replace complete
valve stem.Vehicle loading status
Adjust tyre pressure to load condition according to the tyre information labelor tyre pressure chart 3 292, and
select the appropriate setting in the menu Tyre Load in the Driver
Information Centre, Vehicle
Information Menu 3 114. This setting
is the reference for the tyre pressure
warnings.
The Tyre load menu only appears
when the vehicle is at a standstill and the parking brake is applied. On
vehicles with automatic transmission
the selector lever must be in P.
Midlevel display:Select the Tyre load page under the
Vehicle Information Menu ? in the
Driver Information Centre 3 114.
Select ● Light for comfort pressure up to
three people.
● Eco for Eco pressure up to three
people.
● Max for full loading.
Uplevel display:
Select the Tyre load page under the
Options Menu in the Driver
Information Centre 3 114.