VAUXHALL ASTRA J GTC 2018.5 Owner's Manual

Driving and operating189Caution
Use of fuel that does not comply toEN 590 or similar can lead to
engine powerloss, increased wear
or engine damage and may affect
your warranty.
Do not use marine diesel oils, heating
oils, Aquazole and similar diesel-
water emulsions. Diesel fuels must
not be diluted with fuels for petrol
engines.
Low temperature operation At temperatures below 0° C, some
diesel products with biodiesel blends may clog, freeze or gel, which mayaffect the fuel supply system. Starting
and engine operation may not work
properly. Make sure to fill winter
grade diesel fuel at ambient
temperatures below 0°C.
Arctic grade diesel fuel can be used
in extreme cold temperatures below
-20° C. Using this fuel grade in warm
or hot climates is not recommended
and may cause engine stalling, poor starting or damage on the fuel
injection system.
Fuel for liquid gas operation
Liquid gas is known as LPG
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or under its French name GPL (Gaz de Pétrole Liquéfié). LPG is also known as
Autogas.
LPG consists mainly of propane and
butane. The octane rating is between
105 and 115, depending on the
butane proportion. LPG is stored
liquid at around five to ten bar
pressure.
The boiling point depends on the
pressure and mixing ratio. At ambient pressure, it is between -42 °C (pure
propane) and -0.5 °C (pure butane).
Caution
The system works at an ambient
temperature of approx. -8 °C to
100 °C.
Full function of the LPG system can
only be guaranteed with liquid gas
which complies with the minimum
requirements of DIN EN 589.
Fuel selector 3 80.
Refuelling

190Driving and operating9Danger
Before refuelling, switch off
ignition and any external heaters
with combustion chambers.
Switch off any mobile phones.
Follow the operating and safety
instructions of the filling station
when refuelling.
9 Danger
Fuel is flammable and explosive.
No smoking. No naked flames or
sparks.
If you can smell fuel in your
vehicle, have the cause of this
remedied immediately by a
workshop.
A label with symbols at the fuel filler
flap is indicating the allowed fuel
types. In Europe the pump nozzles of
the filling stations are marked with
these symbols. Refuel only the
allowed fuel type.
Caution
In case of misfuelling, do not
switch on ignition.
Fuel filler flap is located at right rear
side of the vehicle.
The fuel filler flap can only be opened
if the vehicle is unlocked. Release the
fuel filler flap by pushing the flap.
To open, turn the cap slowly
anticlockwise.
The fuel filler cap can be retained in
the bracket on the fuel filler flap.
To refuel, fully insert the pump nozzle
and switch it on.
After the automatic cut-off, the tank can be topped up by operating the
pump nozzle a maximum of two more times.
Caution
Wipe off any overflowing fuel
immediately.
To close, turn the fuel filler cap
clockwise until it clicks.
Close the flap and engage.

Driving and operating191Liquid gas refuellingFollow the operating and safety
instructions of the filling station when refuelling.
Filling adapter
As filling systems are not
standardised, different adapters are
required which are available from
Vauxhall Distributors and from
Vauxhall Authorised Repairers.
ACME adapter: Belgium, Germany,
Ireland, Luxembourg, Switzerland
DISH adapter: Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France,
Greece, Italy, Croatia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Austria,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden,
Switzerland, Serbia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Czech Republic, Turkey,
Ukraine, HungaryBayonet adapter: Netherlands,
Norway, Spain, United Kingdom
EURO adapter: Spain

192Driving and operatingThe filling valve for the liquid gas is
behind the fuel filler cap.
Unscrew protective cap from the filler
neck.
Screw the required adapter hand-
tight onto the filler neck.
ACME adapter: Screw the nut of the
filling nozzle onto the adapter.
Engage the locking lever of the filler
nozzle.
DISH adapter: Place the filler nozzle
into the adapter. Engage the locking
lever of the filler nozzle.
Bayonet adapter: Place filler nozzle
on the adapter and turn one quarter
turn. Engage the locking lever of the
filler nozzle.
EURO adapter: Press the filler nozzle
onto the adapter. Engage the locking
lever of the filler nozzle.
Press the button of the liquid gas supply point. The filling system stops
or begins to run slowly when 80% of
the tank volume is reached
(maximum fill level).
Release button on filling system to
stop the filling process. Release the
locking lever and remove the filler
nozzle. A small quantity of liquid gas
can escape.
Remove adapter and stow in vehicle.Fit protective cap to prevent the
penetration of foreign bodies into the
filler opening and the system.9 Warning
Due to the system design, an
escape of liquid gas after
releasing the locking lever is
unavoidable. Avoid inhaling.
9 Warning
The liquid gas tank may only be
filled to 80% for safety reasons.
The multivalve on the liquid gas tank
automatically limits the fill quantity. If
a larger quantity is added, we
recommend not exposing the vehicle
to the sun until the excess amount
has been used up.
Fuel filler cap
Only use genuine fuel filler caps. Diesel-engined vehicles have special fuel filler caps.

Driving and operating193Trailer 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.Driving characteristics and
towing 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 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 3 268.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).

194Driving and operatingThe permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 256.
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.Rear axle load
When 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.

Driving and operating195Fitting the coupling ball bar
All versions except 3-door hatchback:
Press fastenings inward and fold the
cover downward at the front. Remove
cover.
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.

196Driving and operating
● Pull out rotary knob and turnclockwise as far as it will go.
Inserting the coupling ball bar
Insert 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.

Driving and operating197Dismounting 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 3 154.

198Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................199
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 199
Vehicle storage ........................199
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....200
Vehicle checks ........................... 200
Performing work ......................200
Bonnet ..................................... 200
Engine oil ................................. 201
Engine coolant ......................... 202
Power steering fluid .................203
Washer fluid ............................ 203
Brakes ..................................... 204
Brake fluid ............................... 204
Vehicle battery ......................... 204
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....206
Wiper blade replacement ........206
Bulb replacement .......................207
Halogen headlights ..................207
Adaptive forward lighting .........210
Fog lights ................................. 211
Front turn lights .......................213
Tail lights ................................. 215
Side turn lights ......................... 218
Number plate light ...................220Interior lights ............................ 220
Instrument panel illumination ...220
Electrical system ........................221
Fuses ....................................... 221
Engine compartment fuse box . 222
Instrument panel fuse box .......224
Load compartment fuse box ....225
Vehicle tools .............................. 226
Tools ........................................ 226
Wheels and tyres .......................228
Winter tyres ............................. 228
Tyre designations ....................228
Tyre pressure .......................... 229
Tyre pressure monitoring system .................................... 230
Tread depth ............................. 233
Changing tyre and wheel size . 233
Wheel covers ........................... 234
Tyre chains .............................. 234
Tyre repair kit .......................... 234
Wheel changing .......................237
Spare wheel ............................ 241
Jump starting ............................. 245
Towing ....................................... 246
Towing the vehicle ...................246
Towing another vehicle ...........247Appearance care .......................248
Exterior care ............................ 248
Interior care ............................. 251