tow VAUXHALL ASTRA K 2019.5 Owner's Guide

156Driving and operatingDriving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 157
Control of the vehicle ...............157
Steering ................................... 157
Starting and operating ...............157
New vehicle running-in ............157
Ignition switch positions ...........157
Power button ........................... 158
Retained power off ..................160
Starting the engine ..................160
Overrun cut-off ........................ 162
Stop-start system ....................162
Parking .................................... 165
Engine exhaust .......................... 166
Exhaust filter ............................ 166
Catalytic converter ...................167
AdBlue ..................................... 168
Automatic transmission ..............171
Transmission display ...............171
Gear selection ......................... 171
Manual mode ........................... 172
Electronic driving programmes 172
Fault ........................................ 173
Interruption of power supply ....173Manual transmission ..................174
Brakes ........................................ 174
Antilock brake system .............174
Parking brake .......................... 175
Brake assist ............................. 177
Hill start assist ......................... 177
Ride control systems .................177
Traction Control system ..........177
Electronic Stability Control ......178
Sport mode .............................. 180
Driver assistance systems .........180
Cruise control .......................... 180
Speed limiter ........................... 182
Adaptive cruise control ............184
Forward collision alert .............191
Following distance indication ...194
Active emergency braking .......194
Parking assist .......................... 198
Side blind spot alert .................205
Rear view camera ...................207
Traffic sign assistant ................209
Lane keep assist .....................213
Fuel ............................................ 215
Fuel for petrol engines .............215
Fuel for diesel engines ............217
Fuel for natural gas operation . 217
Refuelling ................................ 218Trailer hitch................................ 220
General information .................220
Driving characteristics and towing tips .............................. 221
Trailer towing ........................... 221
Towing equipment ...................222
Trailer stability assist ...............225

158Driving and operating0:ignition off: Some functions
remain active until key is
removed or driver's door is
opened, provided the ignition was
on previously1:accessory power mode: Steering wheel lock released, some
electrical functions are operable,
ignition is off2:ignition on power mode: Ignition
is on, diesel engine is preheating.
Control indicators illuminate and
most electrical functions are
operable. To turn the key from
position 2 to 1 or 0, first push the
key all the way in towards the steering column.3:engine start: Release key after
starting procedure begins
Steering wheel lock
Remove key from ignition switch and
turn steering wheel until it engages.
9 Danger
Never remove the key from
ignition switch during driving as
this will cause steering wheel lock.
Power button
Electronic key must be inside the
vehicle.
Accessory power mode
Press Engine Start/Stop once without
operating clutch or brake pedal. The yellow LED in the button illuminates.
Steering wheel lock is released and
some electrical functions are
operable, ignition is off.Ignition on power mode
Press and hold Engine Start/Stop for
6 seconds without operating clutch or brake pedal. The green LED in the
button illuminates, diesel engine is

Driving and operating159preheating. Control indicators
illuminate and most electrical
functions are operable.Engine start
Press Engine Start/Stop briefly while:
● manual transmission: operating clutch pedal,
● automatic transmission: operating brake pedal with
selector lever in P or N.
Starting the engine 3 160.Ignition off
Press Engine Start/Stop briefly when
Autostop is activated or when engine is running and vehicle is stationary.
Automatic transmission: apply the
parking brake and engage P.
Press Engine Start/Stop briefly
without operating clutch or brake pedal when in ignition on power
mode.
Some functions remain active until
driver's door is opened, provided the
ignition was on previously.Emergency shut off during driving
Press Engine Start/Stop for longer
than 2 seconds or press twice briefly
within 5 seconds 3 160.
Steering wheel lock The steering wheel lock activates
automatically when:
● The vehicle is stationary.
● The ignition has been switched off.
● The driver's door is opened.
To release steering wheel lock, open
and close driver's door and switch on accessory mode or start the engine
directly.9 Warning
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
the vehicle must not be towed,
tow-started or jump-started as the
steering wheel lock cannot be
disengaged.
Operation on vehicles with
electronic key system in case of
failure
If either the electronic key fails or the
battery of the electronic key is weak,
the Driver Information Centre may
display No Remote Detected or
Replace Battery in Remote Key when
you try to start the vehicle.
Place the electronic key solely
centred in the transmitter area in
longitudinal direction flat with buttons
upside as shown in the illustration.
Other objects, e.g. other keys,
transponder, tags, coins etc. must be removed from the centre console.

Driving and operating165● The driver's seat belt isunfastened and / or the driver'sdoor is opened.
● The engine temperature is too low.
● The charging level of the vehicle battery is below a defined level.
● The brake vacuum is not sufficient.
● The vehicle is driven at least at walking speed.
● The climate control system requests an engine start.
● The desired compartment temperature does not match the
actual temperature.
● The air conditioning is manually switched on.
If the bonnet is not fully closed, a warning message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
If an electrical accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop
during the restart might be noticeable.Notice
If a trailer or a bike carrier is
attached, early Autostop and late
restart is deactivated.
Parking9 Warning
● Do not park the vehicle on an
easily ignitable surface. The
high temperature of the
exhaust system could ignite the
surface.
● Always apply the parking brake. Activate the manual
parking brake without pressing the release button. Apply as
firmly as possible on a downhill slope or uphill slope. Depress
brake pedal at the same time to
reduce operating force.
For vehicles with electric
parking brake, pull switch m for
a minimum of 1 second until
control indicator m illuminates
constantly and electric parking
brake is applied 3 108.
● Switch off the engine.
● If the vehicle is on a level surface or uphill slope, engage
first gear or set the selector
lever to position P before
removing the ignition key or
switching off ignition on
vehicles with power button. On
an uphill slope, turn the front
wheels away from the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill
slope, engage reverse gear or
set the selector lever to position
P before removing the ignition
key or switching off ignition on
vehicles with power button.
Turn the front wheels towards
the kerb.
● Close the windows and the sunroof.
● Remove the ignition key from the ignition switch or switch off
ignition on vehicles with power
button. Turn the steering wheel until the steering wheel lock is
felt to engage.

168Driving and operatingCaution
Fuel grades other than those listedon pages 3 215, 3 283 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
can be continued for a short period,
keeping vehicle speed and engine
speed low.
AdBlue
General information
The selective catalytic reduction
(BlueInjection) is a method to
substantially reduce the nitrogen
oxides in the exhaust emission. This
is achieved by injecting a Diesel
Exhaust Fluid (DEF) into the exhaust
system. The ammonia released by
the fluid reacts with nitrous gases
(NO x) from the exhaust and turns it
into nitrogen and water.
The designation of this fluid is
AdBlue ®
. It is a non-toxic, non-
flammable, colourless and odourless
fluid which consists of 32% urea and
68% water.9 Warning
Avoid contact of your eyes or skin
with AdBlue.
In case of eye or skin contact,
rinse off with water.
Caution
Avoid contact of the paintwork with AdBlue.
In case of contact, rinse off with water.
AdBlue freezes at a temperature of
approx. -11 °C. As the vehicle is
equipped with an AdBlue pre-heater,
the emissions reduction at low
temperatures is ensured. The AdBlue
pre-heater works automatically.
The typical AdBlue consumption is
approx. two litres per 600 miles, but
can also be higher depending on
driving behaviour (e.g. high load or
towing).
AdBlue tank
The AdBlue tank level can be found in the display menu.

172Driving and operatingThe engine can only be started with
the lever in position P or N. When
position N is selected, press the brake
pedal or apply the parking brake
before starting.
Do not accelerate while engaging a
gear. Never depress the accelerator
pedal and brake pedal at the same
time.
When a gear is engaged, the vehicle
slowly begins to creep when the
brake is released.
Engine braking To utilise the engine braking effect,select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill, see manual mode.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between D and R in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.Parking
Apply the parking brake and engage
P .
The ignition key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in position
P .
Manual mode
Move selector lever out of position D
towards the left in position M.
Tap selector lever upwards + to shift
to a higher gear.
Tap the selector lever downwards - to
shift to a lower gear.
If a higher gear is selected when
vehicle speed is too low, or a lower
gear when vehicle speed is too high,
the shift is not executed. This can
cause a message in the Driver
Information Centre.
In manual mode, no automatic
shifting to a higher gear takes place
at high engine revolutions.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside it is indicated when
gearshifting is recommended for fuel
saving reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving programmes
● Special programmes automatically adapt the shifting
points when driving up inclines or
down hills.
● In snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery surfaces, the
electronic transmission control

174Driving 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 3 109.
Stop-start system 3 162.
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 3 108.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

Driving and operating189● Do not use the system onslippery roads as it can create
rapid changes in tyre traction
(wheel spinning), so that you
could lose control of the vehicle.
● Do not use adaptive cruise control during rain, snow or
heavy dirt, as the radar sensor
can be covered by a water film,
dust, ice or snow. This reduces or suppresses completely the
visibility. In case of sensor
blockage, clean the sensor
cover.
System limits9 Warning
The system's automatic brake
force does not permit hard braking and the braking level may not be
sufficient to avoid a collision.
● After a sudden lane change, the system needs a certain time to
detect the next preceding
vehicle. So if a new vehicle is
detected, the system may
accelerate instead of braking.
● Adaptive cruise control does ignore the oncoming traffic.
● Adaptive cruise control does not consider pedestrians and
animals for braking and driving
off.
● Adaptive cruise control considers
stopped vehicles only at low
speed.
● Do not use adaptive cruise control when towing a trailer.
● Do not use adaptive cruise control on roads with an incline ofmore than 10%.
Bends
The adaptive cruise control calculates
a predicted path based on the
centrifugal force. This predicted path
considers the current bend
characteristic, but cannot consider a
future bend change. The system may
lose the current vehicle ahead or
consider a vehicle which is not in the
actual lane. This can happen when
entering or exiting a bend or if the
bend gets stronger or weaker. The
camrea applies a certain correction
based on the detectable lane
markings. The control indicator A will
extinguish, if a vehicle ahead is no longer detected.
If the centrifugal force is too high in a
bend, the system slows down the
vehicle slightly. This braking level is
not designed to avoid spinning-off the
bend. The driver is responsible for
reducing the selected speed before
entering a bend and in general to
adapt the speed to the road type and
to existing speed limits.

Driving and operating197Deactivation
On vehicles with front camera active
emergency braking can be
deactivated by repeatedly pressing
the gap switch V to Off setting,
3 191. If deactivated a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre.
On vehicles with radar sensor the
system can be disabled in the
personalisation menu in the Info
Display 3 122.
We recommend to deactivate the
system in the vehicle personalisation
in the following cases:
● when the vehicle is being towed
● before using an automatic car wash with ignition switched on
● if the windscreen has been damaged close to the camera
● if the front bumper has been damaged
System limitations In some cases, the active emergencybraking system may provide an
automatic braking in situations that
seem to be unnecessary, for instance
in parking garages, due to traffic signs
in a curve or due to vehicles in
another lane. This is normal
operation, the vehicle does not need
service. Firmly apply the accelerator
pedal to override the automatic
braking if the situation and the
surroundings permit.In the following cases, Active
emergency braking performance is
limited:
● Driving on winding or hilly roads.
● Detecting all vehicles, especially vehicles with a trailer, tractors,
muddy vehicles, etc.
● Detecting a vehicle when weather limits visibility, such as in
fog, rain, or snow.
● During nighttime driving.
● Weather limits visibility, such as fog, rain, or snow.
● The sensor in the windscreen is blocked by snow, ice, slush, mud,dirt, windscreen damage or
affected by foreign items, e.g.
stickers.
To avoid malfunction keep the areas
of the camera sensor in the
windscreen and the radar sensor in
the radiator grille always clean from
dirt, dust, ice and snow.
Complete attention is always required
while driving, and you should be ready to take action and apply the
brakes and / or steer the vehicle to
avoid crashes.

206Driving and operating9Warning
Side blind spot alert does not
replace driver vision.
The system does not detect:
● vehicles outside the side blind zones which may be rapidly
approaching
● pedestrians, cyclists or animals
Before changing a lane, always
check all mirrors, look over the
shoulder and use the turn lights.
When the system detects a vehicle in the side blind zone while driving
forwards, either while passing a
vehicle or being passed, a yellow
warning symbol B will illuminate in
the relevant exterior mirror. If the
driver then activates the turn lights,
the warning symbol B starts flashing
yellow as a warning not to change
lanes.
Notice
If the overtaking vehicle is at least
6 mph faster than the vehicle being
overtaken, the warning symbol B in
the relevant exterior mirror may not
illuminate.
Side blind spot alert is active from
speeds of 6 mph up to 87 mph.
Driving faster than 87 mph
deactivates the system, indicated by
low lighting warning symbols B in
both exterior mirrors. Reducing the speed again will extinguish the
warning symbols. If a vehicle is then
detected in the blind zone, the
warning symbols B will illuminate as
normal on the relevant side.
When the vehicle is started, both exterior mirror displays will briefly
illuminate to indicate that the system
is operating.
The system can be activated or
deactivated in the Info Display.
Vehicle personalisation 3 122.
Deactivation is indicated by a
message in the Driver Information
Centre.
Detection zones
The detection zones start at the rear bumper and extend approx. 3 m
rearwards and to the sides. The
height of the zone is approx. between 0.5 m and 2 m off the ground.
The system is deactivated if the
vehicle is towing a trailer or if a bike
carrier is attached.
Side blind spot alert is designed to
ignore stationary objects, e.g.
guardrails, posts, curbs, walls and
beams. Parked vehicles or oncoming
vehicles are not detected.