tow VAUXHALL ASTRA K 2020 Owner's Guide

160Driving and operatinglever 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.
For vehicles with automatic
transmission, the key can only
be removed when the selector
lever is in position P.● Lock the vehicle by pressing the
button on the door handle or the
button e on the remote control.
● Activate the anti-theft alarm system.
● The engine cooling fans may run
after the engine has been
switched off 3 223.Caution
After running at high engine
speeds or with high engine loads,
operate the engine briefly at a low load or run in neutral for
approx. 30 seconds before
switching off, in order to protect
the turbocharger.
Notice
In the event of an accident with airbag deployment, the engine is
switched off automatically if the
vehicle comes to a standstill within a
certain time.
In countries with extreme cold
temperatures it may be necessary to
park the vehicle without applied
parking brake. Make sure to park the
vehicle on a level surface.

162Driving and operatingVehicles with petrol engine
To activate cleaning process,
continue driving, keep engine speed
above 2500 rpm. Shift down if
necessary.
Drive dynamically at different engine
speeds. Use engine brake for
deceleration, if possible.
Keep on driving until self-cleaning
operation is complete and the display
message disappears.Vehicles with diesel engine
To activate cleaning process,
continue driving, keep engine speed
above 2000 rpm, ideally and
continuously around 2500 rpm. Shift
down if necessary.
Keep on driving until self-cleaning
operation is complete and the display message disappears.Cleaning process not possible
If cleaning is not possible for any
reason, control indicator Z
illuminates and a warning message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre. Engine power may be
reduced. Seek the assistance of a
workshop immediately.
Catalytic converter
The catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gases.Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed on pages 3 211, 3 278 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.

Driving and operating1639Warning
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.
Notice
Frozen and again liquefied AdBlue is usable without quality loss.
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.
Level warnings
Depending on the calculated range of
AdBlue, different messages are
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. The messages and the
restrictions are a legal requirement.
The first possible warning is AdBlue
Range: 1500 mi .
This warning will show up once briefly with the calculated range. Driving is
possible without any restrictions.
The next warning level is entered with
a range below 1090 miles. The
message with the current range will
always be displayed when ignition is
switched on and needs to be
confirmed 3 114 . Refill AdBlue before
entering the next warning level.At an AdBlue range below 560 miles,
the following warning messages are
alternately displayed and cannot be
dismissed:
● AdBlue Low Refill Now
● Engine Restart Prevented in 560
miles
Additionally, control indicator Y
flashes continuously.
Notice
In case of high AdBlue consumption, the Driver Information Centre may
display this warning without the
previous warning stages.
The last warning level is entered
when the AdBlue tank is empty.
Restart of the engine is not possible.
The following warning messages are
alternately displayed and cannot be
dismissed:
● AdBlue Empty Refill Now
● Engine Will Not Restart
Additionally, control indicator Y
flashes continuously.
With active prevention of an engine
start, the following message will be
displayed:

Driving and operating167The 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 engageP .
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
enables the driver to select

Driving and operating169Manual 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 3 110.
Stop-start system 3 156.
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 3 109.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.

184Driving and operating● Adaptive cruise control doesignore 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.Motorways
On motorways, adapt the set speed
to the situation and the weather.
Always consider that adaptive cruise
control has a limited visibility range, a
limited braking level and a certain
reaction time to verify if a vehicle is on
the driving path or not. Furthermore,
adaptive cruise control was designed to brake as late as possible to allow
changing the lane before the
automatic braking. Adaptive cruise
control may not be able to brake the
vehicle in time to avoid a collision with
a much slower vehicle or after a lane
change. This is particularly true while
driving fast or if the visibility is
reduced due to weather conditions.
While entering or exiting a motorway, adaptive cruise control may lose thevehicle ahead and accelerate up to
the set speed. For this reason,
decrease the set speed before the
exit or before the entry.

Driving and operating191Minor brake pedal pulsations or pedal
movement during this time is normal
and the brake pedal should continue
to be applied as needed. Intelligent
brake assist will automatically
disengage only when the brake pedal is released.9 Warning
Intelligent brake assist may
increase vehicle braking in
situations when it may not be
necessary. You could block the
flow of traffic. If this occurs, take
your foot off the brake pedal and
then apply the brakes as needed.
Deactivation
On vehicles with front camera active
emergency braking can be
deactivated by repeatedly pressing
the gap switch V to Off setting,
3 186. 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 3 123.
We recommend to deactivate the
system or set it to alert only in the
following cases:
● when the vehicle is being towed
● if a trailer is attached to the vehicle
● 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.

194Driving and operating9Warning
Using the Front pedestrian braking
system while towing a trailer couldcause loss of vehicle control and
crash. Turn the system to Alert or
Off in the vehicle personalisation
when towing a trailer.
Vehicle personalisation 3 123.
System limitations
In the following cases, front
pedestrian protection may not detect
a pedestrian ahead or sensor
performance is limited:
● Vehicle speed is out of range from 5 mph to 50 mph in forward
gear.
● The distance to an pedestrian ahead is more than 40 m.
● Driving on winding or hilly roads.
● 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.
Parking assist General information
When the trailer hitch is attached,
change the configuration settings in
the vehicle personalisation menu in
the Info Display.
Vehicle personalisation 3 123.
When attaching a trailer or bike
carrier to the trailer hitch, the parking
assist is deactivated.
Rear parking assist9 Warning
It is the driver who bears full
responsibility for the parking
manoeuvre.
Always check the surrounding
area while reversing and using the rear parking assist system.
The rear parking assist makes
parking easier by measuring the
distance between the vehicle and
rear obstacles. It informs and warns
the driver by giving acoustic signals
and display indication.
The system has four ultrasonic
parking sensors in the rear bumper.
Activation
After ignition is switched on, the rear
parking assist is activated.

Driving and operating203The 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.
Fault
Occasional missed alerts can occur
under normal circumstances and will
increase in wet conditions.
Side blind spot alert does not operate when the left or right corners of the
rear bumper are covered with mud,
dirt, snow, ice, slush, or in heavy
rainstorms.
Cleaning instructions 3 266.
In the event of a fault in the system or if the system does not work due to
temporary conditions, the symbols in
the mirrors will be permanently
illuminated and a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. Seek the assistance of a
workshop.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 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
parking assist sensors, e.g. below
the bumper or underneath the
vehicle, are not displayed.
Do not reverse or park the vehicle
using only the rear view camera.
Always check the surrounding of
the vehicle before driving.
Activation
Rear view camera is automatically
activated when reverse gear is
engaged.
Functionality
On 5-door hatchback the camera is
mounted between the number plate
lights.
On Sports Tourer the camera is
mounted under the tailgate moulding.

Driving and operating205changed in the Settings menu in the
Info Display. Select the relevant
setting in Settings I Rear Camera .
Info Display 3 120.
Vehicle personalisation 3 123.
System limitations The rear view camera may not
operate properly when:
● The surrounding is dark.
● The sun or the beam of headlights is shining directly into
the camera lenses.
● During nighttime driving.
● Weather limits visibility, such as fog, rain, or snow.
● The camera lenses are blocked by snow, ice, slush, mud, dirt.Clean the lense, rinse with water,
and wipe with a soft cloth.
● The vehicle is towing a trailer.
● The vehicle had a rear end accident.
● There are extreme temperature changes.Fault messages are displayed with a
9 on the top line of the Info Display.
Traffic sign assistant
Functionality Traffic sign assistant detects
designated traffic signs via a front
camera and displays them in the
Driver Information Centre.
If the vehicle is equipped with an
embedded navigation system, traffic
signs from data maps may be
included additionally.
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:
● city regions (country-specific)● motorways
● A-roads
● play streetsAdd on signs ● additional hints to traffic signs
● restriction of trailer towing
● tractor constraints
● wet warning
● ice warning
● time constraints
● distance constraints
● direction arrows
Speed limit signs and no passing
signs are displayed in the Driver
Information Centre until the next