Vauxhall ASTRA Owner's Manual

Also see for 2010 Astra: Owner's manual Owner's manual Owner's manual Owner's manual Quick reference guide

Contents

Vauxhall ASTRA Owner's Manual Manual pdf 206 page image

201Driving hintsVehicles with turbocharged engineAfter running at high engine speeds or highengine loads, operate the engine briefly ata low load or run in neutral for approx. 30seconds before switching off in order toprotect the turbocharger.Save energy – more milesPlease observe the running-in hints on theprevious page and the tips for savingenergy on the following pages.Good, technically correct and economicaldriving ensures maximum durability andperformance for your vehicle.OverrunThe fuel supply is automatically shut offduring overrun, e.g. when the vehicle isbeing driven down long gradients or whenbraking. To enable the overrun cut-off totake effect, do not accelerate duringoverrun and, if in manual transmissionmode, do not de-clutch. To preventdamage to the catalytic converter, overruncut-off is temporarily deactivated when thecatalytic converter temperature is high.Vehicles with turbocharged engineFlow-generated noises may be audible ifthe accelerator is released quickly onaccount of air flow in the turbocharger.Engine speedDrive in a low engine speed range for eachgear as much as possible.Warming upAllow the engine to warm up while driving.Do not warm it up by letting it run at idlingspeed. Do not apply full throttle until theengine has reached operatingtemperature.After a cold start, the automatictransmission 3 or Easytronic 3 inautomatic mode shifts into higher gears athigher rpm. This allows the catalyticconverter to quickly reach the temperaturerequired for optimum pollutant reduction.Correct gear selectionEngine in neutral and without revving in thelower gears. Stop-and-go traffic anddriving at a speed too high for the selectedgear or transmission ratio increases wearand fuel consumption.Change downWhen decreasing speed, shift down intothe next lowest gear. Do not slip the clutchwith a high-revving engine. This isespecially important when hill climbing.Clutch operationAlways depress the clutch pedal hard tothe floor to prevent shifting difficulties andtransmission damage.When driving do not use the pedal as afoot rest; this will cause substantial clutchwear.Cooling fanThe cooling fan is controlled via athermoswitch and therefore only runs ifnecessary.Vehicles with diesel particle filter 3 : thecooling fan comes on automatically duringparticle filter cleaning.PedalsDo not place any objects in the foot wellwhich could slip under the pedals andinhibit the pedal travel.To ensure the pedal travel is uninhibited,there must be no mats in the area of thepedals.Battery careWhen driving slowly or when the vehicle isstationary, e.g. in slow urban traffic, stop-and-go traffic or traffic jams, turn off allunnecessary electrical loads wherepossible (e.g. heated rear window, heatedseats).Declutch when starting in order to relievethe strain on the starter and the battery.