Opel GT (2012 year). Instruction — part 7

102

Climate control

Climate control

Heating, ventilation and

air conditioning system

Ventilation, heating and cooling are

combined into one unit that is d esigned to
prov ide com fort regardless of the season,

weather or outside temperature.
When cooling is ac tiv ated, the air is cooled

and dried .
The heating unit hea ts the air as required

in all operating m od es depending on the
position of the tempera ture rotary switch.

The air supply ca n be adjusted to suit
requirements by means of the fan.
Air conditioning system – see page 107.

Air vents

Plea sant ventilation of the interior is
controlled by the position of the

temperature rota ry switch.
To increase the air supply, switch the fan to

a higher setting and set the air distrib ution
rotary switch to M or L .
Centre air vents
Direc t the flow of air by tilting and

swivelling the slats.

Heating , ventilation and

air conditioning system . . . . ... 102

Air vents . . . . . . . . . . . .. 102
Heated rear window . . . . . . ... 103
Heating and ventila tion system . . 104
Air conditioning system . . . . . .. 107
Air intake . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . ... 109

103

Climate control

Sid e a ir vents

Open vent: rotate vertical a djuster wheel
upwards.
Direct the flow of air by tilting and
swivelling the slats.
Close vent: rotate vertic al adjuster wheel
downwards.

Add itional a ir vents

Below the windscreen and door windows
and in the foot w ell.

Heated rear window

With the ignition on, the rear w indow
heating is sw itched on by pressing

button Ü:
Control indica tor in b utton illuminates:

rear window heating.
Control indica tor d oes not illuminate:

rear window heating is switched off.
Heating works with the engine running a nd

is switched off automatically after a pprox.
15 minutes.
If button Ü is p ressed again after
switching off automatically, rear window

heating will continue for app rox. 8 minutes
and switc h off ag ain.
Turn rear window heating off as soon as
rear vision is clear.

9

Warning

Do not turn on rear wind ow hea ting when
the soft top has been stowed in the

lug gage compartment.

104

Climate control

Heating and ventilation system

Left-hand rota ry switch: Temperature

Centre rotary switch: air flow

Four fan speeds:

The rate of air flow is determined b y

the fan. The fan should therefore also
be switched on during a journey.

Rig ht-hand rotary switch: Air distribution

Interm ediate settings are p ossible.
Open the sid e air v ents when the rotary
switch is set to L or M.

Turn rig ht

=

Warm

Turn left

=

Cold

0

=

Off

4

=

M aximum a ir flow

M

To head area via adjustable
centre and side air vents

L

To head area via adjustable
centre and side air vents

and to foot well

K

To foot well

J

To the windscreen,
door windows and to foot well

V

To the windscreen and
door windows

105

Climate control

Ventilation

z For maximum ventilation in the head

area: move air distribution rotary

switch to M, op en side air vents and
move slats of centre air vents to a n

upright position – see page 102.

z Set the tem perature to the desired

setting.

z Set the fan to the d esired setting.
z For ventila tion to foot well: set air

distribution rotary sw itc h to K.

z For simultaneous ventilation to the hea d

area and the foot well: set air distribution

rotary sw itch to L.

Hea ting
The amount of heat is dependent on the

coolant temperature and is thus not fully
attained until the engine is warm.
For rapid warming of the p assenger
compartment:

z Set air distribution rotary switch to the

desired position, prefera bly position J -

see page 104.

z Turn the temperature rota ry switch

clockwise as far as it will go.

z Select fa n setting 3.
z Open side air vents.

The c om fort and general well-being of the
vehicle occupants are to a large extent

dependent on a suitab le v entilation a nd
hea ting setting.
On order to ac hieve temp erature
stratifica tion with the pleasant effect of

"c ool head and warm feet", turn the air
distribution rotary switch to K or J and

mov e the temp erature rotary sw itc h to any
position (in the mid-range with

temperature stratification).

106

Climate control

Heating the foot well

z Set air distribution rota ry switch to K.
z Temperature rotary switch in right zone.
z Switch on fan.

Dem isting and defr osting wind ow s

To clear w indow fogg ing or icing , e.g. in

damp weather, b ecause of wet clothing or
due to low outside temperatures:
z Cooling n on - see p age 107.
z Move air distribution rotary switch to

J or V.

z Turn the temperature rota ry switch

clockwise as far as it will go (warm).

z Set fa n to 3 or 4.
z Switch on heated rear window Ü.
z Open sid e air vents as required and

direct them towards door windows.

For simultaneous warming of the foot well,
set a ir distribution rota ry switch to J.

9

Warning

Failure to follow the instructions can lead

to window fogg ing or icing and therefore
accidents due to lack of visib ility.

107

Climate control

Air conditioning system

As well a s the effect of the hea ting and

cooling system, the air conditioning system
also cools a nd dries the inflowing air.
If no cooling or drying is required, switch
the c ooling system off to save fuel.
At low outside tempera tures, the cooling
unit switches off automatically.

Cooling n

Operate only with the engine running and
the fan on:

Control indica tor in b utton.
If the fan is off, the c ontrol indicator will
flash three times then go out. Air

conditioning is not available with the fan
off.

Air re-c irculation system 4

The air re-circulation button 4 is
used to set the ventilation system to

re-circ ulation mode (control indica tor
illuminates in button).
If fumes or unpleasa nt od ours penetrate
the passenger compartment from outside,

temporarily switch on air re-circulation
system.
To increa se the cooling power at high
outside temperatures, temporarily switch

on air re-circulation system.

On

=

Press n

Off

=

Press n ag ain

108

Climate control

The a ir re-circulation system minimises
the entry of outside air. The hum idity

increases, and the windows can m ist up.
The quality of the passenger compa rtm ent

air deteriorates which ma y cause the
vehic le occupants to feel drowsy.
Air distrib ution to K, J or V:
air re-circ ulation system is a utomatically

switched off, to speed up wind ow
demisting a nd avoid fogging. The control

indicator in the b utton goes out.
If air d istribution rotary sw itch is turned

back to positions M or L, the air re-
circulation system is switched ba ck on and

the c ontrol indicator illuminates in the
button.

Convenience settings

z Set cooling n as desired.
z Air re-c irculation system 4 off.
z Set air distribution rotary switch

to M or L .

z Set temp erature rotary switch to d esired

position.

z Sw itch on fan a t desired speed .
z Open or align a ir vents as required.
Temperature rotary switch in centre of
adjustment range: warmer air will flow into

the foot well a nd cooler air into the upp er
zone, with warm er air coming from the side

air vents and cooler air from the centre air
vents.

Ma xim um cooling

Briefly open the w indow so that the heated
air ca n dissipate quickly.
z Cooling n on.
z Activate air re-circulation system 4.
z Set air distribution rotary switch to M.
z Turn the temp erature rotary switch anti-

clockwise as far as it w ill go (cold).

z Set fa n to 4.
z Open sid e air vents.

109

Climate control

Air intake

The a ir intak es in front of the windsc reen
in the engine comp artment must be kept

clear to allow air intake. Remove any
lea ves, d irt or snow.

Note

If the windscreen mists up during d amp

weather, tem pora rily set the system as
described under "Dem isting a nd defrosting

the windows" - see pag e 106.
Cooling functions most efficiently when the

wind ow s a re closed. If the p assenger
compartment has heated up considera bly

after a long period in direct sunlight, briefly
op en the wind ow s so that the hot air can

escape quickly.
When cooling (air conditioning

compressor) is switched on condensation
forms, which is expelled from the underside

of the vehic le.
At least one air vent must be open w hile

cooling (air conditioning comp ressor) is on,
in order to prevent the ev aporator from

icing up due to lack of air m ov ement.
At low outside temp eratures the c ooling

unit switches off automatically.

Maintenance

In order to ensure continuously efficient

performa nc e, the air conditioning
compressor must be operated for a few

minutes once a month, irrespectiv e of the
weather and time of yea r. Air conditioning

compressor operation is not possible when
outside temperatures a re low.
In the ev ent of a fault, consult a workshop.

110

Driving and operation

Driving and operation

Driving hints

The first 1000 km (600 miles)

Driv e your v ehicle at various speed s.
Do not use full throttle. Nev er allow

the engine to labour at low revs.
Make good use of all gears. Depress the

accelerator ped al a ma ximum of around
three quarters of the available p edal travel

in all gea rs.
Do not d riv e faster than three quarters of

maximum speed .
Do not b rake unnec essarily ha rd for the

first 200 km (120 miles).
Never coast w ith engine not running

Many units w ill not function in this situation
(e.g. brake servo unit, power steering).

Driv ing in this ma nner is a danger to
yourself and others.
Brake servo unit
When the engine is not running, the brake

servo unit is no longer effective once the
brake peda l has been depressed once or

twice. Braking effect is not reduced , but
significantly greater force is required for

braking.

Power steering
If the power steering fails or when being

towed with the engine switched off, the
vehicle c an still be steered, but

consid erably more force is required.
Driving in m ountainous terrain

The cooling fan is electrically op erated.
Its cooling power is therefore independent

of the engine speed.
Since a c onsiderab le am ount of heat is

generated at high engine speeds and less
at lower speeds, do not shift down when

climb ing hills while the vehic le is still coping
with the gradient in the hig her gear.
Driving with a roof loa d
N ot permitted.
Sw itching off the engine
When you switch off the engine, fans in

the engine com partment m ay continue
running for a while, to c ool the engine.
If the engine temperature is very high, e.g.
after driving in mountainous terrain, allow

the engine to idle for ap prox. 2 minutes, in
order to prevent heat accumulation.
Vehicles with turbocharged engine:
After running at high eng ine speeds or high

eng ine loads, op erate the engine briefly at
a low load or run in neutral for approx.

30 seconds before switching off, in order
to protec t the turbocharger.

Driving hints . . . . . . . . . . 110
Sav ing fuel, protecting the

environment . . . . . . . . . . 112

Fuels, refuelling . . . . . . . . ... 114
Ca ta lytic converter, exhaust g ases... 116
Drive control system s . . . . . . . 118
Brake system . . . . . . . . . ... 122
ABS u . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Wheels, tyres . . . . . . . . . ... 125

111

Driving and operation

Save energy – m ore kilometres/miles
Please observe the running-in hints on

the p revious page and the tips for saving
energy on the following pa ges.
Good, technica lly correct and economical
driving ensures ma ximum durability and

performance for your vehic le.
Overrun

The fuel supply is autom atically shut off
during overrun, e.g. when the vehicle is

being driven down long gradients or when
braking. To enable the overrun cut-off

to take effect, do not acc elerate during
overrun and do not declutch. To prevent

dam age to the cata lytic converter, overrun
cut-off is temp orarily deactivated when the

catalytic conv erter temperature is high.
Vehicles with turbocharged engine:

Flow -g enerated noises may be aud ible
if the a ccelerator is released quickly, on

account of air flow in the turbocharger.

Engine speed
Driv e in a low engine speed range for each

gear a s m uc h as possible.
Wa rming up

Run engine wa rm , do not wa rm up in idle.
Do not a pply full throttle until the

op erating temperature has b een reached.
Correct g ear selection

Tra nsmission in neutral and without
revving in the lower gears. Stop-a nd -g o

tra ffic a nd driving at a speed too hig h for
the selected g ear increases wear and fuel

consumption.
Change dow n!

When decreasing speed, shift down into
the next lowest gear. Do not slip the clutch

with a high-revving engine. This is
especially important when hill climb ing.
Clutch op era tion
Alw ays dep ress the clutch ped al hard to

the floor to prev ent shifting difficulties and
tra nsmission dam age.
When driving, do not use the ped al as a
foot rest; this will ca use substantial clutch

wear.

Cooling fan
The cooling fan is controlled v ia a

therm oswitch and therefore only runs if
nec essary.
Pedals
Do not place any ob jects in the foot well

which could slip under the ped als and
inhibit the pedal trav el.
To ensure the pedal travel is uninhibited,
there must be no unrestrained mats in the

area of the p edals.
Battery ca re

When driving slowly or when the v ehicle is
stationary, e.g. in slow urban traffic, stop-

and-go traffic or traffic jams, turn off all
unnecessary electrical load s w here

possible (e.g. heated rear window).

112

Driving and operation

Saving fuel, protecting the

environment

Trend-setting technology
When dev eloping and manufac turing your

vehic le, Opel used env ironment-friend ly
and prima rily recyclable materials. The

production methods used to ma ke your
vehic le are likewise environmenta lly-

compatible.
Recycling of production wastes keeps the

circulation of material closed. Reduction of
energy a nd water requirements a lso help s

to conserve natural resources.
The a dvanced design ma kes it easier

to dismantle the vehicle at the end of
its service life and separate m aterials

for recycling .
Materia ls such as asbestos and cadmium

are not used . The refrigerant in the air
conditioning system is CFC-free.
New painting techniques employ water
as a solvent.

End-of-life vehicle rec overy
Information on end-of-life vehicle recovery

centres and the recycling of end-of-life
vehicles is av ailable at www.opel.com.
Dr ive in an energy a nd environment-
consc ious w ay

z High fuel consumption, noise lev els and

exhaust em issions are often caused by a

driving style that is not energy and
env ironment-c onscious.

z You should therefore drive with energy in

mind: "more kilometres/miles with less

fuel".
Reduce the noise level and exhaust

emissions b y adopting an environment-
consc ious driving style. This is extremely

worthwhile and im proves the quality of
life.
Fuel consum ption d epend s to a great
extent on your own personal d riv ing

style. The following hints are intended to
help you consume fuel at a rate that is as

close as possible to the specified levels –
see page 177.
Check your v ehicle’s fuel consumption
every time you refuel. This facilitates

early detection of any irregula rities
causing increased fuel consumption.

Warm ing up
z Full throttle and w arming up at idle

speed increase w ear, fuel consumption,
exhaust em issions, the amount of

pollutant in the exhaust and the am ount
of noise.

z Driv e off as soon as possible a fter

starting.

Uniform speed
z Hectic driving significantly increases fuel

consumption, the exhaust emissions, the
proportion of pollutant in the exhaust

gases and the noise level.

z Do not accelerate a nd brake

unnecessarily. Drive at uniform speed.
Avoid frequent starting-off and

stopping, e.g. at traffic lights, in short
distance traffic and in queues of tra ffic,

by m eans of clev er planning. Select
roa ds with good traffic flow.

Idling
z The eng ine also consumes fuel when

idling .

z If you have to wait for more than

1 minute, it is worthwhile switching off
the eng ine. Five minutes of idling

corresponds to ap prox. 1 kilometre
(0.6 m iles) of driv ing .

113

Driving and operation

Overrun
z The fuel supply is automatically shut off

during ov errun, e.g. when the vehicle is
being driven down long gradients or

when braking – see page 111.

z To enable the overrun cut-off to take

effect a nd sav e fuel, during overrun do
not ac celera te and do not declutch.

Corr ect gear selec tion
z High revs increase engine w ear and fuel

consumption.

z Do not race your engine. Avoid d riv ing at

high engine speeds.
Driv ing with an eye on the tachom eter

saves fuel. If possib le, drive a t low rev s in
each gear and a t a consta nt speed.

Driv e in top g ear as m uch a s p ossible,
shift up as soon as possib le and do not

shift down until the engine is no longer
running truly.

High speed
z The faster the sp eed, the higher the fuel

consump tion and the noise level. Driv ing
at full throttle uses up a great deal of fuel

and g enerates excessive noise and high
emission levels.

z Slightly relea sing the accelerator ped al

results in distinct fuel savings with no

major loss of speed.
Drive at no more tha n around three

quarters of maximum speed and you will
use up to 50% less fuel, without losing a

great deal of time.

Tyre pressure

z Inadequate tyre p ressure, leading to

higher road resistance, costs m oney in

two wa ys: more fuel and increa sed tyre
wear.

z Regular checks (every 14 d ays) pay off.
Electrical loa ds

z The power consum ption of electrical

equip ment increa ses fuel consumption.

z Sw itch off ad ditional c onsumers (e.g.

air conditioning, heated rear window)

when they are no longer required.

Repair and m aintenance
z Improper repairs or adjustm ent and

maintenance work can increase fuel
consumption. Do not carry out w ork on

the eng ine yourself.
You ma y infring e environmental la ws out

of ignorance by not d isposing of
materials properly.
Appropriate parts might not b e recycled.
Contact with some of the materia ls

inv olv ed may p ose a hea lth haz ard.

z We recom mend that repair and

maintenance be entrusted to your Opel
Serv ice Partner.

Extr em e d riving conditions
z Driv ing up steep gradients, cornering,

driving on poor roads and winter driving
all increase fuel consumption.
Fuel consumption increa ses dramatically
in urba n tra ffic a nd at winter

temperatures, especially on short trip s
when the engine operating tempera ture

is not reached.

z Follow the hints given above to keep

consumption to a m inimum under suc h
cond itions.

114

Driving and operation

Fuels, refuelling

Fuel c onsum ption

Fuel consump tion is determined und er
specific driv ing cond itions – see page 177.
Special equipment increases the weight of
the v ehicle. As a result, they can increase

fuel consump tion and reduce the specified
maximum speed.
For the first few thousa nd kilometres/m iles,
friction b etween the engine and

transm ission com ponents is higher.
This increases fuel consump tion.

Fuel for petrol engines

Normal commerc ia l hig h-q uality fuels
with a m aximum ethanol content of 5% in

accordance with DIN EN 228 are suitable
(Catalytic converter - see page 116.

Octane numbers - see page 175). The
quality thereof has considerable effect on

performance, running and service life of
the engine. The additives mixed with the

fuel are extremely im portant. For this
rea son you must only refuel with high-

quality fuels containing additives.

Fuels with ethanol content of greater than
5% d o not com ply with DIN EN 228 and

must not be used unless the v ehicle has
been specifica lly dev eloped a nd ap prov ed

for these fuels.
Fuel with too low an octane number can

cause pinking. Opel cannot b e held liable
for resulting dam age.
Petrol with a higher octane number can
always be used.
The ignition tim ing adjusts automatically
to the grade of fuel used (octane num ber) –

see p age 175.
Use of petrol with an octane rating of 95 or

higher will ensure econom ical driving.

Fuel filler c ap
If replacing the fuel filler c ap, be sure to use

the original fuel filler cap for your model, to
ensure full functionality.

Refuelling

9

Warning

Care must be ta ken when hand ling fuel.
Before refuelling, switch off the eng ine

and where applicab le any auxiliary
heating with combustion cha mbers.

Switch off mobile phones.

115

Driving and operation

Fuel filler neck at left rear side of v ehicle.
Open the tank flap .
The fuel filler cap is locked and unlocked

using the key provided . Turn key in lock
cylinder c lock wise to unloc k cap.
Unscrew the fuel filler cap b y turning it
anti-clock wise, and remove.
The fuel tank has a limiting system which
prevents ov erfilling of the tank.

Correct filling depends to a large extent on
proper operation of the fuel disp ensing

pump:
1. Fully insert the pump nozzle and switch

it on.

2. At autom atic switch off, the specified

tank capacity is reached. Leave the filler
nozz le in plac e until the flow stops.

Place fuel filler c ap in position and turn it
clockw ise until tight and turn key in lock

cylinder anti-clockwise to lock cap.
Close tank flap.
Wipe off any ov erflowing fuel immediately.

9

Warning

Fuel is flamm able and explosive. Av oid
nak ed flam es or sparks when handling

fuel or just in its vicinity. Do not smoke.
This a lso applies where fuel is perceptible

only from its c harac teristic od our. If fuel
od ours occur in the vehicle itself, ha ve the

cause eliminated imm ediately by a
work shop.

116

Driving and operation

Catalytic converter, exhaust

gases

Ca talytic conver ter for petrol engines

Leaded fuel will damage the catalytic
converter and parts of the elec tronic

system, thereby rendering them
inoperative.
High qua lity fuels other tha n those listed on
pages 114 and 175 (e.g. LRP

1)

) could

dam age the catalytic conv erter.

Damage to the ca talytic converter or the
vehicle may result if the follow ing points

are not observed:
z Consult a workshop as quickly a s

possible in the event of misfiring,
irregular engine running following a cold

start, a significant loss of engine power
or other unusual m alfunctions w hich

may indicate a fault in the ignition
system. If necessary, driving ma y be

continued for a short time at a low speed
and w ith a low engine sp eed.
Irregular engine running and lack of
power when the Electronic Stability

Program (ESP) kicks in are for
opera tional reasons and ca n be

ignored – see page 119.

z If unb urned fuel enters the catalytic

conv erter, this may result in overheating

and irreparable damage to the c atalytic
conv erter.
You should therefore av oid
unnecessarily long use of the starter

when starting-off, running the tank d ry
(an irregular fuel supply w ill lead to

overhea ting) and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.

z If the emission control ind ic ator Z

fla shes, slow down until the flashing

stops and the control indicator is steady.
Consult a work shop imm ediately.

Emission control indicator Z –
see page 117.

1)

LRP

=

L

ead

R

eplacement

P

etrol.

117

Driving and operation

Controlling exhaust emissions

The c om bina tion of desig n measures –
mainly in the area of the fuel injection

system a nd ignition system s, and the
catalytic conv erter – has minimised the

proportion of harmful substances in the
exhaust ga ses, such as carbon m onoxid e

(CO), hydrocarbons (CH) and nitrous
oxides (N O

x

).

Control ind icator Z for exhaust

Illum inates when the ignition is switched
on a nd during the start attem pt. Goes out

shortly after the eng ine sta rts running.
If it illum inates while the engine is running,

there is a fa ult in the em ission control
system. The permitted emission values

may be exceeded. Consult a work shop
immed iately.
Flashing with the engine running indicates
a fault that may damage the catalytic

conv erter. You can continue to drive
without causing damage by slowing down

until the fla shing stop s and the control
indica tor is stead y. Consult a workshop

immed iately.

Exhaust g ases

During the first drive, smoke may develop
because of wax and oil ev aporating on the

exhaust system . Park the vehicle in the
open for a while a fter the first drive and

av oid inhaling the fum es.

9

Warning

Engine exhaust gases contain poisonous

carbon monoxide, w hich is colourless and
odourless and c ould b e fatal if inhaled.
If exhaust gases p enetrate the v ehicle
interior, open the w indows and consult a

workshop im mediately.