Opel Astra GTC (2018 year). Manual - part 11

166

Driving and operating

● There is no traffic and nothing

detected on the road sides for

several minutes. In this case,

there are no radar echoes and

the sensor may report that it is

blocked.

● The collision imminent braking

system is applying the brakes.

● The radar sensor is blocked by

an ice or water film.

● A fault is detected in the radar,

engine or brake system.

When adaptive cruise control is

deactivated automatically, the control

indicator m illuminates white and a

warning symbol is displayed as a pop-

up in the Driver Information Centre.

The stored speed is maintained.

9 Warning

When adaptive cruise control is

deactivated, the driver must take

over full brake and engine control.

Switching off

Press C to switch off adaptive cruise

control. The control indicator m

extinguishes. The stored speed is

deleted.
Switching off the ignition also

switches off adaptive cruise control

and deletes the stored speed.

Driver's attention

● Use adaptive cruise control

carefully on bends or mountain

roads, as it can lose the vehicle

ahead and need time to detect it

again.

● Do not use the system on

slippery roads as it can create

rapid changes in tyre traction

(wheel spinning), so that you

could lose control.

● 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 limits

● The system's automatic brake

force does not permit hard

braking and the braking level

may not be sufficient to avoid a

collision.

Driving and operating

167

● 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

brake for stopped vehicles,

pedestrians or animals.

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. If it no

longer detects any vehicle ahead,

then control indicator A will

extinguish.
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. 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 if driving fast or if the

visibility is reduced due to weather

conditions.
While entering or exiting a motorway,

adaptive cruise control may lose the

vehicle ahead and accelerate up to

the set speed. For this reason,

decrease the set speed before the

exit or before the entry.

Vehicle path changes

If another vehicle enters your driving

path, adaptive cruise control will first

consider the vehicle when it is

completely in your path. Be ready to

take action and depress the brake

pedal, if you need to brake more

quickly.

168

Driving and operating

Hill and trailer considerations

System performance on hills and

when towing a trailer depends on your

vehicle speed, vehicle load, traffic

conditions and the road gradient. It

may not detect a vehicle in your path

while driving on hills. On steep hills,

you may have to use the accelerator

pedal to maintain your vehicle speed.

When going downhill, especially

when towing a trailer, you may have

to brake to maintain or reduce your

speed.
Note that applying the brake

deactivates the system. It is not

recommended to use adaptive cruise

control on steep hills especially when

towing a trailer.

Radar unit

The radar unit is mounted behind the

radiator grille below the brand

emblem.

9 Warning

The radar unit was aligned

carefully during manufacture.

Therefore, after a frontal accident,

do not use the system. The front

bumper may appear to be intact,

however the sensor behind can be

out of position and react

incorrectly. After an accident,

consult a workshop to verify and

correct the adaptive cruise control

sensor position.

Settings

Settings can be changed in the Auto

collision preparation menu in the

vehicle personalisation, 3 105.

Fault

If the adaptive cruise control does not

work due to temporary conditions

(e.g. blockage by ice) or if there is a

permanent system error, then a

message is displayed in the Driver

Information Centre.

Driving and operating

169

Vehicle messages 3 99.

Forward collision alert

The forward collision alert can help to

avoid or reduce the harm caused by

front-end crashes.

A vehicle ahead is indicated by a

control indicator A.

If a vehicle directly ahead is

approached too quickly, a warning

chime and alert in the Driver

Information Centre is provided.
A precondition is that forward collision

alert is activated in the vehicle

personalisation menu 3 105 or that it

is not deactivated by pressing V

(depending on the system, see

following).
Depending on the vehicle's

equipment, there are two variants of

the forward collision alert available:

● Forward collision alert based on

radar system

on vehicles equipped with

adaptive cruise control 3 162.

● Forward collision alert based on

front camera system
on vehicles with traditional cruise

control or none 3 159.

Forward collision alert based on

radar system

The system uses the radar sensor

behind the radiator grille to detect a

vehicle directly ahead, in your path,

within a maximum distance of

150 metres.

Activation

Forward collision alert operates

automatically above walking speed,

provided that Auto collision

preparation setting is not deactivated

in the vehicle personalisation menu

3

 105.

Selecting the alert sensitivity

The alert sensitivity can be set to

near, medium or far.

170

Driving and operating

Press E; the current setting is shown

in the Driver Information Centre.

Press E again to change the alert

sensitivity. The setting is also

displayed in the top line of the Driver

Information Centre.

Note that the alert timing sensitivity

setting is shared with the following

distance setting of the adaptive cruise

control. So changing the alert timing

sensitivity changes the adaptive

cruise control following distance

setting.

Alerting the driver

A green illuminated vehicle ahead

control indicator A illuminates in the

instrument cluster when the system

has detected a vehicle in the driving

path. When the distance to a

preceding moving vehicle gets too

small or when approaching another

vehicle too rapidly and a collision is

imminent, the collision alert symbol

pops-up in the Driver Information

Centre. Simultaneously a warning

chime sounds.
Depress the brake pedal, if it is

required by the situation.

Driving and operating

171

Settings

Settings can be changed in the Auto

collision preparation menu in the

vehicle personalisation 3 105.

Forward collision alert based on

front camera system

Forward collision alert uses the front

camera system in the windscreen to

detect a vehicle directly ahead, in

your path, within a distance of approx.

60 metres.

Activation

Forward collision alert operates

automatically above 40 km/h, if it is

not deactivated by pressing V, see

below.

Selecting the alert sensitivity

The alert sensitivity can be set to

near, medium or far.

Press V; the current setting is shown

in the Driver Information Centre.

Press V again to change the alert

sensitivity.

Alerting the driver

A green illuminated vehicle ahead

control indicator A illuminates in the

instrument cluster when the system

has detected a vehicle in the driving

path.

When the distance to a preceding

moving vehicle gets too small or when

approaching another vehicle too

rapidly and a collision is imminent, the

collision alert symbol pops-up in the

Driver Information Centre.
Simultaneously a warning chime

sounds. Depress the brake pedal, if it

is required by the situation.

172

Driving and operating

Deactivation

The system can be deactivated.

Press V repeatedly until the following

message appears in the Driver

Information Centre.

General information for both

variants of forward collision alert

9 Warning

Forward collision alert is just a

warning system and does not

apply the brakes. When

approaching a vehicle ahead too

rapidly, it may not provide you

enough time to avoid a collision.
The driver accepts full

responsibility for the appropriate

following distance based on traffic,

weather and visibility conditions.
The complete attention of the

driver is always required while

driving. The driver must always be

ready to take action and apply the

brakes.

System limitations

The system is designed to warn only

for vehicles, but may react also to

other metallic objects.
In the following cases, forward

collision alert may not detect a vehicle

ahead or sensor performance is

limited:

● on winding roads
● when weather limits visibility, e.g.

fog, rain, or snow

● when the sensor is blocked by

snow, ice, slush, mud, dirt, or

windscreen damage

Following distance

indication

The following distance indication

displays the distance to a preceding

moving vehicle. The system uses,

depending on the vehicle equipment,

either the radar behind the radiator

grille or the front camera in the

windscreen to detect the distance of

a vehicle directly ahead in your path.

It is active at speeds above 40 km/h.
When a preceding vehicle is detected

ahead, the distance is indicated in

seconds, displayed on a page in the

Driver Information Centre 3 93. Press

MENU on the turn signal lever to

select Vehicle Information Menu

X

 and turn the adjuster wheel to

choose following distance indication

page.

Driving and operating

173

The minimum indicated distance is

0.5 s.
If there is no vehicle ahead or the

vehicle ahead is out of range, two

dashes will be displayed: -.- s.

Active Emergency Braking

Active emergency braking can help to

reduce the damage from crashes with

vehicles and obstacles directly

ahead, when a collision can no longer

be avoided either by manual braking

or by steering. Before the active

emergency braking applies, the driver

is warned by the forward collision

alert 3 169.

The feature uses various inputs (e.g.

radar sensor, brake pressure, vehicle

speed) to calculate the probability of

a frontal collision.
Active emergency braking operates

automatically above walking speed,

provided that Auto collision

preparation setting is not deactivated

in the vehicle personalisation menu

3

 105.

The system includes:

● brake preparation system
● emergency automatic braking
● forward looking brake assist

9 Warning

This system is not intended to

replace the driver responsibility of

driving the vehicle and looking

ahead. Its function is limited to

supplemental use only. The driver

shall continue to apply the brake

pedal as the driving situation

dictates.

Brake preparation system

When approaching a vehicle ahead

so quickly that a collision is likely, the

brake preparation system slightly

pressurises the brakes. This reduces

the response time, when a manual or

automatic braking is requested.
The brake system is prepared so that

braking can occur more rapidly.

Emergency automatic braking

After the brake preparation and just

before the imminent collision, this

function automatically applies limited

braking to reduce the impact speed of

the collision.

Forward looking brake assist

In addition to brake preparation

system and emergency automatic

braking, the forward looking brake

assist function makes the brake assist

more sensitive. In this way,

depressing the brake pedal slightly

results immediately in a strong

braking. This function helps the driver

brake quicker and stronger before the

imminent collision.

174

Driving and operating

9 Warning

Active emergency braking is not

designed to apply strong

autonomous braking or to avoid

automatically a collision. It is

designed to reduce the vehicle

speed before collision. It may not

react on stopped vehicles,

pedestrians or animals. After a

sudden lane change, the system

needs a certain time to detect the

next preceding vehicle.
The complete attention of the

driver is always required while

driving. The driver shall always be

ready to take action and apply the

brakes and steer to avoid

collisions. The system is designed

to work with all occupants wearing

their seat belts.

System limitations

The active emergency braking has

limited or no function during rain,

snow or heavy dirt, as the radar

sensor can be covered by a water

film, dust, ice or snow. In case of

sensor blockage, clean the sensor

cover.
In some seldom cases the active

emergency braking system may

provide a short automatic braking in

situations that seem to be

unnecessary, for instance due to

traffic signs in a curve or due to

vehicles in another lane. This is

acceptable operation, the vehicle

does not need service. Firmly apply

the accelerator pedal to override the

automatic braking.

Settings

Settings can be changed in the Auto

collision preparation menu in the

vehicle personalisation, 3 105.

Fault

In the event of a system service

requirement, a message is displayed

in the Driver Information Centre.

If the system does not work as it

should do, vehicle messages are

displayed in the Driver Information

Centre.
Vehicle messages 3 99.

Driving and operating

175

Parking assist

Rear parking assist

9 Warning

The driver 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.

The system has four ultrasonic

parking sensors in the rear bumper.

Activation

When reverse gear is engaged, the

system is ready to operate

automatically.
An illuminated LED in the parking

assist button r indicates that the

system is ready to operate.

Indication

The system warns the driver with

acoustic signals against potentially

hazardous obstacles behind the

vehicle. The interval between the

sounds becomes shorter as the

vehicle gets closer to that obstacle.

When the distance is less than

approx. 30 cm, the sound is

continuous.
Additionally, the distance to obstacles

may be shown in the Driver

Information Centre.

Deactivation

The system automatically switches

off when reverse gear is disengaged.
To switch on the system again,

engage reverse gear.
Manual deactivation is also possible

by pressing r.
When the system is deactivated, the

LED in the button extinguishes.
Additionally, Park Assist Off pops-up

in the Driver Information Centre when

the system is deactivated manually.

176

Driving and operating

Fault

In the event of a fault in the system or

if the system does not work due to

temporary conditions, e.g. ice

covered sensors, control indicator

r illuminates or a message is

displayed in the Driver Information

Centre.
Vehicle messages 3 99.
Control indicator r 3 90.

Front-rear parking assist

9 Warning

The driver bears full responsibility

for the parking manoeuvre.
Always check the surrounding

area when driving backwards or

forwards while using parking

assist system.

The front-rear parking assist

measures the distance between the

vehicle and obstacles in front and

behind the vehicle. The system gives

acoustic signals and display

messages.

The system has four ultrasonic

parking sensors each in the rear and

front bumper.
It uses two different acoustic warning

signals for the front and rear

monitoring areas, each with a

different tone frequency. The signal

for front obstacles sounds via the

front speakers, for rear obstacles it

sounds from the rear speakers.

Parking assist button and operation

logic

Front-rear parking assist is equipped

with r. If the vehicle is additionally

equipped with advanced parking

assist (see the following separate

description) the system is equipped

with D. Both systems will be

operated by pressing D.
Short press of r or D deactivates

or activates the front parking assist.
Long press of D (approx.

one second) activates or deactivates

the advanced parking assist.
Button logic to operate the systems is

as follows:

● Front-rear parking assist is

active: short press deactivates

front-rear parking assist.

● Front-rear parking assist is

active: long press activates

advanced parking assist if a

forward gear is engaged.

● Advanced parking assist is

active: short press activates

front-rear parking assist.

● Advanced parking assist is

active: long press deactivates

advanced parking assist.

● Advanced parking assist and

front-rear parking assist are

active: short press deactivates

both systems.

Driving and operating

177

Activation

When reverse gear is engaged, the

front and rear parking assist is ready

to operate.
The front parking assist is also

activated automatically at a speed up

to 11 km/h.
An illuminated LED in the parking

assist button r or D indicates that

the system is ready to operate.
If the vehicle exceeds a speed of

11 km/h, the front parking assist is

deactivated. The front parking assist

is always reactivated when vehicle

speed drops below 11 km/h.

Indication

The system warns the driver with

acoustic signals against potentially

hazardous obstacles behind and in

front of the vehicle. Depending on

which side of the vehicle is closer to

an obstacle, you will hear acoustic

warning signals on the respective

side of the vehicle. The interval

between the sounds becomes shorter

as the vehicle gets closer to that

obstacle. When the distance is less

than approx. 30 cm, the sound is

continuous.
Additionally, the distance to obstacles

may be shown in the Driver

Information Centre 3 93.

The distance to a front and rear

obstacle is indicated by changing

distance lines around the vehicle.
Rear obstacles are indicated

acoustically and visually at the same

time.
Front obstacles are indicated visually

first. At distances less than 80 cm an

acoustic signal also sounds.

The distance indication in the Driver

Information Centre can be inhibited

by vehicle messages with a higher

priority. After approving the message

by pressing SET/CLR on the turn

signal lever, distance indication

appears again.

Deactivation

The rear parking assist automatically

switches off when reverse gear is

disengaged.
The front parking assist is deactivated

automatically at a speed above

11 km/h.

Manual deactivation is possible by

pressing r or D briefly.

178

Driving and operating

When the system is deactivated, the

LED in the button extinguishes.
Additionally, Park Assist Off pops-up

in the Driver Information Centre when

the system is deactivated manually.
After a manual deactivation, the front

parking assist is activated again if

r or D is pressed or if reverse

gear is engaged.

Fault

In the event of a fault in the system or

if the system does not work due to

temporary conditions, e.g. ice

covered sensors, control indicator

r illuminates or a message is

displayed in the Driver Information

Centre.
Vehicle messages 3 99.
Control indicator r 3 90.

Advanced parking assist

9 Warning

The driver bears full responsibility

for accepting the parking slot

suggested by the system and the

parking manoeuvre.
Always check the surrounding

area in all directions when using

advanced parking assist.

The advanced parking assist system

manoeuvres the driver into a parking

slot by giving instructions in the Driver

Information Centre and via acoustic

signals. The driver must control

acceleration, braking, steering and

gearshifting.
The system uses the sensors of the

front-rear parking assist in

combination with two additional

sensors on both sides of the front and

rear bumper.

Button D and operation logic

Advanced parking assist and front-

rear parking assist (see previous

description) are both operated by

pressing D.
Short press of D deactivates or

activates the front parking assist.
Long press of D (approx.

one second) activates or deactivates

the advanced parking assist.
Button logic to operate the systems is

as follows:

● Front-rear parking assist is

active: short press deactivates

front-rear parking assist.

● Front-rear parking assist is

active: long press activates

advanced parking assist if a

forward gear is engaged.

Driving and operating

179

● Advanced parking assist is

active: short press activates

front-rear parking assist.

● Advanced parking assist is

active: long press deactivates

advanced parking assist.

● Advanced parking assist and

front-rear parking assist are

active: short press deactivates

both systems.

Activation

When searching for a parking slot, the

system must be activated by pressing

D

 for approx. one second.

The system can only be activated and

can only search for a parking slot at a

speed up to 30 km/h.
The maximum allowed parallel

distance between the vehicle and a

row of parked cars is 1.8 metres.

Functionality

When the vehicle passes a row of

cars and the system is activated, the

advanced parking assist system

begins searching for a suitable

parking slot. When a suitable slot is

detected, visual feedback in the

Driver Information Centre and an

acoustic signal are given.

If the driver does not stop the vehicle

within ten metres after a parking slot

is proposed, the system starts to

search for another suitable parking

slot.

The parking slot suggestion of the

system is accepted when the vehicle

is stopped by the driver within ten

metres after the "Stop" message is

given. The system calculates the

optimal route into the parking slot.

Then it manoeuvres the driver into the

slot by giving detailed instructions.

180

Driving and operating

The instructions in the display show:

● A hint when driving faster than

30 km/h.

● The demand to stop the vehicle,

when a parking slot is detected.

● The direction of driving during the

parking manoeuvre.

● The steering wheel position

during parking.

● For some of the instructions a

progress bar is shown.

A successful parking manoeuvre is

indicated by the 'End position'

symbol.
Always pay attention to the sound of

the front-rear parking assist.

Continuous sound means that the

distance to an obstacle is less than

approx. 30 cm.

Changing the parking side

The system is configured to detect

parking slots by default on the

passenger side. To detect parking

slots on the driver side, switch on turn

indicator to the driver side for the

duration of searching.

As soon as turn indicator is switched

off, the system searches for parking

slots on the passenger side again.

Display priorities

After activating the advanced parking

assist, a message appears in the

Driver Information Centre. Advanced

parking assist indication in the Driver

Information Centre can be inhibited

by vehicle messages with a higher

priority. After approving the message

by pressing SET/CLR on the turn

signal lever, advanced parking assist

instructions appear again and the

parking manoeuvre can be continued.

Deactivation

The system is deactivated by:

● short press of D if advanced

parking assist and front-rear

parking assist are activated

● long press of D if advanced

parking assist is activated

● successfully ending parking

manoeuvre

● driving faster than 30 km/h
● switching off the ignition

Driving and operating

181

Deactivation by the driver or by the

system during manoeuvring will be

indicated by Parking Deactivated in

the Driver Information Centre.

Fault

A message appears in the Driver

Information Centre when:

● There is a fault in the system.
● The driver did not successfully

complete the parking

manoeuvre.

● The system is not operational.

If an object is detected during parking

instructions, Stop is indicated in the

Driver Information Centre. Removing

the object will resume the parking

manoeuvre. If the object is not

removed, the system will be

deactivated. Press D for approx.

one second to activate the system

and search for a new parking slot.

Basic notes on parking assist

systems

9 Warning

Under certain circumstances,

various reflective surfaces on

objects or clothing as well as

external noise sources may cause

the system to fail to detect

obstacles.
Special attention must be paid to

low obstacles which can damage

the lower part of the bumper.

Caution

Performance of the system can be

reduced when sensors are

covered, e.g. by ice or snow.
Performance of the parking assist

system can be reduced due to

heavy loading.
Special conditions apply if there

are taller vehicles in the vicinity

(e.g. off-road vehicles, mini vans,

vans). Object identification and

correct distance indication in the

upper part of these vehicles

cannot be guaranteed.
Objects with a very small reflection

cross-section, e.g. objects of

narrow size or soft materials, may

not be detected by the system.
Parking assist systems do not

detect objects outside the

detection range.

Note

The parking assist system can be

activated and deactivated by

changing the settings in the

Info-Display. If a trailer coupling is

attached, it must be selected in the

menu.
Vehicle personalisation 3 105.