Starting On Inclines - Vauxhall Omega Owner's Manual

Since a considerable amount of heat is
generated at high engine sp eed s a nd less
at slower speeds, d o not shift down when
climbing hills whilst the vehicle is still coping
with the g ra dient in the higher gea r.
Diesel engine: On gradients of 8 % or more,
do not drive faster than 20 mph (30 k m/h)
in first gear or 30 m ph (50 km/h) in second
gear.
When coupled to a carav an/trailer the
vehic le requires more b ra king effort when
driving down long g ra dients, so select the
same gear as you would driving uphill a nd
drive at roughly the sam e speed. With
automatic transmission 3, engage gear 3,
2 or even 1.
Select D again as soon as driv ing
conditions permit.
If it is necessary to apply the brak es fully, in
particular to ensure short braking
distances when towing a caravan/tra iler,
depress the brake pedal as hard a s
possible.
Remem ber that the braking distance for
vehic les towing caravans/trailers w ith a nd
without brake is a lways grea ter than that
for vehicles not towing a caravan/trailer.

Starting on inclines

Vehicles with manual transm ission:
The most favourable engine speed for
engaging the clutch is
– for 4-cylinder p etrol engines
between 2500 and 3000 rpm.
– for 6-cylinder p etrol engines
between 2200 and 2500 rpm.
– for 4-cylinder d iesel engines
between 2200 and 2500 rpm.
K eep engine sp eed constant, engage the
clutch g ra dually (let slip), relea se the brak e
and open the throttle. If possible, engine
speed should not d rop during this
procedure.
O n vehicles with automatic transm ission 3
it is sufficient to op en the throttle fully.
Before starting off under ex treme
conditions (high combination weight,
mountainous terrain w ith steep inclines),
switch off all unnecessary electrical loads
(e.g. heated rear window, heated seats).
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