Towing a car

Emergency vehicle towing

Strictly speaking, the vehicle should be towed with the drive wheels off the ground (In front of them) wheels (best at all on a tow truck platform). If you have to tow your vehicle with the front wheels off, follow the guidelines below. Avoid towing the vehicle with all four wheels touching the ground for long distances.

The car is towed using a special removable towing eyelet, which is stored together with a set of on-board tools in the luggage compartment (see chapter «Controls and methods of operation», Section 17). Holes of sockets for its installation on the right side of the front and rear bumpers are closed with decorative covers (see illustration 11).



If the vehicle needs to be towed, open the cover of the mounting slot in the front bumper by turning it counterclockwise (see illustration 12) screw in the towing eye and tighten it until it stops, so that the eye of the eye is in a horizontal position.



Use for towing only a cable specially designed for this purpose, and preferably a rigid bar.

Attention: When choosing a cable or rod, make sure in advance that their design allows you to fix them to the eye of the towing eye!

Attach the towline/rigid bar to the eye.

Turn the ignition on to unlock the steering wheel and operate the brake lights, horn and wipers (see chapter «Controls and methods of operation», Section 17).

Attention: Models equipped with the Open&Start system must not be towed with a discharged battery or other problems in the power supply system, as this will make it impossible to remove the steering wheel lock! With a discharged battery, try to turn on the ignition from an auxiliary source (see below).

When towing on an emergency vehicle, the neutral gear must be engaged / the selector lever must be moved to the position «N». Remember to release the parking brake lever and turn on the hazard warning lights.

Before driving, the drivers of both vehicles (towing and towed) the itinerary must be agreed upon.

Remember that when the engine is off, the braking efficiency of the car is noticeably reduced due to the fact that the vacuum brake booster stops functioning, and you should depress the foot brake pedal with a noticeably greater force than usual - the stopping distance will increase. When maneuvering, more effort will have to be applied to the steering wheel, since the power steering pump will also not function.

Activate the air circulation system if necessary (with appropriate equipment) and close the windows to avoid getting the exhaust gases of the towing vehicle into the passenger compartment.


Movement should be carried out only at moderate speeds, along the shortest route and in compliance with traffic rules. Avoid sudden braking, acceleration and maneuvering. Be aware that when towing your vehicle on the edge of a dirt road, there is always a risk of drifting to the side of the road.


Models equipped with automatic transmission (AT), may be towed forward on all four wheels at a speed not exceeding 80 km/h and for a distance not exceeding 100 km. Attention: Failure to comply with the stipulated limits can lead to failure of the transmission! If it is necessary to exceed these figures, as well as in the event of a malfunction of the AT, towing is allowed only with a separation of the leading (front) wheels off the ground!

Attention: Cars equipped with Easytronic transmission are not allowed to be towed if the automatic clutch was manually disengaged during a power failure - contact the specialized car towing services for assistance (preferably to Opel partners)!

In the event that another vehicle needs help in towing, the towing eye is screwed into the socket on the rear bumper - the requirements for installing the eye are the same as when installing it in front.

When starting off and changing gears, the driver of the towing vehicle must pay particular attention to the smoothness of the clutch release. The driver of the towed vehicle must try to keep the towing strap taut at all times in order to avoid jerks and collisions with the wheels (for these reasons, the use of a rigid rod is preferable).

Attention: Excessively high tractive force can cause damage to vehicles!

Towing to start the engine

The models covered in this manual cannot be started by towing or pushing. Vehicles equipped with an exhaust gas catalytic converter - starting the engine by towing or pushing can result in engine failure. In addition, on models equipped with the Open&Start system, when the battery is discharged, it is not possible to unlock the steering wheel. Use an auxiliary power supply if necessary (see below).