question on corsa b automatic

Have bought my wife a corsa b model automatic as she is having knee
surgery soon and wont be able to drive my manual. I have never driven
an automatic and there isnt a handbook and I cant find any info on the
net about automatic corsa's.

There is 2 buttons - one on the top of the gear lever marked (s) which
I am told is a sports button and another to the left of the base of the
gear lever with like a snowflake on the button.

What are these used for and what is the correct way to use them?

Any links to driving automatic corsa's would be most helpful - thanks
in advance.

 

If it's like the Astra the s is indeed a sports button, when selected
the box stays in lower gears longer and gives more power and greater
acceleration. The snowflake is used when starting on an icy surface, the
gearbox selects I think second or third so avoiding the wheel spin you
would get in first. It reverts to normal above a certain speed, I can't
check my manual as SWMBO has the car.

I'm not sure how old a Corsa B is but you can download Vauxhall manuals
in pdf format from the Vauxhall web site.

Mike

 

Thanks Mike have signed in to vauxhall and the manuals only go down to
2002 mine is 1998 however I looked at the 2002 manual and it gives
some good tips and explains the (S) and snowflake switch (winter
driving) - will have to keep a lookout for a corsa b manual - cheers Les

 

That is a good explanation of the buttons.

In practice though you are unlikely to ever use the sports button as
all it does is make the gearchanges aggressive and sudden.

You will need the snowflake button driving on snow or ice especially
when moving off.

I remember years ago driving an auto without it in the snow and the car
kept on changing between 2nd, 3rd and 4th at a constant 20mph!

Alan

 

I'd agree with what the others have said, but another important
tip, especially after cold starts (high tickover) is to ALWAYS
put your foot firmly on the brake pedal when moving from either
park or neutral into any of the gears. I can't remember if these
have a footbrake interlock or not, bet even so, if you only very
lightly press the brake pedal, you will find the car lurches when
engaging gear.

Another important tip when driving autos downhill - change down
with the selector lever. If you need to use the footbrake merely
to maintain your speed when going down a hill, then the 'box is
in too high a gear, change down another. In very steep
downhills, on narrow twisty rural roads, it may sometimes be
necessary to change right down to 1. Brakes are for slowing down
or stopping, they are not for trying to maintain a constant
speed.

Rgds, Sean