2013 BUICK ENCORE sensor

Black plate (3,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
In Brief 1-3
1.Air Vents on page 8-6.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals on
page 6-4.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6-2.
3. Instrument Cluster on page 5-9.
4. Driver Information Center (DIC) Display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5-22.
5. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5-3.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer on
page 5-4.
6. Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9-28/StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9-30.
Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6-3.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3-29.
7. Infotainment Display. 8. Light Sensor. See
Automatic
Headlamp System on page 6-3.
9. AM-FM Radio on page 7-7.
10. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4-1.
11. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6-1.
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6-5.
Front Fog Lamps on page 6-4.
12. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10-4.
13. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5-14.
14. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4-1.
15. Cruise Control on page 9-32.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 9-34 (If
Equipped).
16. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5-2. 17.
Horn on page 5-3.
18. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5-2.
19. Ignition Positions on
page 9-15.
20. Climate Control Systems on
page 8-1 orDual Automatic
Climate Control System on
page 8-3 (If Equipped).
21. Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9-36 (If Equipped).
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) on page 9-40 (If
Equipped).
22. Power Outlets on page 5-6.
23. Auxiliary Input Jack. See Auxiliary Devices on
page 7-13.
USB Port. See Auxiliary
Devices on page 7-13.
24. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9-23.
25. Safety Locks on page 2-7.

Black plate (17,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
In Brief 1-17
$/i:Press to silence the
vehicle speakers only. Press again
to turn the sound on. For vehicles
with OnStar or Bluetooth systems,
press to reject an incoming call,
or to end a current call.
_SRC^: Press the thumbwheel
inward to change the audio source.
Move the thumbwheel up or down to
select the next or previous favorite
radio station, CD, or MP3 track.
+
x−: Press + to increase or −to
decrease the volume.
For more information, see Steering
Wheel Controls on page 5-2.
Infotainment System
See the infotainment manual for
information on the radio, audio
players, phone, navigation system,
and voice or speech recognition.
There is also information on settings
and downloadable applications (if
equipped).
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is in the instrument
cluster. It shows the status of many
vehicle systems. The controls for
the DIC are on the turn signal lever.
1. SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item displayed.
2.
w x: Turn the band to scroll
through the menu items.
3. MENU: Press to display the DIC
menus. This button is also used
to return to or exit the last
screen displayed on the DIC.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5-22.
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)
If available, the RVC displays a view
of the area behind the vehicle when
the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse). The display will appear
on the radio screen.
To clean the camera lens above the
license plate, rinse it with water and
wipe it with a soft cloth.
See Rear Vision Camera (RVC) on
page 9-38.
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
If available, Ultrasonic Front and
Rear Parking Assist (UFRPA) uses
sensors on the front and rear
bumpers to detect objects while
parking the vehicle. It operates at
speeds less than 8 km/h (5 mph).
UFRPA uses audio beeps to provide
distance and system information.

Black plate (18,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
1-18 In Brief
Keep the sensors on the vehicle's
front and rear bumpers clean to
ensure proper operation.
SeeUltrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9-36 for more information.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlet can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
There is one accessory power outlet
on the center stack below the
climate control. This outlet is
powered when the key is in ON/
RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY, or until
the driver door is opened within
10 minutes of turning off the vehicle.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9-19.
See Power Outlets on page 5-6.
Sunroof
If equipped, the sunroof only
operates when the ignition is turned
to ON/RUN or Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) is active. Open/Close:
Press and hold the
front or rear of switch (1) to open or
close the sunroof.
Vent: Press and hold the front or
rear of switch (2) to vent or close
the sunroof.
Manually close the sunshade.
The sunroof will not operate if the
vehicle has an electrical failure.
If problems persist, see your dealer.
See Sunroof on page 2-16.

Black plate (27,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Seats and Restraints 3-27
whether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Thresholds can also vary with
specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
Knee airbags are designed to inflate
in moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal impacts that exceed a
predetermined deployment
threshold.
The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing
system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more
severe frontal impact. For moderate
frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags
inflate at a level less than full
deployment. For more severe frontal
impacts, full deployment occurs.The vehicle has seat-mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
front passenger. The vehicle has
seat-mounted side impact airbags
for the second row outboard
passengers. The vehicle has
roof-rail airbags. See
Airbag System
on page 3-23. Seat-mounted side
impact airbags and roof-rail airbags
are intended to inflate in moderate
to severe side crashes depending
on the location of the impact. In
addition, these roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate during a rollover
or in a severe frontal impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
and roof-rail airbags will inflate if the
crash severity is above the system's
designed threshold level. The
threshold level can vary with
specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to
inflate in rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is intended to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck. Both
roof-rail airbags will inflate when
either side of the vehicle is struck or if the sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over on
its side, or in a severe frontal
impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, see
Where Are
the Airbags? on page 3-25.

Black plate (30,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
3-30 Seats and Restraints
United States
Canada and Mexico
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. If you use
remote start, if equipped, to start the
vehicle, you may not see the system
check. When the system check is
complete, either the word ON or
OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will
be visible. See Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 5-12.
The passenger sensing system
turns off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag under certain conditions. No
other airbag is affected by the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the front outboard passenger seat.
The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag should be allowed
to inflate or not.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including: an
infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat;
an older child riding in a booster
seat; and children, who are large
enough, using safety belts.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag inflates.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the passenger frontal
airbag inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to
the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the
passenger frontal airbag inflates
and the passenger seat is in a
forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
(Continued)

Black plate (34,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
3-34 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly. The
operation of the airbag system canalso be affected by changing or
moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, roof-rail airbag
modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, overhead console,
front sensors, side impact sensors,
or airbag wiring.
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, and airbag
wiring.
If the vehicle has rollover roof‐rail
airbags, see
Different Size Tires
and Wheels on page 10-52 for
important information.
If you have to modify your vehicle
because you have a disability and
have questions about whether the
modifications will affect the vehicle's
airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag
system will be affected if the vehicle is modified for any other reason, call
Customer Assistance. See
Customer Assistance Offices (U.S.
and Canada) on page 13-5
or
Customer Assistance Offices
(Mexico) on page 13-5.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See
Airbag Readiness Light on
page 5-12.
Notice: If an airbag covering is
damaged, opened, or broken, the
airbag may not work properly. Do
not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag covers,
have the airbag covering and/or
airbag module replaced. For the
location of the airbags, see
Where Are the Airbags? on
page 3-25. See your dealer for
service.

Black plate (8,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
5-8 Instruments and Controls
The power outlet is not designed for
and may not work properly, if the
following are plugged in:
.Equipment with high initial peak
wattage such as:
compressor-driven refrigerators
and electric power tools.
.Other equipment requiring an
extremely stable power supply
such as:
microcomputer-controlled
electric blankets, touch sensor
lamps, etc.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working.Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.

Black plate (12,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
5-12 Instruments and Controls
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
The vehicle may also have a
passenger safety belt reminder light.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind passengers to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle continues several times if
the front passenger remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the front passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn on
if an object is put on the seat such
as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop, or other electronic
device. To turn off the warning light
and/or chime, remove the object
from the seat or buckle the
safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem with the airbag
system. The system check includes
the airbag sensor(s), passenger
sensing system (if equipped), the
pretensioners, the airbag modules,
the wiring, and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module. For more
information on the airbag system,
see
Airbag System on page 3-23.
The airbag readiness light comes on
for several seconds when the
vehicle is started. If the light does
not come on then, have it fixed
immediately.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3-29 for