
Black plate (27,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Driving and Operating 9-27
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows you to steer and brake
at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down and pull up on the
parking brake lever. If the ignition is
on, the brake system warning light
will come on. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 5-16.
To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down. Pull the
parking brake lever up until you can
press the release button. Hold the
release button in as you move the
brake lever all the way down. Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.

Black plate (67,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Vehicle Care 10-67
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Locks
Locks are lubricated at the factory.
Use a de-icing agent only when
absolutely necessary, and have the
locks greased after using. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants.
Washing the Vehicle
To preserve the vehicle's finish,
wash it often and out of direct
sunlight.
Notice:Do not use
petroleum-based, acidic,
or abrasive cleaning agents as
they can damage the vehicle's
paint, metal, or plastic parts.
If damage occurs, it would not be
covered by the vehicle's warranty.
Approved cleaning products can
be obtained from your dealer.
Follow all manufacturer
directions regarding correct product usage, necessary safety
precautions, and appropriate
disposal of any vehicle care
product.
Notice:
Avoid using
high-pressure washes closer than
30 cm (12 in) to the surface of the
vehicle. Use of power washers
exceeding 8,274 kPa (1,200 psi)
can result in damage or removal
of paint and decals.
Rinse the vehicle well, before
washing and after, to remove all
cleaning agents completely. If they
are allowed to dry on the surface,
they could stain.
Dry the finish with a soft, clean
chamois or an all-cotton towel to
avoid surface scratches and water
spotting.
Finish Care
Application of aftermarket clearcoat
sealant/wax materials is not
recommended. If painted surfaces
are damaged, see your dealer to
have the damage assessed and repaired. Foreign materials such as
calcium chloride and other salts, ice
melting agents, road oil and tar, tree
sap, bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage the vehicle's finish if they
remain on painted surfaces. Wash
the vehicle as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive
cleaners that are marked safe for
painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.
Occasional hand waxing or mild
polishing should be done to remove
residue from the paint finish. See
your dealer for approved cleaning
products.
Do not apply waxes or polishes to
uncoated plastic, vinyl, rubber,
decals, simulated wood, or flat paint
as damage can occur.
Notice:
Machine compounding or
aggressive polishing on a
basecoat/clearcoat paint finish
may damage it. Use only
non-abrasive waxes and polishes

Black plate (1,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
INDEX i-1
A
About Driving the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . iv
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Additional Information OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-10
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Air Intake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-25
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-12
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-20, 9-26
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Antenna Multi-band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17 Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Armrest Front Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Rear Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7, 13-11
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Audio System
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13

Black plate (7,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
INDEX i-7
LightsAirbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-16
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-19
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 5-18
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-11
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Warning, Power Steering . . . . . 5-17 Locks
Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-21
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-11
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-14
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6 Messages
Battery Voltage and
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-28
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Mirrors Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Blind Spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12