Black plate (4,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 3/6/13
1-4 In Brief
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter may work up to 30 m
(98 ft) away from the vehicle.
Press the key release button to
extend the key blade. The key can
be used for the ignition and all
locks.
K:Press to unlock the driver door,
all doors or, if equipped, a locking
fuel door. Hazard warning flashers
will flash twice.
Q: Press to lock all doors or, if
equipped, a locking fuel door.
Lock and unlock feedback can be
personalized. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5-31.
7: If equpped, press and hold
briefly to initiate vehicle locator.
Press and hold for at least
three seconds to sound the panic
alarm. Press again to cancel the
panic alarm.
See Keys on page 2-1 andRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2-3.
Remote Vehicle Start
For vehicles with this feature, the
engine can be started from outside
the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the vehicle.
2. Press and release
Q.
3. Immediately after completing Step 2, press and hold
/for
several seconds or until the turn
signal lamps flash.
Black plate (1,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-1
Keys, Doors, and
Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Doors
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Vehicle Security
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Immobilizer Operation . . . . . . . 2-10
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Blind Spot Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Reverse Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror . . . . . . 2-13
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Windows
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Roof
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Keys and Locks
Keys
{WARNING
Leaving children in a vehicle with
the ignition key is dangerous and
children or others could be
seriously injured or killed. They
could operate the power windows
or other controls or make the
vehicle move. The windows will
function with the keys in the
ignition, and children or others
could be caught in the path of a
closing window. Do not leave
children in a vehicle with the
ignition key.
Black plate (3,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 3/6/13
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-3
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See“Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The RKE transmitter may work up to
30 m (98 ft) away from the vehicle.
Other conditions can affect the
performance of the transmitter. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System on page 2-2.
The following may be available:
Q(Lock): Press to lock all doors
or, if equipped, a locking fuel door.
The turn signal indicators may flash
and/or the horn may sound to
indicate locking. See “Remote Lock/
Unlock/Start” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5-31.
If the driver door is open when
Qis
pressed and Unlocked Door Anti
Lock Out is enabled through vehicle
personalization, all doors will lock
and then the driver door will unlock. See
“Remote Lock/Unlock/Start”
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5-31.
Pressing
Qmay also arm the
theft-deterrent system. See Vehicle
Alarm System on page 2-9.
K(Unlock): Press to unlock the
driver door, all doors or, if equipped,
a locking fuel door. See “Remote
Lock/Unlock/Start” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5-31.
The hazard warning flashers will
flash twice and/or the horn may
sound to indicate unlocking. See
“Remote Lock/Unlock/Start” under
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5-31.
Pressing
Kwill disarm the
theft-deterrent system. See Vehicle
Alarm System on page 2-9.
7(Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): If equipped, press and hold
briefly to initiate vehicle locator. The
exterior lamps flash and the horn
chirps three times.
Black plate (4,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
2-4 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Press and hold7for at least
three seconds to sound the panic
alarm. The horn sounds and the
turn signals flash for 30 seconds,
or until
7is pressed again or the
key is placed in the ignition and
turned to ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN.
/(Remote Vehicle Start):
If equipped, press
Qand then press
and hold
/to start the engine from
outside the vehicle using the RKE
transmitter. See Remote Vehicle
Start on page 2-5.
The buttons on the keys are
disabled when there is a key in the
ignition.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to this vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
When the replacement transmitter is
programmed to this vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also be
reprogrammed. Any lost or stolen
transmitters will no longer work
once the new transmitter is
programmed.
Battery Replacement
The battery is not rechargeable. To
replace the battery:
Notice: When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter. Static
from your body could damage the
transmitter.
1. Extend the key blade and open
the battery cover on the back of
the transmitter by prying with a
finger.
2. Remove the used battery by pushing on the battery and
sliding it toward the key blade.
3. Insert the new battery, positive side facing up. Push the battery
down until it is held in place.
Replace with a CR2032 or
equivalent battery.
4. Snap the battery cover back on to the transmitter.
Black plate (9,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
To lock or unlock the liftgate from
outside, press
QorKon the
RKE transmitter. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2-3.
To open the liftgate, press the touch
pad in the pull cup below the license
plate and lift manually.
To close the liftgate, push from the
center to ensure that it fully latches.
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
the vehicle impossible to steal.
Vehicle Alarm System
If equipped with an anti-theft alarm
system, the indicator light, on the
instrument panel near the
windshield, shows the status of the
system.
Arming the System
1. Close all doors, the hood, and the liftgate.
2. Lock the vehicle using the transmitter or the power door
lock button with the door open.
The indicator light on the
instrument panel should come
on and flash for about
30 seconds.
3. After 30 seconds, or if the
Q
button on the transmitter is
pressed twice, the alarm system
will arm, and the indicator light
will begin to slowly flash to show
that the alarm is operating.
If any door or the hood is opened
without first unlocking with the
transmitter, the turn signals will flash
and the horn will sound for about
30 seconds. The alarm system will
then re-arm to monitor for the next
unauthorized event.
The theft-deterrent alarm system will
not activate if the doors are locked
with the key.
Black plate (10,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Disarming the System
To disarm the system, either unlock
the doors using the transmitter,
or start the vehicle.
To avoid setting off the alarm by
accident:
.Lock the vehicle with the
transmitter after all occupants
have left the vehicle and all
doors are closed.
.Always unlock a door with the
transmitter. Unlocking the driver
door with the backup key will not
disarm the alarm.
If you set off the alarm by accident,
turn off the alarm by pressing
Kon
the transmitter, or start the vehicle
with a recognized transmitter in the
vehicle. The alarm will not stop if
you unlock the driver door with
the key.
How to Detect a Tamper
Condition
IfKis pressed and the horn chirps
three times, an attempted break-in
has occurred while the system was
armed.
Immobilizer
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13-20 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Immobilizer Operation
This vehicle has a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system does not have to be
manually armed or disarmed.
The vehicle is automatically
immobilized when the key is
removed from the ignition. The system is automatically
disarmed when the vehicle is
started with the correct key. The key
uses a transponder that matches an
immobilizer control unit in the
vehicle and automatically disarms
the system. Only an authorized key
starts the vehicle. The vehicle may
not start if the key is damaged.
The security light in the instrument
cluster comes on if there is a
problem with arming or disarming
the theft-deterrent system.
When trying to start the vehicle, the
security light comes on briefly when
the ignition is turned on.
If the engine does not start and the
security light stays on, there is a
problem with the system. Turn the
ignition off and try again.
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 (10,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
i-10 INDEX
S
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . 3-22
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . 3-21
Safety Defects Reporting
Canadian Government . . . . . . 13-18
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-18
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-12
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . 3-4
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 3-4 Seats (cont'd)
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Underseat Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48, 3-51
Security OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Service Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-3
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Maintenance Records . . . . . . .11-13
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16
Scheduling Appointments . . . 13-12
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20 Shifting
Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Start Assist, Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5 Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Power, Warning Lights . . . . . . . . 5-17
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Storage Areas Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Cargo Management System . . . 4-3
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3