Black plate (32,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6014813) - 2014 - crc - 10/22/13
3-32 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5-11 for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers. 4. Reinstall the child restraint
following the directions provided
by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (Rear
Seat) on page 3-49 orSecuring
Child Restraints (Front
Passenger Position) on
page 3-51.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit,
turn the vehicle off. Then slightly
recline the vehicle seatback and
adjust the seat cushion,
if adjustable, to make sure that
the vehicle seatback is not
pushing the child restraint into
the seat cushion. Also make
sure the child restraint is not
trapped under the vehicle head
restraint. If this happens, adjust
the head restraint. See Head
Restraints on page 3-2.
6. Restart the vehicle. If the on indicator is still lit, secure
the child in the child restraint in a
rear seat position in the vehicle, and
check with your dealer.
If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an
Adult-Sized Occupant
Black plate (33,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 3-33
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the front outboard passenger seat,
but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat. Use the
following steps to allow the system
to detect that person and enable the
front outboard passenger frontal
airbag and knee airbag (if
equipped):
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional materialfrom the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the on
indicator is lit.{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag
will not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard
passenger seat, if the passenger
airbag off indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts” and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use. A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See
Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3-34 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates.
The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.
Black plate (48,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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3-48 Seats and Restraints
2.2. Remove the cargo coverbefore installing the top
tether. Place the cargo
cover on the floor of the
cargo area. The cargo
cover should remain off
while the top tether is
in use.
2.3. Route, attach, and tighten the top tether according to
your child restraint
instructions and the
following instructions:If the position you are using
does not have a head
restraint and you are using
a single tether, route the
tether over the seatback.
If the position you are using
does not have a head
restraint and you are using
a dual tether, route the
tether over the seatback.
If the position you are using
has an adjustable head
restraint and you are using
a single tether, raise the
head restraint and route the
tether under the head
restraint and in between the
head restraint posts.
Black plate (50,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6014813) - 2014 - crc - 10/22/13
3-50 Seats and Restraints
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
If the child restraint does not have
the LATCH system, you will be
using the safety belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Be
sure to follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when
and as the instructions say.
If more than one child restraint
needs to be installed in the rear
seat, be sure to readWhere to Put
the Restraint on page 3-42.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
For outboard second row seating
positions, remove the safety belt
from the guide. Do not secure
the child restraint with the safety
belt routed through the guide.
When installing a rear-facing
child restraint, it may be
necessary to move the front seat forward to properly install the
child restraint per the child
restraint manufacturer
instructions.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.3. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.
Black plate (51,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 3-51
5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3-43 for more
information.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
Securing Child Restraints
(Front Passenger
Position)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3-42.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag (if equipped) under
certain conditions. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3-30 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5-11 for more information,
including important safety
information.
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 deploys.
Black plate (54,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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3-54 Seats and Restraints
7. Before placing a child in thechild restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag (if
equipped) are off, the off indicator in
the passenger airbag status
indicator will come on and stay on
when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see “If the
On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System on page 3-30.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
Black plate (6,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6014813) - 2014 - crc - 10/22/13
8-6 Climate Controls
Sensors
The solar sensor, located on top of
the instrument panel near the
windshield, monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system uses the
sensor information to adjust the
temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode
for best comfort.
If the sensor is covered, the
automatic climate control system
may not work properly.
Air Vents
Use the louvers located on the air
vents to change the direction of the
airflow.
Use the thumbwheels near the air
vents to control the amount of
airflow or to shut off the airflow.
Operation Tips
.Keep all outlets open whenever
possible for best system
performance.
.Keep the paths under all seats
clear of objects to help circulate
the air inside the vehicle more
effectively.
.Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Maintenance
Air Intake
Clear away any ice, snow, or leaves
from the air intake at the base of the
windshield that can block the flow of
air into the vehicle.
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter removes dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
SeeMaintenance Schedule on
page 11-2. To find out what type of
filter to use, see Maintenance
Replacement Parts on page 11-12.