2015 BUICK ENCORE instrument panel

Black plate (11,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11
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.
An indicator light, on the instrument
panel near the windshield, indicates
the status of the system:
Off:Alarm system is disarmed.
On Solid: Vehicle is secured
during the delay to arm the system.
Fast Flast: Vehicle is unsecured.
A door, the liftgate, or the hood
is open.
Slow Flash: Alarm system is
armed.
Arming the Alarm System
1. Turn off the vehicle.
2. Lock the vehicle in one of two ways:
.Use the RKE transmitter.
.With a door open, pressQ
on the interior of the door.
3. After 30 seconds the alarm system will arm, and the
indicator light will begin to slowly
flash indicating the alarm system
is operating. Pressing
Qon the RKE transmitter a second time
will bypass the 30-second delay
and immediately arm the alarm
system.
The vehicle alarm system will not
arm if the doors are locked with
the key.
If any door or the hood is opened
without first unlocking with the RKE
transmitter, the horn will chirp and
the lights will flash to indicate
pre-alarm. If the vehicle is not
started, or the door is not unlocked
by pressing
Kon the RKE
transmitter during the 10–second
pre-alarm, the alarm will be
activated.
The alarm will also be activated if
any door or the the hood is opened
without first disarming the system.
When the alarm is activated, the
turn signals flash and the horn
sounds for about 30 seconds. The
alarm system will then re-arm to
monitor for the next unauthorized
event.

Black plate (15,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Seats and Restraints 3-15
Warning (Continued)
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.
Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5-11.
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from the safety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes such good
sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
safety belts —not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection.

Black plate (23,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Seats and Restraints 3-23
Warning (Continued)
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5-12.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the front
outboard passenger.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the front outboard
passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger.
The vehicle may have the following
airbags:
.A knee airbag for the driver.
.A knee airbag for the front
outboard passenger.
.Seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the second row
outboard passengers.
All vehicle airbags have the word
AIRBAG on the trim or on a label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the center of the
steering wheel for the driver and on
the instrument panel for the front
outboard passenger.
For knee airbags, the word AIRBAG
is on the lower part of the
instrument panel.
For seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG is on the
side of the seatback closest to
the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the ceiling or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce

Black plate (25,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Seats and Restraints 3-25
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument cluster which
shows the airbag symbol. The
system checks the airbag electrical
system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5-12 for more
information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is in the passenger
side instrument panel.
The driver knee airbag (if equipped)
is below the steering column. The
front outboard passenger knee
airbag (if equipped) is below the
glove box.

Black plate (28,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
3-28 Seats and Restraints
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, seeWhere Are
the Airbags? on page 3-25.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3-27.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal, knee (if equipped),
and seat-mounted side impact
airbags inflate, they quickly deflate,
so quickly that some people may
not even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? on page 3-25.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.

Black plate (30,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
3-30 Seats and Restraints
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator
will light on the instrument panel
when the vehicle is started.United States
Canada and Mexico
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, will be visible
during 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 (if equipped) 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 (if equipped)
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.
Whenever possible, children age
12 and under should be secured in
a rear seating position.
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.

Black plate (35,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Seats and Restraints 3-35
diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, any of the airbag
modules, ceiling 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.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery, or trim; or with
GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any
object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort-enhancing pad
or device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. Thiscould either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly
turning off the passenger airbag(s).
See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3-30.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail
airbags, see Different Size Tires
and Wheels on page 10-52 for
additional important information.
If you have to modify your vehicle
because you have a disability and
you 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
on page 13-3.
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.
{Caution
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
coverings, 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 (1,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Storage 4-1
Storage
Storage Compartments
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel Storage . . . . . 4-1
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Sunglasses Storage . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Underseat Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . 4-3
Additional Storage Features
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Cargo ManagementSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Warning Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
First Aid Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Roof Rack System
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Storage
Compartments
{Warning
Do not store heavy or sharp
objects in storage compartments.
In a crash, these objects may
cause the cover to open and
could result in injury.
Instrument Panel Storage
Pull the handle to open.
Press the button to open.
Glove Box
Lift up on the glove box lever to
open it.