Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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148 Driving and Operating
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution.
. Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
. Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0221.
. Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 149
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0168.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0167.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0282. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 169
vehicle wheel brakes to assist the
driver in keeping the vehicle on the
intended path.
If cruise control is being used and
traction control or StabiliTrak begins
to limit wheel spin, cruise control will
disengage. Cruise control may be
turned back on when road
conditions allow.
Both systems come on
automatically when the vehicle is
started and begins to move. The
systems may be heard or felt while
they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
SeeIf the Vehicle Is Stuck 0150
and “Turning the Systems Off and
On” later in this section.
The indicator light for both systems
is in the instrument cluster. This
light will:
.
Flash when TCS is limiting
wheel spin.
. Flash when StabiliTrak is
activated.
. Turn on and stay on when either
system is not working.
If either system fails to turn on or to
activate, a message displays in the
Driver Information Center (DIC), and
dcomes on and stays on to
indicate that the system is inactive
and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is
safe to drive, but driving should be
adjusted accordingly.
If
dcomes on and stays on:
1. Stop the vehicle. 2. Turn the engine off and wait
15 seconds.
3. Start the engine.
Drive the vehicle. If
dcomes on
and stays on, the vehicle may need
more time to diagnose the problem.
If the condition persists, see your
dealer.
Turning the Systems Off
and On
The button for TCS and StabiliTrak
is on the center stack.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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170 Driving and Operating
Caution
Do not repeatedly brake or
accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle driveline could be
damaged.
To turn off only TCS, press and
release the
gbutton. The Traction
Off light
idisplays in the
instrument cluster. The appropriate
message is displayed in the DIC.
See Ride Control System
Messages 0119.
To turn TCS on again, press and
release the
gbutton. The Traction
Off light
idisplayed in the
instrument cluster will turn off.
If TCS is limiting wheel spin when
the
gbutton is pressed, the system
will not turn off until the wheels stop
spinning. To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold the
gbutton until
the Traction Off light
iand
StabiliTrak Off light
gcome on and
stay on in the instrument cluster.
The appropriate message is
displayed in the DIC. See Ride
Control System Messages 0119.
To turn TCS and StabiliTrak on
again, press and release the
g
button. The Traction Off lightiand
StabiliTrak Off light
gin the
instrument cluster turn off.
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and
Modifications 0189.
Cruise Control
The cruise control lets the vehicle
maintain a speed of about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph).
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. Do not use
cruise control on winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
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Driving and Operating 171
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) or StabiliTrak system
that begins to limit wheel spin while
using cruise control and the cruise
control will automatically disengage.
SeeTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0168. If a collision
alert occurs when cruise control is
activated, cruise control is
disengaged. See Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) System 0177. When
road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, cruise control can be
turned back on.
If the brakes are applied, cruise
control disengages.o(On/Off) : Press to turn the
cruise control system on or off.
A white indicator comes in the
instrument cluster when cruise is
turned on.
RES/+ (Resume/Accel) : If there is
a set speed in memory, move the
thumbwheel up briefly to resume to
that speed or hold upward to
accelerate. If cruise control is
already active, use to increase
vehicle speed.
SET/− (Set/Coast) : Move the
thumbwheel down briefly to set the
speed and activate cruise control.
If cruise control is already active,
use to decrease speed.
n(Cancel) : Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
If
ois on when not in use, SET/−
or RES/+ could get bumped and
go into cruise when not desired.
Keep
ooff when cruise control is
not being used. To set a speed:
1. Press
oto turn cruise
control on.
2. Get up to the speed desired.
3. Move the thumbwheel down toward SET/− and release it.
4. Remove your foot from the accelerator.
The cruise control indicator on the
instrument cluster turns green after
cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. See Instrument
Cluster 0101.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied or
nis pressed, the
cruise control is disengaged without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed is about
40 km/h (25 mph) or greater, move
the thumbwheel up toward RES/+
briefly. The vehicle returns to the
previously set speed.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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172 Driving and Operating
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Move the thumbwheel up toward
RES/+ and hold it until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
. To increase vehicle speed in
small increments, move the
thumbwheel up toward RES/+
briefly. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) faster.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Driver Information Center
(DIC) 0113. The increment value
used depends on the units
displayed. Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.
Move the thumbwheel toward
SET/− and hold until the desired
lower speed is reached, then
release it.
. To decrease the vehicle speed in
small increments, move the
thumbwheel toward SET/−
briefly. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) slower.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Driver Information Center
(DIC) 0113. The increment value
used depends on the units
displayed. Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle slows down to the previous
set cruise control speed. While
pressing the accelerator pedal or
shortly following the release to
override cruise control, briefly
moving the thumbwheel toward
SET/−
will result in cruise set to the
current vehicle speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well cruise control works on
hills depends on the vehicle speed,
load, and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you
might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain the
vehicle speed. When going
downhill, you might have to brake or
shift to a lower gear to keep your
speed down. If the brake pedal is
applied, cruise control will
disengage.
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Driving and Operating 173
Ending Cruise Control
There are four ways to end cruise
control:
.To disengage cruise control,
step lightly on the brake pedal.
. Press
n.
. Shift the transmission to
N (Neutral).
. To turn off cruise control,
press
o.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed
is erased from memory if
ois
pressed or if the vehicle is
turned off.
Driver Assistance
Systems
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)
The RVC can assist the driver when
backing up by displaying a view of
the area behind the vehicle.
{Warning
The camera(s) do not display
children, pedestrians, bicyclists,
crossing traffic, animals, or any
other object outside of the
cameras’ field of view, below the
bumper, or under the vehicle.
Shown distances may be different
from actual distances. Do not
drive or park the vehicle using
only these camera(s). Always
check behind and around the
vehicle before driving. Failure to
use proper care may result in
injury, death, or vehicle damage. An image appears on the
infotainment screen with the
message Check Surroundings for
Safety when the vehicle is shifted
into R (Reverse). The display goes
to the previous screen after
approximately 10 seconds once the
vehicle is shifted out of R (Reverse).
To return to the previous screen
sooner, do one of the following:
.
Press a hard key on the
infotainment system.
. Shift into P (Park).
. Reach a vehicle speed of
8 km/h (5 mph).
Press MENU to adjust the display
brightness while viewing the rear
camera display.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
On vehicles with the RCTA, a
warning triangle with a left or right
pointing arrow may also display on
the RVC screen to warn of traffic
coming from the left or the right.
Three beeps will sound from the
speaker on that side. This system
detects objects coming from up to
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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178 Driving and Operating
Collision Alert
When your vehicle approaches
another detected vehicle too rapidly,
the FCA display will come on. Also,
eight rapid high-pitched beeps will
sound from the front. When this
Collision Alert occurs, the brake
system may prepare for driver
braking to occur more rapidly which
can cause a brief, mild deceleration.
Continue to apply the brake pedal
as needed. Cruise control may be
disengaged when the Collision Alert
occurs.
Selecting the Alert Timing
The Collision Alert control is on the
steering wheel. Press
[to set the
FCA timing to far, medium, or near,
or on some vehicles, Off. The first
button press shows the current
setting on the DIC. Additional button
presses will change this setting. The
chosen setting will remain until it is
changed. The timing of alerts will
vary based on vehicle speed. The
faster the vehicle speed, the farther
away the alert will occur. Consider
traffic and weather conditions when
selecting the alert timing. The range of selectable alert timings may not
be appropriate for all drivers and
driving conditions.
Unnecessary Alerts
FCA may provide unnecessary
alerts to turning vehicles, vehicles in
other lanes, objects that are not
vehicles, or shadows. These alerts
are normal operation and the
vehicle does not need service.
Cleaning the System
If the FCA system does not seem to
operate properly, cleaning the
outside of the windshield in front of
the rearview mirror may correct the
issue.
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA)
If equipped, the SBZA system is a
lane-changing aid that assists
drivers with avoiding crashes that
occur with moving vehicles in the
side blind zone (or spot) areas. The
SBZA warning display will light up in