Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
In Brief 17
INT :Press the lower portion of the
button to set a delay between
wipes.
m=REAR : Push the windshield
wiper lever forward to spray washer
fluid on the rear window. The lever
returns to its starting position when
released.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer 095
and Rear Window Wiper/Washer
0 97, if equipped.
Climate Controls
The heating, cooling, defrosting, and ventilation for the vehicle can be
controlled with these systems.
Climate Control System
1. Temperature Control
2. Air Delivery Modes
3. Fan Control
4. Defrost
5. Rear Window Defogger 6. Air Conditioning or Comfort/
Eco Air Conditioning
7. Recirculation
See Climate Control Systems 0134
(If Equipped).
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
94 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 95
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 95
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . 95
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 95
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . 97
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 104
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 104 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 106
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 106
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Power Steering Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . 110
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 110
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . 111
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 112
Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 112
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 112
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 112
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 113
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Brake System Messages . . . . . 117
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 117
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 117
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 118
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 118
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Transmission Messages . . . . . . 120
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 121
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
Instruments and Controls 117
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message is displayed when the
brake fluid level is low. SeeBrake
Fluid 0206.
BRAKES OVERHEATED
This message may display if the
brakes are too hot.
RELEASE PARKING BRAKE
This message is displayed if the
parking brake is applied. Release it
before you attempt to drive. See
Parking Brake 0167 for more
information.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message is displayed when
there is a problem with the brake
assist system. Take the vehicle to
your dealer.
Door Ajar Messages
DOOR(S) OPEN
A vehicle symbol will be displayed
on the DIC showing which door is
open along with this message.
Close the door completely.
HOOD OPEN
This message may display along
with a hood open symbol when the
hood is open. Close the hood
completely.
REAR ACCESS OPEN
This message will display when the
liftgate is open. Close the liftgate
completely.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
IDLE ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When the engine oil is changed, be
sure to reset the Oil Life System.
See Engine Oil Life System 0197,
Driver Information Center (DIC)
0 113, Engine Oil 0195, and
Maintenance Schedule 0263.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
134 Climate Controls
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Climate Control Systems . . . . . 134
Dual Automatic ClimateControl System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Maintenance
Air Intake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Passenger Compartment AirFilter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Climate Control Systems
The heating, cooling, defrosting, and ventilation for the vehicle can be
controlled with this system.
1. Temperature Control
2. Air Delivery Modes
3. Fan Control
4. Defrost
5. Rear Window Defogger
6. Air Conditioning or Comfort/
Eco Air Conditioning
7. Recirculation Climate Control Influence on Stop/
Start Operation and Fuel Economy
(If Equipped)
The climate control system depends
on other vehicle systems for heat
and power input. Certain climate
control settings can lead to higher
fuel usage and/or fewer auto stops.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
Climate Controls 137
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
1. Driver and Passenger HeatedSeats (If Equipped)
2. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
3. Air Delivery Modes
4. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
5. Defrost
6. Rear Window Defogger
7. Fan Controls 8. Air Conditioning or Comfort/
Eco Air Conditioning
9. Recirculation
10. Heated Steering Wheel (If Equipped) Climate Control Influence on Stop/
Start Operation and Fuel Economy
(If Equipped)
The climate control system depends
on other vehicle systems for heat
and power input. Certain climate
control settings can lead to higher
fuel usage and/or fewer auto stops.
The following are climate control
settings that use more fuel:
.
Comfort air conditioning mode.
. The defrost mode.
. Extreme temperature settings,
such as LO or HI.
. High fan speed settings.
To help reduce fuel usage:
. Use the full automatic control as
described under “Automatic
Operation” following.
. Use eco air conditioning, instead
of the comfort air conditioning.
. Select a temperature setting that
is higher in hot weather and
lower in cold weather.
. Turn off the air conditioning
when it is not needed.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
138 Climate Controls
.Only use defrost to clear the
windows.
Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery, air
conditioning, and recirculation in
order to heat or cool the vehicle to
the desired temperature.
When the AUTO indicator light is
on, the system is in full automatic
operation. If the air delivery mode or
fan setting is manually adjusted, the
auto indicator turns off and displays
will show the selected settings.
To place the system in automatic
mode do the following: 1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. Allow the system time to stabilize. Then
adjust the temperature as
needed for best comfort.
To improve fuel efficiency and
to cool the vehicle faster,
recirculation may be
automatically selected in warm
weather. The recirculation light will not come on. Presshto
select recirculation; press it
again to select outside air.
English units can be changed to
metric units through the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) 0113.
Manual Operation
9(Fan Control) : Press the
lower
9button to decrease the fan
speed. Pressing the lower button
longer turns the fan and cooling off.
Press the upper
9button to
increase the fan speed. The
selected fan speed is indicated by a
number on the display screen.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
Air Delivery Modes : Press
[,Y,
or
Xto change the direction of the
airflow. Air delivery mode settings
can be combined. An indicator light
comes on in the selected mode
button. Changing the mode cancels the
automatic operation and the system
goes into manual mode. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
[(Floor) :
Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
Y(Vent) : Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
X(Defog) : Air is directed to the
windshield and side window vents.
0(Defrost) : Press to clear the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
#(Air Conditioning) (For
Non-Stop/Start Vehicles) : Press
to turn the air conditioning on or off.
If the fan is turned off or the outside
temperature falls below freezing, the
air conditioner will not run and the
indicator light turns off.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation. When the indicator light
is on, the air conditioner runs
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
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-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
Vehicle Care 187
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 188
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 188
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 197
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 198
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 203
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Battery - North America . . . . . . 207
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 208
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 209
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 209
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 211
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 212
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 213
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 214
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 215
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 223
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 239
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 245