Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
212 Vehicle Care
2. Engine Coolant Surge Tankand Pressure Cap
{Warning
An underhood electric fan can
start up even when the engine is
not running and can cause injury.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood
electric fan.
{Warning
Do not touch heater or radiator
hoses, or other engine parts.
They can be very hot and can
burn you. Do not run the engine if
there is a leak; all coolant could
leak out. That could cause an
engine fire and can burn you. Fix
any leak before driving the
vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating 0215.
What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such
as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. With
plain water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot but
there would not be an overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. This mixture:
.
Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.Caution
Do not use anything other than a
mix of DEX-COOL coolant that
meets GM Standard
GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause
damage to the engine cooling
system and the vehicle, which
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
Vehicle Care 213
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or into sewers, streams,
or bodies of water. Have the coolant
changed by an authorized service
center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used
coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
It is normal to see coolant moving in
the upper coolant hose return line
when the engine is running.1.4L L4 Engine (LUV) Shown, 1.4LL4 Engine (LE2) Similar
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down.
If coolant is visible but the coolant
level is not at or above the mark
pointed to, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant.
Be sure the cooling system is cool
before this is done.
If no coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank, add coolant as follows:
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure
cap, even a little, can cause them
to come out at high speed and
you could be burned. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
pressure cap to cool.
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such
as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. With
plain water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot but
there would not be an overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
214 Vehicle Care
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine
parts can burn you. Coolant
contains ethylene glycol and it will
burn if the engine parts are hot
enough.
Caution
Failure to follow the specific
coolant fill procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and could
cause system damage. If coolant
is not visible in the surge tank,
contact your dealer.
If no problem is found, check to see
if coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank. If coolant is visible but
the coolant level is not at the
indicated level mark, add a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the cooling system, including the
coolant surge tank pressure cap, is
cool before you do it.
1. Remove the coolant surge tank
pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about
one-quarter of a turn. If you
hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any
pressure still left to be vented
out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.
4. Fill the coolant surge tank withthe proper mixture to the
indicated level mark.
5. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you
can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
indicated level mark.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
Vehicle Care 215
6. Replace the pressure captightly.
7. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the
coolant is cold. If necessary,
repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
If the coolant still is not at the
proper level when the system
cools down again, see your
dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and engine
damage may occur. Be sure the
cap is properly and tightly
secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an engine coolant
temperature gauge to warn of the
engine overheating. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge 0113. If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program
0
296.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan is running. If the engine
is overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, do not continue
to run the engine. Have the vehicle
serviced.
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak in the engine cooling system.
This can cause a loss of all
coolant and can damage the
system and vehicle. Have any
leaks fixed right away.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure
cap, even a little, can cause them
to come out at high speed and
you could be burned. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
pressure cap to cool.
If No Steam Is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
. Climbs a long hill on a hot day
. Stops after high-speed driving
. Idles for long periods in traffic
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
216 Vehicle Care
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam:1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is no longer in the overheat
zone, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally
and have the cooling system
checked for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away. If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When the vehicle needs windshield
washer fluid, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. See
Engine
Compartment Overview 0203 for
reservoir location.
Caution
. Do not use washer fluid that
contains any type of water
repellent coating. This can
cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
. Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the
windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield
washer system and paint.
. Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the
solution to freeze and
damage the washer fluid
tank and other parts of the
washer system.
(Continued)
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
228 Vehicle Care
Headlamp Wiring
An electrical overload may cause
the lamps to go on and off, or in
some cases to remain off. Have the
headlamp wiring checked right away
if the lamps go on and off or
remain off.
Windshield Wipers
If the wiper motor overheats due to
heavy snow or ice, the windshield
wipers will stop until the motor cools
and will then restart.
Although the circuit is protected
from electrical overload, overload
due to heavy snow or ice may
cause wiper linkage damage.
Always clear ice and heavy snow
from the windshield before using the
windshield wipers.
If the overload is caused by an
electrical problem and not snow or
ice, be sure to get it fixed.
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
The wiring circuits in the vehicle are
protected from short circuits by a
combination of fuses and circuit
breakers. This greatly reduces the
chance of damage caused by
electrical problems.
{Danger
Fuses and circuit breakers are
marked with their ampere rating.
Do not exceed the
specified amperage rating when
replacing fuses and circuit
breakers. Use of an oversized
fuse or circuit breaker can result
in a vehicle fire. You and others
could be seriously injured or
killed.
To check a fuse, look at the
silver-colored band inside the fuse.
If the band is broken or melted,
replace the fuse. Be sure to replace
a bad fuse with a new one of the
identical size and rating. Fuses of the same amperage can
be temporarily borrowed from
another fuse location, if a fuse goes
out. Replace the fuse as soon as
possible.
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block
To remove the fuse block cover,
squeeze the clip and lift it up.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
Index 321
E
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Electrical System Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 228
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Check Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 203
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Engine (cont'd)
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 175
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 304
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 138
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 210
First Aid Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 140
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 210
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Fog Lamps
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Frequency Statement
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Front Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 122
Requirements, California . . . . . 194
Fuses
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 228
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
324 Index
MessagesEngine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Mirrors Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . 42
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
N
Navigation
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 166
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Off-Road
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 209
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . 78
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . 295
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
OnStar Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
OnStar Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
OnStar Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . . . 301
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
P
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Parking
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Parking (cont'd)
Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 220
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 173
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Passenger Compartment Air
Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . 72
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . . 200
Personalization
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 171
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . . . . 64
Privacy Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . 304