Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 12
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passenger Sensing System . . . 13
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 14
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 19
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 21
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Universal Remote System . . . . . 22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 23
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 24
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
In Brief 11
Lumbar Adjustment
If available, press the front or rear of
the switch to increase or decrease
lumbar support. Release the switch
when the desired level of support is
reached.
SeeLumbar Adjustment 050.
Reclining Seatbacks
Manual Seat Shown, Power Seat
Similar
To recline the seatback: 1. Lift the lever. If necessary, move the seat
belt out of the way to access
the lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then release
the lever to lock the seatback
in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. To return the seatback to an upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback
returns to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
See Reclining Seatbacks 050.
Memory Features
If equipped, the MEM, 1, and 2
buttons on the outboard side of the
driver seat are used to manually
store and recall the driver seat and
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
In Brief 13
Seat Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
seat belts properly:
.Seat Belts 059.
. How to Wear Seat Belts Properly
060.
. Lap-Shoulder Belt 061.
. Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) 084.
Passenger Sensing
System
United States
Canada and Mexico
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. See Passenger Sensing
System 072 for important
information. The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
instrument panel when the vehicle is
started. See
Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator 0115.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
To adjust the mirrors:
1. Turn the selector switch to L (Left) or R (Right) to choose
the driver or passenger mirror.
2. Move the control to adjust the mirror.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
Seats and Restraints 47
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . 50
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Front Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Rear Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Seat Belts
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Seat Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 64 Seat Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Replacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . 67
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Passenger Sensing System . . . 72
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 76
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . 77
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Infants and Young Children . . . . 79
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . 82
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . 83
Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren (LATCH System) . . . . 84 Replacing LATCH System Parts
After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the
Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 55
Warning (Continued)
death. Secure objects away from
the area in which an airbag would
inflate. For more information, see
Where Are the Airbags?067 and
Vehicle Load Limits 0162.
{Warning
Things you put on this seatback
can strike and injure people in a
sudden stop or turn, or in a crash.
Remove or secure all items
before driving.
To fold the seatback: 1. Lower the head restraint all the way. See Head Restraints
0 48.
2. Move the seat as far back as possible. See Seat Adjustment
0 49.3. Lift the lever fully and fold the
seatback forward.
If necessary, move the seat
belt out of the way to access
the lever.
4. Continue lowering the seatback until it is completely folded and
locks in place.
To raise the seatback: 1. Lift the lever fully to unlock the seatback. Then, raise the
seatback and push it rearward
until it re-engages. 2. Push and pull on the seatback
to make sure it is locked in
place.
{Warning
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
56 Seats and Restraints
Rear Seats
Folding the Seatback
Either side of the seatback can be
folded down for more cargo space.
Fold a seatback only when the
vehicle is not moving.
Caution
Folding a rear seat with the seat
belts still fastened may cause
damage to the seat or the seat
belts. Always unbuckle the seat
belts and return them to their
normal stowed position before
folding a rear seat.
Caution
Folding the rear seatback prior to
tilting the seat cushion forward
may damage the rear seat.
Always tilt the rear seat cushion
forward before folding the
seatback.To fold a seatback down:
1. Make sure the floor area in front of the rear seats is clear.
2. Fully lower the head restraint. See Head Restraints 048.
3. Slide the front seats forward and place the front seatbacks
in the upright position.
See Seat Adjustment 049 and
Reclining Seatbacks 050.
4. Pull the strap on the front edge
of the rear seat cushion to
release the cushion. Tilt the
seat cushion forward toward
the front of the vehicle. The seat cushion must be tilted
forward before the seatback is
folded down. Otherwise, the
seatback will not fold down
properly.
Rear Seat with Retainer Hook on
the Seatback
5. Make sure the seat belt is in the retainer hook on top of the
seatback, if equipped.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 63
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver and
front outboard passenger seating
positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the seat belt in a crash. SeeHow to
Wear Seat Belts Properly 060.
To move the shoulder belt height
adjuster down, push down on the
release button and move the height
adjuster to the desired position. You
can move the height adjuster up by
pushing up on the shoulder belt
guide.
After the adjuster is set to the
desired position, try to move it down
without pushing the release button
to make sure it has locked into
position.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has seat belt
pretensioners for the front outboard
occupants. Although the seat belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the seat belt assembly.
They can help tighten the seat belts
during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. Seat belt
pretensioners can also help tighten
the seat belts in a side crash or a
rollover event. Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
the pretensioners and probably
other parts of the vehicle's seat belt
system will need to be replaced.
See
Replacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash 065.
Do not sit on the outboard seat belt
while entering or exiting the vehicle
or at any time while sitting in the
seat. Sitting on the seat belt can
damage the webbing and hardware.
Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides
Rear seat belt comfort guides may
provide added seat belt comfort for
older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults.
When installed on a shoulder belt,
the comfort guide positions the belt
away from the neck and head.
Comfort guides are available
through your dealer for the rear
outboard seating positions.
Instructions are included with the
guide.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11354409) - 2018 - crc - 11/8/17
Seats and Restraints 89
seating position does not have
lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and
the seat belts. Refer to the
child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the
instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchorsfor the desired seating
position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
For rear outboard seating
positions, if the head
restraint interferes with
the proper installation of
the child restraint, the
head restraint may be
removed. See “Head
Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation” at the end
of this section.
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.
See
Seat Adjustment
0 49.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the
child restraint to the lower
anchors.
2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that
the top tether be attached,
attach and tighten the top
tether to the top tether anchor,
if equipped. Refer to the child
restraint instructions and the
following steps:
2.1. Find the top tether anchor.
2.2. Remove the cargo cover before 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
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a
single tether, route the
tether over the seatback.