Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
Introduction 3
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner ’s
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.” Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. See the
features in this manual for
information.
u:
Air Conditioning System
G:Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
9:Dispose of Used Components
Properly
P: Do Not Apply High Pressure
Water
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
_: Flame/Fire Prohibited
H:Flammable
[:Forward Collision Alert
R: Fuse Block Cover Lock
Location
+: Fuses
j:ISOFIX/LATCH System Child
Restraints
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
8 In Brief
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner’s manual.
Stop/Start System
This vehicle has a Stop/Start
system to shut off the engine to help
conserve fuel. It has components
designed for the increased number
of starts.
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When
stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. SeeTachometer
0 114. When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal is
pressed, the engine will restart. See
Stop/Start System 0170 in Driving
and Operating.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter may work up to 60 m
(197 ft) away from the vehicle.
To remove the key, press the button
on the back of the RKE transmitter,
and pull the key out. Never pull the
key out without pressing the button.
The key can be used for all locks.
K: Press to unlock the driver door
or all doors, depending on the
vehicle personalization settings.
Q: Press to lock all doors. Lock and unlock feedback can be
personalized. See
Vehicle
Personalization 0130.
7:Press and release one time to
initiate vehicle locator. Press and
hold for at least three seconds to
sound the panic alarm. Press again
to cancel the panic alarm.
See Keys 026 and Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation 027.
Remote Vehicle Start
If equipped, the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Press and releaseQon the
RKE transmitter.
2. Immediately press and hold
/
for at least four seconds or until
the turn signal lamps flash.
Start the vehicle normally after
entering.
When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on.
Remote start can be extended.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
24 In Brief
Regular Unleaded Fuel
Use only Regular 87 octane—
(R+M)/2 —or higher unleaded
gasoline in your vehicle. TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline is
recommended. Do not use gasoline
with an octane rating lower as it will
result in reduced performance and
lower fuel economy. See
Recommended Fuel 0196.
E85 or FlexFuel
No E85 or FlexFuel
Gasoline-ethanol fuel blends greater
than E15 (15% ethanol by volume),
such as E85, cannot be used in this
vehicle.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON DIC message when it is
necessary to change the engine oil
and filter.
Remember, the oil life display must
be reset after each oil change. It will
not reset itself. Also, be careful not
to reset the oil life display
accidentally at any time other than
when the oil has just been changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until
the next oil change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Press the MENU button to show Remaining Oil Life on the
display. This display shows an
estimate of the oil’s remaining
useful life. If 99% is displayed,
that means that 99% of the
current oil life remains.
2. To reset the engine oil life system, press the SET/CLR
button while the oil life display
is active. After a few seconds, there will be a single chime and
the oil life will be reset
to 100%.
Be careful not to reset the oil life
display accidentally at any time
other than after the oil is changed.
It cannot be reset accurately.
See Engine Oil Life System 0211.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible:
.
Set the climate controls to the
desired temperature after the
engine is started, or turn them
off when not required.
. Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
. Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
. Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
32 Keys, Doors, and Windows
4. Place the new transmitter inthe front cupholder.
5. Press ENGINE START/STOP. When the transmitter is
learned, the DIC will show that
it is ready to program the next
transmitter.
6. Remove the transmitter from the cupholder and press
K.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 4–6. When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
10 seconds to exit
programming mode.
Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery
If the transmitter battery is weak, the
DIC may display NO REMOTE
DETECTED when trying to start the
vehicle. The DIC may also display
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY.
To start the vehicle:
1. Place the transmitter in the
center console front cupholder
with the buttons facing the front
of the vehicle.
2. With the vehicle in P (Park) or N (Neutral), press the brake
pedal and ENGINE
START/STOP.
Replace the transmitter battery
as soon as possible.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC.
Caution
When replacing the battery, do
not touch any of the circuitry on
the transmitter. Static from your
body could damage the
transmitter.
The battery is not rechargeable. To
replace the battery:
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
36 Keys, Doors, and Windows
does not reset the lock, turn the key
halfway around in the cylinder and
repeat the reset procedure.
Power Door Locks
K:Press to unlock the doors.
Q: Press to lock the doors.
Delayed Locking
This feature delays the locking of
the doors until five seconds after all
doors are closed. Delayed locking can only be turned
on when the Unlocked Door
Anti-Lockout has been turned off.
When
Qis pressed on the power
door lock switch while the door is
open, a chime will sound three
times indicating delayed locking is
active.
The doors will lock automatically
five seconds after all doors are
closed. If a door is reopened before
that time, the five-second timer will
reset when all doors are closed
again.
Press
Qon the door lock switch
again or press
Qon the RKE
transmitter to lock the doors
immediately.
This feature can also be
programmed. See Vehicle
Personalization 0130.
Automatic Door Locks
The doors will lock automatically
when all doors are closed, the
ignition is on, and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). If a vehicle door is unlocked, and
then opened and closed, the doors
will lock either when your foot is
removed from the brake or the
vehicle speed becomes faster than
13 km/h (8 mph).
To unlock the doors:
.
Press
Kon the power door lock
switch.
. Shift the transmission into
P (Park).
Automatic door locking cannot be
disabled. Automatic door unlocking
can be programmed. See Vehicle
Personalization 0130.
Lockout Protection
If the vehicle is on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY and the power door
lock switch is pressed with the
driver door open, all the doors will
lock and only the driver door will
unlock.
If the vehicle is off and locking is
requested while a door is open,
when all doors are closed the
vehicle will check for RKE
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
Seats and Restraints 73
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. SeeWhen
Should an Airbag Inflate? 071.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to seat 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 the airbags 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? 070. 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.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention. The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
fuel system after the airbags inflate.
The feature may also activate,
without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the ignition
off and then on again, the fuel
system will return to normal
operation; the doors can be locked,
the interior lamps can be turned off,
and the hazard warning flashers can
be turned off using the controls for
those features. If any of these
systems are damaged in the crash
they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
(Continued)
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
104 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 105
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 105
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 105
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 105
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . 116 Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 117
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 118
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 118
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 122
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 122
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 123
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 124
Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 124
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 124
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 125
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 125
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 130
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 130
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 130
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . 136
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
120 Instruments and Controls
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the
test equipment will likely connect to
the vehicle's Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation. SeeAdd-On
Electrical Equipment 0200. See
your dealer if assistance is needed. The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.
The light is on when the engine
is running.
. The light does not come on
when the ignition is in
Service Mode.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is
a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully