Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
Vehicle Care 255
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0253 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 203.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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258 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for the vehicle's
tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
avoid vehicle damage, drive slow
and readjust or remove the
traction device if it contacts the
vehicle. Do not spin the wheels.
If traction devices are used, install
them on the front tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. SeeTires
0 238. If air goes out of a tire, it is
much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if there ever is a blowout, here
are a few tips about what to expect
and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to
straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road,
if possible.
{Warning
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has been
driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely underinflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
tire service center repair or
replace the flat tire as soon as
possible.
{Warning
Lifting a vehicle and getting under
it to do maintenance or repairs is
dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers 0142.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 263
Storing the Flat Tire and Tools1. Return the jack and tools to their original storage location.
2. Replace the trim cover.
3. Place the flat tire, lying flat, in the rear storage compartment.
4. Attach one end of the strap to a cargo tie-down in the rear of
the vehicle.
5. Route the strap through the
wheel, as shown.
6. Attach the other end of the strap to the other cargo
tie-down in the rear of the
vehicle.
7. Tighten the strap. Storing the Compact Spare Tire
and Tools
Reverse the instructions for
removing the spare tire and tools to
store the spare tire.
The compact spare tire is for
temporary use only. Replace the
compact spare tire with a full-size
tire as soon as you can. See
Compact Spare Tire
0263.
Compact Spare Tire
{Warning
Driving with more than one
compact spare tire at a time could
result in loss of braking and
handling. This could lead to a
crash and you or others could be
injured. Use only one compact
spare tire at a time.
If this vehicle has a compact spare
tire, it was fully inflated when new;
however, it can lose air over time. Check the inflation pressure
regularly. It should be 420 kPa
(60 psi).
Stop as soon as possible and check
that the spare tire is correctly
inflated after being installed on the
vehicle. The compact spare tire is
designed for temporary use only.
The vehicle will perform differently
with the spare tire installed and it is
recommended that the vehicle
speed be limited to 80 km/h
(50 mph). To conserve the tread of
the spare tire, have the standard tire
repaired or replaced as soon as
convenient and return the spare tire
to the storage area.
When using a compact spare tire,
the AWD (if equipped), ABS, and
Traction Control systems may
engage until the spare tire is
recognized by the vehicle,
especially on slippery roads. Adjust
driving to reduce possible
wheel slip.
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330 Index
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 298
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 40
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 248
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 247
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Terminology and Definitions . . 243
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Tires (cont'd)
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 257
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Towing General Information . . . . . . . . . . 199
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 268
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . 122
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
U
Underseat Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 255
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 136Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 292
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 122
Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
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Index 331
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
W
WarningBrake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 194
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Wheels
Alignment and Tire Balance . . 256
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . 86
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . 224 Wipers
Rear Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107