2020 BUICK ENCORE GX ECU

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Seats and Restraints 39
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . 42
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Rear Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Seat Belts
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Seat Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 58
Seat Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Replacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . 62
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Passenger Sensing System . . . 66
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 71
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . 72
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Infants and Young Children . . . . 74
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . 77
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . 79
Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren (LATCH System) . . . . 80 Replacing LATCH System Parts
After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the
Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Seats and Restraints 49
{Warning
If you fold the seatback forward to
carry longer objects, such as skis,
be sure any such cargo is not
near an airbag. In a crash, an
inflating airbag might force that
object toward a person. This
could cause severe injury or even
death. Secure objects away from
the area in which an airbag would
inflate.Where Are the Airbags?
0 62. Vehicle Load Limits 0232.
{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 040
2. Move the seat as far back as possible. See Seat Adjustment
0 42 or
Power Seat Adjustment 042
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 GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
56 Seats and Restraints
feature stays engaged after
letting the belt go back to
stowed position on the seat,
move the seat rearward or
recline the seat until the
shoulder belt retractor lock
releases.
Engaging the child restraint
locking feature in the front
outboard seating position may
affect the passenger sensing
system. SeePassenger
Sensing System 066.If the webbing locks in the latch
plate before it reaches the
buckle, tilt the latch plate flat to
unlock.
3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the
belt is not long enough, see
Seat Belt Extender 058.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the seat belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster”
later in this section for
instructions on use and
important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching
on the seat belt through the latch
plate to fully tighten the lap belt on
smaller occupants.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
58 Seats and Restraints
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.
SeeReplacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash 059.
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
shoulder 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.
Seat Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Seat belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear seat belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a seat
belt is worn properly, it is more likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making seat
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Seat Belt Extender
If the vehicle's seat belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a seat belt is not long enough,
your dealer will order you an
extender. When you go in to order it,
take the heaviest coat you will wear,
so the extender will be long enough
for you. To help avoid personal
injury, do not let someone else use
it, and use it only for the seat it is
made to fit. The extender has been
designed for adults. Never use it for
securing child restraints. For more
information on the proper use and fit
of seat belt extenders see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check
Periodically check the seat belt
reminder, seat belts, buckles, latch
plates, retractors, shoulder belt

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Seats and Restraints 61
{Warning
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your seat belt, even with
airbags. Airbags are designed to
work with seat belts, not replace
them. Also, airbags are not
designed to inflate in every crash.
In some crashes seat belts are
the only restraint. SeeWhen
Should an Airbag Inflate? 063.
Wearing your seat belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the seat belts. Everyone in the
vehicle should wear a seat belt
properly, whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{Warning
Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of
an eye, anyone who is up
against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not
sit unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be if sitting
on the edge of the seat or leaning
forward. Seat belts help keep you
in position before and during a
crash. Always wear a seat belt,
even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle. The seat belts and
the front outboard passenger
airbags are most effective when
you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat with both feet
on the floor.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 073 or
Infants and Young Children 074.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Seats and Restraints 63
On vehicles with second row
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
they are in the sides of the seatback
closest to the door.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
front outboard passenger, and rear
outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{Warning
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie‐down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with
airbags. SeeAirbag System 060.
Airbags are designed to inflate if the
impact exceeds the specific airbag

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Seats and Restraints 67
United States
Canada
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbols for on and off, will be
visible during the system check.
When the system check is
complete, either the word ON or
OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will
be visible. See Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator 0114.
The passenger sensing system
turns off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee
airbag under certain conditions. No
other airbag is affected by the
passenger sensing system. The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the front outboard passenger seat
and seat belt.
The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag,
and knee airbag, should be allowed
to inflate or not.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in
a rear seating position.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag inflates.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the passenger frontal
airbag inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to
the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the
passenger frontal airbag inflates
and the passenger seat is in a
forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag(s) are off.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if
the airbag is off. If securing a
forward-facing child restraint in
(Continued)

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
68 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
the front outboard passenger
seat, always move the seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure child restraints in the rear
seat. Consider using another
vehicle to transport the child
when a rear seat is not available.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag,
and knee airbag, if:
. The front outboard passenger
seat is unoccupied.
. The system determines an infant
is present in a child restraint.
. A front outboard passenger
takes his/her weight off of the
seat for a period of time.
. There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag, and knee airbag, the OFF indicator
will light and stay lit as a reminder
that the airbags are off. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
0
114.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag,
and knee airbag, anytime the
system senses that a person of
adult size is sitting properly in the
front outboard passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbags to
be enabled, the ON indicator will
light and stay lit as a reminder that
the airbags are active.
For some children, including
children in child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, and knee airbag,
depending upon the person's
seating posture and body build.
Everyone in the vehicle who has
outgrown child restraints should wear a seat belt properly
—whether
or not there is an airbag for that
person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light 0113 for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag, if the system
determines that an infant is present
in a child restraint. If a child restraint
has been installed and the ON
indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.