Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
136 Instruments and Controls
The menu may contain the
following:
Rear Seat Reminder
This allows for a chime and a
message when the rear door has
been opened before or during
operation of the vehicle.
Touch Off or On.
Climate and Air Quality
Touch and the following may
display:
.Auto Fan Speed
. Auto Defog
. Auto Rear Defog
. Ionizer
Auto Fan Speed
This feature will set the auto fan
speed.
Touch Low, Medium, or High. Auto Defog
When set to On, the front defog will
automatically react to temperature
and humidity conditions that may
cause fogging.
Touch Off or On.
Auto Rear Defog
When on, this feature turns on the
rear defogger at vehicle start when
the interior temperature is cold and
fog is likely. See
“Rear Window
Defogger” underDual Automatic
Climate Control System 0218.
Touch Off or On.
Ionizer
If equipped with an ionizer, this
feature helps to clean the air inside
the vehicle and remove
contaminants such as pollen, odors,
and dust. See Dual Automatic
Climate Control System 0218.
Touch Off or On.
Collision / Detection Systems
Touch and the following may
display:
. Forward Collision System
. Front Pedestrian Detection
. Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
. Lane Change Alert
. Rear Cross Traffic Alert
. Park Assist
Forward Collision System
This feature will turn on or off the
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and
Automatic Emergency Braking
(AEB). The Off setting disables all
FCA and AEB functions. With the
Alert and Brake setting, both FCA
and AEB are available. The Alert
setting disables AEB.
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake.
Front Pedestrian Detection
This feature may help avoid or
reduce the harm caused by
front-end crashes with nearby
pedestrians. See Front Pedestrian
Braking (FPB) System 0282.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Instruments and Controls 137
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake.
Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
This setting determines if an alert
will appear when Adaptive Cruise
Control brings the vehicle to a
complete stop and the vehicle
ahead of you starts moving again.
SeeAdaptive Cruise Control 0258.
Touch Off or On.
Lane Change Alert
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off. See Lane Change Alert
(LCA) 0285.
When Lane Change Alert is
disabled, Side Blind Zone Alert is
also disabled.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This setting specifies if you see
alerts when the vehicle detects
approaching rear cross traffic when
in R (Reverse). See Assistance
Systems for Parking or Backing
0 271.
Touch Off or On. Park Assist
This setting specifies if you have
alerts when a object is detected
near your vehicle during low speed.
Touch Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Touch and the following may
display:
.
Chime Volume
. Handsfree Liftgate/Trunk Control
. Reverse Tilt Mirror
. Rain Sense Wipers
. Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
. Extended Hill Start Assist
Chime Volume
This allows the selection of the
chime volume level.
Touch + or −to adjust the volume
Hands Free Liftgate Control
The liftgate may be operated with a
kicking motion under the left side of
the rear bumper. See Liftgate021 Touch Off, On-Open and Close,
or On-Open Only.
Reverse Tilt Mirror
When on, both the driver and
passenger, driver, or passenger
outside mirrors will tilt downward
when the vehicle is shifted to
R (Reverse) to improve visibility of
the ground near the rear wheels.
They will return to their previous
driving position when the vehicle is
shifted out of R (Reverse) or the
engine is turned off. See
Reverse
Tilt Mirrors 031.
Touch Off, On - Driver and
Passenger, On - Driver, or On -
Passenger.
Rain Sense Wipers
This allows the Rainsense Wipers
feature to be disabled or enabled.
Touch Disabled or Enabled.
Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
This setting automatically turns on
the rear window wiper when the
vehicle is in R (Reverse) and the
front wipers are on.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
204 Infotainment System
passenger sensing system to
falsely sense an unbuckled front
passenger and mute the radio.
If this happens, remove the
object from the seat. See
Passenger Sensing System
066.
. Some safety systems, such as
Lane Departure Warning,
if equipped, cannot be turned
off. They may include: Park
Assist, Side Blind Zone Alert,
Lane Change Alert, Rear Cross
Traffic Alert, Forward Collision
Alert, Automatic Emergency
Braking, Pedestrian Braking,
Lane Departure Warning, Lane
Keep Assist, Daytime Running
Lamps/Automatic Light Control,
Traction Control, Stability
Control, and Antilock Brakes.
. The gap setting for the Forward
Collision Alert and Adaptive
Cruise Control, if equipped,
cannot be changed.
. When trying to change a safety
feature that is not configurable in
Teen Driver, the DIC displays a message indicating that Teen
Driver is active and the action is
not available.
. Super Cruise, if equipped, is not
available.
. Enhanced Low Fuel Warning (if
equipped) –When the vehicle is
low on fuel, the low fuel light on
the instrument cluster flashes
and the DIC low fuel warning
cannot be dismissed.
Report Card
The vehicle owner must secure the
driver ’s consent to record certain
vehicle data when the vehicle is
driven with a registered Teen Driver
key. There is one Report Card per
vehicle. Data is only recorded when
a registered Teen Driver key is used
to operate the vehicle.
The Report Card data is collected
from the time Teen Driver is
activated or the last time the Report
Card was reset. The following items
may be recorded:
. Distance Driven –the total
distance driven. .
Maximum Speed –the maximum
vehicle speed detected.
. Overspeed Warnings –the
number of times the speed
warning setting was exceeded.
. Wide Open Throttle –the
number of times the accelerator
pedal was pressed nearly all the
way down.
. Forward Collision Alerts –the
number of times the driver was
notified when approaching a
vehicle ahead too quickly and at
potential risk for a crash.
. Automatic Emergency Braking (if
equipped) –the number of times
the vehicle detected that a
forward collision was imminent
and applied the brakes.
. Traction Control –the number of
times the Traction Control
System activated to reduce
wheel spin or loss of traction.
. Stability Control –the number of
events which required the use of
electronic stability control.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 223
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 224
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 229
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 230
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 232
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 236
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 247
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 252
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 253
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 258
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 270
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 271
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 285
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 287
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 289
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 290
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 225
Safe driver behavior and
understanding of the environment
can help avoid a rollover crash in
any type of vehicle, including utility
vehicles.
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.
. On AWD vehicles, see All-Wheel
Drive 0250.
. Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
. Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
. Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
. When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control. .
Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
. Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
. Combine several trips into a
single trip.
. Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
. Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area. To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
.
Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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230 Driving and Operating
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0344.
. Turn off cruise control.
. Activate All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
mode. See All-Wheel Drive
0 250.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.
Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering assist. Always
have the engine running and the
vehicle in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line. .
Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, crash).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
. Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Mode. See All-Wheel Drive
0 250.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.
Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 231
.Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0254.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0251.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
. Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Mode. See All-Wheel Drive
0 250.Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0410. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0246.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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250 Driving and Operating
2. Press the plus/minus button onthe shift lever, to increase or
decrease the gear range
available.
When shifting to L (Manual Mode),
the transmission will shift to a preset
lower gear range. For this preset
range, the highest gear available is
displayed next to the L in the DIC.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level) 0123 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0127 for more information. All gears below that
number are available to use. For
example, when 4 (Fourth) is shown
next to the L, 1 (First) through
4 (Fourth) gears are shifted
automatically. To shift to 5 (Fifth)
gear, press the + (Plus) button or
shift into D (Drive).
L (Manual Mode) will prevent
shifting to a lower gear range if the
engine speed is too high. If vehicle
speed is not reduced within the time
allowed, the lower gear range shift
will not be completed. Slow the
vehicle, then press the
−(Minus)
button to the desired lower gear
range.
While using the ERS, cruise control
can be used.
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
Vehicles with this feature can
operate in All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) Mode.
The AWD system delivers power to
all four wheels and the system
adjusts as needed to improve
traction.
Press the AWD button on the center
console to activate the system. The
AWD light will flash briefly while the
system is engaging and stay lit to
indicate AWD is active. Press the