
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Infotainment System 203
recognize the non-Teen Driver key
to start the vehicle. The Teen Driver
settings will not be active.
For a keyed ignition system:1. Start the engine.
2. For automatic transmissions, the vehicle must be in P (Park).
For manual transmissions, the
vehicle must be stopped with
the parking brake set.
3. From the Settings menu, touch Vehicle and then Teen Driver.
4. Enter the PIN.
5. Touch Setup Keys. The system displays instructions for
registering or unregistering a
key. A confirmation message
displays.
Manage Settings
Audio Volume Limit : Allows the
audio volume limit to be turned on
or off. Touch Set Audio Volume Limit
to choose the maximum allowable
audio volume level. Set Audio Volume Limit :
Allows a
maximum radio volume to be set.
Use the arrows to choose the
maximum allowable level for the
audio volume.
Teen Driver Speed Limiter : Limits
the maximum speed of the vehicle.
When the speed limiter is turned on
and the vehicle is started with a
Teen Driver key, the DIC displays a
message that the top speed is
limited.
On certain vehicles, when the
Speed Limiter is turned ON, the
vehicle’s maximum acceleration will
be limited. The DIC will display a
message that the acceleration is
limited.
Teen Driver Speed Warning :
Allows the speed warning to be
turned on or off. Touch Set Teen
Driver Speed Warning to set the
warning speed.
Set Teen Driver Speed Warning :
Displays a warning in the DIC when
exceeding a selectable speed.
Choose the desired speed warning
level. The speed warning does not
limit the speed of the vehicle. SiriusXM Explicit Content Filter (if
equipped) :
Allows the SiriusXM
Explicit Content Filter to be turned
ON or OFF. When ON, the teen
driver will not be able to listen to
SiriusXM stations that contain
explicit content, and the Explicit
Content Filter selection in the Audio
Settings will be unavailable for
change.
When Teen Driver is Active:
. If equipped with Buckle to Drive,
shifting out of P (Park) will be
prevented if the driver seat belt,
and in some vehicles the front
passenger seat belt, is not
buckled.
. The radio will mute when the
driver seat belt, and in some
vehicles the front passenger
seat belt, is not buckled. The
audio from any device paired to
the vehicle will also be muted.
. An object placed on the front
passenger seat, such as a
briefcase, handbag, grocery bag,
laptop, or other electronic
device, could cause the

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-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Infotainment System 205
.Antilock Braking System Active
–The number of Antilock Brake
System activations.
. Tailgating Alerts –the number of
times the driver was alerted for
following a vehicle ahead too
closely.
Report Card Data
Cumulative Data is saved for all
trips until the Report Card is reset or
until the maximum count is
exceeded. If the maximum count is
exceeded for a Report Card line
item, that item will no longer be
updated in the Report Card until it is
reset. Each item will report a
maximum of 1,000 counts. The
distance driven will report a
maximum of 64,374 km (40,000 mi). To delete Report Card data, do one
of the following:
.
From the Report Card display,
touch Reset.
. Touch Clear All Teen Keys and
PIN from the Teen Driver menu.
This will also unregister any
Teen Driver keys and delete
the PIN.
Forgotten PIN
See your dealer to reset the PIN.Trademarks and
License Agreements
FCC Information
See Radio Frequency Statement
0 416.
"Made for iPod," and "Made for
iPhone," mean that an electronic
accessory has been designed to
connect specifically to iPod or
iPhone, respectively, and has been
certified by the developer to meet
Apple performance standards.
Apple is not responsible for the
operation of this device or its
compliance with safety and
regulatory standards. Please note
that the use of this accessory with
iPod or iPhone may affect wireless
performance. iPhone, iPod, iPod
classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, and

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
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-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
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-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
226 Driving and Operating
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts052. .
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they may do and
be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
. Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Driving and Operating 227
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering
system, do not drive over curbs,
parking barriers, or similar objects
at speeds greater than 3 km/h (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
(1 mph). Use care when driving
over other objects such as lane
dividers and speed bumps.
Damage caused by misuse of the
vehicle is not covered by the
vehicle warranty.
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required. If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
Curve Tips
.
Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
. Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
. Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
228 Driving and Operating
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
. Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) allows steering while
braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. 3. Turn the steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
. Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
. Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions: