2020 BUICK ENCORE GX steering wheel

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Infotainment System 193
2. Touch Contacts.
3. The Contacts list can besearched by using the first
character. Touch A-Z on the
infotainment display to scroll
through the list of names.
Touch the name to call.
4. Touch the desired contact number to call.
To make a call using the
Recents menu: 1. Touch Phone on the Home Page.
2. Touch Recents.
3. Touch the name or number to call.
Making a Call Using the
Keypad
To make a call by dialing the
numbers:
1. Touch the Phone icon on the Home Page.
2. Touch Keypad and enter a phone number. 3. Touch
#on the infotainment
display to start dialing the
number.
Searching Contacts Using the
Keypad
To search for contacts using the
keypad:
1. Touch the Phone icon on the Home Page.
2. Touch Keypad and enter partial phone numbers or contact
names using the digits on the
keypad to search.
Results will show on the right
side of the display. Touch one
to place a call.
Accepting or Declining a Call
When an incoming call is received,
the infotainment system mutes and
a ring tone is heard in the vehicle.
Accepting a Call
There are two ways to accept a call:
.Press
gon the steering wheel
controls. .
Touch Answer on the
infotainment display.
Declining a Call
There are two ways to decline
a call:
. Press
ion the steering wheel
controls.
. Touch Ignore on the infotainment
display.
Call Waiting
Call waiting must be supported on
the Bluetooth cell phone and
enabled by the wireless service
carrier to work.
Accepting a Call
Press
gto answer, then touch
Switch on the infotainment display.
Declining a Call
Press
ito decline, then touch
Ignore on the infotainment display

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
194 Infotainment System
Switching Between Calls (Call
Waiting Calls Only)
To switch between calls, touch
Phone on the Home Page to display
Call View. While in Call View, touch
the call information of the call on
hold to change calls.
Three-Way Calling
Three-way calling must be
supported on the Bluetooth cell
phone and enabled by the wireless
service carrier to work.
To start a three-way call while in a
current call:1. In the Call View, touch Add Call to add another call.
2. Initiate the second call by selecting from Recents,
Contacts, or Keypad.
3. When the second call is active, touch the merge icon to
conference the three-way call
together.
Ending a Call
.Pression the steering wheel
controls.
. Touch
#on the infotainment
display, next to a call, to end
only that call.
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency
(DTMF) Tones
The in-vehicle Bluetooth system can
send numbers during a call. This is
used when calling a menu-driven
phone system. Use the Keypad to
enter the number.
Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto
If equipped, Android Auto and/or
Apple CarPlay capability may be
available through a compatible
smartphone. If available, the
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
icons will change from gray to color
on the Home Page of the
infotainment display. To use Android Auto and/or Apple
CarPlay:
1. Download the Android Auto app to your smartphone from
the Google Play store. There is
no app required for Apple
CarPlay.
2. Connect your Android phone or Apple iPhone by using the
factory-provided phone USB
cable and plugging into a USB
data port. For best
performance, it is highly
recommended to use the
device’s factory-provided USB
cable. Aftermarket or
third-party cables may
not work.
3. When the phone is first connected to activate Apple
CarPlay or Android Auto, the
message “Device Projection
Privacy Consent” will appear.
. Touch Continue to launch
Apple CarPlay or
Android Auto.

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
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:

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
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-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
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.