Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Driving and Operating 295
tires, and mirrors. SeeTowing
Equipment 0300. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start the
combination moving and then
manually apply the trailer brake
controller to check the trailer brakes
work. During the trip, occasionally
check that the cargo and trailer are
secure and that the lamps and any
trailer brakes are working.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the stability control
system might be heard. The system
reacts to vehicle movement caused
by the trailer, which mainly occurs
during cornering. This is normal
when towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving without a trailer. This can
help to avoid heavy braking and
sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. The
combination will not accelerate as
quickly and is much longer so it is
necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
returning to the lane. Pass on level
roadways. Avoid passing on hills if
possible.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move that hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Caution
Turn more slowly and make wider
arcs when towing a trailer to
prevent damage to your vehicle. (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
Making very sharp turns could
cause the trailer to contact the
vehicle.
Make wider turns than normal when
towing, so trailer will not go over soft
shoulders, over curbs, or strike road
signs, trees, or other objects.
Always signal turns well in advance.
Do not steer or brake suddenly.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downhill grade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes may overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts too
often under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
When towing at higher altitudes,
engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at lower altitudes.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Vehicle Care 365
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. SeeTires
0 344. 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
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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 0146.
{Warning
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
causing injury or death. Find a
level place to change the tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly. (Continued)
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
378 Vehicle Care
Dolly Towing
(Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles Only)
To tow a front-wheel-drive vehicle
from the front with two wheels on
the ground:1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Move the shift lever to P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position with a
clamping device designed for
towing. 5. Turn the vehicle off.
6. Secure the vehicle to the dolly.
7. Release the parking brake.
8. Disconnect the negative
battery cable at the battery.
See “Negative Battery Cable
Disconnection” Battery - North
America 0326.
9. Cover the negative battery post with a non-conductive material
to prevent any contact with the
negative battery terminal.
Towing the Vehicle from
the Rear
Caution
Towing the vehicle from the rear
could damage it. Also, repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Never have the
vehicle towed from the rear.
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Service and Maintenance 397
Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi-point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
. With a multi-point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns. Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
.
Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.
. As part of the multi-point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect
the shocks and struts for signs
of leaking, blown seals,
or damage, and can advise
when service is needed.
Tires
Tires need to be properly inflated,
rotated, and balanced. Maintaining
the tires can save money and fuel,
and can reduce the risk of tire
failure. .
Signs that the tires need to be
replaced include three or more
visible treadwear indicators; cord
or fabric showing through the
rubber; cracks or cuts in the
tread or sidewall; or a bulge or
split in the tire.
. Trained dealer technicians can
inspect and recommend the right
tires. Your dealer can also
provide tire/wheel balancing
services to ensure smooth
vehicle operation at all speeds.
Your dealer sells and services
name brand tires.
Vehicle Care
To help keep the vehicle looking like
new, vehicle care products are
available from your dealer. For
information on how to clean and
protect the vehicle’s interior and
exterior, see Interior Care 0383 and
Exterior Care 0379.
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Index 431
Carbon MonoxideEngine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Management System . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . 93
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Charging Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 115
Check Engine Light (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 74
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86, 88
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 216
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 413
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Connected Services
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Connections
Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 427
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Controls
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . .112
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216, 218 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . 182
Covers
Rear Compartment/StoragePanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 258
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 409 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Customer Information Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
434 Index
GuidanceProblems with the Route . . . . . . 181
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 146
HD Radio Technology . . . . . . . . . . 159
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Head-up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Front Turn Signal and Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 122
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 145
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 123
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216, 218 High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 230
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . 253
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
How to Wear Seat Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216, 218
I
If the System Needs Service . . . . 181
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Indicator Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Information Publication Ordering . . . . . . . . . . 415
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . 5
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . 32
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 152
J
Jack
Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
K
Keyless Entry
Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . 8
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 346
Lamps Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 145
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Headlamps and
Sidemarker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Malfunction Indicator (Check Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . 285
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . 287
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . 119
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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438 Index
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 412
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 59
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 58
Seats
Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 43
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 42
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 86, 88
Security
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Service (cont'd)
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 216
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 305
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 401
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Parts Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 412
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Services Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Servicing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Shifting
Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . 285
Sidemarker Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 334, 335
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Spare Tire
Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Special Application Services . . . . 395
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
StabiliTrak
OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . 154
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Stoplamps and Back-Up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 334, 335
Storage Areas
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Cargo Management System . . . . 95
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Rear Compartment/StoragePanel Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93