Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Introduction 3
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner ’s
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. See the
features in this manual for
information.
u: Air Conditioning System
G: Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light
!: Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
9:Dispose of Used Components
Properly
P: Do Not Apply High Pressure
Water
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
_: Flame/Fire Prohibited
H:Flammable
[:Forward Collision Alert
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 13
5. Place the new transmitter inthe front cupholder.
6. Press ENGINE START/STOP. When the transmitter is
learned, the DIC will show that
it is ready to program the next
transmitter.
7. Return the key back into the transmitter.
8. Remove the transmitter from the cupholder and press
K.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 4–6. When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
10 seconds to exit
programming mode.
Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery
If the transmitter battery is weak, the
DIC may display NO REMOTE
DETECTED when trying to start the
vehicle. The DIC may also display
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY.
To start the vehicle:
1. Place the transmitter in the
center console front cupholder
with the buttons facing the front
of the vehicle.
2. With the vehicle in P (Park) or N (Neutral), press the brake
pedal and ENGINE
START/STOP.
Replace the transmitter battery
as soon as possible.
Battery Replacement
{Warning
Never allow children to play with
the RKE transmitter. The
transmitter contains a small
battery, which can be a choking
hazard. If swallowed, internal
burns can occur, resulting in
severe injury or death. Seek
medical attention immediately if a
battery is swallowed.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
18 Keys, Doors, and Windows
K:Press to unlock the doors.
Q:Press to lock the doors.
Delayed Locking
This feature delays the locking of
the doors until five seconds after all
doors are closed.
Delayed locking can only be turned
on when the Unlocked Door
Anti-Lockout has been turned off.
When
Qis pressed on the power
door lock switch while the door is
open, a chime will sound three
times indicating delayed locking is
active.
The doors will lock automatically
five seconds after all doors are
closed. If a door is reopened before
that time, the five-second timer will
reset when all doors are closed
again.
Press
Qon the door lock switch
again or press
Qon the RKE
transmitter to lock the doors
immediately. This feature can also be
programmed. See
Vehicle
Personalization 0113.
Automatic Door Locks
The doors will lock automatically
when all doors are closed, the
ignition is on, and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park).
If a vehicle door is unlocked, and
then opened and closed, the doors
will lock either when your foot is
removed from the brake or the
vehicle speed becomes faster than
13 km/h (8 mph).
To unlock the doors:
.
Press
Kon the power door lock
switch.
. Shift the transmission into
P (Park).
Automatic door locking cannot be
disabled. Automatic door unlocking
can be programmed. See Vehicle
Personalization 0113.
Lockout Protection
If the vehicle is on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY and the power door
lock switch is pressed with the
driver door open, all the doors will
lock and only the driver door will
unlock.
If the vehicle is off and locking is
requested while a door is open,
when all doors are closed the
vehicle will check for RKE
transmitters inside. If an RKE
transmitter is detected and the
number of RKE transmitters inside
has not reduced, the driver door will
unlock and the horn will chirp three
times.
Lockout Protection can be manually
overridden with the driver door open
by pressing and holding
Qon the
power door lock switch.
Unlocked Door Anti-Lockout
If Unlocked Door Anti-Lockout has
been turned on and the vehicle is
off, the driver door is open, and
locking is requested, all the doors
will lock and the driver door will
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
56 Seats and Restraints
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
fuel system after the airbags inflate.
The feature may also activate,
without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the ignition
off and then on again, the fuel
system will return to normal
operation; the doors can be locked,
the interior lamps can be turned off,
and the hazard warning flashers can
be turned off using the controls for
those features. If any of these
systems are damaged in the crash
they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
. Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some new
parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for the vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts. .
The vehicle has a crash
sensing and diagnostic
module which records
information after a crash. See
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy 0290 and
Event Data Recorders 0291.
. Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator
will light on the instrument panel
when the vehicle is started.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
88 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 89
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 89
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . 89
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 89
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . 91
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . 99 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 101
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light -
Capless) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light -
Capped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 106
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 106
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 107
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 108
Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 109
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 109
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 109
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 113
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 113
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 113
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . 119
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Instruments and Controls 105
Brake System Warning
Light
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is turned on. If it
does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
When the vehicle is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected
right away.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The brake pedal might be harder to
push, or the brake pedal may go
closer to the floor. It could take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service.
See
Towing the Vehicle 0248.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started. If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light
0 105.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Instruments and Controls 113
.Brakes
. Ride Control Systems
. Driver Assistance Systems
. Cruise Control
. Lighting and Bulb Replacement
. Wiper/Washer Systems
. Doors and Windows
. Seat Belts
. Airbag Systems
. Engine and Transmission
. Tire Pressure
. Battery
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's propulsion power is
reduced. A reduction in propulsion
power can affect the vehicle's ability
to accelerate. If this message is on,
but there is no observed reduction
in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may
be reduced the next time the vehicle is driven. The vehicle may be driven
while this message is on, but
maximum acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, or displays
repeatedly, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Under certain operating conditions,
propulsion will be disabled. Try
restarting after the vehicle has been
off for 30 seconds.
Vehicle Speed Messages
SPEED LIMITED TO XXX
KM/H (MPH)
This message shows that the
vehicle speed has been limited to
the speed displayed. The limited
speed is a protection for various
propulsion and vehicle systems,
such as lubrication, brakes, thermal,
suspension, Teen Driver if
equipped, or tires.
Vehicle
Personalization
Use the audio system controls to
access the personalization menus
for customizing vehicle features.
The following are all possible
personalization features. Depending
on the vehicle, some may not be
available.
To access the personalization
menus:
1. Touch SETTINGS on the Home Page of the infotainment
display.
2. Touch the desired feature to display a list of available
options.
3. Touch to select the desired feature setting.
4. Press BACK on the center stack or touch
Son the
infotainment display to return to
the previous menu or exit.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
138 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 139
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 144
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 145
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 146
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 151
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 160
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 164
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 169
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 171
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 180
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 180
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Filling the Tank (CaplessFuel Fill) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Filling the Tank (Capped Fuel Fill) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184