2020 BUICK ENCORE parking brake

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
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

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
142 Driving and Operating
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.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
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering
system, do not drive over curbs,
parking barriers, or similar objects (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
at speeds greater than 3 km/h
(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.
Electric Power Steering
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. See your dealer if
there is a problem.
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.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power 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.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
152 Driving and Operating
The vehicle has an electronic
keyless ignition with pushbutton
start. The RKE transmitter must be
in the vehicle for the system to
operate.
If the vehicle is not working, the
vehicle may be near a strong
antenna signal causing interference
to the Keyless Access system. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation08.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY, and the brake must
be applied.
Stopping the Engine/LOCK/OFF
(No Indicator Lights) : When the
vehicle is stopped, press ENGINE
START/STOP once to turn the
engine off. If the vehicle is in
P (Park), the ignition will turn off,
and Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) will remain active. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
0 156. If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will display
the message SHIFT TO PARK.
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition system turn off.
Do not turn the ignition off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the
ignition off. 4. Set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake 0164.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold ENGINE START/
STOP for longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber
Indicator Light) : This mode allows
you to use some electrical
accessories when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing
ENGINE START/STOP one time
without the brake pedal applied will
place the ignition system in ACC/
ACCESSORY.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
156 Driving and Operating
away from moving engine
parts. If you do not it could be
damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
When the ignition is turned from on
to off, the following features (if
equipped) will continue to function
for up to 10 minutes, or until the
driver door is opened. These
features will also work when the
ignition is in RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY:
. Infotainment System
. Power Windows (during RAP
this functionality will be lost
when any door is opened)
. Sunroof (during RAP this
functionality will be lost when
any door is opened)
. Auxiliary Power Outlet .
Audio System
. OnStar System
Shifting Into Park
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake 0164.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pressing the button
on the shift lever and pushing
the lever all the way toward the
front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition off.
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park 0156.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the
brake pedal down. Then see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pressing the
button on the shift lever. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Driving and Operating 157
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and do
not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park) properly
before you leave the driver seat. To
find out how, see“Shifting Into Park”
previously in this section.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
releasing the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, so you can pull
the shift lever out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with a shift
lock control. The shift lock control is
designed to prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park) unless
the ignition is on and the brake
pedal is applied.
The shift lock control is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See
Jump Starting - North
America 0245.
To shift out of P (Park): 1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition on.
3. Press the shift lever button.
4. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park): 1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position. If the shift lever still cannot be
moved from P (Park), see
“Shift
Lock Manual Release” following.
Shift Lock Manual Release
The automatic transmission has an
electric park lock. The ignition must
be on and the brake pedal must be
pressed so the shift lever can be
moved from the P (Park) position.
If the battery has lost power, the
shift lever cannot be moved from
P (Park) unless the shift lock manual
release is disengaged manually.
To access the shift lock manual
release:
1. Turn the ignition off.
2. Hold the brake pedal down. Apply the parking brake.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
160 Driving and Operating
Automatic
Transmission
The selected gear is also shown in
the instrument cluster.
P :This position locks the drive
wheels. Use P (Park) when starting
the engine because the vehicle
cannot move easily.
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park 0156.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. The regular brake must be
fully applied first and then the shift
lever button must be pressed before
shifting from P (Park) when the
ignition is on. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever, then push the shift lever all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then
press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into another
gear. See
Shifting out of Park 0157.
R : Use this gear to back up.
Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle Is Stuck 0146.
N : In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels. To
restart the engine when the vehicle
is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
164 Driving and Operating
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down and pull up on the
parking brake lever. If the ignition is
on, the brake system warning light
will come on. SeeBrake System
Warning Light 0105. To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down. Pull the
parking brake lever up until you can
press the release button. Hold the
release button in as you move the
brake lever all the way down.
Caution
Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system
and cause premature wear or
damage to brake system parts.
Make sure that the parking brake
is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
Brake Assist
Brake Assist detects rapid brake
pedal applications due to
emergency braking situations and
provides additional braking to
activate the Antilock Brake System
(ABS) if the brake pedal is not pushed hard enough to activate
ABS normally. Minor noise, brake
pedal pulsation, and/or pedal
movement during this time may
occur. Continue to apply the brake
pedal as the driving situation
dictates. Brake Assist disengages
when the brake pedal is released.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
{Warning
Do not rely on the HSA feature.
HSA does not replace the need to
pay attention and drive safely.
You may not hear or feel alerts or
warnings provided by this system.
Failure to use proper care when
driving may result in injury, death,
or vehicle damage. See
Defensive Driving
0141.