2021 BUICK ENCORE GX engine overheat

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14608036) - 2021 - CRC - 9/21/20
Vehicle Care 265
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine parts can
burn you. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough.
Caution
Failure to follow the specific coolant fill
procedure could cause the engine to
overheat and could cause system
damage. If coolant is not visible in the
surge tank, contact your dealer.
If no problem is found, check to see if
coolant is visible in the coolant surge tank.
If coolant is visible but the coolant level is
not at the indicated level mark, add a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant at the coolant surge tank,
but be sure the cooling system, including
the coolant surge tank pressure cap, is cool
before you do it.
1. Remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap when the cooling system, including
the coolant surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about one-quarter of a
turn. If you hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any pressure still
left to be vented out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with theproper mixture to the indicated
level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be lower. If the
level is lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank until
the level reaches the indicated
level mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14608036) - 2021 - CRC - 9/21/20
266 Vehicle Care
6. Verify coolant level after the engine isshut off and the coolant is cold.
If necessary, repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
If the coolant still is not at the proper
level when the system cools down again,
see your dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly installed,
coolant loss and engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly and
tightly secured.
Automatic Coolant Service Fill Instruction
If equipped, this feature assists in filling and
removing air from the cooling system after
service of components or when coolant is
added after being too low.
To activate the fill and air removal process:
1. With a cold system, open the surge tank cap and add coolant to the indicated
mark on the surge tank.
2. Connect the vehicle to a battery charger.
3. Turn the ignition to Service Mode. See Ignition Positions 0196.
4. Turn off the air conditioning. 5. Set the parking brake.
6. At the same time, press the accelerator
and the brake for two seconds, then
release.
At the end of the cycle, check the coolant
level in the surge tank and add coolant if it
is low. Turn off the vehicle, allow the Engine
Control Module (ECM) to go to sleep, about
two minutes, and repeat Steps 3-7.
Listen for pump activation and movement of
the control valves while watching the level
of the coolant in the surge tank. If the tank
empties, turn the ignition off, carefully
remove the surge tank cap, refill to the
indicated mark, and repeat Steps 4-7. The fill
and air removal process will run for
approximately 10 minutes.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an engine coolant
temperature gauge to warn of the engine
overheating. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 094.
If the decision is made not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, get service help
right away. See Roadside Assistance Program
0 342. If the decision is made to lift the hood,
make sure the vehicle is parked on a level
surface.
Then check to see if the engine cooling fan
is running. If the engine is overheating, the
fan should be running. If it is not, do not
continue to run the engine. Have the vehicle
serviced.
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a leak
in the engine cooling system. This can
cause a loss of all coolant and can
damage the system and vehicle. Have
any leaks fixed right away.
If Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot
cooling system are under pressure.
Turning the pressure cap, even a little,
can cause them to come out at high
speed and you could be burned. Never
turn the cap when the cooling system,
(Continued)

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14608036) - 2021 - CRC - 9/21/20
Vehicle Care 267
Warning (Continued)
including the pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling system and pressure cap
to cool.
If No Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is displayed
but no steam can be seen or heard, the
problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day
.Stops after high-speed driving
If the overheat warning is displayed with no
sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the highest fan
speed. Open the windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or N (Neutral), and
let the engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature gauge is
no longer in the overheat zone, the vehicle
can be driven. Continue to drive the vehicle slowly for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in front.
If the warning does not come back on,
continue to drive normally and have the
cooling system checked for proper fill and
function.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and
park the vehicle right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the engine
for three minutes while parked. If the
warning is still displayed, turn off the
engine until it cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When the vehicle needs windshield washer
fluid, be sure to read the manufacturer's
instructions before use. If operating the
vehicle in an area where the temperature
may fall below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0255 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip, and may also clog the
washer nozzle.
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
.Do not mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system.
(Continued)

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14608036) - 2021 - CRC - 9/21/20
Index 361
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . .104, 107
DrivingAssistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . 241
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Driving the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
E
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Electrical SystemEngine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 281
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Electrical System (cont'd)
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 285
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Check Light (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . . 97
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . 127
F
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . 229
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Front Fog Lamp
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14608036) - 2021 - CRC - 9/21/20
364 Index
Lumbar Adjustment (cont'd)Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
M
Maintenance
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Map Data Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Media Avoiding Untrusted Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Messages Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Mirror Rear Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mirrors Automatic Dimming Rearview . . . . . . . . . . 27
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Mirrors (cont'd)
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
N
Navigation Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Navigation Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Off-Road
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341 OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
OnStar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140, 151
Operation
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
P
ParkShifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Parking Brake and P (Park) Mechanism
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Parking or Backing Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . 96
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . .185