Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Driving and Operating 185
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. SeeDefensive Driving
0 165.
When the vehicle is stopped on a grade, Hill
Start Assist (HSA) temporarily prevents the
vehicle from rolling in an unintended
direction during the transition from brake pedal release to accelerator pedal apply. The
brakes release when the accelerator pedal is
applied or automatically release after a few
seconds. The brakes may also release under
other conditions. Do not rely on HSA to hold
the vehicle.
HSA is available when the vehicle is facing
uphill in a forward gear, or when facing
downhill in R (Reverse). The vehicle must
come to a complete stop on a grade for HSA
to activate.
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control
System Operation
The vehicle has a Traction Control System
(TCS) and StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC), an electronic stability control
system. These systems help limit wheel slip
and assist the driver in maintaining control,
especially on slippery road conditions.
TCS activates if it senses that any of the
drive wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens, TCS
applies the brakes to the spinning wheels
and reduces engine power to limit
wheel spin.
StabiliTrak/ESC activates when the vehicle
senses a difference between the intended
path and the direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak/ESC selectively applies
braking pressure to any one of the vehicle
wheel brakes to assist the driver in keeping
the vehicle on the intended path.
If cruise control is being used and traction
control or StabiliTrak/ESC begins to limit
wheel spin, cruise control will disengage.
Cruise control may be turned back on when
road conditions allow.
Both systems come on automatically when
the vehicle is started and begins to move.
The systems may be heard or felt while
they are operating or while performing
diagnostic checks. This is normal and does
not mean there is a problem with the
vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both systems on
for normal driving conditions, but it may be
necessary to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See
If the
Vehicle Is Stuck 0169 and “Turning the
Systems Off and On” later in this section.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
186 Driving and Operating
The indicator light for both systems is in the
instrument cluster. This light will:
.Flash when TCS is limiting wheel spin.
.Flash when StabiliTrak/ESC is activated.
.Turn on and stay on when either system
is not working.
If either system fails to turn on or to
activate, a message displays in the Driver
Information Center (DIC), and
dcomes on
and stays on to indicate that the system is
inactive and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is safe to
drive, but driving should be adjusted
accordingly.
If
dcomes on and stays on:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the engine. Drive the vehicle. If
dcomes on and stays
on, the vehicle may need more time to
diagnose the problem. If the condition
persists, see your dealer.
Turning the Systems Off and On
Caution
Do not repeatedly brake or accelerate
heavily when TCS is off. The vehicle
driveline could be damaged.
To turn off only TCS, press and release
g.
The Traction Off light
idisplays in the
instrument cluster. The appropriate message
may display in the DIC. To turn TCS on again, press and release
g.
The Traction Off light
idisplayed in the
instrument cluster will turn off.
If TCS is limiting wheel spin when
gis
pressed, the system will not turn off until
the wheels stop spinning.
To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC,
press and hold
guntil the Traction Off light
iand StabiliTrak/ESC Off lightgcome on
and stay on in the instrument cluster. The
appropriate message may display in the DIC.
To turn TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC on again,
press and release
g. The Traction Off light
iand StabiliTrak/ESC Off lightgin the
instrument cluster turn off.
Adding accessories can affect the vehicle
performance. See Accessories and
Modifications 0202.
Cruise Control
The cruise control lets the vehicle maintain a
speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more
without keeping your foot on the
accelerator. Cruise control does not work at
speeds below 40 km/h (25 mph).
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Driving and Operating 187
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous where
you cannot drive safely at a steady
speed. Do not use cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
excessive wheel slip, and you could lose
control. Do not use cruise control on
slippery roads.
The vehicle has a Traction Control System
(TCS) or StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) system that begins to limit
wheel spin while using cruise control and
the cruise control will automatically
disengage. See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0185. If a collision alert
occurs when cruise control is activated,
cruise control is disengaged. See Forward
Collision Alert (FCA) System 0192. When
road conditions allow you to safely use it
again, cruise control can be turned back on.
If the brakes are applied, cruise control
disengages.
o: Press to turn the cruise control system
on or off. A white indicator comes in the
instrument cluster when cruise is turned on.
RES/+ : If there is a set speed in memory,
move the thumbwheel up briefly to resume
to that speed or hold upward to accelerate.
If cruise control is already active, use to
increase vehicle speed.
SET/− :Move the thumbwheel down briefly
to set the speed and activate cruise control.
If cruise control is already active, use to
decrease speed.
n: Press to disengage cruise control
without erasing the set speed from memory. Setting Cruise Control
If
ois on when not in use, SET/−
or RES/+
could get bumped and go into cruise when
not desired. Keep
ooff when cruise control
is not being used.
To set a speed:
1. Press
oto turn cruise control on.
2. Get up to the speed desired.
3. Move the thumbwheel down toward SET/− and release it.
4. Remove your foot from the accelerator.
The cruise control indicator on the
instrument cluster turns green after cruise
control has been set to the desired speed.
See Instrument Cluster 076.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a desired speed
and then the brakes are applied or
nis
pressed, the cruise control is disengaged
without erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed is about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or greater, move the thumbwheel
up toward RES/+ briefly. The vehicle returns
to the previously set speed.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
188 Driving and Operating
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is already
activated:
.Move the thumbwheel up toward RES/+
and hold it until the desired speed is
reached, then release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in small
increments, move the thumbwheel up
toward RES/+ briefly. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1 km/h (1 mph) faster.
The speedometer reading can be displayed
in either English or metric units. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) 086. The
increment value used depends on the units
displayed.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is already
activated:
.Move the thumbwheel toward SET/− and
hold until the desired lower speed is
reached, then release it.
.To decrease the vehicle speed in small
increments, move the thumbwheel
toward SET/− briefly. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1 km/h (1 mph) slower. The speedometer reading can be displayed
in either English or metric units. See
Driver
Information Center (DIC) 086. The
increment value used depends on the units
displayed.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise
Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase the
vehicle speed. When you take your foot off
the pedal, the vehicle slows down to the
previous set cruise control speed. While
pressing the accelerator pedal or shortly
following the release to override cruise
control, briefly moving the thumbwheel
toward SET/− will result in cruise set to the
current vehicle speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well cruise control works on hills
depends on the vehicle speed, load, and the
steepness of the hills. When going up steep
hills, you might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain the vehicle
speed. When going downhill, you might
have to brake or shift to a lower gear to
keep your speed down. If the brake pedal is
applied, cruise control will disengage. Ending Cruise Control
There are four ways to end cruise control:
.To disengage cruise control, step lightly
on the brake pedal.
.Pressn.
.Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
.To turn off cruise control, presso.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is erased from
memory if
ois pressed or if the vehicle is
turned off.
Driver Assistance Systems
This vehicle may have features that work
together to help avoid crashes or reduce
crash damage while driving, backing, and
parking. Read this entire section before
using these systems.
{Warning
Do not rely on the Driver Assistance
Systems. These systems do not replace
the need for paying attention and driving
safely. You may not hear or see alerts or
warnings provided by these systems.
(Continued)
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Driving and Operating 193
Detecting the Vehicle Ahead
FCA warnings will not occur unless the FCA
system detects a vehicle ahead. When a
vehicle is detected, the vehicle ahead
indicator will display green. Vehicles may
not be detected on curves, highway exit
ramps, or hills, due to poor visibility; or if a
vehicle ahead is partially blocked by
pedestrians or other objects. FCA will not
detect another vehicle ahead until it is
completely in the driving lane.
{Warning
FCA does not provide a warning to help
avoid a crash, unless it detects a vehicle.
FCA may not detect a vehicle ahead if
the FCA sensor is blocked by dirt, snow,
or ice, or if the windshield is damaged.
It may also not detect a vehicle on
winding or hilly roads, or in conditions
that can limit visibility such as fog, rain,(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
or snow, or if the headlamps or
windshield are not cleaned or in proper
condition. Keep the windshield,
headlamps, and FCA sensors clean and in
good repair.
Collision Alert
When your vehicle approaches another
detected vehicle too rapidly, the FCA display
will flash on the windshield. Also, eight
rapid high-pitched beeps will sound from the
front. When this Collision Alert occurs, the
brake system may prepare for driver braking
to occur more rapidly which can cause a
brief, mild deceleration. Continue to apply
the brake pedal as needed. Cruise control
may be disengaged when the Collision Alert
occurs.
Selecting the Alert Timing
The Collision Alert control is on the steering
wheel. Press
[to set the FCA timing to
far, medium, or near, or on some vehicles,
Off. The first button press shows the current
setting on the DIC. Additional button presses
will change this setting. The chosen setting
will remain until it is changed. The timing of
alerts will vary based on vehicle speed. The
faster the vehicle speed, the farther away
the alert will occur. Consider traffic and
weather conditions when selecting the alert
timing. The range of selectable alert timings
may not be appropriate for all drivers and
driving conditions.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
304 Index
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
CompartmentsStorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Control
Traction and Electronic Stability . . . . . . . 185
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Controls Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106, 139
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . 287
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Covers Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Cruise Control (cont'd)
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Customer Information
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . 289
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . 282
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Data Collection Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Door (cont'd)
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183, 219
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Driving
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Driving the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
E
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Electrical System Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 227
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Index 307
Lights (cont'd)Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Check Engine (Malfunction Indicator) . . . 81
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
StabiliTrak OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Media Avoiding Untrusted Devices . . . . . . . . 113, 144
Messages Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Messaging Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Mirrors
Automatic Dimming Rearview . . . . . . . . . . 20
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Mirrors (cont'd)
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113, 144
N
Navigation Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . 295
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295