2023 BUICK ENCORE GX power steering

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
6 Introduction
1.Air Vents 0182.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals 0124.
IntelliBeam System Button (If Equipped).
See Exterior Lamp Controls 0121.
3. Instrument Cluster 093.
Driver Information Center (DIC) Display.
See Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 0108 or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0 110.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer 085.
5. Light Sensor. See Automatic Headlamp
System 0123.
Anti-Theft Alarm System. See Vehicle
Alarm System 025.
6. Hazard Warning Flashers 0124.
7. Infotainment Controls. See Overview
0 129.
8. Climate Control Systems 0177.
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
0 179.
Heated Front Seats 041. (If Equipped).
9. Power Outlets 088.
10. Wireless Charging 090 (If Equipped). 11. Auto Stop Disable Switch. See
Stop/Start
System 0196.
All-Wheel Drive Button (If Equipped).
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0235 (If
Equipped).
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0208.
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing
0 222 (If Equipped).
12. Electric Parking Brake 0206.
13. Shift Lever. See Automatic Transmission
0 202.
14. USB Port 0137.
Auxiliary Jack 0139.
15. ENGINE START/STOP Button. See Ignition
Positions 0194.
16. Steering Wheel Controls 0130.
17. Horn 085.
18. Steering Wheel Adjustment 085 (Out
of View).
19. Cruise Control 0209.
Adaptive Cruise Control (Camera) 0211 (If
Equipped).
Heated Steering Wheel 085 (If
Equipped). Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System
0
227 (If Equipped).
20. Head-Up Display Controls (HUD) (If Equipped). See Head-Up Display (HUD)
0 113.
21. Hood Release. See Hood0251.
22. Exterior Lamp Controls 0121.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
84 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . 97
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . 99
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 102 Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 103
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
All-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Traction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Engine Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Universal Remote System Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Universal Remote System Operation . . . 119

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Lighting 121
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . 122
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . 123
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . 123
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . 124
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Battery Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . 127
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the steering
column.
There are four positions.
O: Turns the exterior lamps off and
deactivates the AUTO mode. Turn
Oagain
to reactivate the AUTO mode.
In Canada, the headlamps will automatically
reactivate when the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park). AUTO :
Turns the exterior lamps on and off
automatically depending on outside lighting.
;: Turns on the parking lamps including
all lamps, except the headlamps.
5: Turns on the headlamps together with
the parking lamps and instrument panel
lights.
IntelliBeam®System
If equipped, this system turns the vehicle's
high-beam headlamps on and off according
to surrounding traffic conditions.
The system turns the high-beam headlamps
on when it is dark enough and there is no
other traffic present.
This light comes on in the instrument
cluster when the IntelliBeam system is
enabled.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Driving and Operating 183
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 184
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . 200
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . 201
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 202
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 205
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Adaptive Cruise Control (Camera) . . . . . . 211
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Surround Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . 225
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . 227
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 239
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . . . . . . . 240

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
186 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs and then
driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment
can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol or drugs. You can have a
serious—or even fatal —collision if you
drive after drinking or taking drugs.
Do not drive while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs, or ride with a driver
who has been drinking or is impaired by
drugs. Find alternate transportation
home; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will remain sober.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating are
important factors in helping to control a
vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time. Deciding to push the brake
pedal is perception time. Actually doing it is
reaction time. Average driver reaction time is about
three-quarters of a second. In that time, a
vehicle moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
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 at speeds greater than
3 km/h (1 mph). Use care when driving
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
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.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Driving and Operating 187
If the steering wheel is turned as far as it
can turn and is held with force in that
position for an extended period of time,
power steering assist may be reduced.
See your dealer if there is a problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady speed
through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of the curve
before accelerating gently into the
straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when steering
around a problem may be more effective
than braking.
.Holding both sides of the steering wheel
allows you to turn 180 degrees without
removing a hand.
.The Antilock Brake System (ABS) allows
steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while
driving. Follow these tips:1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer the
vehicle so that it straddles the edge of
the pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three control
systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not rolling.
.Steering or Cornering Skid —too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much throttle
causes the driving wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions,
and by not overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow these
suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the accelerator pedal
and steer the way you want the vehicle
to go. The vehicle may straighten out. Be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your driving
according to weather conditions. Stopping
distance can be longer and vehicle control
can be affected when traction is reduced
by water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to recognize

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
194 Driving and Operating
Caution (Continued)
.Do not tow a trailer during break-in.
SeeTrailer Towing 0243 for the trailer
towing capabilities of the vehicle and
more information.
Following break-in, engine speed and load
can be gradually increased.
On new vehicles, the various mechanical and
electrical systems experience a “break-in”
period during the first 6 400 km (4,000 mi)
of routine driving. As the vehicle is driven,
the mechanical systems adjust to provide
optimal fuel economy and transmission shift
performance.
Electrical systems will adapt and calibrate
during the break-in period. A one-time
occurrence of clicks and similar vehicle
noises is normal during this process.
Normal driving charges the vehicle’s battery
to achieve the best operation of the vehicle,
including fuel economy and the Stop/Start
System. See Stop/Start System 0196.
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an electronic keyless ignition
with pushbutton start.
The remote key must be in the vehicle for
the system to operate. If the pushbutton
start is not working, the vehicle may be
near a strong radio antenna signal causing
interference to the Keyless Access system.
See Remote Key Operation 08.
Stopping the Engine/Off (No Indicator
Lights)
When the vehicle is stopped, press ENGINE
START/STOP once to turn the engine off.
To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle must be
on and the brake pedal must be applied. 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) 0200
If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the ignition
will return to accessory mode and display
the message SHIFT TO PARK in the Driver
Information Center (DIC).
When the vehicle is shifted into P (Park), the
ignition system will turn off.
The vehicle may have an electric steering
column lock. The lock is activated when the
vehicle is turned off and either front door is
opened. A sound may be heard as the lock
actuates or releases. The steering column
lock may not release with the wheels turned
off center. If this happens, the vehicle may
not start. Move the steering wheel from left
to right while attempting to start the
vehicle. If this does not work, the vehicle
needs service.
Do not turn the engine 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 turned off in an
emergency:

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Driving and Operating 195
1. Brake using a firm and 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 electric parking brake. See Electric
Parking Brake 0206
{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 turned off while driving, press and
hold ENGINE START/ STOP for longer than
two seconds, or press twice in five seconds.
Accessory Mode (Amber Indicator Light)
This mode allows you to use some electrical
accessories when the engine is off. With the ignition off, pressing the button
one time without the brake pedal applied
will place the ignition system in
accessory mode.
The ignition will switch from accessory to
OFF after five minutes to prevent battery
rundown.
ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator Light)
This mode is for driving and starting. With
the ignition off and the brake pedal applied,
pressing the button once will place the
ignition system in ON/RUN/START. Once
engine cranking begins, release the button.
Engine cranking will continue until the
engine starts. See
Starting the Engine 0195.
The ignition will then remain on.
Service Mode
This power mode is available for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction indicator lamp
as may be required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off and the brake
pedal not applied, pressing and holding the
button for more than five seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Mode. The instruments
and audio systems will operate when the
vehicle is on, but the vehicle will not be able to be driven. The engine will not start in
Service Mode. Press the button again to turn
the vehicle off.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start in any
other position. To restart the engine when
the vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could
damage the transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or accessories,
you could change the way the engine
operates. Any resulting damage would
not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
See
Add-On Electrical Equipment 0248.