2024 BUICK ENCORE GX cruise control

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Driving and Operating 153
.On AWD vehicles, seeAll-Wheel Drive
0 171.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long periods
of time.
.When road and weather conditions are
appropriate, use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed limits or
drive more slowly when conditions
require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
.Combine several trips into a single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with the same
TPC Spec number molded into the tire's
sidewall near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and can
take your focus from the task of driving.
Exercise good judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away from
the road. Many local governments have
enacted laws regarding driver distraction.
Become familiar with the local laws in
your area. To avoid distracted driving, keep your eyes
on the road, keep your hands on the
steering wheel, and focus your attention on
driving.
.Do not use a phone in demanding driving
situations. Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read, take notes,
or look up information on phones or
other electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat passenger to
handle potential distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle features
before driving, such as programming
favorite radio stations and adjusting
climate control and seat settings. Program
all trip information into any navigation
device prior to driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked to
retrieve items that have fallen to the
floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend to
children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate carrier or
restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations while
driving, whether with a passenger or on a
cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too long or
too often could cause a crash resulting in
injury or death. Focus your attention on
driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for more
information on using that system and the
navigation system, if equipped, including
pairing and using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means to always expect
the unexpected. The first step in driving
defensively is to wear a seat belt. See Seat
Belts 048.
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers)
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they may do
and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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156 Driving and Operating
If the vehicle starts to skid, 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,
but if it skids again from oversteer, be
ready to correct another skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your driving
according to weather conditions. Stopping
distance may be longer and vehicle
control may be affected when traction is
reduced by water, snow, ice, gravel,
or other material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues—such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow on the
road to make a mirrored surface —and
slow down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle
speed by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle
traction and affect your ability to stop and
accelerate. Always drive slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid driving
through large puddles and deep-standing or
flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They
might not work as well in a quick stop
and could cause pulling to one side. You
could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of
water or a car/vehicle wash, lightly apply
the brake pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. Driving through flowing water
could cause the vehicle to be carried
away. If this happens, you and other
vehicle occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be very
cautious about trying to drive through
flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build
up under the vehicle's tires so they actually
ride on the water. This can happen if theroad is wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow
down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather
driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping equipment in
good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir
filled.
.Have good tires with proper tread depth.
See
Tires 0248.
.Turn off cruise control.
.Activate All-Wheel Drive (AWD) mode. See
All-Wheel Drive 0171.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains
is different than driving on flat or rolling
terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in good
shape.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 157
.Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires,
cooling system, and transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the vehicle on a
long downhill slope can cause brake
overheating, can reduce brake
performance, and could result in a loss of
braking. Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the brakes
on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. This can
cause overheating of the brakes and loss
of steering assist. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear.
.Drive at speeds that keep the vehicle in
its own lane. Do not swing wide or cross
the center line.
.Be alert on top of hills; something could
be in your lane (e.g., stalled car, crash).
.Pay attention to special road signs
(e.g., falling rocks area, winding roads,
long grades, passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
.Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Mode. See
All-Wheel Drive0171.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Caution
To avoid damage to the wheels and
brake components, always clear snow and
ice from inside the wheels and
underneath the vehicle before driving.
Snow or ice between the tires and the road
creates less traction or grip, so drive
carefully. Wet ice can occur at about 0 °C
(32 °F) when freezing rain begins to fall.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the
surface under the tires slick.
.Turn on Traction Control. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control 0174.
.The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves
vehicle stability during hard stops, but
the brakes should be applied sooner than
when on dry pavement. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) 0172.
.Allow greater following distance and
watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in shaded
areas. The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden
steering maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
.Turn off cruise control.
.Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Mode. See
All-Wheel Drive 0171.
Cold Weather Mode
In very low temperatures, a cold weather
message may display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). The engine speed,
transmission shift patterns, and cabin fan
speed may operate differently to enable the
vehicle to warm up quicker. You can
manually override the cabin fan speed in
cold weather mode.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 171
Manual Mode
Electronic Range Select (ERS) Mode
ERS or manual mode allows for the selection
of the range of gear positions. Use this
mode when driving downhill or towing a
trailer to limit the top gear and vehicle
speed. The shift position indicator within the
Driver Information Center (DIC) will display a
number next to the L indicating the highest
available gear under manual mode and the
driving conditions when manual mode was
selected.
To use this feature:1. Move the shift lever to L (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button on the shift lever, to increase or decrease the gear
range available.
When shifting to L (Manual Mode), the
transmission will shift to a preset lower gear
range. For this preset range, the highest
gear available is displayed next to the L in
the DIC. See Driver Information Center (DIC)
0 109 for more information. All gears below
that number are available to use. For
example, when 4 (Fourth) is shown next to
the L, 1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears are
shifted automatically. To shift to 5 (Fifth)
gear, press the + (Plus) button or shift into
D (Drive).
L (Manual Mode) will prevent shifting to a
lower gear range if the engine speed is too
high. If vehicle speed is not reduced within
the time allowed, the lower gear range shift
will not be completed. Slow the vehicle,
then press the −(Minus) button to the
desired lower gear range.
While using the ERS, cruise control can
be used.Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
Vehicles with this feature can operate in
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Mode.
The AWD system delivers power to all four
wheels and the system adjusts as needed to
improve traction.
Press the AWD button on the center console
to activate the system. The AWD light will
flash briefly while the system is engaging
and stay lit to indicate AWD is active. Press
the button again to disable the system. The
light will flash briefly while the system
disables and then stay off.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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174 Driving and Operating
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
0 153.
When the vehicle is stopped on a grade, Hill
Start Assist (HSA) 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. HSA
brake hold duration may be selectable.
Standard Hold automatically releases the
brakes after a few seconds. Extended Hold
applies the Electric Parking Brake if the
accelerator pedal is not applied within a few
minutes. If hold duration is selectable, see
"Extended Hill Start Assist" in Settings >
Vehicle > Collision / Detection Systems. 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 TCS 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.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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176 Driving and Operating
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).
{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.
With the Traction Control System (TCS) or
StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability Control (ESC),
the system may begin to limit wheel spin
while you are using cruise control. If this
happens, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control 0174. If a
collision alert occurs when cruise control is activated, cruise control is disengaged. See
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System
0193.
When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, cruise control can be turned
back on.
Cruise control will disengage if either TCS or
StabiliTrak/ESC is turned off.
If the brakes are applied, cruise control
disengages.
If equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC), the cruise control system may
automatically brake to slow the vehicle
down to maintain the set following gap
between you and the vehicle in front of you
or while navigating a sharp turn.
5: Press to turn the cruise control system
on and off. A white indicator comes on in
the instrument cluster when cruise is
turned on.
*: Press to disengage cruise control
without erasing the set speed from memory.
+RES : If there is a set speed in memory,
press up briefly to resume that speed or
press and hold to accelerate. If cruise control
is already active, use to increase vehicle
speed.
−SET : Press down briefly to set the speed
and activate cruise control. If cruise control
is already active, use to decrease vehicle
speed.
Setting Cruise Control
If
5is on when not in use, −SET or +RES
could get bumped and go into cruise when
not desired. Keep
5off when cruise is not
being used.
To set a speed:
1. Press
5to turn the cruise system on.
2. Get to the speed desired.
3. Press −SET down and release. The desired
set speed briefly appears in the
instrument cluster.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 177
4. Remove your foot from the acceleratorpedal.
The cruise control indicator on the
instrument cluster turns green after cruise
control has been set to the desired speed.
See Instrument Cluster 097.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a desired speed
and then the brakes are applied or
*is
pressed, the cruise control is disengaged
without erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed reaches about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more, briefly press
+RES up. The vehicle returns to the previous
set speed.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is already
activated:
.Press and hold +RES up until the vehicle
accelerates to the desired speed, then
release it.
.To increase the speed in small increments,
briefly press +RES up. 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
Instrument Cluster
097. The increment
value used depends on the units displayed.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is already
activated:
.Press and hold −SET down until the
desired lower speed is reached, then
release it.
.To slow down in small increments, briefly
press −SET down. 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
Instrument Cluster 097. 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 will slow down to the
previous set cruise speed. While pressing the
accelerator pedal or shortly following the
release to override cruise control, briefly
pressing −SET down will result in cruise
control set to the current vehicle speed. Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works on hills
depends upon 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:
.Step lightly on the brake pedal.
.Press*.
.Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
.To turn off cruise control, press5.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is erased from
memory if
5is pressed or if the ignition is
turned off.
Adaptive Cruise Control (Camera)
If equipped, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
allows the cruise control set speed and
following gap to be selected. Read this
entire section before using this system. The

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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178 Driving and Operating
following gap is the following time between
your vehicle and a vehicle detected directly
ahead in your path, moving in the same
direction. If no vehicle is detected in your
path, ACC works like regular cruise control.
ACC uses a windshield mounted front
camera sensor.
If a vehicle is detected in your path, ACC can
apply acceleration or limited, moderate
braking to maintain the selected following
gap. To disengage ACC, apply the brake.
If ACC is controlling the vehicle speed when
the Traction Control System (TCS) or
StabiliTrak/ Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system activates, ACC may automatically
disengage. SeeTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0174. When road
conditions allow ACC to be safely used, ACC
can be turned back on. Disabling the TCS or
StabiliTrak/ ESC system will disengage and
prevent engagement of ACC.
ACC can reduce the need for you to
frequently brake and accelerate, especially
when used on expressways, freeways, and
interstate highways. When used on other
roads, you may need to take over the
control of braking or acceleration more
often.{Warning
ACC has limited braking ability and may
not have time to slow the vehicle down
enough to avoid a collision with another
vehicle you are following. This can occur
when vehicles suddenly slow or stop
ahead, or enter your lane. Also see
“Alerting the Driver” later in this section.
Complete attention is always required
while driving and you should be ready to
take action and apply the brakes. See
Defensive Driving 0153
{Warning
ACC will not detect or brake for children,
pedestrians, animals, or other objects.
Do not use ACC when:
.On winding and hilly roads or when
the camera sensor is blocked by snow,
ice, or dirt. The system may not
detect a vehicle ahead. Keep the
windshield and headlamps clean.
.When visibility is poor due to rain,
snow, fog, dirt, insect residue, or dust;
when other foreign objects obscure
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the camera’s view; or when the
vehicle in front or oncoming traffic
causes additional environmental
obstructions, such as road spray. ACC
performance is limited under these
conditions.
.On slippery roads where fast changes
in tire traction can cause excessive
wheel slip.
.With extremely heavy cargo loaded in
the cargo area or rear seat.
.When towing a trailer.