engine BUICK ENCORE GX 2023 Owner's Guide

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Lighting 127
This feature can be changed. On the
infotainment home screen, select the
Settings icon
TVehicleTExit Lighting.
Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management
(EPM) that estimates the battery's
temperature and state of charge. It then
adjusts the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge is low,
the voltage is raised slightly to quickly bring
the charge back up. When the state of
charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the
vehicle has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information Center
(DIC), you may see the voltage move up or
down. This is normal. If there is a problem,
an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the
electrical loads are very high. This is true for
all vehicles. This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the power
needed for very high electrical loads.A high electrical load occurs when several of
the following are on, such as: headlamps,
high beams, rear window defogger, climate
control fan at high speed, heated seats,
engine cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads
plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of
the battery. It does this by balancing the
generator's output and the vehicle's
electrical needs. It can increase engine idle
speed to generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power
demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or
levels, without being noticeable. In rare
cases at the highest levels of corrective
action, this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might be
displayed and it is recommended that the
driver reduce the electrical loads as much as
possible.
Battery Power Protection
This feature helps prevent the battery from
being drained, if the interior courtesy lamps
or reading lamps are accidentally left on.
If any of these lamps are left on, they
automatically turn off after 10 minutes,
if the ignition is off. The lamps will not
come back on again until one of the
following occurs:
.The ignition is turned on.
.The doors are closed and then re-opened.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about 10 minutes
after the vehicle is turned off, if the parking
lamps or headlamps have been manually
left on. This protects against draining the
battery. To restart the 10-minute timer, turn
the exterior lamp control to the
Oposition
and then back to the
;or2position.
To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the vehicle must be on or in
accessory mode.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Infotainment System 129
Before driving:
.Become familiar with the operation,
center stack controls, steering wheel
controls, and infotainment display.
.Set up the audio by presetting favorite
stations, setting the tone, and adjusting
the speakers.
.Set up phone numbers in advance so they
can be called easily by pressing a single
control or by using a single voice
command.
See Distracted Driving 0185.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
If equipped, ANC reduces engine noise in the
vehicle’s interior. ANC requires the
factory-installed audio system, radio,
speakers, amplifier (if equipped), induction
system, and exhaust system to work
properly. Deactivation is required by your
dealer if related aftermarket equipment is
installed.
Overview
Infotainment System
The infotainment system is controlled by using the infotainment display, the controls on the
center stack, steering wheel controls.
1.{:
.Press to go to the Home Page.
2.
g:
.Radio: Press and release to fast seek
the previous strongest station or
channel. Press and hold to go to the
previous station or channel.
.USB/Bluetooth: Press to seek to the
beginning of the current or previous
track. Press and hold to quickly
reverse through a track. Release to
return to playing speed.
3.
O:
.When off, pressOto turn the
system on. Press and hold to turn off.
.When on, pressOto mute the
system and display a status pane.
Press
Oagain to unmute the system.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
148 Infotainment System
This symbol indicates the next guidance
maneuver. Touch it to repeat the last
spoken guidance instruction.
Incident Alert (If Equipped)
During active guidance, if the system
determines that there is an incident ahead
but there is not a better route, the system
will play a tone and show a Quick Notice.
This will only show once per incident.
Incident Reports (If Equipped)
Incident report icons, along with traffic flow
data, display on the map during both active
and inactive guidance.
End Route
Touch Cancel at the top right corner to end
active guidance and return to inactive
guidance. If active guidance is canceled
before the destination has been reached, a
pop-up option to Resume Trip will appear.
Resume Trip
The trip can be resumed if it was canceled
by touching the Resume Trip pop-up option.If the system has determined that the
destination has been reached, either because
the arrival view displayed or the destination
has been passed, the Resume Trip option
will not appear.
Favorites
The navigation favorites can have contacts,
addresses, or POIs that have been saved
through the favorite icon on the
details view.
Accessing Favorites
In the Nav application, view the Favorites
list by touching
Hin the search bar along
the top of the Nav map view. If the search
bar is closed, touch
}and selectH.
Saving Favorites
Favorites can be added from a number of
the system’s applications. Touch the
favorites icon to save content as a favorite.
Renaming Navigation Favorites 1. Touch the Settings icon on the Home Page and touch the System tab.
2. Touch Favorites to access the Manage Favorites option. 3. Touch a saved Navigation favorite to
access the edit icon. Touch the edit icon
to rename the favorite.
4. Touch Save to store the renamed favorite.
Recents
TouchHto access a list of recent
destinations.
Recenter Position Icon
Touch the Recenter Position arrow in the
middle of the map view to reset the map to
the current location.
Last Parked Location
The Last Parked Location is the last location
the vehicle engine was turned off. That
location is displayed in the first row of the
Recents list. Touching the last Parked
Location shows the Address Details view to
either save the address or drive to it. The
Last Parked Location can be deleted by
entering the Edit display. Once the Last
Parked Location is deleted, it no longer
appears in the Recents list, unless the
vehicle is started at that location again.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Infotainment System 169
If you decide to continue service after your
trial, your selected subscription plan will
automatically renew thereafter. You will be
charged at then-current rates. Fees and taxes
apply. Please see the SiriusXM Customer
Agreement at siriusxm.com for complete
terms and how to cancel, which includes
calling SiriusXM at 1-866-635-2349. All fees
and programming are subject to change.
Fees and Taxes: Subscription fee, taxes, one
time activation fee, and other fees may
apply. Subscription fee is consumer only. All
fees and programming subject to change.
Subscriptions subject to Customer
Agreement available at www.siriusxm.com.
SiriusXM service is only available in the
48 contiguous United States and Canada.
In Canada: Some deterioration of service
may occur in extreme northern latitudes.
This is beyond the control of SiriusXM
Satellite Radio.Explicit Language Notice: Channels with
frequent explicit language are indicated with
an
“XL” preceding the channel name.
Channel blocking is available for SiriusXM
Satellite Radio receivers by notifying
SiriusXM:.USA Customers —See www.siriusxm.com
or call 1-888-601–6296.
.Canada Customers —See
www.siriusxm.ca or call 1-877-438-9677.
It is prohibited to copy, decompile,
disassemble, reverse engineer, hack,
manipulate, or otherwise make available any
technology or software incorporated in
receivers compatible with the SiriusXM
Satellite Radio System or that support the
SiriusXM website, the Online Service or any
of its content. Furthermore, the AMBER voice
compression software included in this
product is protected by intellectual property
rights including patent rights, copyrights,
and trade secrets of Digital Voice
Systems, Inc.
General Requirements: 1. A License Agreement from SiriusXM is required for any product that
incorporates SiriusXM Technology and/or
for use of any of the SiriusXM marks to be manufactured, distributed,
or marketed in the SiriusXM
Service Area.
2. For products to be distributed, marketed, and/or sold in Canada, a separate
agreement is required with Canadian
Satellite Radio Inc. (operating as SiriusXM
Canada).
TouchSense Technology and TouchSense
System 1000 Series Licensed from
Immersion Corporation. TouchSense System
1000 protected under one or more of the
U.S. Patents at the following address
www.immersion.com/patent-marking.html
and other patents pending.
Bose
Bose AudioPilot and Bose Centerpoint
surround are registered trademarks of Bose
Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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172 Infotainment System
LICENSED TO PROVIDE VC-1 VIDEO. NO
LICENSE IS GRANTED OR SHALL BE IMPLIED
FOR ANY OTHER USE. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED
FROM MPEG LA, LLC. SEE
HTTPS://WWW.MPEGLA.COM.
MPEG4–Visual
USE OF THIS PRODUCT IN ANY MANNER
THAT COMPLIES WITH THE MPEG-4 VISUAL
STANDARD IS PROHIBITED, EXCEPT FOR USE
BY A CONSUMER ENGAGING IN PERSONAL
AND NON-COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES.
MP3
MPEG Layer-3 audio coding technology
licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson.
WMV/WMA
This product includes technology owned by
Microsoft Corporation and under a license
from Microsoft Licensing, GP. Use or
distribution of such technology outside of
this product is prohibited without a license
from Microsoft Corporation and/or Microsoft
Licensing, GP as applicable.Map End User License Agreement
END USER TERMS
The Map Data SD card (“Data”) is provided
for your personal, internal use only and not
for resale. It is protected by copyright, and
is subject to the following terms (this“End
User License Agreement”) and conditions
which are agreed to by you, on the one
hand, and HERE North America, LLC (“HERE”)
and its licensors (including their licensors
and suppliers) on the other hand.
The Data for areas of Canada includes
information taken with permission from
Canadian authorities, including: © Her
Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, ©
Queen's Printer for Ontario, © Canada Post
Corporation, GeoBase
®.
HERE holds a nonexclusive license from the
United States Postal Service
®to publish and
sell ZIP+4®information.
© United States Postal Service 2013. Prices
are not established, controlled, or approved
by the United States Postal Service. The
following trademarks and registrations are
owned by the USPS: United States Postal
Service, USPS, and ZIP+4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Personal Use Only: You agree to use this
Data for the solely personal, noncommercial
purposes for which you were licensed, and
not for service bureau, timesharing or other
similar purposes. Except as otherwise set
forth herein, you agree not to otherwise
reproduce, copy, modify, decompile,
disassemble or reverse engineer any portion
of this Data, and may not transfer or
distribute it in any form, for any purpose,
except to the extent permitted by
mandatory laws. You may transfer the Data
and all accompanying materials on a
permanent basis if you retain no copies and
the recipient agrees to the terms of this End
User License Agreement. Multi-disc sets may
only be transferred or sold as a complete
set as provided to you and not as a subset
thereof.
Restrictions
Except where you have been specifically
licensed to do so by HERE and without
limiting the preceding paragraph, you may
not (a) use this Data with any products,
systems, or applications installed or
otherwise connected to or in communication
with vehicles capable of vehicle navigation,
positioning, dispatch, real time route

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Infotainment System 175
The product you have purchased ("Product")
contains Software (Runtime Configuration
No. 505962; "Software") which is distributed
by or on behalf of the Product manufacturer
"Manufacturer") under license from Software
Systems Co. ("QSSC"). You may only use the
Software in the Product and in compliance
with the license terms below.
Subject to the terms and conditions of this
License, QSSC hereby grants you a limited,
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use
the Software in the Product for the purpose
intended by the Manufacturer. If permitted
by the Manufacturer, or by applicable law,
you may make one backup copy of the
Software as part of the Product software.
QSSC and its licensors reserve all license+C31
rights not expressly granted herein, and
retain all right, title and interest in and to
all copies of the Software, including all
intellectual property rights therein. Unless
required by applicable law you may not
reproduce, distribute or transfer,
or de-compile, disassemble or otherwise
attempt to unbundle, reverse engineer,
modify or create derivative works of, the
Software. You agree: (1) not to remove,
cover or alter any proprietary notices, labels
or marks in or on the Software, and to
ensure that all copies bear any noticecontained on the original; and (2) not to
export the Product or the Software in
contravention of applicable export
control laws.
EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT OTHERWISE
REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW, QSSC AND
ITS LICENSORS PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE ON
AN "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR
CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES OR
CONDITIONS OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ANY WARRANTIES OR
OTHER PROVISIONS OFFERED BY THE
MANUFACTURER OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR(S)
THAT DIFFER FROM THIS LICENSE ARE
OFFERED BY THE MANUFACTURER OR ITS
DISTRIBUTOR(S) ALONE AND NOT BY QSSC,
ITS AFFILIATES OR THEIR LICENSORS. YOU
ASSUME ANY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR
USE OF THE SOFTWARE UNDER THIS LICENSE.
EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT OTHERWISE
REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW (SUCH AS IN
THE CASE OF DELIBERATE OR GROSSLY
NEGLIGENT ACTS), IN NO EVENT SHALL QSSC,
ITS AFFILIATES OR THEIR LICENSORS BE
LIABLE TO YOU UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY,
WHETHER IN TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE),
CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE, FOR DAMAGES,
INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
OF ANY CHARACTER ARISING AS A RESULT OF
THIS LICENSE OR OUT OF THE USE OR
INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT (INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES FOR LOSS
OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, PRODUCT
FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY AND ALL
OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES),
EVEN IF QSSC, ITS AFFILIATES OR THEIR
LICENSORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
WMA
This product is protected by certain
intellectual property rights of Microsoft. Use
or distribution of such technology outside of
this product is prohibited without a license
from Microsoft.
For more information on the Software,
including any open source software license
terms (and available source code) as well as
copyright attributions applicable to the
Runtime Configuration indicated above,
please contact the Manufacturer or contact
QSSC at 175 Terence Matthews Crescent,
Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2M 1W8
(licensing@qnx.com).

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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-
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184 Driving and Operating
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . 248
Driving Information
Driver Behavior
Driving is an important responsibility. Driver
behavior, the driving environment, and the
vehicle's design all affect how well a vehicle
performs.
Being aware of these factors can help in
understanding how the vehicle handles and
what can be done to avoid many types of
crashes, including a rollover crash.
Most serious injuries and fatalities to
unbelted occupants can be reduced or
prevented by the use of seat belts. In a
rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt. In addition,
avoiding excessive speed, sudden or abrupt
turns, impaired driving, and aggressive
driving can help make trips safer and avoid
the possibility of a crash.
Driving Environment
Be prepared for driving in inclement
weather, at night, or during other times
where visibility or traction may be limited, such as on curves, slippery roads, or hilly
terrain. Unfamiliar surroundings can also
have hidden hazards.
Vehicle Design
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
This is because they have a higher ground
clearance and a narrower track or shorter
wheelbase than passenger cars. While these
design characteristics provide the driver with
a better view of the road, these vehicles do
have a higher center of gravity than other
types of vehicles. A utility vehicle does not
handle the same as a vehicle with a lower
center of gravity, like a car, in similar
situations.
Safe driver behavior and understanding of
the environment can help avoid a rollover
crash in any type of vehicle, including utility
vehicles.
Driving for Better Fuel Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage. Here
are some driving tips to get the best fuel
economy possible.
.Set the climate controls to the desired
temperature after the engine is started,
or turn them off when not required.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 185
.On AWD vehicles, seeAll-Wheel Drive
0 205.
.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 “always expect the
unexpected.” The first step in driving
defensively is to wear the seat belt. See
Seat Belts 044.
.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
you and the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Impaired Driving
Death and injury associated with impaired
driving is a global tragedy.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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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.