towing BUICK ENCORE 2013 User Guide

Black plate (65,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Vehicle Care 10-65
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational vehicle
towing:
.What is the towing capacity of
the towing vehicle? Be sure to
read the tow vehicle
manufacturer's
recommendations.
.What is the distance that will be
traveled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.
.Is the proper towing equipment
going to be used? See your
dealer or trailering professional
for additional advice and
equipment recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be
towed? Just as preparing the
vehicle for a long trip, make sure
the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.
Dinghy Towing
Notice:If the vehicle is towed
with all four wheels on the
ground, the drivetrain
components could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do not
tow the vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground.
The vehicle was not designed to be
towed with all four wheels on the
ground.
Dolly Towing (All-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles)
All-wheel-drive vehicles must not be
towed with two wheels on the
ground. To properly tow these
vehicles, they should be placed on
a platform trailer with all four wheels
off of the ground.

Black plate (66,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
10-66 Vehicle Care
Dolly Towing
(Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles Only)
To tow a front-wheel-drive vehicle
from the front with two wheels on
the ground:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Move the shift lever to P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake.4. Clamp the steering wheel in a
straight-ahead position with a
clamping device designed for
towing.
5. Remove the key from the ignition.
6. Secure the vehicle to the dolly.
7. Release the parking brake.
Towing the Vehicle from
the Rear
Notice: Towing the vehicle from
the rear could damage it. Also,
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Never have
the vehicle towed from the rear.
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear.

Black plate (2,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
11-2 Service and Maintenance
Because of the way people use
vehicles, maintenance needs vary.
There may need to be more
frequent checks and services. The
Additional Required Services‐
Normal are for vehicles that:
.Carry passengers and cargo
within recommended limits on
the Tire and Loading Information
label. See Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9-10.
.Are driven on reasonable road
surfaces within legal driving
limits.
.Use the recommended fuel. See
Recommended Fuel on
page 9-42.
Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services ‐Normal chart. The Additional Required Services
‐
Severe are for vehicles that are:
.Mainly driven in heavy city traffic
in hot weather.
.Mainly driven in hilly or
mountainous terrain.
.Frequently towing a trailer.
.Used for high speed or
competitive driving.
.Used for taxi, police, or delivery
service.
Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services ‐Severe chart.
{WARNING
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous and can cause
serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if the
required information, proper tools,
and equipment are available.
If they are not, see your dealer to
have a trained technician do the
work. See Doing Your Own
Service Work on page 10-3.

Black plate (7,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Customer Information 13-7
.Find the Buick-recommended
maintenance services for your
vehicle.
GM Mobility
Reimbursement Program
(U.S. and Canada)
This program is available to
qualified applicants for cost
reimbursement of eligible
aftermarket adaptive equipment
required for the vehicle, such as
hand controls or a wheelchair/
scooter lift for the vehicle.
For more information on the limited
offer, visit www.gmmobility.com or
call the GM Mobility Assistance
Center at 1-800-323-9935. Text
Telephone (TTY) users, call
1-800-833-9935.General Motors of Canada also has
a Mobility Program. Call
1-800-GM-DRIVE (463-7483) for
details. TTY users call
1-800-263-3830.
Roadside Assistance
Program (Mexico)
As a new owner, your vehicle is
automatically enrolled in the
Roadside Assistance program. The
services are available at no cost
under the terms and conditions of
the program. The Roadside
Assistance program is not part of,
or included, in the coverage
provided by the new vehicle limited
warranty.
Roadside Assistance provides
assistance to the driver and
passengers while driving the vehicle
within your city of residence or on
any passable road in Mexico, the
United States, and Canada.
Services are subject to the
limitations described in the following
pages. Program coverage varies by
country.
Roadside Assistance is available
24 hours a day, 365 days of
the year.
This program expires two years
from the date of the invoice for the
vehicle, regardless of vehicle
mileage and changes in vehicle
ownership.
For more information about the
renewal of this program at the end
of its term, contact the Buick
Customer Assistance Center at
01-800-466-0818.
Services Provided
.Flat Tire Change: If unable to
change a flat tire, Roadside
Assistance will provide towing
service to the nearest authorized
Buick dealership. It is the
owner's responsibility for the
repair or replacement of the tire.

Black plate (8,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
13-8 Customer Information
This service is limited to the
transfer of the vehicle to the
repair facility.
.Emergency Fuel Delivery:
Delivery of enough fuel for the
vehicle to get to the nearest
service station.
.Lock-Out Service: Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out.
.Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery.
.*Emergency Messages:
Transmission of urgent phone
messages.
.*Emergency Calls: Call for
emergency services.
.*Dealership Location
Assistance: Information
regarding addresses and
telephone numbers for Buick
dealers.
.Emergency Towing: Tow to the
nearest dealer for warranty
service if the vehicle cannot be
driven.
If the vehicle is involved in an
accident during the commission
of a crime, administrative
violation, or breach of traffic
regulations, Roadside
Assistance will not provide
service. When the vehicle is not
accessible to be towed, all
maneuvers required to access it
will be at the owner's expense.
If the vehicle is in another city
outside of your residence,
Roadside Assistance is limited
to moving the vehicle to the
nearest dealer. If you would like
the vehicle moved to a different
dealer, you will be asked to
cover the difference in cost at
the time of the move.If the vehicle cannot be received
by the nearest Buick dealer due
to scheduling conflicts, the
vehicle will be taken to a safe
place where it will remain for up
to 48 hours until it can be taken
to the dealer. If the storage costs
exceed the amount authorized,
the owner is responsible to pay
the difference at the time of
service. Contact Roadside
Assistance for more information
on authorized amounts.

Black plate (10,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
13-10 Customer Information
Services Not Included in Roadside
Assistance
Roadside Assistance does not
cover or reimburse services for the
following:
.Events caused by fraud or bad
faith by the driver.
.Vehicle immobilization situations
due to a major force or
unforeseen circumstances, such
as natural phenomena of an
extraordinary nature,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
and other cyclonic storms.
.Vehicle immobilization situations
arising from car accidents
caused by the driver of the
vehicle or third parties. This
means any occurrence that
causes physical injury to the
occupants and/or the vehicle
caused by external forces.
.Acts of terrorism, riot or uproar,
armed forces or police actions
which prevent timely delivery of
assistance services.
.Food service, beverages,
telephone calls, or other extra
costs. Accommodation costs
apply only to Mexico per the
terms and conditions of the
Roadside Assistance program.
.Any damage to the vehicle
without intent, derived from the
services provided.
.Cost of towing a trailer when
choosing a Buick dealer that is
nearest to the temporary storage
facility for the disabled vehicle.
.Cost of all maneuvers required
to access the vehicle when it is
not available to be towed.
.Cost of fuel provided.
Routine vehicle repair costs are not
covered by the Roadside
Assistance program. For more
information, see your new vehicle
warranty. Contacting Roadside Assistance
Roadside Assistance services are of
no cost to you and available
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Costs are only incurred in situations
that exceed the limits of the
program, some of which are listed
previously in this section.
To contact Roadside Assistance by
phone, use the following numbers:
Mexico
01-800-466-0818
United States
1-866-466-8197
Canada
1-800-268-6800
E-mail
[email protected]
Buick reserves the right to make
any changes or discontinue the
Roadside Assistance program at
any time without notification.

Black plate (12,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
13-12 Customer Information
.Flat Tire Change:Service to
change a flat tire with the spare
tire. The spare tire, if equipped,
must be in good condition and
properly inflated. It is the owner's
responsibility for the repair or
replacement of the tire if it is not
covered by the warranty.
.Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance
.Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws.
.Legal fines.
.Mounting, dismounting,
or changing of snow tires,
chains, or other traction devices.
.Towing or services for vehicles
driven on a non-public road or
highway.
Services Specific to
Canadian-Purchased Vehicles
.Fuel delivery: Reimbursement
is approximately $5 Canadian.
Diesel fuel delivery may be
restricted. Propane and other
fuels are not provided through
this service.
.Lock-Out Service: Vehicle
registration is required.
.Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: Must be over
250 kilometers from where your
trip was started to qualify.
General Motors of Canada
Limited requires
pre-authorization, original
detailed receipts, and a copy of
the repair orders. Once
authorization has been received,
the Roadside Assistance advisor
will help you make arrangements
and explain how to receive
payment.
.Alternative Service: If
assistance cannot be provided
right away, the Roadside Assistance advisor may give
permission to get local
emergency road service. You will
receive payment, up to $100,
after sending the original receipt
to Roadside Assistance.
Mechanical failures may be
covered, however any cost for
parts and labor for repairs not
covered by the warranty are the
owner responsibility.
Scheduling Service
Appointments (U.S. and
Canada)
When the vehicle requires warranty
service, contact your dealer and
request an appointment. By
scheduling a service appointment
and advising the service consultant
of your transportation needs, your
dealer can help minimize your
inconvenience.
If the vehicle cannot be scheduled
into the service department
immediately, keep driving it until it
can be scheduled for service,

Black plate (15,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Customer Information 13-15
performance; however, the history of
these parts is not known. Such parts
are not covered by the GM New
Vehicle Limited Warranty, and any
related failures are not covered by
that warranty.
Aftermarket collision parts are also
available. These are made by
companies other than GM and may
not have been tested for the vehicle.
As a result, these parts may fit
poorly, exhibit premature durability/
corrosion problems, and may not
perform properly in subsequent
collisions. Aftermarket parts are not
covered by the GM New Vehicle
Limited Warranty, and any vehicle
failure related to such parts is not
covered by that warranty.
Repair Facility
GM also recommends that you
choose a collision repair facility that
meets your needs before you ever
need collision repairs. Your dealer
may have a collision repair center
with GM-trained technicians and
state‐of‐the‐art equipment, or beable to recommend a collision repair
center that has GM-trained
technicians and comparable
equipment.
Insuring the Vehicle
Protect your investment in the GM
vehicle with comprehensive and
collision insurance coverage. There
are significant differences in the
quality of coverage afforded by
various insurance policy terms.
Many insurance policies provide
reduced protection to the GM
vehicle by limiting compensation for
damage repairs through the use of
aftermarket collision parts. Some
insurance companies will not
specify aftermarket collision parts.
When purchasing insurance, we
recommend that you ensure that the
vehicle will be repaired with GM
original equipment collision parts.
If such insurance coverage is not
available from your current
insurance carrier, consider switching
to another insurance carrier.
If the vehicle is leased, the leasing
company may require you to have
insurance that ensures repairs with
Genuine GM Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) parts or
Genuine Manufacturer replacement
parts. Read the lease carefully, as
you may be charged at the end of
the lease for poor quality repairs.
If a Crash Occurs
If there has been an injury, call
emergency services for help. Do not
leave the scene of a crash until all
matters have been taken care of.
Move the vehicle only if its position
puts you in danger, or you are
instructed to move it by a police
officer.
Give only the necessary information
to police and other parties involved
in the crash.
For emergency towing see
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13-7
orRoadside
Assistance Program (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13-11.

Black plate (5,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
INDEX i-5
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Forward Collision Alert(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Front Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-43
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-21
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-43
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28 Fuses
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
G
GasolineSpecifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-3
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) Indicator Light . . . . . . . . 5-21
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-22

Black plate (9,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
INDEX i-9
Power (cont'd)Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-19
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Power Steering Warning Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Privacy
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-20
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . 13-13
Proposition 65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
R
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . . 13-20
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
Radios AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Rear Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10 Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 9-38
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . 5-4
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-11
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2, 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-12
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . 3-35
Replacing LATCH System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48 Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts after a Crash . . . 3-22
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . 13-18
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-18
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Restraints
Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Reverse Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Ride Control Systems
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Roads Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7, 13-11
Roof Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . 12-4
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23