instrument panel BUICK ENCORE 2013 Owner's Guide

Black plate (2,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
6-2 Lighting
#(Front Fog Lamps):For
vehicles with fog lamps, press to
turn the lamps on or off.
See Front Fog Lamps on page 6-4.
When the lights are on,
;will be
lit. See Lamps On Reminder on
page 5-22.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
3(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer): Push the turn signal
lever away from you and release, to
turn the high beams on. To return to low beams, push the
lever again or pull it toward you and
release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever all the way toward
you. Then release it.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps can make
it easier for others to see the front of
your vehicle during the day. Fully
functional daytime running lamps
are required on all vehicles first sold
in Canada.A light sensor on top of the
instrument panel makes the DRL
work, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system makes the
low-beam headlamps come on at a
reduced brightness when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is in the ON/
RUN mode.
.The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
.The engine is running.
When the DRL are on, only the
low-beam headlamps, at a reduced
level of brightness, will be on. The
taillamps, sidemarker, instrument
panel, and other lamps will not
be on.
The headlamps automatically
change from DRL to the regular
headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings. The
other lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.

Black plate (3,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Lighting 6-3
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps go off and the DRL
come on.
To turn the DRL off or on again, turn
the exterior lamp control to the off
position and then release. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, the
DRL cannot be turned off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside and
the exterior lamp control is in the
automatic position, the headlamps
come on automatically. SeeExterior
Lamp Controls on page 6-1.The vehicle has a light sensor on
top of the instrument panel. Make
sure it is not covered, or the
headlamps will be on when they are
not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
P
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press and momentarily hold this
button to make the front and rear
turn signal lamps flash on and off.
This warns others that you are

Black plate (4,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
6-4 Lighting
having trouble. Press and
momentarily hold again to turn the
flashers off.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
will flash in the direction of the turn
or lane change.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. The turn signal flashes
three times.
The lever returns to its starting
position when it is released.If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
may be burned out. Replace any
burned out bulbs. If a bulb is not
burned out, check the fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10-27.
Front Fog Lamps
If the vehicle is equipped with front
fog lamps, the button is on the
outboard side of the instrument
panel.
The ignition must be on to turn on
the fog lamps.
#(Front Fog Lamps):
Press to
turn the fog lamps on or off. An
indicator light on the instrument
cluster comes on when the fog
lamps are on.
The fog lamps come on together
with the parking lamps.
If the high-beam headlamps are
turned on, the fog lamps will turn off.
If the high-beam headlamps are
turned off, the fog lamps will turn
back on again.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.

Black plate (5,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Lighting 6-5
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
This feature controls the brightness
of the instrument panel controls and
infotainment display screen. The
thumbwheel is to the left of the
steering column on the instrument
panel.
D(Instrument Panel
Brightness): Move the
thumbwheel up or down and hold, to
brighten or dim the instrument panel
controls and infotainment display
screen.
Courtesy Lamps
The courtesy lamps come on
automatically when any door is
opened and the dome lamp is in the
door position.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamp controls are in the
headliner above the rear seats.
9(Dome Lamp Override): Press
to turn the lamps off, even when a
door is open.
H(Door): When the button is
returned to the middle position, the
lamps turn on automatically when a
door is opened.
R(On): Press to turn on the dome
lamps.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with front reading
lamps, they are in the overhead
console.
#or$(Reading Lamps): Press
to turn each lamp on or off.

Black plate (2,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
8-2 Climate Controls
Temperature Control:Turn the
knob clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature setting.
Air Delivery Mode Control:
Press
[,Y, orXto change the
direction of the airflow. Air delivery
mode settings can be combined. An
indicator light comes on in the
selected mode button.
[(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
Y(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
X(Defog): Air is directed to the
windshield and side window vents.
0(Defrost): Press to clear the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Air Conditioning
#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the air conditioning on or off. An
indicator light comes on. If the fan is
turned off or the outside
temperature falls below freezing, the
air conditioning compressor will
not work.
h(Recirculation): Press to turn
on the recirculation. An indicator
light comes on. Air is recirculated
inside the vehicle. It helps to quickly
cool the air inside the vehicle or
prevent outside air and odors from
entering. To improve fuel efficiency
and to cool the vehicle faster,
recirculation may be automatically
selected in warm weather when the
temperature is set to the coldest
setting. The recirculation light will
not come on. Press
hto select
recirculation; press it again to select
outside air.
Rear Window Defogger
1(Rear Defogger): Press to turn
the rear window defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger turns off
after about 10 minutes. It can also
be turned off by turning the ignition
to ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/
OFF. If turned on again it runs for
about five minutes before
turning off.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Notice: Do not use a razor blade
or sharp object to clear the inside
rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid
lines in the rear glass. These
actions may damage the rear
defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.

Black plate (4,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
8-4 Climate Controls
will not come on. Presshto
select recirculation; press it
again to select outside air.
English units can be changed to
metric units through the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5-31.
Manual Operation
9(Fan Control): Press the
lower
9button to decrease the fan
speed. Pressing the lower button
longer turns the fan and cooling off.
Press the upper
9button to
increase the fan speed. The
selected fan speed is indicated by a
number on the display screen.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
Air Delivery Modes: Press
[,Y,
or
Xto change the direction of the
airflow. Air delivery mode settings
can be combined. An indicator light
comes on in the selected mode
button. Changing the mode cancels the
automatic operation and the system
goes into manual mode. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
[(Floor):
Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
Y(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
X(Defog): Air is directed to the
windshield and side window vents.
0(Defrost): Press to clear the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the automatic air conditioning
on or off. If the fan is turned off or
the outside temperature falls below
freezing, the air conditioning
compressor will not run. Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner
runs as needed. When the indicator
light is on, the air conditioner runs
automatically to cool the air inside
the vehicle or to dry the air needed
to defog the windshield faster.
h(Recirculation):
Press to turn
on recirculation. An indicator light
comes on. Air is recirculated to
quickly cool the inside of the vehicle
or prevent outside air and odors
from entering.
Auto Defog: The climate control
system may have a sensor to
automatically detect high humidity
inside the vehicle. When high
humidity is detected, the climate
control system may adjust to
outside air supply and turn on the
air conditioner. If the climate control
system does not detect possible
window fogging, it returns to normal
operation. To turn Auto Defog off or
on, see "Climate and Air Quality"
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5-31.

Black plate (5,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Climate Controls 8-5
Rear Window Defogger
=(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger turns off
automatically after about
10 minutes. If turned on again it
runs for about five minutes before
turning off.
The rear window defogger can be
set to automatic operation; see
“Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5-31. When auto rear defog is
selected, the rear window defogger
turns on automatically when the
interior temperature is cold and the
outside temperature is about 4°C
(40°F) and below. The auto rear
defogger turns off automatically
after about 10 minutes. At higher
speeds, the rear window defogger
may stay on continuously.
For vehicles with heated outside
rearview mirrors, they turn on when
the rear window defogger button is on and help to clear fog or frost from
the surface of the mirrors. See
Heated Mirrors on page 2-12.
Notice:
Do not try to clear frost
or other material from the inside
of the front windshield and rear
window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp. This
may damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect the
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
MorL(Heated Seats, If
Equipped): Press to turn the
heated seats on or off. See Heated
Front Seats on page 3-8.
((Heated Steering Wheel, If
Equipped): Press to turn the
heated steering wheel on or off. See
Heated Steering Wheel on
page 5-3.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation: For vehicles with the
remote vehicle start feature, the
climate control system may run
when the vehicle is started remotely. The system uses the driver
’s
previous settings to heat or cool the
inside of the vehicle. The rear defog
may come on during remote start
based on cold ambient conditions.
The rear defog indicator light does
not come on during a remote start.
If the vehicle has front heated seats,
they may come on during a remote
start. The heated seat indicator
lights do not come on during a
remote start. See Remote Vehicle
Start on page 2-5 andHeated Front
Seats on page 3-8.
Sensors
The solar sensor, located on top of
the instrument panel near the
windshield, monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system uses the
sensor information to adjust the
temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode
for best comfort.
If the sensor is covered, the
automatic climate control system
may not work properly.

Black plate (9,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Driving and Operating 9-9
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 on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. SeeRoadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13-7 orRoadside Assistance
Program (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13-11. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems” in
the Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9-22.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.

Black plate (1,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-2
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 10-9
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-10
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-15
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-20
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-21
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-26
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27 Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-37
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Tire Pressure Monitor
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52

Black plate (4,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
10-4 Vehicle Care
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood release handleinside the vehicle. It is located
on the lower left side of the
instrument panel.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle andmove the secondary hood
release lever toward the right
side of the vehicle.3. Lift the hood and release thehood prop from its retainer,
above the radiator. Securely
place the hood prop into the slot
on the underside of the hood.