tow BUICK ENCORE 2015 Owner's Guide

Black plate (11,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Instruments and Controls 5-11
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the indicator needle moves to the
hot side of the gauge toward the
shaded area, the engine is too hot.
If the vehicle has been operated
under normal driving conditions, pull
off the road, stop the vehicle, and
turn off the engine as soon as
possible.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
The vehicle may also have a
passenger safety belt reminder light.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind passengers to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle continues several times if
the front passenger remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the front passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.
The front passenger safety belt
reminder light and chime may turn
on if an object is put on the seat

Black plate (16,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
5-16 Instruments and Controls
systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered not
ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has
recently been replaced or run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working
MetricEnglish
The brake indicator light should
come on briefly as the engine is
started. If it does not come on have
the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected
immediately.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
If the light comes on while driving, a
chime sounds. Pull off the road and
stop. The pedal might be harder to
push or go closer to the floor.
It might also take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 10-65.

Black plate (2,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
6-2 Lighting
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.
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.

Black plate (1,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-14
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-22
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Driver Assistance Systems
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-42
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45

Black plate (9,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Driving and Operating 9-9
Warning (Continued)
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems.”
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9-21.
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.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
on page 9-27.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10-65.

Black plate (11,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Driving and Operating 9-11
“Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit–
1.Locate the statement "The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the "XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargoand luggage load capacity is
650 lbs. (1400-750 (5 x 150)
= 650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.”
This vehicle is neither designed
nor intended to tow a trailer.Example 1
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 2 =
136 kg (300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).

Black plate (19,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Driving and Operating 9-19
the radio will continue to work for
10 minutes, or until the driver door is
opened.
Shifting Into Park
1. Hold the brake pedal down andset the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 9-26.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pressing the button on the
shift lever and pushing the lever
all the way toward the front of
the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running (Automatic
Transmission)
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9-19. If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the
brake pedal down. Then see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pushing the
button on the shift lever. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock (Automatic
Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called
“torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave

Black plate (23,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Driving and Operating 9-23
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park on
page 9-19.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. The regular brake must be
fully applied first and then the shift
lever button pressed before shifting
from P (Park) when the ignition key is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever, then push the shift lever
all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then
press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into another
gear. See
Shifting out of Park on
page 9-20.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up.
{Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle Is Stuck on page 9-9. N (Neutral):
In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart the engine when
the vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when the vehicle is
being towed.
The vehicle has an automatic
neutral shift feature which allows the
transmission to automatically shift to
N (Neutral) when the vehicle is
stopped with a forward gear
engaged. The reduced load on the
engine improves vehicle fuel
economy.
{Warning
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.

Black plate (30,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
9-30 Driving and Operating
control will automatically disengage.
SeeTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-27. If a
collision alert occurs when cruise
control is activated, cruise control is
disengaged. See Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) System on page 9-32.
When road conditions allow you to
safely use it again, cruise control
can be turned back on.
If the brakes are applied, cruise
control disengages.o(On/Off): Press to turn the
cruise control system on or off.
A white indicator comes in the
instrument cluster when cruise is
turned on.
RES/+ (Resume/Accel): If there is
a set speed in memory, move the
thumbwheel up briefly to resume to
that speed or hold upward to
accelerate. If cruise control is
already active, use to increase
vehicle speed.
SET/− (Set/Coast): Move the
thumbwheel down briefly to set the
speed and activate cruise control.
If cruise control is already active,
use to decrease speed.
n(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory. Setting Cruise Control
If
ois on when not in use, SET/- or
RES/+ could get bumped and go
into cruise when not desired.
Keep
ooff when cruise control is
not being used.
To set a speed:
1. Press
oto turn cruise
control on.
2. Get up to the speed desired.
3. Move the thumbwheel down toward SET/− and release it.
4. Remove your foot from the accelerator.
The cruise control indicator on the
instrument cluster turns green after
cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. See Instrument
Cluster on page 5-8.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied or
nis pressed, the

Black plate (31,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707490) - 2015 - crc - 2/4/15
Driving and Operating 9-31
cruise control is disengaged without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed is about
40 km/h (25 mph) or greater, move
the thumbwheel up toward RES/+
briefly. The vehicle returns to the
previously set speed.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Move the thumbwheel up toward
RES/+ and hold it until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in
small increments, move the
thumbwheel up toward RES/+
briefly. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) faster.The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5-22. The increment
value used depends on the units
displayed.
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Move the thumbwheel toward
SET/− and hold until the desired
lower speed is reached, then
release it.
.To decrease the vehicle speed in
small increments, move the
thumbwheel toward SET/−
briefly. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) slower.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5-22. 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 slows down to the previous
set cruise control speed. While
pressing the accelerator pedal or
shortly following the release to
override cruise control, briefly
moving the thumbwheel toward
SET–
will result in cruise set to the
current vehicle speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well cruise control works on
hills depends on 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.