climate control BUICK ENCORE 2016 Owner's Guide

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
140 Climate Controls
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 Mirrors036.
Caution
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 047.
((Heated Steering Wheel, If
Equipped) : Press to turn the
heated steering wheel on or off. See
Heated Steering Wheel 095.
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 029 and Heated Front
Seats 047.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.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
Climate Controls 141
Air Vents
Use the louvers located on the air
vents to change the direction of the
airflow.
Use the thumbwheels near the air
vents to control the amount of
airflow or to shut off the airflow.
Operation Tips
.Keep all outlets open whenever
possible for best system
performance.
. Keep the paths under all seats
clear of objects to help circulate
the air inside the vehicle more
effectively.
. Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Maintenance
Air Intake
Clear away any ice, snow, or leaves
from the air intake at the base of the
windshield that can block the flow of
air into the vehicle.
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter removes dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
See Maintenance Schedule 0263.
To find out what type of filter to use,
see Maintenance Replacement
Parts 0273.
1. Open the glove box completely and disconnect the damper on
the outboard side.2. Push in both sides of the glovebox and pull to remove.
3. Open the filter cover by releasing tabs on both sides
and pulling up the cover.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
142 Climate Controls
4. Replace the air filter.
5. Close the air filter cover andreinstall the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
Driving and Operating 145
.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. Refer to the infotainment
manual for more information on 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 safety belt. See Safety
Belts 053.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
. Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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150 Driving and Operating
{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 snow:. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0163.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running 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 0168.
{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

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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158 Driving and Operating
then stops again, do the same
thing. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do
not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Stop/Start System
{Warning
Exiting the vehicle without first
shifting into P (Park) may cause
the vehicle to move. You or others
may be injured. Because the
vehicle has the auto engine stop/
start feature, the vehicle's engine
might seem to be shut off;
however, once the brake pedal is
released, the engine will start up
again.
Shift to P (Park) and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF, before
exiting the vehicle.The stop/start system helps to save
fuel and to reduce the exhaust
emissions.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When
stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See
Tachometer
0 102. When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal
pushed, the engine will restart.
Auto Stop may be deactivated if:
. A minimum vehicle speed is not
reached.
. The engine or transmission is
not at the required operating
temperature.
. The shift lever is in any gear
other than D (Drive).
. The battery charge is low. .
The interior comfort level has not
reached the required level for
the climate control system or
defog settings. See Dual
Automatic Climate Control
System 0137.
. The Auto Stop time is greater
than two minutes.
Engine Heater
Vehicles with the 1.4L engine may
have an engine heater. The engine
heater can help in cold weather
conditions at or below −18 °C (0 °F)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the heater at least four hours
before starting the vehicle. An
internal thermostat in the plug-end
of the cord will prevent engine
heater operation at temperatures
above −18 °C (0 °F).

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
238 Vehicle Care
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from thenorm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistanceto the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234779) - 2016 - CRC - 1/5/16
310 Index
Automatic (cont'd)Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
B
BatteryPower Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Battery - North America . . . . 207, 246
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 209
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 108
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 155
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 213
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .188, 207, 246
Camera Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Management System . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . 91
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 106
Check
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 208
Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 72
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83, 85
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 134 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 285
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

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Index 311
CompartmentsStorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Control Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Engine Temperature Gauge . . 103
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 280 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 Customer Information
Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 287
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 285
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 290
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 277
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 166, 208
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Driving
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 23
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 148
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 150
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Driving the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
E
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Electrical System Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 215
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

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Index 317
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 83, 85
SecurityOnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Service Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 134
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 189
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 274
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 275
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 284
Services Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Shifting
Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . 178 Signals, Turn and
Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Special Application Services . . . . 269
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Power, Warning Lights . . . . . . . . 109
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Storage Areas Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Cargo Management System . . . . 91
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Sunglasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Underseat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . 89
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Sunglass Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System
Forward CollisionAlert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133, 291
Roof Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 280
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 35
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233