winter tires BUICK ENCORE 2020 Owner's Manual

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Driving and Operating 145
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0220.
. Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.
Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels, brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering assist. Always
have the engine running and the
vehicle in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, crash). .
Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0165.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
186 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 187
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 188
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 194
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 196
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 200
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Battery - North America . . . . . . 204
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 204
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 205
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 206
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 207
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . 208
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 209
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 212
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 212
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 213
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 222
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 238
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Vehicle Care 221
Warning (Continued)
.Replace any tires that
have been damaged by
impacts with potholes,
curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only
the dealer or an
authorized tire service
center should repair,
replace, dismount, and
mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 56 km/h
(35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. Excessive
spinning may cause the
tires to explode.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with
all-season tires. These tires are
designed to provide good overall
performance on most road surfacesand weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be
“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of
traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See Winter Tires 0221.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered
roads is expected. See your dealer for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see
Buying New Tires 0234.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
. Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
. Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Vehicle Care 235
will be followed by MS for mud
and snow. SeeTire Sidewall
Labeling 0222.
GM recommends replacing worn
tires in complete sets of four.
Uniform tread depth on all tires
will help to maintain the
performance of the vehicle.
Braking and handling
performance may be adversely
affected if all the tires are not
replaced at the same time.
If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires should wear out at
about the same time. See Tire
Rotation 0232. However, if it is
necessary to replace only one
axle set of worn tires, place the
new tires on the rear axle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter tires’
maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
{Warning
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0228.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
236 Vehicle Care
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. SeeVehicle Load Limits
0 147.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0234 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 188.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
284 Customer Information
driven. Assistance is not given
when the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, or snow.
. 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.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty
event, incidental expenses may
be reimbursed within the
Powertrain warranty period.
Items considered are reasonable
and customary hotel, meals,
rental car, or a vehicle being
delivered back to the customer,
up to 500 miles.
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.
Service is not provided if a vehicle
is in an area that is not accessible
to the service vehicle or is not a
regularly traveled or maintained
public road, which includes ice and
winter roads. Off-road use is not
covered.
Services Specific to
Canadian-Purchased Vehicles
. Fuel Delivery: Reimbursement
is up to 7 liters. 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
150 km from where your trip was
started to qualify.
Pre-authorization, original
detailed receipts, and a copy of
the repair orders are required. 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
When the vehicle requires warranty
service, contact your dealer and
request an appointment. By
scheduling a service appointment
and advising the service consultant

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Index 303
AutomaticDoor Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
B
BatteryExterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Battery - North America . . . . 204, 245
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 206
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 105
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 151
Bulb Replacement Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 212
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Backup Lamps . . . . . . . . . . 210
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .187, 204, 245, Back Cover
Camera
Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Carbon Monoxide (cont'd)
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Management System . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . 84
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 101
Check Engine Light
(Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101, 103
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 64
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78, 80
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 130
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
Index 311
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 282
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 21
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 229
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 228
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Terminology and Definitions . . 224
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Tires (cont'd)
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 238
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Towing General Information . . . . . . . . . . 184
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 249
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Traction Control System(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . 107
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
U
Underseat Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 236
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 119Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 275
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 106
Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13710474) -
2020 - CRC - 10/7/19
312 Index
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
W
WarningBrake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 178
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Wheels
Alignment and Tire Balance . . 238
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . 68
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Winter
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . 206
Wipers Rear Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91