tow BUICK ENCORE 2021 User Guide

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
66 Seats and Restraints
move it side to side and back and forth.
When the child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the airbag or airbags are off, the OFF
indicator in the passenger airbag status
indicator will come on and stay on when
the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed and
the ON indicator is lit, see “If the On
Indicator Is Lit for a Child Restraint” under
Passenger Sensing System 044.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the
vehicle seat belt and let it return to the
stowed position.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
68 Storage
Cupholders
If equipped, pull the rear seat armrest down
to access.
Underseat Storage
If equipped, there is storage under the front
passenger seat. Lift the end of the tray and
pull it forward to open. Push it in toward
the seat to close.
Center Console Storage
For vehicles with center console storage,
press the button and slide rearward to open.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
72 Instruments and Controls
Steering Wheel Controls
The infotainment system can be operated
by using the steering wheel controls. See
Steering Wheel Controls0106.
Horn
Pressaon the steering wheel pad to
sound the horn.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper/washer lever is on the
right side of the steering column.
Move the lever to one of the following
positions:
HI : Use for fast wipes.
LO : Use for slow wipes.
INT : Use this setting for intermittent wipes
or Rainsense™, if equipped. For intermittent
wipes, move the windshield wiper lever to
INT. Turn the
xINT band up for more
frequent wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
If equipped with Rainsense wipes, see
“Rainsense” later in this section.
OFF : Use to turn the wipers off.
1X : For a single wipe, briefly move the
wiper lever down. For several wipes, hold
the wiper lever down.
b: Pull the windshield wiper lever toward
you to spray windshield washer fluid and
activate the wipers. The wipers will continue
until the lever is released or the maximum
wash time is reached. When the windshield
wiper lever is released, additional wipes may
occur depending on how long the windshield washer had been activated. See
Washer
Fluid 0216 for information on filling the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Wipe Parking
If the ignition is turned off while the wipers
are on LO, HI, or INT, they will
immediately stop.
If the windshield wiper lever is then moved
to OFF before the driver door is opened or
within 10 minutes, the wipers will restart
and move to the base of the windshield.
If the ignition is turned off while the wipers
are performing wipes due to windshield
washing or Rainsense wipes, the wipers
continue to run until they reach the base of
the windshield.
{Warning
In freezing weather, do not use the
washer until the windshield is warmed.
Otherwise the washer fluid can form ice
on the windshield, blocking your vision.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
78 Instruments and Controls
English
When the ignition is on, the fuel gauge
indicates about how much fuel is left in
the tank.
There is an arrow near the fuel gauge
pointing to the side of the vehicle the fuel
door is on.
When the indicator nears empty, the low
fuel light comes on. There still is a little fuel
left, but the vehicle should be refueled soon.
Here are three things that some owners ask
about. None of these show a problem with
the fuel gauge:
.It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up
than the gauge indicated. For example,
the gauge indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a little more or
less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The gauge moves a little while turning a
corner or speeding up.
.The gauge takes a few seconds to
stabilize after the ignition is turned on,
and goes back to empty when the
ignition is turned off.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine coolant
temperature.
If the pointer moves toward the warning
area at the high end of the gauge, the
engine is too hot.
This reading indicates the same thing as the
warning light. It means that the engine
coolant has overheated. If the vehicle has
been operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as soon as
possible. See Engine Overheating 0215.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
82 Instruments and Controls
.If equipped with capped fuel fill: A loose
or missing fuel cap may cause the light
to come on. SeeFilling the Tank (Capless
Fuel Fill) 0197 or
Filling the Tank (Capped Fuel Fill) 0198.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed may turn the light off.
.Poor fuel quality can cause inefficient
engine operation and poor drivability,
which may go away once the engine is
warmed up. If this occurs, change the fuel
brand. It may require at least one full
tank of the proper fuel to turn the light
off. See Recommended Fuel 0196.
If the light remains on, see your dealer.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the test
equipment will likely connect to the
vehicle's Data Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument panel to
the left of the steering wheel. Connecting
devices that are not used to perform an
Emissions Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect vehicle
operation. See Add-On Electrical Equipment
0 200. See your dealer if assistance is
needed.
The vehicle may not pass inspection if:
.The light is on when the engine is
running.
.The light does not come on when the
ignition is in Service Mode.
.Critical emission control systems have not
been completely diagnosed. If this
happens, the vehicle would not be ready
for inspection and might require
several days of routine driving before the
system is ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if the
vehicle has been recently serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will not pass
or cannot be made ready for the test.
Brake System Warning Light
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly when the
vehicle is turned on. If it does not come on
then, have it fixed so it will be ready to
warn you if there is a problem.
When the vehicle is on, the brake system
warning light also 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 right away.
If the light comes on while driving, pull off
the road and stop carefully. The brake pedal
might be harder to push, or the brake pedal
may go closer to the floor. It could take
longer to stop. If the light is still on, have
the vehicle towed for service. See Towing
the Vehicle 0255.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Instruments and Controls 83
{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.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
This warning light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is turned on. If the light
does not come on, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn if there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving, safely
stop as soon as it is possible and turn off
the vehicle. Then turn on the vehicle again
to reset the system.If the ABS warning light stays on, or comes
on again while driving, the vehicle needs
service. A chime may also sound when the
light stays on.
If the ABS warning light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but ABS is
not functioning.
If both the ABS warning light and the brake
system warning light are on, ABS is not
functioning and there is a problem with the
regular brakes. See your dealer for service.
See
Brake System Warning Light 082.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Light
This light is green if LDW is on and ready to
operate.
This light changes to amber and flashes to
indicate that the lane marking has been
crossed without using a turn signal in that
direction. See
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) 0195.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will display green
when a vehicle is detected ahead.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System
0 192.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly while starting
the engine. If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the system is
working normally, the indicator light then
turns off.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Lighting 97
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . 97
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . 98
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . 99
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Battery Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . 102
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the steering
column.
There are four positions:
O: Turns the exterior lamps off and
deactivates the AUTO mode. Turn
Oagain
to reactivate the AUTO mode.
In Canada, the headlamps will automatically
reactivate when the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park).
AUTO : Turns the exterior lamps on and off
automatically depending on outside lighting.
;: Turns on the parking lamps including
all lamps, except the headlamps.
5: Turns on the headlamps together with
the parking lamps and instrument panel
lights. A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened when the ignition is off and
the headlamps are on.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
3: 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.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
98 Lighting
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 DRL 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 on.
.The exterior lamp control is in AUTO.
.The engine is running.
When the DRL are 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.
The DRL turn off when the headlamps are
turned to
Oor the ignition is off. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, this control
only works when the vehicle is parked.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside and the
exterior lamp control is in the automatic
position, the headlamps come on
automatically. See Exterior Lamp Controls
0 97.
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.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Infotainment System 139
3. Release your finger to drop the icon inthe desired position.
4. To move an application to another page, drag the icon to the edge of the display
toward the desired page.
5. Continue dragging and dropping application icons as desired.
Steering Wheel Controls
If equipped, some audio controls can be
adjusted at the steering wheel.
b/g:For vehicles with Bluetooth, press
to interact with those systems.
$/i: Press to decline an incoming call,
to end speech recognition, or to end a
current call. Press to silence the vehicle
speakers while using the infotainment
system. Press again to turn the sound on.
For vehicles with Bluetooth systems, press
to reject an incoming call or end a
current call.
_SRC^: Press to select an audio source.
Toggle up or down to select the next or
previous favorite radio station, MP3 track,
USB file, iPod/iPhone song, or Bluetooth
music.
Toggle and hold up or down to fast forward
or reverse the radio stations, MP3 tracks,
USB files, iPod/iPhone songs, or Bluetooth
music.
+
x− :Press + or −to increase or decrease
the volume.
Using the System
Infotainment Display Icons
Infotainment display icons show when
available. When a function is unavailable,
the icon may gray out. When a function is
selected, the icon may highlight.
Audio
Touch the Audio icon to display the active
audio source page. Examples of available
sources are AM, FM, SXM (if equipped),
MyMedia, USB, AUX, and Bluetooth.
Phone
Phone icon to display the Phone main page.
See Bluetooth (Overview for 7 Inch Screen)
0 149 or
Bluetooth (Pairing and Using a Phone for 7
Inch Screen) 0149.
Wi-Fi Hotspot
If equipped, touch the Users icon to display
the Wi-Fi Hotspot menu.
Settings
Touch the Settings icon to display the
Settings menu. See Settings (7 Inch Screen)
0 154.
Apple CarPlay
Touch the Apple CarPlay icon to activate
Apple CarPlay if equipped, after a supported
device is connected. See Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto 0153.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Driving and Operating 163
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 164
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 178
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . 180
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 181
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . 195
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Filling the Tank (Capless Fuel Fill) . . . . . . 197
Filling the Tank (Capped Fuel Fill) . . . . . 198
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . 200
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . . . . . . . 200
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . 200