winter tires BUICK ENCORE GX 2020 Owner's Manual

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
230 Driving and Operating
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0344.
. Turn off cruise control.
. Activate All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
mode. See All-Wheel Drive
0 250.
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 and 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.
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.
. Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Mode. See All-Wheel Drive
0 250.
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.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Vehicle Care 303
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 304
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 305
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 313
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 315
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 321
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . 324 Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Battery - North America . . . . . . 326
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 328
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 328
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 330
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . 331
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Headlamps and Sidemarker Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Front Turn Signal and Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps (Uplevel) . . . 334
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps (Base
Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 337
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 338
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 346
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Vehicle Care 345
Warning (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose
the same danger as
overloaded tires. The
resulting crash could
cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently
to maintain the
recommended pressure.
Tire pressure should be
checked when the tires
are cold.
.Overinflated tires are
more likely to be cut,
punctured, or broken by
a sudden impact—such
as when hitting a pothole.
Keep tires at the
recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can
cause a crash. If the
tread is badly worn,
replace them.
(Continued)
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 surfaces and 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 0345.
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

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
346 Vehicle Care
for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, seeBuying New Tires 0360.
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.Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
(1) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration in this
section. (2) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(3) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the
tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
DOT Tire Date of
Manufacture
:The last four
digits of the TIN indicate the tire
manufactured date. The first two
digits represent the week and
the last two digits, the year. For
example, the third week of the
year 2020 would have a

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Vehicle Care 361
{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
(other than those originally
installed on the vehicle),
brands, tread patterns,
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 tire 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.
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.
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. The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See
Vehicle Load Limits
0 232.
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)

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
362 Vehicle Care
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 0360 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 305.
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:
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 the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Customer Information 411
.Lock-Out Service: Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out. A remote unlock may
be available if you have OnStar.
For security reasons, the driver
must present identification
before this service is given.
. Emergency Tow from a Public
Road or Highway: Tow to the
nearest Buick dealer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
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,

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
Index 439
Storage Areas (cont'd)Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . 92
Struts Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
System Brake Pad Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Engine Air Filter Life . . . . . . . . . . 314
Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Global Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Roof Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Systems Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . 334, 335
Teen Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 409 Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 29
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 353
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 352
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Terminology and Definitions . . 349
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 363
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Towing
Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 293
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 293
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 375
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Traction Control System(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . 120
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 334, 335

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14018934) - 2020 - CRC - 2/27/20
440 Index
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 362
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 140Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Updates Map Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Using the Navigation System . . . 168
Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 402
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 119 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Vehicle Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Wheels Alignment and Tire Balance . . 363
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . 79
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Windshield
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . 328
Wipers Rear Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103