Recreational BUICK ENCORE GX 2023 Owners Manual

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
240 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
.Do not fill a container while it is
inside a vehicle, in a vehicle's trunk, in
a pickup bed, or on any surface other
than the ground.
.Bring the fill nozzle in contact with
the inside of the fill opening before
operating the nozzle. Maintain contact
until filling is complete.
.Keep sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from fuel.
.Avoid using electronic devices while
pumping fuel.
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information
Only use towing equipment that has been
designed for the vehicle. Contact your dealer
or trailering dealer for assistance with
preparing the vehicle to tow a trailer. Read
the entire section before towing a trailer.
To tow a disabled vehicle, seeTransporting
a Disabled Vehicle 0310. To tow the vehicle
behind another vehicle such as a motor
home, see Recreational Vehicle Towing 0311.
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips
{Warning
You can lose control when towing a
trailer if the correct equipment is not
used or the vehicle is not driven properly.
For example, if the trailer is too heavy or
the trailer brakes are inadequate for the
load, the vehicle may not stop as
expected. You and others could be
seriously injured. The vehicle may also be
damaged, and the repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Pull a
trailer only if all the steps in this section
have been followed. Ask your dealer for
advice and information about towing a
trailer with the vehicle.
Driving with a Trailer
Trailering is different than just driving the
vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, acceleration, braking, durability,
and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering
takes correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly. The following information has many
time-tested, important trailering tips and
safety rules. Many of these are important
for your safety and that of your passengers.
Read this section carefully before pulling a
trailer.
When towing a trailer:
.Become familiar with and follow all state
and local laws that apply to trailer
towing. These requirements vary from
state to state.
.State laws may require the use of
extended side view mirrors. Even if not
required, you should install extended side
view mirrors if your visibility is limited or
restricted while towing.
.Do not tow a trailer during the first
800 km (500 mi) of vehicle use to
prevent damage to the engine, axle,
or other parts.
.It is recommended to perform the first oil
change before heavy towing.
.During the first 800 km (500 mi) of
trailer towing, do not drive over 80 km/h
(50 mph) and do not make starts at full
throttle.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Vehicle Care 249
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 250
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 251
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 253
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . 259
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Headlamps and Sidemarker Lamps . . . . . 273
Front Turn Signal and Fog Lamps . . . . . . 274
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps (Base
Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps
(Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Where To Find Fuse Maps for YourVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Where To Find Fuse Maps for Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 280
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 284
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 289
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 293
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 297
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 299
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 299
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 300
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 307
Towing the Vehicle
Transporting a Disabled Vehicle . . . . . . . 310
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
Vehicle Care 311
Front Attachment Points
The vehicle is equipped with specific
attachment points to be used by the towing
provider. These holes may be used to pull
the vehicle from a flat road surface onto the
flatbed tow truck.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing
the vehicle behind another vehicle, such as
behind a motor home. The two most
common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as dinghy towing and
dolly towing. Dinghy towing is towing the
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground.Dolly towing is towing the vehicle with two
wheels on the ground and two wheels up
on a device known as a dolly.
Here are some important things to consider
before recreational vehicle towing:
.What is the towing capacity of the
towing vehicle? Be sure to read the tow
vehicle manufacturer's recommendations.
.What is the distance that will be
traveled? Some vehicles have restrictions
on how far and how long they can tow.
.Is the proper towing equipment going to
be used? See your dealer or trailering
professional for additional advice and
equipment recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be towed? Just as
preparing the vehicle for a long trip,
make sure the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.
Caution
Use of a shield mounted in front of the
vehicle grille could restrict airflow and
cause damage to the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. If using a shield, only
use one that attaches to the towing
vehicle.
Dinghy Towing (Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles)
Caution
If the vehicle is towed with all four
wheels on the ground, the drivetrain
components could be damaged. The
repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not tow the vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground.
The vehicle was not designed to be towed
with all four wheels on the ground.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
362 Index
RecordsMaintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Remote Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Key Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . 73
Seat Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . 51
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Restraints
Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . 200
Reverse Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Roads Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 Roof
Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . 202
S
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Safety Defects Reporting Canadian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . 45
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Seats
Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Seats (cont'd)
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 75
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 250
Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . 322
Parts Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Services Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Servicing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16263917) - 2023 - CRC - 2/24/22
364 Index
Tires (cont'd)Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 299
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 300
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . 297
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrakLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . 208
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . 168
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . 340 Transporting
a Disabled Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
TTY Users Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275, 277
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Updates Map Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Using Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
VehicleAhead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Vehicle (cont'd)
Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Identification Number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . 92
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Wheels Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301