Recreational BUICK ENCORE GX 2024 Owners Manual

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Driving and Operating 205
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 0273. To tow the vehicle
behind another vehicle such as a motor
home, see Recreational Vehicle Towing
0 274.
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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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.
.Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). If the
transmission downshifts too often, a
lower gear may be selected using Manual
Mode SeeManual Mode 0171.
If equipped, the following driver assistance
features should be turned off when towing
a trailer:
.Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
.Super Cruise Control
.Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
.Park Assist
.Automatic Parking Assist (APA)
.Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB)

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
214 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 215
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 215
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 218
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps (Base
Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps
(Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 243
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 247
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 252
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 255
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . 255
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 260
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 262
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 262
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 263
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 270
Towing the Vehicle
Transporting a Disabled Vehicle . . . . . . . 273
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
274 Vehicle Care
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-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Index 325
OnStar (cont'd)Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
P
ParkAssist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188, 190
Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Parking Brake and P (Park) Mechanism
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Parking Assist Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Parking or Backing Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Perchlorate Materials Requirements,
California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Phone Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . . . . . . . 135
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131, 132
Port
USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Privacy Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Proposition 65 Warning California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . 270
Publication Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 306
R
Radiator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Frequency Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Rear Camera Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Window Washer/Wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Rear Compartment/Storage Panel
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . 290
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Reimbursement Program, GM
Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Remote Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Index 327
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Spare TireCompact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Special Application Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Status Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Stoplamps and Back-Up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238, 241
Storage Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Rear Compartment/Storage Panel
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Storage Areas
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cargo Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Struts Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Surround Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
System
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Brake Pad Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine Air Filter Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Roof Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238, 241
Teen Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Tires (cont'd)
All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253, 254
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 262
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 263
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . 260
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274