airbag off BUICK ENCORE GX 2024 Owners Manual

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Seats and Restraints 45
If equipped, the controls are on the climate
control panel. The engine must be running
to operate the heated seats.
Press
MorLto heat the driver or
passenger seat cushion and seatback.
Press the control once for the highest
setting. With each press of the control, the
heated seat will change to the next lower
setting, and then the off setting. Three
lights indicate the highest setting and one
light the lowest. If the heated seats are on
high, the level may automatically be
lowered after approximately 30 minutes.
The passenger seat may take longer to
heat up.
Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the heated seats
can be turned on automatically during a
remote vehicle start. The heated seats will
be canceled when the ignition is turned on.
Press the heated seat controls to use the
heated seats after the vehicle is started.
The heated seat indicator lights on the
control do not turn on during a remote
start. The temperature performance of an
unoccupied seat may be reduced. This is
normal.
To enable or disable remote start heated
seats, select Settings > Vehicle > Remote
Lock, Unlock, and Start > Remote Start Auto
Heat Seats > ON or OFF.
See
Remote Vehicle Start 017.
Folding Seatback
The front passenger seatback may fold flat.
{Warning
If you fold the seatback forward to carry
longer objects, such as skis, be sure any
such cargo is not near an airbag. In a
crash, an inflating airbag might force that
object toward a person. This could cause
severe injury or even death. Secure
objects away from the area in which an
airbag would inflate. For more
information, see Where Are the Airbags?
0 57 and
Vehicle Load Limits 0159.
{Warning
Things you put on this seatback can
strike and injure people in a sudden stop
or turn, or in a crash. Remove or secure
all items before driving.
To fold the seatback: 1. Lower the head restraint all the way. See Head Restraints 037
2. Move the seat as far back as possible. See Seat Adjustment 039 or
Power Seat Adjustment 039
3. Lift the lever fully and fold the seatback
forward. If necessary, move the seat belt
out of the way to access the lever.

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displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) and the vehicle will be delayed
from shifting out of P (Park). Buckle the
driver seat belt to clear the message and
shift out of P (Park). Shifting from P (Park)
will be delayed once for each time the
vehicle is started.
For some fleet vehicles, shifting out of
P (Park) will be delayed each time the driver
attempts to do so while the driver seat belt
is not buckled, whether Teen Driver is ON or
OFF. Turning the vehicle off then on will not
change this condition.
On some models, Buckle to Drive may also
delay shifting out of P (Park) if a front
passenger is unbuckled under similar
conditions. A message displays in the DIC.
Buckle the front passenger seat belt to shift
out of P (Park). This feature may delay the
vehicle from shifting out of P (Park) if an
object, such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop, or other electronic device, is on
the front passenger seat. If this happens,
remove the object from the seat or buckle
the seat belt to shift out of P (Park).
If the driver, or on some vehicles, the
present front passenger seat belt remains
unbuckled, the DIC message will turn off
after several seconds and the vehicle can beshifted out of P (Park). See
“Seat Belts”and
“Child Restraints” in the Index for
information about the importance of proper
restraint use.
If the driver seat belt or the front passenger
seat belt is unbuckled when driving, the seat
belt reminder chime and light(s) will come
on. See Seat Belt Reminders 0100. This
feature may not function properly if the
airbag readiness light is on. See Airbag
Readiness Light 0100.
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly
Follow these rules for everyone's protection.
There are additional things to know about
seat belts and children, including smaller
children and infants. If a child will be riding
in the vehicle, see Older Children066 or
Infants and Young Children 067. Review
and follow the rules for children in addition
to the following rules.
It is very important for all occupants to
buckle up. Statistics show that unbelted
people are hurt more often in crashes than
those who are wearing seat belts.
There are important things to know about
wearing a seat belt properly.
.Sit up straight and always keep your feet
on the floor in front of you (if possible).
.Wear the lap part of the belt low and
snug on the hips, just touching the
thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the
strong pelvic bones and you would be
less likely to slide under the lap belt.
If you slid under it, the belt would apply
force on your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
.Wear the shoulder belt over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts of the
body are best able to take belt
restraining forces. The shoulder belt locks
if there is a sudden stop or crash.

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60 Seats and Restraints
designed to help reduce the risk of full or
partial ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types
of collisions, primarily because the
occupant's motion is not toward those
airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate?
0 58.
Airbags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to seat
belts.
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates?
After frontal, knee, and seat-mounted side
impact airbags inflate, they quickly deflate,
so quickly that some people may not even
realize the airbags inflated. Roof-rail airbags
may still be at least partially inflated for
some time after they inflate. Some
components of the airbag module may be
hot for several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the Airbags? 057.
The parts of the airbag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but not too
hot to touch. There may be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent people from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there may be
dust in the air. This dust could cause
breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is
safe to do so. If you have breathing
problems but cannot get out of the
vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing problems
following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn on the
interior lamps and hazard warning flashers,
and shut off the fuel system after the
airbags inflate. The feature may also
activate, without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the vehicle off and
then on again, the fuel system will return to
normal operation; the doors can be locked, the interior lamps can be turned off, and
the hazard warning flashers can be turned
off using the controls for those features.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate the
airbags may have also damaged
important functions in the vehicle, such
as the fuel system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle appears
to be drivable after a moderate crash,
there may be concealed damage that
could make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt to
restart the engine after a crash has
occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate
the airbag, windshields are broken by
vehicle deformation. Additional windshield
breakage may also occur from the front
outboard passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate only once.
After an airbag inflates, you will need
some new parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the airbag
system will not be there to help protect
you in another crash. A new system will

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include airbag modules and possibly other
parts. The service manual for the vehicle
covers the need to replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records
information after a crash. SeeVehicle
Data Recording and Privacy 0307 and
Event Data Recorders 0308.
.Let only qualified technicians work on the
airbag system. Improper service can mean
that an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
The vehicle has a passenger sensing system
for the front outboard passenger position.
The passenger airbag status indicator will
light on the overhead console when the
vehicle is started.
United States
Canada
The words ON and OFF, or the symbols for
on and off, will be visible during the system
check. When the system check is complete,
either the word ON or OFF, or the symbol
for on or off, will be visible. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 0101.
The passenger sensing system turns off the
front outboard passenger frontal airbag and
knee airbag under certain conditions. No
other airbag is affected by the passenger
sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with
sensors that are part of the front outboard
passenger seat and seat belt.
The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly seated occupant and
determine if the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, and knee airbag, should be
allowed to inflate or not. According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly secured in a rear seat
in the correct child restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children aged 12 and
under should be secured in a rear seating
position.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in the
front. This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag
inflates.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the
passenger frontal airbag inflates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the
inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the passenger
frontal airbag inflates and the passenger
seat is in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard passenger
airbag(s), no system is fail-safe. No one
(Continued)

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62 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
can guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual circumstance,
even though the airbag(s) are off.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint in
the front seat, even if the airbag is off.
If securing a forward-facing child restraint
in the front outboard passenger seat,
always move the seat as far back as it
will go. It is better to secure child
restraints in the rear seat. Consider using
another vehicle to transport the child
when a rear seat is not available.
The passenger sensing system is designed to
turn off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, and knee airbag, if:
.The front outboard passenger seat is
unoccupied.
.The system determines an infant is
present in a child restraint.
.A front outboard passenger takes his/her
weight off of the seat for a period
of time.
.There is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system. When the passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, and knee airbag, the OFF
indicator will light and stay lit as a reminder
that the airbags are off. See
Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 0101.
The passenger sensing system is designed to
turn on the front outboard passenger frontal
airbag, and knee airbag, anytime the system
senses that a person of adult size is sitting
properly in the front outboard
passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing system has
allowed the airbags to be enabled, the ON
indicator will light and stay lit as a reminder
that the airbags are active.
For some children, including children in child
restraints, and for very small adults, the
passenger sensing system may or may not
turn off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, and knee airbag, depending
upon the person's seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle who has
outgrown child restraints should wear a seat
belt properly —whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever comes
on and stays on, it means that
something may be wrong with the airbag
system. To help avoid injury to yourself
or others, have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness Light 0100
for more information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint
The passenger sensing system is designed to
turn off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag, if the system
determines that an infant is present in a
child restraint. If a child restraint has been
installed and the ON indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets, cushions, seat
covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers.

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4. Reinstall the child restraint following thedirections provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear
Seat) 078 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Front Seat) 080.
Make sure the seat belt retractor is
locked by pulling the shoulder belt all
the way out of the retractor when
installing the child restraint, even if the
child restraint is equipped with a seat
belt lock off. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but not
pulled out of the retractor.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the ON
indicator is still lit, turn the vehicle off.
Then slightly recline the vehicle seatback
and adjust the seat cushion,
if adjustable, to make sure that the
vehicle seatback is not pushing the child
restraint into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child restraint is not
trapped under the vehicle head restraint.
If this happens, adjust the head restraint.
See Head Restraints 037.
6. Restart the vehicle. The passenger sensing system may or may
not turn off the airbags for a child in a child
restraint depending upon the child’s size.
It is better to secure the child restraint in a
rear seat. Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if the ON
indicator is not lit.
If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an
Adult-Sized Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting in the
front outboard passenger seat, but the OFF
indicator is lit, it could be because that
person is not sitting properly in the seat or
that the child restraint locking feature is
engaged. Use the following steps to allow
the system to detect that person and enable
the front outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions, seat
covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with legs
comfortably extended.
5. If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the way, the child restraint
locking feature will be engaged. This
may unintentionally cause the passenger
sensing system to turn the airbag off for
some adult-sized occupants. If this
happens, unbuckle the belt, let the belt
go back all the way, and then buckle the
belt again without pulling the belt out
all the way.
6. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for two to
three minutes after the ON indicator
is lit.

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64 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger airbag is
turned off for an adult-sized occupant,
the airbag will not be able to inflate and
help protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of serious
injury or even death. An adult-sized
occupant should not ride in the front
outboard passenger seat, if the passenger
airbag OFF indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting System
Operation
Seat belts help keep the passenger in
position on the seat during vehicle
maneuvers and braking, which helps the
passenger sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See“Seat Belts”
and “Child Restraints” in the Index for
additional information about the importance
of proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material, such as
a blanket or cushion, or aftermarket
equipment such as seat covers, seat heaters,
and seat massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system operates. We
recommend that you not use seat covers or
other aftermarket equipment except when approved by GM for your specific vehicle.
See
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 064 for more
information about modifications that can
affect how the system operates.
The ON indicator may be lit if an object,
such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery bag,
laptop, or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not desired,
remove the object from the seat.
{Warning
Stowing articles under the passenger seat
or between the passenger seat cushion
and seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle should be
serviced. There are parts of the airbag
system in several places around the vehicle.
Your dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the vehicle and
the airbag system. To purchase a service
manual, see Publication Ordering
Information 0306.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the vehicle is
turned off and the battery is
disconnected, an airbag can still inflate
during improper service. You can be
injured if you are close to an airbag
when it inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the airbag
system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to
do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the vehicle's
frame, bumper system, height, front end,
or side sheet metal may keep the airbag
system from working properly.
The operation of the airbag system can also
be affected by changing, including
improperly repairing or replacing, any parts
of the following:
.Airbag system, including airbag modules,
front or side impact sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, or airbag wiring

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.Front seats, including stitching, seams or
zippers
.Seat belts
.Steering wheel, instrument panel,
overhead console, ceiling trim, or pillar
garnish trim
.Inner door seals, including speakers
Your dealer and the service manual have
information about the location of the airbag
modules and sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module, and airbag wiring along with the
proper replacement procedures.
In addition, the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front outboard
passenger position, which includes sensors
that are part of the passenger's seat. The
passenger sensing system may not operate
properly if the original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery, or trim,
or with GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any object,
such as an aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or device, installed
under or on top of the seat fabric, could
also interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. This could either
prevent proper deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger sensing system from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). See
Passenger Sensing
System 061.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail airbags,
see Different Size Tires and Wheels 0262 for
additional important information.
If the vehicle must be modified because you
have a disability and you have questions
about whether the modifications will affect
the vehicle's airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag system
will be affected if the vehicle is modified for
any other reason, call Customer Assistance.
See Customer Assistance Offices 0300.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need regularly
scheduled maintenance or replacement.
Make sure the airbag readiness light is
working. See Airbag Readiness Light 0100.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged, opened,
or broken, the airbag may not work
properly. Do not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any opened or
broken airbag coverings, have the airbag
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
covering and/or airbag module replaced.
For the location of the airbags, see Where
Are the Airbags? 057. See your dealer for
service.
Replacing Airbag System Parts
after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the airbag systems
in the vehicle. A damaged airbag system
may not properly protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting in
serious injury or even death. To help
make sure the airbag systems are
working properly after a crash, have
them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See your dealer
for service.

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Seats and Restraints 71
Securing the Child Within the Child
Restraint
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child is not properly
secured in the child restraint. Secure the
child properly following the instructions
that came with that child restraint.
Where to Put the Restraint
According to accident statistics, children and
infants are safer when properly restrained in
an appropriate child restraint secured in a
rear seating position.
Whenever possible, children aged 12 and
under should be secured in a rear seating
position.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the
front. This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great if the airbag
deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the front
passenger airbag inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or killed
if the front passenger airbag inflates and
the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has
turned off the front passenger frontal
airbag, no system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a
rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If you
secure a forward-facing child restraint in
the front seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go.
It is better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System 061 for
additional information. When securing a child restraint with the
seat belts in a rear seat position, study the
instructions that came with the child
restraint to make sure it is compatible with
this vehicle.
Child restraints and booster seats vary
considerably in size, and some may fit in
certain seating positions better than others.
Do not install a child restraint in any rear
seating position where it cannot be installed
securely.
Depending on where you place the child
restraint and the size of the child restraint,
you may not be able to access adjacent seat
belts or LATCH anchors for additional
passengers or child restraints. Adjacent
seating positions should not be used if the
child restraint prevents access to or
interferes with the routing of the seat belt.
Adjust the seat in front of a child restraint
to ensure proper installation according to
the child restraint manual. Move the front
seat forward to avoid contact between the
child restraint and the seat or any
accessories mounted to the seat.
Wherever a child restraint is installed, be
sure to follow the instructions that came
with the child restraint and secure the child
restraint properly.

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Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Front Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is a
safer place to secure a forward-facing child
restraint. SeeWhere to Put the Restraint
0 71.
In addition, the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system which is designed to turn off
the front outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag under certain conditions.
See Passenger Sensing System 061 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator 0101 for
more information, including important
safety information.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in the
front. This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag
deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
inflates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very
close to the inflating airbag. A child in a
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
forward-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag inflates
and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard passenger
airbag(s), no system is fail-safe. No one
can guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual circumstance,
even though the airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a
rear seat, even if the airbag(s) are off.
If you secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the front outboard passenger
seat, always move the seat as far back as
it will go. It is better to secure the child
restraint in a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System 061 for
additional information.
If the child restraint uses a top tether, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 072 for top tether anchor
locations. Do not secure a child seat in a position
without a top tether anchor if a national or
local law requires that the top tether be
anchored, or if the instructions that come
with the child restraint say that the top
tether must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have a top
tether, and that the tether be attached.
When using the lap-shoulder belt to secure
the child restraint in this position, follow the
instructions that came with the child
restraint and the following instructions:
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the forward-facing child
restraint. Move the seat upward or the
seatback to an upright position,
if needed, to get a tight installation of
the child restraint. There must be finger
clearance between the release
pushbutton and the child restraint.
When the passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag, the OFF
indicator on the passenger airbag status
indicator should light and stay lit when
you start the vehicle. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 0101.