engine heater 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 151
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 152
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 167Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . 168
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 169
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Adaptive Cruise Control (Camera) . . . . . . 177
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems . . . 187
Assistance Systems for Parking orBacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Surround Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . 191
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . 193
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . 195
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . 204

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
166 Driving and Operating
Engine Heater
{Warning
Do not plug in the engine block heater
while the vehicle is parked in a garage or
under a carport. Property damage or
personal injury may result. Always park
the vehicle in a clear open area away
from buildings or structures.
The engine heater, if available, can help in
cold weather conditions at or below −18 °C
(0 °F) for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up. Plug in
the engine heater at least four hours before
starting the vehicle. An internal thermostat in the plug end of the cord will prevent
engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above
−18 °C (0 °F).
To Use the Engine Heater 1. Turn off the engine.
2. Remove the heater cord from the rear compartment.
3. Check the heater cord for damage. If it is damaged, do not use it. See your dealer
for a replacement.
4. Plug the cord into the receptacle in the front fascia.
5. Plug the other end of the cord into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.{Warning
Improper use of the heater cord or an
extension cord can damage the cord and
may result in overheating and fire.
.Plug the cord into a three-prong
electrical utility receptacle that is
protected by a ground fault detection
function. An ungrounded outlet could
cause an electric shock.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Use a weatherproof, heavy-duty,
15 amp-rated extension cord if needed.
Failure to use the recommended
extension cord in good operating
condition, or using a damaged heater
or extension cord, could make it
overheat and cause a fire, property
damage, electric shock, and injury.
.Do not operate the vehicle with the
heater cord permanently attached to
the vehicle. Possible heater cord and
thermostat damage could occur.
.While in use, do not let the heater
cord touch vehicle parts or sharp
edges. Never close the hood on the
heater cord.
.Before starting the vehicle, unplug the
cord, reattach the cover to the plug,
and securely fasten the cord. Keep the
cord away from any moving parts.
The length of time the heater should remain
plugged in depends on several factors,
including where you park your vehicle. See
your local dealer for advice.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
226 Vehicle Care
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the engine to
maintain the correct working temperature.
1.2L L3 Engine (LIH)
1.3L L3 Engine (L3T)
1. Engine Coolant Surge Tank andPressure Cap
2. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View)
{Warning
An underhood electric fan can start up
even when the engine is not running and
can cause injury. Keep hands, clothing,
and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
{Warning
Do not touch heater or radiator hoses,
or other engine parts. They can be very
hot and can burn you. Do not run the
engine if there is a leak; all coolant could
leak out. That could cause an engine fire
and can burn you. Fix any leak before
driving the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is filled
with DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant
is designed to remain in the vehicle for five
years or 240 000 km (150,000 mi),
whichever occurs first.
The following explains the cooling system
and how to check and add coolant when it
is low. If there is a problem with engine
overheating, see Engine Overheating 0229.
What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain water or
(Continued)

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
230 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
including the pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling system and pressure cap
to cool.
If No Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is displayed
but no steam can be seen or heard, the
problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day
.Stops after high-speed driving
If the overheat warning is displayed with no
sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the highest fan
speed. Open the windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or N (Neutral), and
let the engine idle. If the engine coolant temperature gauge is
no longer in the overheat zone, the vehicle
can be driven. Continue to drive the vehicle
slowly for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in front.
If the warning does not come back on,
continue to drive normally and have the
cooling system checked for proper fill and
function.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and
park the vehicle right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the engine
for three minutes while parked. If the
warning is still displayed, turn off the
engine until it cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When the vehicle needs windshield washer
fluid, be sure to read the manufacturer's
instructions before use. If operating the
vehicle in an area where the temperature
may fall below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0218 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip, and may also clog the
washer nozzle.
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
.Do not mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system.
(Continued)

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Index 321
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Disabled Vehicle Transporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171, 234
Driver Assistance Systems, Advanced . . . . . . . . . 187
Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Driving
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . 205
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Driving the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . 146
E
ElectricBrake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Electrical System Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 243 Electrical System (cont'd)
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 247
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Emergency
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Check Light (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . 102
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Coolant Temperature WarningLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Index 323
HeaterEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144, 146
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . 49
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144, 146
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Indicator Auto Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Indicators Warning Lights and Gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . 67
Information Publication Ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Infotainment Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 Inspection
Multi-Point Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 124
J
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
K
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Remote Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
LampsCourtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . 123
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Malfunction Indicator (CheckEngine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Lamps (cont'd)
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
LATCH System Replacing Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 77
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Lights Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
All-Wheel-Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Antilock Brake System (ABS)Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Check Engine (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102