weight BUICK ENCORE GX 2024 Owners Manual

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Keys, Doors, and Windows 23
If equipped, the power liftgate switch is on
the driver door. The vehicle must be in
P (Park).
The modes are:
.MAX: Opens to maximum height.
.3/4: Opens to a reduced height that can
be set from 3/4 to fully open. Use to
prevent the liftgate from opening into
overhead obstructions such as a garage
door or roof-mounted cargo. The liftgate
can be manually opened all the way.
.OFF: Opens manually only.
To power open or close the liftgate, select
MAX or 3/4 mode.
.Pressbtwice quickly on the remote
key until the liftgate moves.
.Press8on the driver door. The driver
door must either be unlocked or locked
without the security armed.
.Press the touch pad on the underside of
the liftgate handle after unlocking all
doors. A locked vehicle can be opened if
the remote key is within 1 m (3 ft) of the
touch pad.
.Presslon the bottom edge of the
liftgate to the left of the latch to close.
Press any liftgate button, the touch pad,
or
bon the remote key while the liftgate
is moving to stop it. Pressing any liftgate
button or pressing
btwice quickly on the
remote key restarts the operation in the
reverse direction. Pressing the touch pad on
the liftgate handle will restart the motion,
but only in the opening direction.
Caution
Manually forcing the liftgate to open or
close during a power cycle can damage
the vehicle. Allow the power cycle to
complete. The power liftgate may be temporarily
disabled under extreme low temperatures,
or after repeated power cycling over a short
period of time. If this occurs, the liftgate can
still be operated manually.
If the vehicle is shifted out of P (Park) while
the power function is in progress, the
liftgate will continue to completion. If the
vehicle is accelerated before the liftgate has
completed moving, the liftgate may stop or
reverse direction. Check for DIC messages
and make sure the liftgate is closed and
latched before driving.
Falling Liftgate Detection
If the power liftgate automatically closes
after a power opening cycle, it indicates that
the system is reacting to excess weight on
the liftgate or a possible support strut
failure. A repetitive chime will sound while
the falling liftgate detection feature is
operating. Remove any excess weight. If the
liftgate continues to automatically close
after opening, see your dealer for service
before using the power liftgate.
Interfering with the power liftgate motion
or manually closing the liftgate too quickly
after power opening may resemble a
support strut failure. This could also activate
the falling liftgate detection feature. Allow

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Seats and Restraints 61
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)

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
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.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
66 Seats and Restraints
If the airbag readiness light stays on after
the vehicle is started or comes on when you
are driving, the airbag system may not work
properly. Have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness Light 0100.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster
seats should wear the vehicle seat belts.
Refer to How to Wear Seat Belts Properly
0 49. The manufacturer instructions that come
with the booster seat state the weight and
height limitations for that booster. Use a
booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt until
the child passes the fit test below:
.Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the
knees bend at the seat edge? If yes,
continue. If no, return to the booster seat.
.Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the
shoulder belt rest on the shoulder? If yes,
continue. If no, try using the rear seat
belt comfort guide, if available. See
“Rear
Seat Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt 051. If a comfort guide
is not available, or if the shoulder belt
still does not rest on the shoulder, then
return to the booster seat.
.Does the lap belt fit low and snug on the
hips, touching the thighs? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
.Can proper seat belt fit be maintained for
the length of the trip? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
Q: What is the proper way to wear seat belts?
A: An older child should wear a lap-shoulder
belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder
belt should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should fit snugly below the
hips, just touching the top of the thighs.
This applies belt force to the child's
pelvic bones in a crash. It should never
be worn over the abdomen, which could
cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides”
under Lap-Shoulder Belt 051.
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in a rear
seating position.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up
can strike other people who are buckled up,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle. Older
children need to use seat belts properly.
{Warning
Never allow more than one child to wear
the same seat belt. The seat belt cannot
properly spread the impact forces. In a
crash, they can be crushed together and
seriously injured. A seat belt must be
used by only one person at a time.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
68 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
Never hold an infant or a child while
riding in a vehicle. Due to crash forces, an
infant or a child will become so heavy it
is not possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb) infant
will suddenly become a 110 kg (240 lb)
force on a person's arms. An infant or
child should be secured in an appropriate
child restraint.
{Warning
Children who are up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates can
be seriously injured or killed. Never put a
rear-facing child restraint in the front
outboard seat. Secure a rear-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. It is also better to
secure a forward-facing child restraint in
a rear seat. If you must secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the front
outboard seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go.
Child restraints are devices used to restrain,
seat, or position children in the vehicle and
are sometimes called child seats or car seats.There are three basic types of child
restraints:
.Forward-facing child restraints
.Rear-facing child restraints
.Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for your child
depends on their size, weight, and age, and
also on whether the child restraint is
compatible with the vehicle in which it will
be used.
For each type of child restraint, there are
many different models available. When
purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is
designed to be used in a motor vehicle and
is designed by a genuine child restraint
manufacturer. If it is, the child restraint will
have a label saying that it meets federal
motor vehicle safety standards.
The instruction manual that is provided with
the child restraint states the weight and
height limitations for that particular child
restraint. In addition, there are many kinds
of child restraints available for children with
special needs.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Seats and Restraints 69
{Warning
To reduce the risk of neck and head
injury in a crash, infants and toddlers
should be secured in a rear-facing child
restraint until age two, or until they
reach the maximum height and weight
limits of their child restraint.
{Warning
A young child's hip bones are still so
small that the vehicle seat belt may not
remain low on the hip bones, as it
should. Instead, it may settle up around
the child's abdomen. In a crash, the belt
would apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure. This
alone could cause serious or fatal injuries.
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injuries during a crash, young children
should always be secured in an
appropriate child restraint.
Child Restraint Systems
Rear-Facing Infant Restraint
A rear-facing child restraint provides
restraint with the seating surface against
the back of the infant.
The harness system holds the infant in place
and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant
positioned in the restraint.
Forward-Facing Child Restraint
A forward-facing child restraint provides
restraint for the child's body with the
harness.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
72 Seats and Restraints
Keep in mind that an unsecured child
restraint can move around in a collision or
sudden stop and injure people in the vehicle.
Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint in the vehicle—even when no
child is in it.
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)
The LATCH system secures a child restraint
during driving or in a crash. LATCH
attachments on the child restraint are used
to attach the child restraint to the anchors
in the vehicle. This system is designed to
make installation of a child restraint easier.
In order to use the LATCH system in your
vehicle, you need a child restraint that has
LATCH attachments. LATCH-compatible
rear-facing and forward-facing child seats can
be properly installed using either the LATCH
anchors or the vehicle’s seat belts. Do not
use both the seat belts and the LATCH
anchorage system to secure a rear-facing or
forward-facing child restraint. Booster seats use the vehicle’s seat belts to
secure the child and the booster seat. If the
manufacturer recommends that the booster
seat be secured with the LATCH system, this
can be done as long as the booster seat can
be positioned properly and there is no
interference with the proper positioning of
the lap-shoulder belt on the child.
Make sure to follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint, and also the
instructions in this manual.
When installing a child restraint with a top
tether, you must also use either the lower
anchors or the seat belts to properly secure
the child restraint. A child restraint must
never be attached using only the top tether.
For a forward-facing 5-pt harness child
restraint where the combined weight of the
child and restraint are up to 29.5 kg (65 lb),
use either the lower LATCH anchorages with
the top tether anchorage, or the seat belt
with the top tether anchorage. Where the
combined weight of the child and restraint
are greater than 29.5 kg (65 lb), use the seat
belt with the top tether anchorage only.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Seats and Restraints 73
Recommended Methods for Attaching Child RestraintsRestraint Type Combined Weight of
the Child + Child Restraint Use Only Approved Attachment Methods Show with an X
LATCH-Lower
Anchors Only Seat Belt OnlyLATCH-Lower Anchors
and Top Tether Anchor Seat Belt and Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing Child
Restraint Up to 29.5 kg (65 lb) X X
Rear-Facing Child
Restraint Greater than
29.5 kg (65 lb)
X
Forward-Facing Child
Restraint Up to 29.5 kg (65 lb) X X
Forward-Facing Child
Restraint Greater than
29.5 kg (65 lb)
X
See 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. Child restraints built after March 2014 are
labeled with the maximum child weight,
with which the LATCH system can be used
for installing the child restraint.
The following explains how to attach a child
restraint with these attachments in the
vehicle. Not all vehicle seating positions have lower
anchors. In this case, the seat belt must be
used (with top tether where available) to
secure the child restraint. See
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.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 159
spinning the wheels in the forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking motion
that could free the vehicle. If that does not
get the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the vehicle
does need to be towed out, seeTransporting
a Disabled Vehicle 0273.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how much
weight the vehicle can carry. This
weight is called the vehicle capacity
weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on the vehicle may show how much
weight it may properly carry, the Tire
and Loading Information label and the
Certification/Tire label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any heavier
than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the maximum
front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). This can cause
systems to break and change the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
way the vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a crash.
Overloading can also reduce stopping
performance, damage the tires, and
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information Label
Example Label
A vehicle-specific Tire and Loading
Information label is attached to the
center pillar (B-pillar). The tire and
loading information label shows the
number of occupant seating positions (1), and the maximum vehicle
capacity weight (2) in kilograms and
pounds.
The Tire and Loading Information label
also shows the size of the original
equipment tires (3) and the
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (4). For more information on
tires and inflation see
Tires0248 and
Tire Pressure 0253.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle Certification/
Tire label. It may show the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. See
“Certification/Tire Label” later in this
section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.
Locate the statement "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s placard.
2.Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
160 Driving and Operating
3.Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For example,
if the "XXX" amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.See
Trailer Towing 0208 for important
information on towing a trailer, towing
safety rules and trailering tips.
If aftermarket accessories are installed on
the vehicle, for example a rooftop carrier, be
sure to add the weight of all installed
accessories to the combined weight of
luggage and cargo.
Example 1
1. Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1
= 453 kg (1,000 lb)
Then subtract Accessory Weight, for
example a rooftop cargo box =
15.8 kg (35 lb)
2. Subtract Occupant Weight @ 68 kg(150 lb) × 2 = 136 kg (300 lb)
3. Remaining available capacity for Cargo Weight = 301.2 kg (665 lb)
Example 2
1. Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2= 453 kg (1,000 lb)
Then subtract Accessory Weight, for
example a rooftop cargo box =
18.1 kg (40 lb)
2. Subtract Occupant Weight @ 68 kg(150 lb) × 5 = 340 kg (750 lb)
3. Remaining available capacity for Cargo Weight = 94.9 kg (210 lb)