Buick Encore Not Accelerating – What Could Be Wrong?

Whether you need to keep the car running or start from a red light or stop sign, it can be quite frustrating if your Buick Encore is not accelerating properly. Unfortunately, there could be several reasons why your Encore isn't accelerating. Below, we have listed the most common issues for acceleration issues.

The following are possible reasons why a car may not be accelerating properly:

  • Fuel low
  • Clogged fuel filter
  • Bad gas
  • Faulty fuel pump (pump not working correctly)
  • Faulty throttle position sensor (TPS)

If your Buick Encore isn't accelerating properly, it can be frustrating to diagnose the culprit. It could be an easy fix that can save you a lot of money, or it could cost you more than what you're willing to spend. Either way, it doesn't hurt to have your vehicle checked out by a professional — it may just save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Before you contact your local mechanic, please read on as we dive into each possible scenario as to why it's not accelerating correctly.

Buick Encore Not Accelerating - What Could Be Wrong?

There are several reasons why your Buick Encore isn't accelerating. Below, we will further discuss the possible culprits.

Fuel Low

If the car isn't accelerating properly and there is a low fuel light on, you may be running out of gas. Check the needle on your gas gauge, and if it has dropped below a quarter of a tank, fill up right away. If there is plenty of gas in your vehicle, the culprit could be a clogged fuel filter, which we'll discuss next.

Clogged Fuel Filter

If you are experiencing any loss of power, even when accelerating at high speeds, your fuel filter may be causing the problem. If this is the case, we recommend having a new fuel filter installed.

The fuel filter can be found right underneath the fuel tank. Your Buick Encore should have a capacity of 15 to 20 gallons for gas, so you'll need about 1/2 a tank of gas (or more) to get the job done. If not, stop by your local service station before you head out on the road.

A mechanic checking the fuel filter of a car engine

Bad Gas

If you have a low fuel light on, it's possible that your Buick Encore is not accelerating properly because of bad gas. If you recently put new gas into the tank and started experiencing issues with acceleration, then most likely, there's some water or dirt in the tank. You could check to ensure you're getting a good gas flow from the tank to the engine. If there's a fuel line leak, it could be coming from a cracked pipe or even the pump itself. Make sure that all of these components are free of rust and dirt before filling up again.

Faulty Fuel Pump

If you're experiencing fuel issues and your Buick Encore is not accelerating properly, the fuel pump could be a problem. The fuel pump is on the left side of the engine bay, and it should be right behind the black air box for your intake system. Once you've located the fuel pump, make sure that it's free of dust or dirt.

This can prevent gas from flowing correctly to the engine, and it could even cause the pump to burn out. After checking that everything is free of dust or dirt, you may need to replace your fuel pump for your Buick Encore to accelerate properly again.

Faulty Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)

If your Buick Encore is not accelerating correctly and you hear a clicking sound when trying to accelerate, the problem may lie with your throttle position sensor. The TPS can cause issues with your car's acceleration if it has failed or is no longer working correctly. You'll want to take your car to a professional technician to have this issue resolved. In addition, the TPS will need to be replaced if it fails or doesn't respond well to your throttle inputs.

Buick Encore hesitating when accelerating - what could the issue be?

If you are experiencing hesitation when trying to accelerate in your Buick Encore, the problem could be with the throttle position sensor (TPS). The TPS can cause issues with your car's acceleration if it has failed or is no longer working correctly. You'll want to take your car to a professional technician to have this issue resolved. The TPS is responsible for figuring out how much the throttle body is open.

The throttle body is the movable part of your car's engine that helps control its speed. If you are experiencing problems with your Encore while trying to accelerate, you may need to have your TPS replaced before things get worse, leading to other issues down the road.

The throttle body is the area you can access by removing the intake system. You'll want to remove the bolts around the throttle body with a socket wrench and then disconnect all of your electrical wires attached to it before removing them from your car's engine bay.

Does the Buick Encore have transmission problems?

Buick Encore transmission problems are numerous and can cause delayed shifts, slips in the gears, or terrible noises. Even though you may not experience these issues right away, they can come up. Getting your car serviced is essential to prevent major issues from happening down the road, such as hard shifting, which could lead to jerky driving conditions.

It also leads to things getting stuck, such as an old torque converter that might give out all at once, causing other parts of your engine drive train system on top of it to go haywire.

If you are experiencing hard or delayed shifts in your Buick Encore, make sure that everything is well-maintained, like sticking parts, which could lead to more problems down the road if they continue to go unnoticed.

How do you check the transmission fluid on a Buick Encore?

Your Buick Encore will either have a transmission dipstick or a check/fill plug to assess the transmission fluid level. Locate either the dipstick in the engine bay or the check/fill plug on or near the transmission.

If using a dipstick, pull it out, wipe it clean, reinsert it, and then pull it out again to check the fluid level. However, if it's a check/fill plug, ensure the engine is running, remove the plug cautiously as the fluid may be hot, and have a container ready to capture any lost fluid.

Do not turn off the engine with the plug removed to avoid injury from hot transmission fluid expulsion. If the fluid is low, add transmission fluid slowly to avoid overfilling.

It's advisable to use Amsoil Dexron III ATF to maintain proper transmission function. Check the fluid level every six months, preferably when the engine is cool, to ensure accurate readings and avoid costly transmission repairs.

In Closing

We know it's not fun dealing with car issues. And in modern cars like the Buick Encore, there can be a host of potential culprits behind acceleration issues. Hopefully, this article gives you some insight as to what the problem could be. But the best thing to do is to contact our local mechanic or dealer for more information.

If you enjoyed this article on the Buick Encore, you might also like:

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So, how do you like your Buick Encore? Leave us a comment below!

Buick Encores parked and for display at a Buick dealership, Buick Encore Not Accelerating - What Could Be Wrong?

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2 Comments

    • Thanks for letting us know, but models from 2013–2019 do have a transmission dipstick. Other models have a fill plug. We updated the article so that both are included.

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