With continuous development and progress of automotive technology, buttons and displays in car are becoming more complex and diverse. I don’t know if you have ever had such a question: what do various signs on the dashboard mean? "
● Lighting
Unlike German and American models, Japanese and Korean models and our own cars are accustomed to concentrating light control on turn signal lever behind steering wheel, but functions and signs are similar, and there is not much difference. I won't repeat introduction.
● Steering wheel related
For sport-oriented models, paddles will also be located behind steering wheel.
● Control Panel ID
Having read steering wheel, let's move on to dashboard. Although each brand designs different dashboards and on-board computers to show their own style, all icons on them are same. As long as we understand meanings they represent, we can quickly get started, no matter what car we encounter in future. The scheme of light indicators on dashboard of a car
There are four dials on dashboard of regular models, two largest are tachometer and speedometer, and two smaller ones are water temperature gauge and fuel gauge.
The layout of content on LCD panel has become more free and diverse
● Center console buttons
The center console can be roughly divided into two parts: usually upper part is car's multimedia system, and lower part is air conditioning control area. However, modern in-car multimedia systems are becoming more and more diverse, and technology content is constantly improving, and our introduction cannot cover them all, so we can only select most common buttons for explanation.
The model in picture is New Focus and buttons on center console are generally used by most models nowadays, except for TA button in upper right corner, which broadcasts traffic information in foreign countries, but there is no hardware support for this in China , it's just one time to set up, other CDs, radio, phone, menu, etc. are very easy to understand.
Also on some models there are buttons that are difficult to understand in English, Cruze in picture above is a typical representative.
As popularity of large color touch screens on center console has grown, many of media control buttons have also been integrated into screen, making center console much simpler and similar to today's smartphones. make it easier to get started.
The design of air conditioning control area becomes more colorful and personalized, but remains same: there are only two types of air conditioning in car, automatic and manual. Among them, automatic air conditioning is very convenient after setting temperature, it will turn on automatically as soon as car is ignited, while manual air conditioning cannot turn on automatically, and we need to adjust it manually.
The editor has chosen to present a relatively rich range of BMW models. You can see that air conditioner icons in picture are all symmetrical and they control two front seats respectively and buttons are very rich too.
Some models are also equipped with rear air outlet deflectors, while more advanced models have rear independent air conditioners that can be adjusted to suit needs of passengers.
In addition to media and air conditioning controls, there are driving controls near center console on many models, and as models are updated, features become more diverse.
An automatic engine start-stop system is a system that automatically shuts off engine when vehicle is temporarily stopped (for example, while waiting for a red traffic light), and automatically restarts engine when it is necessary to continue moving forward. keep your right foot on brake.
There are also some models that provide a more complete security configuration. Although they are relatively rare, we can also learn about them. Pictured is top-of-the-line Volvo XC 60. Downhill is a relatively common safety configuration that allows car to control speed and pass smoothly without hitting brakes when descending.
Some models also provide a variety of driving modes to choose from, from three types of normal, economy and sport to four or five different modes to choose from, which can be adjusted to suit different road conditions.
In addition, some models are also equipped with a HUD (head-up display), also known as a head-up display system, which can project some driving data onto front windshield or a small display in front of driver. assistive devices can reduce amount of time it takes a driver to take their eyes off road and further improve driving safety.
● Other keys
After reading central part of control, let's move our eyes to other places in car. First, let's take a look at doors, mainly window and rear-view mirror controls.
In addition to seat heating and ventilation mentioned earlier, there are usually adjustment settings on side of seat, and some high-end models also have headrest and co-pilot seat adjustment.
Many high-end models are now equipped with BLIS blind spot monitoring system. There is a sensor device under rearview mirror, and an indicator on A-pillar flashes to remind driver when a car is approaching from behind. .
There are basically two types of sunroof controls: buttons and knobs, and icons are relatively simple.
The trunk switch is usually located on trunk.
In addition, there is an airbag switch that can turn off airbag when it is not needed to avoid accidental use.
Conclusion
Today's cars are no longer as simple as a steering wheel and shifter. More and more features are being added to make our driving easier and more convenient. At same time, buttons in car became dazzling. up. And our today's introduction to common icons and buttons in car is certainly not most exhaustive, and there are still many proprietary personality settings that have not been covered, but it is enough to make all drivers comfortable in different models. , especially for beginners, help in their daily driving.