6 little-known features on cars

ShiftLock button, shark fin, bumper covers, fixed air vents on the dashboard,... are little-known features on cars.

If you do not carefully study the features of the car, you will certainly miss out on many useful equipment that the manufacturer has designed for you. Among them are:

If you ignore the user manual or do not pay attention to "discovering" the features on the car, you will definitely miss out on many useful tools that the manufacturer installs for customers to use when needed. The article will also explain the functions of some equipment on the car that users often confuse.

1. ShiftLock button

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With automatic transmission cars, when the car is turned off, the driver cannot shift from P to N, R or D. The question is if the car stalls or stops in the middle of the road, how can the car be safely pulled to the side of the road? Car manufacturers have designed a small button that allows drivers to shift gears without having to start the car.

Called the “Shiftlock,” this button is usually “hidden” under a plastic cover around the gear shift area or above the steering column. Therefore, the driver just needs to remove the plastic cover, press the small latch underneath and shift gears. Then, ask a few people to help push the car to a safer position.

2. Shark fin

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With older cars, you can easily see an antenna located on the edge of the hood with SUVs and on the edge of the trunk with sedans. The task of this antenna is to receive radio waves, but with some higher-end models, the antenna can automatically "pop out" when you select radio mode.

However, today, new cars have more modern designs, so this antenna becomes an aesthetic loss. Therefore, car manufacturers have integrated the antenna wire and receiver into the "shark fin" placed on the roof of the car. This design is both neat and sporty for the car.

3. Bumper covers

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Many people who have no experience in using cars still wonder what the "scars" on the front/rear bumpers do. In fact, they have many uses depending on their size, shape and installation location. If the car has 2 covers right under the headlight cluster, that is the cover of the automatic headlight washer, often appearing on luxury cars.

In addition, if there is only one cover on the front/rear bumper that is tilted to one side, it is the cable hook when the car has a problem. If there are small round marks the size of a fingertip around the rear bumper or front bumper (on some cars), they are distance sensors. These sensors will emit a warning sound to warn the driver if they are about to collide with an obstacle.

4. Fixed air vent on dashboard

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However, in reality, with cars that have been used for a long time, the inside air vents are often loose, causing cold air to leak and causing the opposite effect of fogging on the windshield. And the advice of car care and maintenance experts is to check and take good care of this part to ensure visibility in all weather conditions. One of the 6 little-known features on cars is the fixed air vents on the dashboard. The function of these fixed air vents, blowing directly into the A-pillar on the car or arranged along the windshield, is to push the hot air to heat the windshield and window glass, helping the driver to easily observe the outside rearview mirror. This function is even more effective when traveling in foggy areas or when it is raining.

5. Rear door safety lock

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In fact, there are many cases where people sitting in the back seat suddenly open the door, causing accidents for oncoming vehicles. Therefore, car manufacturers often equip an additional safety latch on the inside edge of the door with the function of locking the driver's side rear door to ensure safety when getting in/out of the car. This latch is also known as a child lock with the function of preventing children from opening the door while the car is running.

6. Rear trunk release lever

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In unexpected situations such as children playing and being locked in the trunk or a car having an accident and falling into a lake, the mechanism to open the trunk from the inside will help rescue you and your passengers.

In the US, it has long been a law that cars must be equipped with a latch to open the rear trunk to create an additional escape route for passengers in the car. Different manufacturers will design the latch to have different shapes. However, usually, this latch will be a piece of fluorescent plastic connected to a cable and when you pull it, the trunk will automatically pop open.

According to VietNamnet