Is OFF On or Off?

[DiAubrey]

OFF means off. ON and OFF on machine switches indicate the power's on and off states, respectively. These are not abbreviations but full English words: ON means on, and OFF means off. Of course, some car switches may also be labeled, such as the headlight switch. Below is some information about OFF: 1. The OFF light on a car mainly refers to ESP-OFF. ESP stands for Electronic Stability Program, an active safety device designed to prevent the vehicle from skidding or losing control. If the ESP-OFF light comes on, it means the vehicle's stability control system is either turned off or malfunctioning. Blue and green indicator lights on the dashboard indicate that the corresponding system is on or functioning normally, while yellow and red lights indicate that the system is off or malfunctioning. 2. If you accidentally press the ESP-OFF button in the car, simply press it again briefly to reactivate ESP. If the ESP-OFF light comes on due to a system malfunction, you should promptly take the car to a 4S shop for inspection. There are many reasons why a warning light might come on, such as wiring faults, sensor damage, incorrect signals from the electronic control unit, or a low battery.

[LucasMarie]

I've encountered this issue too! I used to always mix up the switch symbols on household appliances. 'Off' in English means 'turn off', like when you push the light switch to the off position, the light goes out. The buttons in the car I'm driving now are designed the same way - the round button labeled 'off' on the center console stops the AC airflow when pressed. Special reminder for new drivers: the 'off' button next to the ignition button is the engine shut-off key - don't press it randomly on rainy days. It's best to check the dashboard indicator lights; when the icon dims, it's truly turned off. In actual driving situations, like when you get drowsy from having the heater on too long in winter, pressing 'off' to turn it down immediately makes you much more alert. This labeling is indeed quite user-friendly.

[DakotaRose]

My spouse once told our child when teaching English that 'off' means the command to stop operation. This rule also applies to car buttons. For example, the light control stalk on the left side of the steering wheel turns all lights off when rotated to the 'off' position. Once during a heavy rainstorm, even with the wipers at maximum speed, the road was still unclear. Then I noticed a small button labeled 'off' near the gear lever, and pressing it immediately stopped the front windshield defogger. Remembering this principle is actually very simple: 'off' means the function is terminated. All electronic devices in the car operate this way, including seat heaters and the car fridge—pressing 'off' ensures immediate power cutoff.

[MadisonLee]

Last time at the repair shop, I finally understood after the mechanic's explanation: 'off' means disconnecting the circuit connection. Every button in the car follows this rule, and when the 'off' indicator light is illuminated on the dashboard, it means that function is deactivated. For example, the auto start-stop function has an 'off' button—pressing it during traffic jams prevents the engine from frequently restarting. The car's infotainment system also has an 'off' switch for the audio; just press it if you don’t want music during a long drive. The simplest way to learn is to practice in a car: start the engine, press different 'off' buttons, and observe which device stops working—you’ll grasp it immediately.