What do the two levers on either side of the car steering wheel represent?
4 Answers
The left lever in a car is primarily used for controlling the lights. Pushing it up or down activates the vehicle's turn signals and parking lights, while moving it forward or backward switches between high and low beams. The right lever operates the windshield wiper system, allowing adjustment of the wiper spray speed and the frequency of the wiper blades. Of course, in some higher-end models, the light control lever may also include cruise control functions, and the wiper lever may have buttons for switching dashboard information. Below is a detailed introduction: 1. Introduction one: The wiper lever is used to control the front and rear windshield wipers and washers. 2. Introduction two: The MODE knob on the lever adjusts the speed of the wipers; turning it upward increases the speed, while turning it downward decreases it.
I use the two levers on both sides of the steering wheel every day. The left one mainly controls the lights. Before making a turn while driving, I have to flick it to activate the turn signals—pushing it up signals a right turn and pulling it down signals a left turn. At night, I rely on this lever to turn the headlights on and off, and pushing it forward can flash the high beams to alert the car ahead. The right lever is dedicated to the windshield wipers. On rainy days, flicking it activates the wipers, which have multiple speed settings to adjust for different rainfall intensities. Pulling the lever toward me sprays washer fluid to clean the windshield, which is especially useful during summer highway drives when there are lots of bug splatters. These two levers are specially designed to be on either side of the steering wheel, allowing operation without taking hands off, ensuring both safety and convenience. In daily use, it's important to avoid randomly flashing high beams to avoid blinding others, and to replace worn-out wiper blades promptly—otherwise, the windshield won’t be cleaned properly, which can be dangerous.
When I first got my driver's license, the instructor emphasized teaching about the two levers on either side of the steering wheel. The left lever controls the turn signals—you need to signal in advance before turning: push up for the right turn signal and pull down for the left turn signal. The knob on the lever can be rotated to turn on the headlights, and for cars with an automatic setting, just turn it to AUTO. The right lever is the windshield wiper control—pushing it up activates the wipers, which have slow, medium, and fast settings to handle different rain intensities. The most convenient feature is the washer function—pulling the lever toward you sprays water to clean the windshield. At first, I often mixed them up, but now I realize a slight wrist twist is all it takes to operate them without affecting my grip on the wheel. The instructor stressed that turn signals must be activated in advance and that wipers should never be used on a dry windshield to avoid damaging the motor. Actually, all these functions are integrated into the combination switch, which is very well-designed.
These two levers are simple and practical. The left one is the turn signal lever - just push up or down before turning or changing lanes. The middle rotary switch controls the headlights and fog lights. The right wiper lever automatically activates the wipers when pushed upward in rain, with forward/backward movements adjusting speed. Here's a tip: gently pulling the lever toward you while using wipers sprays washer fluid. Many beginners don't know the hazard light button is on the dashboard, unrelated to these levers. Avoid excessive force to prevent damaging contacts. Even after turning off the engine, the turn signal lever can indicate parking position - this wrist motion is much safer than reaching for dashboard buttons. The designer was truly clever.