What does 'scan' mean in a car?
2 Answers
The 'scan' button in a car represents scanning, which is used to search for radio stations. It will stop immediately after the search is completed. However, generally speaking, only older car models are equipped with a physical 'scan' button. Additionally, there are some other buttons in a car: 1. The 'SEL' button is a menu selection confirmation button, usually located on the multifunction steering wheel; 2. The 'AC' button is the compressor switch, which is the air conditioning cooling switch; 3. 'MUTE' is the mute button, allowing for one-touch muting; 4. 'MODE' is the mode switching button; 5. 'SET' on the multifunction steering wheel is the cruise control function button.
Last time I rented a car, I didn’t know what the scan button was for, but after trying it, I found this feature quite thoughtful. In radio mode, pressing scan automatically searches for stations, staying on each for about five or six seconds so you can preview the content. If you hear a station you like, pressing it again locks the frequency. When using scan with a USB or Bluetooth to listen to music, it quickly scrolls through the playlist, playing a 10-second chorus snippet of each song. This is especially helpful while driving, as you don’t need to constantly look down to operate the screen. I usually use it to find local traffic stations when driving in unfamiliar cities—it’s much more efficient than manually tuning. Just be careful not to press it too many times, or you might miss a channel you like. Lock it as soon as you hear something interesting.
