What does the 'A' in a circle on a car mean?
2 Answers
The 'A' in a circle on a car refers to the vehicle's auto start-stop function. Here is some relevant information about the auto start-stop function in vehicles: 1. Precautions: If the vehicle has an active parking function, you should not shift to neutral or pull the handbrake. Simply press the brake to stop, and when you need to start again, release the foot brake and press the accelerator to move. If the vehicle is driving on a relatively steep slope, try not to turn on the auto start-stop function. Although the auto start-stop time is very short, the engine's start-stop on a slope may cause insufficient braking assistance. 2. Function: The parking brake handle inside the cabin is eliminated, providing more design space for the overall interior styling.
I've driven several joint-venture cars equipped with this feature—the circle A is the auto start-stop switch. When the engine shuts off automatically at red lights, that's it in action, and the dashboard will illuminate this indicator. To be honest, it's quite annoying in traffic jams, as frequent restarts wear down the starter. However, it does save fuel on long trips—my real-world tests showed about an 8% reduction in fuel consumption. Be sure to turn it off in rainy conditions or flooded areas, as an automatic restart after stalling could damage the engine. If left unused for long periods, the battery lifespan may also be 1-2 years shorter than in regular cars. Many modern vehicles can remember the last setting, and I habitually turn it off—after all, the small fuel savings aren't worth the cost of replacing the battery.
