What does the CLR button mean?
3 Answers
In a car, the CLR button is a function key used to select features or confirm certain information. Below are the relevant details about CLR: 1. Function: When the trip computer displays items like the trip mileage, average speed, or average fuel consumption, pressing and holding the SET/CLR button at the top of the control lever will emit a beep, after which the trip mileage and average speed will reset, and the average fuel consumption will revert to the initial value. 2. Usage: Press the MENU button to enter the trip computer display settings, where three lines of code will appear. The top line will show one of the numbers 1, 2, or 3. Press the CLR button to enter the format selection interface, where two lines of code will appear. The bottom line corresponds to the number from the first line of the previous interface. Rotate the knob to select one of the numbers 1, 2, or 3, then press CLR again to save. Exit back to the three-line code interface and press MENU to return to the trip computer display interface.
There was a CLR button on my previous American car, located on the right side of the steering wheel. I remember once on the highway when I was using cruise control and suddenly hit traffic, I quickly pressed CLR to cancel the cruise—it was even half a second faster than hitting the brakes. Actually, this button isn’t just for the cruise system; when operating the infotainment screen, if you make a wrong input, you can press CLR to clear it, similar to the ESC key on a computer. The position varies by car—some place it behind the steering wheel, others near the wiper stalk. My new car is smarter now, with a virtual CLR icon on the touchscreen, but physical buttons are still more reliable since you don’t have to fumble around staring at the screen. I’d recommend checking your car’s manual to locate the button—it really comes in handy in critical moments.
In my old Japanese car, there's a CLR button on the left side of the steering wheel, which mainly addresses two pain points: first, it allows for instant cancellation when cruise control is engaged, and second, it clears mistaken operations on the infotainment system. During long drives when I felt drowsy and accidentally bumped the cruise control stalk, pressing CLR to immediately deactivate it felt safer than panicking and hitting the brakes. Additionally, it has a hidden function—holding it down for 3 seconds can reset temporary fault alerts on the infotainment screen. Now that I drive a domestic new energy vehicle with a full touchscreen console, I find operating it less convenient without the physical CLR button. While most cars still retain this button, German cars often label it as CANCEL, and American cars simply use the English word CLEAR. No matter what it's called, this function serves as a safety escape hatch in the cockpit, and I recommend everyone familiarize themselves with the location of their car's cancellation button.
