What does the letter A inside a circle on a car mean?
2 Answers
The letter A inside a circle on a car is the Auto Hold system button, whose function is automatic parking. After turning on this switch, when a moving vehicle is braked, even if you release the brake pedal, the vehicle will not continue moving. It will only resume driving when you press the accelerator, which automatically cancels the function. If you want to turn it off, you must do so manually. The working principle of the Auto Hold system is as follows: the brake management system controls the four-wheel brakes through the extended function of the electronic parking brake, or in other words, the Auto Hold system is an extension of the electronic parking brake, controlled by the ESP component. When the vehicle is temporarily stopped and needs to restart within a short period, the parking is handled by the ESP-controlled brakes. The computer uses a series of sensors to measure the vehicle's levelness and wheel torque, determines any tendency for the vehicle to roll, and applies an appropriate braking force to the wheels to keep the vehicle stationary.
From my daily commuting experience, I found that the button with an 'A' inside a circle is the auto start-stop function. When the car stops at a red light or is parked, the engine automatically shuts off, and it restarts when you release the brake, aiming to save fuel and money. After using it for half a year, I noticed it does reduce fuel consumption a bit, especially in urban traffic jams. I feel like it saves me dozens of dollars on gas each month. However, sometimes there's a slight vibration when it restarts, which some people find annoying. I suggest trying it more to get used to it, as it also helps protect the environment by reducing carbon monoxide emissions. Normally, you don't need to turn it on manually—it activates automatically when the engine starts. Just remember to keep the battery healthy and avoid letting it run out of power, otherwise, the function might not work properly.
