What does the trip button in a car mean?

[McAdeline]

trip stands for the subtotal mileage, and its meaning is quite obvious—it measures the distance traveled by the user for each trip. Here is some relevant information: 1. The data on the left side of the trip button represents the total mileage of the car. Using the trip button to calculate fuel consumption is simple: just divide the distance traveled by the amount of fuel consumed (e.g., how many kilometers can be driven with 100 liters of fuel). 2. Pressing the trip button once will reset the current driving mileage, and it will record the driving distance after the next start. For example, if you want to know the distance from home to the office, press the trip button before starting the car. After starting, it will automatically record the driving distance (note that the minimum unit for trip is 0.1 kilometers, while the minimum unit for total mileage is 1 kilometer). The mileage displayed when you park at the office is the distance from home to the office. 3. The car odometer includes two LCD digital display windows connected to the same signal source, which respectively accumulate the current trip and the total mileage. The current trip usually has four digits for short-term counting and can be reset; the total mileage has six digits and cannot be reset. The mileage data accumulated by the electronic odometer is stored in non-volatile memory, so the data can be preserved even when there is no power.

[McHannah]

I've used this trip button quite a few times in several cars I've driven. It's mainly for controlling and resetting the trip odometer function. Usually, you can see a trip A or trip B mileage reading on the dashboard, which records the distance of your single journey. For example, press it to reset before departure, and check how far you've traveled after finishing—this makes calculating fuel consumption particularly convenient. The operation is simple; a short or long press can reset the data. Don't mistake it for the total odometer, which records the car's total mileage and can't be altered. I often use it to monitor the fuel efficiency over a segment during long trips—resetting after refueling, then dividing the mileage by the fuel amount at the next refill to calculate how many kilometers per liter. Developing this habit can also optimize driving habits to avoid wasting money. It's usually located near the steering wheel controls or the dashboard, and beginners will get the hang of it with a bit of practice.

[AdamRose]

I only learned about its function because of my interest in cars. That TRIP button is actually a small control key on the digital dashboard, helping you manage trip data. For example, pressing it once resets the current trip mileage to zero, recalculating the distance from the starting point—perfect for tracking specific tasks, like when I separately monitor city and highway routes by recording them on two different trip logs. The mechanism isn’t complicated; it’s just internal sensors syncing with the computer, storing data in temporary memory, with quick operation that doesn’t affect the total odometer reading. In daily driving, I use Trip A to record commutes and Trip B for long journeys, avoiding accidental resets of critical info. Though small, this button is cleverly designed, working seamlessly with steering wheel buttons for multitask monitoring, making driving smarter.

[AlainaFitz]

When I first started learning to drive, I was also curious about what this button was for. Later, I figured out it's a little tool for recording trips. After you press the trip button, the number displayed on the dashboard resets to zero, and it starts counting the kilometers you've driven from that point. For example, you can press it before heading to a friend's place and check how far you've gone when you arrive—simple and straightforward. Just don't confuse it with the permanent odometer. A light press resets it, and you can take a quick glance while driving. I usually use it to estimate the approximate distance of each trip—no professional knowledge needed, easy to pick up. Beginners are advised to try out the control buttons near the steering wheel more often to get familiar with them.