
BYD Yuan's one-button start method is slightly different from other models. You need to press the brake and press the one-button ignition to start the engine. In case of an emergency while the vehicle is in motion, you can turn off the engine by pressing the engine start/stop button for more than 3 seconds or pressing it 3 times consecutively. If the engine stalls while the vehicle is in motion, you can shift the gear lever to the N position without pressing the brake pedal and press the engine start button.

As a BYD owner for three years, I find the one-button start feature particularly convenient. Normally after getting in the car, I just press the brake pedal and tap the START button to fire up the engine. If I only want to listen to music or turn on the AC, I can lightly press the button without stepping on the brake - this puts the vehicle in power-on mode without starting the engine. When parking, I shift to P first then press the button again to shut down. Remember in extremely cold winters, it's better to wait 10-20 seconds after ignition before driving to protect the engine. Once my friend couldn't get it to start, turns out he forgot to press the brake - a detail beginners often overlook. The only concern is accidentally pressing while driving, but BYD's safety design prevents engine shutdown during motion.

Over the years of working in car repairs, I've noticed many people don't quite understand one-button start correctly. The proper method for BYD vehicles is to press the brake pedal and then press the start button, at which point various dashboard indicators light up and the engine starts running. It's especially important to ensure the key fob has sufficient battery, as sometimes failure to detect it is due to low battery. When operating the air conditioning and multimedia in power-on mode, be mindful not to exceed half an hour to avoid draining the battery. Before turning off the engine, make sure the gear is in P position—just press the button directly, and never shut down while in D gear. If the button malfunctions, try bringing the key fob close to the start position for re-detection. Different models have slight variations in settings; for example, the Tang series requires a long press to completely power off, while the Song series only needs a short press.

A novice driver who just got their BYD Dolphin says this feature is super simple. After getting in and seated, step on the brake and press the round button with an arrow next to the steering wheel to start the car. If you want to charge your phone without starting the engine, lightly press the button without stepping on the brake. When parking, shift to P, pull the handbrake, and press the start button once more to turn off the engine. The manual says if you temporarily leave the car without turning it off, pressing the button twice can lock the car—tested and it works. Once during heavy rain, I found the button still worked fine when wet, showing good waterproofing. Remember, never press hard when the steering wheel is locked; gently turn the steering wheel first to release the lock.

Having experienced multiple BYD car models, I found that the operation logic is actually quite similar. For both the Qin and Han models, you just need to press the brake pedal and lightly tap the start button to start the car, while for the Song PLUS, you need to hold the button for half a second. In summer, the method to turn on the air conditioning in advance is to press the button twice without stepping on the brake to enter the full vehicle power-on mode, set the temperature, and then start the car. Here’s a little-known fact: if the brake switch fails, you can try pressing the start button and the volume button on the steering wheel simultaneously to force-start the car. After turning off the engine, the electronic system will continue to work for a few minutes, and functions like automatic window lowering can still be used during this time. Veteran owners remind everyone to regularly check the sensitivity of the start button—just wipe it with an alcohol pad if there’s dust.


