What is the lever in the car?
4 Answers
The lever used for shifting gears in a car is called the gear shift lever. By operating the gear shift lever to change the engagement and disengagement of transmission gears with different ratios, the car can achieve acceleration, deceleration, or reversing. For manual transmission cars, the number of gears varies depending on the model. Additional information: When using the gear shift lever to change gears, keep your eyes on the road ahead and avoid looking down at the lever. Do not force the lever when shifting. If you cannot engage a gear before starting, you can release and press the clutch pedal once before trying again. To engage the reverse gear, ensure the vehicle is completely stopped, then disengage the reverse gear lock before shifting. After moving the gear shift lever into neutral, avoid shaking it back and forth.
After driving for so many years, the most common question I get from beginners is about those levers next to the steering wheel. The long one on the left controls the turn signals and high beams—push it up for the right turn signal, down for the left, and push it outward to turn on the high beams. The lever on the right controls the wipers—push it forward for a single wipe and pull it back to spray washer fluid. Nowadays, many cars also place the gear lever behind the steering wheel, a common design in Mercedes and BMW known as the column shifter, which becomes very handy once you get used to it. Some sports cars even have paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, though those aren’t traditional levers. If it’s your first time driving, just spend some time familiarizing yourself with these three levers, and you’ll get the hang of it.
I remember when I was first learning to drive, the instructor yelled 'Turn on the signal!' the most. The lever on the left side of the steering wheel is particularly important—it controls the turn signals for turning and lane changes. A gentle push makes the signal flash three times and automatically turn off, which is suitable for lane changes. Pushing it all the way keeps the signal on continuously, ideal for turns. The lever on the right controls the wiper speed, and the knob adjusts the intermittent frequency, which is especially useful on rainy days. Nowadays, electric cars are even smarter—pulling the wiper lever can also activate autonomous driving, though the mechanical operation principles remain similar. I recommend that beginners spend ten minutes specifically familiarizing themselves with these levers—it’s much better than fumbling during the driving test.
The most common levers in a car are found in three locations: the turn signal lever, the windshield wiper lever, and the gear shift lever. The turn signal lever is located on the lower left side of the dashboard. In addition to controlling the lights, pressing the button on the top of the lever in some cars can reset the odometer. The windshield wiper lever is on the lower right side, with a rotary knob at the end to adjust the wiper sensitivity. In traditional models, the gear shift lever is located on the center console, and shifting between PRND gears requires pressing the brake pedal. Nowadays, the column shifter design integrates the gear shift onto the lever on the right side of the steering wheel, and once accustomed to it, the traditional gear shift lever feels like it takes up too much space. While using these levers incorrectly won't damage the car, signaling the wrong turn direction can indeed be quite dangerous.
