What is the LOR switch in a car?
4 Answers
lor is the adjustment switch for the rearview mirrors. Turning it to L adjusts the left rearview mirror, O turns it off, and R adjusts the right rearview mirror. Here is some information about rearview mirrors: To observe the left, right, and rear conditions while driving, car rearview mirrors are essential. Vehicles are equipped with rearview mirrors on the left, right, and inside, and their position and angle should be suitable for the vehicle model.
The LOR switch is generally the off-road tire pressure indicator light switch, with the full name being Light Off Road. When pressed while driving on unpaved roads, a yellow tire symbol with wavy lines will illuminate on the dashboard. This feature is quite practical—for example, when we drive on mountain roads, the tire pressure monitoring can be overly sensitive and prone to false alarms. Activating this function automatically widens the tire pressure alert range, so you don’t have to worry about alarms going off from minor bumps on gravel roads. However, it's important to remember to turn it off on paved roads; otherwise, actual air leaks might go unnoticed. On some rugged off-road vehicles, this button also integrates with the 4WD linkage function.
Last time I drove my friend's pickup, I studied this button. The Lor key is essentially a shortcut for off-road mode. Pressing it is like telling the vehicle's computer, 'I'm going on rough roads.' At this point, not only does the tire pressure monitoring become more lenient, but the ESP intervention timing is also delayed slightly, giving more power when wheels slip while climbing steep slopes. Of course, don't use it on rainy paved roads, as it can easily cause the tail to swing out during sharp turns. This feature is now basically standard in domestically produced off-road vehicles at the 100,000-yuan level.
I often hear car owners ask about this during repairs. The function of the Lor switch varies significantly across different car brands: in the Nissan X-Trail, it activates the off-road tire pressure mode; in the Great Wall Pao, it simultaneously turns off the auto start-stop; while in the Mitsubishi Pajero, it engages the center differential lock. If you suddenly see this yellow light with an asterisk symbol on your dashboard, don't panic—it's likely you accidentally pressed the off-road mode button near the steering wheel. Checking the manual is the most accurate approach, as some models abbreviate it as 'Tyre Road'.
