Car controls

Car controls are the components in automobiles and other powered road vehicles, such as trucks and buses, used for driving and parking.

This has traditionally been operated by a lever between the front seats called a hand brake, but also appeared as a lever between the driver's seat and the door (as in the Porsche 911), a knob pulled away from the dash (as in the Volkswagen Transporter), a foot-operated pedal (as in the Nissan Leaf), and other less common arrangements.

In the 2000s, direct-acting electronic parking brakes controlled by a switch (as in the Volkswagen eGolf[3]) are becoming more common, replacing cable-actuated mechanical systems.

[6] The combination of governed engine speed with foot throttle override is in many ways similar to a modern cruise control.

[9] Vehicles that generate power with an internal combustion engine (ICE) are generally equipped with a transmission or gearbox to change the speed-torque ratio and the direction of travel.

Where the engine operates at high RPM and low throttle (such as when coasting down a long hill), the lubrication provided may be inadequate.

Freewheeling can also be used to help reduce high exhaust gas temperatures in two stroke models caused by prolonged use of the throttle at higher RPM.

A minor drawback to the freewheel, particularly for drivers unfamiliar with the Saab, is that it makes engine braking unavailable although it could be manually engaged or disengaged by a control in the foot-well.

Fixed wheel engagement, using the foot, could be difficult, as it involved pulling a 'T handle' intended for manual operation.

[14] As of 2013,[update] most countries require turn signals to be included on all vehicles driven on public roadways.

Vehicles are generally equipped with a variety of instruments mounted on the dashboard to indicate driving parameters and the state of the mechanics.

The standard gauges found on road vehicles include the following: These gauges are supplemented by an assortment of warning lights that indicate the currently selected transmission gear mode, the generic check engine light, and the current status of various vehicle systems.

The layout and design of these instruments have evolved over the years by being implemented as digital readouts rather than the traditional analog dial-type indicators.

Depending on the type of vehicle, more specialized instruments may be used such as a trip computer, fuel economy gauge, or battery level display.

Before Chrysler's 1949 innovation of the key-operated combination ignition-starter switch,[16] the starter was operated by the driver pressing a button that was mounted on the floor or dashboard.

Some other historical engine controls, which are automated in modern passenger cars, were the choke valve, ignition timing, and spark arrestor.

These controls include air conditioning, navigation systems, on-board computers, in-car entertainment, windscreen wiper, and touchscreen panels.

For example, some trams and light rail vehicles like the PCC streetcar use automobile-style pedals to control the speed.