‘Don’t touch it’ warn drivers over little-known button in a ‘strange place’ that could leave you with hefty repair bill
DRIVERS have discovered what a little-known button actually does - abd been warned that they shouldn't play with it.
A baffled motorist took to Reddit to ask about the button, which shows a car on top of two squiggles with the word "OFF" next to it.
This is your car's traction control - an electronic system that helps your car maintain good grip in slippery driving conditions.
It essentially works by slowing down an individual wheel that is spinning excessively in relation to the other wheels on your car.
Traction control, which stops you from skidding, has been a requirement on all new motors since 2011.
You may well have never even noticed the traction control button - but it makes your car far safer.
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Experts have warned there is rarely a good reason to switch off traction control while on the road in normal conditions.
One expert, dubbed Toyota Jeff, took to to explain why the button could actually leave you with a hefty repair bill.
The motors whizz said: "If this is such a great safety feature, why in the world would you want to turn traction control off?"
He added that there are probably only four conditions where you should turn it off.
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These are: "The main reason I can think of is let’s say your car is stuck in mud or ice, or gravel or dirt or that type of thing.
"Sometimes we want to rock our car backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. Reverse, drive.
"When you turn off the traction control button that is going to allow you to do that manoeuvre to hopefully get you out of that messy situation."
Attempting to move your car out of a patch of mud can damage components like the clutch flywheel or, in many modern cars, interfere with the calibration of the vehicle's computer.
This can be expensive to replace, especially on top of the cost of recovering your car if it's stuck in the mud.
To get around this, all drivers have to do is press and hold the button for a few seconds and it will disable the system.
This will usually be accompanied by a sound or a warning message to let you know it has been switched off.
Meanwhile, drivers have been praising the ultra-rare heated seat button - claiming that it utterly reshaped their driving experience.
While you might think you know your car like the back of your hand, you could easily be missing out on some key extras.
