Car controls are the components inautomobiles and other poweredroad vehicles, such astrucks andbuses, used for driving and parking.
While controls like steering wheels and pedals have existed since the invention of cars, other controls have developed and adapted to the demands of drivers. For example,manual transmissions became less common as technology relating toautomatic transmissions became advanced.
Earlier versions of headlights and signal lights were fueled byacetylene or oil. Acetylene was preferred to oil, because its flame is resistant to both wind and rain. Acetylene headlights, which gave a strong green-tinted light, were popular until after World War I; even though the first electric headlights were introduced in 1898 (and those were battery-powered), it wasn't until high-wattage bulbs and more powerful car electrical generating systems were developed in the late 1910s that electric lighting systems entirely superseded acetylene.
The first automobiles were steered with atiller sometimes on the left or right, sometimes in the centre. Thesteering wheel was first used when Alfred Vacheron competed in the 1894Paris–Rouen motor race in aPanhard et Levassor. In 1898, steering wheels became a standard feature of Panhard et Levassor cars. They were introduced in the U.S. byPackard in 1899, and by 1908 were on most models.[1]
Power steering helps drivers steer by augmenting the driver's steering effort. Power steering has usedhydraulics to reduce a driver's steering effort. However, hydraulic steering is being replaced byelectric power steering, because it eliminates the hydraulic pump, and increases fuel efficiency.[2]
In modern cars the four-wheel braking system is controlled by a pedal to the left of the accelerator pedal.
There is usually also aparking brake which operates the rear brakes only (or less commonly, the front brakes only, as in theSaab 99 and in theCitroën Xantia). This has traditionally been operated by a lever between the front seats called ahand brake, but also appeared as a lever between the driver's seat and the door (as in thePorsche 911), a knob pulled away from the dash (as in theVolkswagen Transporter), a foot-operated pedal (as in theNissan Leaf), and other less common arrangements. All of these controls pull on a spring-loaded cable and are held in place with a ratcheting mechanism until released.
In the 2000s, direct-actingelectronic parking brakes controlled by a switch (as in theVolkswagen eGolf[3]) are becoming more common, replacing cable-actuated mechanical systems.
Inrallying there is often a hydraulic handbrake for the rear wheels, operated by a long, vertical lever extending to near the steering wheel. This is designed to facilitatehandbrake turns rather than for parking, so lacks a ratcheting mechanism.[4]
Thethrottle, which controls fuel and air supply to the engine and is also known as the "accelerator" or "gas pedal", is normally the right-most floor pedal. It has afail-safe design – a spring, which returns it to theidle position when not depressed by the driver.
Normally the throttle and brake are operated by the right foot, while the clutch is operated by the left foot. However, some drivers sometimes mistake the accelerator for the brake, leading tosudden unintended acceleration and causing 16,000 accidents per year in the US.[5] There are also drivers who intentionally practiceleft-foot braking.
Early cars had a hand lever to control the throttle, either directly, or by controlling an engine speed governor which in turn controlled both the throttle and timing.[6] In 1900 theWilson-Pilcher car was introduced in Britain which had a hand controlled speed governor, and a foot throttle which could override the action of the governor. Unlike modern throttle pedals this could be raised to accelerate the car or depressed to slow it, "and thus quick accelerations or retardations can be effected" without interfering with the governed speed set using the hand control.[6] The combination of governed engine speed with foot throttle override is in many ways similar to a moderncruise control. In spite of this development, steering column mounted hand throttles remained common, especially in mass-produced cars such as theFord Model T.[7] Later cars used both a foot pedal and a hand lever to set the minimum throttle. The 1918Stutz Bearcat had a central throttle pedal with the clutch and brake to the right and left.[8] Modern cruise control was invented in 1948.[9]
Vehicles that generate power with aninternal combustion engine (ICE) are generally equipped with atransmission or gearbox to change the speed-torque ratio and the direction of travel. This does not usually apply toelectric vehicles because theirmotors can drive the vehicle both forward and backward from zero speed. In somefour-wheel drive vehicles there is a gear lever that engages a low-ratio gearbox. Other levers may switch between two- and four-wheel drive anddifferential locks.
Some cars have afreewheel that disengages thedriveshaft from the driven shaft. This happens when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft. For example, Saab used a freewheel system in their earlier vehicles, to let the engine disconnect from the transmission while coasting. This was a feature added because of the limited lubrication in the two-stroke engine. A petroil-lubricated two-stroke requires lubrication according to its speed, but provides this lubrication according to the amount of its throttle opening. Where the engine operates at high RPM and low throttle (such as when coasting down a long hill), the lubrication provided may be inadequate. With the freewheel, a coasting engine could reduce its speed to idling, thus requiring only the small lubrication available from the closed, coasting, throttle. 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.[10]
Freewheeling was retained in the four-stroke variant, until the end of production and in theSaab 99 with the 1709 cc Triumph engine. A minor drawback to the freewheel, particularly for drivers unfamiliar with the Saab, is that it makesengine 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.[10] Some cars, such as theRover P4, include a manual switch to engage or disengage the freewheel.[11]
Manual transmission is also known as amanual gearbox,stick shift,standard, andstick. Most automobile manual transmissions have severalgear ratios that are chosen by locking selected gear pairs to the output shaft inside the transmission. Manual transmissions feature a driver-operatedclutch pedal and a hand-operatedgear stick or shift lever, or, on a motorcycle; a hand-operated clutch lever, and a foot-operated gearshift lever. Historically, cars had a manualoverdrive switch.
Semi-automatic transmissions are mechanically the same as a conventional manual transmission, but do not have a manually-operated clutch mechanism; instead facilitating the driver, by usingautomation system to control the clutch. These systems still require the driver's input and involvement for manually changing gear ratios, though, and will not change gear automatically for the driver.
The desire for driver convenience led to the widespread implementation of the now-popularhydraulic automatic transmission design in the 1940s, followed by the first mass-productioncontinuously variable transmission (CVT), theVariomatic, in 1958. Automatic transmission withmanumatic (manual) gear shifting controls started to appear on mass-production cars in the early-1990s, starting withPorsche'sTiptronic system. Later, thecomputer-controlled, single-clutch,automated manual transmission, pioneered byBMW andFerrari, began appearing on mass-production automobiles in the mid-1990s; one example isAlfa Romeo'sSelespeed, which is the same system used by Ferrari and BMW. The first mass-productiondual-clutch transmission design was introduced with the 4th-generationVolkswagen Golf R32 in 2003, with thedirect-shift gearbox.
Some automatic transmission vehicles have extra controls that modify the choices made by the transmission system. These controls depend on the engine and road speed. Automatic gear selectors generally have a straight pattern, beginning at the most forward position with park, and running through reverse, neutral, drive, and then to the lower gears.
Cars have controls forheadlamps, fog lamps, turn signals, and otherautomotive lighting. Turn signals are activated by the driver to alert other drivers of their intent to turn or change lanes.[12] While the modern turn signal was patented in 1938,[13] electric turn-signal lights date back to 1907.[14]
As of 2013,[update] most countries require turn signals to be included on all vehicles driven on public roadways. The turn signal lever is usually activated by a horizontal lever protruding from the steering column.
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Vehicles are generally equipped with a variety ofinstruments mounted on thedashboard to indicate driving parameters and the state of the mechanics. The placement of the instruments can vary. While they are usually mounted behind the steering wheel, they may also be mounted centrally below thewindshield, or integrated into thecenter stack above theclimate control andaudio system. The standardgauges found on road vehicles include the following:
These gauges are supplemented by an assortment ofwarning lights that indicate the currently selectedtransmission gear mode, the genericcheck 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 asdigital readouts rather than the traditional analog dial-type indicators. Depending on the type of vehicle, more specialized instruments may be used such as atrip computer,fuel economy gauge, orbattery level display.
Before the appearance of the starter motor, engines were started by various difficult and dangerous methods. These methods included: wind-up springs,gunpowder cylinders, and human-powered techniques such as a removablehand-crank. In 1896, the first electric starter was installed on anArnold,[15] one of the first motor cars manufactured in the United Kingdom.Charles Kettering andHenry Leland later invented and filedU.S. patent 1,150,523 for the first electric starter in America in 1911. In 1912, theCadillac Model Thirty became the first American car to have a starter installed.
BeforeChrysler'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. This type of control has now returned with the use ofkeyless entry. Early Chevrolet cars had the starter pedal to the right of the accelerator, with a secondary throttle control knob on the dashboard because it was difficult to operate the starter pedal and pump the gas pedal at the same time.
Some other historical engine controls, which are automated in modern passenger cars, were thechoke valve,ignition timing, andspark arrestor.[17]
In the past, all cars had manual controls for starting and running the engine. Now, modern cars not only have automated controls, but they also have controls that are not directly used to drive the vehicle. These controls includeair conditioning,navigation systems,on-board computers,in-car entertainment,windscreen wiper, andtouchscreen panels.
These controls vary in scope and design between different types of cars. They may also be located and operated differently in other road vehicles such asmotorcycles, where the throttle is controlled by a hand lever and the gear shift is operated by a pedal. Some types of vehicle controls are found inrail vehicles. For example, sometrams andlight rail vehicles like thePCC streetcar use automobile-style pedals to control the speed.
InFormula One auto racing, many vehicle parameters can be set by the driver during a race. Controls for these are mounted on the steering wheel, and can include controls for:brake balance,differential, ignition timing,regenerative brake,rev limiter, and others.[18]
Pedal error crashes can occur when the driver steps on the accelerator when intending to apply the brake; the driver's foot slips off the edge of the brake onto the accelerator