You have probably owned your car for years and still use about a dozen buttons. That is normal. Automakers bury genuinely useful functions behind long-press gestures, hidden menus and features that only activate under specific conditions. After this guide you will be able to unlock a handful of them today: find your fuel door, dim your mirrors at night, recover a locked-in key, and set your car up so it suits you instead of the other way around. Give it 15 minutes with your owner's manual nearby.
What you need before you start
- Your car's owner's manual, in the glovebox or as a PDF from the manufacturer's site. This matters more than anything else here, because automakers move features between models and model years.
- A few minutes parked somewhere safe, with the engine off or the car in Park.
- Nothing else. No app, no account, no tools. A phone torch helps if you are hunting for a lever in a dark footwell.
One warning before you start: everything below is low-voltage 12V convenience stuff. If a step ever sends you toward orange cabling, a traction battery pack or a high-voltage service disconnect, stop. That work belongs to a qualified technician, full stop.
1. The fuel door arrow
Look at the fuel gauge on your dashboard. Next to the pump icon there is usually a small triangle. It points to the side of the car where the filler cap sits. Why it matters: you stop guessing at rental cars and borrowed vehicles. Practical tip: not every car has it, so if you cannot see an arrow, check the manual rather than circling the pump twice.
2. Filling the tank from the other side
Most fuel hoses reach across the back of the car if the station is busy and the pump is on the wrong side. Pull forward far enough that the hose clears your rear bumper, and check your manual for anything unusual about your filler neck angle. Why it matters: it saves you a queue on a busy forecourt. Practical tip: never stretch a hose tight or let it rub on paint.
3. The interior mirror's night mode
That small tab under your rear-view mirror is a manual day/night switch. Flip it and the mirror glass tilts to cut glare from headlights behind you. Why it matters: it is the difference between being dazzled and driving comfortably at night. Practical tip: many newer cars do this automatically with an electrochromic mirror, so if there is no tab, you already have it.
4. Tilting side mirrors for kerb parking
On many cars, selecting the left or right mirror with the adjustment switch and then engaging reverse tilts that mirror down toward the kerb. Why it matters: you can see the wheel and kerb instead of guessing. Practical tip: the exact sequence varies, and some cars need the mirror selector left in a specific position, so check your manual. If yours does not do it, a small stick-on blind-spot mirror is a cheap workaround.
5. The hidden key inside the fob
Most key fobs have a physical blade hidden inside, released by a small button, a slide, or by prying the shell apart. There is also usually a covered keyhole under a plastic cap on the driver's door handle. Why it matters: a dead fob battery should not leave you standing outside. Practical tip: find both now, while you are calm, not in a car park at night.
6. Starting the car with a dead fob
If your car is keyless, the start button may still work when the fob battery dies. Common tricks: hold the fob against the start button, or place it in a marked slot in the centre console or cupholder. Why it matters: it gets you home to change the battery. Practical tip: the location is model-specific, so check the manual and note it in your phone.
7. The child lock on the rear doors
Open a rear door and look at the edge for a small switch or slot. Flick it and that door can only be opened from outside. Why it matters: essential with small children, and it stops rear passengers opening a door into traffic. Practical tip: it is per-door, so check both sides.
8. Window lock and one-touch windows
The window lock button on the driver's door stops rear passengers from playing with the switches. Separately, many windows have two detents: a light press for manual movement and a firmer press for automatic full open or close. Why it matters: one-touch is faster and safer in a hurry. Practical tip: if one-touch stops working, some cars need a reset, usually by holding the switch up for a few seconds after the window closes. Check your manual for the procedure.
9. Headlight delay and follow-me-home
Many cars let you flash the high beams or pull the stalk after switching off, and the headlights stay on for a set period, often somewhere between 30 seconds and a couple of minutes. Why it matters: you can see your front door instead of fumbling for keys in the dark. Practical tip: the delay is often adjustable in the settings menu.
10. Automatic locking and unlocking behaviour
Your car may be able to lock itself once you drive off, or unlock only the driver's door on the first press. Why it matters: it is a real security and convenience difference, especially in city traffic. Practical tip: on many cars this is a sequence of button presses or a menu setting, so verify against your manual before assuming it does not exist.
11. Seat and mirror memory
If your car has memory buttons, they usually store seat position, mirrors and sometimes steering column together. Why it matters: two drivers can share a car without a five-minute adjustment ritual. Practical tip: some cars link a memory preset to a specific key fob, so each fob restores its own driver's settings.
12. The valet and glovebox lock
Many gloveboxes have a keyhole that lets you lock it with the physical key from your fob. Some cars also have a valet mode that limits boot or glovebox access. Why it matters: you hand over the car without handing over everything in it. Practical tip: check whether your boot has an internal release you may want to disable first.
13. The hidden storage you already own
Look under the boot floor, under the rear seats, in the door pockets and under the front seats. There is often a spare wheel well, a tyre repair kit, a jack, a warning triangle or a first aid kit you have never seen. Why it matters: you want to know what is there before you need it. Practical tip: check the tyre kit's expiry or sealant date, and confirm your jack and wheel brace actually fit your car.
14. Reading your dashboard warnings properly
Dashboard symbols are not decoration. A yellow warning usually means "get it looked at soon", a red one means "stop safely and investigate". Why it matters: ignoring a red warning can turn a small fault into an expensive one. Practical tip: if you drive an electric car, our EV troubleshooting guides and the diagnostic and fuse guides walk through common causes for several warning types. For 12V issues like a dead accessory socket or a dim interior light, a fuse check is often the first stop.
15. Bluetooth, phone pairing and driver profiles
Most head units support multiple paired phones and separate driver profiles that save radio presets, seat position and climate settings. Why it matters: the car stops treating you as a guest every time you get in. Practical tip: set up the profile for each regular driver and name them clearly. If you are weighing up a new car and comparing how much of this convenience tech comes as standard, the head-to-head EV comparisons on this site are a good place to start, and you can browse the full EV model directory if you are shopping.
Pro tips
- Read the index of your owner's manual first, not the whole thing. Find the five sections that match your car and skim those.
- Test unfamiliar features while parked. Never experiment with mirror or window settings in moving traffic.
- Take photos of any hidden switches, key slots or fuse layouts you find. You will not remember them in six months.
- If a feature seems missing, check whether it is tied to a trim level, a package or a model year. Standard equipment varies far more than people expect.
- Write your tyre pressures, jack location and fob-battery type on a card in the glovebox.
- If you are curious about running costs or range for a car you are considering, the free EV calculators and tools can give you a quick estimate without any account.
Common pitfalls
- Forcing a lever, flap or trim clip. Plastic is brittle and expensive. If it does not move easily, you are probably doing it wrong.
- Assuming your car works like the last one you owned. Feature locations and activation sequences change between brands and even between model years.
- Prying open a key fob with a screwdriver and cracking the casing. Use the correct release point, or a plastic trim tool.
- Ignoring a red warning light because the car still drives. "It still moves" is not the same as "it is fine".
- Touching anything orange or labelled high voltage. That is traction battery territory, and it is not a DIY job. If you are unsure what you are looking at, stop and call a qualified technician.
Useful resources
Your owner's manual is the single best source for anything model-specific, and most manufacturers host free PDFs on their websites. For general car maintenance, the AA, RAC and similar motoring organisations publish free checklists and buying guides. If your car is electric, the EV blog covers ownership topics in plain language, and the diagnostics section is where to go when a warning light needs narrowing down.
FAQ
Are these features on every car? No. Some are near-universal, like the fuel door arrow and the key inside the fob. Others depend on trim, package and model year. Treat this as a checklist to investigate, not a guarantee.
Can I add a feature my car does not have? Sometimes, for simple things like a blind-spot mirror or a phone mount. Anything involving wiring, software coding or the vehicle's computers should go to a qualified technician.
Is it safe to check fuses myself? Low-voltage 12V fuses are usually fine for a careful owner to inspect, with the car off and the battery disconnected where the manual says so. Anything involving the high-voltage system is not.
Why did a feature stop working after a battery change? Some settings reset when power is interrupted. Window one-touch, radio presets and clock are common casualties. Re-run the setup procedure in your manual.
Do I need a diagnostic app? Not for any of the fifteen features above. A basic OBD2 reader can help with warning lights, but it will not unlock convenience settings, and it will not tell you anything useful about a high-voltage fault.
One last thing
You do not need to learn all fifteen today. Pick three that would genuinely make your week easier, find them in the manual, and test them while parked. Do that a few times and you will know your car better than most people ever bother to.
