I own a 94 Toyota Scepter (ex Japan) that has a red button on the gear box. The button has text written in Japanese (I think).
For years I’ve been meaning to find out what this button does. Now after seeing it in other Toyotas with auto transmissions, I’ve decided to ask what is probably a silly question.
It’s not the power selector, as this is another set of buttons marked ‘PWR/MANU’.
For three years I’ve being tempted to push it and see what happens, but always back out of doing this as my luck tends not to stay with me when… (that’s another story)
The button itself sits ahead of the gear selector, approx 1 inch wide.
I did think something similar, so planned on putting Mrs Bender in the driver seat and giving this mysterious button a bit of a nudge !!. - Damned mind reading wife - won’t have a bar of it !
Two options come to mind. An over drive selector. Rather a switch to opt-out of overdrive. The other is a “winter” switch, in this mode the tranny starts in second gear to avoid spinning the wheels in slick road conditions.
Third idea
If this car has a “Press brake to shift” function. That is you have to have the brake on to get out of Park, this could be the override button. With the parking brake engaged, key on, engine off. leave foot off brake and try and shift out of park. If the lever moves, I’m wrong. If not, press button and try again. Let us know.
I had Toyota with a button that sounds similar to the one you’re describing. In my car it was “cluth-start cancel”, which meant you could start the car while pushing the button (while turning the key) instead of holding the clutch in. If you’ve seen it on automatic cars though it may be something completely different. Booker57, might be right in that it is for overdrive.
Automatic transmissions have a “shift inhibit solenoid” which prevents you from shifting out of park unless you have your foot on the brake. What happens if the switch in the brake pedal or the solenoid breaks? Then you would be stranded, unable to ever get the vehicle out of park. So, they give you a little red release button that you can press to get out of park, just in case something breaks.
E_C_G has it. I don’t think they are all that uncommon, though. IIRC, a little pull handle in the vicinity of the shifter might appear on more cars than a red button, but the funtion is identical.
I have the same button on my Toyota and it is for shifting out of overdrive. You will get a light on the panel for “O/D OFF” when you push the button and the transmission will downshift to third gear. This is according to the owner’s manual on my 2001 Toyota Corolla.
Booker57 followed closely by engineer_comp_geek in second place with the correct answer.
With a clear consience of certainty that depressing this button will not engage the ejector seat (must be another, as yet unfound button) I’m pressing away to my hearts content.
For the others, it would have probably helped saying the O/Drive selctor is on the gear select lever itself, and traction control is well hidden next to the remote lock off button.
For me, it’s all part of the fun living in New Zealand, with it’s open door policy (no tarriffs) of imported used cars, and the majority being sourced from Japan.
