Modern cars are packed with so many features and buttons that it can be a real challenge to know what they all do. One button displays a curved arrow, almost forming a complete circle, inside a car outline. Its purpose is far from obvious, and one online guide claims "99% of people get it wrong". Social media threads are full of drivers asking, "What is this button in my car?" and "When should I use it?" One user wrote: "It has to do with AC, I know that, and the car gets colder when I press it, but I don't know what it's called."
What Does the Button Do?
Fortunately, there are just as many people online happy to explain what the button does and when and why you should use it. There are also circumstances in which it won't work. The button in question is the air re-circulation button, which is linked to your car's air conditioning system. When activated, it instructs your car to recirculate the air already inside the vehicle rather than drawing in fresh air from outside to heat or cool the cabin.
It proves particularly handy when you want to shield yourself from outside pollutants, such as smoke from a fire, dust from a building site, or exhaust fumes when stuck in a traffic jam or driving through a tunnel, reports Wales Online. It's also a real bonus on scorching hot days — switching it on means your car will recirculate the cooler air already inside, rather than continuously pulling in warm outside air and having to work harder to bring the temperature down.
How to Use It Properly
The Capturing Cars YouTube account, which boasts 10,500 subscribers, claims "99% of people use this button all wrong" and breaks down how to use it properly: "It is a recirculation button. Essentially, it shuts off the vents to the outside of the car, trapping the air that's in it. So, when should you use it? On a very hot day, or very cold day, that is when you will first want to use this button."
"Let's assume it's really hot outside, so you've turned your air conditioning to cold... what you will want to do is press this button. That will then trap the air inside the car, and it will get colder on each pass, or hotter if you've got the heating turned on. If you don't have it turned on, you are bringing in boiling hot air from outside and trying to make it cold, and it takes a bit longer. Turning that button on will accelerate the process of cooling down the car."
Another motorist shared their experience: "Speaking from personal experience, I drive by a rock quarry every day on my way to work, and I make sure the recirculation button is turned on because I do not want my car sucking in all that dirty outside air and pumping it into the cab."
When Not to Use the Button
The Capturing Cars YouTube account explains: "Let's say you're in the car, you've got wet clothing because you've been caught out in the rain - if your car is fogging up, which, let's face it, we've all experienced, that is when you'll want to turn this off [because] you are trapping humidity inside the car." He went on to point out that if you redirected your airflow towards the windscreen to clear any fog, the air recirculation function would automatically switch itself off.
Scrap merchants Ace Car Breakers also warn that keeping it running for extended periods isn't advisable. They said: "It's important not to rely on it all the time. As us humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, it's crucial that we let the fresh air in too – fresh air is vital for preventing the air inside from becoming stale and ensuring there's adequate oxygen levels and the CO2 is vented. You should therefore make a point of switching back to fresh air mode regularly."
