“Owned the Car for 5 Years and Had No Idea”: What Is the “OFF” Button on the Center Pillar For?

It’s possible you’ve noticed that some vehicles have a button inside the cabin with a “car” icon and the word “OFF,” usually located on the center pillar or another spot that’s easily accessible to the driver. But not everyone knows what it’s actually for.

The word “OFF” may suggest that the button disables a specific function, but which one? That’s the question. Many drivers assume it turns off the alarm because the icon resembles sound waves, and that’s actually pretty close to the correct answer. Still, its actual purpose is slightly different, and we’ll explain it in more detail below.

What Is It For?

The owner’s manual states that this button disables the security system, which also turns off the audible warning that sounds when the vehicle’s factory alarm is triggered.

But if you deliberately trigger the security system and then try pressing the “OFF” button, nothing happens, so how is it supposed to be used? It’s actually quite simple: the button does not disable the alarm after it has been triggered by someone entering the cabin or by movement inside the vehicle. Otherwise, any thief could simply get into the car and quickly disable the security system by pressing the button.

Here’s how it works. If you need to lock the vehicle without arming the factory security system, press the “OFF” button and the alarm will be disabled. Why would you need to do that? Here are a few examples.

1. If you need to leave an animal in the vehicle for a short time, for example. Obviously, the vehicle needs to be locked, but if you lock it normally, the motion sensor will keep triggering and the system will alert the driver that someone has entered the vehicle.

When you deactivate this function, those problems won’t occur. The door locks will remain locked from the inside, so they cannot be opened, but the security system will not be active.

1. The second situation is when the system has a tilt sensor and the vehicle needs to be loaded onto a tow truck, towed with a rigid tow bar, or transported by ferry, for example. In this case, you also need to disable the security system by pressing the button so the alarm doesn’t trigger when the vehicle’s position changes.