Japanese Speaker Wanted. Apply Within — AKA. What is This Button For?

[stuzbot]

Sorting through some photos on the dog'n''bone the other day and I came across this one I'd taken of a button in my Surf...

Yandex Translale couldn't make anything of it [I presume because it's a bit blurry and embossed] apart from thinking it was Chinese. . So I chucked it into Google Lens, which, also didn't seem to know what language it was, but at least came up with the following...

EDIT —I just tried Google Translate which gave the same result as Google Lens, but a bit of a less messy image...

Google Lens also randomly came up with something else on the red part before settling on "LIFT" , which I can't remember now. But it was really random and nothing motroing related at all.

If the white on grey text does say SHIFT LOCK then I'm wondering whether it's something to do with making the auto transmission hold ono it's gears a bt longer, or suchlike. But then what is the LIFT on the red button? Also, it only seems to identify the leftmost word on the red button. Not the righthand one.

Anyone any ideas? How's your Japanese?

 

[stuzbot]

Whoops! —no idea how I managed to post this in "Introduce Yoursef". Mods, can you move it somewhere more fitting?

 

[fbnss]

Are you asking what the little red button does next to the lever?

 

[Tractionman]

IIRC it's something to do with being able to move the shift without ignition on or foot on brake, to push the vehicle around in workshop for instance ?
DON'T press the little red one fbnss is on about, it activates the ejector seat !

 

[fbnss]

Ok, it's not the one I was thinking of, my apologies

 

[stuzbot]

Are you asking what the little red button does next to the lever?

Yes, that's the one. I would have said where it was located before. But I couldn't remember and couldn't be arsed going out to check. But you've shamed me into it...

IIRC it's something to do with being able to move the shift without ignition on or foot on brake, to push the vehicle around in workshop for instance ?

I didn't get you, at first. But, thinking about it, you can't remove the key from the ignition without putting it into PARK first. So that makes sense.

DON'T press the little red one fbnss is on about, it activates the ejector seat !

I definitely don't want to do that. What with no sun-roof on this one.


OK chaps. While we're on a roll here. Can anyone tell me what this one is likely to be. [assuming the switch layout is similar across UK models]. It might not have been written in Japanese, but it's faded to illegibility anyway. Since it's got a tell-tale my Holmesian deduction tells me it's something you don't necessarily see or know is on. But you need to be shown it's on so you remember to turn it off again.

Fog light? Rear window demister? er.... except the middle one looks like the fog light switch.

 

[Shayne]

Idle up is my stab in the dark , but could be exactly what it says preventing automatic gear change for controlled ascent/descent ?

 

[stuzbot]

I''ve just been looking at that red button again and, if Japanese is the same as Chinese insofar as using pictogrms goes, then this seems to portray a row of high-kicking can-can dancers one of whose bras has flown off and is being caught by an old dude with a Chinaman hat on, a walking stick and an enormous stonk-on.

...or he could just have taken his glasses off to wipe, after they steamed up with the excitment.

To think they teach children in Japan this kind of filth!

 

[stuzbot]

Idle up is my stab in the dark

We probably cross-posted there. Idle up is on the right in the second set of 3 buttons pic I posted above.

 

[Shayne]

We did but knowing now its by the gear stick being able to lock gear is a logical and useful feature , and red suggests warning not for road use ?

Could the worn button be a rear screen heater maybe ?

 

[Steve H]

I had the same buttons on my Surf. The red button is to unlock the transmission without putting the key in ( for breakdown recovery, etc). The middle one in your picture should be the front fog lights and the one on the left of the picture should be for the rear fog light fitted when imported into the UK for SVA inspection. Or it was on mine anyway. HTH

 

[stuzbot]

...the one on the left of the picture should be for the rear fog light fitted when imported into the UK...

Thanks. I can almost convince myself I can see the remains of some kind of a lamp or bulb icon on it.

 

[Mick W]

The red button is to override auto park mode to move vehicle without starting and engaging transmission. Same on my Subaru.