Um, what the heck is this?

[StuckMTB]

I’ve stumbled across a new button today inside the Korando. I’ve never seen this before, and I generally consider myself pretty well-versed on the subject of in car controls as it’s kind of a big deal in my job. Anybody have any guesses?

It’s not the windshield defroster, because that’s a separate button right below it.

[facw]

@stuckmtb I mean it appears to be for the rear wiper?

[CarsOfFortLangley]

@stuckmtb said in Um, what the heck is this?:
rear window heating elements?

[HFV_Junkyardin]

@stuckmtb heated wiper blade? I know it’s been done.

[Jawzx2]

@facw @StuckMTB yeah, looks rear-wiper-Y to me... Unless it has rain-sensing... In which case it might be a switch for that... But that seems unlikely.

[StuckMTB]

@carsoffortlangley @facw the rear wiper control is on the stalk and the rear defrost is to the right of the mystery switch.

Generally, front window icons have the arc type shape in defrost icons, and rear windows are more rectangular shape.

I’m lost.

[CarsOfFortLangley]

@stuckmtb front wiper heating elements? (de-icers)

[StuckMTB]

@carsoffortlangley this was my thought as well but this thing is um… cheap as shit. I kinda doubt it has such luxurious content!

[facw]

@stuckmtb Hmm, well I haven't been able to find an owners manual, but I did find a 2013 service manual that shows it, but I haven't found a place where it's labeled...

Edit: maybe I'm getting close?

Yep:

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@facw Yeah my first though was finding an online version of the owner's manual.

[TheBarber]

@carsoffortlangley

Ding ding ding

[Boxer_4]

@carsoffortlangley I'm assuming this is a photo you found online? It took me literally less than 20 seconds to realize that this was an SH Forester. I had the same Fuyao windshield in mine.

[StuckMTB]

@thebarber @facw you guys are genuine sleuths! I knew oppo could figure it out.

[A Former User]

@stuckmtb
I'm confused by mine. Wavey lines usually denote air while zigzag lines denote electric element.
Well mine is similar to this.

I understand the two front ones, but why is the rear one showing wavey lines when the has an electric element in it?

[facw]

@svend Because the wavy lines are the standard symbol?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defogger

[facw]

@stuckmtb To give credit where credit is due @TheBarber had the answer first, it was already posted when I went to update mine. I think it was close, but I had to look through several hundred pages of service manual to decide what to search for.

[A Former User]

@facw
So why isn't don't they all have wavey lines then?
It's inconsistent.

[facw]

@svend Presumably because they felt the need to differentiate the front defroster from the windshield heater, even though the effects are similar. Since there was only one system in the back, there's no need to differentiate there?

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@stuckmtb is it for auto rain sensing wipers?

[StuckMTB]

@svend yeah the front air defroster and rear electric defrost both have the same wavy line look, and it’s the standard icon. I think probably because the functions are so similar. Electric front windshield heaters are a pretty new implementation so I guess they needed a new ISO symbol to represent it, even if it’s a bit confusing.

[facw]

@wrong-wheel-drive No we got it, see above. Auto wipers are a button on the end of the stalk:

[pyroholtz]

@stuckmtb since the answer has been given, can I just say one thing....?

That center stack (dash) is a god awful design and whoever came up with this, should be forced to live with it, for eternity.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@facw said in Um, what the heck is this?:

@wrong-wheel-drive No we got it, see above. Auto wipers are a button on the end of the stalk:

It's just like Reddit, I don't ever read the article and here I don't ever scroll up before shitting on the comments lol. I now see the quality investigative work, nicely done chaps. There's way too many features on this vehicle. I just want wipers on and off.

[facw]

@pyroholtz Note that this is the cheap version. The fancier version looks like this:

Which admittedly still isn't really good from a UX perspective, but it at least looks nicer. That model also seems to have a different climate control arrangement, but I can't tell if it's better or worse.
Quite an internal facelift:

[StuckMTB]

@pyroholtz I cannot upvote this enough. It is hot, hideous, plasticky garbage and I hate every millimeter of this spiteful thing. The radio … um … “integration” is my favorite part.