Mysterious dashboard sensor: How it enhances your driving experience

Are you wondering what that small, protruding element on your car's dashboard is for? It's a sensor that performs an essential function in your vehicle.

There are two types of car owners—those who care only about their car's functionality and gadget enthusiasts who switch models to have the latest technological innovations. Regardless of your group, check if your vehicle has a small plastic point on the dashboard. It might completely change your driving experience.

Car manufacturers constantly introduce new technological conveniences. Once exclusive to luxury cars, touchscreen dashboards are now available even in budget models. However, many of us drive used vehicles at least a decade old. You might be surprised that even older models have features few people know about.

If you have a plastic, protruding button on your dashboard and don't know what it's for, it's most likely a vehicle sun sensor. Positioned near the windshield in most cars with dual-zone climate control, its task is to "measure" the intensity of the sun's rays and adjust the air conditioning temperature to suit the outside conditions. But that's not all. Thanks to these sensors, the car's interior cools down much faster and more efficiently.

The car's sun sensor operates continuously. This means it sends temperature information to the air conditioning system regardless of the weather conditions. To use this function, make sure nothing is lying near the sensor. It must be uncovered entirely to function correctly.