BYD Dolphin Dashboard and Controls: Full Layout Diagram
The BYD Dolphin's dashboard is organised around 12 numbered zones in the owner's manual, from the instrument cluster and rotating touchscreen to the switch bank housing the gear controls, parking brake, and driver assistance buttons. The steering wheel adds 14 switches of its own. The tables below map every control, using the manual's own numbering, so you can find anything in seconds.
Dolphin Controls at a Glance
| Measurement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dashboard zones (manual) | 12 numbered callouts |
| Steering wheel switches | 14 numbered functions |
| Main switch bank | Gear, EPB, AVH, ESC OFF, driver assistance, A/C on/off |
| Screen rotation control | Steering wheel switch 2, Screen mode |
| System restart | Hold the scroll button 3 seconds |
The Dashboard: All 12 Zones, As the Manual Numbers Them
The owner's manual opens with a numbered dashboard diagram, and here is that layout as a function table, each zone with what it actually does.
| Measurement | Component | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vents | Cabin air outlets, aimed and closed by hand |
| 2 | Infotainment touchscreen | The rotating 12.8-inch hub for climate, media, and settings |
| 3 | Wiper switch | Front and rear wiper and washer control stalk |
| 4 | Instrument cluster | Speed, range, warnings, and the menu screens |
| 5 | Steering wheel and switches | The 14-switch command centre, detailed below |
| 6 | Hood handle | Releases the bonnet |
| 7 | Bill box | A small slot for tickets and cards, the manual's charming name included |
| 8 | Charge port reference | Covered in its own charging section |
| 9 | EPB, AVH, and ESC OFF switches | Parking brake, auto hold, and stability control off |
| 10 | 12V power outlet | Accessory power |
| 11 | Gear, driver assistance, and A/C switches | Shift controls, assistance shortcuts, and climate on/off |
| 12 | Glove box | Passenger-side storage |
The Two Switch Banks That Run Everything
Notice how zones 9 and 11 group the serious controls. That is the Dolphin's design logic: rather than scattering buttons, it concentrates them on two console banks.
- The braking bank: The electronic parking brake, automatic vehicle hold, and ESC OFF sit together, so everything that holds or frees the car lives in one place
- The driving bank: Gear shift controls, the driver assistance switches, and the A/C on/off share the second bank, the controls you touch most
Learn those two clusters and the physical dashboard is essentially mastered, with everything else living on the wheel or the screen.
The Steering Wheel: 14 Switches, Numbered
| Measurement | Switch | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panoramic view | Toggles the surround camera view |
| 2 | Screen mode | Rotates the touchscreen between landscape and portrait |
| 3 | Cruise switch, plus/Reset, minus/Set | Activates ACC and adjusts the set speed |
| 4 and 6 | Distance plus and minus | Sets the ACC following gap |
| 5 | Lever | Cruise control lever functions |
| 7 | ICC | Intelligent cruise, ACC with lane centering |
| 8 | Call | Answers and ends phone calls |
| 9 | Speech recognition | Opens voice control |
| 10 and 14 | Right and Left | Track and selection controls |
| 11 | Mode | Switches audio sources |
| 12 | Scroll button | Volume, press to mute, hold 3 seconds to restart the system |
| 13 | Instrument cluster/Back | Opens the cluster menu and steps back |
Three of these deserve muscle memory from day one: Screen mode (2) for the rotating display, Speech recognition (9) for hands-free control, and the Scroll button (12), whose three-second hold is the fix for a frozen screen.
The Console and Doors, Briefly
The manual's interior view adds the centre console storage, wireless phone charger where fitted, and cup holder between the seats, while the driver's door carries the window switches, window lock, central locking, and mirror controls. Between dashboard, wheel, console, and door, every physical control in the car is accounted for.
Learn It in This Order
- The driving bank: Gear controls and A/C on/off, used every trip
- The braking bank: EPB and AVH, so parking is second nature
- Wheel switches 2, 9, and 12: Screen rotation, voice, and the restart trick
- The cluster menu: Switch 13 opens it, the scroll button navigates it
- Everything else: Lives on the touchscreen, learned as you go
Protecting the Dash
One practical addition while you are getting acquainted: a fitted dash mat for the Dolphin shields the dashboard top from sun fade and cuts windscreen glare, keeping this well-organised cockpit looking new.
Further Reading
When a light appears on zone 4, our Dolphin dashboard warning lights guide decodes every colour and symbol, and for everything zone 2 can do, the infotainment screen owner guide covers the rotating display in depth.
