Blank buttons are the bane of the automotive industry. You know the ones that take up space on your center console but don’t actually do anything. They’re little more than a subtle reminder that you didn’t pay extra for a feature, which is just one more reason you might want to get rid of them.
But did you know there are plenty of things you can do with these blank buttons? Whether your goal is to tidy them up visually or repurpose them for something useful, here are some creative ways to put that blank button to good use.
Mount a knob or switch to control accessories
From your stereo to ambient lighting
One of the best ways to populate that blank button is to install your own button or knob and make it control whatever you want. For example, if you have an aftermarket subwoofer and amp, you can use the blank spot to install a potentiometer for adjusting your subwoofer.
If you have aftermarket ambient lighting, you can add a button to control it—or tap into one of your car’s interior lights. For instance, you might want to keep the footwell lights on while driving but leave the rest of the cabin dark.
If you want to keep your interior looking factory, try to source an original-style button that blends in. You can even paint over the original icon or add a sticker to hide its previous function.
Install an LED for displaying stats
Another cool and easy way to make use of blank buttons is to drill a small hole and place an LED in the center. You can then wire this LED to anything you want to monitor—like headlights or aftermarket daytime running lights.
For example, one Redditor replaced the enormous blank buttons in their A2 Volkswagen Jetta with lighted rocker switches to see when the AC compressor, radiator fan, and headlights were on. Keep in mind, this old car didn’t even have a headlight-on warning LED in the instrument cluster, and instead of an AC button with a light, it used a climate control slider.
Install a kill switch
Easy way to deter thieves
Credit: Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
A DIY kill switch is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to prevent theft—or even stop an unruly teenager from taking your car without permission. You can wire the kill switch to your fuel pump, ignition system, starter signal, ECU power, or any other critical circuit that prevents the car from starting or even cranking.
A blank button is the perfect place to hide a kill switch. By using an original-style button in place of the blank, no one will suspect it’s anything more than a factory control, like hill start assist or heated seats.
Aftermarket tire pressure monitoring system
Good to have for the winter months
Credit: Cory Gunther / How-To Geek
If you’ve got an aftermarket tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) or are thinking about getting one but aren’t sure where to mount it, consider using that blank slot in your center console.
Fitting it like an OEM part will depend on the size of the TPMS display and the dimensions of your blank button, but the good news is that some TPMS units are designed to be retrofitted in specific cars. For example, this model from AliExpress is made to fit certain Toyota and Mitsubishi vehicles.
If you have a 3D printer or know someone who does, you could probably design a bracket to hold the TPMS unit in place of a blank button.
OBD-based gauge or display
Few things scream Fast & Furious quite like aftermarket gauges.
Whether it’s oil pressure or temperature, turbo boost, coolant temperature, fuel pressure, or something else, people often find a way to fit a gauge in place of a blank button. Once again, a 3D printer comes in handy—you can find pre-designed gauge pods, see what size gauges the designer used, and replicate the setup in your own car.
Granted, gauges still need to be large enough to read easily while driving, so this option is mostly limited to larger blank buttons and spaces like ashtrays or similar openings.
If you’re strictly looking to replace a medium-to-large-sized blank button, you could use the space to install a small OBD screen to display stats. A good example that’s designed for Hyundai and Kia EVs is the EVOBD2.
Convert it into a USB charging port
Charge your phone while you drive
Credit: algre / Shutterstock
If your car doesn’t have a USB charging port, a blank button is the perfect spot to install one. Using a 12V DC-to-5V DC converter, you can add USB fast charging to almost any car by tapping into an active 12V line or the fuse box.
You can get a kit with a universal faceplate, like this Beüler USBDC-KIT, which fits many Toyota and Honda vehicles (but you can also design your own with a 3D printer).
Another option is to cut a USB-sized hole in the blank button and secure the charging port in place with hot glue.
Retrofit the original feature
Did you know that many car manufacturers keep the wiring for missing features hidden behind blank buttons? This makes it surprisingly easy to retrofit the feature that the blank button was meant to cover. And even if the wiring harness isn’t already there, you can usually route the necessary wires by following an online guide.
How easy it is depends on both the feature and your specific car—some may require additional modules, while others are mostly plug-and-play.
For example, I was able to enable full functionality of the multifunction buttons (including cruise control) on my BMW E46 steering wheel by simply replacing the blank trim with the buttons, plugging them into the clock spring, and connecting two wires to the light control module, plus one to the ECU.
Credit: Ismar Hrnjicevic / How-To Geek
The whole project took less than an hour and required zero prior knowledge—all thanks to widely available guides online. For the price of the buttons (which were around $60 from a junkyard), I effectively “unlocked” cruise control and steering wheel media controls.
Dress them up with funny stickers
If you just want a quick fix for ugly blank buttons, custom stickers are by far the easiest option. You can go ridiculous with things like “eject seat,” “sonar,” “missiles,” or “invisibility.”
Stickers made for your car are ideal, but even universal ones can look surprisingly good. It’s a fun little conversation starter—way better than a generic blank button.
Whether your goal is to put that blank button to good use, retrofit the original button, or just dress it up with a sticker, there are plenty of ways to do each. With a little creativity, that boring blank button can easily turn into a standout feature in your car that you never knew you needed.
