Decoding dashboard icons

When such an indicator (a car with a key) is lit, it informs about malfunctions in the engine (often a malfunction in a sensor) or the electronic part of the transmission. To find out the exact cause, you will need to make a diagnosis.

The red car with the lock caught fire, which means that there were problems in the operation of the standard anti-theft system and it will be impossible to start the car, but if this icon blinks when the car is closed, then everything is normal - the car is locked.

A yellow car indicator with an exclamation mark notifies the driver of a hybrid car that the drive is malfunctioning. Resetting the error by dropping the battery terminal does not solve the problem - you need diagnostics.

Everyone is used to seeing the open door icon burning when some door or trunk lid is open, but if all the doors are closed and the light with one or four doors continues to shine, then you often need to look for the problem in the door ends (wire contacts).

The slippery road icon starts to blink when a stabilization system detects the exchange rate stability of a slippery road section and is activated in order to prevent slipping due to reduced engine power and braking of the slipping wheel. Worrying in such a situation is not worth it. But when a key, triangle or crossed out skid icon appeared near such an indicator, then the stabilization system is malfunctioning.

A wrench icon pops up on the scoreboard when it comes time to carry out car maintenance. It is an information indicator and after that it is reset.

The steering wheel icon can light up in two colors. If the yellow steering wheel is lit, then adaptation is required, and when a red image of the steering wheel with an exclamation mark appears, it is already worth worrying about the failure of the power steering system or the EUR. When the red steering wheel is lit, then surely your steering wheel will become very difficult to turn.

The immobilizer icon usually blinks when the car is closed; In this case, the indicator of a red car with a white key signals the operation of the anti-theft system. But there are 3 main reasons if the immo light is constantly on: the immobilizer is not activated, if the key is not read from the key or the anti-theft system is malfunctioning.

The handbrake icon lights up not only when the hand brake lever is activated (raised), but also when the brake pads are worn out or topping up / replacing the brake fluid. On a car with an electronic handbrake, the parking brake lamp may light up due to a glitch of the trailer or sensor.

The coolant icon has several options, and depending on which one is on, draw conclusions about the problem accordingly. One red lamp with the image of the thermometer scale indicates an elevated temperature in the engine cooling system, but the yellow expansion tank with waves signals a low level of coolant in the system. But it is worth considering that the coolant lamp does not always burn precisely at a low level, perhaps just a “glitch” of the sensor or float in the expansion barrel.

A washer icon indicates a low liquid level in the glass washer expansion tank. Such an indicator is lit not only with a real decrease in the level, but also if the level sensor is clogged (the sensor contacts are covered with plaque due to poor-quality liquid), giving a false signal. On some vehicles, the level sensor is triggered if the washer fluid specification does not match.

The ASR icon is an indicator of the Anti-Spin Regulation. The electronic unit of this system is paired with ABS sensors. When such a light is constantly on, it means the ASR is not working. On different cars, such an icon may look different, but often in the form of an exclamation mark in a triangle with an arrow around or the inscription itself, or in the form of a car on a slippery road.

The catalyst icon often lights up when the catalytic element overheats and quite often is accompanied by a sharp drop in engine power. Such overheating can occur not only because of the poor throughput of the cells, but also if there are problems in the ignition system. When the catalyst fails, a large fuel consumption will be added to the burning bulb.

The exhaust icon according to the manual indicates a malfunction in the exhaust gas purification system, but as a rule, such a lamp starts to burn after a bad refueling or if there is an error on the lambda probe sensor. The system registers the misfire of the mixture, resulting in an increase in the content of harmful substances in the exhaust gases and, as a result, the “exhaust gases” lamp is lit on the dashboard. The problem is not critical, but the diagnosis should be done to find out the cause.

The battery icon lights up if the voltage in the on-board network drops, often this problem is associated with the lack of battery charge from the generator, therefore it can also be called the “generator icon”. On vehicles with a hybrid engine, this indicator is supplemented by the inscription “MAIN” at the bottom.

The oil icon, it is also a red oiler, indicates a drop in the oil level in the car engine. This icon lights up when the engine starts, and does not go out after a few seconds or may light up during movement. This fact indicates a problem in the lubrication system or a drop in oil level or pressure. The oil icon on the panel can be with a drop or with waves at the bottom, on some cars the indicator is supplemented with the inscription min, senso, oil level (inscriptions in yellow) or simply the letters L and H (characterizing low and high oil levels).

The exclamation mark icon may look different and its values will accordingly also be different. So, for example, when the red (!) In the circle is on, this indicates a malfunction of the brake system and it is advisable not to continue driving until the cause of its appearance is clarified. They can be very different: a manual brake is raised, brake pads are worn out or the level of brake fluid is reduced. A low level just poses a danger, because the reason can be not only in heavily worn pads, as a result of which, when you press the pedal, the fluid diverges through the system, and the float gives a low signal, the brake hose may be damaged somewhere, and this is much more serious. Although, very often the exclamation mark lights up if the float (level sensor) is out of order or short-circuited, and then it just lies. On some cars, an exclamation mark is accompanied by the inscription "BRAKE", but the essence of the problem does not change from this.

Another exclamation point icon can burn in the form of a sign “attention”, moreover, both on a red background and on a yellow one. When the yellow attention sign lights up, it reports a malfunction in the electronic stabilization system, and if it is against a red background, it simply warns the driver about something, and, as a rule, an explanatory text is displayed on the dashboard display or is combined with another informative designation.

The ABS icon may have several display options on the dashboard, but regardless of this, it means the same thing on all cars - the appearance of a problem in the ABS system, and that the anti-lock wheel system does not work at the moment. You can find out the reasons why ABS does not work in our article. In this case, movement can be made, but you do not need to count on the operation of ABS, the brakes will work as usual.

The ESP icon may either light up periodically or light steadily. A light bulb with such an inscription alerts about stabilization system problems. The Electronic Stability Program indicator, as a rule, lights up for one of two reasons - either the angle sensor has failed, or the brake light switch (aka “frog”) has ordered a long life. Although, there is a problem and more serious, for example, the brake pressure sensor is covered.

The engine icon, some drivers may call it the “injector icon” or check, may light up yellow when the engine is running. It informs about the presence of engine errors and malfunctions of its electronic systems. To determine the cause of its appearance on the dashboard, a self-diagnosis or computer diagnostics is performed.

The glow plug icon can light up on the dashboard of a diesel car, the value of such an indicator is exactly the same as the “check” icon on gasoline cars. When there are no errors in the memory of the electronic unit, the spiral icon should go out after warming up the engine and turning off the glow plugs.