What causes the exclamation mark light on the Prado tachometer to illuminate?
2 Answers
The exclamation mark light on the Prado tachometer illuminates due to general faults, brake system faults, or tire pressure faults. Below are detailed explanations of the specific causes: General Fault: This light comes on to remind the driver to turn off the Traction Control System (TCS). If the light remains illuminated while the TCS is active, it indicates an issue with the TCS. Brake System Fault: An exclamation mark inside a circle with parentheses is the brake system warning light. It indicates that the parking brake (handbrake) is engaged or there is a fault in the brake system. Tire Pressure Fault: An exclamation mark below a horizontal line with parentheses is the tire pressure monitoring warning light. This light illuminates when the air pressure in one of the vehicle's tires is too low.
My old Prado had the same issue last year when a small exclamation mark suddenly lit up next to the tachometer on the dashboard. I was quite scared at the time while driving on a winding mountain road. Later, the inspection revealed that the brake fluid reservoir level was too low. This yellow exclamation warning light is often a brake system alert, which could be due to thinning brake pads causing the fluid level to drop or a sensor false alarm. It's recommended to first open the hood and check if the transparent brake fluid reservoir is between the MIN-MAX marks. If the light comes on briefly after a long drive due to increased fluid temperature, it might be temporary, but if it stays on, you must inspect whether the four-wheel brake calipers are leaking. I remember topping up the brake fluid last time made the light go off immediately, but three months later, it came on again, and it turned out the right rear brake line was leaking.
