What Do the Symbols on the Dashboard Mean?
2 Answers
Dashboard indicator lights are divided into three categories, representing indicators, warnings, and faults. The first category includes the most common indicator lights encountered during normal driving, such as light signal indicators, turn signal indicators, parking lights, etc. Their function is to indicate the status of various vehicle functions. The second category consists of warning lights, which serve an alerting function, such as the fuel indicator, door status indicator, seat belt indicator, etc. Typically, warning lights turn off after the driver performs the corresponding action. For example, the seat belt indicator turns off once the driver fastens the seat belt. The third category comprises fault indicators, which are the most critical. These include the generator fault indicator, ABS fault indicator, transmission fault indicator, etc. Generally, these fault indicators rarely light up during normal operation or may briefly illuminate when starting the engine before turning off. If a fault indicator remains lit and is accompanied by a warning sound, it indicates that the vehicle has developed a fault or abnormality.
Having driven for over a decade, I'm quite familiar with dashboard symbols. Back when I was learning to drive, seeing a bunch of warning lights would make me nervous. Now I understand: an oil can light means the oil level is low and needs immediate topping up, otherwise the engine could be damaged; a battery light indicates an issue with the charging system, possibly a faulty alternator or battery; the red parking brake light sometimes gets left on, and the car will beep when you start driving; an airbag light is dangerous - if not addressed, the airbags might not deploy in an accident. Yellow lights like the check engine light might indicate minor issues that become problematic if ignored, but red lights mean you should stop immediately - don't take chances. I advise beginners to make it a habit to scan the dashboard before starting the car and frequently consult the symbol diagrams in the owner's manual, as designs vary significantly between brands - don't take them lightly.
