What does the exclamation mark symbol in the car mean?
2 Answers
An exclamation mark symbol appearing in the car indicates a malfunction. The following are related situations when a malfunction occurs: An exclamation mark inside a circled bracket: Brake friction pad damage or insufficient brake fluid. The solution is to release the parking brake and check if the brake fluid is insufficient. An exclamation mark inside a triangle: External car light malfunction. The solution is to check if the lights are faulty. If the symbol remains lit without any apparent issues, it is recommended to visit a repair shop. An exclamation mark inside yellow brackets: Car tire pressure problem. The solution is to observe if the tires are leaking. After inflating the tires, check the dashboard again. If the warning light persists, locate the settings in the car's central console to recheck the tire pressure. The light will turn off once the pressure is normal.
Once while driving on the highway, a yellow triangle warning light suddenly came on. I immediately pulled over to check the manual, only to find out it was just the trunk not being properly closed. Later I learned that different exclamation mark warnings have vastly different meanings—a circle with a '!' in the middle indicates a brake system failure, a steering wheel with an exclamation mark means power steering failure, and the most concerning is the tire pressure alert: that yellow light with an exclamation mark inside parentheses usually means a nail puncture. The lesson from driving older cars is never to push your luck—stop immediately for red lights, and address yellow lights at the nearest repair shop. Last month, my colleague insisted on driving home, and the next day had to spend 3,000 yuan on a steering gear repair. Keeping the manual in the car is the safest bet—after parking, always check the corresponding section first.
