What does the exclamation mark with P mean?
3 Answers
The dashboard displaying an exclamation mark with P indicates a fault in the electronic parking brake system. A circle with P and an exclamation mark inside means there is a system fault, and the warning signal light is on. Depending on the vehicle model and brand, the meaning of the indicator lights on the dashboard may vary. For example, some cars show a red circle with an exclamation mark when the handbrake is not engaged, while others display a circle with a P. The specific meaning should be determined according to the vehicle's user manual. Other common warning lights with exclamation marks include: 1. A triangle with an exclamation mark in the middle: This is a general fault indicator light. This light indicates that certain components of the car have issues, such as overheating of the dry dual-clutch transmission clutch, parking sensor failure, engine oil pressure sensor failure, external light failure, etc. 2. A yellow symbol with an exclamation mark inside a shape resembling a tire with a horizontal line at the bottom and open at the top: This is the tire pressure monitoring warning light. When this light comes on, it indicates that the pressure in one of the car's tires is either too low or too high.
Recently, I also encountered the situation where the yellow P with an exclamation mark lit up on the dashboard. At the repair shop, the mechanic told me that this kind of indicator light mainly points to brake system issues. If the car has an electronic parking brake, first check if you forgot to release it. Sometimes, after parking, only putting it in P gear without unlocking the electronic brake will cause the light to come on. If the parking brake is definitely released, it's most likely that the brake fluid reservoir level is too low and needs to be topped up with DOT4 brake fluid, or the brake pads have worn to the limit and triggered the sensor. The most dangerous scenario is the red P with an exclamation mark, which indicates a pressure leak in the brake hydraulic system or an ABS system failure, requiring immediate parking and repair. I remember last week, a Leiling owner in the neighborhood had to replace the brake master cylinder to get rid of this warning light.
Our little Honda, which we've had for six years, also had the P with an exclamation mark light up before, which scared me into checking the manual immediately. The regular P light with a circular exclamation mark usually indicates a parking brake warning, but a P inside a triangle with an exclamation mark represents a powertrain system malfunction. For models with electronic parking brakes, if the light stays on after releasing the brake, it might be due to poor contact in the brake switch. Last time, a fellow car enthusiast in our group shared her experience—cleaning the contacts behind the brake pedal solved the issue. However, if you encounter a flashing red warning light, it could mean the brake fluid's water content exceeds the limit or a sensor false alarm. It's advisable to visit a 4S shop as soon as possible to check the fault codes with a diagnostic tool.
