What does the small wrench displayed on the vehicle dashboard mean?
3 Answers
The small wrench displayed on the vehicle dashboard is a reminder that the vehicle requires maintenance. Vehicle maintenance items include: 1. Changing the engine oil and oil filter; 2. Replacing the oil filter element, air filter element, fuel filter element, air conditioning filter element, and transmission oil filter element; 3. Adding windshield washer fluid, antifreeze, and air conditioning refrigerant; 4. Checking for wear on the drive belt; 5. Cleaning the throttle valve and carbon deposits in the cylinders; 6. Inspecting the chassis for damage; 7. Checking the body and tires. The benefits of vehicle maintenance: 1. Ensuring the vehicle's optimal performance; 2. Improving driving safety; 3. Reducing engine noise; 4. Extending the vehicle's service life.
My old car also showed that little wrench symbol the other day. After asking the 4S店 technician, I learned it's a maintenance reminder light set by the manufacturer. Simply put, it's like an electronic memo that automatically lights up when the car reaches 5,000 or 10,000 kilometers to remind you to change the oil and oil filter. The reset methods vary by model - Volkswagen owners usually hold down the instrument cluster button when turning off the ignition, while Buick requires accessing the central control menu. If it stays on after recent maintenance, the mechanic might have forgotten to reset it. Remember, this isn't a malfunction warning light, so no need to panic and call a tow truck.
Last time when dropping off my kid at school, I suddenly noticed this wrench icon flashing on the dashboard and thought my car was falling apart! Turned out after checking on my phone, it's just a thoughtful maintenance reminder. The onboard computer tracks your mileage and lights up when reaching preset values to remind you about oil changes. Once during a long trip, the light came on, and the 4S store told me it's fine to drive a few hundred more kilometers. But Old Zhang from the repair shop said newer cars are smarter now—they not only remind based on mileage but also calculate engine oil life, and in northern winters, they even give early warnings for antifreeze changes. When you see it light up, just schedule maintenance when convenient. Don't be like my colleague who waited until the steering wheel started shaking before going.
