What does the yellow 'd' on the dashboard of the new Excelle mean?
4 Answers
The yellow 'd' on the dashboard of the new Excelle indicates the current gear position of the automatic transmission, showing that the vehicle is in drive mode. Other gear positions of the new Excelle include: 1. 'P' gear, also known as parking gear, used only when parking and leaving the vehicle; 2. 'R' gear is reverse gear, used when the car needs to reverse; 3. 'N' gear is neutral, commonly used when waiting at traffic lights or temporarily parking by the roadside; 4. 'S' gear is sport mode, suitable for use when overtaking. The new Excelle is a compact car under the Buick brand, with a body structure of a 4-door, 5-seat sedan, dimensions of 4609mm in length, 1798mm in width, 1486mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2640mm.
I've been driving a Buick for over a decade, and this yellow D light indicates a transmission fault. Last time my car had this light on, I quickly shifted to manual mode using the +/- buttons next to the gearshift, but could only drive in 3rd gear. The dealership diagnosis showed a stuck solenoid valve, and it cost me 800 yuan to replace the valve body to fix it. Now when the D light comes on, never continue driving at high speeds. It's best to turn off the engine, wait 5 minutes, and restart to try. If the light remains on, you must contact repair immediately. Delaying could burn out the transmission control module, leading to repair costs over ten thousand yuan.
When the yellow D light appears on the dashboard, the engine tachometer will be locked at 3000 RPM and won't go higher. I've experienced this twice. The first time was during a cold start in winter when the transmission fluid temperature was too low, and the issue was resolved after the 4S shop upgraded the program. The second time was due to oxidized wiring harness connectors causing signal abnormalities. Remember, the vehicle will forcibly lock the gears to protect the transmission. You can try manually shifting to 1st, 2nd, or 3rd gear to keep driving, but avoid stomping on the accelerator. It's recommended to purchase an OBD scanner to read the fault codes yourself; codes like P0700/P0711 usually indicate valve body issues.
Pay special attention to the coolant temperature warning light on the new Excelle. Once when I was driving my child to school, the D light came on, and I found that the antifreeze had dripped onto the transmission wiring harness, causing a short circuit. The temporary solution is simple: pull over, turn off the engine, wait for 10 minutes, then press and hold the start button without stepping on the brake to let the instrument panel perform a self-check. If the light goes out, you can drive slowly to the repair shop. The solenoid valves in the Buick 6AT transmission are prone to failure, so it's best to change the transmission fluid in advance if the mileage exceeds 70,000 kilometers.
