What does the yellow exclamation light in a car mean?
2 Answers
There are three possible situations when the yellow exclamation light in a car is on, indicating a general fault, a brake system warning, or low tire pressure. There are roughly three types of exclamation warning lights on the car dashboard: 1. A triangle with an exclamation mark in the middle. This is a general fault indicator light, which may light up under the following circumstances: 1) Overheating of the dry dual-clutch transmission clutch; 2) Fuel cut-off system intervention or malfunction; 3) Parking sensor fault; 4) External light fault; 5) Engine oil pressure sensor fault; 6) Traction control system warning or fault. 2. A circle with parentheses and an exclamation mark in the middle. This is the brake system warning light, which will light up in the following situations: 1) Some cars light up for a few seconds after turning on the ignition switch and turn off after starting the engine; 2) Lights up when the handbrake is pulled up and turns off when released; 3) Low brake fluid level, lights up during driving; 4) Brake system malfunction. 3. A horizontal line under parentheses with an exclamation mark in the middle: This is the tire pressure monitoring warning light, which lights up when the pressure of a certain tire is too low.
I've been driving for over a decade, and that yellow exclamation mark warning light is something to take seriously. The most common cause is low tire pressure, which could be due to a puncture or temperature changes affecting the tire pressure. Sometimes it's because the handbrake isn't fully released or there's an issue with the handbrake system. It could also indicate a brake system malfunction, such as a dirty ABS sensor or loose wiring. I recommend pulling over immediately to check your tires for any obvious deflation. If everything seems fine, you should visit a repair shop to have the computer fault codes read with professional equipment, as these issues can easily affect driving safety and shouldn't be delayed.
