What is the reason for the car-shaped yellow light on the dashboard always staying on?
2 Answers
The car-shaped yellow light on the dashboard is the engine malfunction indicator light. Engine sensors include those for coolant temperature, crankshaft position, air flow, intake air temperature, oxygen sensors, etc. When these sensors are damaged, have poor contact, or experience signal interruption, the car's ECU cannot accurately obtain engine data, which will then trigger the engine malfunction light to illuminate. Poor engine maintenance is a common cause of the engine malfunction light turning on. All vehicles have a certain maintenance cycle. If the owner does not perform maintenance on schedule, coupled with poor driving habits, the burden on the engine operation will increase, and eventually, the malfunction light will come on to remind the owner to service the car.
Seeing that yellow car light on the dashboard always lit up, I guess you're anxious too. That thing is the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light, and a yellow light indicates there might be an issue with the vehicle's control system. Common causes include dirty or faulty wheel speed sensors—these sensors are located near the wheels and can easily get clogged by mud or dust. Another possibility is a malfunction in the anti-slip module, such as aging circuits or software errors, causing the computer to detect anomalies. Sometimes, uneven tire pressure or irregular tire wear can also affect the vehicle's stability readings. The last time I encountered this, I checked the tire pressure myself, found it slightly off, added some air, and the light went out. If the light stays on, don't ignore it—especially in rainy or snowy conditions, as it could lead to loss of control during turns. I recommend quickly consulting the user manual to identify the issue, trying to clean the sensors, and if that doesn’t work, head to the repair shop for a full inspection—safety first. Regular maintenance can prevent these minor issues, so just make it a habit.
