Why is there an exclamation mark on the dashboard?
2 Answers
There are five possible reasons for an exclamation mark appearing on the car dashboard: general faults, automatic transmission faults, brake system faults, abnormal tire pressure, and lighting faults. Below is a detailed analysis of these five situations: General faults: A triangle with an exclamation mark inside indicates a general performance or component/function fault in the car. Common causes include parking sensor failure, fuel cut-off system intervention or malfunction, external light failure, or engine oil pressure sensor failure. It is necessary to visit a 4S shop for inspection to identify the source of the fault. Automatic transmission faults: A yellow gear with an exclamation mark inside is the automatic transmission fault warning light, indicating a transmission fault or transmission lubricant level below the normal range. The transmission oil should be replaced promptly. Brake system faults: A circle with parentheses and an exclamation mark in the middle represents a brake system warning, mainly indicating a brake system malfunction or low brake fluid level. The brake system should be inspected immediately to avoid accidents. Abnormal tire pressure: A horizontal line with parentheses below and an exclamation mark in the middle represents the tire pressure monitoring warning light. This light turns on when the car's tire pressure is too low. Check the tire pressure and restore it to the normal range. Lighting faults: A yellow bulb with an exclamation mark is the lighting fault indicator, signaling a malfunction in one of the car lights. Solution: Visit a 4S shop for inspection as soon as possible, or conduct a self-check focusing on commonly used bulbs such as turn signals, fog lights, and interior lights to identify the issue.
My car also had the exclamation mark light up before, it gave me a scare! Turned out it was the brake system warning light. At that time, the handbrake wasn't fully released, and the dashboard displayed that exclamation mark inside parentheses. Low tire pressure can also trigger a similar exclamation mark symbol, which looks like an exclamation mark inside parentheses. If an exclamation mark lights up near the steering wheel, it might indicate a problem with the power steering, and you should pull over immediately. Sometimes, the engine yellow light comes on accompanied by an exclamation mark warning. But don't panic—first, check the specific shape of the symbol on the dashboard, note it down, and then try turning the car off and restarting it. If it doesn't disappear, for safety's sake, it's best to drive to a repair shop to read the fault code, because driving safety comes first.
