What 20 Symbols on Your Car’s Dashboard Mean
11 Airbag indicator symbol indicates that your airbag system must be having a problem.
The airbag is one of the important safety features in a car, as it is designed to protect you and your passengers during an accident. If the airbag indicator illuminates, then your airbag system might be having a problem. The airbag light also comes on when you are involved in an accident, but if the light turns on while you are driving, then something is wrong with one of your airbags or the entire airbag system. You should get your airbag system checked out immediately because it’s not safe to drive without a full-functioning airbag. (source)
12 Seat belt reminder light reminds you or your passenger to put on your seatbelts.
Seat belts keep you safe while you are in an accident situation. To keep you safe and remind you to wear seatbelts, cars have a seat belt reminder light with an audible alert that reminds you to immediately put on your seatbelts. The light will be turned on and an audible alert will irritate you until you or your passengers put on your seatbelts. (source)
13 Fog lamp indicator symbol indicates that your fog lights are turned on.
During bad weather conditions, the fog lights help the driver to drive safely. These lights are situated lower than the normal driving lights, helping the driver to clearly see through the fog. The fog lamp indicator gets turned on when you switch on the car’s fog lights. The driver should only turn on fog lights when the visibility is less than 100 yards. If the fog light is on unnecessarily, then it may cause other drivers to not see the road properly. (source)
14 Security indicator light turns on when the security system is armed.
If your car has an anti-theft system, then the security indicator light will turn on when the security system is armed. The security indicator light ensures that the system is equipped and fully operational. When the security indicator gets illuminated, the immobilization system gets activated because of a security threat to your car, and your car will not start until you disable the security system. If the symbol blinks steadily when your car is functioning properly, then there might be a fault in the system that needs to be repaired. (source)
15 Brake warning light means either the parking brake is engaged or your car’s braking system has a problem.
When the brake warning light flashes on your car’s dashboard, it means one of the two things – either your parking brake is engaged or the hydraulic fluid (brake fluid) is low in the master cylinder. When the word “BRAKE” in red appears on your dashboard, first stop and check if your parking brake is engaged. If it is, then try setting and releasing the brake when your car is parked. If the brake warning is still flashing, then get the car checked. (source)
16 Lane departure warning light turns on when your car is drifting out of the lane.
Most cars nowadays come with a lane departure warning light which is a safety feature that helps you to protect your car. This warning light flashes on your car’s dashboard when your car is drifting out of the lane. It detects when the car is going out of the lane and activates this light with a beeping noise to help the driver drive within a lane. (source)
17 Washer fluid indicator light indicates that you are low on windshield washer fluid.
The windshield wipers use some liquid to remove dirt from your windshield. Most modern cars are equipped with soapy water to clean the dirty windshield. To make sure your car never runs out of the cleaning fluid, some cars have a fluid level sensor on the reservoir and also a low washer fluid warning light on your car’s dashboard. The only function of the washer fluid indicator light is to inform the driver that the liquid is low and needs a refill. (source)
18 Transmission temperature warning light indicates that your transmission is overheating.
The transmission temperature warning light indicates that your car is having a problem with its automatic transmission or associated components. Some vehicles turn on the transmission warning light when the transmission is overheating due to different reasons. Some reasons might be low transmission fluid, heavy towing, worn transmission parts, or some other reasons. The only thing to do at the moment is to pull over and let your car cool down for some time, then get to a repair garage as soon as possible. (source)
19 Power steering warning light indicates an issue with the hydraulic power steering system.
The power steering warning light turns on when there is an issue with the hydraulic power steering system and most probably due to a low fluid level. The power steering system generates up to 1,500 lbs of pressure to make sure your car is easy to turn. The possible solutions are that you park your car in a safe place and have a look at the power steering fluid level or visit the local garage to get your car checked. (source)
20 Door open (Ajar) indicates that the door is not closed properly.
The door open (Ajar) symbol is one of the most self-explanatory indicators in the car. The main purpose of this symbol is to warn the driver that one of the doors is not closed properly or is wide open. The door open indicators make an alert noise to alert the driver and stop making the sound when it is properly attended to. (source)
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