Oh, my goodness...is my car about to blow up? Oh, no, good, it's just telling me that my warning lights are still on. Shewww.
A few months after I purchased my 4WD RAV4 from
Checkered Flag Toyota,
a light popped on my dash that I had never seen before. To me, it
looked like some kind of big ol' butt sitting in a seat with an
exclamation point. At first, I was insulted at my car's implication.
Had I gotten so heavy that the car was actually alarmed? Was the seat
about to break?
I came to my senses and realized that Toyota
would never be so insulting, but I was still worried, so I pulled over
and checked my
RAV4
owner's manual. Low Tire Pressure, well, that made more sense. I
drove to the nearest service station and checked my pressure, and sure
enough, one of the front tires was in need of a little pumping up.
Later, when I worked in the Customer Care Center for
Checkered Flag,
I received dozens of phone calls from customers with the same problem.
Lights would pop on their dash, and they would go into complete panic.
Luckily, we have a guide for all of our Checkered Flag Winners to help
you decipher these friendly little lights. I have to admit, I could not
identify a few of them myself. So, take a few minutes, and look these
over. Some are pretty obvious, but I bet a few will puzzle you. Some
of the
warning indicators are extremely important. For instance, if you
see the temperature warning light, your vehicle could be getting ready
to overheat and you need pull over immediately and have your car into a
Checkered Flag Service Center
as soon as possible. Many are not as urgent, but all of them are
important. And, no, none of them will tell you you're too fat!
1. ABS warning light - it is turned on every time there's something
wrong with the Anti-lock Brake System. Note that the ABS symbol is
activated once the drive starts the engine but it's automatically turned
off after a few seconds.
2. Low fuel notification - this panel is switched on if the fuel level gets very low and refuel is required.
3.
Seat belt reminder - the symbol appears and remains active as long as
the engine is started and the seat belt remains unfastened; depending on
the car manufacturer and car model, the seat belt reminder is combined
with an audio notification.
4. Electrical problem warning - this light warns you that there's a problem with the electrical system of the car.
5. Brake system alert - the notification is powered on if the ECU detects a problem to the brake system.
6. Warning light - it signals an unidentified problem with your car; it usually requires the car to be serviced.
7. Child seat indicator - if turned on, it informs you that the standardized child safety seat is attached.
8.
Tire pressure monitor - the warning is turned on in case of low tire
pressure which could raise the fuel consumption or affect the grip.
9.
Air filter - usually installed on the center console but also found on
the dashboard, this light informs the driver that a malfunction was
detected at the passenger compartment air filter.
10. Front
airbag - the light monitors the front airbag and, in case it is turned
on, signals a problem with it; it usually requires professional
assistance.
11. Side airbag - same as the front airbag but intended for the side airbag.
12.
Child seat - this symbol informs the driver that there may be a problem
with the rear-mounted child seat; similar to number 7 but used by
different manufacturers.
13. Fog beams indicator - it is activated and remains on once the driver turns on the fog beams.
14. Windshield wash - the notification appears once the windshield wipers are activated.
15. Master lighting switch.
16. Rear window defrost - pretty self-explanatory, it is turned on once the driver presses the rear window defrosting button.
17.
Child seat warning - similar to the other child seat notifications, it
warns the driver that the child seat may be wrongly installed.
18. Brake fluid malfunction - rarely installed on the dashboard, it unveils a problem in the brake fluid recipient.
19. Battery warning - if this light is turned on while driving, it reveals a malfunction concerning the battery charging system.
20. Child safety lock - if lighted on, the symbol shows you that the child safety lock has been activated.
21. Emergency indicator - the notification is activated once the driver pushes the emergency button.
22.
Cruise control - this light is turned on if the cruise control system
is activated; note that it may differ by brand and car model.
23. Windshield defrost - similar to rear window defrost but especially intended for windshield.
24.
Powertrain malfunction - if on, this light shows that the powertrain
has been damaged and the car needs to be serviced as soon as possible.
25. Slip indicator - mostly installed on luxury cars, the slip indicator
unveils that the car may lose grip due to difficult driving conditions.
26.
Open doors indicator - this symbol is usually turned on just after the
driver starts the engine and informs him that one or more doors are
closed incorrectly.
27. Anti-theft system - exclusively installed
on Ford models, this symbol flashes once the Securilock Anti-theft
technology has been enabled.
28. Electronic Throttle Control
light - briefly enabled when the driver starts the engine, the indicator
shows a malfunction in the Electronic Throttle Control system.
29. AWD - with a pretty suggestive name, this panel is lighted on once the all-wheel drive system is enabled.
30.
ESP/BAS light - similar to the ABS indicator, but especially installed
to inform the driver about a potential problem with the Electronic
Stability Program technology.
31. Overdrive indicator - it shows the driver that the overdrive system has been turned off.
32.
Turn signals - surely the most known instrument panels, the turn
signals are activated once the driver changes direction and uses the
signal lever.
33. Temperature warning light - it warns the driver
of the possibility of engine overheating and usually demands the driver
to stop the vehicle.
34. OBD Indicator - member of the Onboard
Diagnostics, this indicators reveals a problem to the engine or to the
gas emissions and required the car to be serviced.
35. High beam light - it is turned on once the driver activates the high beam mode of the headlights.
36.
Oil pressure warning - this notification is turned on if the ECU
detects a problem with the oil pressure; the driver is usually
recommended to stop the vehicle and service it as soon as possible.
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