Speed Limiting
These are Speed Limiter and Automatic or Active or Adaptive Speed Limiter (ASL) Indicator symbols. They illuminate when a speed has been set and the limiter is active. It will appear in green unless or until the set speed is reached when it turns yellow/amber.
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The two versions seen to the left start in white inside the message center when the system is on and available. It turns to green, like the third image, or yellow/amber, depending on the manufacturer, when a speed is set. The set speed will be shown separately in the message center and will flash if the speed is exceeded.
In the first example, the set speed is displayed in the image, which is a half or three quarter circle with the letter LIM shown below. The partial circle is likely meant to be a dial. The second image image is that of a broken dial like a speedometer with a marked range indicated by a double-ended arrow. It also gives the appearance of a clock. The acronym ASL is added. The third image is much like the first.
This version replicates an actual speed limit sign that would be seen on any highway coast-to-coast in North America. It would be displayed in the information center along with a depiction of the car travelling on the highway. It is known as Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), which is uses information from the detected road signs and uses the navigation system data to inform of the speed limit and to help maintain the proper speed automatically.
Alternatively, a speed may be chosen and set which will appear in blue, which indicates the system is active. It is associated with Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control.
The image styles are a manufacturer choice, and the one with the speed shown is only marginally more informative than the other.
A step ahead is a system from Fisker Inc. that adds the detection of a road’s speed limit and adjusts the vehicle’s speed accordingly. As part of the company’s Advanced Diver Assistance System (ADAS), Fisker Intelligent Pilot, or Fi-Pilot, uses the symbols to the left to indicate that the system is available, in gray scale or on, in blue.
Other Symbols
These images include the exclamation point and indicates a malfunction in the Speed Limiter system. The numerals found in the first image above are replaced by a broken line. The system will be unavailable until it is serviced by a qualified shop. Note that the system is a part of the cruise control system, and it too may be unavailable.
The system uses the cruise control speed adjustment to set a speed limit. The set limit will likely be displayed in a message screen. When set, the engine will respond normally up to the set speed. The vehicle will not accelerate beyond the set speed unless sudden, rapid acceleration is needed and applied forcing the transmission to kick down to a lower gear. Speed limitation is then suspended.
Related Symbol
The symbol to the right is from an Active system and may be related. Click here for more.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY