An EV using a glow plug indicator?

Glow plug indicator

While updating our Kia dashboard symbols page, we came across something strange, or so it seemed initially. The EV 6 model uses a diesel engine glow plug indicator! Well this made absolutely no sense!

However, digging deeper it turns out that the light is actually used to indicate that the electric vehicle’s (EV’s) high voltage battery is being conditioned.

Diesel engines require heat in the cylinders to operate, which is supplied initially by glow plugs when the engine is cold, conditioning the cylinders. This indicator will be illuminated when the ignition is turned on until the plugs are heated sufficiently to start the engine. The engine simply won’t start until then.

Battery conditioning is essentially the same process, hence the recycled indicator. Conditioning warms a cold battery to allow it to accept a charge more quickly.

And kudos to Kia for finding an appropriate indicator for the process and not simply adding to the already bloated pile. The image looks like a coil or loops in a yellow/amber/orange color.

Cars are changing, and among those changes is the growing number of symbols and indicators that will invariably show up on your dashboard or instrument panel. Every year, new features are added to vehicles, each of which is accompanied by a new symbol or symbols and likely a new acronym.

At DashboardSymbols.com, our aim is to help you understand what is happening to your vehicle at the first sign of trouble – a new warning light illuminated on your instrument panel. Its all here on this website. Our first intention is to bring the latest technologies down to earth and understandable for everyday drivers.

You can see the now modified glow plug post here and the Kia page here.

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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.