Marc Favreau

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

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  1. Information Displays and Message Centers — 10 comments

Author's posts

Mercury symbols page now features the new color coded ordering

Mercury logoMercury symbols page

Our Mercury symbols page has now been aligned by color. We’ve have now transformed several pages, including our primary symbols page, to reflect a color ordering.

As a testament to the growth of technology and the accompanying indicators, the Mercury page holds just over 50 symbols. The majority of manufacturers now have this number to near 100 and more.

Mercury as a manufacturer has been defunct since 2011. Nevertheless, we will keep the page for drivers of the cars who likely have few places to turn for help. We also have pages for Holden, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Scion, all of whom have faded from the scene. We have a Fisker page as well, a car company whose status remains in limbo…

The page’s indicators are now ordered red through white, which generally provides a “mostly serious” to “simply letting you know” range. We used the term “mostly serious” for red indicators because many of them do not point to problem with the vehicle.

Regardless, the new ordering provides a cleaner, simpler option for drivers searching for information.

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.

The Mercury dashboard symbols page can be found 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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/mercury-symbols-page-now-features-the-new-color-coded-ordering/

Autonomous driving technology continues to creep forward

Autonomous driving

Its been some time since we commented on autonomous driving. In fact, its been seven years. But the topic has seen a resurgence in the news of late, so its a moment to contemplate.

Tesla Cybercab

The primary “driver” for the latest upswing is Tesla’s unveiling of its self-driving Robotaxi earlier this month (Oct. 2024). Elon Musk said that the model could be in service in 2025, but this is completely dependent on regulators.

That said, Musk had also said previously that Tesla could reach full autonomy in 2021, which didn’t happen, and first talked about a robotaxi service in 2019, which also didn’t happen.

However, drivers of current models equipped with the Autopilot technology love it, or at least claim to. Further, Tesla employees are currently hailing existing Tesla models as robocabs in a test program in the San Francisco area, still with a human driver on board.

Which is where regulators come in. They must approve of the service currently on a state-by-state basis. Its likely waaay down the list of legislative priorities, but its time for the U.S. Congress and the Department of Transportation to weigh in.

We are well aware of the risks surrounding self driving cars, and in fact most of our commentary to date plead for caution.

However, we are also acutely aware of the disruption and frustration experienced by ordinary drivers, perhaps more so than anyone or anywhere else. Helping drivers navigate new technology is, in fact, our primary mission. And we came to the conclusion some time ago that ordinary drivers would ne best served if the advance of technology took that technology out of their hands.

Despite the obstacles and risks, autonomy is the only end result possible.

And here’s something we’d said, and forgot. “Perhaps as vehicles became more computerized, a second seat could be given the driving responsibility at times.” Its our idea — so far as we know — but it remains intriguing. Admittedly, this flies in the face of getting rid of human control functions — steering wheels, pedals, etc., but so long as a human driver is needed to back up autonomy, why not??

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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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/autonomous-driving-technology-continues-to-creep-forward/

Holden symbols page gets the new color treatment

Holden logoHolden symbols page

Our Holden symbols page has now been aligned by color. We’ve have now transformed several pages, including our primary symbols page, to reflect a color ordering.

As a testament to the growth of technology and the accompanying indicators, the Holden holds just over 50 symbols. The majority of manufacturers have moved this number to near 100 and more.

Holden as a manufacturer has been defunct since the end of 2020. Nevertheless, we will keep the page for drivers of the cars who likely have few places to turn for help. We also have pages for Mercury, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Scion, all of whom have faded from the scene. We have a Fisker page as well, a company whose status remains in limbo…

The page’s indicators are now ordered red through white, which generally provides a “mostly serious” to “simply letting you know” range. We used the term “mostly serious” for red indicators because many of them do not point to problem with the vehicle.

Regardless, the new ordering provides a cleaner, simpler option for drivers searching for information.

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.

The Holden dashboard symbols page can be found 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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/holden-symbols-page-gets-the-new-color-treatment/

Chevrolet symbols page has now been re-ordered by color

Chevrolet logoChevrolet symbols page

Our Chevrolet symbols page has now been aligned by color. We’ve have now transformed a dozen pages, including our primary symbols page, to reflect the new color ordering.

The page features a number approaching 100 indicators, now ordered red through black, white or gray scale. This generally provides a “mostly serious” to “simply letting you know” range. We used the term “mostly serious” for red indicators because many legacy red symbols do not point to a problem with the vehicle.

in any case, the new ordering provides a cleaner, simpler option for drivers searching for information.

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.

The Chevrolet dashboard symbols page can be found here.

——————————————————————-

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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/chevrolet-symbols-page-has-now-been-re-ordered-by-color/

Three new entries added to our acronyms page

ESP BAS indicator midAcronyms page swells

Our update of the Mazda dashboard symbols page netted three new entries for our acronyms page. In effect, it shows that manufacturers need to stand apart from each other.

Cruise and traffic support warningCruising & Traffic Support (CTS) is a part of Mazda’s i-ACTIVESENSE system. The system is already a renaming of Advanced Driver Assist Systems, while CTS is a low end self drive system utilizing the technology making up the i-ACTIVESENSE system. We’ve added its fault waring symbol to the right.

Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) is nothing more than Automatic Braking and Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) is, of course, Radar Cruise Control with the addition of the company’s badge. Whether a manufacturer uses cameras or radar, all these systems are simply Adaptive Cruise Control.

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.

With these additions, the acronym page now hosts over 230 entries. The page is 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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/three-new-entries-added-to-our-acronyms-page/

Glaring mistake made in latest Mazda owner’s manuals

Mazda logoMazda owner’s manuals

In our opinion, there a glaring mistake in the 2025 Mazda owner’s manuals, that is repeated over and over and therefore likely intended.

The company has left images out of the list of warning symbols and indicators in favor of embedding them into the text.

The problem with this approach is that it clearly assumes the driver already knows what the indicator means and thus where and how to look for it if or when it appears on their instrument panel.

Drive modesFor instance, in the CX-90 manual, the EV Mode, Boost, and Charge Mode indicators are seen only in Chapter 5 (right). None of these can be considered part of normal operation and could easily be activated accidently. In this type of situation a driver needs an easy means of identifying a symbol, which has traditionally been done with a list of all symbols somewhere in the manual.

And there are several more. A few customer complaints will hopefully lead to a restoration of this process. The company’s customers deserve better.

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.

In the meantime, we have them in our Mazda list, which can be found 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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/glaring-mistake-made-in-latest-mazda-owners-manuals/

Mazda dashboard symbols update nets 17 new indicators

Mazda logoMazda dashboard symbols

A full review of 2024 and 2025 models results in the addition of 17 new indicators to the Mazda dashboard symbols page. This is due to the addition of a number of new technologies to Mazda models.

The most significant one is from what the company calls Cruising & Traffic Support (CTS), which results in one of only three truly new symbols shown on the page (we added a few new text symbols as well). It is a malfunction indicator, seen below right. CTS, part of Mazda‘s i-ACTIVSENSE system, is a technology that consists of a headway control and steering assist function for reducing driver fatigue during traffic jams when driving on expressways or highways.

Cruise and traffic support warningThe mention of “traffic jams” suggests it is meant to operate at slow speeds. However, further in Mazda’s description of the system, it states that “If a vehicle ahead is traveling at an extremely low speed, the system may not detect it correctly.” So its clear that this is meant to be “heavy traffic” not traffic jams.

It is, in effect, a low level self drive system that Mazda is playing catch up with.

Emergency lane keeping offCharge mode indicatorThe other two new indicators are a Charge Mode indicator (right), used in a new hybrid model, and another that indicates that lane keeping is turned off (far right). In the latter case, Mazda chose to adds an arrow in the direction of travel and a star to suggest a collision to an existing symbol. It also removes a lane line.

New technological additions will continue to swell the number of indicators drivers must cope with, and we’ll make another plea for manufacturers to at least draw from existing symbols rather than create new one unnecessarily.

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 Mazda dashboard symbols page, now numbering over 80 total indicators, here.

——————————————————————-

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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/mazda-dashboard-symbols-update-nets-17-new-indicators/