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

Most commented posts

  1. Information Displays and Message Centers — 10 comments

Author's posts

Mitsubishi symbols page has been re-ordered by color

Mitsubishi LogoMitsubishi symbols page

We have transformed our Mitsubishi symbols page into the new color alignment. We’ve now transformed 19 pages, including our primary symbols page, to reflect the new color ordering.

We have yet to update the page, but it has seen a good deal of traffic and we felt Mitsubishi drivers deserved the improved layout. The page holds nearly 90 entries.

The page is now ordered red through yellow/orange/amber (depending on how you interpret the color!), then to green and blue and finally white and gray scale symbols. This generally provides a “mostly serious” to “simply letting you know” range. We used the term “mostly serious” here for the red indicators because many legacy red symbols do not point to a problem with the vehicle at all.

Regardless, ordering by color 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.

Our now increased set of Mitsubishi indicators can be seen 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/2024/11/mitsubishi-symbols-page-has-been-re-ordered-by-color/

Suzuki symbols page gets the new color treatment

Suzuki logoSuzuki symbols page

We have transformed our Suzuki symbols page into the new color alignment. We’ve now transformed 18 pages, including our primary symbols page, to reflect the new color ordering.

We have yet to update the page, but it has seen a good deal of traffic and we felt Suzuki drivers deserved the improved layout. The page holds just under 60 entries.

The page is now ordered red through yellow/orange/amber (depending on how you interpret the color!), then to green and blue. This generally provides a “mostly serious” to “simply letting you know” range. We used the term “mostly serious” here for the red indicators because many legacy red symbols do not point to a problem with the vehicle at all.

Regardless, ordering by color 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.

Our now increased set of Suzuki indicators can be seen 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/2024/11/suzuki-symbols-page-gets-the-new-color-treatment/

Special drive modes page now features 24 indicators

Special drive modes

Once again thanks to Subaru, the Special Drive Modes page now has 24 entries. This comes courtesy of what it calls the X-MODE system, used in its 4-wheel and all wheel drive models.

The system features three indicators that are not dissimilar to others found on the page. X-MODE is the integrated control system of the engine, AWD (All-Wheel Drive) and Vehicle Dynamics Control system, etc. for driving with bad road conditions. X-MODE helps maintain control in slippery conditions, including uphill and downhill.

X-Mode 2 indicatorX-Mode 1 indicatorX-Mode indicatorThe first indicator is found in vehicles that have a single option. The second can be found in vehicle with two options and is for deep snow and mud. The third is the second option and is for snow and dirt.

Once again, these are not so unlike other indicators found on the page (in fact, the last two already exist), and in our opinion, adding yet another set of images as well as a new system name for drivers to learn and interpret was completely unnecessary. Any one of the other illustrations could easily have been used and Subaru could have just gone with Snow/Mud Mode, etc, as is the case for the two pre-existing indicators.

And we’ll keep saying it: the more symbols that are created the more useless the entire indicator light system becomes.

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 special drive modes page 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/2024/11/special-drive-modes-page-now-features-24-indicators/

Auto brake hold indicators page now holds 20 entries

Auto brake hold

Thanks to Subaru, the Auto Brake Hold indicators page now has 20 entries. The company, which already uses a different name for the system, had two symbols in use. However, it opted to put the acronym inside the standard brake symbol, which is a circle in brackets, meant to be a brake drum and brake pads, respectively.

AVH indicatorAuto vehicle hold indicatorAuto vehicle hold indicatorAVH is the acronym for Auto Vehicle Hold. Subaru was already using it as a text symbol (far right). It was also using the empty circle and brackets (center right). Both of these were in green, while the latest (right) is in black and white.

The lights describe systems that keeps the brakes applied when the vehicle is stopped and other conditions are met. They indicate that the system is on and functioning properly.

However, in our opinion, adding yet another image for drivers to interpret was completely unnecessary. Any one of the other illustrations could easily have been used or the company could have simply stayed with what it already had. And we’ll keep saying it: the more symbols that are created the more useless the entire indicator light system becomes.

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 Auto Brake Hold page 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/2024/11/auto-brake-hold-indicators-page-now-holds-20-entries/

One-touch interior illumination indicator

Interior illumination

Interior illumination indicatorThis is the One-touch interior illumination indicator symbol. It will illuminate when the one-touch interior illumination switch is activated, which switches on all of the vehicle’s overhead map and reading lights. The manual we found this in does not speak to the color of the indicator. We chose the yellow/amber/orange palette because if the switch is left on, there is a real risk of battery drainage.

  • Before continuing, is one of these truly your symbol?? If yes, read on below.
  • Otherwise, you can return to our main Picture Symbols pages and scan again!

For the switch, found in some Subaru models, to work, the interior lights must be set to the “DOOR” position in the overhead console. Pressing the switch again turns all these lights off. When turned on using the switch, the lights can also be turned off by locking the doors using the key fob, door handle, or Power Rear Gate Lock Switch.

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.

——————————————————————-

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/2024/11/one-touch-interior-illumination-indicator/

Kia symbols page gets the new color treatment

Kia LogoKia symbols page

On the heels of finding another half dozen symbols that were not included in the owner’s manual list, we have transformed our Kia symbols page into the new color alignment. The addition of the new symbols, discussed here as an owner’s manual fail, the page now holds exactly 100 entries.

We’ve now transformed well some 15 pages, including our primary symbols page, to reflect the new color ordering.

The page is now ordered red through yellow/orange/amber (depending on how you interpret the color!), then to green and blue and finally to black and white or gray scale. This generally provides a “mostly serious” to “simply letting you know” range. We used the term “mostly serious” here for the red indicators because many legacy red symbols do not point to a problem with the vehicle at all.

Regardless, ordering by color provides a cleaner, simpler option for drivers searching for information.

Our now increased set of Kia indicators can be seen here.

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.

——————————————————————-

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/2024/11/kia-symbols-page-gets-the-new-color-treatment/

We’ve now made Symbols by Manufacturer our main symbols page

DashboardSymbols.comSymbols by manufacturer

For some time now, we’ve recommended searching our symbols by manufacturer pages as the most effective way of finding what our visitors needs. Well, we finally swapped that page in to be the main symbols page.

The process of rearranging all our pages by color put the issue front and center. In point of fact, we should have done it long ago. We already do this with our dead key fob pages…

When we first started DashboardSymbols.com, we opted to simply arrange all symbols by category. We simply never anticipated the sheer number of symbols and indicators that would be gathered at the site. We surpassed 1,000 early in 2024 from some 50 manufacturers. About 15 have now been arranged by color.

And while offering a page for every vehicle ever made was clearly madness, we realized several years after that we could make a page for each manufacturer with relative ease. We’ve now transitioned fully, placing the manufacturer page front and center.

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 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/2024/11/weve-now-made-symbols-by-manufacturer-our-main-symbols-page/