Category: Articles & Commentaries

Discussions on topics of interest to drivers concerning things they may not understand about their vehicles as well as articles on the future of the auto industry.

Yet another owner’s manual fail — from Lincoln — and its exactly the same one!

Lincoln LogoLincoln owner’s manual fail

Indeed, we’ve found another owner’s manual fail. Over the last few months ago we reported on the discovery that Mazda and then Kia had left instrument panel indicators out of the list found in the owner’s manual. Now we find that Lincoln has not only has done the same thing, with its Corsair manual, the company didn’t bother making an indicator list at all!

This is now a trend in the industry that had to end!

We found the first indicator on page 20 and the last on page 344! There is also a set of software update indicators on page 524.

The Corsair is a hybrid model, Lincoln’s first hybrid, and we first thought that this was the controlling factor. However, we then reviewed the Nautilus, which turns out to also be a hybrid with a proper list!

This is a massive mistake — Lincoln owners will be having to thumb though over 300 pages to identify a new indicator on their instrument panel, and there are a minimum of 20 that are new to the manufacturer and many that are new to us!

And remember, there is no indicator list at all in the manual! There is also no quick start guide where a list might have been hidden. Owners will end up on the web, which might be good for us, but very, very bad for them.

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 current set of Lincoln indicators is here. Note that we will be several more days finishing the update.

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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/2024/11/yet-another-owners-manual-fail-from-lincoln-and-its-exactly-the-same-one/

Lincoln back up entry and start update adds three changes

Lincoln LogoLincoln back up entry and start

A full review of 2024 and 2025 models results in several important changes to the Lincoln back up entry and start pages. The Nautilus now uses an entry option first used in the Continental and gets a new back up start slot. The Aviator gets a new look center console option with its own back up start slot.

Back entry and start processes are made necessary by the batteries in key fobs dying.

Continental key holeThe Continental back up open process, now used by Nautilus, uses a key hole hidden by a spring-loaded cover in a very surprising location. The key hole is in the chrome molding beneath the driver’s door mirror and behind the imprinted word ‘Nautilus’. Insert the key and turn to unlock the car and the driver’s door will spring open.

We still in 2024 have no word on how well the key hole cover will behave in icy weather.

Nautilus 2024 back up slotAviator 2025 back up slotIn the meantime, the back up slot for used to start the Nautilus is moved from the bottom of the center console to the front of the console (far right). And the Aviator gets a new console option, which, if chosen, finds a back up slot beneath the rear cup holder (right). The bottom liner must be removed to reveal it.

Smart Keys or Intelligent Keys, or Access Keys — or whatever the manufacturer of your chooses to call them — that let you into your car and start it with just a touch use up their internal batteries at alarming rates, catching busy drivers unawares — even though the car had tried to warn you. These back up options are there to overcome a dead key fob battery.

Our goal is to help you feel safe — and keep you moving or get you moving if at all possible — rather than leave you fretting whenever your key fob stops working. The instructions for getting into and starting most keyless start cars can be found on our pages — without roadside assistance.

You can see the Lincoln back up entry page here and the back up start 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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/11/lincoln-back-up-entry-and-start-update-adds-three-changes/

Our Lincoln symbols page has been transformed to the new color treatment

Lincoln LogoLincoln symbols page

As we prepare to update our Lincoln pages, we have finished aligning our Lincoln symbols page into the new color arrangement. We’ve now transformed 20 pages, including our primary symbols page, to reflect the new color ordering.

The Lincoln list is small for the moment, so the color scheme was relatively orderly, which made the transformation rather simple.

The page is now ordered red through yellow/orange/amber (depending on how you interpret the color!), then to green and blue. And given the small number of symbols and indicators there are as yet none in black and white or gray scale. This will likely change with the current update.

One way or another, 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 soon to be increased set of Lincoln indicators can be seen 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/2024/11/our-lincoln-symbols-page-has-been-transformed-to-the-new-color-treatment/

Ford symbols page has been transformed to the new color treatment

Ford logoFord symbols page

As we prepare to update our Ford pages, we have finished aligning our Ford symbols page into the new color arrangement. We’ve now transformed 19 pages, including our primary symbols page, to reflect the new color ordering.

The Ford list is extensive, but unlike many symbols pages, the color scheme was relatively orderly. This made the transformation rather simple.

The page is now ordered red through yellow/amber/orange (depending on how you interpret the color!), then to green and blue. Finally, there are a number of indicators in black and white or gray scale.

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 set of Ford indicators can be seen 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/2024/11/ford-symbols-page-has-been-transformed-to-the-new-color-treatment/

Update adds 29 new indicators to our Subaru dashboard symbols page

Subaru LogoSubaru dashboard symbols

We just finished an update of the Subaru dashboard symbols page and in the process added 29 new (to Subaru) indicators. This includes easily a dozen brand new versions of existing indicators.

The new Solterra model — Subaru‘s first EV entry — alone was responsible for 13 of the 29.

But what disturbed us is that shortly after we reported that the WRZ model forced the addition of six new images to our Drive Mode page, the Solterra review added four more. That page now holds 68 images, pretty much all variations on a theme.

Power modeEco modeSnow modeTrack modeThe new indicators are shown to the right. Track, Snow, ECO and Power modes. Each and every one of these could have been represented by a previously existing image you can see on our Drive Modes page.

The worst part of this is that Subaru itself is not consistent across models with the use of these symbols or even where and how they are displayed.

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 drive modes page here, and the Subaru symbols 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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/11/update-adds-29-new-indicators-to-our-subaru-dashboard-symbols-page/

Can zero-emission vehicles hit the California 35% by model year 2026? Toyota NA says no!

EV logoZero-emission vehicle sales in California

As reported by InsideEVs, zero-emission vehicle sales in California is mandated by the state’s Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Cars II to reach 35% of new vehicle sales by model year 2026. Toyota Motor NA’s (North America) chief operating officer says the EV regulations would be “impossible” to meet, despite the fact that the standard can include a mix of plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel-cell models as well as battery electric vehicles.

Not just EVs! In fact, EVs alone in California currently hold a 22% share of the new car market. So far through September. Two years to 35% seems quite doable once hybrids and fuel cell models are included. Not to mention the fact that the EV share is double what it was in 2022.

EV Resistance

Legacy manufacturers remain resistant to the changeover to EVs. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is the lack of service revenue. I personally have not spent a nickel in a dealership service department in going on four years.

Another large bit of resistance comes from sales people, who despise spending time with customers after a sale to explain new technology — even in internal combustion powered vehicles. Salespeople want to move on to the next sale.

Elon Musk was right to avoid the traditional dealership model in favor of direct Tesla sales. Further, Tesla pays little or no commission on sales, leaving well paid personnel to spend all the time in the world helping new EV owners.

Unfortunately resistance is likely to continue and its difficult to see where the tide tide truly turns. One would think the lack of expensive required maintenance and the ability to leave every morning with a full “tank” would be more than enough. Certainly, coupled with current incentives, it seems to us that major inroads have been made.

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.

InsideEVs’ X post on the subject can be seen 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/2024/11/can-zero-emission-vehicles-hit-the-california-35-by-model-year-2026-toyota-na-says-no/

Our drive mode page now features 64 indicators

Drive mode

Once again thanks to Subaru, our Drive Mode page now has 64 symbols, easily the largest group of symbols found the site. It comes courtesy of what it calls the WRX model, which added six new mode indicators to its manual.

Sport sharp modeThe first indicator is associated with the Subaru Intelligent (SI) Drive system, a system we already discuss here. The first image is yet another Sport Mode indicator that adds the hash tag to become Sport Sharp Mode, which makes the throttle more responsive. The entire SI Drive option is also now found in non-hybrid vehicles from the manufacturer. It originally was designed to help manage the hybrid’s battery life.

Sport modeSport+ modeIndividual modeComfort modeNormal modeOf the remaining five drive modes, all are new renditions of existing modes found from other manufacturers. In order right to left, they are: Sport, Sport+, Individual, Comfort, and Normal Modes. Subaru itself already a simple Sport Mode, but opted yet again to make a new image. The outlier is the Star, where others, including Subaru have used a simple capital I for Individual, or actually spelled the word out.

Once again, these are not so unlike other indicators found on the page, 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 number of one of the other pre-existing illustrations could easily have been used.

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 drive modes 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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/11/our-drive-mode-page-now-features-64-indicators/