Category: Dashboard Symbols & Tell-tales

DashboardSymbols.com descriptions of the symbols and tell-tales used on automobile and light truck dashboards and instrument panels.

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.

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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/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.

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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/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.

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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/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.

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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/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.

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

Another owner’s manual fail, this time from Kia

Kia owner’s manual fail

Well, we’ve found another. A few weeks ago we reported on the discovery that Mazda had begun leaving instrument panel indicators out of the list found in the owner’s manual.

Now we find that Kia has done the same thing, this time in my Niro EV! I’ve found two sets of indicators that are in the manual, but not in the list! This requires that a driver already know what the symbol represents. This is easy for one pair, not so much for the other.

Brake hold

Auto Hold indicatorAuto Hold greenThe first is quite straight forward. For the vehicle’s Auto Brake Hold system, a button on the center console must be pushed. This activates a white indicator on the instrument panel which, of course, says the system is active and ready. When the vehicle is brought to a stop, the indicator turns green. Both symbols are to the right.

Yes, it is relatively obvious what these indicators mean, but its just plain sloppy to leave out of the manual’s list.

Regenerative braking

These next two sets are far more complicated and are not the least bit obvious to the uninitiated. They are a part of the Regenerative Braking system. There are two sets of these.

Regenerative brake indicatorRegenerative brake indicator blueThe first indicate the level of Regenerative Braking that has been set. This is shown by the number of arrows in the image; 1, 2 or 3. Three arrow images are shown to the right. The light remains white while the vehicle is in motion, but turns blue when braking is sending power back to the battery! The image has the arrows wrapped in a battery.

Auto regenerative brake indicatorAuto regenerative brake indicator blueAuto regenerative brake indicator redThe next set adds the word AUTO to image, beneath the original image. They are connected to Kia’s Smart Regenerative System. Here again the number of arrows point to the amount of regenerative braking. However, in this case, that amount is a start point and will change depending on road gradient, the distance to a vehicle ahead and the speed of the vehicle ahead.

Here, there are three possible colors: White, blue and red. When the system is turned on but no vehicle is recognized ahead, the light remains white. When a vehicle is spotted, it goes to blue. If the driver steps on the brake pedal, the indicator goes to red.

None of these 5 indicators are found in the list of warning lights and indicators in the manual, and a driver must have an idea what to look for to decipher their meanings. It is clear, however, that the last set of three would not be seen unless some effort is put into activating the system in the first place.

Our now increased set of Kia indicators, approaching 100 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/another-owners-manual-fail-this-time-from-kia/

Smart Regenerative System Indicators

Smart Regenerative System

Auto regenerative brake indicatorAuto regenerative brake indicator blueAuto regenerative brake indicator redThese images are Smart Regenerative System indicator symbols. The system is from Kia and uses the front radar to not only control the distance to a vehicle ahead but also to adjust the amount of regenerative braking is applied. Regenerative braking is found in electric vehicles (EVs) and uses the vehicle’s electric motor to send energy back to the battery when the vehicle is slowing.

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

The indicators show the level of regenerative braking that has been set by the number of arrows in the image; 1, 2 or 3. Three arrow images are shown in all the images to the right. The word AUTO is added beneath the image. They are connected to Kia’s Smart Regenerative System. However, in this case, the number of arrows is a start point and will change depending on road gradient, the distance to a vehicle ahead and the speed of the vehicle ahead as the auto system takes hold.

There are three possible colors: White, blue and red. When the system is turned on but no vehicle is recognized ahead, the light remains white. When a vehicle is spotted, it goes to blue. If the driver steps on the brake pedal, the indicator goes to red.

Regenerative brake indicatorRegenerative brake indicator blueThis system is intimately connected to Regenerative Braking in general, and the symbols to the right. That page 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/2024/10/smart-regenerative-system-indicators/