Tire Pressure Monitor
This is the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) or Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) warning light symbol. It is also used as Flat Tire Monitor (FTM), which seems redundant. The tell-tale comes on when the inflation on at least one of the tires is reduced about 25% or more. In most cases, that will be about eight pounds. This is easily the most misunderstood symbol you will ever see on your instrument panel.
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This is a common light in the fall and winter when outdoor temperatures drop, which has the effect reducing the pressure in your tires—including the spare. This is a bit oversimplified, but cold air takes up less space than warm or hot air. In addition, a single leaking tire will also trigger the light, regardless of season.
If you typically park in a warm garage, the light may show up sporadically after the vehicle has been parked outside for a time, and then returned to a garage. This is a normal response to temperature change, but it would be best to ensure that the tires are properly inflated.
Remember that your spare tire may be part of the system and its pressure should also be checked.
More Versions
This text version simply says Flat Tire. While this may seem like it would be obvious to a driver, in truth the pressure in a tire can be very, very low and not result in a large change in the handling of some vehicles.
Many manufacturers now add a symbol or information display image that will highlight the tire or tires that are low on air, like the image to the left. Regardless of the symbol seen, the upshot is this: If your are at high speed, reduce your speed. If the tires do not seem to be visually low, it is likely safe to proceed to the nearest service station. The TPMS system will tell you when a tire is low, yes, but one of them leaking quickly, i.e. a single highlighted tire, is a greater danger.
This version features two arrows pointing at a ball in the center. It is most commonly found on a reset button on the dash, if one exists. It can, however, show up on the instrument panel of older vehicles and likely means that the system needs to be reset or could mean that a tire is low as well. Regardless, the tire pressures must be checked for the sake of safety.
This light holds the system’s primary acronym, TPMS. It is a Malfunction Indicator only. If your vehicle is equipped with this additional tell tale and it remains lit, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System is not operating and needs to be checked by a qualified repair facility.
If your vehicle has only the picture symbols, they will flash to indicate an actual malfunction.
Finally, it is important to note that the light could be activated by other factors. These include radio interference interrupting the system. This will clear when the signal is left behind. Or a wheel, such as the spare, may have been mounted on the vehicle that is not equipped with the TPMS sender.
To be safe, please check your tires…
Last but not least, this bit of silliness offers a different twist. It is the Tire Pressure Monitoring System Light Load indicator. It illuminates to confirm that the load setting is selected. It appears in black and white as the same slice of a tire, but with a feather inside. The setting essentially tells the TPMS system to expect lower tire pressures, as there is little loading inside the vehicle.
Check out the videos below.
And one checking and filling the tires.
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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.
Related posts:
https://dashboardsymbols.com///2013/08/be-ready-for-your-cars-seasonal-tire-pressure-check/
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
This 
This is the Brake Trouble Indicator symbol in Canada, and other areas, but has an additional use elsewhere (below). The look of this symbol as well as others involving brakes are supposed to resemble the physical appearance of brakes. They do, but primarily only to people who have had the opportunity to take them apart. The word ‘brake’ may appear at the top of the image.
Finally, the image is used by some manufacturers to indicate a problem with the Regenerative Brake System in electric vehicles (EVs). It may appear in 
And of course someone had to combine the two and then a third as a traditional trouble light, I suppose just to add yet more symbols. The word BRAKE is place below the circle and exclamation point. And above the same indicator plus that with a “P” inside, for parking brake.
This version that includes a thermometer inside the circle is meant to indicate that the brake disk and therefore brake pads are overheated. The car should be pulled over as soon as possible to allow them to cool. If they stay hot, the brake fluid will get hot and boil, at which point brake pressure will be non existent.
Are you seeing one of these symbols? Click 
This version may be seen and is a Limited Regenerative Braking indicator. It is not a fault indicator but is actually a function of the battery’s state of charge. If the battery is full, regenerative braking must be limited as there is no storage available for additional electrons. The symbol starts with the traditional symbol — although the brakes themselves are not involved: the circle inside brackets with the addition of a lightning bolt.
The symbols to right are also used as Regenerative Braking Indicators. 
This is the Low Brake Fluid Indicator 
So, imagine someone who perhaps breeds horses, or simply rides them as a pastime. She’s driving and cannot actually stare at the warning light. Plus its flashing, which can give the illusion of movement. It turned out she was not wearing her safety belt and the 
The example that really told us we had to post these, was a call that described a red warning light as a Genie’s lamp! We love it, and can only imagine the driver had just watched a favorite cartoon with her kids! It is, of course the 
This one was described as a “green dot with a line through it”. The driver was at the wheel at the time, which is the only explanation for that description for this 
You’ll love this one. We’ve had a number of drivers call this one a “P with a sailboat next to it”! How a sailboat could ever be associated with a car is anyone’s guess, but this 
This version of the differential lock symbol has been described as a letter H with an X in it. Some manufacturers include a tell tale with Os in it to indicate free wheeling. We await a tic tac toe game description from a driver!
This is easily recognized as an image of an automobile. However, it has eyelashes! Of course, the eyelashes actually represent light beams emanating from from lights. Tailights in this case. A light out indicator in fact.
Sadly, we’ve heard a dozen descriptions for the 
These are Tow or Haul Mode and Fault Indicator 
In more advanced models, the second image above with the trailer is used to indicate that a Trailer Merge Assist system has been activated. It is tied directly to the vehicle’s 
The image with arrows above the trailer is no more than a Trailer Connected indicator. It illuminates when a trailer is connected and will go out when it is disconnected. The same is true of the image of the trailer hitch ball and the trailer, both shown in 
These versions however, are trailering fault warnings. The exclamation point in the triangle above the trailer in the first image is the give away. If illuminated, check all electrical connections as well as the physical trailer connection(s). Otherwise, the issue may involve the main vehicle’s suspension or stability control systems and a qualified service shop will be needed.
Some vehicles offer Sway Control for use while towing, a system that works in in conjunction with the Stability Control System. And like that system, the Sway Control Indicator will flash when sway is detected and being corrected.
Warning Light Image Fails
A New Image Please!
We are going to have a little fun here, pretty much at my expense.
We have long railed about the images chosen for warning lights. They are intended to be easily interpreted by the average driver, but nearly across the board are a total fail. Follow along to see why!
An entire generation of drivers have never seen an engine like this, but they are supposed to understand and recognize the check engine light as an engine problem.
A wishbone, an exclamation point in a fish bowl. That even accounts for the lip. An exclamation point in a cup, And finally, my personal favorite, a candle in a glass!
Not a single caller ever described the light as an exclamation point in a slice of a tire.
So here’s the fun part. I paid a visit to a local Audi car dealer recently, and well here it is.
I flipped it over to take the picture to be sure the tread was visible, because it wasn’t sitting the other way around on the shelf.
The dealer the piece to be able to point out reinforcement in the tread near the edges for cornering, certainly something Audi prides itself on. And they have a list of manufacturers who make sure their tires can be recommended by the company.
So, now we’ve seen a slice of tire and so too any number of customers getting service at this particular store. But having seen this, the warning light does not immediately become recognizable. Note the low profile nature of the tire that was sliced. This type of profile is seen on damn near everything today, again adding to the obsolescence of the warning light.
So we get to keep our reasoning. The typical warning light simply doesn’t reflect not only the real life experiences of drivers, they don’t even reflect the reality of today’s cars!
The upshot is this experience allows us to repeat a call to the industry to let the car talk to the driver. Its time for plain language explanations for what is wrong and should or needs to be done. Period.
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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.
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