So, what is that light on your dashboard? What follows is easily the most complete list available of symbols and warnings that may appear in and on your car’s dashboard or instrument cluster.
The following are warning lights and indicators found in vehicles built by Mini. Click the link to the right of each one to learn more.
How They Are Presented
They are roughly ordered by importance, which tends to be by color (red, amber, yellow, orange, green, blue, gray), but there are nearly 70 of them so be patient!
Need the symbols for another manufacturer? Click here!
Models examined include the Hardtop 2 Dr., Hardtop 4 Dr., Countryman, Clubman, Convertible, Paceman, Coupe, Roadster, and John Cooper Works GP.
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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Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow.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
Yet another cringe worthy headline showed up on Twitter recently (September 2018). A man trapped in his car because the battery was dead. And for 14 hours. He was very, very lucky that the car wasn’t outside in the sun, or the outcome would have been very, very different.
This one hits home for us because of another incident several years ago that prompted this article on this site, but in this case, a man lost his life. So, all this needs a more thorough examination.
The problem is finding oneself locked in a car that has lost its power. It is a direct result of the move to all electronic everything, right down to the door latches. It is also the result of very, very poor design.
Both of the incidents involve GM Coupes: a Chevrolet Corvette and a Cadillac XLR. They feature these flush door handles with a electronic button inside this opening that unlocks and opens the door if the key fob is present. If the power is lost when inside the car, the electronic button on the armrest no longer works, and while there is a back up option, it is not remotely obvious and effectively not intuitive.
Where’s the Release?
The back up option is a mechanical release handle on the floor below the door, not on the door where any typical human would think to look. In the most recent episode, the owners manual was missing from the 12 year old XLR, which is all too common in older vehicles. And he didn’t have a cell phone with him, or he surely would have been out of his car much sooner.
In the previous incident, the gentleman had gone to the car to check on his dog, leaving his cell phone behind. Relatives reported that there was evidence that the man was looking through the manual for help when he succumbed to the heat. He and dog passed away.
It is far too easy to blame the victim here. It is true that they were not familiar with the feature. Both cars were bought used, so expecting the seller to go over more obscure features is wishful thinking.
Age Again?
It is also way too easy to blame age — the men were 75 and 72, respectively. This is when I point to an incident relayed by 20 year olds. Their friend had bought a new BMW. He then let them in the car to check it out and locked the car from the outside.
The joke was that there was no way to unlock the doors from the inside. I immediately pointed out that there IS a way out — just not where you would expect to look. The unlock button is placed in the middle of the dashboard, and the entire group was clearly unfamiliar with this quirk in a BMW. And it belongs exclusively to BMW.
Age is NOT the issue. Expectation and intuition is. Where did these 20-somethings look for an unlock button?
Back to technology and design, Tesla’s vehicles all feature electronic latches. As to getting out, the rear doors in the Model S require pulling a cable located under each rear seat. The front doors are released mechanically from the inside.
The Model X front doors are all mechanically released from the inside. Perfect.
The Model 3 has a mechanical handle exactly where you would hope. On the armrest pretty much where a hand would actually be while using the armrest. It was tempting to simply open the door with it each time. A superior design.
The latest Lincoln Continental also has electronic door latches. A back up release is just below the armrest but still on the door, and only the driver’s door. However, Lincoln says that the doors will not remain latched if the power goes out.
The last two examples are far better thought out. And before anyone else finds themselves trapped in a GM Coupe, irrespective of age, we think a new way to open the doors from the inside must be devised and the cars recalled.
In our last show, we talked about changing the behavior of the one vs the behavior of the millions. And this is yet another example.
Changing the one, the manufacturer, eliminates the need for millions drivers to read, and frankly memorize, crucial new features or the entire owner’s manual. It also eliminates the need for millions of salespeople to somehow suddenly become effective teachers. Someone else’s dad, mom, brother, sister, son, daughter, husband or wife should not have to die or nearly die over poorly thought out designs.
——————————————————————-
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
How to Open, Start and Replace Fob Batteries in Chevrolet Vehicles
We now have nineteen videos offering help to Chevrolet drivers who’s key fobs or remote controls have gone dead.
Battery replacement videos are at the end of the list.
This video covers the latest Equinox models. It also will help with newer Cruze, Sonic and Blazer models.
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Here’s the new Blazer model.
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This updates opening and starting Chevrolet SUVs and Pick-ups adding changes to Suburban and Tahoe models starting in 2021.
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This combines all push button start Chevrolet SUVs and Pick-ups.
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This video is owners of the electric Bolt. We used the Volt as a stand in but the back up processes are nearly identical.
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This video updates the Impala.
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This is the Chevy Sonic. The Turbo model is the first to feature keyless start.
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This video updates the Chevy Cruze, which has important back up changes in the 2017 model.
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This video features a 2017 Malibu. It is hiding its key hole.
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Updated video help for Coupes. The video will help with getting into and starting the Chevrolet Corvette (C6 and C7). It also will help with the Cadillac CTS or ELR Coupes. And getting out, if you need to!
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Video help exclusive for the Chevrolet Corvette (C6 and C7). Similar to the video above, but the start process is unique. We included help getting out if the start battery dies while you’re inside.
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Video help with a late model Camaro. Easy to start, but hiding its key hole.
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This video will help with getting in and starting the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban as well as the GMC Yukon.
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Video help for the Chevrolet Cruze. Getting in is easy, starting the car is another matter…
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Video help for both generation Chevy Volts.
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Chevrolet fob in use since 2021.
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Chevrolet key fob battery replacement, updated.
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A new, tweaked, fob style found in a Malibu, so far.
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This one is for a Chevrolet flip key. Still in use in some push button models.
Models covered include the Sonic, Tahoe, Silverado, Trax, Blazer, Equinox, Traverse, Camaro, Corvette, Volt, Coupe, XTS, Escalade, Bolt, Malibu, Impala, Suburban, and Cruze.
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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
Our mission at DashboardSymbols.com is to make new auto technologies simpler to understand and use so that you can feel safe and secure. Electronics rarely have intuitive solutions when problems arise. We have long railed about car companies making getting in a push-button start car difficult when an electronic issue strikes, but we didn’t recognize that those same problems could lead to difficulties getting out.
And now one of those problems has cost a man his life.
A Life Lost
A Consumer Reports article recently cited the death of a man, and his dog, of heat exhaustion in Texas when he was unable to open his 2007 Chevrolet Corvette after an electronic malfunction. He was unaware of a mechanical release located near the floor below the door, as shown in the image to the left The article begins beautifully, stating “tragedy demonstrates time and time again, there is true value in conventionally designed controls for vehicles.” Their conclusion troubles us, however. But first, a review of this and other recent incidents that we have touched on.
The man, 72 year old James Rogers, stepped out of a local restaurant to check on his dog, leaving his cell phone behind. It is thought that the electronic lock failed due to a loose battery cable. He and the dog had already died by the time they were noticed and freed from the car. Sadly, other news reports stated that his daughter believes he may have been trying to consult the owner’s manual when he succumbed.
Hours Lost
Earlier this year, we reported on an item out of New Zealand where an older couple had spent 13 hours locked inside their new keyless Mazda, and nearly died. They had left the key fob outside the car and mistakenly thought that it was the only way to unlock the car. The overriding assumption was that the root cause of the problem was that either the dealer did not fully explain the features of the car, or that the couple was confused by new technology because of their age (65 and 68).
In that same article, we related another lock-out story involving a keyless, or push button start car, this time a BMW. Their friends had used the remote to lock the car as a joke, and try as they might, those inside, a man and a woman in their 20s, could not find a way out and swore that there was none! The unlock switch, while plainly marked with the image of a door with a key in it and shown here, is placed surprisingly in the center of the dashboard just below the emergency flasher switch! Not on the doors, where our twenty somethings assumed it should be. And frankly where we had assumed it would be.
This image is an expanded view of the Corvette’s door release lever and icon. While the image does indicate the function of the lever, it would not be easily seen while sitting in the driver’s seat of the cramped coupe. Also, it is located where we have learned to expect to find a trunk or fuel door release, so it is quite likely that that Rogers never thought to even look towards the floor. It should be noted that this lock technology is shared by the Cadillac CTS, XLR and ELR Coupes.
Consumer Report’s states that their own reliability data shows that “problems with door locks and latches are among the most common complaints.” Their article concludes that “there isn’t any worrisome trends among Corvettes.”
Looking purely at data – developed by definition after problems occur – this is certainly true. We, however, see several worrisome trends surrounding the growing love affair with electronics and the auto industry itself. We’ve cited three incidents of drivers who believed they locked in their cars. This leads us to,
short of a photographic memory, ‘showing’ and ‘explaining’ new features to drivers and expecting them to read and remember everything new in an owner’s manual have never – repeat never – worked in the auto industry. Ever. No one in the industry seems capable of learning this lesson no matter how many times it is repeated. This makes the New Zealand incident the most troublesome to address and it continues the “blame the driver”, or the salesperson, mentality. That said,
there is nothing intuitive about a door release on the floor below the door. GM, take responsibility for it and change it, period. The electronic lock does nothing for the owner and only satisfies something at GM. Make it part of the arm rest. Better yet, lose the unnecessary electronic release altogether and return the mechanical release as the primary, or only, release. And it follows that,
there is also nothing intuitive about a lock switch located in the center of the dashboard. BMW, it too should be returned to the armrest, even though it then means a second switch is needed on the passenger door.
If you could change the behavior of the one or the behavior of the millions, which would have the greater chance of success?
Changing the one, the manufacturer, eliminates the need for the millions (drivers) to read, and frankly memorize, crucial new features or the owner’s manual. It also eliminates the need for other millions (salespeople) to somehow become effective teachers. Someone else’s dad, mom, brother, sister, son, daughter husband or wife will not have to die over something that seems simple – to those of us in the industry.
Build to intuition. Let’s not wait for data to act.
Update: We got hold of a Cadillac CTS Coupe and can add this gif (below) of the lever in action. We used it from outside the car, so we could see it well!
And we’ve added this video discussing the growing trend towards electronic locks and latches.
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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
A Consumer Reports 
Nope, Its Not Age!
This image is an expanded view of the Corvette’s door release lever and icon. While the image does indicate the function of the lever, it would not be easily seen while sitting in the driver’s seat of the cramped coupe. Also, it is located where we have learned to expect to find a trunk or fuel door release, so it is quite likely that that Rogers never thought to even look towards the floor. It should be noted that this lock technology is shared by the Cadillac CTS, XLR and ELR Coupes.
Recall GM Coupes Before Someone Else Dies!
Yet another cringe worthy headline showed up on Twitter recently (September 2018). A man trapped in his car because the battery was dead. And for 14 hours. He was very, very lucky that the car wasn’t outside in the sun, or the outcome would have been very, very different.
This one hits home for us because of another incident several years ago that prompted this article on this site, but in this case, a man lost his life. So, all this needs a more thorough examination.
The problem is finding oneself locked in a car that has lost its power. It is a direct result of the move to all
electronic everything, right down to the door latches. It is also the result of very, very poor design.
Both of the incidents involve GM Coupes: a Chevrolet Corvette and a Cadillac XLR. They feature these flush door handles with a electronic button inside this opening that unlocks and opens the door if the key fob is present. If the power is lost when inside the car, the electronic button on the armrest no longer works, and while there is a back
up option, it is not remotely obvious and effectively not intuitive.
Where’s the Release?
The back up option is a mechanical release handle on the floor below the door, not on the door where any typical human would think to look. In the most recent episode, the owners manual was missing from the 12 year old XLR, which is all too common in older vehicles. And he didn’t have a cell phone with him, or he surely would have
been out of his car much sooner.
In the previous incident, the gentleman had gone to the car to check on his dog, leaving his cell phone behind. Relatives reported that there was evidence that the man was looking through the manual for help when he succumbed to the heat. He and dog passed away.
It is far too easy to blame the victim here. It is true that they were not familiar with the feature. Both cars were bought used, so expecting the seller to go over more obscure features is wishful thinking.
Age Again?
It is also way too easy to blame age — the men were 75 and 72, respectively. This is when I point to an incident relayed by 20 year olds. Their friend had bought a new BMW. He then let them in the car to check it out and locked the car from the outside.
The joke was that there was no way to unlock the doors from the
inside. I immediately pointed out that there IS a way out — just not where you would expect to look. The unlock button is placed in the middle of the dashboard, and the entire group was clearly unfamiliar with this quirk in a BMW. And it belongs exclusively to BMW.
Age is NOT the issue. Expectation and intuition is. Where did these 20-somethings look for an unlock button?
The Model X front doors are all mechanically released from the inside. Perfect.
The Model 3 has a mechanical handle exactly where you would hope. On the armrest pretty much where a hand would actually be while using the armrest. It was tempting to simply open the door with it each time. A superior design.
The last two examples are far better thought out. And before anyone else finds themselves trapped in a GM Coupe, irrespective of age, we think a new way to open the doors from the inside must be devised and the cars recalled.
In our last show, we talked about changing the behavior of the one vs the behavior of the millions. And this is yet another example.
Changing the one, the manufacturer, eliminates the need for millions drivers to read, and frankly memorize, crucial new features or the entire owner’s manual. It also eliminates the need for millions of salespeople to somehow suddenly become effective teachers. Someone else’s dad, mom, brother, sister, son, daughter, husband or wife should not have to die or nearly die over poorly thought out designs.
——————————————————————-
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