Tag: GM

The new color treatment added to our Honda dashboard symbols page

Honda logoHonda dashboard symbols

Following on the heels of the changeover of our Acura symbols page, we have now re-ordered our Honda dashboard symbols page into the new color alignment. We updated the page several months ago.

We’ve now transformed 22 pages, including our primary pictographic symbols page, to reflect the new color ordering and still just short of half of our total manufacturer symbols pages on our site.

Note that when we updated the page, we discovered that a large number of new symbols needed to be added, but they were already in our possession. That is because of the addition of the Prologue EV model to the line up, which was done in collaboration with General Motors (GM). We had the symbols in play — on our GM pages.

Honda and GM jointly developed the EVs, a collaboration that began in 2013, which was initially focused on hydrogen as the fuel of the future. That shifted as EVs rose to prominence and in essence, GM‘s drivetrain and control systems won out. And the proof is in the owner’s manuals that look very much like carbon copies of GM manuals and not at all like Honda manuals.

Page Setup

The symbols 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 symbols.

Ordering the page by color provides a cleaner, simpler option for drivers searching for information on a new symbol.

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 page covering Honda indicators, now with nearly 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 could be more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/11/the-new-color-treatment-added-to-our-honda-dashboard-symbols-page/

The Acura dashboard symbols page has been given the new color treatment

Acura_logoAcura dashboard symbols

Several months after updating our Acura dashboard symbols page, we at last re-aligned the page into the new color arrangement. We’ve now transformed 21 pages, including our primary picture symbols page, to reflect the new color ordering and just short of half of our total manufacturer symbols pages on our site.

Note that when we updated the page, we discovered that a large number of new symbols needed to be added, but they were already in our possession. That is because of the addition of the ZDX EV model to the line up, which was done in collaboration with General Motors (GM). We had the symbols in play — on our GM pages.

Acura parent Honda Motor Co. and GM jointly developed the EVs, a collaboration that began in 2013, which was initially focused on hydrogen fuel. That shifted as EVs rose to prominence and in essence, GM‘s drivetrain and control systems won out. And the proof is in the owner’s manuals that look very much like carbon copies of GM manuals.

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 symbols.

Ordering the page by color provides a cleaner, simpler option for drivers searching for information on a new symbol.

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 page covering Acura indicators, now numbering over 90, can be seen here. On to Honda…

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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/the-acura-dashboard-symbols-page-has-been-given-the-new-color-treatment/

New Honda and Acura EVs Require New Dashboard Symbols for a Very Surprising Reason

Honda logoNew Dashboard Symbols

The introduction of the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX electric vehicles in 2024 required us to add several new dashboard symbols to the manufacturer’s respective pages. Well, actually, new old symbols.

This is because we already had the symbols in play — on pages for General Motors GM logo(GM) models!

What’s happened is that Honda and GM jointly developed the EVs, a collaboration that began in 2013, which was focused on hydrogen fuel. That shifted as EVs rose to prominence and in essence, GM‘s drivetrain and control systems won out. And the proof is in the owner’s manuals!

The cover pages of the Honda and Acura models are properly identified. Then comes page one…

Tables of Contents

Below in order are the table of contents for a Chevrolet Malibu (left) and the Honda Pilot (right). And then below left is the TOC for the Honda Prologue.

Chevrolet Malibu TOCThey’re difficult to read here, but the styles are clear, which is the point. The contents of the Prologue and ZDX manuals follow the GM style of presentation to the letter right on through the entire manual! Every other Honda or Acura manual for 15 years+ has a TOC and structure just like the Pilot.

Honda Pilot TOCAnd the result is the addition of at least a dozen new (at least to Honda!) symbols and telltales that fall right out of the GM playbook.

The majority of the additions are of course related to the fact that the vehicles are fully electric. So all of the resulting indicators and warnings related  to the high voltage system are found.

Honda Proloque TOCBut beyond this, many of the driver support system indicators, like lane keeping and pedestrian avoidance are in the GM style.

Remember that auto manufacturers are given great leeway in the way they present warning symbols and indicators. Only a few are identical from one manufacturer to another. Most of the time symbols end up looking similar but differ enough for us to address here on this site. Hence the fact that we host over 1,000 of them 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.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/new-honda-and-acura-evs-require-new-dashboard-symbols-for-a-very-surprising-reason/

Open a Holden with a Dead Key Fob

How to Open a Holden with a Dead Key Fob

Getting into Your Holden

  • But first, if you are already inside, click here for help getting started!
  • Second, you’ll find video help here!
  • Finally, if you need or want another manufacturer, click here.

Retrieving the mechanical key

Holden flip keyHolden uses three key fob or transmitter styles. To get in the vehicle when the key fob battery is dead, a mechanical key will have to retrieved from the fob and used to unlock the car.

The first is a simple flip key (above right). Press the unmarked button to extend the mechanical key. It remains attached to the key fob. Use the mechanical key to unlock the driver’s door.

Holden remote controlHolden transmitterThe next two (shown to the right) feature a removable mechanical key and are quite similar (one has more buttons than the other). Each has a button on the side of the transmitter (remote control or ‘clicker’) near the key ring end. Press the button, as shown, and pull the key out.

Getting Inside

If a key hole is visible at the back of the driver’s door handle, simply insert the mechanical and turn, and you’re in.

Holden door handle 1The Commodore,  Acadia and and Equinox models are hiding their key holes behind a cover at the back of the driver’s door handle. To remove the cap on the Acadia and Equinox, pull the door handle out to the open position. Insert the key into the slot on the bottom of the cap (number 3, right).

Push it as far upwards as possible and hold some upward pressure. Then pry outward. And yes, you WILL feel like you are prying off a piece of your car! Move the cap rearward revealing the key cylinder. Now the mechanical key can be used in the cylinder.

To replace the cap, insert the two tabs at the back of the cap between the black seal and the metal base. Pull the door handle out to the door open position and move the cap forward and press to snap it into place. You can then release the door handle.

Holden door handle 2The cap on the Commodore is slightly different but there is still a slot under the cap. Insert the mechanical key into the slot and again hold upward pressure. Then rotate the key upward until the cap comes away.

To replace the cap, insert it with the lower side in the recesses. The rotate it upwards and push it until the cap engages at the upper side.

Remember, getting in the car is most important. If you have difficulty replacing the cap, don’t. Let your dealer do it when you get a new battery for your Key FOB!

Continue to Part II, Getting Started …

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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/2020/10/holden-dead-key-fob-help-part-i-getting-in/

General Motors Gets Kudos for Landfill-free Facilities

Bravo GM

We want to take a moment to give a car maker a pat on the back. Landfill-free Facilities

We’ve spent more than a little time on General Motors case for a lack of standardization with its keyless start cars as well as inaccurate information in owner’s manuals. Now the company gets a little back.

Landfill-free facilitiesOn February 28 (2018) GM noted in a press release that it had added 27 facilities to its list of 142 facilities, both manufacturing and non manufacturing, that are 100% landfill free. To be clear, these facilities send absolutely nothing to landfills, period.

Now we don’t generally expend a lot of energy on environmental issues, but we were struck by the magnitude of this achievement. This is nearly impossible for individuals to get anywhere close to this. Everything we use is packaged and a whole lot of that packaging is simply not recyclable. The rest goes to landfill.

So how did they manage it?

Certainly, there is a huge internal effort, including employees, dedicated to the task. For instance, they have a vice president of Sustainable Workplaces. Dane Parker says that GM aspires “to be a zero-waste company.” They employ a Waste Reduction manager. That person, John Bradburn, summed it up: “To us,” he said, “waste is simply a resource out of place.” This makes so much sense.

So, GM repurposes old concrete in new walkways. They clean oil-soaked cloths used in painting instead of tossing them. They use bags that held parts delivered to plants to line waste cans instead of putting them in the waste cans. In one plant, that’s nearly 8,000 plastic bags a year NOT sent to a landfill. Etc.

Seventy nine of the sites are manufacturing operations. On average they reuse, recycle or compost approximately 96% of their waste from daily operations and convert 4% to energy.

To be sure, this takes more than a fair share of creativity. For instance, one facility donates empty battery containers for use as nesting boxes for wood ducks.

Recycled bottlesRecycling efforts include turning used water bottles for air filtration elements, sound proofing for vehicles, or insulation, like the piece John Bradburn is holding. Tires are ground up to be used to make air baffles for GM cars and trucks. Cardboard and packing materials are baled at manufacturing
sites for recycling.

Aluminum chipsMetal chips are collected at GM’s Flint Engine plant and shipped to a supplier that recycles the chips into new materials.

Now clearly a company the size of GM has resources individuals will never have, but the effort simply has to be applauded. What they spend comes back as savings on materials that otherwise would need to be sourced, purchased and delivered. In fact, the company generated $2.5 billion in revenue between 2007 and
2010 through various recycling activities.

It achieved its first landfill-free site at our Flint Engine operations in 2005. Since it started its waste reduction program, it has reduced the program’s costs by 92% and total waste by 62%.

So, bravo General Motors, and keep up the good work.

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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/2018/03/general-motors-gets-kudos-for-landfill-free-facilities/

GM Now Uses 17 Differing Back-up Pockets

Too Many Back Up Start Locations

GM Now Uses 17 Differing Back-up Pockets! While putting together a review of 2018 push button start models, we discovered that the new GMC Terrain and Acadia had been added, and that this was introduced in the Acadia in 2017.

In addition, these two models have hidden key holes, like those used by Chevrolet. But what struck us was that the cars did not use the same back up start process, and that the spots are only similar to other General Motors made cars and SUVs.

The result is we now have 17 distinct images of back up start key fob pockets. We keep asking and hoping for standardization, but instead…

Similar, Not the Same

Acadia back-up startIn truth, there are many similarities. For instance, most back up pockets are in the center console of GM vehicles. However, the Acadia’s pocket is at the top of the back of the console, only the 4th model using this area. The majority of the other models feature the slot somewhere in the front of the center console. The steering column and glove box are also used.

The Terrain uses a cup holder. Terrain back up spotBut because they are side by side, it is the first to use a left side cup holder. The Chevrolet Camaro uses the back one while the Buick Encore and Envision use the front. The Verano, Regal and Lacrosse also use the front, but the cup holder itself needs to be removed! And so on.

Standardize!

The point is, there is no standardization and unfortunately the company does not seem to be headed anywhere near selecting a single back up location.

Why not? Seriously, why not??? Following the key cylinder debacle GM announced it would move all their vehicles to push button or keyless start, eventually, and we suggested then that they use the opportunity to standardize the process. They didn’t, not that they were listening to us.

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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/2017/07/gm-vehicles-now-have-17-differing-back-up-start-procedures/

U.S. Cars Sold Overseas Leave Drivers in the Dark

Drivers in the Dark, Part 1

Over the last several months we have been contacted by two drivers of U.S. cars sold and likely built overseas who could not find a back-up spot to drop the key fob in the event of the fob’s battery dying. Well, a good deal of sleuthing and a hunch resolved one of these cases.

First, we have to acknowledge the diligent work of one of the vehicles owners. He sent pics of all the spots we could think of that might be used as a back up slot and noted which style key was in use. Then after the hunch, he took the time to perform the test we suggested. The other driver essentially gave, up or possibly found an answer elsewhere and didn’t let us know.

Malibu consoleThe car in question was a Chevrolet Malibu. The owner’s manual was available and was dead wrong, which is, of course, the true source of the problem. The year, make and model in the U.S. has a back up slot in the center console.

As you can see from the photo he sent (right), the client’s car does not have this slot.

Cruze slotIt also uses a flip key, which suggested a spot like that is used in the Cruze (right) or first generation Volt. No such plug in spot exists in the Malibu in question.

Part 2

Then, we got hold of a new, 2017 Cruze. And like a handful of other GM models, the back up slot had been moved to one of the cup holders. And, unlike European cars, the spot goes unmarked.

And while the Cruze did not use a flip key, it suggested a possible solution to our overseas client. He removed the battery from the fob and dropped it into the front cup holder, and was able to start the car (the fob will be recognized from the back up slot in GM vehicles, at least temporarily, even with the battery actually missing). He is relieved to have an actual back-up plan.

The moral of the story for drivers of U.S. designed vehicles sold overseas is this (and we include Ford as well just in case, although we have not seen this come up). If the battery in your key fob is dead, there is still a back up plan. However, your owner’s manual may not reflect it. Try each and every one of the dozen or so back up spots found on our pages. We are pretty confident one of them will get you going.

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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/2017/05/u-s-cars-sold-overseas-leave-drivers-in-the-dark/