Active Cruise Control
These are Active or Advanced Cruise Control (ACC) Indicator symbols. The first symbols add a car to the speedometer (the dial) and arrow (pointer) found in another symbol. Again, unfortunately it is not immediately clear to the average driver just what it is trying to say. The car indicates that the system is responding to traffic ahead and the arrow indicates a speed has been set. Note also that some manufacturers may call these systems Smart or Intelligent Cruise Control. The manufacturer using the blue image with the numbers 999 below the speedometer calls the system Drive Control. It is essentially Active Cruise Control.
- Also, are you sure one of these is your symbol?? If yes, then continue on below.
- Otherwise return to our main Picture Symbols page and scan again!
There are lots more related symbols shown below. Over time, these indicators have evolved so that it is nearly impossible to distinguish one from another. Each manufacturer takes liberties with very similar images while using them to mean very different things. Please consult the manual from your manufacturer to know exactly why a particular indicator is being displayed in your vehicle.
Many More Variations
More variations of the symbol shows a car seemingly being followed by a double arrow, the back one of which is open. It may also appear as simply lane lines around broken lines or broken lines alone. It will show in green when the system is turned on and amber when actually adjusting the distance to a vehicle ahead. They will appear as well when a distance is being set in the system by the driver. And depending on the manufacturer, a specific Follow Mode can be turned OFF and the indicator seen in gray. Other symbols may appear in gray scale as well, showing the relative chosen distance between vehicles.
These additional indicators may or may not appear to have lines radiating like heat waves from the roof. They are meant intended to imply a forward looking radar. The system is active if this indicator is shown. The color is up to the manufacturer, so do check your manual. If it is seen in white, it generally means that the system is on but a speed has not been chosen.
Another variation has the first image above adding a vehicle in front indicating a vehicle has been detected ahead. The images above may simply go from green and turn to yellow/amber or red when a vehicle detected ahead is too close. An image of a foot on a pedal may also be shown, which is a warning to use the brakes. Again, consult you manual to learn what your manufacturer has chosen for color.
In the case of these images, also in green, the vehicle is seen “open” in the first image. That is, the color is not filled in, indicating that there is no vehicle ahead. In the second, the vehicle is colored in, indicating a vehicle is in fact ahead. The third image adds a distance control feature. The number of lines indicates the distance that will be maintained. The more lines, the greater the distance.
Once again, please consult your vehicle manufacturer’s manual to know exactly why one of this wide array of lights is on.
This indicator version attempts to show just the top of a speedometer with an arrow indicating where the speed is set. It doesn’t appear to offer any additional information, useful or otherwise. It appears in gray scale in the vehicle’s information display.
Variously called Radar Controlled, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Advanced Smart Cruise Control (ASCC) or even Distance Control Assist (DCA), the systems operate the same way. It is not warning of an imminent collision, but rather showing that the cruise control system will maintain the speed needed to maintain the proper distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. The text symbol ACC in yellow/amber indicates a fault in the system.
More advanced systems have the added capability of adjusting a vehicle’s speed to account for an approaching curve in the road. The symbols shown are variations that may appear on the instrument panel indicating that the speed is being adjusted, likely down.
The symbols on the far left add the exclamation point to the car and speedometer and is in amber. They indicate a problem with the Smart or Active Cruise Control system that your dealer will need to resolve. The same is likely true of the next gray scale images, as they would appear in the message area on the instrument panel. These will be accompanied by text describing the problem, which may be as simple as dirty sensors resolved by a car wash. Your vehicle will otherwise operate normally.
These symbols are meant to indicate that the system’s radar or camera is blocked. To the left is one showing an arrow pointing the front of the vehicle (or a rectangle or box with two lines in it!) and to the right is one with the familiar exclamation point next to a car with lines in front of it (or behind it). The same is true of the gray scale image on the right as it would appear in a message area on the instrument panel.
Cameras or more commonly radar are used to detect another vehicle in front of yours, and so long as they are blocked, the advanced cruise control system cannot function. If cleaning the front of the car does not clear the symbol, there may be a malfunction, which your dealer will need to address. Standard cruise control can continue to operate, if you choose to use it the vehicle itself is fine.
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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
This is a Hybrid Battery Overheat Indicator 
Similarly, this symbol is a Traction Battery Coolant Fluid Level Low indicator. Seen primarily in some hybrid vehicles is a battery cooling system that, much like a typical internal combustion engine requires a cooling fluid that may require topping off occasionally.
The symbol to the left, also featuring a wavy line at the bottom, is the traditional Low Coolant symbol is use for decades for internal combustion engines. But, as of 2024, it may be found in Kia hybrid vehicles and would be displayed when the coolant used by the vehicle’s electrical inverter is low. Driving without sufficient amount of coolant for a prolonged period of time can cause serious problems with the vehicle’s electrical equipment.
Do not confuse the first symbol with the similar one to the right, which is a catalytic converter.