Tag: snow mode

And The Dashboard Symbols Saga Continues

A Manufacturer Update Adds Yet More Symbols

In an earlier post, the Dashboard Symbols Saga, some weeks ago, we noted that we now host 986 warning lights and indicators. Nine hundred and eighty six! Well, we updated our Buick page, and added yet another five new symbols, bringing the total to 991 (now over 1000!). And those additions serve to point out just how out of control the entire warning light system has become.

The new entries are an Auto Start symbol, a Driver Attention symbol, a Super Cruise symbol, a Snow Mode symbol and a Sport Mode symbol. In each case, the industry already had perfectly usable pre-existing symbols, but Buick opted to use new ones anyway!

Were These Necessary?

Auto start stop symbolIn a word. no. Top the left is the new Auto Start symbol. It is very similar to others in use across the industry. In fact, we have a post (here) that includes 17 previous iterations! Some are in text.

Stop Start Ready IndicatorHowever, what Buick chose to use was sufficiently different that it could not be ignored. The symbol shown to the right is the closest pre-existing version, but the new one did not include the words Start and Stop.

Attention alertSuper Cruise indicatorSnow and ice modeSport mode indicatorIn effect, the next four could be discussed in exactly the same way. The Driver Attention, Super Cruise, Snow Mode and Sport Mode symbols, seen from the left, all exist in other forms. Each is also linked to our posts on the subjects. In fact Super Cruise is a General Motors construct and still the company opted to make a change in the image!

Driver monitoring system malfunctionSuper cruise indicatorFrost Warning IndicatorSport modePre-existing versions of the symbols are shown to the right. Certainly in the case of Super Cruise, the new symbol is very, very close to the original representation. However, we feel an obligation to present them exactly as a driver would see them.

We find the entire experience to an insult to drivers everywhere. Assuming the system remains in place, then it should be said that any new system developed and introduced in automobiles must have its own symbol. These symbols are meant first and foremost to easily identifiable to the average driver. And while it can easily be called into questioned that this first principle is actually achieved, if each system ends up being represented by a dozen or more symbol versions, it is highly unlikely that any one driver anywhere will ever be able to determine a symbol’s meaning without looking it up.

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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/2024/03/and-the-dashboard-symbols-saga-continues/

Frost or Freeze Warning or Snow Mode Indicator Symbols

Frost or Snow Mode

Frost Warning IndicatorSnow and ice modeSlippery conditions indicatorWeather mode indicatorThese symbols are used in two ways. Most commonly it is a Frost or Freeze Warning Indicator symbol. Also, particularly those in the colors interpreted as yellow, amber or orange likely indicate that the vehicle has been placed in Snow Mode (below). As a Frost or Freeze warning indicator, the snowflake or ice crystal symbol will come on in yellow/amber when the outside temperature drops to within a few degrees of freezing (about 40°F). At freezing or below, the symbol may turn red.

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

More Versions

Note that in some electric vehicles (EVs), the same symbol or a similar one in blue or is used as a warning that some charge in the main EV battery may be lost or unavailable due to cold weather. The owner’s manual will offer methods for warming the battery.

Frost warningThe version on the far left, which includes lane markers, is used exclusively to indicate cold weather and the possibility of frost on the roadway. The same is true of the second version, where the snowflake or ice crystal image is shown in a triangle.

If the the outside temperature is warmer that 40°F, it is most likely that Snow Mode, and if its a surprise, it may have been chosen accidentally.

It is activated in a number of ways. There may be a button on the console near the shift lever with the snow flake symbol on it. There may be a number of modes available through a menu activated by a button on the steering wheel or one of the stalks attached to the steering column. In these instances, the instrument panel light indicates that the Snow Mode has been activated (see the link). In this mode, the vehicle will start moving in 2nd or even 3rd gear depending on how slippery it is beneath the drive wheels.

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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/2018/11/frost-warning-or-snow-mode-indicato-symbol/

Snow Mode Indicators

Snow Mode

Frost Warning IndicatorSnow and ice modeSnow Mode IndicatorSnow mode indicatorThese are Snow Mode Indicators symbols. Whether from an electronically controlled transmission or throttle (ECT) or in a hybrid vehicle, it indicates that this mode is active. The option controls the transmission electronically, keeping it in a higher gear (2nd or 3rd) or controlling the throttle for accelerating and driving on slippery road surfaces, like snow.

  • But first, are you sure this is your symbol?? If yes, then continue on below. 
  • Otherwise return to our main Picture Symbols page and scan again!

Note that the snowflake image shown in yellow/amber/orange is also used as a warning that road conditions may be slippery due to low outside temperatures. Click here for more. The other two symbols, the word SNOW in yellow/amber/orange and the image in green combined with the word SNOW are simply mode indicators.

Also, there will likely be additional text with the text symbol Snow. See our Acronyms page if it is not a whole word or our Text Symbols page.

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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/2010/10/snow-mode-indicators/