Power Steering
These are Power Steering or Electronic Power Steering warning lights or symbols. The exclamation point is used here, a common sight with newer warning lights, alongside the image of a steering wheel. This is a warning, indicating a problem with the steering system. Depending on the manufacturer, it may appear in red or yellow/amber.
- There may be hope, but first, are you sure this is your symbol?? If yes, then continue below.
- Otherwise return to our main Picture Symbols page and scan again!
The red indicators are failure lights here and the yellow/amber/orange version is a fault light. In any case, if as an electronic system, there is a chance it can be “reset”. Pull over as soon as possible and shut down the engine and restart it. If the warning light does not go out you will need to take the vehicle to your dealer or authorized repair facility quickly.
The good news is that the vehicle can be driven with a power steering failure. However, the steering will lack the power assist and will be more difficult to steer. So if you choose to proceed, please do so with caution.
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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Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow.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 the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (
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.
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.
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 
These are all versions of the dreaded Check Engine Light 
The possible reasons for it coming on number in the hundreds and only your dealer or authorized service center can properly address them. However, remember that a loose or missing gas cap will cause the light to come on. This is the only solution available to the average driver, so do check that the gas cap is installed and properly tightened (make sure it clicks at least once).
In older vehicles, this Text version, the Service Engine Soon Indicator, indicates a fault in an emissions related electronic system. The Picture Symbol with the lightning bolt in it means the same thing. Your dealer will be needed to properly assess the problem. Some version of the Check Engine Light is now universal and covers these and other engine-related faults.
Symbols with lightning bolts, while still being basic Check Engine Indicators, also are meant to convey a likely issue with the engines electrical system. The symbol featuring a drawing of a car with an X through it, is specifically meant to be an Electrical System Fault Indicator. A visit to a qualified service shop is in order.
This oddity, a System Check Indicator, makes little or no sense, as it simply adds an exclamation point to the original Check Engine Light. It may appear in 
If other symbols are also active, note that the Check Engine is your first concern. In some cases, other systems in the car may be shut down until the reason the Check Engine light is active is addressed, and the symbols associated with those symbols may be activated. Be sure to check our 
This is an Electronic Brake Force Distribution (
This is an Engine or Transmission Electronics Fault Indicator 
The symbol showing a vehicle with a wrench or spanner inside it is also used as an electronics fault warning. However, some manufacturers use the very same symbol as a service reminder only. If the vehicle is operating properly, and its been a long time since its last oil service, this may be the only issue. Consult your owners manual to be sure and 
This symbol is used as an Engine Electronics Fault Indicator only. It is seen as a rectangle with a wavy or ragged line inside. Whether or not any change in the vehicle operation is seen, the fault should be checked out by a good service shop as soon as possible.
These are all Water in Fuel Indicator 
Each image includes at least a drop of water or wavy lines or both. Other images are meant to resemble canisters. These filters need to be serviced periodically, and one of these lights serves to tell you when. This filter system is termed a Diesel Fuel Conditioner Module (