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Drivers are notified of the presence of malfunctions in various vehicle systems using icons on the instrument panel. It is not always possible to decipher the meaning of such burning icons intuitively, since not all car enthusiasts are well versed in cars. In addition, on different cars, the graphic designation of one icon itself may differ. It is worth noting that not every light on the panel only indicates a critical malfunction. The indication of light bulbs under the icons is divided into 3 groups by color:
Red icons indicate danger, and if any symbol lights up in this color, you should pay attention to the signal from the on-board computer in order to take measures to quickly resolve the malfunction. Sometimes they are not so critical, and it is possible to continue driving the car when such an icon on the panel is on, but sometimes it is not worth it.
Basic icons on the dashboard
Yellow indicators warn of a malfunction or the need to take some action to drive the car or service it.
The green lamps of the symbols inform about the vehicle’s service functions and their activity.
Let's present a list of the most frequently asked questions and an explanation of what the burning icon on the panel means.
Information icons
The machine icon may light up differently; it happens that the “car with a wrench” icon, the “car with a lock” icon, or an exclamation mark are lit. About all these notations in order:
When such an indicator lights up ( a car with a key ), it informs about malfunctions in the engine (often a malfunction of a sensor) or the electronic part of the transmission. To find out the exact cause, you will need to perform diagnostics.
A red car with a lock lights up , which means that problems have arisen in the operation of the standard anti-theft system and it will be impossible to start the car, but if this icon blinks when the car is locked, then everything is normal - the car is locked.
A yellow vehicle indicator with an exclamation mark notifies the driver of a hybrid vehicle that there is a problem with the electric drive. Resetting the error by disconnecting the battery terminal will not solve the problem - diagnostics are needed.
the open door icon lit when a door or trunk lid is open, but if all the doors are closed and the light on one or four doors continues to shine, then often the problem should be looked for in the door terminals (wire contacts).
The slippery road icon begins to flash when the stability control system detects a section of slippery road and is activated to prevent slipping by reducing engine power and braking the slipping wheel. There is no need to worry in such a situation. But when a key, a triangle, or a crossed out skid icon appears near such an indicator, the stabilization system is faulty.
The wrench icon pops up on the display when it’s time to perform vehicle maintenance. It is an information indicator and is reset after maintenance.
Warning icons on the panel
The steering wheel icon can light up in two colors. If the yellow steering wheel is on, then adaptation is required, and when a red image of the steering wheel with an exclamation mark appears, you should already be concerned about the failure of the power steering or power steering system. When the red steering wheel lights up, your steering wheel will probably become very difficult to turn.
The immobilizer icon usually blinks if the car is locked; in this case, the indicator of a red car with a white key signals the operation of the anti-theft system. But there are 3 main reasons if the immo light is constantly on: the immobilizer is not activated, if the tag on the key is not read or the anti-theft system is faulty.
The handbrake icon lights up not only when the handbrake lever is activated (raised), but also in cases where the brake pads are worn out or the brake fluid needs to be topped up/replaced. On a car with an electronic handbrake, the parking brake light may come on due to a glitch in the limit switch or sensor.
The coolant icon has several options and depending on which one is lit, draw conclusions about the problem accordingly. One red lamp with a thermometer scale indicates an increased temperature in the engine cooling system, but a yellow expansion tank with waves indicates a low coolant level in the system. But it is worth considering that the coolant lamp does not always light up at a low level; perhaps there is simply a glitch in the sensor or float in the expansion tank.
When to use a parking mechanism and when not to
A handbrake is a kind of alternative to the main brake system and its parts. If the latter fails, the handbrake will help to brake. There are often situations where the parking brake is applied in the event of a short-term deceleration of the machine. This may be necessary if you need to quickly go to a kiosk or store, leaving the car near the side of the road, then you must definitely use the handbrake.
The handbrake can also be useful to prevent the car from rolling while driving.
An example of such a situation is a stop where there is a closed crossing. In order to drive further you will need a handbrake. People with many years of driving experience can use the handbrake when performing maneuvers, this could be a sharp turn or driving in a confined space.
To ensure trouble-free operation of the handbrake, we do not advise car owners to use this system when parking the car for a long time. Especially if you know for sure that you won’t go anywhere for a week or two, then you don’t need to turn on the lock, otherwise the pads will “stick” to the drums. You also need to be careful when using the parking mechanism during periods of persistent frost. Excessive humidity from a car wash can cause the brake pads to freeze and immobilize the car. The condition of the parking mechanism must be checked periodically, because if the main brakes fail, the handbrake will remain the only salvation.
The dashboard of modern cars has many indicators that alert the driver to the status of various vehicle systems. Sometimes we neglect the performance of some of them. For example, many people do not pay attention to such a small indicator as the parking brake light.
It would seem that everything is simple here: when the handbrake is lowered, the device does not light up, when it is raised, it lights up. And if the parking brake light is constantly on, most likely there is something wrong with the indicator itself. In fact, turning it on for no reason may indicate serious problems in the operation of not only the parking brake, but also the service brake.
But before we talk about how to fix the parking brake light coming on for no reason, you should understand in more detail what exactly could be the reason for this situation. And also in the relationship between the mechanical hand brake and its activation indicator.
Reporting a malfunction
The battery icon lights up if the voltage in the on-board network drops; often this problem is associated with a lack of battery charge from the generator, so it can also be called the “alternator icon”. On vehicles with a hybrid engine, this indicator is supplemented by the inscription “MAIN” at the bottom.
The oil icon , also known as a red oil can, indicates a drop in the oil level in the car engine. This icon lights up when you start the engine, and does not go out after a few seconds or may light up while driving. This fact indicates problems in the lubrication system or a drop in oil level or pressure. The oil icon on the panel may have a droplet or waves at the bottom; on some cars the indicator is supplemented with the inscription min, senso, oil level (yellow inscriptions) or simply the letters L and H (characterizing low and high oil levels).
The airbag icon can light up in several ways: either the red inscription SRS and AIRBAG, or “a red man wearing a seat belt,” with a circle in front of him. When one of these airbag icons lights up on the panel, the on-board computer notifies you of a malfunction in the passive safety system, and in the event of an accident, the airbags will not deploy. Read the article on the website for the reasons why the airbag sign lights up and how to fix the problem.
The exclamation mark icon may look different and its meaning will accordingly be different. So, for example, when the red (!) light is on in the circle, this indicates a malfunction of the brake system and it is advisable not to continue driving until the cause of its occurrence is determined. They can be very different: the handbrake is up, the brake pads are worn out, or the brake fluid level has dropped. A low level is precisely what poses a danger, because the reason may not only be in heavily worn pads, as a result of which, when you press the pedal, the fluid disperses throughout the system, and the float gives a signal about a low level, the brake hose may be damaged somewhere, and this is much more serious. Although, very often the exclamation mark lights up if the float (level sensor) is faulty or shorted, and then it simply lies. On some cars, the exclamation mark is accompanied by the words “BRAKE”, but this does not change the essence of the problem.
An exclamation mark can also light up in the form of an “attention” sign, both on a red and yellow background. When the yellow “attention” sign lights up, it informs about a malfunction in the electronic stabilization system, and if it is on a red background, it simply warns the driver about something, and, as a rule, explanatory text is displayed on the dashboard display or combined with other informative text designation.
Why does the indicator work?
If the handbrake lamp does not light up at all when it is activated, the reason is most likely trivial:
- diode burned out;
- wires are broken.
This small problem can be fixed at any car service center for literally pennies. In principle, there is nothing wrong with the diode not lighting up. But its repair cannot be delayed for long. After all, in case of real problems with the brake system, he will not be able to notify you about it in time.
It is much worse if the handbrake indicator is constantly on or lights up while driving. In this situation, it is extremely undesirable to operate the car without understanding the strange behavior of the diode.
The most common situation is when the handbrake light is constantly on. The reasons for this can be very different: from harmless clogging or oxidation of the contact sensor to a stretched cable in the handbrake system.
But before you begin to understand the causes of the problem, you need to take a closer look at the relationship between the position of the handbrake and the indicator located on the dashboard.
How it works
As we can see, in good condition, the handbrake lamp lights up, even if the position of the lever changes very slightly. It rises literally a couple of millimeters, while the first click has not yet been heard, but the diode has already worked and the light bulb has come on.
The light only goes out if the handbrake is lowered completely. Again, if you do not press it enough, the indicator will light up, although the car will already be able to move. It is this factor that confuses many drivers.
However, the operation of the diode may also indicate a malfunction of the brake systems. The fact is that its work is aimed not only at reporting the position of the handbrake, but also at informing the driver about a stretched system cable or about an insufficient amount of brake fluid in the hydraulic system. There may be a lot of other reasons why the parking brake light may be on.
What to do if the parking brake light is constantly on
The driver can independently diagnose problems with the brake system. But for this he will need a hole, a lift or an overpass. If the garage is equipped with one of these devices, then you can cope with the problem without the help of specialists. Of course, if you can accurately identify the cause of the problem.
After this we carry out the following actions:
If, after carrying out all the above steps, the parking brake light is still on, you should contact a specialist. It may be due to serious malfunctions in the brake system.
How to correct the situation when the parking brake light is on is shown in the video:
One of the very necessary systems that car enthusiasts often use without noticing it is the parking brake, which is often called the “handbrake”. Unfortunately, many people have a very vague idea of a handbrake. This article will tell you about the design of the parking brake, tell you about its varieties, and also describe basic cases in which the use of a handbrake is simply necessary.
Handbrake diagnostics
As you know, any repair begins with diagnostics. We figured out how the handbrake indicator works. Now you should lower and raise the handbrake several times. If the handbrake light is constantly on, without reacting in any way to these actions, you need to look for the reason for this behavior of the LED in the form of an exclamation mark.
First, check the fluid level in the hydraulic brake system. This is quite simple to do, and if necessary, everyone can add liquid to the expansion tank.
Handbrake light
So, initially (if everything works correctly in the car, there are no breakdowns or problems) the handbrake light on the dashboard is not an error or malfunction light. It should light up when you put the car on the handbrake. We put the car on the handbrake - the light came on, returned the handbrake to its original position - the light went out. Based on this, you can already guess that the handbrake light on the dashboard itself is connected to the brake system.
And if the handbrake light does not go out, if it lights up, blinks while driving and does not respond at all to turning on/off the parking brake, then there is a problem with the brakes in the car. This is very important and dangerous! And you need to contact a car service for diagnostics and car repairs.
Checking the brake fluid level
It would seem what hydraulics can have to do with the indicator of the handbrake indicator. However, one of the most common reasons for the constant glow of the light is precisely that there is not enough brake fluid in the hydraulic, that is, working system.
In order to check its level, you should do the following:
- The machine must be parked on a level surface. When the engine is cold, open the hood.
- We are looking for the hydraulic brake master cylinder. It is located in the rear of the engine compartment on the driver's side. We need a plastic white reservoir located above the cylinder. Cars manufactured before 1980 may have a metal cylinder. In this case, you will have to remove its cover to check the fluid level.
- Most reservoirs have marks indicating the minimum and maximum fluid levels. If it is approximately in the middle of these marks, then there is enough liquid.
- If necessary, liquid should be added to the tank. This must be done very carefully, as the substance is toxic and can cause corrosion of metal surfaces.
- Close the reservoir with a lid and lower the hood.
If the fluid level in the reservoir was significantly below the minimum mark, you should check the brake pads to see if they are worn out. Then the fluid will flow out of the pipes and flow to the brake calipers. As a result, fluid will quickly leak out of the system, and its level will not be enough for the normal functioning of the hydraulic system. This is one of the reasons why the handbrake light may be constantly on.
It should be noted that not on all car models the handbrake light comes on when driving if the brake pads are worn out.
Sometimes it happens that there is enough fluid in the reservoir, but the brake pedal still sticks. As a result, the handbrake light is constantly on, because the fluid does not reach the master cylinder. If you notice this problem, you should immediately take the car to a car service center, as significant damage may occur in the brake system.
