this post was submitted on 31 May 2025
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[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Your explanation is cool, but what do the lights mean, funny man?

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 weeks ago

Oh, I don't know, I gave up basic life skills in exchange for historical trivia.

[–] aBundleOfFerrets 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Older cars test all the dash indicators when you start them by turning them all on so you can check for burnt out bulbs.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Not just older cars. Every car does this when you turn the ignition on.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Do new cars still have individual lights for these things, or do you just get, I dunno, a dialog box or something?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

The symbols are standardized, they even show up if your instrument cluster is just a screen. But they no longer have to be individual bulbs or LEDs.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Okay! I'll give it a shot. From the top down

  • Steering wheel with exclamation mark - Power steering problem
  • Green Key - unsure, maybe something about the key fob battery?
  • Lines around an ! - Tire pressure warning
  • Car with wavy lines and OFF - traction control off
  • Car with wavy lines - unsure, maybe traction control failure?
  • Red car with doors open - Doors not closed/latched
  • Red car with trunk up - trunk or hatch not closed/latched
  • H with what looks like a little boat - that's a temperature gauge, engine over heating warning
  • C with what looks like a little boat - unsure, maybe coolant is low?
  • Green leaf - unsure, maybe something related to Eco mode?
  • BRAKE - either indicates break issues or that your emergency/parking break is engaged
  • Oil can - low on oil
  • Blurry circle thing with text inside - that's ABS warning, break related
  • The square red light at the bottom - battery warning, probably low battery
  • Engine - the money light. When that comes on you're about to pay money to a mechanic. When it flashes, you're about to pay a fuckload of money to a mechanic

But yeah, as someone else said this typically happens when you turn your car on for diagnostic purposes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

The blue c with a boat thing indicates cold fluids, like your oil will be thicker in winter until it warms up.

I don’t know any of the other ones you weren’t sure about, though I think the wavy lines one is just telling you that traction control is being used due to the conditions. I occasionally see that light come on when it’s slick.

Winter brings out all the fun dash lights!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago

That Diocletian should come back from retirement