Exclamation mark in triangle

A significant part of the modern population of the Earth owns some kind of transport. In developed countries, cars are especially common. Consequently, at some point there was an urgent need to create effective regulation of the increasingly intense road traffic. An international sign system was created. Currently, the entire variety of such symbols is divided into several main categories. Let's look at some of them.

Warning signs

This category is distinguished by the fact that a significant part of the designations is framed by a red triangle. In this way, they seem to focus the attention of the road user on a possible danger, which, in turn, is pointed out to them. Of course, the designation system includes the most common options for dangerous sections of the road. Movement along them requires maximum concentration and timely adoption of measures to stabilize the situation. For example, this could be an intersection with a railway, tram tracks, traffic control with traffic lights, dangerous turns, road surface features, permitted pedestrian movement, repair work, the possibility of animals appearing, and so on. If you see an exclamation mark in a red triangle, you should remember that such a designation includes the so-called “other hazards”. These are all kinds of threats to the further successful and stable movement that are not provided for by other symbols.

Priority signs

It should be remembered that not only in the previous category there is such a symbol as the red triangle. The sign is also included in the priority group. Here, a similar symbol also serves to attract the attention of the driver of the vehicle. A red triangle in the context of this category warns of the intersection of a main road with a secondary one, as well as the junction of the latter. It is important to remember that rapprochement can occur both on the right side and on the left. Let's look at another important question. What does an upside down red triangle mean? This symbol is called “Give way” and means that a traffic participant heading towards the intersection with the main road along a secondary road must take all necessary actions so as not to impede the movement of other drivers.

What to do if problems arise?

ABS icon is on

If the brake system malfunctions, first check the brake fluid level and the integrity of the brake hoses.

In the first case, it is worth rebooting the on-board computer, if there is one, or simply diagnosing the entire electronic system in a car service center or using special devices.
In the second case, you just need to pump up the tires and check the integrity of the tube.
In the third situation, try removing the terminals from the battery, and if this does not help, then you need to go for diagnostics.
In the fourth case, it is worth checking the brake pads, ABS connections and the unit itself for moisture.
The last sign should be taken very seriously. First of all, check the brake fluid level. If it is normal, then the reason may lie in worn brake pads. It will be much worse if the brake hose has been damaged somewhere, or the wire leading to the brake pads has broken; in such situations, you should contact a car service center as quickly as possible. You can also try to check the wire yourself, smoothly and effortlessly lift the handbrake, and if there is a feeling that it is simply hanging on a stick, then this is definitely a broken wire.

Location

As mentioned earlier, the red triangle is most often found in warning signs, the main purpose of which is to alert the driver to possible dangerous situations on the road. Consequently, the traffic rules describe the need to install it at a certain distance before the start of the suspicious area. Within a populated area, this value ranges from 50 to 100 meters, and outside it varies from 150 to 300 m. In some cases, additional installation of a special sign called “Distance to object” is provided, where the required value is displayed. In addition, if the dangerous area is quite long, it is also possible to install an “Area of Action” sign, which is installed under the corresponding warning symbol.

Important to remember

If any sign is located on a yellow background, this means that it is temporary. In relation to warning symbols, this may mean that the danger has arisen relatively recently, and road authorities have not yet had time to take measures to eliminate it. If you saw a red triangle on a yellow background and identified it as a priority sign, then it is likely that repair work is being carried out somewhere along your route. They were the reason for the change in movement on this section of the road. Of course, we should not forget that if there are regular and repair signs, it is imperative to comply with the requirements of the latter.

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.

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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.

Release forms

Currently, all signs included in traffic regulations are made on a metal base, which is coated with a special reflective compound. This makes the sign visible at any time of the day. In some cases, LED contour lighting may be used. It is provided either by miniature incandescent lamps or the more common LEDs.

The display on the dashboard is necessary to inform and warn the driver about the occurrence of various malfunctions, indicate the on/off of various functions, activation of systems, etc. Instrument panel indicator lamps are usually made in the form of icons and inscriptions of various colors (red, yellow, green, blue).

In this case, it often happens that instead of a separate icon, an exclamation mark lights up on the instrument panel. In practice, the exclamation mark icon on the dashboard may light up when you press the brake pedal, and the color of the icon may also change when the background is red or yellow. Let's figure it out.

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Don't forget about the information on the scoreboard!

By the way, in any case, the signs appearing on the panel are also a reason to find out the reason for the warning on the information board itself. To better understand the problem, you should open the “Machine Information” section there. To do this, you need to enter the menu and, by switching up or down, confirm your choice. This way you can find out what exactly the illuminated danger sign is telling you. As already mentioned, in some cars the exclamation mark can indicate not only defects in the brake system; in such cases, a description of the malfunction is displayed on the message display in the center of the dashboard.

Indication of icons on the instrument panel: exclamation point

As a rule, among the main icons it is customary to highlight the engine “check”, the Airbag icon in the form of a man fastened with a belt, the spiral of glow plugs for a diesel engine, the oil pressure drop indicator in the form of an oil can with a drop, as well as the engine overheating icon, which is usually made in the form of a thermometer with waves.

Also on many cars an important indicator is the exclamation mark. Normally, after starting the engine and performing self-diagnosis, all warning and emergency symbols should go out after a few seconds.

Typically, this indicator lights up when the level of brake fluid in the reservoir drops significantly. This indicates that the system is not tight, which is unacceptable. It is not difficult to guess that such problems with brakes require immediate diagnosis. Moreover, operating a car with a glowing red exclamation mark on the dashboard in such a situation is prohibited!

However, the brakes may be fine, although the indicated error on the dashboard may be present. For this reason, you need to know why else the exclamation mark on the instrument panel may be on besides the low brake fluid level.

If the sign is in a circle and parentheses, then it is brakes. In the case where the exclamation mark and the ABS sign are lit in parallel, the problem is usually a faulty ABS.
If the exclamation point is in the yellow triangle, there is a malfunction in the electronic stabilization system.
A red triangle with an exclamation mark may indicate various breakdowns and the need for diagnostics, that is, you need to carefully examine the instrument panel and see if any other icons are lit.

How do indicators work differently in cars with and without ABS?

If the car has the named system, then the warning lamp (also called the indicator icon) should normally light up when the ignition is turned on and the parking brake is applied, and go out after starting the engine and when the parking brake is released. This is how the system is tested. And if the light goes out, it means the system is working properly. An indicator signal that glows longer than expected indicates a malfunction in the vehicle's systems. If ABS is not installed, then when the ignition is turned on, the icon appears only if problems arise, which we will discuss in more detail below.

An exclamation mark is lit on the dashboard: what should the driver do?

Taking into account the fact that there may be several reasons, with the brakes being the most serious, let us dwell on this problem in more detail. If the exclamation mark is on on the panel, the first step is to check the brake fluid level in the reservoir.

To do this, just put the car on a level surface, unscrew the tank cap and make sure that the level is between o and “max”. If the level is below the minimum mark, then the exclamation mark on the panel lights up based on a signal from the sensor.

It also happens that the indicator lights up while driving over bumps, and then goes out on a smooth road. This means that there is little liquid in the tank, but the level has not yet dropped to a critical level. When the car rocks, the sensor is triggered, while on a flat surface the level of brake fluid is still sufficient for the indicator to go out.

It should be remembered that during operation it is important to periodically monitor the fluid level, use only recommended fluids for topping up, and also promptly change the fluid and bleed the brakes.

Let's move on. It may happen that after setting the level, the problem does not disappear. In such a situation, you need to check the fuel oil level sensor itself. The sensor is located in the master cylinder reservoir. To check the sensor, you need to do the following:

We turn on the ignition, the exclamation mark lights up, which indicates a low fuel fluid level. Normally, the icon should go out if the level is normal and the sensor is operating normally. If this does not happen, and the liquid level in the tank is normal, then you need to “throw off” the power from the sensor. If the light goes out, the problem is often in the sensor. The float often breaks and lies at the bottom, although there is enough liquid in the tank.
In the case where the exclamation mark is lit and no power is supplied to the sensor, this situation may indicate problems with the wiring, and the sensor is most likely in working order. The wiring may short out, damage, breaks, etc. may occur.

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.

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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.

The ABS icon may have several display options on the dashboard, but regardless of this, it means the same thing on all cars - a problem has occurred in the ABS system, and that the anti-lock wheel system is not working at the moment. You can find out the reasons why ABS does not work in our article. In this case, movement can be made, but there is no need to rely on the ABS to activate; the brakes will operate as usual.

The ESP icon may either light up intermittently or stay on constantly. A light with this inscription indicates problems with the stabilization system. The Electronic Stability Program indicator, as a rule, lights up for one of two reasons - either the rotation angle sensor has failed, or the brake light sensor (aka “frog”) has died for a long time. Although, there can be a more serious problem, for example, the brake system pressure sensor is covered.

The engine icon , some drivers may call it the “injector icon” or check, may glow yellow when the engine is running. It informs about the presence of engine errors and malfunctions of its electronic systems. To determine the reason for its appearance on the dashboard display, self-diagnosis or computer diagnostics are performed.

The glow plug icon may light up on the dashboard of a diesel car; the meaning of such an indicator is exactly the same as the “check” icon on gasoline cars. When there are no errors in the electronic unit’s memory, the spiral icon should go out after the engine warms up and the glow plugs are turned off. Read how to check glow plugs here.

This material is informative for most car owners. And although absolutely all possible icons of all existing cars are not presented here, you will be able to independently understand the main symbols of the car’s dashboard, and will not sound the alarm when you see that the icon on the panel is on again.

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