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THE TYPICAL CAR or van dashboard is a mess of lights, symbols and buttons, the sheer volume of which can confound even the most confident of motorists.
Dashboard warning lights are there to keep drivers safe, and to remind us to do certain vehicle-related tasks, like filling up the fuel tank, checking washer fluid, and so on.
Despite that fact, if you’re prone to panicking whenever a red light pops on, or guilty of ignoring a mysterious flashing yellow symbol for weeks on end, you’re not alone.
To help you get to grips with all of those dashboard warnings – and, of course, to see how your knowledge fares against everyone else on the road – we’ve put together a quiz.
Here goes…
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Right, if you got any of them wrong you shouldn’t be in a car driving! There wasn’t a difficult one in there, and there are some very strange icons used, even in the options, it would have been much more difficult. Seriously, if you don’t know any of them, read your owners manual or download one on line!
@Eugene Tyson: very true. 8/8 for me and I don’t drive.
@Eugene Tyson: I’m forgiven for getting 7/8 I’ve never had a car that has tyre pressure on it. Poor peasants are excused.
@Eugene Tyson: I got three right!
@David Connolly: 7/8 my car doesnt tell me my tyre pressure is low i know by looking or driving if one is low!
@David Connolly: yes but don’t forget to tip your hat to your superiors!
@Alan M: same here
Fuel filler cap can be on either side! Someone setting the questions does not know their stuff.
@clive guthrie: It was based on the picture in the question Clive where the arrow is pointing to the left.
@clive guthrie: Yes, that’s true, but if you look at the picture again, the little arrow-head sticking out of the fuel pump symbol tells you which side it is on, on that particular car.
The devil is in the detail…
@clive guthrie: Someone answering the questions doesn’t know their stuff…..
@clive guthrie: delicious
@clive guthrie: somebody complaining cause they got it wrong doesn’t know their stuff!
7/8
@clive guthrie: What does the arrow really mean?
@clive guthrie: Good one Clive.
@clive guthrie: Beside the petrol pump symbol you have an arrow pointing to the left, thats the side you fill from
@clive guthrie: the arrow shows quite clearly that the filler cap is on the left.
@clive guthrie: if you read the question or looked at the symbol properly you would realise how stupid your response was.
That one caught me too. I looked at the yellow lit-up symbol, not the one with the arrow pointing to the refuelling side. Still, it’s not the Space Station, you’d find it on the second try.
@clive guthrie: Unless it’s a classic American car and the cap is under the number plate lol.
Regarding the question about the filler cap, I’ve never seen a vehicle with an arrow on the icon, the universal interpretation of the symbol I’ve always understood to be which side the hose is on the pump will tell you which side to fill fuel from.
The red symbol on number 7 is the handbrake warning light,the other is traction control.
My 2 cars have the arrow. And the ones before them too.
@Evan Wakefield:
You haven’t driven too many cars then.
@Evan Wakefield: yes number 7 depends on the car, I don’t think that all cars use this light to indicate issues with the brakes.
@Guill Ire: I drive a lot different types of vehicles and i’ve just never seen it,but have often seen the hose on the other side of the pump for vehicles that fill on the left. Maybe it’s a new thing that has been introduced by some manufacturers as alot of people didn’t understand what the symbol actually meant and thought it was for low fuel.
@Evan Wakefield: Actually on a technically number 7 is the brake system warning light and cover both the handbrake being on and a low brake fluid reservoir where a brake fluid level sensor is fitted (and I have no idea when either warning system was introduced – but I am sure that my first car did not have either).
Likewise the fuel gauge did not have a filling side indication until much later and not even sure that all cars have them now (maybe new ones do)… I never knew about the arrow til a few months ago on “silly” youtube video of 101 car things you did not know – and when I looked I discovered it was on my car and my kids cars fuel gauges too…. it is kinda handy actually for when my kids give me their keys and say “I think I need petrol” and their cap is on a different side to mine…..
The brake warning system on some cars seems to have an “!” for brake warning and a “P” for parking brake in the center – but many cars just use the displayed symbol and use the same light for both – but the question says “could” and not “does” so technically it is correct.
Bottom line though is that people should look at their handbook if a light does not go out as cars can be different and may have different safety issues – and thanks for you thought provoking comments
The fog lamp one might have been difficult for a lot of people
@Ollie Ryan: people seem to think they’re cool when the have their fog lights on. Or that it makes their 15 year old Renault Senic look like a new car.
@Ollie Ryan: pity really – but that is true – people blinding the driver behind with fog lights on…. and oblivious of the meaning of the light or even when to use fog lights – this warning light may indicate that you are breaking the law in some places where it is illegal to use fog lights at night when there is no fog.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: I don’t use them but I always wondered why people got so upset about front fog lights being on. They are in general a low mounted light focused along the level of the road. Otherwise they’d be pointless in fog. I get the problem with the rear fogs alright.
@Bilbo Baggins: When you go over a bump, they point up, the car bounces up, and dazzles oncoming drivers, just when you need your night vision too. Especially when the next thing you see could be a loose sheep.
When are going to see really large flashing lights the size of a headlamp warning: ASLEEP AT WHEEL. DRIVING UNDER INFLUENCE. USING PHONE.
7/8 … my petrol cap is on the right side of my car. No fair
First quiz that I’ve got all right.
That said I had a flat two weeks ago and the tyre pressure light never came on :/
Last year the other tyre s light kept coming on and the pressure was fine. Must get the sensors checked at the next service.
@Lily:
Depending on the car you might be able to recalibrate via the dashboard.
@Lily: if it’s a Renault better getting them turned off as it’s unreliable system
Q 7 is the hand break and a load of other symbols went with the latter. Never knew the handbrake light tells you you need break fluid
@Stefan Epure: yeah I got that one wrong. The symbol on the right is for hand brake on so I’m not sure which one we were meant to look at in the picture on the right.
Yikes, time to take up cycling again!
@D O’S: next week quiz – warning lights for bikes….
Number 7 in Japan means that my hand break is activated. Not break fluid levels. Hmm.
To fill my petrol in my car i open tge cap on the right side of the car
@Robert McMahon: yes then your arrow should point to the right if you have one.
Got all of them right and it is certainly a welcome change from the usual Gaa and Soccer
Do more of these 8/8..
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I don’t even drive & got 6/8 correct…
@vero: Same, fun quiz. When I had a car, it didn’t have the tyre-pressure symbol, I guessed wrongly at brake fluid.
I have a -2.0L message on my dashboard. Anyone know what that means? Genuine question. I am also overdue on my service warning.
@Freddie Rincon: 8/8 BTW,.. Anyway, depending on your car , it could mean that your OIL is below the recommended level, hence the minus 2.0L , or if you drive a 4 wheel drive vehicle, then it may also mean that you are only using 2 wheels in pulling / pushing your motor,.. Not exactly sure but you can always look up : DashboardSymbols.com,.. they have over 150 known symbols…Good luck..! Oh, BTW, A simple diagnostic test should answer that for you, or a Mechanic, preferably an AUTO-ELECTRITION..
I’m not used to seeing all these symbols ’cause my movie screen does be in the way!
Fuel filter on right , my car….
@Willy Malone: That’s cool but I could nearly guarantee that when your tank is emptying it goes from left to right in a clockwise manner, mine is on the left side and goes anticlockwise from right to left, not essential to driving but one of those, jaziz I never realised it until you pointed it out.
@Niall Connolly: Seriously, I don’t know what all the fuss is about the RIGHT/WRONG side, coz all pumps can stretch roughly 3 metres, so if you have a problem with that then I’d suggest that you take a pitstop at SpecSavers,..lol..!
@Niall Connolly: not sure that’s true Niall, or at least not ubiquitous not the case in my motor. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a guage where the full mark is on the left tbh. The older Toyota’s maybe but that was more of a top/bottom but moving anticlockwise.
You scored 7 out of 8!
Green light ahead! Your dashboard know-how is pretty good
Well done! You can definitely tell your windscreen wipers from your washer fluid. If you’re ever in a pinch though, accessing expert roadside help is simple. Read on below for details…
And I accidently got my right and left mixed up, how could I???
@Alois Irlmaier: right and left mixed up – it really depends upon whether you are looking from the front or back… which incidentally is why mechanics refer to nearside and offside and not left and right…
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Depends on which side of the road you drive in a certain country lol.
Correction to “quiz”
The petrol/fuel cap is on the right hand side of my car!
Quiz answer was indicated as incorrect!
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