Check Engine

"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012) 02/14/2020 at 08:33 • Filed to: None

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Friday morning wondering...

Are there plans to change the Check Engine icon any time soon? I mean look at it. It has a non electric fan. Carburetor air filter... and a S taples “That was easy” button in the back.

Surely in this day and age, that’s as outdated as a floppy disk icon to save files

Would this be more appropriate?

facw > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 08:45

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I don’t see that happening. Take a look at the brake warning lights:

Those aren’t just drum brakes, those are external shoe drum brakes. When was the last time any car had those? It’s tech that has been obsolete for at least a century I think .

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 08:46

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CHECK BATTERY LIGHT

smobgirl > facw 02/14/2020 at 08:47

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My car just says “BRAKE” in red letters. So maybe “ENGINE” would be a better choice?

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 08:50

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Nope...it’ll probably be that way for a long time. Much like the “Save” icon is still a floppy disc. Most people haven’t touched, much less use, a floppy disc in 20+ years.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 02/14/2020 at 08:51

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Those have built in notifications though, no need for a secondary one on the dash.

facw > smobgirl 02/14/2020 at 08:51

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Very English-centric though. There are some c ars that do say “ CHECK ENGINE” rather than showing the standard pictograph.

Nom De Plume > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 08:52

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I think it needs to become an animated gif or even more convincing yet.

I think Oppo should redesign, nay , re- imagine the entire lineup of driver warning and function symbols.  

Tekamul > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 08:58

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It's immediately recognizable,  so it won't change anytime soon. My Zero has that light, and it doesn't even have an engine. Never mind a fan, or carburetor or etc.

PartyPooper2012 > Nom De Plume 02/14/2020 at 09:05

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is this too.... aggressive?

PartyPooper2012 > Nom De Plume 02/14/2020 at 09:07

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Maybe this is a bit less.. traumatizing. Literally - checking engine

Thomas Donohue > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 09:12

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I think all of those lights/icons will be redundant in the next few years, as static warning lights themselves are outdated.

Most new cars have (or will have) some kind of screen that will be able to display plenty of text and additional information. The icons may stick around, but should be accompanied by some useful text along with updated graphics.

Nom De Plume > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 09:19

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Meme based warning lights might be a bit distracting.  

Ash78, voting early and often > smobgirl 02/14/2020 at 09:22

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Usually it’s for universal market applicability, but then other warnings are in English, so it can’t be that hard to just create a version for each market.

Ash78, voting early and often > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 09:24

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How about a gif of four hamsters on a wheel with oxygen masks, but one of them is gagging and throwing up ? That’s pretty analogous for a misfire in a turbo 4, which most cars have now.

facw > Thomas Donohue 02/14/2020 at 09:25

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Yeah, definitely there’s no need for cryptic warning lights when the car can tell the driver exactly what to do. Even if we keep warning lights, they really only need to be about conveying what actions the driver should take, there are better ways to indicate what is wrong. When the driver is driving it doesn’t matter if the problem is with the engine, the brakes, the electrical system, etc., all that matters is what they need to do, do they pull over right away, do they stop “soon” (e.g. on the highway, you can go to the next exit), or is it something that can wait longer than that but keep driving in the meantime (and for that, you probably should just display a message when starting/stopping the car instead of distracting the driver when they are driving).

Chariotoflove > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 09:27

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This is what you’re looking for:

PartyPooper2012 > Thomas Donohue 02/14/2020 at 09:34

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While that might work on newer vehicles, I can see older vehicles with burned out pixels or 2x4s  sticking out of infotainment from the last trip to Home Depot would prevent one from reading the latest news on performance of their engine.

PartyPooper2012 > Chariotoflove 02/14/2020 at 09:35

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lol

Chariotoflove > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 09:36

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Jumper cables ain’t what they used to be, eh?

Thomas Donohue > PartyPooper2012 02/14/2020 at 09:44

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If someone breaks a screen or can’t see any of the errors on a malfunctioning screen , and that person doesn’t fix the screen......I am going to assume that same person would be ignoring any warning lights anyway.

smobgirl > Ash78, voting early and often 02/14/2020 at 11:00

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I feel like you could leave the spaces and just replace a color plate behind them pretty easily, but what do I know.

I also get an LED read out for every warning light too, for the first few seconds after I  start the car (w hich is how I know the TPS light is a broken sensor and not a flat tire)