Engine coolant temperature warning light
A red warning light for high engine coolant temperature.
Dashboard symbols vary by manufacturer. The vehicle's owner's manual or a qualified mechanic can say what a light means for a particular vehicle.
How to read it
The symbol is a thermometer standing on the top of two wavy, parallel lines, as Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations describe it. Toyota says the light indicates that the engine coolant temperature is too high, and Ford's F-150 manual that, lit while the vehicle is moving, it indicates the engine is overheating. UN Regulation No. 121 sets this tell-tale as red.
Also searched as: overheating light, temperature light.
More dashboard warning lights
Sources
- Toyota Dashboard Symbols & Warning Lights Meaning, Toyota Motor North America (MyToyota)
- Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1038): Identification of Controls, Tell-tales and Indicators, C.R.C., c. 1038, Schedule IV, s. 101, Government of Canada, Justice Laws Website, s. 101, Table
- 2020 F-150 Owner's Manual, Ford Motor Company, Instrument Cluster: Warning Lamps and Indicators
- Regulation No. 121: Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to the location and identification of hand controls, tell-tales and indicators, UN Regulation No. 121, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (text published by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), Table 1
Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research