Engine coolant temperature warning light
A red warning light for high engine coolant temperature.
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.
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.
What the manual says to do
Ford's F-150 manual says to stop as soon as it is safe to do so, switch the engine off and have the vehicle checked as soon as possible; Toyota's guide says to stop immediately in a safe place. Ford's manual also warns against removing the coolant reservoir cap while the engine is on or the cooling system is hot.
Read next
- Next in Dashboard warning lightsEV plug-in indicatorAn information light that shows a charging cable is plugged into the car. Nissan calls it the plug-in indicator light; Hyundai calls it the charging connector indicator light and Kia the charging indicator light.
- The same shape in Accessibility symbolsAssistive listening symbol (ear)An ear with a diagonal bar across it is the International Symbol of Access for Hearing Loss. It marks an assistive listening system: a loop, infrared or FM system that sends sound to hearing aids or headsets.
More dashboard warning lights
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with curves and waves or lines.
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
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 26, 2026. How we research
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