Imagine your life without warning lights. How will you come to know about the dead ends, danger zones, accident-prone areas if there were no warning lights? Life would be in great trouble without these signs. But these signs are very confusing, especially general symbols with multiple meanings. A triangle with exclamation point is one of them.
Suppose you are driving through a road and you suddenly notice a light out of the corner of your eye, causing you to wonder, “What is it?” In this article, we will be covering what do triangle with exclamation point means. Also the types and the reasons for the light to glow on. So read till the end and check what is the case with your car.
Table of Contents
Master Warning Lights
Before jumping into what these lights represent, the color of the master warning light will reveal a lot about the urgency of your car’s issue. These lights are of two colors seen commonly.
1. Yellow Warning Light
The yellow triangle with exclamation mark will typically be accompanied by a message explaining what’s wrong.
A yellow light indicates a malfunction, but you can still drive your car as usual. You will need to make plans to head to the service department, but there will not be any need to panic.
2. Red Warning Light
The red version will often also feature text to warn you what is wrong. A red light is more serious. You will need to pull over and call the service department immediately because your vehicle may not be safe to operate. In fact, you might even need to get your car towed for an appointment.
Any time you see an exclamation point inside of a triangle, it means something is wrong. On the other hand, it can flick on when a door is ajar or when the oil needs changing. It could be as simple as a loose fuel cap, low fuel.
Triangle With Exclamation Point And Its Different Meanings
The master warning light is usually accompanied by another warning light and indicates that one or more warning systems have been detected. Here are the common reasons for the indication of the triangle with exclamation point light to turn on.
1. Low Windwasher Fluid
The function of this light is to let the driver know the fluid is low and to remind them to go to fill it up. Once you have filled up the reservoir with fluid, the light should go out immediately. Washer fluid is one of those things that you don’t need all the time, but when you need you will really need it.
If the fluid sensor is improper then it might keep the light on, even if the reservoir is full. In that case, make sure to get your sensor tested and replace it.
2. Exterior Lights Malfunction
Three major problems cause your outdoor lighting system to malfunction. Power outage tripped GFCI and tripped breaker. This causes your landscape lights to stop working. The exterior lights are very important for warning surrounding drivers of your car’s position and action.
However, it can be still driveable. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore this light. Having non-functional lights can also make you responsible for damages in the event of a collision.
3. Forward Collision-Avoidance (FCA) Malfunction
This light shows that this feature warns the driver and brakes if necessary if a pedestrian is detected in the vehicle’s path is on. If there is an impending collision, the system will warn you of the danger using lights, beeps, vibrations of your seat, or a combination of these.
Also, it gives both visual and audio alerts and a warning will flash on the windshield.
4. Blind Spot Collision Warning Malfunction(BCW)
Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist is a driving convenience and safety system that prevents the vehicle from colliding into vehicles in the adjacent lane or coming from behind when the driver switches lanes by warning the driver and controlling the vehicle.
5. Smart Cruise Control Malfunction
Most cruise controls use 2 different colors to let you know what the system is. Typically, the cruise control light will be orange when the system is on but hasn’t been chosen yet. Once a speed is selected, this light will turn green.
However, if the computer has detected an issue, this light will stay orange and likely won’t turn off until the problem has been remedied.
6. High Beam Assist (HBA) Malfunction
High beam assist is a system that automatically adjusts the headlamp range(switches between high beam and low beam) according to the brightness of other vehicles and road conditions. 
This warning message illuminates if there is a burned-out bulb or circuit with the headlamp.
7. Tie Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
The tire pressure light is an indication that there is a tire low on air or there is a failed sensor in one of the tires and should check to see if any tire is low. This means that one of your tires is underinflated or overinflated. This can cause undue wear on the tire, potentially lead to a tire failure.
8. Vehicle Service Required
Car maintenance required light is notifying you that maintenance is required according to the driven distance on the vehicle’s maintenance schedule. This light is mainly used to remind the drivers to check the parts f the car under the hood. It can also be to alert the drivers that the car sensors have detected a malfunction.
Conclusion
Every car has different signs and symbols of master warning lights. Not all these lights indicate that something is wrong, it may also indicate that a feature is engaged. Do not ignore illuminated lights as they may require action.
If the triangle with exclamation point light comes on when you are driving, pull to the side of the road, somewhere safe, and turn off your engine. Reset the system by restarting the engine and watch the VSA indicator.
If the indication light triangle with an exclamation point remains on or comes back when you drive, take your car to the technician and fix it. Do not try any DIYs for it, can be even worse.