DRIVERS are stunned to learn what the squiggly symbol on their car dashboard means.
Some cars have a special dashboard symbol that will warn you if your engine is overheating – spotting it could save you thousands.
The engine cooling warning light has left drivers baffled
The engine cooling warning light has many drivers stumped.
Some have even taken to social media to seek answers.
One Twitter user wrote: “What does the symbol that looks like a thermometer/tree in water mean in a car?”
Another said: “I’m going to just keep ignoring the squiggly lines light on my dashboard. I don’t need no more unexpected bills this month.”
But others were quick to help out, explaining what the symbol means.
One tweet read: “Squiggly line under a thermometer symbol – you need to check your coolant asap.”
The light looks like a thermometer and has wavy lines at the bottom.
A survey by ATS Euromaster found 80 per cent of drivers had no idea what it was for.
But this warning light warns you that the engine temperature is getting too high – and indicates your car is running low on engine coolant.
If you don’t identify the symbol, or confuse it with something else, your engine could overheat.
This may result in irreparable damage – you may even need to replace the engine.
But don’t worry, there’s a few simple steps to take if you notice the light come on while you’re driving.
First things first, safely pull over to the side of the road and turn off your engine.
If you let it run when it’s overheating, you could cause serious damage.
Next, let your car cool down.
Check the coolant level and see if you need to add more – your owner manual should tell you what type your vehicle needs.
If this doesn’t fix the problem, the engine may be too damaged to drive.
You’ll need to call a tow truck to take the car to a mechanic.
It’s not the first time drivers have been stumped by symbols and features in their cars.
One woman took to Facebook to share her amazement after spotting a mystery shark design inside her Vauxhall car.
Meanwhile, The Sun shared a run-down of some important dashboard warning signs.
For example, orange/yellow warning lights generally signify that your vehicle needs to be serviced or repaired soon.
But, if a red light appears – this usually means that you should take action immediately.