Speedometer & Odometer

Not much needs to be said here if you have ever driven a vehicle before. However, for our readers that have not driven yet, this is the gage that is used to judge how fast the car is going in Miles Per Hour (MPH) or Kilometers Per Hour (kp/h). MPH is read on the outer scale and the kp/h on the inner scale.

Below the needle is the Odometer, it gives you the total amount of miles the vehicle has been driven. Some odometers are also equipped with a trip mileage feature, which enables the driver to keep track of the miles she has driven on a given trip.

Fuel Quantity Gage

It's telling you how much fuel is in the gas tank. The labels are Empty (E), one half full (1/2), or 1/2 empty, depending on our outlook, and Full (F). Some gages are equipped with a shaded area near the "E," giving you a warning that you need to get fuel soon. Most new cars have an additional caution that illuminates when you get to a certain low level in your tank. This light is discussed next.

Low Fuel Caution Light

Associated with the fuel quantity gage is the Low Fuel caution light. It will illuminate when you have reached a low level, predetermined by the manufacturer. When this light comes on while you are driving, compare it with your fuel quantity gage. If your gage is low, you must find the nearest gas station and fill up. However, if your gage shows plenty of fuel and the light is on, the best thing to do is go to the nearest gas station and fill up your tank. If the Low Fuel caution light does not extinguish, you have a problem with the light sensing circuitry. Take your vehicle to a technician that you trust.

Voltmeter

The gage to the left is the Voltmeter. The Voltmeter measures how your car's battery charging system is doing when the engine is running, and how healthy your battery is when your engine is not running with your ignition switch turned to the "Run" position. The lines represent "DC" Volts, which is a measure of "Direct Current" (DC) electrical energy potential. The numbers represent the DC voltage at that point, i.e. 9 volts, 14 volts and 19 volts. Usually, there are low and high warning zones that are depicted on the gage. It is not good for you to continue driving when the needle is in the high warning zone! << MORE>>