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What's the yellow bottle cap light with the exclamation point

16K views 35 replies 17 participants last post by  penguin 
#1 ·
Ok,so i don't know what the hell it is.It was lit up on my piranha today for a few minutes.I noticed my SE has the same goofy idiot light(not lit though).I must be a real BIG idiot,because I don't know what the friggin thing means...[dunno]
 
#6 ·
Manual says...

Multi-function: Automatic
transaxle/cooling system (On
SPI, Zetec E or automatic
transaxle vehicles only):
Momentarily illuminates when the
ignition is turned to the ON position and the engine is off. If the light
illuminates while driving, have your vehicle serviced.
 
#10 ·
i had this light come on once...

I had this light come on (on my 02 Focus SVT) a while ago, but it wasnt while driving. i was running diagnostics on the car with a Snap-on "brick" scanner (graphing-capable ODB II scanner) and the process was interrupted. which seems to have caused the same light to turn on. That was the only time i ever saw it on, and after resetting the computer it hasnt happened again.

is this useful information? were you actually DRIVING when it turned on?

has it come on again since? [dunno]
 
#12 · (Edited)
The " ! " is a MAJOR warning light that something is not operating in the safe zone , something the ECU has no control over , a lot of times this is when the ECU goes into fail safe mode

Water temp to high
Oil temp to high
Low Oil Psi
Charging system

This will NOT show up as a ECL code and once the issue goes away (engine cools down) this light will go off by it self

For that light to come on it had to be something major

Tom
 
#13 ·
Hmmm...Oil pressure is good.Oil temp is good.Water temp is normal.My battery was a bit run down from sitting...could that have caused it?I know we don't have an amp guage or voltmeter,but mabye that yellow light is how it warns of a low voltage condition?
 
#14 ·
#15 ·
I am posting on SVT performance chat and I called my car a Piranha so...anyway,thanks for the link toolman.It really does not specify in the owners manual about the probable cause if the car is a manual transmission.I am guessing the battery voltage was below specs (from sitting)and triggered the ECM into an alarm state,causing the yellow pop cap light to illuminate.Has not done it since so I guess I'm OK...
 
#17 ·
Well,the battery light only shows when the alt. is not charging.It may not be able to see a static low voltage condition.When this all happened,the car just turned over enough to start.The light stayed lit for about 3 minutes;possibly enough for the voltage to read OK again?I really don't know.What I don't understand is why Ford (or any manufacturer for that matter) would put a warning light on the dash that makes no sense unless you have read the manual or have access to one.After all I'm as much of an idiot as the next guy and I couldn't figure it out....
 
#19 ·
When I had that light come on, I had major corrosion on my battery and also a weak ground cable. After I fixed that, I never heard from the mystery light again. And everyone lived happily ever after.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Well, i stand corrected. I recently went through a lot of problems with power in my SVT including a low charge on the battery, but if this is a battery voltage problem or a connection problem, i havent seen it before.

you are correct though QQQQ, your battery light will turn on when the alt. is not charging the battery, but i believe it could indicate other problems as well.

in my opinion, it sucks that the owner's manual doesnt specify what the problem is. it only says "have your vehicle serviced". by the name of it, since you do not have an automatic trans, it would seem that it would be the cooling system.


(from http://www.myfordfocus.com/underthehood.htm)
Engine Cooling System
If your Focus has the 2.0L Zetec engine, your have what is referred to as "fail-safe cooling". This is a handy system, should for some reason your engine's coolant supply become depleted, the fail-safe cooling allows the vehicle to be driven temporarily before any incremental component damage occurs. The fail-safe traveling distance depends on ambient temperatures, vehicle load, and terrain.

If your engine begins to overheat, the coolant temperature gauge will move into the red area, and the multi-function automatic transaxle/cooling system light on your instrument panel will be illuminated. When the engine reaches a preset over-temperature condition, the fail-safe cooling system will activate. The engine will switch to alternating cylinder operation, each disabled cylinder acts as an air pump, thereby cooling the engine.

When this happens, your vehicle will still operate, however... the engine power will be limited, since you are not running on all four cylinders, the air conditioning system will be disabled, and your check engine light on the instrument panel will illuminate. Continued operation will increase the engine temperature and eventually the engine will shut off, and you will loose your power steering and bracking. If at all possible, you should pull off the road and let the engine cool. If you car does shut off, and once your engine cools down, you should be able to start the car again. You should however get your car to a service facility as soon as possible.
 
#20 ·
When in doubt, take it in to have it checked out. I don't mean to insult you, and I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but unfortunately that warning light can mean quite a number of things. They might as well just nickname it the "miscellaneous, yet very important" light. But that just sounds stupid.

Of course you could always go with your gut instinct and try to fix what you think is wrong. But if the problem persists I'd highly recommend spending the time and money in having it checked out by a dealership or local mechanic. You don't want bigger headaches in the long run.
 
#32 ·
Reviving this thread just because I was searching the other day what the hell that little light with the '!' was, and on the forum it is either automatic transmission (I have an SVT - no auto) or temperature related (coolant levels and temp levels never left normal levels). Battery light came on about one minute after the "!" light and found out the battery was shot. I got the battery replaced and haven't seen the light since.

So like everyone else, I don't know what the hell purpose that warning light serves[dunno] , but it fixed my problem. Seems like a "CHECK GAUGES" light. Stupid Ford, making us do all the work. Hope this helps somebody else like it helped me.[thumb]
 
#26 ·
THAT ^ scenario def did not happen.The car was just started and was NO WAY overheating AND the light went out after 3 minutes.I drove away after that and had plenty of power.I still think it had something to do with battery voltage being too low.
 
#29 ·
Well with all the information at hand so far, I'm willing to guess that the problem is with the fail-safe itself. I don't know what components make up the fail-safe (just a temp sensor and the ECU? maybe more?), but this is the best place to start. Perhaps the bad battery causes a voltage issue with the sensor?

Normally I'd think that this kind of system would run off the alternator when the car is running, but perhaps it is wired to the battery because of its fail-safe operation?

Just some educated guesses... hopefully we can make more of the situation from here.
 
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