# Need help recognizing symbol lit in 2008 Nissan Altima dashboard, please! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [February 26, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634 "2013-02-26T22:05:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WC2013](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WC2013](https://community.cartalk.com/u/WC2013)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/1 "2013-02-26T22:05:09Z")
Hi there I own a Nissan Altima 2008 2 door coupe and a light that looks sort of like a clock with ticks underneath has lit up in my dashboard on my left hand side. Can you please tell me what this means – to see a pic go to: [http://s23.postimage.org/r31zrxejv/photo.jpg](http://s23.postimage.org/r31zrxejv/photo.jpg) . It’s NOT tire pressure nor can I find what it means in the manual book. Please reach me at [walidchaya@gmail.com](mailto:walidchaya@gmail.com). Thank you for your help! -WC ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/2 "2013-02-26T22:15:20Z")
When was the last time you had your oil changed and if recently, did the oil change tech reset the oil change indicator? Check your owners under preventative maintenance or oil changes. ---
**Author:** ![chenchow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@chenchow](https://community.cartalk.com/u/chenchow)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/3 "2013-02-26T22:18:06Z")
It could possibly be cruise control. I get a symbol something like that on the left of my dash when I have the cruise control set. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/4 "2013-02-26T22:19:30Z")
That light indicates the brightness of the dash display. Tester ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/5 "2013-02-26T22:22:49Z")
Jeeze. Talk about overkill. You’d think you could tell the brightness of the dash display by simply looking at the dash display. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/6 "2013-02-26T22:49:08Z")
That’s what happens when you allow Geeks to design dashboards… ---
**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/7 "2013-02-26T23:49:26Z")
It looks like the cruise control light on my 2013 Equinox, check if the cruise control is turned on but not engaged. The light is white if the cruise control is on but not engaged, it turns green when the cruise is engaged On the other hand, it looks the oil change reminder light on my wife’s 06 Sienna. The reset procedure should be in the Owner’s Manual. Ed ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/8 "2013-02-27T05:30:59Z")
Yeah, the Ford van I rented this past weekend had a similar symbol that was green when the cruise control was active. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/9 "2013-02-27T06:03:19Z")
Looks like WC has a few more sections in his owners manual to check. Hope he posts back when he finds it. ---
**Author:** ![Cole\_s\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@Cole\_s\_Law](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cole_s_Law)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 7:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/10 "2013-02-27T07:37:54Z")
It’s the instrument brightness level. [http://www.nissanextendedwarranty.com/owners-manual/nissan/2008-Nissan-Altima.pdf](http://www.nissanextendedwarranty.com/owners-manual/nissan/2008-Nissan-Altima.pdf) Section 2-31. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/11 "2013-02-27T08:40:08Z")
I don’t see anything in the text about what the indicator tells you. Maybe it just shows that the brightness control is active. The algorithm for figuring out if the control is active is so complicated (headlights in some certain state, and correct phase of the moon) that such an indicator would be useful. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/12 "2013-02-27T09:22:13Z")
I sometimes find the symbols confusing on the dashboard. I suppose these symbols are a universal automobile language that cuts across different spoken languages just as music is a universal language that cuts across different cultures. Without these dashboard symbols, the manufacturer would have to have displays that had words in English for some countries, Spanish for other countries, French, Chinese, etc. One of the strangest use of symbols was in library of the university where I taught. Symbols were used for the restrooms and to indicate which was the men’s and which was the women’s, a symbol was used for the vending machine area, the stairways, and so on. I assume the symbols had to be used because the people who used the library weren’t expected to be able to read. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/13 "2013-02-27T22:55:45Z")
I looked this morning, and I have one too, exactly like the OP’s! Right next to the knob that controls the instrument illumination. It’s the silliest, most useless thing I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-help-recognizing-symbol-lit-in-2008-nissan-altima-dashboard-please/77634/14 "2013-02-28T00:32:45Z")
**_@Triedaq, Not Too Far From Where I Live In A Very Rural Area Is A Tavern. I Was There Once, Several Years Ago And Watched As A Confused Asian Tourist Tried To Get Some Help Finding A Restroom._** The restroom doors lacked symbols that would have helped. Instead of symbols and the traditional MEN and WOMEN signs, the doors sported signs that said BUCKS and DOES. The poor man had no idea whether he was a buck or a doe. He sought quick relief after finding out that he was a buck. _ **CSA** _