Driving through the natural beauty of Bountiful, Utah, in your Mazda CX-9 can be a wonderful experience. But if a warning light appears on your dashboard, you understandably might feel concerned about your vehicle's status. Knowing more about what the dashboard symbols on a Mazda CX-9's warning lights mean can help you be more prepared to solve various issues on your own. It can also help you determine when to bring your car to the shop for maintenance or repairs.
Brake System Warning Light
The brake system warning light symbol looks like a red exclamation point surrounded by a red circle and parentheses. If you see this symbol appear, it could simply mean you need to release your parking brake. However, the brake system warning light can sometimes indicate more serious issues, like if a car has worn-out brake pads or whether its anti-lock brake system stopped working properly.
When you see the brake system warning light appear, first make sure your parking brake is off. If your parking brake's not engaged, it may be time to take your car into a shop.
Check Engine Light
Also called the malfunction indicator lamp, the check engine light lets you know whether there's a potential issue in your Mazda CX-9's engine. This dashboard symbol is an orange icon that looks like the outline of a car engine. Sometimes, this light means your car has a small and easily fixable issue related to its engine, like a gas cap that's too loose. However, it could also indicate a more serious issue, such as a problem with your transmission fluid.
When you see this light come on, your first step should be to fasten your gas cap tightly. If you continue driving for a few miles afterward and still see the check engine light, then it's time to see a mechanic.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light
The tire pressure monitoring system warning light depicts an orange exclamation point surrounded by a circle with a flat edge and several small vertical lines at the bottom. This warning light lets you know whether your Mazda CX-9's tires have an issue. Sometimes this issue may be minor, like that your tires are cold from driving in snowy weather. However, it could also indicate low tire pressure, which can cause damage to your car if driven on for too long.
If you see this light come on or flash rapidly, check if there are any punctures or other noticeable damage to your tires. You may also want to let your car warm up for a bit if you've been driving in a cold environment for a while, like a home garage. If you still see the tire pressure light after taking these steps, try refilling your tires' air on your own or taking your car to the shop.
Blind Spot Monitoring Warning Indication
The blind-spot monitoring (BSM) system is an advanced feature built into some trim levels of the Mazda CX-9. It can detect when another car is approaching your vehicle from the rear in either the lane to your immediate right or left. The BSM warning symbol depicts two-car icons positioned diagonally from one another with two small curved lines in between them.
If you see your BSM light turn on, that means that your Mazda CX-9 has detected a car coming closer behind you in an adjacent lane. The system's designed to inform you to wait before changing lanes until the approaching car has passed. If you already have your turn signal on and the BSM detects a car approaching the lane you're transitioning onto, then the BSM light will flash rather than simply light up to help keep both you and the other drivers safe.
Driver Attention Alert Warning Indication
The driver attention alert (DAA) warning light is another feature that only comes with more advanced models of the Mazda CX-9. Its symbol is amber-colored and shows a small coffee cup. The goal of the DAA warning light is to help drivers notice when they're getting tired and may need a break from being on the road.
Your Mazda CX-9 presents you with this warning light based on information gathered from its forward sensing camera (FSC) and other smart technology. For example, the DAA may appear on your dashboard if it notices that you're drifting toward another lane. The DDA system typically only activates if you're driving at least 40 miles per hour in an area with road lanes.
Lane-Keep Assist System and Lane Departure Warning System Warning Indication
The lane-keep assist system (LAS) and lane departure warning system (LDWS) are smart technologies incorporated into the Mazda CX-9. The LAS and LDWS automatically detect the lines or markers of each road lane. If your vehicle drifts too close to one side of the lane, these systems notify you to straighten out your vehicle. The LAS can also provide you with steering assistance to help you keep both yourself and other drivers safe.
The LAS and LDWS systems both activate the same warning light on your dashboard. This symbol is amber-colored and depicts a car icon inside of two parallel lines. When it malfunctions, the LAS and LDWS also display a warning message so you can know to take it in for repairs.
Mazda Radar Cruise Control With Stop and Go Function Warning Indication
The stop and go function is a component of Mazda's Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) included with more advanced Mazda CX-9 models. The primary goal of the stop and go function is to maintain headway control, meaning it can help you maintain an appropriate distance between your car and the vehicle ahead of you, or adjust accordingly. If the stop and go detects a change in the speed of the car ahead of you, it can also slow down or stop your car to maintain a safe distance between you and the other driver.
The amber-colored warning light depicts a small speedometer. To the upper left of this speedometer icon, it shows a car, and to the upper right, a downward-facing arrow. If this light turns on, the car's simply letting you know that the function is active and may automatically adjust the speed of your vehicle. Seeing a light appear on your dashboard can be worrying. If you come down to the service center at Bountiful Mazda, we can help put all your fears to rest. Whether you just want to know what a dashboard warning light means or learn about how to fix potential issues, we're always happy to help. Feel free to contact us online or book an appointment using our easy-to-navigate online scheduling tool. You can also call our service department at 800-383-0213 for more information.