Question about a mysterious dash light...

[MartinB]

My wife just bought a previously owned '04 Pontiac Vibe with about 60,000 miles on it. We are very happy with the purchase so far, but are mystified by a idiot light. On the tachometer, there is a small light in the lower portion, just to the right that looks like an icon of a lightbulb. It is yellow in color and is on all the time when we are driving. I can find no mention of it in the owners manual, and was hoping that someone here might be able to shed some 'light' on this indicator. What does it mean, and should I be alarmed?

[binary]

Welcome to the boards!This is the light that indicates your headlights or DRLs are on, I believe. Mine is green - but mine is an '05 with the redesigned dash board lights.Googling led me back here - this light?

[MartinB]

Good lord, that was fast! I am not sure. I will have to do some experimenting with it the next time I am in it, and thanks for the quick response!

[binary]

Ha, I wasn't going to let someone else get this question, I already had the answer... The car has automatic headlights and DRLs, so I think that light is on pretty much all the time. God knows why the choose to have it lit up.Anyway - there are modifications you can do to disable the auto head lights and / or DRLs, so that you have control over your lights.

[kostby]

Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Vibe!Quote, originally posted by 2003 Owner's Manual »Automatic Light Control (ALC)Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic light sensor on the top left corner of the instrument panel, so be sure it is not covered or the headlamps will be on continuously.When it is dark enough outside, your ALC will turn on your low-beam headlamps at the normal brightness along with other lamps such as the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and instrument panel lights.The parking brake must be released for ALC to work.This is indicated by the headlamp symbol on your instrument panel cluster.If you are driving through a parking garage, overcast weather, or a tunnel, the ALC may turn on your low-beam headlamps at a normal brightness along with the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and the instrument panel lights. The radio lights will be dimmer, and the instrument panel cluster lights may dim. Therewill be a 10 to 15 second delay before the lights will turn on when starting the car at night.The DRL system will make your headlamps comeon at a reduced brightness when the followingconditions are met: The ignition is on with the engine running, the exterior lamps switch is off and the parking brake is released.When the DRL are on, only your headlamps will be on at a reduced brightness. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won't be on. Your instrument panel won't be lit up either.When you turn the exterior lamp switch to the headlamp position, your DRL will go off and your headlamps will come on. The other lamps that come on with your headlamps will also come on.More information is in Section 2 of the Vibe owners manual, if you have one. If not, here's the link to the GenVibe thread with Vibe Owner's Manuals to download in Adobe pdf format --> http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1010Enjoy your new toy!

[northvibe]

I confirm to the above with my 04 base vibe. My yellow light bulb is only on when my low beams are on, not when the drl's are only on.

[joatmon]

on mine it's green. I thought that light was green for everyone. And the pic binary linked is canadian gauges, the light is a different shape on US clusters.The auto headlights thing is kinda unpredicatble sometimes, so I use that light to check if the headlights are on when I think they should be. It's really more of a tail light notifier, since the half bright headlights are on in DRL mode, but tail lights only come on in full headlight mode.