Vehicles with four-wheel drive are equipped with various additional indicators on the dashboard, which are absent in two-wheel drive vehicles. Most modern four-wheel drive vehicles operate with the default "AUTO" mode but allow switching to different modes.

But what does this default mode mean, and what do the other dashboard lights for four-wheel drive vehicles even represent?

Car dashboard lights are nothing new, but as technology advanced, so did the variety of symbols on your car dashboard. Some of these symbols illuminate every time you start your vehicle, though no worries unless they stay on after you start the engine.

In a nutshell, the purpose of the car dashboard symbols is to either inform or warn the driver. For instance, the high-beam symbol illuminates when you turn on your high-beam lights. It has only an informative character. On the other hand, if the check engine symbol illuminates, you should start to worry.