[metallicpea]

Originally Posted by jeffc83

If the old style cluster used LED's to illuminate the warning light, this would be one sorry ass way of cost cutting and trumps GM in many ways...there has to be a better reason why they switched it up.

I wonder if the color change wasn't as obvious. You know we all have to be beat over the head with chimes, bells, buzzers, alarms, warnings, otherwise we will just keep driving it around. Oh wait

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by metallicpea

I wonder if the color change wasn't as obvious. You know we all have to be beat over the head with chimes, bells, buzzers, alarms, warnings, otherwise we will just keep driving it around. Oh wait

I'm not the color blind owner that listens to iDrive all the time....or am I?

[kern417]

Originally Posted by metallicpea

I wonder if the color change wasn't as obvious. You know we all have to be beat over the head with chimes, bells, buzzers, alarms, warnings, otherwise we will just keep driving it around. Oh wait

i can't find a picture of a red check engine light anywhere. but with an already orange backlight i can imagine that change didn't help very much. i doubt i'd notice it. flashing grabs your attention better imo. that's if it's not bad enough to feel the entire car bucking.

[metallicpea]

Originally Posted by kern417

i can't find a picture of a red check engine light anywhere. but with an already orange backlight i can imagine that change didn't help very much. i doubt i'd notice it. flashing grabs your attention better imo. that's if it's not bad enough to feel the entire car bucking.

I looked back at the manual for my earlier models. It was the Oil light that I was thinking of. It had three different modes, Red - stop driving immediately, yellow - lights while driving, oil below minimum level refill asap - not more than about 50km and yellow - lights after turning the car off. Needs 1 quart of oil at your earliest convenience.

The methodology for the engine light was the same on earlier models and has the same instructions.

As stated earlier, for the F30 engine light the flashing is a more serious condition than the normal solid light.

"The warning lamp flashes under certain circumstances:

This indicates that there is excessive misfiring in the engine.

Reduce the vehicle speed and have the system checked immediately; otherwise, serious engine misfiring within a brief period can seriously damage emission control components, in particular the catalytic converter."

[vooonoo]

Originally Posted by jeffc83

If the old style cluster used LED's to illuminate the warning light, this would be one sorry ass way of cost cutting and trumps GM in many ways...there has to be a better reason why they switched it up.

No I mean as in you’ll see the check engine light on and not know if it’s severe or not. This will cause you to take it in to get looked at, which results in money to tell you that you didn’t put the gas cap on all the way

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by vooonoo

No I mean as in you’ll see the check engine light on and not know if it’s severe or not. This will cause you to take it in to get looked at, which results in money to tell you that you didn’t put the gas cap on all the way

Ahhh, stealership BMW tax, got it

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by kern417

flashing CEL? like blinking? that's a universal indication for a misfire. it won't always go into limp mode for an intermittent misfire, but you'll have a code.

Mine was solid--sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you meant any time it is on.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by adhrp

This seems so much more intuitive. Wonder why they changed it.

Us color blind people.

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by tex2670

Us color blind people.

I mean't that the change in color (not the particular colors themselves; it could be a different combo of colors) is more intuitive as compared to blinks/beeps/etc.

[kern417]

Originally Posted by adhrp

I mean't that the change in color (not the particular colors themselves; it could be a different combo of colors) is more intuitive as compared to blinks/beeps/etc.

Because a blinking CEL isn't just a general indicator for "stop the car." It specifically means that there is a misfire, and in bad cases it mimics what you feel with the engine shuddering. If the misfires are consistent, it will actually switch to solid. If it's intermittent, it could flash and then go away.

In reality, a solid CEL means that you should stop the car as soon as possible and scan for codes before proceeding. That's why I definitely disagree with the "if it's not in limp mode, keep driving" comment. In my case, it could be a bad catalytic converter or gas cap. In your case, it could be something more serious.

Limp mode is a last ditch effort by the ecu to save your engine and really shouldn't be relied on. That's a worst case scenario.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by adhrp

I mean't that the change in color (not the particular colors themselves; it could be a different combo of colors) is more intuitive as compared to blinks/beeps/etc.

I know. And I'm saying that if you have difficulty perceiving the difference between certain colors like orange and red, then it's NOT more intuitive--blinking is easier to see in that case.

By the same token, it's why the NFL will never have green and red uniforms in a Color Rush game after the Jets/Bills debacle a few years ago on Thursday Night Football....

I also think that blinking gets people's attention more than a change in color. "Gee, was that orange before? I thought it was red?" (if they even notice)