Is Your Dashboard Trying to Tell You Something? Warning Lights
Every time you start your car, the dashboard lights flash quickly and then disappear as the engine begins to rumble. This car behavior is so routine that you probably don't even notice it anymore, unless one of those lights stays on. Dashboard warning lights are your car's vital signs and they provide a quick way of letting you know that there's a problem. A lit warning light on the dashboard can mean anything from a door being open to engine trouble. It's important to decipher the meaning of the light to avoid possible car failure on the road or an unnecessary and costly visit to your mechanic; especially if it's something you can fix such as refilling the windshield washer fluid.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Your-Dashboard-Trying-to-Tell-Y...

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Note added at 42 mins (2010-12-07 11:25:08 GMT)
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http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=17259,17291,27445,27615,...

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-12-07 11:58:44 GMT)
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That's how we call them here in the USA.