THE BEECHMONT CREST AUTOMOTIVE LEARNING ZONE
INSTRUMENTATION
Instrumentation informs a vehicle’s driver of various operating conditions, including:
Engine temperature
Vehicle speed
Fuel fill level
Oil pressure
Air bag activation
Computer Trouble codes
Digital instruments use electronic readouts. They are common on recent vehicles. Digital instruments display words, numbers, and symbols using liquid crystal or fluorescent displays.
Analog instruments use a dial and needle format to indicate conditions. Analog instruments are becoming increasingly rare in late model vehicles.*
*Note that many vehicles contain a mixture of digital and analog instrumentation.
Most instruments are located in the instrument panel, which is an area of the dash behind the steering wheel. They are located here so as to be clearly visible to the driver.