Idiot light
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The term idiot light refers to a simplistic method of displaying information about a system (e.g. an engine, or a piece of factory equipment). Usually found in display panels, such as an automobile dashboard, they consist of an illumination source (usually an incandescent light bulb or an LED) with an explanatory symbol or textual label. The usual method of operation is that the light is lit when the condition indicated comes into an effect.
An example of an "idiot light" is an oil warning indicator in an automobile. When an oil related problem is sensed a light is illuminated on the car's dash (usually in red) for driver note. The "idiot" factor comes to play in such a case either because the car maker decided that most drivers are too idiotic to be able to read a full oil pressure gauge, or the car maker was too cheap to include such an instrument. Either case constitutes idiocy from the standpoint of many auto professionals, as an "idiot light" will only come on after a problem has occurred, with no advanced warning. In contrast, an oil pressure gauge allows the driver to see oil conditions at all times, allowing for the chance to note problems before they become critical.
Historically, the "check engine" light, which is usually an orange light overlaid with a symbolic representation of an engine, is also called an "idiot light". This is particular to older car models, which have an unlabeled red light ("trouble" indicator). This indicator means that the engine is about to break. In modern cars the sole "check engine" light mostly means noncatastrophic problems, so it is not exactly "idiotic" in the sense described above. Still, getting any further details about the state of the engine requires a special tool.
Popular Culture
- On the animated TV series The Venture Bros., the existence of idiot lights is parodied in the episode "Careers in Science". Surprisingly, there is only one light (labeled "Problem Light") on an entire space station.
References
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