telltale n. on an automobile’s instrument panel, an indicator which relays information about the vehicle to the driver. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
telltale n.— «The replacement part turns on a little telltale next to the odometer display indicating that the part has been replaced.» —“Re: reprogramming digital odometers” by Mike Griese (magriese@polaris.rchland.ibm.com) Usenet: rec.autos...
telltale n.— «They’ve got a “tell-tale” tracking needle on the tachometer. Shows you the highest RPM a driver just reached on the track.» —“Studdard’s Ambition Burns On: At Age 51, SCCA Driver Wants to Try NASCAR” by Bill Robinson Atlanta Journal...
telltale n.— «The telltales for gas, oil, temperature, and battery voltage—standard, fixed icons that don’t change in real time—reside in the PROM memory.» —“Design A Minimum-Space Auto-Instrument Module” by Ralph Ong Electronic Design Aug. 4, 1989...
telltale n.— «There’s less clutter on the faces of the tach and speedo since the idiot lights (Chevrolet refers to them as “telltales”) have been moved to a space between the two major gauges.» —“Driving the C6 Shows it Exceeds Expectations” by Bob...