What does the up arrow on my dashboard mean?

It is the gear shift indicator telling you that changing up would use less fuel at this moment. On some cars it is a plain arrow, on others an arrow next to the number of the gear it is suggesting. It is purely advisory, nothing is wrong, and you can ignore it whenever the road calls for the gear you are already in. Virtually every manual car sold in the UK since 2012 has one, because European type approval rules made them a requirement on manual transmissions.

Should I always change gear when the shift light tells me to?

No. It is calculating fuel efficiency for the conditions at that instant and has no idea what is coming: a gradient, an overtake, a roundabout or a slip road all call for a gear it will not suggest. Follow it on level roads at steady throttle, where it will genuinely save fuel, and use your own judgement everywhere else. If the engine shudders or hesitates after following it, you are in too high a gear and should change back down.

Why does my car tell me to change gear so early?

Because modern engines make usable torque at far lower revs than older ones, and the indicator is calibrated for the lowest fuel consumption rather than the most comfortable driving. Selecting an eco driving mode makes it keener still. As long as the engine pulls smoothly without shuddering or needing a lot of throttle, the early change is doing no harm. If it does shudder, that is labouring and you should ignore the prompt.

Can I turn the gear shift indicator off?

On most cars, yes. It is usually a display option in the instrument cluster menu, often grouped with the trip computer or driver assistance settings, and switching it off has no effect on how the car runs. It is not tested at the MOT and there is no requirement to keep it displayed.

Dashboard warning light

Gear shift indicator

Last updated 27 July 2026

Quick answer

The car is suggesting a different gear, almost always a higher one, to use less fuel. It is advice, not a warning, and nothing is wrong with the car. Most manual cars sold in the UK since 2012 have one because European type approval rules required it.

What to do: No action needed
Can you drive?: Yes

Why it is green

Confirms something is switched on and working. Not a fault.

What turns it on

The engine control unit compares engine speed, load, throttle position and the gear you are in against a map of where the engine is most efficient, and shows an arrow — or on some cars an arrow with the suggested gear number — when a change would save fuel. It updates continuously, which is why it can appear and vanish within a couple of seconds.

What to do about it

Follow it when it suits the road. Short-shifting into a higher gear at light throttle genuinely uses less fuel and is one of the few economy measures that costs nothing.
Ignore it when you need the performance. It is optimising for fuel at this instant and knows nothing about the hill ahead, the overtake you are lining up or the roundabout you are about to join.
Do not let it make you labour the engine. If following the arrow leaves the car shuddering or hesitating at low revs in a high gear, change back down — that is worse for the engine and for economy than staying put.
If it never appears at all, it may simply be switched off in the driver display settings, or your driving may already be efficient enough not to trigger it.

Can you keep driving?

Yes

Yes. This is a suggestion from the fuel economy software and has no connection to the mechanical condition of the car. The only judgement to apply is your own: a driver who follows every prompt regardless of the road ends up in too high a gear on a climb, which is both unpleasant and slower than staying where you were.

What causes it

Accelerating gently, where a higher gear would do the same job on less fuel
Cruising in a lower gear than needed, typically after leaving a lower speed limit
Slowing down without changing down, prompting a downward arrow on cars that show both
Eco or economy driving mode being selected, which makes the prompts noticeably keener
Nothing at all — its absence is not a fault and it is switched off in the display settings on many cars

Does it fail an MOT?

No.

Nothing to do with the MOT. The gear shift indicator is a fuel economy display and is not inspected, not tested and not recorded, and neither is the gearbox it refers to. Worth knowing more generally: the MOT contains no assessment of the transmission at all, so shift quality, clutch condition and gearbox fluid are all matters for a service or a pre-purchase inspection rather than the annual test.

Common questions

What does the up arrow on my dashboard mean?: It is the gear shift indicator telling you that changing up would use less fuel at this moment. On some cars it is a plain arrow, on others an arrow next to the number of the gear it is suggesting. It is purely advisory, nothing is wrong, and you can ignore it whenever the road calls for the gear you are already in. Virtually every manual car sold in the UK since 2012 has one, because European type approval rules made them a requirement on manual transmissions.
Should I always change gear when the shift light tells me to?: No. It is calculating fuel efficiency for the conditions at that instant and has no idea what is coming: a gradient, an overtake, a roundabout or a slip road all call for a gear it will not suggest. Follow it on level roads at steady throttle, where it will genuinely save fuel, and use your own judgement everywhere else. If the engine shudders or hesitates after following it, you are in too high a gear and should change back down.
Why does my car tell me to change gear so early?: Because modern engines make usable torque at far lower revs than older ones, and the indicator is calibrated for the lowest fuel consumption rather than the most comfortable driving. Selecting an eco driving mode makes it keener still. As long as the engine pulls smoothly without shuddering or needing a lot of throttle, the early change is doing no harm. If it does shudder, that is labouring and you should ignore the prompt.
Can I turn the gear shift indicator off?: On most cars, yes. It is usually a display option in the instrument cluster menu, often grouped with the trip computer or driver assistance settings, and switching it off has no effect on how the car runs. It is not tested at the MOT and there is no requirement to keep it displayed.

This is general guidance, not a diagnosis. Manufacturers draw the same system differently and reuse symbols for more than one function, so check the handbook for your own car before acting on anything here.

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