Learn French: La barre se coince et le voyant ne fait que clignoter. - The bar gets stuck and the indicator light does nothing but blink.

The structure ne faire que followed by an infinitive expresses an exclusive or continuous action. It literally translates to 'to do nothing but' or 'to only' do something. In this sentence, ne fait que frames the infinitive clignoter to emphasize that the indicator light is stuck in a continuous loop of blinking and doing absolutely nothing else.

Why use the reflexive se coince instead of est coincée for 'gets stuck'?

Using se coince emphasizes the action or event of becoming stuck right at that moment, similar to 'gets stuck' in English. If you used est coincée, it would describe the resulting state, meaning 'is stuck'. The reflexive form highlights the real-time mechanical failure.

Is voyant the standard word for an indicator light?

Yes, un voyant or un voyant lumineux is the specific everyday term for a warning light or indicator light on a dashboard, machine, or electronic device. It is a noun derived from the verb voir (to see).

Where would object pronouns go in a ne faire que structure?

If the infinitive verb at the end of the phrase takes an object pronoun, that pronoun goes immediately before the infinitive, not before fait. For example, if you wanted to say 'he does nothing but watch it', it would be il ne fait que le regarder.