It is very important to be familiar with the warning lights that come up on your dashboard. Many car owners have absolutely no idea what they are, and struggle to explain the symbol to mechanics. Owners have said things like “It looks like a stopwatch with an exclamation point in it.” Or, “it looks like a sideways taco with a squiggly line beside it.” Which is not much help to the mechanic.
Some warning symbols on the dashboard are more obvious than others. To help you understand the warning lights, here is a list of the 10 most common warning lights seen by people on a daily basis.
Fog Lights
This symbol is telling you that your fog lights are on. Fog lights should only be used if your visibility is less than 100 meters. If you turn them on unnecessarily, this can be detrimental to other drivers on the road.
Oil Pressure Warning
This light indicates that your oil levels are low. Either your vehicle is leaking oil, or you’re long overdue for an oil change.
Check Engine
The check engine light means that one of the many sensors monitoring your car has noticed a problem with the engine. It can be anything from a spark plug fault to the failure of something major such as the intake manifold or low compression.
Tyre Pressure
This image signals that the pressure in one or more of your tyres is too low or too high and needs to be addressed. Driving on low or high pressure tyres is unsafe and can cause additional damage to your vehicle.
Coolant level
If you see a little thermometer pop up in your dash that means your car is probably overheating. There are a number of things that could have happened, but the best thing to do is stop the car and wait a good long while for the engine to cool down by itself.
Airbag & Seatbelt
This light is important to get checked out. You want malfunctioning safety equipment in your car about as much as you want fire ants in your car.
Screenwash
Imitating the motion of your windshield wipers, this symbol means that you’re low on screenwash fluid. You’ll want to fill up the reservoir with fluid as soon as you can.
Battery
The battery light is an indication that your charging system isn’t working properly. It’s normal for cars to display this light upon start-up, but if it persists or if your car won’t start, you definitely have a problem.
Braking System
There may be a problem with brake components or the hydraulic fluid may need a top-off. Driving without a fully functioning brake system is dangerous and should be fixed as soon as possible.
ABS Error
The ABS warning light does not signal a failure of the physical brakes. Instead, this signals an issue with the anti-lock brake system. It’s likely that if you stop too hard with this light on, then your car’s brakes may lock up, which could make it a struggle to come to a full stop.
If you have been advised that you have a faulty instrument cluster or ECU then get in touch with us. Contact us using the form on this site or If you would like to talk to a human or need any advice feel free to give us a call on 01708 206343 Monday-Friday 9.00-5.00 Saturday 9.30 – 2.30.
