Few decades ago, cars only had a few systems just to keep the vehicle running on road. Most had very basic functions like seating, windows and a blower to keep you cool and simple engine of few horsepower. With time, various technologies evolved and cars have become more sophisticated doing bigger things than just going from A to B. There are dozens of computer modules, a network of sensors and hundreds of electrical wires connecting everything together. In such a complex build, there are many things that could go wrong. In that case, a dashboard warning is the first indication you get. Then you know it's the time to take your car to a mechanic to get it serviced or repaired.
Modern cars have many warning lights that indicate the mechanical problems or alert the key areas which require an immediate check. To take an action on time, you must know what those dashboard warning lights mean.
Dashboard lights are color coded according to the severity of the associated problem.
Yellow/Orange: A system is not working fine currently -Need to check it out soon and repair.
The green and yellow indicators are not very urgent, and you still have time to attend before a serious problem.
When you start your car, the car computer does a quick scan on how the systems are working. In this case all the dashboard lights are lit for a few seconds and turn off as the engine is started. If any of the lights are continuously lit, there is a problem in the car. But when you have a blown indicator, that won't light at the car startup during the brief scanning, and then you won't be able to detect problems. So make attention to the blown indicators too.
Its very important to keep an eye on the dashboard lights, because those help to inform you about certain car problems, and keep you safe on road. Also you can avoid major repair bills by attending certain repairs before they get worse.
1. Oil Pressure Warning Light
Oil Pressure Warning Light indicates about the problems in the oil pressure system of the car. It lights up when the engine runs on low oil or the oil pump is defective and not circulating enough lubricating oil throughout the engine. Depending on the model off the car, it might also display the term"OIL" on the dashboard. Read more about the oil pressure warning light.
2. Tire Pressure Warning Light
This is also known as the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) symbol, this symbol comes up for issues with your tire pressure or the TPMS. If the TPMS symbol is constantly on, then the pressure in one or more of the tires is too low or too high. If the symbol flashes for 60-90 seconds and then stays illuminated, something is wrong with your TPMS sensors. Read more about the Tire Pressure Warning Light.
3. Engine Temperature Warning Light
Engine Temperature Warning symbol lights up when the engine is overheating. Although the engine can be overheated due to multiple reasons, it is mostly associated with coolant issues. Constant engine overheating can cause serious damage to your engine. When this light comes, turn your engine off and let it cool down. You might need to top up with coolant if the levels are low. But the leaks in the radiator or blown gaskets need mechanic skills address to the problems. Therefore this is one of the most important dashboard indicators on your car where you must never attempt to drive a car with this light on. Read more about the Engine Temperature Warning light here.
4. Transmission Temperature Warning Light
The meaning of this symbol is that the transmission system is operating at a higher temperature. This looks like a thermometer inside a gear wheel. This could be mostly due to low transmission fluid or worn parts in the transmission system. Excessive heat is the enemy of transmission system and can cause costly damages to the system. The normal operational temperature is around 200 degrees, but running about 20 degrees above this can reduce the lifespan of the transmission system by 50%. Therefore you must pay extra attention when the transmission temperature warning light comes on the dashboard.
5. Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light
This indicator lights up when there is an issue with the vehicle ABS system. Anti lock breaks prevents the wheels locking during hard breaks. The speed sensors can detect sudden locking of the wheels and thus tells the computer to quickly release breaks allowing the car to gain traction again. Therefore the computer sends a message to the ABS unit to perform a quick intermittent breaking into the wheels to prevent the wheels locking up. Cars with ABS perform well during hard breaking and prevents fatal accidents. ABS Modulator issues are the commonest reason for this light to come. You can read more about the ABS warning light here.
6. Traction Control Malfunction Light
This dashboard light indicates issues in the vehicle’s traction control system. Wheels have speed sensors which sends signals to the car computer about the spinning of the wheels. With these data the computer knows when a car is skidding and prevents it using the ABS system to gain traction. Therefore the problems in ABS unit also bring al to the It could be due to a damaged sensor which identifies wheel spinning velocity. In some models problem in ABS system also cause the Traction Control Malfunction Light. Read more about the Traction Control Malfunction Light here.
7. Engine Warning Light (Check Engine Light)
The check engine light comes up in different mechanical problems mostly related to the engine. Some car models have the word "CHECK ENGINE" word instead of this symbol, but the idea behind both symbols is same. Even an opened fuel cap can also bring up this light. It also comes up during engine overheating, running low on engine oil and has a broad area of reasons for this light to come up. In most cases you need to take the car to a mechanic to attend the problem. Read more about the check engine light here.
8. Battery Alert Light
This light indicates an issue with the vehicle’s charging system. Car has dozens of computer modules, a network of sensors and electrical equipment connected by hundred of electrical wires. These all need a constant supply of electricity to power up, which is given by the car battery. There is also a charging system for the battery to prevent it draining. When the battery is not charging properly, car will detect that and give out this battery alert light. Loose battery terminals and a broken alternator / belt are the comment reasons for charging problems. I myself have had this experience in a remote area when this indicator lit on one night when I was driving. After some time all the car lights went as the batter was all dead. I had to spend the whole night inside the car until next day morning. I had to replace my alternator. Read more about the battery alert light here.
9. Low Fuel Indicator Light
This indicates that your vehicle is running low on fuel. Usually when this light comes, you still have fuel enough to travel 15-20km more. But it is always an estimation and the range could be even low. Running low on fuel is dangerous and even harmful for the fuel pump which is located inside the fuel tank. The fuel pump is cooled by the fuel covering it, thus when there is no fuel in the tank, pump is overheated, which is not good. Also, debris collected inside the fuel tank can clog the lines when you run low on fuels.
10. Automatic Shift Lock or Engine Start Indicator Light
Automatic Shift Lock or Engine Start Indicator Light comes on when , you’re trying to shift gears or start the engine without pressing the brake. This symbol looks like a shoe near a pedal with a circular border. Once this appears, you have to depress the break pedal while starting the engine. When the ignition is turned on, Automatic Shift Lock locks the shifter in neutral or park. The break pedal must be pressed to release the lock. It can also come up when the shift indicator is failing with the following symptoms; The check engine light appearing, Shift indicator not moving and wrong gear reading.
11. Seat Belt Reminder Light
This car light simply reminds you or other passenger to fasten the seatbelts. Seatbelts must be worn for the airbags to work. When you don't fasten the seatbelts, airbags don't deploy during a collision. Therefore seat belts are one of the most safety features in a car. Seat belt reminder can also light up when dirt and paper clips escape into the buckle preventing proper locking up. Also, the wire connections below the seats would be unlinked during cleaning which also triggers this light even after fastening the seat belts.
12. Airbag Warning Light
The airbag warning light is an indication of the issues in the air bags airbags of your car. While this light is on the airbags are deactivated and will not deploy at a collision. If you have already got a collision and the airbags deployed, you still have to replace the bags and the sensors. If the light comes, even when the car is in good health, there would be other multiple problems such as Faulty Sensors, Depleted Airbag Backup Battery, Damaged Airbag Clock Spring, and a Wet Airbag Module. For any of these reasons, you need to get your vehicle inspected by a qualified professional to make sure its in good health. Read more about the airbag warning light.
13. Security Indicator Light
If your vehicle has an anti-theft system, then this symbol will blink steadily when the security system is armed. If it is constantly lighted up and the car will not start, then the immobilization system has activated due to a security threat or malfunction. If it is constant and the car is running normally, then the security system is malfunctioning and needs to be fixed.
14. Fog Lamp Indicator Light
This dashboard indicator shows that your fog lights are on. Using high beam headlights in foggy whether lessens your visibility as the water particles reflect off the light beams. To prevent this, auto manufacturers install fog lamps in certain models. Since fog lights are placed below the headlamps, the reflected light coming back to you is less and the beams reach far away than the normal headlights do. Some vehicles have rear fog lights too. In this case there will be separate indicators for both rear and front foglamps. The front foglamp indicators will face the left and is orange in color as the headlamps do. The rear ones pointed to right and are blue in color.
15. Washer Fluid Indicator Light
The washer fluid indicator light tells that the windshield washer fluid is low and you need to top-up the fluids soon. Although we don't give much value to simple tasks like these, dirt, debris, bugs, and snow on the windshield can reduce the driver's visibility and cause motor accidents. Usually a galloon of water is necessary to completely fill the washer fluid reservoir. To top-up, simple open the hood, remove the cap, fill the reservoir to the level and screw the cap again. The light should have gone the next time you start the car.
16. Brake Warning Light
If this dashboard light is activated it means that your parking brake is engaged or there is a problem in your braking system, mostly running out of brake fluids. Braking system is one of the most important things in a car as it helps to prevent collisions. Since breaking systems are based on a hydraulic mechanism, running low on fluids don't apply enough breaks when you need it. Frequent instances of low break fluids could be due to the leaks in the system need to be addressed by a qualified mechanic. Read more about the break warning light here.
17. Lane Departure Warning Light
This dashboard indicator comes up when it detects that the car is moving out or drifting out of the correct lane. This system has a front facing camera that can identify the lines ahead of you. If you are moving out of a certain line, without turning the signals, the car alerts you with a sound, light and a vibration or all three combined. As an extra step, the lane keeping assist functions to steer the car to take it to the the correct lane automatically if the driver is not responding to the warnings made by the lane departure system. Once the car is in the correct lane, the indicator will turn off.
Why You should never ignore a dashboard light?
To save extra expenses from repairs.
Dashboard lights warn you about the service repairs at the very initial stage. Not paying attention to minor problems can worsen those resulting in bigger repairs. if you could attend your car problems at an initial stage you can save a lot of money and time.
To save the engine from heavy damages.
Certain red lights on the dashboard warn you about the serious problems in the engine. The temperature light is an indication of the engine getting overheated. Continuing to drive the vehicle while being overheated can cause serious damages, and might have to replace the engine.
To save the important systems of the car from damages.
Modern cars are made up of hundreds of systems where almost each of those having respective a warning system. If you don't pay attention to the warning lights of systems such as ABS, Traction Control, Automatic Breaks, Lane Keeping Assist, Air bags and Tire Pressure Monitoring systems, you will not be able to detect any issues in those systems. Continuous malfunction of a minor part in a system, will cause a failure of the whole system.
To save your life.
Dashboard indicators light up to warn you about the safety functions of your car. ABS, Air Bags, Tire Pressure, Lane Departure systems play a major role in safety features of any vehicle. If you don't pay attention to the faults in these systems, car won't be able to save you from an accident.
How to reset a dashboard light?
Cars have various sensors to identify problems and those are notified to you through the dashboard indicators. When a fault is detected, an error code is saved in the car computer for future reference. Certain problems can be reset using an OBD 2 scanner. There are many portable OBD 2 scanners freely available for less expensive prices where you can scan all your car problems. Certain dashboard lights repeatedly come up, even after resetting, This means that there is a bigger problem on a system which needs to be repaired by a professional mechanic.
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