Car dashboard symbols and meanings – warning lights guide, Anti-lock brake system (ABS) warning light, Electronic stability problem (ESP) system light, diesel particulate filters and how to maintain them, video guide to checking your car’s engine oil. You should check your motor oil level and pressure as soon as you can. Other times, this light will appear if your gas cap is open, loose, or cracked, causing fuel to evaporate. This warning light should come on before the brake pads become dangerously thin, so you have time to get them changed. Dashboard lights may be disabled as a result of a blown fuse. Tap to unmute. It will not damage any other parts if you keep driving with the light on. How to Fix Dashboard Lights That Won't Light. Replace the bulb to extinguish the light. You can test a fast and easy trick if you can reach your alternator by giving it a small hit with a hammer when the car is on idle to see if the light disappears. If the ABS light comes on by itself you should still have normal, unassisted braking, so it's safe to continue your journey – but keep your distance, take extra care, and get it checked as soon as possible. For roadside assistance, you can call the RAC on 0330 159 1111 even if you’re not a member. The light will illuminate on the dash along with an audible buzzer. If this light is red you should stop straight away, as without enough coolant your engine could get so hot that it effectively welds itself together, causing irreparable damage. Rather than risk it, you should call for recovery if you have breakdown cover. If you can’t see any and the light goes off after topping up then you should be fine to continue your journey. Some use an electric pressure pump and use the old-style power steering rack, and some have an electric engine around the steering column. What will happen is that you may run out of washer fluid, and you cannot clean your front or rear windshield. If you want to learn more about the airbag systems, you can check our other articles: Safe to drive with the airbag light on? It could also be a faulty seat sensor or a faulty seat belt buckle causing this light to stay on. When the engine management light is illuminated it’s often accompanied by tell-tale signs that the engine is not working properly, such as a lack of power or stuttering as you press the accelerator. 3. If the ABS warning light is also illuminated this signals that the braking system has malfunctioned and your brakes may not work properly. Yes, but you should drive with extra care and aim to top up with air at the next opportunity. Check out our car manufacturer-specific warning lights pages: Also known as the brake system warning light, parking brake warning light or brake fluid warning light. If it comes on with the brake warning light, it could indicate that the brake system is failing and you should stop straight away and call for recovery if you have breakdown cover. That’s why I recommend repairing the problem as soon as possible. To read the trouble codes at home, you need an OBD2 scanner. What it means: This light means there is a problem with the ABS (Anti-lock Brake System). What it means: This warning light means that there is a problem with your power steering system. After doing so, you must try to find the main cause of overheating. The following are warning lights and indicators found in vehicles built by Volkswagen. The coolant level is low or that the coolant temperature is too high, and the car is about to overheat. Most petrol stations and garages will have an air compressor you can use to check your tyre pressure. Shut down the engine and open the bonnet to let it cool down. When this light is on, the ABS function is disabled. If it’s flashing, you should definitely stop driving! How serious is the service engine soon light? and What does the SRS light mean?. Your car will run as normal until the battery is dead but once it is drained nothing in your car will work – so get to a garage quickly before you run out of juice! This light will come on when the engine is overheating. Learn more about diesel particulate filters and how to maintain them. If this light appears, it’s wise to pull over and check your gas cap and other systems in your vehicle. How to solve it: To repair this problem, you have to find out what problem is causing the engine light. If you have a puncture, watch our video to learn how to change a tyre in 10 simple steps. How to solve it: To find the problem with this warning light, read the ABS control unit’s trouble code memory to see any stored trouble codes. The oil pressure warning light indicates a loss of oil pressure, meaning lubrication is low or lost completely. The battery light is red, and when this light is on, maybe your alternator is not charging, and your car battery will be drained. If you can’t get this light off and the tire pressure is correct, there may be a stored trouble code in the tire pressure monitoring system. How to solve it: To solve this issue, first check the coolant level in your coolant reservoir. If the light comes up, drive the shortest way to a safe spot to call for towing of your vehicle. Unless you know how to check your brake fluid levels yourself, this will be one for the professionals, so get yourself to a garage. If it starts with the other key, there might be a problem with one of your car keys. While, here you go! Sometimes, there can be minimal leaks, and it is hard to find them. Avoid making any long journeys without sufficient coolant: you should stop and top up as soon as possible otherwise you risk causing serious damage to your car. To find out more about how to diagnose this warning light, you can check our article Traction control light. The battery light is red, and when this light is on, maybe your alternator is not charging, and your car battery will be drained. If this red light remains on after you fully release the parking brake, or comes on when you’re driving, it may indicate that the brake fluid level is low. When the coolant temperature warning light shows up, you should always check the coolant level and stop your vehicle as fast as possible. Turn off engine and wait a few minuted for engine to cool. In most car models, it says that there is a minor problem with your engine. Some cars have scheduled service for a replacement of the diesel particle filter (Like BMW). If the oil levels are fine, then the oil pump may be faulty. It can also be a faulty coolant level sensor causing this light to appear. Also called the brake pad wear warning light, if this symbol shows up it means a sensor has detected your brake pads are too thin. EPC Light (Audi, Skoda, Seat, Volkswagen), 19 Car Dashboard Warning Lights & Symbols & Meanings, 5 Reasons Why Your Brake Lights Don’t Work But Tail…, 6 Causes of Tail Lights Don't Work But Brake Lights Do, Throttle Control Warning Light (ETC) - Symptoms & Info, 5 Causes of Brake Lights Stay On & Won't Turn Off -…, Stop your vehicle immediately and tow your car to a car repair shop, Drive your car the closest way to a car repair shop. Some but not all stone chips and cracks on the windscreen can require a new screen, it depends where they are in the driver’s sight and how bad they are. A common problem for this warning light is a faulty ABS sensor, ABS ring, or sensor’s wirings. Unless you know how to check your brake fluid levels yourself, this will be one for the professionals. If you keep driving with the light on and your fuel level goes to zero, your vehicle will stop. Drive or tow it to a workshop as soon as possible. The ESP light will light up with the word ‘OFF’ if the system has been deactivated, in which case you may have inadvertently turned it off. *With 12 months of Ultimate cover for new customers. How to solve it: First, you should check if there is time for scheduled service for your vehicle. What it means: When the oil can is yellow, it usually means that the oil level is low or the oil temperature is a bit high (depending on the car model). Make sure you have fuel in the tank all the time. By clicking subscribe you are adhering to our terms and conditions. How to solve it: First, check your engine oil level to make sure there is any oil at all in the oil sump. If you opt to wire the light to a switch on your dashboard, however, the installation will be a bit more in depth. But what do all these symbols mean, and what should I do when one of them appears on my dashboard? Read our guide to checking your engine coolant. Shopping. How to solve it: If you find this sign on a car with an electric power steering pump, you should check the power steering fluid level if possible. Find out more information about what to do if you have a flat battery and how to tell here. The electric power control system works with several different control units, like the engine, transmission, brake control unit. The check engine light can signify a lot of problems with your engine. Do not open the radiator while the engine is hot. Always check a wiring diagram for your vehicle before doing these experiments. How serious is the battery light? How to solve it: To fix the tire pressure monitoring system light, you should first ensure that you have the correct tire pressure in all your tires. Search RAC Drive for news, reviews, advice and more. The traction control system uses the ABS wheel sensors to feel each wheel’s speed and reduce the engine power if one wheel is spinning or slipping on a slippery surface. That’s why I always recommend fixing this problem as fast as possible. Usually, the immobilizer light may cause your vehicle not to start, and you can’t drive with it. You can find the correct tire pressure in your service manual or at the body when you open the driver’s door. The ABS control units use a wheel sensor at each wheel to check the speed of each wheel. Different vehicles have different gauges, and some instrument panels are much more complicated than others. It will most likely not damage any further parts if you keep driving with the light on. Get the latest news, advice, reviews and offers to help keep your motoring costs down. A low oil level is never good to drive with, and it can damage your engine seriously if the oil pump is pumping air instead of oil caused by a low level. If the light stays on you should take your car to get checked as soon as possible. Power Steering/Steering Control Warning Light, 19. If the coolant level is OK, it can be caused by overheating, and it needs proper diagnosing. You can but if the power steering system fails you will notice that the car is harder to manoeuvre and you should take extra care – it could be dangerous to drive at high motorway speeds without power steering assistance. Top up the air in the tyres according to the vehicle manufacturer specification in your owner's manual. Note: The cheapest obd2 scanners can only read the engine control unit; if you want to read the airbag control unit, you may need a more advanced one or let a workshop read it for you. If it’s flashing it means the ESP system is intervening – for example, if you’re driving on a slippery road. If the problem is not serious, you can carry on driving with it but remember that your engine may shut off essential functions like diesel particle cleaning functions when the engine light is on. What it means: It means that one or several seat belts are not fitted correctly in one of the car seats, or there is a problem with any seat buckle. If it’s a sensor problem, it will not cause any damage if you are driving with it. How to solve it: This light should turn OFF when the fog light switch is OFF. This could happen over time or it could be because of a puncture. What it means: This warning lights means that there is a problem with your traction control system. For further troubleshooting of the car immobilizer system, I recommend letting a skilled automotive technician look at it and reading the immobilizer system’s trouble codes. A common cause for the airbag light is the connector plug under the driver or passenger seat. The fault light may go out after a restart. When you turn your car’s ignition, all of the dashboard lights should temporarily illuminate to indicate that they’re working correctly - if they remain on you may have an issue that needs to be resolved. Contact a Citroen authorised engineer. In some vehicles, it is the opposite; you have to short the two wires. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. RELATED: How to Fix a Broken Seat Belt Buckle? If a problem occurs, the engine can be restarted using the Start/Stop button. It could indicate that the filter has become blocked with soot. But it will not damage anything more if you keep driving with it. If this light is red you should stop straight away, as without enough coolant your engine could get so hot that it effectively welds itself together, causing irreparable damage. If it lit continuously, it means that hydraulic pressure has been lost in one side of the brake system or that the fluid level in the master cylinder is dangerously low (due to a leak somewhere in the brake system). In this case the Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) warning light may also be illuminated. You can also check the fuses for the ABS control unit. Often, the fuel level tank sensor can get stuck inside the tank, and it can help drive and refill the tank a couple of times. If the light is still on when pushing the brake and can’t switch gears on the stick, there might be a problem with your brake pedal sensor/switch. The brakes are one of the most important safety features of your car, so it’s important to act immediately when you see this red warning light. It can be a fault like the control unit does not communicate with one of the sensors. © 2021 RAC Motoring Services. What it means: You can find this light in cars with automatic transmission. This light could indicate a number of faults, from minor issues like a broken electrical sensor to a much larger mechanical issue, like a fault with your emission control system or catalytic converter. You can use an OBD2 scanner to read these trouble codes. But a showing TPMS light could also mean that you have a flat tire. The easiest way to fix this is to read the trouble code memory to find the trouble code. If you live in a cold country, always make sure that you are using the right mix of washer fluid and water. To measure the voltage, you need a Multimeter. If the battery warning light comes on the Renault TWINGO dashboard along with the warning light, it indicates an overload or discharge in the electrical circuit. Here, I recommend towing it to a repair workshop as soon as possible. If you can’t find your warning light on this list, I suggest you check your repair/service manual for further information. The washer fluid light is not very serious about keeping driving with. The following list of car warning lights are the most common lights used by auto manufacturers. How serious is the power steering light? 1. All rights reserved. However, read the trouble codes and fix them as fast as possible, but it will not hurt your engine to drive the closest way to a repair shop. You should never drive with a red oil pressure light. To fix these problems, I recommend connecting an OBD2 scanner and reading the trouble codes or seeking help from a skilled car electrician to find your vehicle’s problem. You can do this by reading the trouble codes. When this light goes red it means that at least one element of the airbag safety system is not working correctly: either the airbag system itself; the front passenger occupant classification system (which detects the front passenger’s weight and position in order to safely deploy the airbag); or the seat belt pretensioner system, which tightens the belt in the event of a crash. If the light remains on, you need to have a mechanic diagnose the ABS light issue as soon as possible. This dashboard symbol should illuminate in red when the ignition switch is turned to MAR and extinguish shortly after. That’s why I recommend repairing it quickly. The engine oil pressure warning light may illuminate with the STOP symbol (see above) to indicate oil pressure is low. What it means: This warning light means that there is a problem with your TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) or that one of your tires has a low tire pressure. Here’s what some of the most important lights … What it means: This warning light means there is low oil pressure in your car’s engine. If you have filled up the reservoir, but the light is still on, there might be a problem with the washer fluid’s level sensor or a wiring issue to the sensor. You should go to a garage to get it checked as soon as you can, as these filters can be expensive to replace. It’s not recommended to drive with the power steering light ON because it can cause serious injuries if you lose your power steering. You can let it cool down and keep driving after a while if you have to drive to the workshop but always check the temperature gauge. You should replace as soon as you can though, as if they wear out completely it could be extremely dangerous. Share. With 12 months of Ultimate cover, new customers get 3 months for free!*. To diagnose this problem, I recommend letting a skilled car electrician take a look at it. Registered in England; Registered Offices: RAC House, Brockhurst Crescent, Walsall WS5 4AW. For more information read our guide to brake pads. Occasionally, even after a problem has been solved, the dashboard light associated with it may still be active. If this is the issue, the dashboard light fuse, located in the fuse box, must be replaced. The oil warning light comes on when either the oil temperature gets too high or the oil level or pressure is too low. How serious is the airbag light? Take it apart and clean it and erase the trouble code memory. But to find the right wheel to troubleshoot, you have to read the trouble codes with an OBD2 scanner. Start/Stop systems are fuel saving systems that allow a gasoline-powered engine to shut down at typical idle times, such as at red lights, and restart with the touch of the gas pedal. Do not attempt to restart, continued use of the vehicle is highly likely to cause significant engine damage. The shift lock light is not a warning light, and therefore it should be on, and it is not dangerous to drive with. What it means: This light means there is a problem with your Airbag / SRS control system. If your car battery is getting drained, the car will stop, and you will not start it again without external power. The i … The service engine soon light often lit up because of minor engine problems that are safe to drive with. Also known as the coolant temperature warning light. Also known as the battery charge light or battery charging system light. An immobilizer problem is recognized by the car starting for 2-3 seconds and then shutting off. Indicator light turns on when the handbrake is on. You shouldn't risk it. There will only be a stored code sometimes, and the power steering will work fine, but it’s not worth the risk. Check your tire pressure when the light is on. If you lock all four wheels due to hard braking, you can’t steer your vehicle. A small tip is to remove the connector for the seat buckle to see if the light is turning OFF. I recommend checking it at a repair shop quickly. The fog light indicator should light up when the fog lights are on and are therefore not dangerous to drive with. This could mean that coolant levels are running low, perhaps due to a leak in the system, or it could be a sign of a larger problem, like a head gasket failure. Overheated Engine Coolant DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT. The dash of your vehicle provides a host of important information, and you'll need to see everything on your dash at night. ABS is an important safety feature that really comes into play when you need to make an abrupt stop, or in difficult driving conditions like icy roads. If the oil level is OK and the light is still ON, it can be a problem with the oil level sensor or the wires to it, and it needs proper troubleshooting. Now though, it’s vital that you sort it out quickly because if any of your dashboard lights are on during your MOT, your car will fail. Your brakes will still work, but the ABS might not engage if you need to make an emergency stop. Check your service manual if there is more than one reservoir. Ever wondered what those colorful lights in the speedometer console meant? If you notice that the dash lights on your vehicle are not working, it's important that you have the issues addressed. When the light is on, the whole ABS function is shut off, and it is not safe to drive with if you are not familiar with it. To reset the warning lights on the dashboard of most vehicles, simply disconnect the cable on the negative terminal of the car battery. Also known as the EPS or EPAS warning light. Remember that the cheap obd2 scanners can often only read the engine control unit, and you may need a more advanced one to read the power steering control unit.A common problem with this light is a faulty steering wheel angle sensor or a defective fuse. DPF Please see our privacy policy for more details. How to solve it: To fix this problem, you have to measure the voltage the alternator charges the battery on idle. If you need assistance you can call the RAC on 0330 159 1111 whether you are a member or not. How serious is the fog indicator light? What to do: If the warning light comes on while you are driving, it means the ABS is not working properly. TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Warning Sign, 9. How serious is the washer fluid light? The dashboard gauges in your car tell a complex story about everything from your current rate of speed to the state and health of your engine, and even whether or not things like your headlights are switched on. You can find this sign in many shapes like “Check Engine” and other informational texts. If the light fades after the run, it means that the coals in the alternator are worn out, and they have to be replaced, or usually, you will need to replace the whole alternator. Ends 15/04/21 7am. CAR dashboard warning lights communicate information about the vehicle and any potential issues or problems that need addressing immediately. RAC Insurance Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. How dangerous is the immobilizer key symbol for my car? If you have a diesel, one of these lights will come on if there is a problem with the exhaust particulate filter, which removes harmful soot from the exhaust gases to reduce emissions. Check the oil level, transmission fluid level, brake fluid level, washer level, etc. It could also be a false sensor alarm and may not damage your engine, but you shouldn’t take the chance if you are not sure it’s a sensor problem. You can either do it at home or let a car workshop check the trouble code memory for you. If the fluid level is ok, you have to check the trouble codes for your power steering control system. If everything is ok, you should check when the latest service was done and if it’s time for a new service. While it can often indicate the vehicle is overheating, this isn’t always the case. Find a safe place to stop and try turning the car off and back on again after 30 seconds. If you noticed that the airbag light appeared when you were moving the seat, it is most likely a bad connection in the connector under the seat. If you can’t get the light off, It’s recommended to try with another car key if you have one. Get the latest news, reviews and offers to help keep your motoring costs down. You can check the trouble codes with an OBD2 scanner. Therefore, it’s not recommended to drive with the EPC light on; drive or tow it to a car repair shop as soon as possible. Stop the vehicle when it's safe to do so. If you notice this warning light on your car, turn off your car’s engine as fast as possible. These 5 car dashboard warning lights should be considered very serious when they illuminate. When the particle filter light is on, the particle filter’s cleaning processes will be shut off, and it may cause your particle filter to clog up the filter entirely, and your car will stop. If any remain lit or light up during your journey, then they demand your attention. Have a look for any obvious oil leaks under the car, and then check the oil levels, topping up if necessary. I hope you enjoy my content! We’ve put together an easy guide on those pesky car dashboard lights and what they mean. If the symbol illuminates whilst driving, this indicated an overheating engine. In most vehicles, a flashing check engine light signals that you have a serious problem that could cause … There are hundreds of different warning light symbols and signs in modern cars. In a situation where the temperature warning light gets turned on, you should immediately stop the car and pull over to the side of the road. Vehicle must be stopped immediately as an overheating engine can seize. Usually, you have to replace the whole engine if you drive with low oil pressure. I created this blog because I was tired of finding false information on the web while looking for repair information. Watch our video guide to checking your car’s engine oil. So, what is that light on your dashboard? Low tyre pressure can cause unsafe driving conditions so reduce your speed, and try to avoid braking suddenly or making any violent steering manoeuvres. This could be due to a problem with your car’s electrical system and it could have several causes, such as a faulty alternator, faulty battery, bad electrical connection or damaged cabling. What it means: This light indicates that a low voltage is detected. A warning light flashing up on your dashboard has always been something which should make you stop, check your car and maybe consult your manual. Also known as the check engine or ECU warning light. To learn more about this light and system, you can check out our other article ABS Light. How serious is the seatbelt warning light? How to solve it: Normally, this problem will be fixed if you relock your car a couple of times. How serious is the oil level/temperature light? The engine start-stop light is typically an "A" surrounded by a circular arrow, and it can indicate a few different things.
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