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Is Your Dashboard Trying to Tell You Something (warning Lights)?

Every time you start your car, the dashboard lights flash quickly and then disappear as the engine begins to rumble. This car behavior is so routine that you probably don’t even notice it anymore, unless one of those lights stays on. Dashboard warning lights are your car’s vital signs and they provide a quick way of letting you know that there’s a problem. A lit warning light on the dashboard can mean anything from a door being open to engine trouble. It’s important to decipher the meaning of the light to avoid possible car failure on the road or an unnecessary and costly visit to your mechanic; especially if it’s something you can fix such as refilling the windshield washer fluid. 

  

The first thing to do when a dashboard light goes on is to make sure you don’t have the hand brake on. If it’s not the handbrake, the next thing to do is to check the car manual. Most car manuals have an illustrated page at the end showing the dashboard symbols and their meanings. The most common dashboard lights encountered by puzzled drivers deal with the following problems: 

  

LOW BRAKE FLUID:  

  If the handbrake is off but the brake light is still on, the brake fluid level may be low or there may be some other problem with the brakes. In this case, it’s best to have your car checked by a mechanic to correct the problem.   

LOW OIL LEVEL: 

  

If the oil light is on, the oil level may be low and you will need to pull over or take your car to the nearest gas station and check the oil. Adding oil should solve the problem but if the light stays on, you may have an oil pressure issue which will require immediate attention by a mechanic.  

ANTI LOCK BREAK SYSTEM PROBLEM:  

  If the ABS light is on, there is some kind of malfunction in the ABS system. This shouldn’t affect normal brake function but it should be checked by a mechanic.   

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT:  

The dreaded check engine light may indicate a malfunction in the engine or in the transmission. It’s best to have your car checked as soon as possible even if the car appears to be functioning normally; engine or transmission problems can escalate quite quickly.  

  AIRBAG LIGHT:  

  This light indicates a problem with the airbag system and should be checked as soon as possible. Ignoring this light could prove deadly if you happen to be in an accident and the airbag doesn’t deploy.   

CHARGING SYSTEM: 

  

If this light is on, your car’s battery is not charging properly. According to aa.com, a car related site based in the U.K, a problem with the charging system could be caused by slack battery terminals, an alternator failure or a broken or loose alternator drive belt; problems with the drive belt could cause overheating and result in damage to the engine. The car should be checked by a mechanic as soon as possible.  

  TEMPERATURE LIGHT:   

If this light is on, the car has probably overheated or is close to overheating. The best thing to do is to shut off the air conditioning, pull over and let the engine cool. According to Via Magazine, AAA traveler’s companion, you should never try to remove the radiator cap while the engine is hot because this could cause you to be sprayed with superheated coolant.  

  If you pay attention to a lit dashboard warning light and try to correct the problem right away, you can save time, energy and money. It may be inconvenient to thumb through the car manual or to have your car checked, but ignoring small problems will result in much larger problems down the line and you’ll wish you had listened to your car.

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