means that one of the many sensors monitoring your car has noticed a problem with the engine. Low oil pressure can cause serious damage to your engine, … If the symbol lights momentarily it may mean that the ignition switch is locked and will need the proper transponder-equipped key to re-start. Don’t panic! Learn how and when to check your car's exterior and brake lights by watching this video. It's federally mandated (as it should be), and sometimes you'll see an airbag warning light in your dash. If you notice this warning light on your car, you should turn off your car’s engine as fast as possible. It’s not always clear what a dashboard warning light means. Driving without a fully functioning brake system is dangerous (not to mention totally nuts) and should be fixed as soon as possible. The light could be a minor issue, such as a faulty gas cap, or it could mean something more serious, such as a misfiring engine. Fast forward to today: When you go to turn the headlights on a car today, you’re met with half-a-dozen different settings to choose from, all featuring different symbols that vaguely resemble light bulbs. Modern cars are filled with electronics and packed with sensors to monitor how your vehicle is behaving. If you see a little red battery on your dash, then that means you're currently powering your car on the battery alone. Either you’re running low on oil or your oil pump isn’t circulating enough fluid to … Just like your computer at home, doing a simple reset may fix the issue and the light … That can lead to major mechanical problems—the engine could seize and leave you stranded. The ECO light will illuminate to let the driver know that some of the cylinders have been disabled. In the old days, car headlights had two settings: on or off. The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. The ABS light can also come on when you have worn out brake pads or the ABS pump is malfunctioning.. You can sometimes fix faulty wheel sensors and the ABS rings by cleaning out the sensor to get rid of dirt particles. We'll start with a dash light that isn't technically a warning light. So, you can both prevent malfunctions that may occur in your vehicle and protect your safety. But, most of the vehicle’s dashboard, these car warning lights will represent the same meaning, displaying almost the same icons right there. Car dashboard warning lights - what do they mean? Amber, orange or other colour lights often mean something needs checking by a garage. Next, grab a rag, pop the hood, and use the rag to lift the lid of the coolant reservoir and check the coolant level. Check coolant level, fan operation, radiator cap, coolant leaks. If not, we've got you covered. Stop the car and call a tow truck as soon as you safely can. The "TRAC off" alert light found on some vehicles is a visual aid that indicates the vehicle's traction control feature is not currently engaged. https://cars.usnews.com › cars-trucks › dashboard-lights-meaning Green or Blue Warning Light. We've put together this guide on 10 of the most common car warning lights. Emergency vehicle lighting is one or more visual warning lights fitted to a vehicle for use when the driver wishes to convey to other road users the urgency of their journey, to provide additional warning of a hazard when stationary, or in the case of law enforcement as a means of signalling another driver to stop for interaction with an officer. On most cars, this light will go away on its own after you've topped the tires off. Either way, you should have the vehicle checked by a mechanic. Red may also indicate an important reminder. It's best to take your car to a shop in this case, as ABS is one of the most important safety enhancements in cars since the seatbelt was invented. The fog light symbol looks a lot like the one used for the regular headlights, albeit with a squiggly line in front of it instead of three lines that look like beams. In the event that you see an exclamation mark with a circle around it in your dash, that means something is wrong with your brakes. The alternator or generator will power the car while recharging the battery at the same time. Vehicle warning lights in all makes and models generally follow a similar rule in terms of symbol colour. 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. Car Dashboard Warning Lights: Symbols and their Meanings The dashboard is full of symbols, which may differ slightly in different cars. See more articles from The News Wheel. Engine Temperature Warning Light Indicator light means the engine temperature has exceeded normal limits. Nissan Warning Lights and Their Meanings By Product Expert | Posted in Tips & Tricks on Tuesday, October 27th, 2015 at 10:16 pm. Download this app if you want to know what different warning lights and symbols, mean and if there is anything you can do yourself to avoid a trip to the repair shop. In that case, you're going to have to take your car somewhere to get the problem diagnosed. Whether you drive a Chevrolet car or truck, you may have a dashboard warning light appear. It is fair to assume something is eventually going to break or stop working no matter what sort of car you buy, and no matter how reliable it is rumored to be. Officers also use these lights while their cars are parked for police incidents that are in progress for example, a vehicle traffic stop or domestic disturbance at a residence. Due to the nature of diesel engines, they require some extra help when first starting up at a cold temperature. 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 they look a bit low, carefully make your way to the nearest gas station to fill them with air. Few things are scarier than driving down the road only to see one of your warning lights is on. If you see a little thermometer pop up in your dash, that means your car is probably overheating. Click a link to learn more about each one. Traction control systems are a part of a vehicle's ant-lock brake system and are intended to prevent the loss of traction between the wheels and the roadway. A buzzer sounds and the warning light flashes to indicate that the master warning system has detected a malfunction. The app features dashboard warning lights and alert symbols from all cars brands and models, with an explanation of the problem. If the wheel sensor is faulty, the ABS light will also come on. It can be anything from a spark plug fault to the failure of something major such as the intake manifold or low compression. The cap is a crucial part of a car’s fuel delivery system. Oil Pressure Light. The car’s battery light coming on generally means that there is something preventing your car’s electric system from the battery charged and thus, the car is running on battery power only. Most cars with traction or stability control allow you to turn these functions off. Your information will be collected and used in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Yellow/amber/orange mean something needs to be serviced or repaired soon. Instead, this signals an issue with the anti-lock brake system. The glow plug is a heating element that is activated during startup when the … If so, select your model of Chevrolet to find out what those dash lights mean, with each symbol explained. Color is King! What it means: If your car is running on diesel, this is the glow plug indicator. For example, in most cars, the tire pressure sign, the low fuel sign, and the engine check sign are all yellow or orange. Modern cars come with tire pressure monitoring systems and the little exclamation point inside of a half-circle merely means one or more of your tires have low pressure. Lucky for you, your car's proverbial brain will figure out an impending problem before you do and send you a warning more often than not. Automotive electrical systems have grown more complex over the years, but the basic principles behind them are similar. The sooner you can fix it, the better. Shopping with Sense: What are the best pre-owned Ford models? Let’s clear up any confusion and explain what all your car’s headlight symbols mean. Either way, if you see the check engine light on your dash, something's gone wrong and you shouldn't put off a trip to the shop. There are two types of headlights—low beam and high beam. Read our guide to car dashboard warning lights and understand what they mean. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to the Terms of Use. A flashing yellow indicator light means the headlight leveling or AFS is defective. 15 Common Warning Lights on Your Car’s Dashboard. The colour of the illuminated symbol signifies how serious the problem is. The following are warning lights and indicators found in vehicles built by Chevrolet. All cars have airbags these days. Nissan Altima Dashboard Warning Lights and Meanings By Product Expert | Posted in Nissan Altima, Service & Sales, Tips & Tricks on Tuesday, April 5th, 2016 at 8:16 pm. Cars have been able to monitor their engine's oil pressure for years now. There may be a problem with brake components or the hydraulic fluid may need a top-off. Light 'em Up: A Guide to Common Dashboard Warning Lights. A blinking light, or in some cars a red light instead of a yellow or orange light, indicates a problem that needs immediate attention. If the symbol is visible when the vehicle is on, then it typically indicates a malfunction in the security system. The warning lights on car dashboard are designed to inform you in advance if there is a problem with your vehicle. When the ABS light comes on, the first thing you should do is find a safe place to stop the vehicle, shut it off, and then start it up again. 1. It’s important to know what car dashboard warning lights mean because you might be able to avoid a car breakdown or full-on failure. If you've seen what looks like a gravy boat light pop up in your dash it means there's a problem with your engine oil pressure. Without sufficient oil pressure, the engine can't properly lubricate itself. Despite seeing a new tell-tale or warning light on your instrument panel, unless it is red it is likely the car is still running fine and while there may be a problem to attend to, proceed with confidence and patience. Basically, if you see the battery light on in your car when it is running, you shouldn’t expect to be able to drive it for very long. The wheel sensors send information to the ABS and this will help you to steer the car during bad weather. Approaching police lights warn civilians to move out of the way and to avoid police activity scenes. When the engine isn't on, the alternator isn't actively charging the battery. A solid yellow warning light means bulb failure is occurring. half-a-dozen different settings to choose from, Find out the best Nissan cars to buy pre-owned. . © 2021 MotorTrend | MOTOR TREND GROUP, LLC. Like many things, cars are not perfect. Flashing lights atop speeding patrol cars mean that officers are heading to emergency calls. You can probably still drive the car safely for the time being, but something will require your attention soon. This is completely normal and is ideal for keeping your gas tank full. This will make the computer recheck all of the sensors for any abnormalities. There are sensors and warning lights in new cars that alert you to tire pressure levels and the washer fluid level. If you see what looks like the rear view of an old sedan followed by some squiggly lines on the road behind it, then that means your stability control system is either partially or fully off. 1. Check your car’s dashboard lighting as it is essential to identify your car’s potential problem, safety issues or immediate failure points. What it means: This warning light means that there is low oil pressure in your car’s engine. When something goes wrong with your car or if a feature you should know about gets activated, a signal funnels through the electrical system and into the dashboard. These lights allow the driver to see the roadway in the dark, while also signaling to other motorists that a car is present. It can indicate a problem with any number of items, including the sensors that detect crashes and deploy airbags in the event of an accident have failed. If certain indicators were to remain illuminated while your engine is running, however, they could be alerting you to a serious condition. That means eventually you'll drain the battery and you'll likely need a jumpstart to get you going again. It's safest to let the computer think about traction for you, so find a way to get it back on ASAP. If you know what the car warning lights mean, you can take precautions in advance to prevent accidents in your vehicle. A loose fuel cap is one of the most common reasons why the check engine light turns on. But do you know what all those little icons on the dashboard mean? If you see this sign don't freak out. Here is what the different colors mean. As a result, it's best if you get this checked out right away. Attend to it! It’s normal to see some of these lights briefly while you start your engine. But if they stay lit up while you’re driving, then you'll need to look into it. Feel like you’re playing a bad game of Pictionary with your car, trying to decipher what the foreign symbol that suddenly appeared on the dashboard means? Not all cars come equipped with fog lights, though, so it's possible you'll never see this dashboard light during the course of vehicle ownership. Car’s headlight symbols can be confusing if you don't know what those mysterious icons mean. Car lights include: Headlights. Although it is related to the braking system, the ABS warning light does not signal a failure of the physical brakes. If your car is so hot the engine, coolant reservoir, or coolant tank is "smoking," then you might want to call a tow service. Green and blue warning lights … This means one of two things has happened here: Either you turned the function off because you wanted to do some sporty driving (turn it back on, you're not Lewis Hamilton) or the feature has failed altogether. Seat belt reminder light Warns the driver and/or front passenger to fasten their seat belts. This illuminates a … The lights on your car's dashboard light up when something's wrong. This old fashioned oil can image indicates that there is an issue with your car’s oil pressure system. If this light is on while your car's engine is on, then it's typically a sign that the battery charging system isn't working. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. Unless you're really handy, you should leave a fix like this to a mechanic you trust. A common problem with some systems is the tendency to "strobe," or make the lights flicker. If this light pops up on your dash consistently, then it's time to take your car to a shop for a lookover. Red indicates a potentially serious problem or safety issue. Activating them wasn’t any harder than simply flipping a switch. 2. The Best on a Budget: Find out the best Nissan cars to buy pre-owned. What follows is easily the most complete list available of symbols and warnings that may appear in and on your car’s dashboard or instrument cluster. We define the most common headlamp symbols. This light can mean a number of things. The check engine light means that one of the many sensors monitoring your car has noticed a problem with the engine. A guide to understanding a cars dashboard warning lights. However, the ECO light isn’t used as a warning indicator as the check engine light is similarly focused on emissions. These lights may simply be indicating a vehicle control setting, e.g., Front Fog Lamps On. Instead, find a safe place to stop and inspect your tires. 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Should have the vehicle checked by a garage are the best pre-owned Ford models how when... Those little icons on the dashboard is full of symbols, which may differ slightly in different.. The master warning system has detected a malfunction in the old days, car headlights had settings! Able to monitor how your vehicle from a spark plug fault to the ABS and will! Likely need a jumpstart to get it back on ASAP than driving down the road only to see of... Red warning lights with some systems is the glow plug indicator a car s...
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