Engine Warning Lights

When to panic and when to calmly contact the garage

One of the most frequently asked questions from motorists concerns the warning lights on the car dashboard. They are a helpful indicator of the state of health of your car, but more often than not a source of great worry and distress to motorists.  Once you turn on the ignition of your car, the dashboard display lights up with the first series of information. Hopefully, the car is telling you that all is well, and systems are running fine today. But if a light stays on once the engine is running you need to act immediately. Nothing can cause panic quite like an incomprehensible symbol blinking wildly from the dashboard. It is important to know which dashboard symbol is critical, which requires you to take some immediate steps and which is a simple reminder of a simple issue. Ignoring critical dashboard warning lights may result in expensive repairs and an increase in damage to the car, so it is good to know the difference.     

• Red warning lights need immediate action.
• Amber, orange or other colour lights often mean something needs checking by a garage.

There is a colour code in operation when it comes to these signals. Red Dashboard Warning lights signify a serious safety issue. It may just mean that you need to put seatbelts on or that your boot is open. But it may be an indication of something much more serious. If a red light comes on in the car, stop the engine as soon as it is safe to do so and seek assistance from your mechanic or garage. An amber dashboard warning light is a sign that there is a defect, but it is not critical to your safety. For example, there could be a DPF issue, or a bulb may have blown. Green dashboard lights are not strictly warning lights, but more  informational and may be letting you know that coolant is low and other less frantic tasks. There is a uniformity to these lights even over all makes and models of cars and countries which is helpful. 

Engine Warning Light

This is the light that is most alarming to motorists, and yet it’s the most common light that our mechanics deal with. It can signal a number of different things that are going on. Often the car can drive perfectly but you do need to get it diagnosed as quickly as possible. With modern sensors and depending on the issue, turning the car off and back on can reset the system and cause the light to turn off, but the likelihood is that you will see it again pretty soon. As with a lot of these indicators the car needs to be.

If your Engine Warning Light comes on while driving, and is flashing on and off, reduce your speed to see does it stop. If you have lowered your speed and the light is still blinking on and off, pull over to a safe place and turn off your engine. Restart the engine and if the light is still on, you should seek professional help. The car should still be safe to drive in the short term, provided there are no other underlying issues. Phone your friendly garage to get the best advice and leave the car in as soon as possible, in order to avoid damage to the catalytic converter. If the red engine warning light comes on continuously when you are driving, pull over and turn off your engine. After a few minutes, turn the car on again. There is a chance that this will reset the system and you won’t see that light again. If the engine light remains on you will need to take the car to the garage. There are a great many reasons for the engine warning light to stay on. One of the most common reason is a faulty oxygen sensor. This is a sensor used to optimize a vehicle's fuel-to-air mixture to increase fuel mileage and reduce emissions. The engine light does not always mean an expensive repair or a difficult fix, but it should never be ignored.

 Battery Light image

It’s pretty self-explanatory when this standard dashboard warning light come on, The Battery Warning Light lets you know that there are problems relating to your battery’s charge. More often than not, this relates to alternator failure, a slack battery or a starter terminal or even a loose alternator drive belt. It does need attention and a chat with your mechanic is a good start.

Brake Warning Light

There is a reason why this light screams urgency. The brake system warning light can mean that you have not fully disengaged the handbrake (easy fix there), a fault with the brake pad sensor or the brake fluid level is too low.  Once you have established that the issue is not the handbrake still on, this is a light which you need to take seriously. If the brake pedal feels a bit spongy when pressed or just sinks all the way to the floor freely, then a serious brake issue may be present. If your brake and ABS warning lights come on at the same time, there could be a major fault with the brakes. This is probably unsafe, and you should not drive the car until the problem has been diagnosed and repaired. Brakes are not something to be self-diagnosed and if this light stays on give your friendly garage a call as quick as possible.

In recent years as the motor industry has advance technologically with more on-board sensors bringing a whole new array of warning lights on dashboards as modern cars self- diagnose issues that may need attention. Luxury cars tend to have more dashboard light displays.  No matter what you are driving, the main and most important dashboard warning lights are uniform and the same all over the world. If you have any concerns about dashboard lights or faults on your car, we are always here at Peter Hanley Motors to get you back motoring safely again.