A car’s dashboard lights are designed to tell you if there’s an issue with your vehicle or if it needs maintenance immediately. Many people neglect lights that come on the dashboard simply because they don’t know what they mean.
It’s very important to understand the symbols and what they are indicating because if the problem is serious, you’ll need to take care of your care immediately.
Let’s discuss the various dashboard symbols and what their purpose is.
Common Warning Lights on Your Dashboard
Tire Pressure Warning Light
Most new cars come with a tire-pressure monitoring device that warns the driver when the pressure of the tires drops below a certain point. This could happen over time or occur due to a puncture or any other type of damage to the tires.
Driving with low tire pressure is safe as long as you avoid sudden braking and aggressive steering maneuvers. If your car does get damaged, you can use abrasive grinding materials like peel grinding and creep-feed grinding, which work the same as concrete grinding but for metal parts.
Engine Temperature Warning Light
If you see the engine temperature light on your dashboard, that means your engine is overheating. This most likely has something to do with your car’s coolant or antifreeze, but a few other issues can cause the engine to overheat as well.
The first thing to remember is not to open the hood, which could result in injuries or burns from the spewing smoke. Turn off the car’s AC and turn the heater on. That might help redistribute the heat. If that doesn’t work, pull over to the side, turn your car off and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
Check Engine Light
A check engine light could indicate a minor problem or something serious such as your engine overheating or low oil pressure. If the check engine light is red and flashing, that means there’s a huge problem, and it could cause serious engine damage if left ignored.
Some cars have a symbol for it, like the Mercedes-Benz engine light check, while others might just have the words “Check Engine”. In any case, make sure to get the light checked and fix the problem immediately.
Brake Warning Light
If the brake warning light stays on after you’ve completely released the parking brake or it comes on while driving, then it’s possible that the braking fluid might be low. That is why it is also often called a brake fluid warning light.
If the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) light comes on as well, then your brakes may not perform properly, and the braking system is failing. The Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) warning light might also illuminate.
Airbag Warning Light
The airbag or Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning light signals that the airbag system is malfunctioning or something is wrong with at least one of its components.
The front passenger occupant classification system, which determines the passenger’s weight and position to activate the airbag, and the seat belt pretensioner system, which tightens the seat belt in the event of an accident, are two main components of the SRS system.