A sudden, unfamiliar light flashing on your dashboard can cause instant anxiety. What does it mean? Is it serious? Your car’s dashboard warning lights are its primary way of communicating potential issues, ranging from simple reminders to critical alerts. Understanding what common lights mean can help you react appropriately and potentially avoid bigger problems.

Understanding the Colours

Generally, warning lights follow a traffic light system:

• Green/Blue: Informational (e.g., headlights on, indicators active). No action needed.
• Amber/Orange/Yellow: Caution/Advisory. Something needs checking or servicing soon. It’s usually safe to continue driving carefully, but book an inspection.
• Red: Urgent/Serious Fault. Indicates a potentially critical issue requiring immediate attention. Stop the car safely as soon as possible and investigate.

Common Amber/Yellow Warning Lights (Investigate Soon)

• Check Engine Light (Engine Management Light – EML): Shaped like an engine outline. This is one of the most common lights. It indicates a fault detected by the engine management system, often related to emissions, sensors or engine components. Action: Get a diagnostic check done by a garage to find the specific fault code.
• ABS Light (Anti-lock Braking System): Usually shows “ABS” in a circle. Indicates a fault with the anti-lock braking system. Your normal brakes should still work, but the ABS safety feature won’t engage during emergency braking. Action: Drive cautiously and have it checked professionally.
• Traction Control/ESP Light (Often a car skidding symbol): May flash during normal operation (if the system activates on a slippery surface). If it stays on constantly, it indicates a fault or the system has been manually deactivated. Action: Drive carefully, especially in poor conditions, and get it checked.
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS – often ! inside a tyre cross-section): Indicates low pressure in one or more tyres. Action: Check all tyre pressures (when cold) and inflate as necessary. If the light stays on after pressures are corrected, there may be a system fault.

Common Red Warning Lights (Stop Safely ASAP!)

• Oil Pressure Warning (Old-style oil can symbol): Indicates dangerously low engine oil pressure. This can cause rapid, severe engine damage. Action: Stop the engine immediately in a safe location and check the oil level (once cool). Do not restart the engine if the level is extremely low or the light persists. Seek professional help.
• Engine Temperature Warning (Thermometer symbol): Indicates the engine is overheating. Continuing to drive can cause severe damage like a warped cylinder head or blown head gasket. Action: Stop safely as soon as possible, turn off the engine, and let it cool completely before attempting any checks. Seek professional help.
• Battery/Charging Light (Battery symbol): Indicates a problem with the charging system (usually the alternator or battery itself). The car is running solely on battery power and will eventually die. Action: Turn off non-essential electrics (radio, A/C) and drive directly to a garage or safe place if very close. Do not rely on restarting the car.
• Brake System Warning (! inside a circle or “BRAKE”): First, check your parking brake isn’t engaged. If it’s off and the light remains on, it indicates a serious brake system fault, potentially low brake fluid. Action: Stop the car safely as soon as possible. Do not continue driving with a potential brake failure. Seek professional assistance.

Dashboard warning lights are there to help, not just annoy. Don’t ignore them! Quick attention, especially for red lights, can prevent huge failures and expensive repairs. Amber lights justify booking a diagnostic check to understand the underlying issue.

If a warning light appears on your dash, consult your owner’s manual first. For peace of mind and accurate fault finding, bring your car to Halfway House Garages. We have the diagnostic equipment and skills to read the fault codes and suggest the necessary repairs.