


High beams indicator: This light tells you when your high beam lights are on.You can usually fix this problem with a quick trip to the store for a new lightbulb. ğast-blinking turn signal: If one of your turn signals blinks at hyper speed, the lightbulb is out or on the fritz.It may illuminate briefly when your tires slip on water, ice or gravel. This light will come on if there’s a problem with the vehicle’s traction control or anti-skid system. If it blinks, you should shut off your vehicle or change the driving conditions immediately or risk damaging the emissions-control devices known as catalytic converters. When your vehicle is not running as efficiently as it could and is putting out excessive harmful gasses, this light will illuminate. This light will turn on if something is compromising the effectiveness of your anti-lock brakes. If the tire pressure light blinks, the computer has lost communication with at least one of the pressure sensors in the tires. It could also mean one of your tires has a leak. Your tire pressure warning light lets you know when a tire’s air pressure has dropped by 20 percent, which means you’re not getting the best mileage and your tires will wear faster than normal. While problems indicated with a yellow light need to be addressed, they won’t cause immediate vehicle failure. If your vehicle’s charging system has a problem, your battery won’t charge, which means it will eventually run out of power, and your engine will stop running. Either way, you will end up with brake failure if you ignore it, which could result in a collision. You’ll see this light if the parking brake is still on or if the vehicle’s hydraulic system has lost pressure. The engine oil pressure light tells you when the oil pressure is too low to protect the engine from damage. If it isn’t shut off promptly, an overheated engine could begin to warp or melt.Įngines need oil to reduce friction and to seal, clean and protect any moving parts. This engine coolant temperature light tells you when the engine is overheating. A vehicle with a red signal shouldn’t be driven until it has been checked and cleared by a mechanic. Like the red light in a traffic signal, a red light on your dashboard means you should stop right away. Here are some of the most common symbols you might see on your dashboard and what they mean. Not knowing is problematic, especially if a signal indicates a serious malfunction and you don’t investigate right away. Half can’t even identify a brake warning light.
#LIGHTS ON YOUR DASH MEANING DRIVERS#
In fact, most drivers don’t know what the most common dashboard warning lights mean, according to automotive data company HPI. You’ll likely feel that way, too, right up until a light flashes on your dashboard and you have no idea what it means. SPONSORED - If you change your car’s oil on time, get your tires rotated frequently and fill the chips in your windshield soon after they happen, you’re a pretty responsible car owner.
