Dashboard
Dashboard warning lights
Find the symbol that lit up on your instrument cluster. Colour tells you how fast to act — red means stop, amber means investigate, green and blue are informational.
Red — stop as soon as it is safe
A red lamp means the system has failed or is about to. Pull over and assess before continuing.
- Oil Pressure Warning LightA red oil can means the engine has lost oil pressure. Shut it off within seconds — bearing damage begins almost immediately.Critical
- Engine Temperature Warning LightA red thermometer in waves means coolant temperature has passed the safe limit. Pull over and shut the engine off before the head gasket goes.Critical
- Brake System Warning LightA red exclamation point in a circle. Check the parking brake first, then the pedal — if it feels soft, treat it as a hydraulic failure.High
- Battery / Charging System LightThe battery symbol means the charging system has stopped charging. You are running on stored power — head somewhere useful before it runs out.High
- Airbag / SRS Warning LightA seated figure with a circle in front of it. The car drives fine — but your airbags and belt pretensioners are switched off until this is fixed.High
Amber — get it checked soon
The car has detected a fault but has not declared it dangerous. Book a diagnosis within days, not months.
- Check Engine LightAn amber engine outline meaning the powertrain computer stored a fault code. Steady is a get-it-scanned-soon; flashing means pull over.Moderate
- ABS Warning LightAmber ABS lettering in a circle. Your normal brakes still work exactly as before — what you have lost is anti-lock assistance in a panic stop.Moderate
- Tire Pressure Warning Light (TPMS)An amber horseshoe with an exclamation point. At least one tire is 25 percent or more below its recommended pressure — find an air pump.Low
- Traction Control LightA car with squiggly lines under it. Flashing means the system is working right now; steady means it has switched itself off.Low
How urgent is each light?
Quick reference for the lamps documented here.
| Light | Colour | Urgency |
|---|---|---|
| Check Engine Light | amber | Moderate |
| Oil Pressure Warning Light | red | Critical |
| Engine Temperature Warning Light | red | Critical |
| Brake System Warning Light | red | High |
| Battery / Charging System Light | red | High |
| ABS Warning Light | amber | Moderate |
| Airbag / SRS Warning Light | red | High |
| Tire Pressure Warning Light (TPMS) | amber | Low |
| Traction Control Light | amber | Low |