Seeing warning lights flash up on your car’s dashboard while driving can be intimidating, especially if you don’t know what it means.
Our minds automatically fear the worst as we wonder if there is a serious fault with our vehicle.
While warning lights help let us know when a problem has occurred, in many cases, they also alert us to action that needs to be taken in order to prevent a serious issue.
In this article, The Windscreen Company will provide you with an in-depth guide to dashboard lights and what each one means.
Table of Contents:
The first dashboard warning lights, amusingly called idiot lights, were developed in the 1930s. At this time, the lights only showed problems with the engine, but by the 1980s, almost all modern cars had a comprehensive range of dashboard lights that alerted drivers to a range of issues.
There are three main types of dashboard lights which use a colour system to demonstrate the severity of the problem.
These are the following:
The most serious type of warning light, a red dashboard warning light indicates a severe and potentially dangerous issue with the vehicle. You should refrain from driving the car if it has red warning lights showing.
This light resembles a battery and indicates there is a problem with your car’s charging system. Damaged electric cables or a failed battery are common reasons for this light to appear and you should seek immediate repairs. Driving the car with this light could cause it to fail, leaving you stranded.
This light looks like an exclamation mark inside a circle, and means there is a serious problem with your brakes. It could be an easy fix like adding more brake fluid, but you shouldn’t drive with this light as your safety depends on fully functioning brakes.
A steering wheel icon with an exclamation mark indicates an issue with your power steering system. Normally, the steering wheel will also seem heavier, making the car harder to drive and therefore unsafe.
This light will come on if your engine goes above a safe temperature. It will look like a thermometer with a wavy line and continuing to drive it in this state is extremely dangerous.
This indicates that your engine has insufficient oil. Driving without resolving the issue can cause serious damage to your engine. This light resembles an oil can.
While amber dashboard warning lights are not as severe as red ones, they demonstrate that something is not quite right and requires attention.
Represented by an exclamation mark in a horseshoe, this light indicates low tyre pressure. Driving with improperly inflated tyres can damage your tyres and increase the risk of accidents. Check your tyre pressure at the earliest possible opportunity.
When this light appears, it’s time to pull over and refuel. While it is not an instant emergency, driving on low fuel can damage the car and you run the risk of being stranded.
This light can mean anything from a loose fuel cap to serious engine issues. Shaped like an engine, the car remains drivable but the light informs you that the engine needs to be checked over.
This light indicates that there is a problem with your anti-lock braking system. While your standard brakes may work, the ABS won’t be functioning properly. This is crucial for remaining in control when braking, so you should have the issue assessed as soon as possible.
This warning informs you that your rear fog lights are switched on. These lights should only be used in conditions with poor visibility, like fog or extreme rain. Leaving them on unnecessarily can dazzle other drivers so the light serves as a reminder.
Let’s take a look at some of the dashboard warning lights that specifically relate to windscreens.
This amber light indicates that your automatic windscreen wipers are activated and will adjust based on rain intensity. It’s more of a helpful reminder rather than a warning.
When this amber light appears, your windscreen washer fluid is running low. Refill the washer fluid reservoir to enable clear visibility during bad weather.
Typically found as a button on the dashboard, these lights show that the front or rear windscreen defrosters are on. They help to clear fog or frost to provide better visibility. They aren’t warnings as such but confirmations of active systems.
If your car has heated windscreens installed there will also be a light on the dashboard that indicates when it is switched on. More of a reminder for you to turn it off when it isn’t needed, if the light doesn’t appear when you’re trying to use your heated windscreens, it also indicates a fault with the system.
If your vehicle has suffered windscreen damage, The Windscreen Company is here to help. We provide leading windscreen repairs and windscreen replacements to vehicles of every make and model, working across the West Midlands and the South East. To get your free quote, contact our team today.
The Windscreen Company, has over 20 years of experience in windscreen repair and replacement. Since 1998, they have been at the forefront of industry innovation, leveraging the latest technology to ensure customer safety and satisfaction.
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