They attract attention when turned on, mainly because we don’t know their meaning for the most part and it can be something serious and expensive for our wallets.
Looking at the dashboard of our car we find:
more than 150 light indicators But we only pay attention to them when they engage, mainly because we are largely unaware of their meaning. In this sense, it is essential to be aware of
how to respond when turned on? a yellow or red warning light on the instrumentation, or even if several come on at the same time, accompanied by whistles and sirens. If it happens, it will be necessary to stop, but not immediately … but safely in the first suitable place. In other words, it is very important to prevent the appearance of a warning light from being the cause of an accident. It will be then, with the car stopped,
when is it time to find out what’s broken?
what do the colors mean? From ALD Automotive, they show us and explain the most important ones and indicate that there are roughly three kinds of colors that indicate the seriousness or the type of attention to the malfunction. Red means immediate attention; yellow, attention when stopping the vehicle; and green is purely informative.
Brake system: The most common reason why this warning light comes on is that the brake fluid level is too low. If this warning light comes on while driving, it is important to test the brake pedal: if it has lost a lot of fluid or if one of the two circuits is empty, it is possible that the pedal must be pressed very hard to stop the vehicle , and that the car has a tendency to drift to one side, so stopping the car on a straight is vital. This warning light will also illuminate if there is a malfunction in the systems that use the brakes, such as the Hill Start Assist or the emergency brake booster.
Parking break: The appearance is due to the parking brake being applied. In cars with a manual parking brake, this warning light reminds you to remove it before it starts circulating. On vehicles with electric parking brakes, this means that the brake has been applied correctly.
brake pads: This witness differs from the previous one in that the color is amber, there is nothing written in it and the brackets are broken. This icon appears when one of the brake pads is worn and the guide inside it begins to make contact with the disc. Automatically turns off when changing pads.
ABS system: the appearance of this warning light indicates a malfunction of the anti-lock braking system. Next to this icon will illuminate the stability control warning light, which cannot operate without ABS. Likewise, the electronic brake distribution and electronic differential lock functions are deactivated. Unlike when ESP intervenes, the ABS warning light does not flash when the system intervenes. The fault is usually in one of the sensors that measure the rotation of the wheels, and the repair costs around 70 euros.
oil pressure: This red warning light illuminates when the oil pressure at the pump outlet is below the minimum required to properly lubricate the engine. If the engine is off, it will illuminate when the ignition is turned on and will remain illuminated until the engine is started. If you continue with the engine running, the most likely reason is that there is almost no oil left in the crankcase. Driving with this warning light can cause the engine to seize. This is due to the temperature rise in the engine, which causes the parts to melt.
coolant temperature: Controlled by the coolant temperature sensor, this warning light comes on when the engine starts to warm up because there is no coolant or the level is very low. If the car in question does not have a thermometer, there is this witness who reports his temperature. If you have a thermometer, the first icon is usually replaced by a light-up mark at the end of the scale.
alternator defective: this warning light stays on when the ignition is on and the engine is off – except in cars with Start&Stop, for convenience. If it comes on while the engine is running, it means that the alternator is not supplying enough voltage. This is not a dangerous situation, but the battery will also be completely discharged while driving. If the alternator is severely damaged, it may stall while running.
Power steering: Indicates a malfunction in the electrical steering assist system that can range from not having an appreciable effect on the power steering to disconnecting the system. Driving without power steering is possible, but not recommended: not only because of how hard the transmission will be, but also because working “backwards” can damage the transmission mechanism.
air cushion: Depending on the age of the car, there may be one warning light for all airbags or one for each type. Often the fault is not in the airbag, but in the connections – especially if it is a seat-mounted one.
Seat belt: This warning light does not warn of a breakdown, but rather that an occupant is not wearing a seat belt. It illuminates, along with an audible warning, when the car exceeds 25 km/h, has traveled 500 meters or has driven for more than 60 seconds. The audible warning will turn off after five minutes, but the warning light will not go out. Instructions for disabling this system are available from the manufacturer.
Automatic switch: This icon is usually used when there is a malfunction with an automatic gearbox or a four-wheel drive system with gearbox or lockable differentials. When the malfunction affects the change, an “emergency” mode is usually activated in which only three gears operate.
Particle filter: this warning light is only on the instrument panel of cars with a diesel engine. It is controlled by the pressure difference before and after the diesel particulate filter, it tells the driver that he has to do a certain drive -high speeds and low gears- to clean it. Ignoring it can be very expensive: if too much dirt gets into the filter, it will have to be replaced… which costs from 700 euros.
emission anomaly: Flashes when abnormal parameters are registered in the engine management, injection system, ignition system or exhaust. If it flashes, it is important to stop accelerating as soon as possible; otherwise, exhaust components may be damaged from overheating. An “emergency” engine operation mode can be activated resulting in greatly reduced performance. If the fault persists for a long time, the warning light will remain permanently on to indicate that an incident has been registered in the engine control module and that a workshop must be visited to find out what has happened.
ESP: This icon flashes when the stability control system intervenes by selectively braking the wheels -in many Japanese cars an audible warning also sounds-, and remains lit when the stability control system is deactivated or has a malfunction.
tire pressure: Currently, by law, all cars must have a system that can detect a flat tire. Nearly all models use a system that detects that one of the wheels is spinning slower than the other, this warning light will illuminate red – the driver must then try to identify which wheel is punctured. For the system to work, it must be “initialized” every time the tire pressure is adjusted – in the process, the system “learns” the radius of the wheels.
Fuel level: indicates that the remaining fuel level is low -generally it is activated when the autonomy drops below 80 kilometers or, if the car consumes a lot, slightly below 1/4 tank-. In general, the side on which the hose is indicated in the pictogram coincides with the side of the car where the filler cap is located. In addition, there is usually an arrow next to the fuel gauge icon indicating this.
ice on the road: More and more cars have a warning light like this… or that it shows on the instrument panel screen. It lights up when the temperature drops below three degrees Celsius.
Faulty lamp: In many cars, when a bulb burns out, a warning light like this comes on. Depending on the degree of sophistication, the system can identify the burnt-out lamp with greater or lesser precision – by means of a message on the multifunction screen.
Star&Stop not available: Displayed in the instruments when the driver voluntarily disables the system that stops the engine, while the vehicle is stationary or the system is unable to operate for other reasons. For example, when the engine has not yet reached optimum operating temperature or the climate control is set to a very low temperature.
No windshield washer fluid: The tank sensor detects that the tank is empty. Its function is important so that the driver’s view is optimal at all times.
recommended rest: More and more cars have a system that analyzes the movements of the steering wheel and detects when the driver appears to be drowsy or exhausted. Then this icon lights up on the instrument panel, along with a legend advising you to take a break and rest.
long lights: road lights on. It is blue because it is the color that stands out most at night. They cannot be used in the city. On highways and freeways, you should also replace them for short if another vehicle is coming from the front, even if there is a median strip.
automatic high beam: The high beam is in automatic mode and comes on as soon as the camera it controls detects that it will not dazzle anyone.
recommended equipment: Currently it is mandatory for all cars to have a recommended gear indicator… although there is a wide variety of icons.
Lane departure warning: The lane departure warning system has an icon that changes color. It is orange when powered on and glows green when it detects the lines and starts working.
cruise control: In green, it means the system is on and maintaining the programmed speed. If it is a radar cruise control, this other icon is usually used.
blind spot assistant: Unlike the LDW warning light, this icon lights up green when the system is active…and lights up orange only when a fault is detected.
hit the brakes: this icon is only visible on cars with automatic transmission. It lights up orange when the lever is in P, indicating that the brake must be applied to move it. This will make the lamp turn green. This security system, called Interlock, prevents an automatic car from moving without someone at the wheel.
Fog lights front and rear: Distinguished by the wavy vertical line. The front fog lights, the line points down, implying that it is a short range light. The rear fog lamp is orange because when used without fog it is very annoying for other drivers.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
