It can be difficult to know when something is wrong with your vehicle, which is why warning lights illuminate on your dashboard to inform you of any issues. As there are lots of different warning lights and symbols, it is often difficult to decipher what needs urgent attention and could lead to a severe problem. Therefore, by reading your vehicle handbook and the Highway Code regularly, you will be able to understand when serious problems occur and avoid additional damage.
The warning lights show up on our dashboards when sensors detect problems and faults, such as brake and tyre wear. There are multiple different warning lights differing in severity, red lights require immediate attention and can mean there is a serious problem. Amber lights advise you to get your vehicle checked or check it yourself if possible, for warnings such as tyre pressure. While green/blue lights are advisory such as filling up your screen wash.
It is easy to forget what each symbol means as we are not always familiar with the highway code, a quiz has been created allowing you to test your knowledge against a survey conducted by Lease Car to see how well respondents knew their car warning lights.
Engine warning
A surprising 29% believed this symbol showed low fluid oil!
If this light appears, it is advised to take your vehicle to a garage as soon as possible as it can indicate a serious problem with your engine.
Anti-lock braking system warning
Some vehicles can be safe to drive without ABS although it is best to get it checked by a professional encase. This was guessed correctly by 43% of respondents.
Tyre pressure monitor warning
If your vehicle gets a puncture in its tyre or the tyre pressure drops, it is likely that this warning light will appear. You can check your tyre pressure at a garage pump. 16% of respondents mistook this for a brake warning light!
Engine coolant warning light
If the symbol appears it’s important to check your coolant levels immediately, as it could be overheating. If unsure take it to a garage to be checked over, 75% of respondents got this correct!
Brake system warning light
52% of respondents got this incorrect thinking it was a seatbelt warning and this is one of the most important symbols! Take your vehicle to a garage as soon as possible to be checked over to avoid causing further damage.
Battery charge warning
If this symbol appears it can indicate numerous different issues, such as a faulty battery. It is important to go to a garage immediately as it can indicate a serious problem. It is no surprise that 96% of respondents got this correct!
Fancy testing your warning light knowledge? Take the quiz to see how well you do.
As each vehicle is different it is important to read your handbook, as there may be some warning lights unique to your car.
To read more on topics like this, check out the Technology category.
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