Has this happened to you? You’re minding your own business, driving down the road when a funny-looking symbol lights up on the dashboard of your car.
What the heck does that little light mean? While some symbols are fairly clear, others are a mystery to most people.
Green or blue lights = simply let you know that a system is on or operating.
Orange/yellow warning lights = generally signify that your vehicle needs to be serviced or repaired soon.
Red and/or flashing light = a red light means that you should take action immediately!
- Change Engine Oil Soon Light
The change engine oil soon message can appear on your dash. When the dash displays this message, it means that your oil should be changed soon. The change engine oil soon message is based on the last time the oil life system settings were reset, so be sure to reset the oil life system every time the engine oil is changed. Your vehicle is equipped with a computer system that indicates when to change the oil and filter. This interval is based on engine revolutions and temperature – not on actual mileage. For the oil life system to work properly, it must be reset every time the oil is changed.
- Traction Control
Most cars use the symbol of a car with “S” tracks behind them. The overwhelming majority of cars today use traction control. This system helps to keep your car more stable if one wheel should turn faster than another.
This light should simply flash once or on and off a few times, then stop once your car is on stable ground once more. If the light comes on and stays on, you should call My Mechanic for an appointment. Traction control works with the anti-lock brakes on your vehicle, so it’s a matter of safety.
- Anti-Lock or ABS Warning Light
This symbol often uses the letters ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) inside a circle or two circles. The anti-lock braking system on your vehicle is a very important one. If you should panic and slam on the brakes, it prevents your car wheels from locking up and sliding. Sometimes referred to as ABS, the anti-lock system will pump the brakes for you so you can safely stop the car.
While you may not feel any difference, you should call My Mechanic for an appointment as soon as you can. This is another safety feature, and no one should be driving with a failing or malfunctioning braking system.
- Tire Pressure Warning Light
This symbol is often a yellow or orange light that looks like a flat tire that has an exclamation point inside of it. Also called the TPMS symbol, when this lights up, you should check your tire pressure ASAP. Tires that have low air pressure, even if it’s only 2-5 pounds, can substantially increase your chances of having a blowout and possibly causing an accident. Also, tires that are low on air pressure cause reduced gas mileage and premature tire wear
If all the tires are properly inflated and the light does not go out, call My Mechanic for an appointment. Chances are that one or more of the sensors has failed and needs to be replaced.
- Oil Pressure Warning Light
This symbol is often shown as an old-fashioned oil can with a drop of oil coming out. When you see this symbol, you need to stop your car immediately. When the engine oil is low enough that this light is on, you are risking serious engine damage if you continue to drive, and you could possibly even destroy the motor.
Sometimes, the motor has plenty of oil but the oil pump itself is weak or plugged or broken and it can’t send motor oil where it needs to go. Check the oil level immediately and add whatever amount of oil the vehicle needs.
However, if you add oil and the light is still on, stop the vehicle and call My Mechanic right away. Don’t drive the vehicle or you risk damaging the motor, which could be a very expensive repair.
- Coolant Temperature Warning If you see this symbol, stop your car immediately! Pull over as soon as you can and stop the motor to prevent serious (and expensive) damage to the motor.
While these lights operate with sensors and the sensors sometimes fail, telling you that the motor is hot when it isn’t, that is a rare exception. The majority of the time, this is a true emergency, and you need to stop the car.
- Check Engine or Service Engine Soon
This is perhaps the most common and the most annoying symbol that drivers see. Because the message is vague, it can mean something serious or not so serious.
Some manufacturers try to differentiate between serious and “not an emergency” with a flashing Check Engine light. If the light flashes on and off regularly without stopping, this is often a sign that the problem is urgent, and you should drive ASAP to your local mechanic.
Don’t make the mistake of just ignoring that light. It is trying to tell you that something is wrong, and you won’t be able to pass your next emissions test anyway while it is lit, so you might as well get it fixed sooner rather than later.
What to Do When the Check Engine Light Comes on
First, unless steam is pouring out from under the hood, there is probably no need to panic. In a nutshell, the Check Engine light is your car’s way of communicating with you. When this light comes on, it is telling you that one of your vehicle’s systems, such as the cooling or emission control system, is not working properly.
The car seems OK and it drives the same, so what does this warning light mean?
In many instances, this simply means that, as soon as possible, take your vehicle in to be checked, if you don’t notice any changes in how the vehicle is running.
Some newer models have a feature where the Check Engine light will flash continually. This is a sign that something is VERY wrong, and you can cause engine damage if you drive much further. Obviously, if your car has this feature, you should pull over ASAP and have the vehicle towed to My Mechanic.
Things NOT to do because the internet search says you can fix it yourself:
- Just Disconnect the Battery and That Will Reset the Light
While it’s true that disconnecting the battery or pulling a fuse will reset the Check Engine light, this doesn’t mean that your problem is “fixed.” This will NOT allow you to pass an emissions test (contrary to popular belief) and the problem remains. Worse still, pulling the ECM or PCM fuse may cause the code to be removed from the car’s memory. This means that when you decide to take your car to your mechanic to find out what is wrong, the car will not give them a code, and this will cost you more money since the mechanic will now have to spend a considerable amount of time trying to diagnose each system.
- Retrieving the Code Means I Can Fix the Car Myself
Depending on the year and model of your car, it’s true that some codes will direct you to the exact part that has failed. Many, however, only tell you the system that has failed, and being a mechanic means you must trace down the correct part that is no longer working. This takes many years of experience and is best left to professionals at My Mechanic.
Here are some things you can do to start the Check Engine Light issues:
- Check the Gas Cap This seems too simple, but a loose, broken, or missing gas cap will make that Check Engine light come on. It is a simple item to check off the list of possible problems.
- Did You Recently Install a Car Alarm? If the Check Engine light came on soon after you picked up your car from having an alarm installed, take it back right away. When alarms are not installed properly, they can drain the battery, prevent your car from starting and, yep, cause that Check Engine light to come on.
At the End of the Day
Don’t let those dashboard lights confuse and frustrate you. While the low-fuel light isn’t a big cause for concern (assuming you are near a gas station!) nearly all other lights are attempts to tell you that the vehicle has a problem, and it probably requires the attention of a highly qualified mechanic.
Bring your vehicle to My Mechanic. We will be more than happy to see what codes are hiding in your vehicle’s memory and explain the problem to you fully. You will feel much better knowing that your vehicle is in tip-top condition and with little risk of a breakdown at an inopportune moment.
If the car is running as usual, then there is really no need to stress out. Everyone depends on their vehicle for everything from taking the kids to school to getting to work, picking up groceries, and taking their family to the doctor. Bring your vehicle to My Mechanic and have us inspect it. Chances are that the repair is going to be far less expensive than you imagine.
Call the ASE-Certified Mechanics at My Mechanic today for an appointment.
