Understanding Car Dashboard Symbols

It can sometimes be an alarming moment when unfamiliar car dashboard symbols come to light, with some of the warning lights creating cause for concern for motorists.

This makes knowing the meaning of each dashboard symbol important for drivers of any types of cars, as knowing what potential problem your car is facing is a lot more useful than being unaware of your vehicle’s situation.

We have you covered, as today we will go over some of the most common and important dashboard warning lights, describing what they mean and what to do should they appear.

Tyre Pressure Light

Firstly, the tyre pressure warning symbol occurs when your tyres are underinflated, have received a puncture, or even overinflated tyre pressure. This directly correlates with detection from your car's tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Your car will have a set recommended tyre pressure that can be found in your vehicle’s handbook and in the case of most vehicles, inside of the driver’s door. The measurement for tyre pressure is generally PSI or BAR.

When the tyre pressure warning light appears, it is recommended to reduce the speed of your vehicle then check your tyre pressure immediately.

If the tyre pressure is underinflated, refer to your recommended vehicle tyre pressure and start to inflate your tyres accordingly – you can inflate your tyres at local garages or petrol stations near you.

If your tyre’s pressure is overinflated, release the air out of your tyres slightly with a tyre pressure gauge to monitor the tyre pressure.

Engine Management Light

Your engine management light may appear if there is a problem with the vehicle’s engine.

The engine warning light is a little different to some dashboard symbols, as the symbol doesn’t give you a specific reasoning as to what the problem may be with your engine. However, it is still important to air on the side of caution and figure out the problem and potential solutions.

Typically, the engine light will appear amber/orange right behind the steering wheel. This indicates that there is no serious issues present and you can continue to drive safely. It is recommended however that the engine should still be checked by a garage, just to be sure there are no causes for concern.

Sometimes the engine management light will flash orange, meaning the engine has got a problem that may negatively affect your driving experience. If the orange light is flashing, get your car checked immediately.

When the engine management symbol is red, that is where there is a serious problem. If you see this symbol red, pull over as soon as possible at the nearest safe place and phone an appropriate vehicle breakdown service.

Engine Oil Light

The oil can light will appear when there is an issue with your engine oil pressure.

Typically, the main issue that causes the oil warning light to appear will be that the engine is low on oil.

If this symbol appears on your dashboard, make sure you are parked in a safe parking space and have the engine turned off, then proceed to unscrew the oil filler cap under the hood of your car. Once this is done, proceed to fill your engine with the appropriate oil specific to your engine’s needs.

Are you unsure of what oil your car needs? Read our ‘ What Oil Does My Car Need?’ article.

Battery System Light

The battery system light will remain on if there is a problem with the car’s charging system.

This dashboard light will always come on when you first start your car, with it disappearing shortly after the engine ignition is generated if there are no problems with the battery charging system. But what if it still appears?

The battery symbol is measured through a circuit on the engine and weighs in the voltage produced by the alternator. When the light appears, it typically means the voltage is too low which affects the engine’s power.

If the light appears whilst driving, your car’s battery is deteriorating and will eventually stop working – if this happens, pull over and turn off anything that generates power expect from your engine.

It is also recommended that you safely drive to the nearest car garage where experts will give your battery maintenance or perhaps a replacement if the issues are irreparable.

Brake & ABS Warning Lights

Now over to the prominent braking lights – the brake warning light and ABS warning light.

The braking light being on generally means that the brake fluid levels are low. In terms of safety, you must approach this situation with caution, as your brakes are a vital component of your vehicle’s safety.

When the braking light is showing, it is recommended that you pull over safely and phone your breakdown service company.

The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) warning light will show if there a problem with your car’s ABS.

Your vehicle’s ABS is designed to help you with the control of your car when driving in challenging conditions, such as wet, slippery, or uneven surfaces.

This light indicates that you don’t have issues with normal braking, but you may have issues with anti-lock braking, that deals with the more testing weather conditions.

Much like the normal brake warning like appearing, it is not recommended to continue driving whilst the ABS light is on, as your anti-lock brakes may be compromised. However, you can still drive when the ABS light is appearing, due to the fact your car can still be stopped with normal functioning brakes.

Therefore, you may drive to your nearest garage to get your brakes checked.

Please note, it is a possibility that there is a dashboard malfunction when a light shows, as a warning light may appear even though there is nothing wrong with your car regarding that specific issue.

You should however still take precaution   when warning lights show on your dashboard  –  try turning your engine off and on again to see if the light is still showing on your dashboard. If the symbol is still appearing, take the relevant steps that we have went over today.

Has your warning light not been covered in this article? Read here to find out what it means.

Image Credits:

Tyre Pressure Warning – Bridgestone

Engine Management – Auto Express

Oil Warning –  Cars 24

Battery Warning – Firestone

Brake Warning – Toyota

ABS Warning –  Driving Test Tips