What All the Symbols on Your Car’s Dashboard Mean

Did the check engine light on your car’s dashboard just turn on? If so, you’re probably well aware of what it looks like. You might not know what it means, though, and that’s because it could indicate any number of things, as it turns on when your car’s computer senses a problem somewhere in your vehicle. You’ll need to take your car to your local car dealership’s service center as soon as possible so they can use a diagnostic computer to read a code revealing what’s wrong with it.

The check engine light is just one of the many symbols that might light up on your car’s dashboard to indicate an issue. The team at Seminole Chevrolet Buick General Motors Co. (GMC) in Seminole, Oklahoma, has provided this handy guide to help you learn about what the most common symbols on your car’s dashboard mean.

OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT

Your car contains oil that lubricates all the moving parts found in its engine. If your vehicle is ever running low on oil or if its oil pump isn’t working properly, you might see the oil pressure warning light turn on. This isn’t a light you’ll want to ignore for very long. If you drive around in your car without enough oil getting to its engine, it could lead to serious engine troubles. You should arrange to have your car looked at right away to get oil flowing through its engine again.

TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT

Your car has a tire pressure monitoring system in it that keeps an eye on how much air is in each of its tires. If the tire pressure ever falls below a certain level, the tire pressure warning light will come on to let you know that you need to fill one or more of the tires up with air. You should try to put air in the tires sooner rather than later since a lack of air can affect your car’s fuel economy and potentially lead to damage to its tires.

ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT

While the oil in your car is probably the most critical fluid found in it, the engine coolant comes in a close second. It’s responsible for making sure that your car’s engine doesn’t overheat. If your car’s engine temperature warning light ever pops up, it’ll be a sign that its engine coolant is either leaking or not doing its job and that its engine is getting too hot as a result. You’ll want to pull your car over immediately since continuing to drive without enough coolant could wreak havoc on your car’s engine.

ABS WARNING LIGHT

If you’re ever forced to slam on your brakes for one reason or another, the ABS will spring into action to stop your brakes from completely locking up on you. The ABS warning light coming on will indicate that your ABS isn’t operating as it should. This could be a safety hazard, so you’ll want to drive your car to a service center immediately to get your ABS back in good working order.

BATTERY ALERT LIGHT

At first glance, you might think the battery alert light is a sign that your car’s battery is about to die, and this could very well be the case. But it could also suggest that you have a loose battery cable, an alternator on its last legs, or even a fault in your car’s electrical system. Whatever the case, you’ll need to have your car’s battery inspected before you continue driving.

AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT

Most cars on the road today have a series of airbags in them that are strategically positioned throughout a vehicle to protect drivers and passengers in the event of a crash. If you spot your airbag indicator light come on, it’ll let you know that you have either a single airbag that isn’t working or an entire airbag system that’s gone down. This could put you in real danger if you happen to get into an accident, so you shouldn’t hesitate to arrange to have your airbags fixed.

BRAKE WARNING LIGHT

If the brake warning light appears on your car’s dashboard, the first thing you should do is check to see if your parking brake is engaged. If it is, disengaging it should shut this light right off. If, however, the light is still on after you’ve disengaged the parking brake, you might have a problem with your car’s braking system. And because the brakes are such an important part of your vehicle, you’ll need to schedule service before you keep driving around in a car with bad brakes.

TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT

Although there are a couple of other very serious warning lights on this list, this one might be the most serious of the bunch. If your car’s transmission temperature warning light comes on, you’ll need to pull it over immediately because it’ll mean its transmission is overheating. You should arrange to have your car towed to the nearest service center so that you can get its transmission inspected to figure out why it’s overheating at this time.

SEAT BELT REMINDER LIGHT

When you first climb into your car and start it up, you’ll see the seat belt reminder light illuminate. It’ll then usually stay on until you put your seat belt on. Most people have gotten into the habit of putting their seat belts on after getting into their cars, but it never hurts to get a reminder from this light. Wearing a seatbelt could save your life if you’re ever involved in a car crash.

CONTACT OUR SERVICE CENTER IF YOU SEE ANY SYMBOLS ON YOUR CAR’S DASHBOARD

When your car is running like it’s supposed to, you shouldn’t see any symbols lit up on its dashboard. This will indicate that your vehicle has a clean bill of health and shouldn’t have anything wrong with it.

But if you see any of the warning lights listed here, it’ll be a different story. You’ll need to have your car worked on right away to get it running like normal again. The service center at Seminole Chevrolet Buick GMC can lend a hand if you need help repairing your car after seeing a symbol show up on its dashboard.

Touch base with us today to schedule repairs for your car at our service center in Seminole, Oklahoma.

Tags: Car Symbols, Car Tips, Check Engine Light
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