We have talked before about warning lights, but we wanted to go a little more in depth and give you more information about the lights, the color of the light, and what they can mean.

Remember, Color is King! Here is a thumbnail guide to actions you should take in a warning light situation.

Red indicates a potentially serious problem or safety issue. Attend to it! Red may also indicate an important reminder. Examples of Red Lights include:

Brake Light – This is an unusual case, it can mean something extremely serious, or it could just mean your parking brake is still applied slightly. If this light comes on while driving, safely pull over, and check to make sure your parking brake is not applied. If it’s not, it may indicate a more serious problem. Your car’s brakes could potentially fail. This light is different to your ABS light (see below).

Oil Pressure – This means your engine is not getting enough oil to properly lubricate it’s components. Pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so… if you don’t your car will stop for you.

SRS/Airbag light – Do you want to have an accident and NOT have your airbags deploy?

Other important red lights may alert you to charging system problems, an overheating engine, a door being open, or you need to ‘buckle up’! It may seem unusual that the seat belt light is red, but if you get in anything more than a ‘fender bender’ without a seat belt on… you will likely be killed or seriously injured. That’s pretty serious.

Yellow/orange mean something needs to be serviced or repaired soon. If it is flashing, it is important that you contact your dealer or trusted repair shop. Examples of Yellow Lights include: ABS/Anti-lock Brake System Trouble Lights. Your brakes will probably still work, but many of us have become so accustomed to cars that brake without wheel lock up, it could be dangerous.

The famous check engine light. This often means a problem with your cars electronic engine management system. It is usually safe to drive a short distance, but prolonged driving with a check engine light on could damage your car. A great example of this is a misfiring car ‘cooking’ your catalytic converter.

Other examples of yellow lights are brake pad wear warning, low tire pressure or stability system turned off.

Green or blue is telling you that a system is on or operating. These are kind of like green or blue road signs. They give you information

Examples of blue or green lights. High Beam indicators, Cruise Control active, ECO (Economy) mode active or All Wheel Drive engaged.

Of course, we only listed a few here, If you have a light on your dash, and wonder what it means…. always feel free to stop by or call us at Street Tech. We can help you figure it out, no matter what the color.