Car dashboard symbols and meanings - everything you need to know

Car dashboard symbols - what do they mean?

In today's modern world, our cars are packed full with digital technology and electronic software. So, it's important to pay attention to any vehicle dashboard warning lights and to know what they mean.

Understanding the different warning lights on your car can help you react quicker and prevent further issues, such as a full breakdown or costly repairs. One of the most important things to know is that dashboard lights typically have three different warning colours.

These colours follow the 'traffic light' system of green, amber and red that all drivers should be familiar with. Below is what each colour represents on car dashboard.

• Green light: This indicates the system is functioning correctly or may be in use.
• Amber light: Something isn't functioning as expected and needs to be checked.
• Red light: This means there is something seriously wrong with the vehicle, which is potentially dangerous. If you see this red light, you should stop driving as soon as it is safe to do so.

In our guide below, we look at the meanings behind a car’s dashboard symbols so you can fully understand them and react to them if necessary.

Brake warning light

Your brake system warning light is arguably one of the most important systems and safety features in a car. This is also known as the ‘parking brake warning light’, ‘brake system warning light’ or ‘brake fluid warning light’. This car dashboard symbol will illuminate red if the system isn't working properly.

Ultimately, if this dashboard symbol shows, you should slow down or stop as soon as it is safe to do so and avoid any sudden or harsh braking.

One of the most common causes for the brake warning light to show is because the driver has pulled away with the parking brake engaged, so make sure your handbrake is fully disengaged when driving.

However, if this isn’t the problem, do not continue with your journey and contact a professional to check over your brake fluid levels and braking system. Driving with a brake warning light on is not worth the risk.

Anti-lock brake system (ABS) warning light

An illuminated ABS light may indicate that there's a problem with the car's wheel speed sensor or an issue with connections and wiring. These types of issues could prevent the anti-lock braking system from working properly when engaged.

While it still may be safe to drive, it's important to understand a repair may be needed to fully restore the brakes and may impact the car's ability to suddenly stop. This can be particularly problematic on bad road and poor weather conditions.

If this light comes on at the same time as your brake warning light, it could be a signal that the braking system is malfunctioning and unable to operate correctly. If this is the case, you should pull the car over to a safe place as soon as possible.

Low tyre pressure warning light

You can identify the low tyre pressure warning light as the symbol which has two curved vertical lines, a horizontal bottom line and an exclamation mark in the middle of them. This mimics a flattened tyre on the pressure point touching the ground.

In modern vehicles, tyre pressure can be set using the car's computer system. If the tyre pressure falls below the pre-set pressure, the light will illuminate to alert the driver.

If this is the case and the light comes on, you can still drive the car, but take extra care and top up your tyres with air as soon as you can.

If this light comes on your dashboard when you are driving, you should try to reduce your speed and do not make any sudden manoeuvres like braking sharply, as low tyre pressure can cause the car to be unsafe to drive.

To top up your tyre's air pressure, use an air compressor. If you don't own one, most petrol stations and garages will have one you can use. Check the optimal tyre pressure according to the vehicle's manufacturer specification in the owner's manual before filling them up.

Once you've topped up the air in your tyres and restart your journey, the warning light should go off. However, if it doesn't, it may mean there is other damage to the tyre, such as a puncture. If that’s the case, you should look to have the tyre repaired or replaced.

Airbag warning light

When the airbag warning light turns red, it means there is a problem, which indicates at least one of the system's components isn't working as it should be. For example, it could mean:

• The airbag deployment system is not working.
• The front passenger occupancy classification system (which detects the weight and position of the front passenger for airbag deployment) is not working.
• The seatbelt pretensioner system (which restricts in the event of a crash) isn’t working properly.

While this light being on won't stop the car being driven, it is dangerous for passengers in the event of a traffic collision. Also, if this light is on during your MOT, it could result in a failure, so it’s best to get it seen to as soon as possible.

Engine management light

The engine management light warning is also referred to as the ‘ECU warning light’ or ‘Check engine light’. This warning light can indicate one or many faults within the engine system.

The colour of the warning light will indicate how serious the issue could be, which can be anything from sensor issues to the car's catalytic converter. When this light is illuminated on your dashboard, it is usually in tandem with other signs that your engine isn’t working correctly. For example, stuttering noises coming from the engine or a lack of power during acceleration.

When your engine management light illuminates, you should get it checked immediately. As the fault could be one of many things, getting a professional to check your engine is really important. Doing so will mitigate any further damage, which could be detrimental to your vehicle in the future.

Oil warning light

Sticking with an engine-related system, you may encounter a low engine oil or low oil pressure light on your dashboard. The oil warning light will illuminate if the oil temperature gets too high or the oil level or pressure is too low.

This warning light indicates that the engine is not being lubricated with oil adequately. This is highly problematic and without action can lead to unrepairable damage. If you see an oil warning light, always safely stop your car and check under the engine for any leaks. If there are no leaks, then replenish the oil level within the oil tank.

In turn, this should mean the oil warning light will disappear when you drive off. However, if it doesn't, then you will need to take your car to be checked by a professional – you can always pop into your nearest Arnold Clark dealership for help.

Coolant levels warning light

To prevent your engine from overheating, coolant fluid absorbs the heat from your engine and disperses it through the radiator. The coolant levels warning light will illuminate yellow when you need to fill up your coolant levels.

You should avoid making any long journeys without sufficient coolant levels. This is because driving with low coolant levels could cause severe damage to the car in the long term. Before topping up your coolant fluid, wait for the engine to cool down.

If the coolant levels dashboard light illuminates red, this usually means that the car is overheating and you should stop driving straight away. There could be a few reasons for this, including a leak in the cooling system or even a head gasket failure, which is a far larger problem.

Battery warning light

The battery warning light will be shown on your dashboard as a symbol with a rectangular battery with positive and negative electrodes. If this light comes on while you’re driving, it could mean there's an issue with the battery, such as faulty or damaged cabling.

This warning light means that the battery is no longer charging if it comes on while you are driving. Similarly, if your car doesn’t start and this light is illuminated, it’s safe to assume the battery is dead. To fix this, you may be able to jump-start your car, but if not, the battery might need to be replaced.

If you need a new car battery, we’re happy to assist you. You can book into your nearest Arnold Clark, or you can buy a new car battery directly from our Autoparts store.

Power steering warning light

Power steering enhances ease of steering and manoeuvring your car, especially at low speeds. Without it, steering would be extremely heavy and manoeuvring safely would become extremely difficult. This warning light is also sometimes referred to as the EPS or EPAS warning light in newer models.

There are many different reasons for a power steering warning light on a car dashboard, including:

• Power steering fluid being low/too low.
• Power steering pump has failed.
• A faulty power steering belt
• A leak in the power steering system

With many electric-powered systems, sometimes a simple system reboot will sort the issue. Vehicles can also experience electrical faults or software issues which can result in the power steering warning light being switched on in error.

You will be able to tell straight away if the warning light has illuminated in error or not because, when power steering system isn't working effectively, it can feel like you’re trying to manoeuvre a boat and not a car!

This can be very dangerous, so you should take extra care, especially if you're travelling at high speeds. Come to a stop as soon as it is safe to do so and contact a professional for help.

Electronic stability problem (ESP) light

This warning light is also referred to as Electronic Stability Control (ESC). When this warning light appears on your car’s dashboard, it means that there is a problem with traction control. This light illuminates in a few different ways to inform you what sort of issue is being detected.

When you are driving and this light flashes on and off on your dashboard, it means that the ESP system is helping the car maintain traction control in bad road conditions, for example, when driving on an icy or slippery road.

If the light stays on, this is a signal that there is something wrong with the system and that it is not working the way it should. ESC is an important safety feature in cars, so if this light does stay on, we would always advise you to get it checked over by a professional as soon as possible.

Brake pad warning light

Some modern cars even have a warning light for when your brake pads are worn too thin. This warning light tends to come on before the pads become dangerously worn so that you have time to get new ones fitted.

Taking care of your brakes is your responsibility and this is always something you need to prioritise. Having this warning light makes it even easier for the driver to know when it’s time to have pads replaced. While not found on every vehicle, brake pad warning lights are often found on newer Volkswagen and Audi models.

Fuel warning light

A fairly explanatory warning light, but if your fuel tank is running near empty, then it will turn yellow. Depending on your vehicle's dashboard, there may also be an option that tells you exactly how many miles of 'range' you have left.

Your fuel warning light may begin to flash to alert you that you have roughly only 10 per cent of your fuel tank left.

Door open warning light

Another warning light which doesn't need too much of an explanation. The door open warning light will appear if you set off on your journey and one of your doors has not been shut or closed properly. This may also include the boot if the vehicle doesn't have a separate boot warning light.

Conclusion

There are many things you need to keep on top of and be familiar with as a driver. We hope that this article has made you more confident in your understanding of car dashboard symbols and their meanings.

If you find yourself with any of the above warning lights showing on your dashboard, book a service or find your nearest local Arnold Clark dealership where one of our team will be happy to assist you.