Fleet Hub

Your dashboard explained

Find out what that warning light on your dashboard means.

There’s nothing like the fear that comes over you when one of the dreaded lights shines up on your dashboard. Whether it makes you aware of its presence with an alarm or sneaks up on you when you’re least expecting it, a dashboard light means it is time to take action with your car. The worst part…not knowing what it means. So, as a helping hand, Fleet has created this article to guide you through the most common and important dashboard warning lights you might encounter in your car.

1. Check Engine Light – This light can come on for many reasons. For example, something as simple as a loose fuel cap can trigger the warning, or it could be a major problem, such as internal engine failure. In order to really know what is wrong with your car, it’s best to have a professional diagnose the issue, so head to your local (or nearest) garage.

2. Oil Pressure Warning Light – This light means you’re either running low on oil or your oil pump is not circulating enough fluid. Pull over as soon as it’s safe to do so, turn off your vehicle, and check the oil. Look around for leaks, and then pull out the oil dipstick to check the fluid level (located in your bonnet).

• If the oil level is low, then the light may go off when you add oil

• If there’s enough oil but the engine is running noisy, it might be an issue with the oil pump

• If it’s okay and the engine is running smoothly, your oil pressure sensor may be malfunctioning

In any case, it’s important to bring your vehicle in ASAP to let a mechanic take a look and address whatever it is that’s causing the low oil/low oil pressure.

3. Brake System Warning Light – Your brake warning light may start to flash or be amber/red when:

• Your brake fluid has started to leak

• The car is experiencing a sensor failure

• The brake pads need replacing

When this happens, you need to bring your vehicle in and let a technician take a look. If you feel unsafe or you are not in full control while driving, then pull over and call your breakdown service.

4. Battery Charge Warning Light – This light shows that your battery is no longer being charged by the alternator which means your car is running on battery power that will eventually run out, bringing your car to a complete halt. First things first - turn off the radio, air-con, heated seats, and anything you’re charging. If it’s safe to, drive without your headlights to conserve power. You then have two choices and they depend really on where you are: stop as soon as it’s safe to do so, and ring your breakdown service or head to the nearest garage.

5. Temperature Warning Light – If you see this switch on, it means your car is overheating. If your vehicle’s cooling system is working properly, this should never occur. Continuing to drive with this light on will eventually cause damage to your car, so, if you see it, don’t ignore it, take it to get looked at by an expert.

6. Low-Fuel Warning Light – We’re guessing everyone knows what this light means, so you know the drill. Low fuel means it’s time to fill up again.

7. Tyre-Pressure Sensor Warning – Driving on low- or high-pressure tyres is unsafe and can cause damage to your tyres. We recommend stopping as soon as possible to inflate or deflate your tires to the correct pressure (this can be found in your driver’s handbook which is usually stored in the glove department).

8. Seatbelt Warning Light – This is one of the warning lights that makes its presence known with a continuous warning sound, meaning that someone in your car doesn’t have their seatbelt on, a very easy fix, just ask them to pop it on.

9. Door/Boot/Bonnet Warning Lights – Another easier light to resolve, your car lets you know if one of the doors, boot, or bonnet is open. Simply shut whichever one is being shown, and away you go.

Hopefully, this has helped you to understand your car a bit better, and therefore enjoy, what we call, hassle-free motoring.