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What Do Lights on a Car Dash Mean? 8 Auto Warning Lights Explained

What does that light mean on your vehicle’s dashboard? This post explains the eight most common warning car dashboard symbols and their meanings.

Close-up of a car dashboard showing brake and oil warning lights illuminated.

An instrument panel light helps you quickly diagnose a problem with your car. It lets you know what part of your vehicle requires attention, so you can look up a solution in your driver’s manual or online. Some lights have simple solutions, while others may require you to visit a mechanic. 

When you put your key in the ignition and start up your car, you may notice that all of these lights suddenly turn on briefly. That’s your vehicle’s way to make sure the lights are working. If a dash warning light stays on, however, don’t ignore it.  

Tire Pressure Light 

Icon of a vehicle warning light with an exclamation mark, indicating low tire pressure.

The TPMS, or tire pressure monitoring system, light looks like an exclamation point surrounded by a horseshoe that resembles a deflated tire. 

This light comes on when your tire pressure is too low and needs to be filled. Every vehicle should have the correct tire pressure displayed in the door jamb. Learn more about the TPMS and where to find tire pressure. 

The good news is that a tire pressure light is usually a quick fix that you can solve on your own by filling up your tires properly with air. The bad news is if you do this and the light comes on again — this means that there’s something wrong with one of your tires. You’ll probably need to patch or replace the tire as soon as possible to prevent a blowout while on the road.

Tire Agent can help you easily find a perfect replacement for your tire online. 

SHOP NEW TIRES

ABS Light

Anti-lock braking system (ABS) icon.

The ABS warning light usually looks like the letters “ABS” surrounded by a circle with a flat, bumpy bottom (representing the traction of your tire), or it may be an encircled ABS surrounded by half circles. If this light is on, it means that your ABS, or anti-lock braking system, isn’t working properly. 

This could be a mechanical issue. However, there can be more simple solutions, such as your tire pressure being too low or high, which will result in your ABS detecting mismatching wheel speeds. There may be a more serious issue with your car, such as low brake fluid or a hydraulic pump that’s failed. If the ABS light comes on, find a place to pull over and quickly restart your vehicle to see if the issue persists.

If the ABS light is still on, take your car to a mechanic to have your braking system inspected. While you can technically still drive with a car that has an ABS light on, it can be dangerous, as there could be something wrong with your brakes. 

Battery Light

Battery icon with positive and negative symbols.

The battery light on a car can mean a few different things. There may be an issue with the battery itself, as older batteries (3 to 5+ years) can have a leak, or they aren’t able to hold a charge because they’re old. The cables that are attached to your battery are another common point of failure that may need to be tested. There could be an issue with your car’s alternator, which is a part that helps your car charge your battery as you drive. 

When the battery warning light comes on, you can safely take your car to a mechanic to get your battery tested, sometimes for free! If you’re noticing dimmer headlights or other electronics in your car malfunctioning, you should mention this as well. Have this fixed quickly, as your vehicle may have issues like not turning on if it can’t get an initial jolt of electricity. 

Brake Light

Exclamation mark inside a circle with curved lines on either side for brake warning light.

The brake warning light is similar to the ABS light in that it’s an exclamation point surrounded by a circle and two curved lines. It’s sometimes also called a brake fluid light, although the issue may not necessarily be related to your brake fluid.

This indicator is tied to your car’s brakes, which is the part of your car that decelerates you. There are a lot of components tied to your brakes, from brake rotors to brake pads, which can potentially fail and trigger the brake light. A simple fix could be checking if your parking brake is engaged. But it could also be that your car has low brake fluid or there’s an issue with the aforementioned ABS. 

Even if you’re not noticing issues with your brakes as you drive, we highly recommend getting your vehicle checked if your brake light is staying on. Your car’s brakes are directly tied to your vehicle’s ability to stop. If something in your brakes fails, this can be dangerous. 

Check Engine Light

Outline of a car engine icon, the check engine light.

The check engine light is shaped like a car’s engine and can either be orange, yellow, or amber-colored depending on your vehicle’s make. 

This is the vaguest indicator, as it could be any number of things related to your car’s engine. The good news is that it could be a very simple, inexpensive fix, like a fuel cap that needs replacement. The bad news is that it could also indicate something expensive being broken or needing replacement, like your catalytic converter. This is the problem with the engine indicator light — the issue isn’t easy to pin down. 

If your car check engine light is turned on and is staying on, you need to take your car to the mechanic for an inspection. While you can probably still drive a car with the check engine light, that doesn’t mean you can ignore it. If the light is flashing, it means that there’s something seriously wrong with your engine, and you need to get to a mechanic as soon as possible.

Note that if your vehicle is up for license plate renewal and requires an inspection, an illuminated check engine light could cause you to fail.  

Engine Coolant Light

Icon of a thermometer partially submerged in water for the engine coolant light

The engine coolant light looks like a small thermometer that’s placed inside water. It’s usually blue or red. 

This indicator is related to your engine temperature. Some cars have a separate indicator for the engine being too cold or too hot. However, if your engine’s temperature is outside the expected range, this light will turn on. Occasionally, this light turns on when you first start your car, which may indicate your engine is still heating up. It’s generally best to not drive until the engine is completely heated, and the light turns off. 

If the engine coolant light turns on while you’re driving, it could mean that your engine is overheating. You should safely pull over and let your engine cool. Overheating can be caused by something wrong with your car’s coolant in the radiator, an issue with the vehicle water pump, or something else related to your vehicle’s heat. 

If the engine coolant light turns on while driving, you should bring your vehicle in for inspection so the mechanic can see if there’s an issue with your vehicle’s cooling system. 

SRS Light

Icon of a person with an airbag deploying for the SRS warning light

The SRS warning light looks like a person wearing a seat belt with a large circle in front of them. It’s usually red. 

SRS, or supplemental restraint system, is related to your car’s airbags. There are sensors within your car that detect if your airbags need to be deployed. The SRS warning light coming on means that you need to get your airbags and SRS checked. 

While not directly related to your vehicle operating properly, if the SRS light is on, there’s a good chance your airbags won’t deploy in case of an accident, which is a serious safety risk for you. Have your vehicle inspected if this light is on. 

Transmission Light

Exclamation mark inside a gear symbol for the transmission warning light

The transmission warning light looks like a thermometer surrounded by a gear; some automakers depict it as an exclamation point surrounded by a gear. It’s usually yellow or red. 

Transmission warning lights are related to issues with your vehicle’s transmission, which is the part of your vehicle that transmits power from your car’s engine to the wheels. The most common cause for this light turning on is that your vehicle has low fuel, so check your fuel gauge! But it could also be something wrong with your transmission, or vehicle overheating. Another common cause is if you’re towing something that weighs more than your vehicle’s towing capacity. 

If you don’t have low fuel or aren’t towing anything, we recommend taking your vehicle to a mechanic ASAP for inspection. If there’s damage to your transmission, this can be a costly replacement, and you want to avoid further damage to it as much as possible. 

More Dashboard Lights Meaning

Cars aren’t just transportation devices — they’re complex pieces of engineering that have lots of moving parts and components required to operate correctly and safely. All of these parts aren’t easy to keep track of, so modern vehicle manufacturers equip cars with warning lights on the dashboard that indicate when something needs your attention. These lights have specific symbols that correspond to a different part of your car. 

If you didn’t find the meaning of your dash warning lights here, go to your vehicle manufacturer’s website. Navigate to the owners’ section and look for Manuals and Warranties. From there, look for the section that covers the instrument panel. 


Engine light illustrations by ID 110599096 | Sylas83 | Dreamstime.com

ID 131140559 | Car Maintenance | Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime.com

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