The Engine Warning Lights that you Shouldn't Ignore

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The engine warning lights that you shouldn't
ignore
There are many types of warning lights fitted to
modern day cars, and while some are perfectly
innocuous and can be temporarily ignored, there
are some that should never be ignored. In this
blog, well take a look at some of the different
engine warning lights that you could encounter
and which ones should never be ignored.
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Amber warnings

• There are a number of amber warnings that are
  really not very serious and dont require
  immediate attention such as low windscreen wiper
  fluid to ones that are far more serious such as
  an ECU light. The lights below are the ones that
  wed recommend you investigate as soon as
  possible as the quicker you get them sorted, the
  cheaper the repair will be

Power steering light

• If after starting your car the power steering
  light stays illuminated then this could mean that
  there is a loss of pressure in the system or it
  could point towards an electronic issue.
• Action If the light comes on when driving then
  you should stop as soon as it is safe to do so
  and switch off the engine and allow the car to
  rest for a couple of minutes. Check the levels of
  fluid in the power steering system to see if
  these are low. If the levels are okay try
  restarting the car and seeing if the warning
  light goes out.

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Diesel particulate filter When the yellow DPF
light comes on it usually means that recent
regenerations have failed and that the DPF needs
to be cleaned. If you do a lot of city or urban
driving in stop and start traffic then this can
mean the DPF has not been cleared
properly. Action If the light is flashing then
you should be able to force your car to do a
regeneration by heading out onto the open road,
dual carriageway or motorway and driving at a
sustained speed for 30 45 minutes to clean the
filter. Your cars owners manual should tell you
how to do this. If the light fails to go out then
its time to get your car booked into your local
garage. ECU Engine management light If your
engine management light is flashing on and off or
comes on solidly then this generally means there
is a fault with the engines system. As the fault
could be caused by a huge number of elements,
this one will usually need a garage to
investigate using your cars OBD port. Action
If the light is flashing while driving then try
reducing your speed to see if it goes out. If the
light doesnt go out then stop the car as soon as
possible and book your car into a garage. For a
continuous light try turning your car off for a
couple of minutes before restarting, if the light
goes out then it should be safe to drive,
otherwise book it into a garage as soon as
possible.
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Red warning lights A red warning light represents
a serious problem that you need to act on
immediately. This does not mean that the repair
will be expensive, just that you need to
investigate the problem before it leads to
substantial damage to your car. Brake Light If
after taking off your handbrake the brake light
stays illuminated then your car has a problem
with the braking system. This could simply be
that your brake fluid needs topping up or it
could point to a more serious problem such as an
ABS or ESP issue. Action Stop the car as soon
as you safely can. Check the level of the brake
fluid reservoir, if this is low then this is
probably the issue and you should be fine driving
to a local garage to get this topped up. If the
fluid level is okay then you should get the car
into your dealer or garage as soon as you can to
diagnose the fault.
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Airbag warning light When driving if your airbag
warning light comes on then this means there is a
fault with the system. This could result in the
airbag going off unexpectedly or not firing in
the case of an accident. Action As soon as you
notice an airbag fault you should take your car
to the nearest garage or dealer to get the fault
checked out. You should choose a main franchise
dealer or specialist with knowledge of your car
make. Temperature warning light If your
temperature warning light comes on while you are
driving then it means that your engine is
overheating and you should stop
immediately. Action Stop your car as soon as
possible and turn off the engine to let your car
cool down, this can be sped up by opening the
bonnet. Wait at least 30 minutes before checking
the engine coolant levels and where possible top
these up. If after topping up the levels and
driving your car the light comes on again then
you need to stop the car and call a mechanic or
garage and have the car towed. Of course, if
your cars dashboard is lit up like a Christmas
tree and you cant afford to get it repaired then
it could be time to thinking of scrapping your
car with a reputable company like Cars 2 Cash
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