Dashboard Icons and Their Meaning from Ohio's Dashlight Experts

Technology has certainly changed a lot of our everyday lives, and cars are no stranger to the adoption of technology. The more technology that is put into a vehicle, the more indicator lights are typically programmed on the car's dash. Thankfully, a majority of these icons are adopted throughout all cars, meaning that one icon has one meaning for all vehicles, regardless of make. This weeks blog shows you common dashboard lights, what they look like, and what it means when they illuminate on your dash. Keep in mind that these are the common problems, and may require extensive inspection, given the certain problem at hand. Comprehensive vehicle inspections can be scheduled with any local Bob Sumerel Tire location, for further details click the link!

• TPMS- Newer vehicles have a system that monitors the tire pressure for all wheels. When this light comes on, it typically means one or more of your tires is low and needs at least 5 psi added. If this light is flashing, it typically means there is a fault in your TPMS sensor.

 

• Coolant- This light typically takes a few different forms, but the most common light is depicted here. A coolant light typically comes on when the coolant level is low, or when the engine is overheating slightly. 

• Check Engine- Otherwise known as "Service Engine Soon," this light comes on for any number of reasons. Whether it is a transmission fault, or a cylinder misfiring, get to your local Bob Sumerel Tire location to get your engine light scanned!

 

• Brake/ABS- These lights can take form for multiple things. It can mean that you are either low on brake fluid, or that your brake pads may need changing soon. When your have your parking brake engaged, this brake light typically illuminated. When there is a fault in the ABS system, the ABS light will typically pop on.

• Traction Control- In accordance with your ABS system, your traction control system is one that operated by sensors on your vehicle. When this light pops up, it typically means there is a short in your traction control system, and may not handle as optimally as it should.

• Oil- An oil light will illuminate when your engine is either low on oil, or is having some system fault within the oil system. This can sometimes indicate the need for an oil change.

• Battery- Whenever a battery is dead, or close to it, this light will pop on. It typically means the battery is depleted in power and needs charged or even replaced. 

• Airbag- Newer vehicles typically have various sensors that control the airbag deployment system. When this light comes on, it typically means there is some type of malfunction with one of these sensors. 

There are a couple of other lights on here that are not listed, including ones like: high beam light, low washer fluid, bulb failure, maintenance required, and more. For additional information on what these lights pertain to, check our CarCare's infographic on these lights! Typically, the standard procedure for resetting these lights is removing the negative terminal on the battery cable for some amount of time.

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